Hillsboro has top seed at St. Elmo
Defending champs WSS, Cumberland, host Eagles set to contend
12/13/2022
BY JACK BULLOCK
ST. ELMO - The St. Elmo Holiday Tournament heads into its 62nd edition this week with a new team to the event and what looks like a defending champion that could cut down the nets for a second time in succession.

Hillsboro comes in with a 4-4 mark with a second place finish at the Carlyle “Kaskaskian Classic” Tournament with wins over Carlyle, Woodlawn, and Greenville before losing to Pinckneyville in the title game.

The other win came on Saturday against East Alton-Wood River at home to even the record heading into the tournament.

The other defeats are to Rochester, Lincolnwood/Morrisonville and a narrow 71-69 loss at Pana last Friday.

Head coach Corbin Govaia has his Hiltoppers in the event for the first time and they have been led by three players netting double-figures in scoring so far.

Will Christian, a 5-11 senior, has a 12.4 points per game average.

Six-two junior Jace Stewart (12.2 p.p.g.) and Blaze Helton (10.5 p.p.g.) give Hillsboro two additional scoring threats.

Mitchell Lowe, a 6-2 junior, and 6-1 sophomore Nathan Matoush are both at four points per game for the Hiltoppers.

Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg comes into the tournament with the best record at 6-2, with the losses coming to 2A Decatur St. Teresa, 62-43, in the title game of the Cerro Gordo Thanksgiving Tournament and to 2A Shelbyville last Friday night, 64-59.

The victories are over LeRoy, Argenta-Oreana and Cerro Gordo/Bement at the CGTT along with wins over 2A Sullivan, at NTC conference rival Dieterich (62-60 in 2OT) and Arcola.

Brothers Austin and Jordan Wittenberg have been the mainstays for the Hatchets this winter.

The 6-3 senior Austin is averaging 20 points a night while the 6-1 senior Jordan is at 10.9 p.p.g.

Five-eleven senior guard Carter Chaney has added 7.1 points a game while both Talon Bridges, a 5-10 junior, and 5-11 senior Dylan Curry, have chipped in four points a contest.

The Hatchets are the defending champions of the event, as they defeated the host Eagles 39-25 in a low scoring affair last December.
Cumberland heads into the tournament just 2-4 so far but three of the four defeats were by single digits.

North Clay, Dieterich and Altamont (all of the NTC) were by less than 10 points while the other loss came at state-ranked Casey-Westfield.

The wins are against win-less Marshall and 4-4 Neoga last Saturday at home.

Head coach Justin Roedl has some kids who have put up good numbers so far.

Six-six senior Gavin Hendrix has averaged a double-double in 2022-23 with 20 points and 11.5 rebounds a night for the Pirates.

The other top players have been Jaxon Boldt, a 6-6 senior (8.8 p.p.g, 7.2 r.p.g.) and 6-4 senior Trevin Magee (8.3 p.p.g., 6.1 r.p.g., 2.0 a.p.g. and 2.0 s.p.g.).

Six-two senior Maddox McElravy (5.7 p.p.g., 3.2 a.p.g.) and Blake McMechan (4.3 p.p.g) give Cumberland multiple offensive weapons.

The host St. Elmo/Brownstown Eagles started off the season with four consecutive victories to nab the Mulberry Grove Turkey Tournament, beating Mt. Olive, Lebanon, Mulberry Grove and Glen Carbon Father McGivney.

The other triumph came against Tri-County.

The combined record of the ones SEB has beaten this season is 7-30 so they haven't defeated a great bunch so far.

The three defeats came to National Trail Conference foes Neoga, North Clay and Effingham St. Anthony.

Six-one senior Caleb Campbell and 6-0 senior Jarrett Pasely have, along with junior Adam Atwood, have been the team leaders.
CHBC and head coach Tanner Thompson have just two wins to show in the positive so far in 2022-23 but they have shown some good signs.

The Bobcats began the season with three losses to Ramsey, Patoka/Odin, and Glen Carbon Father McGivney at the Mulberry Grove Thanksgiving Tournament before ending the event with a win over Mt. Olive.

Other defeats came at the hands of Neoga, Effingham St. Anthony and Dieterich.

The second win was a 56-44 decision at Ramsey on December 2.

Coach Thompson has gotten quality minutes from Clayton Wojcik, a 6-1 junior, who is averaging just over 12 points a night.

Thompson also mentioned senior Trevor Thies and junior Gage Lorton have added to the Bobcats totals.

Ramsey and head coach Adam Hayes has the Rams at 3-5 heading into this week.

After an opening night loss to Father McGivney at the Mulberry Grove Thanksgiving Tournament, the Rams topped CHBC, Patoka/Odin and the host Aces to grab the third place honors at the event.

However they have a four-game losing skid going into the SEHT coming to Sandoval, South Central, CHBC and 2A Litchfield.

Six-foot junior forward Hayden Hayes tops the scoring chart for the Rams with 12.3 points a night while grabbing 7.9 rebounds.

Senior Gunner Finley, a 5-8 guard, adds 11.4 points to the scoring while 6-5 senior center Charlie Reiss and 6-2 senior Marcus Hortenstine contribute almost eight points a contest.

Senior Ben Hayes, a 6-1 guard, is at 5.4 p.p.g.

Patoka/Odin head coach Joe Eddy has his club sitting at 4-3 on the young season with wins over CHBC, Lebanon, Mulberry Grove and Red Hill.

The defeats are to Glen Carbon Father McGivney, Ramsey and South Central.

The Warriors have won two-straight heading in the the event

Five-ten junior Owen Landreth is averaging 25 points a game for the Warriors.

Evan Meier, a 5-10 senior defensive key, and 5-10 sophomore Tyler Huffman, has stepped up this season with 10.5 points a game for Coach Eddy.

Six-foot sophomore Landon Robb has averaged seven points and seven rebounds.

Logan Haines, a 6-0 senior, junior Hayden Cole, sophomore Kaden Williams and 5-6 freshman Lincoln Roberts have been on the floor for the Warriors.

Head coach Brian Cook and his Mulberry Grove Aces started off the season with a pair of wins over over Lebanon and Mt. Olive.

However they haven't won since, dropping games to St. Elmo/Brownstown, Ramsey, Sandoval, Martinsville and Patoka/Odin to sit at 2-5.

Arjan Epperson, a 6-1 senior, and 6-3 sophomore Landon Sugg have been starters for the Aces this season.

Five-six sophomore Aaron Cook and along with 6-0 freshmen Jackson Icenogle and Conner Hartman have moved up the ladder.