12-25-07
BY JACK BULLOCK
SESSER - The Vienna Eagles and head coach Rick Metcalf - in their quest for two consecutive Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament championships - must defeat an impressive group of small school powers in this four-day event December 26-29.

As a highly regarded team headed into the regular season – Vienna has but two losses on in its eight game schedule having split a pair of contests with South Egyptian Conference rival Mounds Meridian while dropping a shootout defeat at the hands of Graves County (KY.) at the Marshall County Hoopfest back in December.

In their most recent game they topped Cape Girardeau (MO.) Central at the Show-Me Center Shootout on Saturday.

Not many Division One basketball players come out of Little Egypt but Vienna sports one of the tallest and talented ones to ever play in the deep southern part of the state.

Six-foot-eleven senior Brett Thompson got the attention of St. Louis University head coach Rick Majerus last fall and the Vienna standout inked a letter of intent to play in the Show-Me State.

He has averaged 16 points and nine rebounds in his eight games this season and his continued improvement bodes well for the Eagles in their title hopes at the 27th Annual S-VHT.

Coach Metcalf has another key component back in 6-foot-2 senior Derek Trovillion. Trovillion had an excellent Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament last season. His 24 point performance in the championship game led Vienna to a 58-51 win over Sparta.

It wasn't an easy trip to the title last December and this tournament won't be easy either.

“This looks to be a very competitive tournament where any of the top seeds could win it,” said Metcalf – whose team were seven points from being undefeated in losing three close games to Graves County (KY.), Cape Girardeau (MO.) Central and Mounds Meridian.

The second seeded club at Sesser-Valier is Campbell Hill Trico – led by second year head coach Shane Hawkins.

Hawkins was named ABV Carbondale Supersectional Area “Coach of the Year” in 2006-07 and he has a fine group of kids back that have started the season 8-2 with a recent loss to Sesser-Valier and a defeat at the hands of Okawville on the bad side of the ledger.

Skylar Barlow – a 5-foot-10 senior guard – is a team leader in the backcourt for Trico - who is ranked ninth in the latest ABV Class 1A Carbondale Supersectional Area Rankings.
Six-foot-one Casey Bollmann is the other starting guard for the Pioneers.
In the frontcourt 6-foot-4 senior Allen Brandon is averaging double-figures on the season.
This is a solid team and deserving of the second seed when the bracket was filled out.

The Waltonville Spartans - who lost eight seniors to graduation last spring - have roared out to an 8-1 record with wins over Benton, Carterville, Cairo, Woodlawn and Hamilton County.

Six-foot-three sophomore Joseph Lewis tops the Spartans with 19.3 points per game. He has hit 29 points twice this season – most recently in a 51-47 win over Woodlawn on the road December 14. Lewis is also the top rebounder on the club with 6.1 per outing.

Skylar Witges is also a 6-foot-3 sophomore who is averaging 15 points a night.

“I think like everyone else does that Vienna is the team to beat at this tournament,” said Waltonville head coach Mike Denault – who won this tournament two seasons ago. “They are head and shoulders over everyone else here and the next 2-8 you could throw in a hat.”

Zeigler-Royalton is the four seed and the Tornadoes' hopes will be keyed on the continued scoring and overall play of 6-foot-4 senior swingman Aaron Jones and 6-foot-1 sophomore guard Tyler Mitchell.

Both are averaging 20 points a game for the 7-1 Tornadoes. Jones is a four-year varsity starter and Mitchell is in his second season starting for Zeigler-Royalton.
Six-foot-five junior Kyle Fitch has averaged nine points and five rebounds a game for a club that has just one loss (Carterville) as opposed to last season's 2-6 mark heading into the Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament.

“Last season we went 0-2 at Sesser so any win this year at the holiday tournament will be an improvement,” said Zeigler-Royalton head coach Jamie Moyers. “The biggest difference in our team this year is that the team attitude is much better. This year the kids are friends and they made a huge commitment over the summer to get better. The chemistry is there the team effort toward winning is better. Aaron Jones has improved his overall game this year. He plays better defense and rebounds better than he has anytime in his career here.”

Marissa-Coulterville (6-2) was runner up to Okawville in the Marissa Post-Thanksgiving event with their other loss on the road at Trico. The Meteors - as the fifth seed - has enough games under its belt to be ready for their opening game on Wednesday morning against Christopher.

Head coach Andy Johnson has a veteran group of kids that could reach the final day on the championship side of the bracket.

Three of the M-C starters are averaging double-figures with 6-foot-2 senior forward Craig Place placing first on the list with 18.3 points a night. Six-foot-one senior forward Jordan Wagner (15.8 p.p.g.) and 6-foot-2 senior guard Cale Wine (13.9 p.p.g.) give Coach Johnson many scoring options. Andrew Vasquez – a 6-foot-1 senior guard – adds 8.4 points and 3.5 assists a game for M-C. Wine is the top assist man with 3.8 per contest.

A second round matchup with Z-R could be the best game of the tournament.

As the sixth seed – the Sesser-Valier Red Devils are the hottest team heading into the SVHT.
Head coach Danny Kirk has a group that has been through some wars and appear ready for a breakthrough.

Had this tournament been seeded a week later – the Red Devils might have been the number two. S-V took down Black Diamond Conference favorite Trico, 52-50 at home on December 21.

Todd Carpenter is a 6-foot-6 senior center and is one of the team leaders. Six-foot senior Kyle Crocker is one of the top assist men in the conference.
But the real story of the season has been the continued rise of the sophomore group that as freshman started a lot of games.
Justin Matyi – a 6-foot-4 sophomore forward – 6-foot-2 sophomore Kendall Gibson, 6-foot-2 T.J. Eubanks and 5-foot-9 Myles Tinsley have shown promise as Sesser-Valier has opened the season 8-1 with their lone defeat coming at the hands of Zeigler-Royalton in the title game at the Christopher Thanksgiving Tournament.

The seventh seed in the event are the Goreville Blackcats coached by Todd Tripp.
This team has struggled this season with a lack of size but not a lack of athletic talent.
Kenton Parmley – a 6-foot-2 senior – is one of the top-returning players for Goreville. Five-foot-eleven senior Tyler Sopczak is also one of the top players for Goreville – who are 4-5 heading into the tournament.

Woodlawn is the eighth seed with a 4-3 record with losses to Breese Mater Dei, Waltonville and St. Louis (MO.) North County.
Ethan Shurtz is a 6-foot-6 senior center that is one of the team leaders for Coach Shane Witzel's Cardinals. Jase Green – a 6-foot-2 junior – 6-foot-1 junior Kyle Boldt, 5-foot-9 junior Jesse Hart and 6-foot-1 junior Bronson Verhines have played well for Woodlawn.

The Cardinals first round opponent is Sparta – coached by Greg Bass. Bass is a former standout at Salem High School and in his first season as a head coach he has his Bulldogs sitting at 3-6 but they have played arguably the toughest schedule of the tournament entries.
Six-foot-four senior Shane Peck and 6-9 center Caleb Barnett are the team leaders.
Barnett – who wasn't expected to be in a Sparta uniform this season – is leading the Bulldogs with 14.3 points a game. Clay Peck – a 5-foot-10 guard – is second in scoring for Sparta with 9.4 p.p.g.
The six losses on the season are to Madison, Nashville, Pinckneyville, Marissa-Coulterville, Red Bud and St. Louis (MO.) Berkeley. Those six teams are a combined 39-14 on the season.

New Athens has a pair of double-digit scorers on a team that is 3-5 heading into the tourney.
Coach Marc Derwort turns to 6-foot-2 senior guard Jeremy Crider (10.9 p.p.g.) and 6-foot-2 Vince Kiefer (13.9 p.p.g.). Ben Junge – a 6-foot-3 junior – averages 6.9 points a game.
These Yellow Jackets will be a tough first rounder for Zeigler-Royalton at 9 am December 26.

Speaking of Yellow Jackets – Chester makes it way into this field after having not played in a Christmas tourney in many years.
Mike Billingsly is the Chester coach and his crew is 5-9 overall heading into the tournament.
Five-foot-ten senior Chris Kern is the floor general for the Jackets.

The Cobden Appleknockers have crawled from the wreckage of a slow start to reach .500 (5-5) heading into the SVHT. Head coach Jeff Schillinger has junior Ryan Brumleve – a 6-foot guard – and 6-foot-1 forward Lonnie Clark.

Christopher (4-5) has Shawn Menckowski - a 5-foot-7 junior guard. Five-foot-ten junior Chris Harrison, 5-foot-9 Rodney Fourez and 6-foot Derrick Threadgill are all part of the Bearcats lineup.

Elverado has two things they didn't have last season – wins. The Falcons are 2-8 coming into the tournament after going 0-24 last winter. Jon Crane – a 5-foot-10 senior – along with 6-foot-2 senior Lee Stewart – have been head coach Jon Harrison's go-to guys.

Two of the teams in the field have yet to score a victory in the 2007-08 season.

Neither Johnston City nor Shawnee have made a mark in the win column this winter.

The Indians are 0-9 under head coach Mike Stallings. Devin Buckner – a 6-foot-4 senior – is one of the top JC players along with senior teammates Steven Hastings and Austin Stallings – who both are 6-foot-1.

Shawnee and first year coach Cory Barker are 0-10. Clay Murphy is a 5-foot-10 junior guard that is a three-year starter.