IESA Headlines

2010 Seventh Grade IESA Boys Basketball State Finals Begin Saturday

For the fourth time in Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) boys basketball history four champions will be crowned in the Seventh Grade State Basketball Tournament series. Competition in the Class 1A, Class 2A, Class 3A and Class 4A State Final Tournaments begins Saturday (Feb. 6) and concludes Thursday (Feb. 11) at four sites.

Class 1A will be played at Mt. Pulaski High School. Class 2A will be at Clinton High School. Class 3A will be at Wenona Fieldcrest Junior High School. Class 4A will be at Riverton High School.

The time schedule for all four tournaments will be the same. Quarterfinals are scheduled to be played Saturday with the first of four games beginning at 10:00 a.m. at each site. The four quarterfinal winners will meet in semifinal games Saturday afternoon with the first of two games set to begin at 5:00 p.m. Third place and championship games will be played Thursday with the third place game set for 6:00 p.m. and the championship game scheduled for 7:30.

Any changes in the playing status of each of the four tournaments will be posted on the IESA Web Site at www.iesa.org as each tournament progresses.

The price of admission Saturday is $7.00 for adults and $3.00 for seniors (62 and over) and students (K-8), and is good for all games Saturday. Children younger than kindergarten are admitted free. Fans attending the games Saturday will receive a wristband that is to be worn all day and will be used for entry into the facility throughout the day. The price of admission for the third place and championship game session Thursday will be $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for seniors and students (K-8). Children younger than kindergarten again are admitted free.

IESA boys basketball began in 1930. From 1930 to 1972 there were two classes: Class A (heavyweight) and Class B (lightweight). Class C (7th grade) was added in 1973. From 1977-1984, the heavyweight class was divided into two classes based on enrollment. From 1985-2006, there were Class A and Class AA state series for both seventh grade and eighth grade. Beginning in 2007, the seventh grade and eighth grade series have four classes each.

Complete pairings for each state final, plus the FanZone, can be found at www.iesa.org. Click on the Boys Basketball line in the orange box at the top of the IESA Web Site Home Page. Here is a look at each of the four 2010 Seventh Grade State Final Tournaments.

Class 1A

Defending champion Joliet Laraway, making its third straight appearance in the state tournament, is one of three teams in the field with only one loss.

Once-beaten Decatur Our Lady of Lourdes (23-1) plays Royal Prairieview Ogden (18-7) in the first quarterfinal game at 10:00 a.m. Effingham Sacred Heart (18-1), the smallest school in the field, meets Jacksonville Our Savior (12-10) in the second game at 11:30 a.m. Joliet Laraway (17-1) plays East St. Louis Jackson (8-11) at 1:00 p.m. Pontiac St. Mary's (19-4) battles East Peoria Robein (19-6) in the fourth game at 2:30 p.m. The winners of the first two games meet in the first semifinal game Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and the winners of the last two quarterfinal games meet in the second semifinal game at 6:30 p.m. The third place and championship games will be played Thursday with the third place game scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. tipoff. The title game is set for 7:30 p.m.

Decatur Our Lady of Lourdes is averaging 51 points per game in three state series wins and is giving up 28.7 points per game. The Lancers have 10 players on the roster and seven of them are 5-6 or taller. Tallest are 6-0 Connor Brown and 5-11 J. D. Mattingly, both centers.

Royal Prairieview Ogden has only 8 players on the roster including 5-10 guard Tyler Harms, 5-9 center Thomas Wolken, 5-7 forward Dalton Wilcoxen and 5-7 forward Jacob Behrens. Seeded second in the regional, the Mustangs have outscored three state series foes by a combined 114-79, including a 39-33 win over rival Hume Shiloh in their first game of the regional.

Effingham Sacred Heart has only 6 seventh graders on the roster. They are 5-10 center Carter Hayes, 5-8 center Frank Kasdorf, 5-6 forward Mack McWhorter, 5-3 forward Cole Hartke, 5-5 guard Michael Carie and 5-4 guard Johnny Sandschafer. The Shamrocks are averaging 48.7 points per game in the state series and are giving up an average of only 18.7 points per game.

Jacksonville Our Saviour has outscored its state series opponents 124-65. Of the 11 players on the roster, only three are 5-6 or taller. They are 5-8 guard Adam Birdsell, 5-7, forward Conner Stremlau and 5-6 forward Mathew Jackson

Joliet Laraway has crushed all three of its state series opponents by a combined score of 146-37. In the sectional, Joliet Laraway stopped Mazon-Verona-Kinsman 40-10. The Lancers have only 6 seventh graders on the team: 5-0 guard Erick Sanchez, 5-6 forward Blaique Morgan, 5-5 forward Darius Stokes, 5-4 guard Anthony Casterberry, 5-6 center Kenyon Woodfork and 5-8 center Kewon Ware.

East St. Louis Jackson has 6-1 center Lester Cotton with a trio of 5-7 frontline players in centers Dominic Reynolds and Brenton Howard and forward Marques Cooper. Seeded sixth in the regional, East St. Louis Jackson overwhelmed No. 2 seed Lovejoy 63-27 and No. 1 seed Pocahontas 61-28. The Jets then stopped Springfield Christian 33-25 in the sectional. Pontiac St. Mary's might best be described as the "Little Engine That Could" with a roster of 12 players and only 5-7 center Carter Jacobs taller than 5-4. The Saints have outscored their state series opponents 131-84 with their closest game being the 45-37 win over LaSalle Trinity Catholic in the sectional.

East Peoria Robein is the tallest team in the field. The Rockets have a pair of 6-0 centers in Landon Norvill and Matthew Gough. They also have 5-8 center Karson Klyber and 5-8 sixth grade forward Ryan Shane. Chase Getz is a 5-5 forward.

The combined win-loss record of the Class 1A field is 132-41, a winning percentage of .763. Of the 84 players listed on the eight rosters, 5 are fifth graders, 13 are sixth graders and 66 are seventh graders.

In IESA competition, school enrollments are determined by the students in seventh and eighth grade. Class 1A is the smallest class. Following are the enrollments of the Class 1A teams: Effingham Sacred heart 25, East St. Louis Jackson 44, Pontiac St., Mary's 45, East Peoria Robein 52, Jacksonville Our Savior 52, Decatur Our Lady of Lourdes 66, Joliet Laraway 67, Royal Prairieview Ogden 68.

Class 2A

Seven of the eight teams in the state final have won at least 18 games. The finalists have a combined win-loss record of 159-17, a sizzling winning percentage of .903.

In the first quarterfinal game at 10:00 a.m., once-beaten Milford (19-1) battles once-beaten Peoria St. Vincent de Paul (24-1). Springfield Christ The King (19-2) plays Jerseyville St. Francis HG (17-2) at 11:30 a.m. Elmwood (23-2), a quarterfinal qualifier last year, meets Champaign St. Matthew (21-4) at 1:00 p.m. Lewistown Central (18-4) and Arthur (18-1) square off in the last quarterfinal game at 2:30 p.m. The winners of the first two games meet in the first semifinal game Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and the winners of the last two quarterfinal games meet in the second semifinal game at 6:30 p.m. The third place and championship games will be played Thursday with the third place game scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. tipoff. The title game is set for 7:30 p.m.

Milford is a huge team with 8 of the 14 seventh graders on its roster 5-7 or taller. At center is a trio of 5-10 players, Corwin Allen, Ralph Taylor and Austin Woodby. At 5-8 the Bats have James Craighead, Alex Portwood and James Light. The Bats outscored two regional opponents by a combined 85-37.

Peoria St. Vincent de Paul will match Milford's height. At center are 5-10 Brandon Vonachen and 5-8 Pat Winkler. At forward are 5-11 Jake Hurst, 5-9 Andy Shadid, 5-8 Austin Swanson and 5-8 forward Luke Mangieri. Ben Barkley is a 5-6 guard. The Vikings have scored 40 or more points in all three of their state series games.

Springfield Christ The King has 10 players on the roster, eight of them shorter than 5-6. The Cougars also have 5-11 Sean McDonald at forward and 5-10 Ben Sestak at center. Springfield Christ The King has hit 50 points in two of its three state series games, including a 50-29 win over Decatur Johns Hill in the sectional.

Jerseyville St. Francis HG has outscored three state series foes 121-44 including a 43-12 win in the sectional. The Knights have 6-0 guard Luke Shively, 6-0 forward Christian Kimble and 5-10 forward John Hughes.

Elmwood handed Ottawa Wallace only its third loss in 23 games with its 48-22 win in the sectional and the Trojans have outscored three state series opponents 137-60. They've done it with only four on a 15-player roster standing 5-5 or taller. Tallest players are 6-0 Andrew Jordan, 5-8 Ian Armbruster and 5-7 Tyler Meyers, all listed as centers.

Champaign St. Matthew can put points on the scoreboard, scoring 48 or more points in its three state series games. The Raiders rolled over Catlin 54-20 in the sectional. Nine of the 15 players on the roster are 5-6 or taller. Forward Luc Bequette is 5-10, center Grant Semonin is 5-9, forward Terence Schmutz is 5-8, and guards Mike Braverman and Jeff Lindgren are 5-7.

Lewistown Central has only 9 players on its roster which includes 6-0 Nathan Deushane and 5-11 Ethan Sebree. Seeded third in the regional the Indians won their first game 62-14 in the regional. After that they have posted wins by 3, 2 and 3 points, respectively. They stopped perennial contender Carthage 26-23 in the sectional.

Only three of the 15 players on the Arthur roster are 5-5 or taller. They are 5-5 forward Tanner Brewer, 5-7 forward Tyler Schuring and 5-6 center Graeme Stewart. The Pages stopped perennial contender Effingham St. Anthony 37-28 in the sectional.

Of the 101 players listed on the rosters of the eight finalists, three are fifth graders, 11 are sixth graders and 87 are seventh graders.

In IESA competition, school enrollments are determined by the students in seventh and eighth grade. Class 2A is the second smallest class. Following are the enrollments of the Class 2A teams: Arthur 80, Champaign St. Matthew 89, Jerseyville St. Francis HG 90, Elmwood 99, Milford 103, Springfield Christ The King 110, Peoria St. Vincent de Paul 113 and Lewistown Central 118.

Class 3A

Five of the eight teams in the field have 18 or more wins and they have good IESA basketball pedigrees. Four of the five are in the upper bracket.

Tuscola East Prairie (20-5) squares off against Teutopolis (23-2) in the first quarterfinal game at 10:00 a.m. Then Williamsville (20-1) battles Dunlap Valley MS (18-5) at 11:30 a.m. South Holland McKinley (17-3) meets Germantown Hills (21-3) at 1:00 p.m. In the last quarterfinal game, Petersburg PORTA JHS (17-8) plays East St. Louis Younge (14-5). The winners of the first two games meet in the first semifinal game Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and the winners of the last two quarterfinal games meet in the second semifinal game at 6:30 p.m. The third place and championship games will be played Thursday with the third place game scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. tipoff. The title game is set for 7:30 p.m.

Stout defense has been a key to the success of Tuscola East Prairie in the state series. The Hornets have allowed only 58 points in three state series games, an average of 19.3 points per game. Eleven of the 14 players on the roster are between 5-5 and 5-9 with forward Zach Bates and center Cody Lewis the tallest players at 5-9.

Perennial contender Teutopolis also has a strong defense. The Wooden Shoes have allowed three state series opponents a total of 62 points, an average of 20.7 per game. Casey-Westfield brought a 22-2 record into the sectional and Teutopolis rolled to a 34-20 win. Centers on the team are 5-10 Wade Jansen and 5-10 Ryan Sandschafer. Forwards include 5-9 Louis Niemerg and Austin Hartke along with 5-8 Jonathon Deters. The Wooden Shoes have eight guards on the roster and half of them are 5-5 or taller.

Williamsville beat Blue Mound Meridian, Lincoln JHS and Heyworth, all seasoned programs, by a combined 114-76. The Bee Bees have height in 5-10 center Mitch Whitley, 5-9 forward Cole Courson and 5-8 center Drew Keenan.

Dunlap Valley MS can put a tall lineup on the court. Five of the 14 players on the roster are 5-8 or taller with 5-11 center Bryson Miller and 5-11 forward Evan Webb the tallest players. At 5-9 are forward Jonathon Romain and center Trey Rohman. At 5-8 is forward Justin Bettenhausen. Seeded No. 2 in the regional the Spartans stopped Chillicothe 40-12, Dunlap MS 26-6 and then No., 1 seed Glasford Illini Bluffs 34-29 in the title game before beating Monmouth United 34-24 in the sectional.

South Holland McKinley is in the Class 3A state final for the second consecutive year. The Monarchs have 6-0 Jaquan Reedy, 5-11 Allen Nash and 5-8 Montreal Webster in the frontline. Four of the 12 players on the Germantown Hills roster are 5-9 or taller. Leading the way is 6-3 center Tyler Dingledine. Center Maritt Scott is 5-11 and forwards Nick McVey and Corey Schenck are 5-9. Guard Josh Dixon is 5-7. The Warriors are averaging 47.3 points per game in the state series and beat host Wenona Fieldcrest 47-29 on the road in the sectional.

Seven of the 11 players on the Petersburg PORTA JHS roster are 5-7 or taller. Tallest is 5-10 center Noah Wilson. Forward Michael McCurdy is 5-9. Seeded third in the regional, The Bluejays have won all four of their state series games by a margin of at least 11 points. They beat No. 2 seed Pleasant Plains 38-25 in the regional semifinal and No. 1 seed Athens 43-31 in the regional final.

East St. Louis Younge is by far the tallest team in the state final with six players 5-9 or taller. Leading the way is 6-4 center Rayshion Clark and right behind him are 6-2 forward Natereace Strong, a standout in last spring's state track and field meet, and 6-1 center Reginald Beck. The Panthers have scored at least 50 points in all three of their state series games including a 57-27 win over rugged Litchfield in the sectional.

The combined won-lost record of the eight finalists is 150-32, a winning percentage of .824. Of the 108 players listed on the rosters of the eight finalists, 6 are sixth graders and 102 are seventh graders.

In IESA competition, school enrollments are determined by the students in seventh and eighth grade. Class 3A is the second largest class. Following are the enrollments of the Class 3A teams: Tuscola East Prairie 140, Teutopolis 166, Petersburg PORTA JHS 191, Germantown Hills 206, East St. Louis Younge 215, Williamsville 218, Dunlap Valley MS 248 and South Holland McKinley 263.

Class 4A

Three of the eight teams in the field were in last year's tournament and Phoenix Coolidge took fourth place. The battle for the 2010 title appears to be wide open. Three of the eight sectionals were decided in overtime.

Bolingbrook Jane Addams (16-7), the second returning team from 2009, meets Phoenix Coolidge (18-2) in the first quarterfinal game at 10:00 a.m. Then East St. Louis Lincoln (21-1) plays Homer Glen Homer (23-2) in the second game at 11:30 a.m. Springfield Grant (22-1), the third returning team from last year, battles Yorkville (17-6) at 1:00 p.m. Normal Chiddix (20-5) faces Champaign Jefferson (22-3) in the last quarterfinal game at 2:30 p.m. The winners of the first two games meet in the first semifinal game Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and the winners of the last two quarterfinal games meet in the second semifinal game at 6:30 p.m. The third place and championship games will be played Thursday with the third place game scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. tipoff. The title game is set for 7:30 p.m.

Bolingbrook Jane Addams is scoring at a rate of 57.6 points per game in the state series and had to survive Bellwood Roosevelt 57-52 in the regional semifinals. The Mustangs stopped Joliet Washington 66-52 in the sectional, ending Joliet Washington's season at 19-3. Only two of the 11 players on the roster are taller than 5-5. They are 5-10 center James Claar and 5-8 forward Prentiss Nixon.

Phoenix Coolidge stopped unbeaten Harvey Brooks 53-51 in overtime at the sectional. The Tigers have 6-3 Hasani Gregory and 6-0 Isaiah Clemmons at center, 6-1 Treeion Nevels and 5-10 Deandre MaHaffey at forward and 5-9 Kaliph Fagan at guard.

East St. Louis Lincoln is tall at every position. The Tiger forwards include 5-10 Markeese Fair, 6-0 sixth grader Karon Randolph, 6-1 Terry Beckner, 6-0 Emondre Rickman, 5-8 Cedric Ballard and 5-8 sixth grader Montez McMath. The guards include 5-9 Tyshaun Stainback and 5-8 Antony Johnson. Just getting out of the regional was a struggle with a 44-37 win over Cahokia Wirth in the semifinals and East St. Louis Clark 43-39 in the title game.

Homer Glen Homer beat Kankakee JHS 48-44 in overtime in the sectional after taking wins by 28 and 15 in the regional. At center for the Mustangs are 6-1 Matt Macnab and 5-11 Matt Wyman. At forward are 5-10 Cody Schlusemann, 5-10 Jonathon Hager and 5-9 Jordan Johnston. At guard are 5-9 Andrew Sawchuk and 5-9 Jack Brody.

Springfield Grant has outscored three state series foes 153-88, including a 63-42 win over Decatur Jefferson in the sectional. The roster for the Generals includes 13 players and none are taller than 5-7. The two at 5-7 are forwards Tyrin Whitfield and Michael Fowler.

Yorkville was seeded second in a four-team regional and has advanced to the state final on wins by 7, 4 and 4 points, respectively. The Foxes have 6-0 Christian Carrerra, 5-9 Brig Godwin and 5-9 Josh Bondurant for height.

Normal Chiddix battled through city rivals Normal Parkside 52-36 and Normal Kingsley 42-33 in the regional before stopping then 16-1 Pekin Edison 38-32 in the sectional. The Chargers have 6-0 Nick Bronson, 5-10 Brady Carstens and 5-9 Nate Komnick listed at center. Forward Nasauntis Chambers is 5-8 and forward Zack Thompson is 5-7. Tallest of six guards is 5-4 Bailey McPherson.

Champaign Jefferson beat host Mahomet-Seymour 37-34 in overtime to win the sectional. The Jaguars have 6-0 Devon Johnson at center with 5-10 Ronnell Jones at forward, 5-8 John Garrett at forward and 5-10 Rameon Starks at guard.

The eight finalists have a combined won-lost record of 159-27, a winning percentage of .854. Of the 109 players listed on the rosters of the eight finalists, 11 are sixth graders and 98 are seventh graders.

In IESA competition, school enrollments are determined by the students in seventh and eighth grade. Class 4A is the largest class. Following are the enrollments of the Class 4A teams: East St. Louis Lincoln 356, Phoenix Coolidge 382, Springfield Grant 405, Champaign Jefferson 437, Bolingbrook Jane Addams 489, Normal Chiddix 597, Yorkville 792 and Homer Glen Homer 821.