IESA Headlines

2014 Eighth Grade IESA Girls Basketball State Finals Begin Saturday

For the second straight week, the Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) will crown four girls basketball champions, this time in the 8th grade state series. Competition in the Class 1A, Class 2A, Class 3A and Class 4A State Final Tournaments begins Saturday (December 13) and concludes the following Thursday (December 18) at four sites. This is the ninth year of IESA four-class girls basketball.

Class 1A will be played at Clinton Junior High School, while Class 2A is being played at Riverton High School The 3A tournament will be held at Germantown Hills Middle School and rounding out the group is Rochester Junior High School which is the site of Class 4A.

The time schedule for all four tournaments will be the same. Quarterfinals will be played Saturday with the first of four games beginning at 10:00 a.m. The four quarterfinal winners will meet in semifinal games late 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, December 18 with the third place game set for 6:00 p.m. and the championship game scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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. Results will be posted on the web site after each game. Should weather become a factor, any change in the status of the tournaments will be posted on the IESA website.

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 that respective state final site only throughout the day. It will not be honored at any other 8th grade state final site. 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 are admitted free.

This year marks the 36th year that the IESA has been conducting girls basketball, as the ever-growing activity made its debut within the Association back in 1979. Only one-class of competition existed then. That was until 1986, when separate state series were conducted for seventh graders and eighth graders for the first time. From 1990-2005 there were Class A and Class AA state series for both seventh grade and eighth grade, with the current four class system beginning in 2006.

Complete pairings for each state final, plus the FanZone, can be found at www.iesa.org. Click on the Girls Basketball link at the top of the IESA Web Site Home Page.

Here is a look at each of the four 2014 Eighth Grade State Final Tournaments:

NOTES: All four 2013 7th grade champions are returning this year to the 8th grade finals. Danville Schlarman was undefeated last year in winning the 7th grade 1A tournament; Brimfield captured the 7th grade 2A title in 2013; Hillsboro took home first place honors in 2013; and Canton Ingersoll went undefeated in 2013 to win the 7th grade title. Ingersoll's first round game this year against Frankfort Summit Hill is a re-match of last year's 7th grade championship game which Ingersoll won by the score of 31-18. In Class 1A, four of the eight finalists advanced to the finals as 7th graders in 2013--Pana Sacred Heart, Bartonville Monroe, Augusta Southeastern, and Danville Schlarman. In Class 2A, five of the eight finalists advanced to the finals as 7th graders--Bloomington Holy Trinity, Bourbonnais St. George, Winchester, Assumption Central A & M, and Brimfield. In Class 3A, four of the eight finalists advanced last year as 7th graders--Teutopolis, Watseka Glenn Raymond, Pleasant Plains, and Hillsboro. In Class 4A, five of this year's 8th grade finalists participated in the finals last year as 7th graders--Chicago Hts. Washington, Effingham JHS, Frankfort Summit Hill, Minooka, and Canton Ingersoll.

For more information, please contact the Girls Basketball Administrator Nicole Schaefbauer at 309-829-0114 or nicole@iesa.org.