03-10-07
BY JACK BULLOCK
PEORIA - The state tournament championship run for Coach Ken Crawford and his Teutopolis Wooden Shoes came to a close on Saturday afternoon.

Maroa-Forsyth saw to that.

Spreading the floor and using their quickness to get to the basket for easy scores – the Trojans moved into the title game on with a 58-49 double-overtime win in the first semifinal game Saturday afternoon.

Trailing 30-18 in the third quarter M-F came roaring back to even the score at the end of regulation and took control in the second overtime session for their 32nd victory of the season.

Maroa-Forsyth's backcourt of Robert Kreps, Matt Guymon and CJ McClellan made life miserable for Teutopolis defensively.

Splitting the 'Shoes defenders with drives to the basket – the Trojans took off on a big scoring run to even the score at the end of regulation.

Then Ben Cochran and Guymon nailed six consecutive free throws to finish off Teutopolis (31-3) with an 11-2 second extra session.

“They're a very difficult team to prepare for because their quickness is such a factor,” said Crawford – who will lead his team for a final time against Farmington in the third place game. “Robert Kreps coming back from a appendectomy and scoring double-figures is a phenomenal deal. We wish them (Maroa-Forsyth) nothing but the best.”

Teutopolis had chances to pull away in the second half but hit just 10-of-26 shots after halftime.

Wade Koester – a 6-foot-3 senior guard – nearly carried the Wooden Shoes into the championship game by leading all scorers with 24 points.

However when you see a T-Town team get out rebounded and also commit 18 turnovers – the Shoes are in trouble.

The Trojans claimed the glass victory 31-29 which led to the win.

“Rebounding-wise we needed to rebound a lot harder,” added Crawford. “The games that we lost this year we lost on the rebounding side and we turned the ball over too many times.”

With Maroa-Forsyth hitting just 1-of-8 shots from behind the 3-point arc – the Trojans switched to an offense that was geared to getting to the basket.

Guymon was the main weapon used by M-F as this junior guard hit 7-of-10 field goal attempts.

McClellan scored just four points but ripped down 11 rebounds – eight on the defensive end.

Kreps – after his emergency appendectomy earlier in the week – scored 18 points while senior guard Ben Cochran added 12.

“I've never been so proud of a group of kids in my life,” said Maroa-Forsyth head coach Chad Cluver. “Down 12 points in the second half a lot of teams would have called it 'quits' but we challenged our kids to step up defensively and we had to get more and more boards and we did.”

Neither team got rolling on the offensive end in the opening quarter.

Kreps scored twice on drives to the basket and a shot by Cochran from 15-feet made it 6-4 Trojans at the first break.

Teutopolis got on a good offensive run in the second quarter on consecutive possessions that produced six points and a 12-8 lead with 6:37 to go before intermission.

Koester drove the lane and was fouled by Cochran which turned into a three-point play.

Jason Runde nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to finish the scoring spurt.

McClellan, Kreps and Guymon scored six points to get the game back even at 14-all.

Kreps found Guymon on a behind-the-back pass for an assist and lay in to tie the game.

Koester scored five late points for the Wooden Shoes to give them the lead at halftime on a drive to the baseline and a long 3-pointer with just :02 left in the second quarter.

His trey made it 23-16 at the break.

T-Town held the ball the final :48 of the half before the Koester 'trifecta' closed the first half.

A pair of early 3-pointers from Craig Westendorf and Koester staked Teutopolis to its largest at 30-18 early in the second half.

When other teams might fold up – Maroa-Forsyth responded.

Nine unanswered points by the Trojans got the team back in the contest.

Kreps capped off the run with Maroa-Forsyth's only made 3-pointer of the afternoon with 1:27 left in the third quarter – cutting the Teutopolis lead to 30-27.

But seldom used reserve Tony Zerrusen came of the bench for Teutopolis and hit his only field goal attempt on a rebound of a Runde transition miss that ended the third quarter at 32-27.
The Teutopolis lead dwindled quickly in the fourth quarter.

Following two baskets by Koester – a drive on the right baseline and a pull up jumper from the right side – T-Town led 36-29.

Then Maroa-Forysth stepped on the accelerator with a 12-2 scoring barrage.

Six of those points came from Cochran on drives to the basket.

His third made shot – a drive on the left side of the goal with 1:47 to go gave M-F a 39-38 lead and forced Crawford to burn a timeout at 1:39.

Guymon finished the run with a pair of free throws and a 41-38 leas with 1:03 remaining.

A T-Town 3-pointer from Koester got the game back even at 41 which set up a final possession for M-F.

Kreps got the ball near the top of the arc as the Trojans milked the clock for a last shot.

When Kreps drove the lane he was confronted by Runde – who inadvertently fouled Kreps with just :01 remaining.

After a T-Town timeout – Kreps missed the front end of the one-and-bonus opportunity and the two teams headed to overtime.

Teutopolis wouldn't lead again in the game although they forged five ties.

The two clubs traded points in the first extra period.

A back door lay in by Maroa-Forsyth's Andrew Mills gave the Trojans a 47-45 lead.

Teutopolis came right back with 6-foot-6 center Rich Borries taking a pass from Koester and scoring while being fouled by Mills with 1:30 left. But he missed the free throw and neither team scored again although Koester had a good look at the basket on a drive in the paint just before the buzzer.

The second overtime was all Maroa-Forsyth.

Missed shots and opportunities by the Wooden Shoes and four turnovers doomed the Teutopolis attempt at getting to its third Class A Boy's Basketball state title game.

Kreps scored twice in the early going of the second overtime with drives to the basket.

His second score – while being fouled by Borries – turned into a conventional three-point play put the Trojans in front to stay at 52-49.

Those six straight free throws by Cochran and Guymon sent Maroa-Forsyth into its first state championship contest.

“I kept telling the kids that I don't think that they (Teutopolis) can guard us,” added Coach Cluver. “We just kept trying to take the ball to the basket. I thought our guys did a great job of executing the offense in the second half.”

Maroa-Forsyth will play Chicago North Lawndale in the title game Saturday night.

The Phoenix won their semifinal game over Farmington, 50-41.

	1	2	3	4	1OT	2OT	-	F
Teutopolis	04	19	09	09	06	02	-	49
Maroa-Forsyth	06	10	11	14	06	11	-	58

Teutopolis (49) - Tipton 0 0 0-0 0, Westendorf 4 1 0-0 11, Borries 3 0 0-1 6, Koester 6 3 3-3 24, Runde 1 1 1-2 6, Zerrusen 1 0 0-0 2.
2FG-15, 3FG-5, FT-4-6, PF-16.
Maroa-Forsyth (58) - McClellan 2 0 0-0 4, Moore 0 0 0-1 0, Kreps 7 1 1-2 18, Gumon 7 0 6-6 20, Cochran 5 0 2-2 12, Painter 0 0 0-1 0, MIlls 2 0 0-0 4.
2FG-23, 3FG-1, FT-9-12, PF-13.
Fouled Out - Runde, Teutopolis.
Technical Fouls - None.

TEUTOPOLIS 51, FARMINGTON 38
The Wooden Shoes ended the Ken Crawford era with a win in the third place game.

Getting another outstanding performance from senior guard Wade Koester and 12 points from Jason Runde - T-Town closed the 2006-07 season at 32-3.

Koester topped all players with 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting overall.

Teutopolis used a 13-0 run to break loose from the Farmers at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Koester scored eight of those points and his 3-pointer to start the run extended the Shoes' lead to 39-33.

The Wooden Shoes hit on 18-of-34 shots overall in the triumph.

Rich Borries added 11 points.

Farmington (31-3) was led by Josh Watznauer with 18 points.