Peoria Christian vs. Effingham St. Anthony - 1A State Third Place Game

1A State Semifinals

Peoria Christian

Effingham St. Anthony

Peoria Christian (61) - Brickner 5 4 4-5 26, Persinger 2 1 2-5 9, Walder 0 4 3-4 15, Josh Walton 1 0 2-2 4, Zimmerman 2 0 0-0 4, Jacob Walton 0 0 0-0 0, Gama 0 1 0-0 3.
2FG-10/3FG-10/FT-11-16/PF-12.

Effingham St. Anthony (51) - Waldhoff 0 0 2-2 2, Griffith 1 0 2-2 4, Link 0 0 3-4 3, Schmidt 4 0 4-7 12, B. Fearday 7 4 1-1 27, Gannaway 0 0 0-0 0, W. Fearday 0 1 0-0 3.
2FG-12/3FG-5/FT-12-16/PF-15.

Fouled Out – None.
Technical Fouls – None.

Bulldogs finish fourth
Peoria Christian pulls away late, top cold shooting St. Anthony

03/14/2025
BY JACK BULLOCK
CHAMPAIGN – The Will Rogers quote about “I never met a man I didn’t like” would fit the Peoria Christian Chargers and their relationship with the 3-point shot.

Running an offense that features penetration to the basket and dishing out to open shooters; that game-plan worked for Coach Jason Persinger and his club in its 61-51 third place win over Effingham St. Anthony Friday morning in the 1A IHSA third place contest.

After launching nearly 1K 3-point attempts coming into the Final Four, it was no secret to anyone that the Bulldogs would have to figure out a way to cover the Chargers.

Peoria Christian hit 10-of-26 from the arc and added 18 more points in the paint as they took home the third place honors.

“A lot of teams that shoot 14 percent from the 3-point line will change the game-plan but we weren't going to do that,” said Coach Persinger, who saw his club hit just 4-of-29 from the arc in a 55-34 semifinal loss to Lanark-Eastland in their Thursday semifinal. “The guys didn't want to do that and today they shot it confidently.”

Defensively they held St. Anthony to 32.1 percent shooting and just 18.2 percent from the 3-point line, sending the Bulldogs home with the program's second fourth place trophy.

“They (Peoria Christian) were relentless in their 3-point shooting and the goal was not to let them break us down off the dribble, which was easier said than done,” said Coach Rincker. “We had too many times when we allowed them to get open looks.”

After being upset in the regional title game a season ago, Coach Cody Rincker led his Bulldogs back to the state finals for the first time since winning the 1A title in 2017.

St. Anthony finished the year 32-6.

The prep basketball careers of four senior starters ended on Friday.

Brock Fearday and Ryan Schmidt, both ABV 1st team All-South selections, ended their season with 27 and 12-points respectively.

Schmidt, who was hobbled by an ankle injury suffered in the semifinal loss to Chicago Hope, re-injured the same ankle in the first half of the third place contest but managed to finish the game.

Will Fearday and Sam Link finished with three-points each for the Bulldogs.

Junior starting guard Kennan Griffith scored three-points as well and reserve sophomore Miles Waldhoff added a pair of free throws.

None of it added up to a successful morning.

The Chargers got 26-points from Trae Brickner, who didn't lay any bricks in the victory.

The 5-11 junior guard cashed in 4-of-8 3-point shots and hit 4-of-5 free throws.

He hit 9-of-13 overall, making all five of his inside the arc shot attempts.

Senior Gavin Walder added 15 for Peoria Christian.

Malachi Persinger, a 5-10 senior guard and coaches' son, helped run the show and ended up with nine-points to go with 12 assists.

Senior Josh Walton and junior Myles Zimmerman finished with four-points each.

The Chargers hit 20-of-45 overall and made 11-of-16 from the foul line.

The largest lead in the first half was five-points two different times by the Bulldogs.

Schmidt scored the first two baskets for St. Anthony before Brock Fearday hit a shot driving in the lane and Will Fearday nailed down a 3-pointer from the right wing for a 13-8 advantage in the first quarter.

(CONTINUED)

Peoria Christian hit five 3-pointers in the second quarter to take the lead at halftime.

Walder hit two of them, including a shot from the top of the arc off of a screen that beat the second quarter horn for a 27-25 Chargers' lead at intermission.

Six consecutive points coming out of the break for St. Anthony came from Fearday scoring on the inside before Griffin added two free throws for a 31-27 lead.

But the Chargers continued to fire away.

Three more 3-point bombs found the mark.

Back-to-back jacks from Brickner and Walder and a final one from Walder on an assist from Brickner gave Peoria Christian back the lead.

A cut to the basket by Walton coming on yet another dime from Persinger, sent the Chargers to the fourth quarter up 40-36.

“Every time we had a chance to stretch the lead out they would hit a three or a two,” said Coach Rincker.

St. Anthony managed to make it a single possession game with 3:52 left after a drive to the goal from Fearday.

However Peoria Christian put the game on ice with 7-of-8 free throws in the final 3:46.

Another back door cut to the basket by Persinger off a pass from Walden closed the scoring and the season for both squads.

“It (the win) means a lot to us. No other team in our history ever finished a season with a win,” said Malachi Persinger. “It has been a great experience (getting to state) and a great way to end my career, especially after getting knocked out of the sectionals the last three years.”

The Chargers (29-10) finished their season with a third place trophy after finishing fourth in 2004 in Class A.

“I told the kids before the game in the locker room that there would be tears today no matter what happens,” said Coach Persinger. “But this wasn't going to be a funeral, this is a celebration. A culmination of all of the hard work, not just us but the entire program.”

“It's special because my team's work so hard during the summer, before the season and adding all of the things they do,” said Coach Rincker. “To have an opportunity to play on this stage to showcase not only their team but their school and community. The pride they have in that. They way they carried themselves. I'm extremely proud of these guys and extremely proud of this community. They made a lot of special memories and these are special kids. These are absolutely great young men and they have been an honor and a privilege to coach. Not just because of the way that they play basketball or that accolades that they have but because of they put in their best effort in everything that they do. I couldn't be more proud of this group.”