2018 Eighth Grade IESA Boys Basketball State Finals Tip-Off Saturday
For the 89th 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 10. Competition in the Class 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A State Final Tournaments begins Saturday and concludes Thursday, February 15. This is the 12th 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 15 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 due to weather 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 10 |
| Game 1 | 10:00 a.m. | Pontiac St. Mary's (23-1) vs. Lovejoy (14-6) |
| Game 2 | 11:30 a.m. | Sigel St. Michael's (22-2) vs. Annawan (12-9) |
| Game 3 | 1:00 p.m. | Ottawa Wallace (17-6) vs. Lincoln West Lincoln-Broadwell (22-1) |
| Game 4 | 2:30 p.m. | Peoria St. Mark (17-2) vs. Champaign Next Generation (20-5) |
| 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 15 |
| 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: Sigel St. Michaels's will be looking for another championship after capturing the 7th grade Class 1A title last year. They will start their march toward hoisting the state trophy again with an 11:30 tip-off against Annawan. Pontiac St. Mary's was 4th in the 7th grade tournament last year and will be back to try and improve on that finish. Two other schools were in last year's 7th grade finals---Ottawa Wallace and Peoria St. Mark. Ottawa Wallace lost to Pontiac St. Mary's in the first round last year while Peoria St. Mark lost to the eventual champion Sigel St. Michael's in the first round. |
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| Class 2A @ Mt. Pulaski High School |
| Saturday, February 10 |
| Game 1 | 10:00 a.m. | Peoria St. Vincent de Paul (19-6) vs. Decatur Johns Hill (22-2) |
| Game 2 | 11:30 a.m. | Effingham St. Anthony (15-9) vs. Colchester West Prairie (22-1) |
| Game 3 | 1:00 p.m. | Joliet Laraway (24-2) vs. Madison (19-3) |
| Game 4 | 2:30 p.m. | Peoria Heights St. Thomas (20-4) vs. Heyworth (19-4) |
| 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 15 |
| 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: Last year's 7th grade Class 2A champion, Decatur Robertson was defeated in the regional championship by Decatur Johns Hill. Joliet Laraway, who lost in the 7th grade championship game last year to Robertson, is back this year seeking the title. They tip-off at 1:00 against Madison. Effingham St. Anthony placed third last year as 7th graders and is back this year. Two other teams played in the 7th grade tournament last year who are returning this year as 8th graders---Colchester West Prairie and Peoria Heights St. Thomas. |
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| Class 3A @ Tolono (Unity) HS |
| Saturday, February 10 |
| Game 1 | 10:00 a.m. | Macon Meridian (22-2) vs. Farmington Central (23-2) |
| Game 2 | 11:30 a.m | Springfield Lincoln (19-4) vs. Germantown Hills (23-2) |
| Game 3 | 1:00 p.m. | Winfield Wheaton Christian (21-4) vs. Onarga Iroquois West (18-7) |
| Game 4 | 2:30 p.m. | Greenville (21-2) vs. Monticello (20-5) |
| 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 15 |
| 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: There are only two teams who placed in the top four as 7th graders last year who made the tournament field this year as 8th graders. Those two teams, Greenville and Monticello, will face each other in the final quarterfinal game of the day at 2:30 p.m. Greenville won 2nd place last year as 7th graders. Monticello lost its first round game last year. |
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| Class 4A @ Urbana MS |
| Saturday, February 10 |
| Game 1 | 10:00 a.m. | Alton (20-5) vs. Urbana MS (19-0) |
| Game 2 | 11:30 a.m. | Decatur Stephen Decatur (17-6) vs. Batavia Rotolo (21-2) |
| Game 3 | 1:00 p.m. | University Park Crete Monee (19-1) vs. Bloomington Evans (19-5) |
| Game 4 | 2:30 p.m. | Maywood Irving (14-6) vs. Bolingbrook Jane Addams (19-5) |
| 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 15 |
| 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: Last year's 7th grade champion in Class 4A, Springfield Grant was defeated in the regional championship and so the highest placing team from last year's 7th grade tournament is Bloomington Evans. The lost the 7th grade championship last year to Grant. Batavia Rotolo is back this year and they placed 3rd last year as 7th graders. Evans and Rotolo are the only two teams in the tournament field as 8th graders that played last year in the 7th grade tournament. |
For more information, please contact IESA Assistant Executive Director and Basketball Administrator Chris Frasco at chris@iesa.org or 309-829-0114.
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