A look at the four Class 1A teams vying for a state title beginning Thursday morning at State Farm Center in Champaign. St. Anthony plays Hope Academy at 9:30 a.m. in the first semifinal game, followed by Peoria Christian against Eastland at 11:15 a.m.
About the St. Anthony Bulldogs
➜ Record: 32-4
➜ Enrollment: 200
➜ School colors: Red, white and royal blue
➜ Conference: National Trail
Meet the Bulldogs
No. Player Ht. Wt. Yr.
1 Luis Gonzalez G 5-9 Jr.
3 Miles Waldhoff G 6-0 So.
5 Will Vonderheide G 6-0 So.
11 Keenan Griffith G 6-0 Jr.
13 Connor Storm G 5-11 Fr.
15 Jonny Gannaway F 6-3 Fr.
21 Will Fearday G 6-1 Sr.
23 Sam Link* G 5-11 Sr.
25 Will Bierman G 6-0 So.
31 Cooper Sehy G 6-3 Fr.
35 Ryan Schmidt G 6-4 Sr.
41 Maddox Wiedman G 5-9 Sr.
43 Freddie Jansen G 6-1 Fr.
45 Brock Fearday G 6-3 Sr.
54 Gabe Looman F 6-6 So.
➜ Their road to Champaign … wasn’t without some close games. As to be expected in the postseason. The Bulldogs earned their first state tournament berth in eight seasons with a 62-58 overtime win against Mounds Meridian on Monday night in a super-sectional game in Charleston. Which was preceded by a 56-40 sectional title win against Tuscola in Bridgeport that saw St. Anthony pull away late.
➜ Their go-to players are … two players with size that you normally don’t see at the 1A level. Brock Fearday is the Bulldogs’ all-time leading scorer, and the 6-3 senior comes into State Farm Center averaging 16.1 points to go along with a team-high 7.5 rebounds and is an efficient three-point shooter. Ryan Schmidt, a 6-4 senior guard, averages a team-high 18.1 points to form a potent duo with Fearday.
➜ Their coach is … a man who knows how to win a state title. Cody Rincker delivered one to the Bulldogs in just his fourth season leading the program when St. Anthony won its first state title in 2017. Since then, wins have followed for the Bulldogs, but no breakthrough to the state tournament. Until now. Rincker brings a sparkling 283-95 record that includes 10 seasons of at least 20 wins into Champaign.
➜ Coach speak: “Excitement. Joy. A little bit of relief after you have the lead we had (in our super-sectional win) and to give it up and come back and find a way to win. All those emotions are kind of rolled into one as you prepare to get ready for the next round of the tournament. All those feelings come to mind as we reflect on what happened (Monday) night.”
St. Anthony coach Cody Rincker
About the Hope Academy Eagles
➜ Record: 26-7
➜ Enrollment: 274
➜ School colors: Navy blue and white
➜ Conference: Chicagoland Christian
Meet the Eagles
No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr.
0 TJ Hueston PG 5-8 Jr.
1 Ian Williams G 6-0 Sr.
3 Tyjuan Hunter PG 5-7 Jr.
4 Andre Mabry G/F 6-1 Sr.
5 Jaiden Simmons C 6-5 Jr.
10 Trentyn McGinnis F 6-3 So.
11 Dominick Hale G 6-3 Sr.
14 Marquez Elem F 6-2 So.
15 Noah Jones G 6-1 Jr.
21 Ja’Khari Farr G 5-11 Sr.
25 Malik Meridy F 6-2 Sr.
50 Christian Turner C 6-4 Jr.
➜ Their road to Champaign … expected now. At least from what the Eagles have accomplished the last two seasons. Hope Academy placed third at last year’s state tournament en route to a 30-win season and then clinched another spot in Champaign by holding off an upset bid by LeRoy, winning 47-44 on Monday night in a super-sectional game at CEFCU Arena in Normal.
➜ Their go-to players are … a dynamic point guard in Tyjuan Hunter and another superb guard in Dominick Hale. Hunter is only 5 feet, 7 inches, but has an adept outside shot and isn’t afraid to take the ball to the basket. That’s why he’s averaging 23.6 points. The 6-3 Hale is also capable with the ball in his hands. That’s evident by his 14.2 points. Jaiden Simmons (6.3 points, 9.7 rebounds) is also a force inside.
➜ Their coach is … the man, the myth, the legend, Ronnie Fields. The former jumping jack from Farragut played in the state tournament in Champaign 30 years ago, but is more than OK to take a backseat to his players now that he’s roaming the sidelines. And roaming with success. In just his second season, he has Hope Academy back at state and poised to bring the Chicago school its first state title.
➜ Coach speak: “The players are very excited. That’s the whole goal for a lot of kids, because you know how hard it is to make it down, regardless of what kind of great regular season you may have. To get to this point for all schools and to be here with my team is great. The school is very excited to be downstate again with a chance to win it.”
Hope Academy coach Ronnie Fields
About the Peoria Christian Chargers
➜ Record: 28-9
➜ Enrollment: 193
➜ School colors: Purple, gold and white
➜ Conference: Inter County Athletic
Meet the Chargers
No. Player Pos. Ht. Yr.
0 Trae Brickner G 5-11 150 Jr.
1 Malachi Persinger G 5-10 160 Sr.
2 Gavin Walder F 6-1 170 Sr.
3 Jacob Walton G 5-9 135 Jr.
4 Josh Walton F 6-1 175 Sr.
11 Myles Zimmerman G 5-8 140 Jr.
13 Carter Short G 5-6 130 Sr.
14 Drew Gama F 5-9 165 Jr.
20 Gage Schroeder F 5-10 Jr.
21 Andrew Gerig F 5-10 145 Jr.
23 Tait Miller G 5-10 125 Jr.
24 Ben Waite F 5-11 145 So.
31 Nash Kieser G 5-9 135 So.
33 Archie Paulson F 5-11 145 Jr.
➜ Their road to Champaign … had one close game and four lopsided victories. But the Chargers’ 57-54 win against Princeville last Friday night should serve them well in the state tournament. But so should the confidence gained from a comfortable 66-49 win against Greenfield on Monday night in a super-sectional game in Jacksonville. Or from a 61-35 victory against Brimfield in the regional title game.
➜ Their go-to players are … guys who aren’t afraid to hoist from three-point range. Maybe out of necessity since 6-1 senior Gavin Walder is the only player on Peoria Christian’s roster taller than 6 feet. Malachi Persinger (17.9 points), Walder (16.4 points) and Trae Brickner (14.1 points) have all made at least 85 three-pointers this season, with Brickner at 111 and Walder at 105.
➜ Their coach is … a proven winner with the Chargers. Jason Persinger has a 154-71 record in seven seasons leading the program. This year’s regional title is the sixth one Persinger has won — he might have had seven but the 2021 postseason didn’t happn because of the pandemic — and has Peoria Christian back in the state tournament for the first time since a fourth-place finish in 2004.
➜ Coach speak: “I think the most important thing is that it’s a really close-knit group. These guys are really good friends on and off the court. They are incredibly selfless. And I think the driving force for this run has been not necessarily a state championship trophy, but guys just don’t want it to end. They want to keep hooping together.”
Peoria Christian coach Jason Persinger
About the Eastland Cougars
➜ Record: 33-4
➜ Enrollment: 199
➜ School colors: Royal blue and orange
➜ Conference: Northwest Upstate Illini
Meet the Cougars
No. Player Pos. Ht. Yr.
2 Wyatt Carroll G 5-9 140 So.
3 Tanner Stern G 5-10 150 Sr.
10 Zyacn Haverland F 6-4 200 Jr.
11 Maddox Spears G 5-10 145 So.
12 Adam Awender F 5-10 160 Sr.
15 Brayden Jackson F 6-0 185 Sr.
20 Peyton Spears G 5-10 155 Sr.
22 Braden Anderson G 6-0 155 Jr.
23 Perry Stoner F 6-0 150 Jr.
24 Harper Keim G 5-9 150 Jr.
35 Parker Krogman F 6-3 195 Jr.
➜ Their road to Champaign … happened by beating the state’s top-ranked 1A team in Pecatonica 36-31 last Friday night in a notable sectional title game. Notable because of the result and because Eastland held the ball for nearly the entire first quarter. But, a win is a win is a win. Then they beat Aurora Christian, last year’s fourth-place finisher, 51-43 on Monday night in a super-sectional game in DeKalb.
➜ Their go-to players are … senior guards Adam Awender and Peyton Spears along with junior forward Parker Krogman. Awedner averages 15.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists, Spears averages 14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists and Krogman averages a team-high 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds. Quite the effective, experienced trio for opponents to contend with.
➜ Their coach is … quite adept at winning games. However possible. Tyler Zumdahl is in his seventh season leading the Cougars, based out of the northwestern Illinois town of Lanark, and he has posted a 161-59 record during his tenure that features five seasons of at least 22 wins. This season has Eastland back at state for just the third time in school history after fourth-place finishes in 2010 and 2013.
➜ Coach speak: “Guys are really excited. Ever since we lost last year in the sectional final to Pecatonica, they set a goal to get back to that game and win it. Once we were able to do that, the goal was to keep this thing going and see how far we can take it. It’s been a crazy few days since the sectional final and the quick turnaround, but they’re excited to be making the trip.”
Eastland coach Tyler Zumdahl
发表回复