2016 Eighth Grade IESA Boys Basketball State Finals Tip-Off Saturday
For the 86th consecutive year, the IESA will crown state basketball champions when the 8th grade boys tip-off their tournaments at four different sites this Saturday, February 13. Competition in the Class 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A State Final Tournaments begins Saturday and concludes Thursday, February 18. This is the 10th year of the four class system.
Class 1A will be played at Bartonville (Limestone) High School while Class 2A is set to tip-off at Mt. Pulaski High School. Tolono (Unity) High School will play host in Class 3A and Class 4A will be at Urbana Middle School.
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. at each site. The four quarterfinal winners will meet in semifinal games Saturday evening with the first of two games set to begin at 5:00 p.m. Third place and championship games will be played Thursday, February 18 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 Website at www.iesa.org as each tournament progresses. In addition, scores will be updated throughout the day indicating which teams will advance in the tournament.
The price of admission Saturday is $7.00 for high school students and adults and $3.00 for students (K-8) and sr. citizens (62+) 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 high school students and adults and $2.00 for students (K-8) and sr. citizens.
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 link at the top of the IESA home page.
Here is a look at the schedule for each of the 8th Grade State Final Tournaments:
| Class 1A @ Bartonville (Limestone) High School |
| Saturday, February 13 |
| Game 1 | 10:00 a.m. | Lincoln West Lincoln-Broadwell (20-2) vs. Bloomington Cornerstone (16-5) |
| Game 2 | 11:30 a.m. | Pontiac St. Mary's (25-0) vs. Hopkins Park Lorenzo Smith (14-4) |
| Game 3 | 1:00 p.m. | Annawan (17-6) vs. Cissna Park (16-7) |
| Game 4 | 2:30 p.m. | Griggsville-Perry (17-7) vs. Sigel St. Michael's (21-4) |
| Game 5 | 5:00 p.m. | Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 |
| Game 6 | 6:30 p.m. | Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 |
| Thursday, February 18 |
| Game 7 | 6:00 p.m. | Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6 (Third Place) |
| Game 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 (Championship) |
| Class 1A Notes: Last year's 7th grade Class 1A champion, Joliet Laraway, was defeated in overtime, 44-37 by Hopkins Park Lorenzo Smith in the sectional. There are two teams who placed last year in the 7th grade finals that have advanced this year---Pontiac St. Mary's (2nd in 2015) and Bloomington Cornerstone (4th in 2015). Should each win their quarterfinal game, they would meet in the first semi-final game Saturday evening. Griggsville-Perry advanced to the 7th grade finals last year but lost its opening round game, 37-33 to Bloomington Cornerstone. |
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| Class 2A @ Mt. Pulaski High School |
| Saturday, February 13 |
| Game 1 | 10:00 a.m. | Nokomis JHS (20-2) vs. Winchester (25-0) |
| Game 2 | 11:30 a.m. | Peoria St. Vincent de Paul (23-3) vs. Ottawa Wallace (18-3) |
| Game 3 | 1:00 p.m. | Bloomington Corpus Christi (10-14) vs. Ford Heights Cottage Grove (15-2) |
| Game 4 | 2:30 p.m. | Kinderhook Western (21-2) vs. Decatur Robertson (21-3) |
| Game 5 | 5:00 p.m. | Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 |
| Game 6 | 6:30 p.m. | Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 |
| Thursday, February 18 |
| Game 7 | 6:00 p.m. | Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6 (Third Place) |
| Game 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 (Championship) |
| Class 2A Notes: There are four teams who played in last year's 7th grade tournament who are in the 8th grade field this year. Those four teams are Winchester, Peoria St. Vincent de Paul, Ottawa Wallace, and Decatur Robertson. Peoria St. Vincent de Paul won the 2015 7th grade championship and will be looking for the same success this year. Ottawa Wallace placed 4th last year as 7th graders and will play St. Vincent de Paul in a first round game. |
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| Class 3A @ Tolono (Unity) HS |
| Saturday, February 13 |
| Game 1 | 10:00 a.m. | Pleasant Plains (22-3) vs. Teutopolis (22-3) |
| Game 2 | 11:30 a.m. | Winfield Wheaton Christian (26-0) vs. Downs Tri-Valley (24-2) |
| Game 3 | 1:00 p.m. | St. Joseph (20-4) vs. El Paso-Gridley (18-7) |
| Game 4 | 2:30 p.m. | Farmington Central (24-0) vs. Greenville (20-2) |
| Game 5 | 5:00 p.m. | Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 |
| Game 6 | 6:30 p.m. | Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 |
| Thursday, February 18 |
| Game 7 | 6:00 p.m. | Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6 (Third Place) |
| Game 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 (Championship) |
| Class 3A Notes: Last year's 7th grade champion, Gillespie, was defeated in the sectional championship, 55-17, by Greenville. The other three teams that placed in the 2015 7th grade tournament did advance this year: Teutopolis (2nd in 2015); Farmington Central (3rd in 2015); and St. Joseph (4th in 2015). |
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| Class 4A @ Urbana MS |
| Saturday, February 13 |
| Game 1 | 10:00 a.m. | Frankfort Summit Hill (20-4) vs. Champaign Jefferson (19-6) |
| Game 2 | 11:30 a.m. | Bloomington JHS (23-1) vs. Chatham Glenwood (21-3) |
| Game 3 | 1:00 p.m. | Yorkville (22-4) vs. Bellwood Roosevelt (16-3) |
| Game 4 | 2:30 p.m. | East St. Louis Lincoln (16-1) vs. Homewood Hart (21-3) |
| Game 5 | 5:00 p.m. | Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 |
| Game 6 | 6:30 p.m. | Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 |
| Thursday, February 18 |
| Game 7 | 6:00 p.m. | Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6 (Third Place) |
| Game 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 (Championship) |
| Class 4A Notes: There is only one team who played in the 2015 7th grade tournament that advanced to the 8th grade finals this year. That team is Yorkville who advanced to the finals this year by defeating Rockford West in the sectional. Last year's 7th grade champion, Normal Parkside, was defeated in the regional championship, 37-36 by Bloomington JHS. |
For more information, please contact the Basketball Administrator Nicole Schaefbauer at 309-829-0114 or nicole@iesa.org.
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