12-25-08
BY JACK BULLOCK
ELDORADO - The 34th Annual Eldorado Holiday Tournament has one undefeated team and and some very talented squads with championship dreams heading into the 16-team bracketed event to be played December 27-29, 2007.

Add to that list some traditional EHT vets and the event has the clout for some big crowds and excitement in the days following Christmas.

Mounds Meridian – the top 1A team in the Preseason ABV Rankings for the Carbondale Supersectional – has just a 72-69 loss to Charleston (MO.) and a 52-51 defeat at the hands of rival Vienna on its 9-2 chart. Two of the wins have been against 2A West Frankfort and 2A Vienna to win the Eagles Thanksgiving Tournament on the road.

Coach Jeff Mandrell has his team in position for a long postseason run and the Bobcats will face a tough test this week at Duff-Kingston Gym.

Marland Johnson is a 6-foot-5 forward that can run the floor as well as any big man that has ever played in this tournament. He is averaging 15 points and seven rebounds a game for Meridian.

In the backcourt 6-foot-2 Isaiah Jones and 6-foot-3 Jeserick Pilgrim form a solid tandem.

Jones is averaging 13 points a night while Pilgrim is pitching in 12 p.p.g. Both of these playmakers have averaged over four assists per outing. This trio has been nearly unstoppable this season and it will take a great defensive effort by one of the four potential opponents to keep Meridian from taking home the school's first EHT title.

Six-foot-three Ralph Smith (9.5 p.p.g.) and 6-foot-5 senior Malcolm Larry (seven p.p.g.) help make the Bobcats a high scoring team.

Although Meridian isn’t a clear cut favorite – they deserve the respect that the seeding committee gave them and the number one squad.

“I think this is a better overall tournament than it was last year,” said Coach Mandrell. “We are seeded number one but any of the top five or so teams could get hot and win it. Eldorado is undefeated and it is their home floor so they will have a good chance to win the tournament.”

The host Eldorado Eagles have an impressive 10-0 mark with the championship of the Pyramid Plus Tournament beating the likes of Salem, Massac County and Marion along the way. Add wins over rivals Harrisburg, West Frankfort and Hamilton County to that impressive list.

Coach Greg Goodley’s club is a physically strong team led statistically by a pair of underclassmen – Isaiah Cunningham and Cody Lane. Cunningham is a 6-foot-5 junior forward while Lane is a sophomore guard at 6-foot-4. Both are averaging 16 points a game while Lane is leading the unbeaten Eagles with five rebounds a night.

Dallas Robinson – a 5-foot-11 senior playmaker – runs the show for Eldorado.

When the next statewide poll comes out in January – Eldorado should be on the list of 2A squads.
The other two one-loss teams have been a pleasant surprise.

Harrisburg lost a lot of talent to graduation last season but has come out strong with an 8-2 mark with just a 72-71 loss to Eldorado on December 11 and a 50-48 defeat to West Frankfort back on December 14.

Head coach Randy Smithpeters' Bulldogs bested four teams to win its own preseason tournament and jumped out to eight consecutive wins to open the season.

Matt Smithpeters – another of the fine athletes that has come from this family – is a 5-foot-9 senior point guard who is averaging 16 points and nearly four assists per contest.

Six-foot-one senior forward Kendall Donaldson (nine p.p.g.) and 6-foot-2 junior Russell Rambert (eight p.p.g.) are also contributing to a team that wasn't expected to be as good as they have played.

“We have been pretty balanced this year with all of our kids playing well,” said Coach Smithpeters. “This has just been a case of chemistry where we have come together for great team play. We have people that have skills and we have played well for the most part.”

Norris City-Omaha-Enfield won the Grayville Thanksgiving Tournament and is in command of the Greater Egyptian Conference race in its first season back in that league. Seeded seventh the Cardinals are going to wear white uniforms on the first day of the tournament for the first time in many years.

Head coach Doug Miller has his troops handling the situation much better this season and stand at 10-1.

They probably received a less significant seeding (seventh) because of what is considered a 1A schedule. But with first round wins over Benton recently at the EHT – the Cardinals must be respected coming in with a sparkling won/loss mark.

Jesse Flannigan is a 5-foot-10 senior who is leading the club with 16 p.p.g. Six-foot-five junior Zack Halfacre and 6-foot-3 junior Nicholas Mitchell are both averaging 12 points per game for the Fighting Cardinals.

The other two NCOE starters have been a pair of 5-foot-8 sophomores Jordan Weiss and Cody Etienne.
“It is a confidence builder to get a top eight seed here at this tournament,” said NCOE mentor Doug Miller. “We haven't been ranked that high in many, many years. We have such good kids that are competitive and that makes all of the difference in the world.”

When it comes to the history of this event the Massac County Patriots always have a say in what happens on the final day.

Head coach Joe Hosman has won five EHT championships while coaching at Massac and he once again brings a talented group of athletes to the tourney that sport an 8-2 record this season.

Point guard Jarelle Johnson – a 6-foot sophomore – is the playmaker for Coach Hosman’s club who is averaging nearly 10 points and five assists a game.

Also in that Patriot backcourt is Byron Bailey – a 6-foot-4 junior - who is posting 13 points a game while sharing some of the distribution duties with Johnson.

In the front court 6-foot-3 senior David Rogers is leading the team with 18 points a game.

“It is a great tournament and it is a tournament that we enjoy playing in and we have had success there over the years,” said Coach Hosman – whose team won the consolation title last season at the EHT but hope to be on the right side of the bracket after day one. “We have been successful there and we have won three or four games there many times. It is a great atmosphere for a basketball tournament.”

The West Frankfort Redbirds have had a tough go of it in the first month of the 2007-08 campaign.
Limping into the EHT with just a 2-6 mark – West Frankfort isn’t without a shot. They have some narrow losses to Eldorado and Mount Vernon on the charts and have a win over 3A Marion.

Six-foot-six multi-talented Isiah Simelton keys any chances of the Birds 'roosting' on the final day at Eldorado. Taking on a who’s who of southern Illinois giants hasn’t helped Coach Kevin Toney’s club on the won-loss column but one shouldn't count WF out of the championship equation.

Maybe the 'sleeper' in this group of teams capable of cutting down the nets on Saturday night is the Carmi-White County Bulldogs. At least now that they are healthy.

The EHT will mark the first time all season that the Bulldogs will be a full strength. Luke Pyle, Tim Steed and Clay Kittinger have all missed games and minutes. Travis Jones – a 6-foot-4 senior – is the top scorer (23 p.p.g.) for the 8-1 Bulldogs. He also leads CWC with six rebounds a night.

A single loss to Harrisburg on those Bulldogs’ home floor is the only defeat of the season after nine contests.

Head coach Jarrod Newell has five senior starters and three senior reserves that – when all together – are capable of cutting down the nets on Saturday night.

“We have been the walking wounded this season and for us to be 8-1 is special,” said CWC coach Jarrod Newell. “When you look at the top teams in this years' event and you go down the list this is a tough tournament. I expect it to be extremely tough to win.”

Defending champion Fairfield had to reload this season around Jordan Cessna – a 6-foot junior guard. Coach Scott McElravy also has Micah Vaughn – a 6-foot-7 junior center – on the floor.

The Mules may be a year away from making some southern Illinois news but it isn’t out of the question that Fairfield will be playing on the events' final day. They weren't expected to do much last December but ended up hoisting the championship trophy.

Anna-Jonesboro (1-3) is the opening round opponent for the eighth seeded Mules and could pose some problems with J.R Woodward - a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard - who started as a freshman last season leading the Wildcats.

Hamilton County (3-5) is coming off back-to-back narrow losses to Waltonville and Eldorado but coach Curt Reed will have the Foxes ready on the opening day.

Century (6-5) has been led by 6-foot-3 senior Ethan Stringer and 6-foot-2 senior Kody Reichert. They will be a difficult team athletically for NCOE in the opening round.

There are now eight teams in the Greater Egyptian Conference and six of them are entered in the EHT.
Besides NCOE – there is long standing members Gallatin County, Hardin County and Pope County who bring a strong fan base to Duff-Kingston each December.

Carrier Mills has been in this tournament for many years and the Wildcats return this season for a date with

You can now add Galatia to the mix as the Bearcats opted out of the Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament to face a bit tougher lineup. This team has gone through a recent coaching change that could make this tournament a arduous couple of days.

The Bearcats are led by 5-foot-10 senior guard Robbie Engle who is approaching 1,000-points and senior teammate Brian Gurley – a 6-foot forward.

Gallatin County has yet to win a game this season and head coach Chris Fromm has a young group that is learning the hard way in an attempt to get better in the future. Eric Westbrook – a 6-foot-4 senior – and 6-foot-1 junior Quinton Drone are starters for the Hawks.

The Pope County Pirates have some kids that have shown some signs of improvement but they will really need to step to get past day two at the EHT. Senior Aaron Webb – a 5-foot-10 shooting guard – has been one of the leaders for a young group.

Hardin County (2-1) and new head coach Robert Bell have a tough opening round matchup with Massac County. Travis Cowsert is a 6-foot-1 junior guard that is the top player for the Cougars.

For the consolation bracket not to turn into a GEC Tourney preview – NCOE will need a big effort on the opening day.