Yellow Jackets tame Bearcats 76-48 Tuesday in Colbert Gym
Tigers have great week – beats Cobden Friday night
by Steve Dunford – franklincounty-news.com
The Thompsonville Tigers had a very good week last week as they split in in two road games, both are not the easiest places to play as visitors.
Tyson Kessler pulls up and hits a three to cut it to a one possession game late in the fourth quarter. (Help me out here) (thompsonvilletigers-YouTube feed)
T’ville gives. a very good Crab Orchard (14-5) team all they wanted Tuesday night 53-47. I think it is worth mentioning the Trojans made the long trip to play 2A Vandaila on Saturday night and beat the Vandals.
Tuesday night Freshman Corbin Fitch led the Tigers with 23 points. The 5′ 11″sophomore point guard had a double double on the night. He had 13 points and 14 rebounds. Anthony Darge is becoming more and more of a force in the paint every day. The 6′ 7″ sophomore center had ten blocks on the night.
Caleb Vaughn led all scorers with 24 points on the night for the Trojans. McKegar Ferrell added eight on the night.
Here is what Tiger coach Pete Gordon had to say about last Tuedsay night’s game “I couldn’t have been more proud of how our boys competed. If it had not been for a slow start for us I really feel like we could have pulled one out. There were times when we could have folded, but we kept fighting. We had it cut to three late but came up a tad short. Now we have to build from this and find a way to win.”
The Tigers found the way to win in a 49-41 win down at Cobden on Friday night. The win ended an eight game skid for Thompsonville.
Tyson Kessler had a big night for the Tigers again as he scored 17 points on the night. Anthoney Darge added 14 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots for T’ville. John Russell scored 19 and Dylan Lewey added nine to lead the Appleknockers.
Anthnoy Darge jumping center to tip things off down at Cobden Friday night for the Tigers . In the picture is 24 Jared Payne, 35 Cory Wilce, 23 Tyson Kessler and 4 Corbin Fitch “in blue.” (thompsonvilletigers Youtube feed.)
Coach Pete Gordon had this to say about the win down at Cobden Friday night. I am so proud of their effort. “Darge was huge. We cut down on on the turnovers, shot great shots. and executed well. We made enough Free-throws down the stretch to pull out a win.”
The Tigers dropped a 65-44 decision to Gallatin County in the opening round of the GEC tournament last night. They fell to 4-13 on the season. There is a story from last night’s game posted on the website from Jack Bullock of abaselineview.com They will face Carrier Mills in the consolation bracket at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday at Southeastern Illinois College.
CRAB ORCHARD BOX
CRAB ORCHARD (53) Vaughn 3 2 12-17 24; Ferrell 3 0 2-5 8: Beasley 3 0 0-3 6; Stephens 0 1 2-2 5; Franklin 1 0 3-4 5; Vinson 0 0 0-0 0
THOMPSONVILLE (47) Fitch 3 3 8-16 23; Kessler 2 1 6-10 13; Darge 2 0 0-0 4; Raubach 0 1 0-0 3; Payne 1 0 0-0 2; Wilce 1 0 0-0 2
SCORE BY QUARTERS
CRAB ORCHARD- 8 15 18 12 – 53
THOMPSONVILLE- 3 11 18 15 – 47
COBDEN BOX
THOMPSONVILLE (49) Kessler 4 0 9-16 17; Darge 7 0 0-1 14; Fitch 2 0 4-9 8; Payne 1 0 2-2 4; Wilce 0 0 2-3 2; Dixon 1 0 0-0 2; Raubach 1 0 0-0 2
COBDEN (41) Russell 3 3 3-4 18; D. Lewey 2 1 2-2 9; Eck 2 0 2-2 6; A Lewey 2 0 0-1 4; Brumleve 1 0 0-0 2; Nance 0 0 2-2 2 Duty 0 0 0-0 0; Britt 0 0 0-0 0
SCORE BY QUARTERS
THOMPSONVILLE- 13 10 11 15 – 49
COBDEN- 7 15 6 13 – 41
Tigers hang around with Gallatin County for 2 1/2 quarters-fall 65-44
Tiger point guard Tyson Kessler took it in the paint to one of the best PG’s in the south, Seth Ramsey (Jack Bullock Photo)
The GEC tournament opens tonight
The GEC tournament opens tonight at Southeastern Illinois College at Deaton Gym. The schools in the conference take turns being the host school. The tournament is hosted by Gallatin County.
If you want to see some great 1A basketball, make the trip to Harrisburg some time this week. On semi final week the house is packed.
All games on the tournament will be broadcast on WEBQ-FM 102.3
The schedule is the following
- Game 1: (4) Carrier Mills vs (5) NCOE in progress
- Game 2: (1) Gallatin County vs (8) THOMPSONVILLE, Monday, 8:00 p.m.
- Game 3: (3) Hardin County vs (6) Galatia, Tuesday 6:30 p.m.
- Game 4 (2) Crab Orchard vs (7) Pope County, Tuesday, 8 p.m.
- Game 5: Loser game 3 vs Loser game 4, Thursday, 6:30, p.m.
- Game 6: Loser game 1 vs Loser game 2, Thursday, 8:00 p.m.
- Game 7: 7th place game Loser game 5, vs loser game 6, Friday at 5:30 p.m.
- Game 8: Semi final: winner game 3 vs winner game 4 6:30
- Game 9: Semi final: winner game 1 vs winner game 2 8:00
- Game 10: Consolation championship: winner game 5 vs winner game 6
- Game 11: Third place game loser game 8 vs loser game 9
- Game 12: Championship winner game 8 vs winner game 9
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Herrin blows out WF in the third place game of the MWC
Steve Dunford – franklincounty-news.com
WEST FRANKFORT IL- I watched the first quarter of this one. I apologize for having to leave due to illness after the first quarter. The Redbirds just looked wore out Saturday night to me, after giving the number five team in the state in the latest AP poll that came out today, the Eldorado (20-2) all they wanted Friday.
The Redbirds were defeated by the Herrin Tigers 54-35 on Saturday night in the third place game of the Midwinter Classic.
Jack Bullock (ABV Jack) of abaselineview.com had the Eagles moving up to number three in his poll that covers all of the 618 and half of the 217. He needs to give the Redbirds a little love. He does not have them cracking the honorable mention this week after having a very good tournament. Carterville was a signature win for WF.
When I got home, I turned Mike Murphy on. Rick Westemeyer is one of my favorite people in the world. I just hadn’t heard Murph call a ball game in the while. I enjoyed listening to him.
Everyone received some playing time in the game. Ten players were in the scoring column for the Redbirds, eleven for the Tigers.
There was no one in double figures in the game, which was unusual. For West Frankfort, Lucas Wolfe led the Redbirds with six on the night. DiAngelo Russell and Kyle Hammers added five. It is noteworthy the Herrin Defense held Noah Allen to two points, and Austin Glodich scoreless.
For Herrin, DJ Spell led all scorers with nine points on the night. Bronson Nessler, Drew Ringel, and Ty Downen added eight.
The Redbirds (8-10) turn to River-to-River Ohio play traveling to Davenport Gym (The Airport Hanger) on Friday to face Randy Smithpeters’ and the Harrisburg Bulldogs. They are at Max Morris Gym on Saturday to face the Anna-Jonesboro Wildcats.
Herrin (13-5) has a big weekend, as they travel to Rich Herrin gym to face the Benton Rangers. The Rangers are the number six team in the state in Class 3A in the new Associated Press poll that came out today. They travel to Mt. Vernon on Saturday Night to face Doug Creel’s Mt.Vernon Rams.
BOX SCORE:
HERRIN (54) Spell 4 0 1-2 9; Nessler 1 2 0-0 8; Ringel 1 2 0-0 8; T. Downen 3 0 2-2 8; Bush 0 2 0-0 6; McCormick 2 0 0-0 4; J. Downen 1 0 1-2 3; Cagle 0 0 2-2 2; Stucker 0 0 2-4 2; Stucker 0 0 2-4 2; Johnson 0 02-4 2; J. Vaughn 0 0 2-4 2; Hartline 0 0 0-0 2; Holloway 0 0 0-0 0; C. Vaughn 0 0 0-0 0; Rivera 0 0 0-0 0;
WEST FRANKFORT (35) Wolfe 2 2 2-2 6; D. Russell 1 1 0-0 5; Hammers 1 1 0-0 5; Thrash 0 1 1-2 4; Johnson 0 0 4-6 4; House 0 1 0-0 3; Clinton 1 0 0-0 2; Clark 1 00-0 2; Allen 1 0 0-0 2; Levanti 0 0 0-0 0; B. Russell 0 0 0-0 0; Glodich 0 0 0-0 0; Powell 0 0 0-0 0; Riddle 0 0 0-0 0; Davis 0 0 0-0 0; Sturgill 0 0 0-0 0
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
HERRIN 12 15 17 11 -54
WEST FRANKFORT 3 8 11 13 – 35
Bearcats finish the MWC 0-4 – Fall to AJ 53-48
Steve Dunford – franklincounty-news.com
WEST FRANKFORT IL – The Christopher Bearcats dropped the seventh place game of the West Frankfort Mid Winter Classic, to the Anna Jonesboro Wildcats 53-48.
The Bearcats roared out to an 11-6 lead at the 3:30 mark of the first quarter before Anna-Jonesboro coach Mike Chamness calls a time out. The Wildcats change from going to playing a 2-3 zone from playing man to man. A-J began to kill Christopher on the boards, and out rebounded them for the game 29-18. The differential was 13-5 at half-time.
Anna-Jonesboro scores the last five points of the quarter and both teams were tied at 11. The Wildcats came out and Logan Sawyer hit a 15 foot Jumper out of the huddle to go up 13-11 and they never relinquished the lead. Sawyer had twelve points and seven rebounds on the afternoon.
Jake Parr dominated the game on both ends of the floor in the second quarter as he had a game high 19 points and tied for the game high lead of nine rebounds. The Wildcats had the lead at halftime 29-25.
The teams trade baskets for a while and Jordan Zimmerman hits a big three to put Anna-Jonesboro up 38-27 to cap off a big rally by them just over the four minute mark.
Christopher coach Eric Stallman calls a time out and goes to a 3/4 court press. A-J struggles with it. Zack Snell buries a 22 foot baseline jumper at the close of the quarter to cut the Bearcat deficit to six, 40-34 after three.
Jared Curry has three big coast to coast drives in the fourth and the Bearcats keep hanging around. Curry had a game high 14 points on the afternoon, eight in the fourth quarter. He also had nine rebounds. He found Gabe Schimpf twice as well, on a couple run outs. Schimpf led the way with four assists and had 11 points. Kaeleb Pedigo was the third Bearcat in double figures with 10 points.
The Bearcats cut it to a one possession game on a few occasions down the stretch. A-J hit their free throws down the stretch, to ice the victory away.
The Bearcats (11-8) have two tough BDC West road tests in front of them this week, as they go to Chester on Tuesday and down to the Eagles Nest in Vienna on Friday.
Anna Jonesboro (7-13) makes the long trip up Route 127 Friday night to play the Nashville Hornets, and will make the return trip to Max Morris Gym on Saturday night to face the Redbirds.
I would like to give a shout out to a couple people from Anna. Coach Mike Chamness has always been very accessible and just a good guy to talk HS basketball with. Moury Bass, owner of WIBH-AM 1440. of Anna, always has kind and encouraging words to pass along to me. One of my highlights of the Midwinter Classic is being around these two men.
BOX SCORE:
ANNA-JONESBORO (53) Parr 7 0 5-7 19; Sawyer 6 0 0-0 12; Zimmerman 6 0 0-0 12; McGrath 0 0 4-6 4; Renyolds 0 1 0-1 3; Pinnon 0 0 2-2 2; Pena 0 0 1-2 1; Gillis 0 0 0-0 0; McFarland 0 0 0-0 0
CHRISTOHPER (49) Curry 5 0 4-4 14; Schimpf 3 1 2-2 11; Pedigo 2 2 0-2 10; Young 4 0 0-0 8; Snell 1 0 0-0 3; Pratt 1 0 0-0 2; Motsinger 0 0 0-0 0
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
ANNA-JONESBORO 11 18 11 13 – 53
CHRISTOPHER 11 18 9 14 – 48
Host Rangers repeat as BIT champions
Watching this on video last night, it was an awesome scene to watch the student section storm the floor at Rich Herrin gym (Thank you Penny Henson for letting me use this)
Redbirds came very close to upsetting Eldorado last night
Steve Dunford (franklincounty-news.com)
In the way the pools shook out, the West Frankfort Redbirds and the Eldorado Eagles faced each other in a semi-final game last night at Max Morris gym.
The Redbirds were very patient on the offensive end with both teams tied at seven. On defensive end, West Frankfort Coach Kevin Toney plays that 3-2 zone a lot where Noah Allen, Kyle Hammers and Andrew Sturgill were giving the Eldorado guards havoc by several traps on the wings. It was tied at seven after the first quarter.
In the second quarter Noah Allen bombed three long threes, forcing the Eagles into a man to man for a while. When the Eagles went man, Kyle Hammers was open on a couple cuts to the basket. Both teams go the locker rooms with the Redbirds up 23-19.
In the third quarter. The Redbirds had a seven point lead, which they held quite a bit thorough out the night. There were a couple of times throughout the night the Redbirds extended the lead out to nine.
Andrew Sturgill came up with a couple of big offensive rebounds. In my very unofficial stats I had Sturgill leading the Redbirds with seven boards. I also had the Redbirds out rebounding the triple towers of Eldorado 22-21. Eathan Partrige was held to eight points, and Jacob Traxler was held to three.
Here was the back breaker for the Redbirds. The Redbirds led by nine until about the six minute mark of the fourth quarter. They wre one shot and out on two possessions in a row. Eldorado scores on each possession and cuts it to three.
Big man Braden Attebury hits a big three and ties it up around the 4:30 mark. He led the Eagles on the night with 15. I felt the air go out of the balloon for the Redbirds as well as the red clad crowd. The crowd in purple was going nuts. It was a big momentum switcher in the game, in which West Frankfort had the momentum all night.
Down the stretch the Eagles showed why they are the number six team in the state in the latest class 2A Associated Press poll, receiving some first place votes, and 21-1 on the season. This is a team that beat Mt. Carmel, who have beat up on some Indiana schools in their conference that would be 3A and 4A in Illinois. They are also ranked above Pinckneyville in the state wide polls.
The Eagles made their free throws down the stretch and that wins High School basketball games. They will play the Marion Wildcats tonight in the championship game of the Midwinter Classic at 8:30 tonight. West Frankfort (8-9) will face SIRR Ohio rivals the Herrin (12-5) Tigers in the third place game at 7:00 p.m.
Noah Allen led all scorers on the night with 17. Austin Glodich added nine for the Redbirds with seven in the second half.
Along with Attebury’s 15. Raymond May came of the bench and added 13 for the Eagles.
In other MWC action today, the Christopher Bearcats (11-7) will face the Anna Jonesboro Wildcats (6-13) at 3:30 for seventh place. The Cairo Pilots will play the Carterville Lions for fifth place.
You played your guts out Redbirds. Don’t hang your head after this loss.
BOX SCORE:
ELDORADO: (48) Attebury 3 1 6-6 15; May 6 0 1-3 13; Partrige 4 0 0-0 8; Meredith 1 0 3-3 5; Ogelsby 1 0 2-4 4; Traxler 1 0 1-1 3 Kaiser 0 0 0-0 0
WEST FRANKFORT (44) Allen 1 4 3-4 17; Glodich 4 0 1-2 9; Hammers 3 0 1-5 7; Sturgill 2 0 2-3 6; Thrash 2 0 1-1 5; Wolfe 0 0 0-0 0;
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
ELDORADO: 7 16 11 10 – 48
WEST FRANKFORT: 7 12 8 21 – 44
RANGERS WIN CROSS COUNTY BATTLE
Herrin sweeps field at West Frankfort Mid-Winter Classic
Girls All Tournament team for the Mid Winter Classic from left to right; Hannah Grotauge -Herrin; Hannah Garascia – S-V-W; Jaylin Haley – S-V-W; Cali Wright WF; Makalya Smothers; Herrin and MVP Morgan Griffith- WF
