IESA Headlines

Unbeaten Griggsville-Perry Tops Class 8A Boys State Basketball Tournament Field

Griggsville-Perry is the only unbeaten team in the field of 16 competing in the 2005 Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) Class 8A Boys Basketball State Final Tournament beginning Saturday (Feb. 12) at Monticello Middle School.

Competition in the 21st annual 8A State Tournament gets under way at 9:00 a.m. Saturday with the first of eight games scheduled for the day. Four quarterfinal games will be played Monday (Feb. 14) beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Semifinals are scheduled Tuesday (Feb. 15) beginning at 6:00 p.m. The third place and championship game will be played Thursday (Feb. 17) starting at 6:00 p.m.

This is the 76th year of boys basketball state series competition in IESA schools. The current two-class system has been in operation since 1985.

Two of the four trophy-winning schools in 2004 return this year, and face one another at noon in the third first round game of the day. Last year's runner-up Wenona Fieldcrest East (20-3) squares off against last year's third place finisher Griggsville-Perry (22-0). Effingham St. Anthony beat Wenona Fieldcrest East, 38-34, for the 2004 title.

Five schools are making their first trip to the 8A State Tournament. They are Chicago St. Malachy (22-4), Paris Crestwood (19-2), Springfield Little Flower (20-2), Lovejoy (13-5) and Peoria Christian (21-1). Fisher (9-12) is making its seventh appearance and squares off against Lovington (19-2), a four-time qualifier.

The 16 teams advancing to this year's 8A State Tournament have a combined won-loss record of 298-56, a winning percentage of .842.

Complete pairings and timetable for the Class 7AA Boys Basketball State Final Tournament can be found at http://www.iesa.org/activities/bbk/.