Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
The Benton Lions Club honor the Benton Middle School 8th grade basketball team this week on their recent second place finish in the SIJHSAA State Tournament finish. The Lions Club provided pizza and each player was introduced individually during the event. (Photo provided)
The Benton Ranger Wrestling Open will be held March 30, 2013 at Benton High School. All the details are listed below in the link. Anybody needing more information can contact Phil McMahon at 618-927-9040 or by email at pmcmahon4@hotmail.com.
Here’s the link:
By Jim Muir
Austin Wills and Derek Oxford combined for 45 points – including 10 three-pointers – as Benton Middle School defeated Centralia 61-49 in semi-final action at the Class L State Tournament at Rend Lake College.
With the victory the Junior Rangers moved to 22-4 on the season and into the Class L state title game on Thursday night when they match up against undefeated Marion in a 7:30 p.m. contest.
After an uncharacteristic off-day shooting in a 42-40 quarterfinal win over Olney on Saturday Benton came out blazing against Centralia. Oxford got the Junior Rangers off to a quick start with 11 first quarter points that included three three-pointers as Benton built a 20-6 first quarter lead. One of the three-pointers that Oxford hit came from long range and brought the large Benton crowd to its feet.
“There are certain moments in life that you will just never forget,” said Cook. “I will never forget the reaction of our crowd and from Derek (Oxford) when he hit the three-pointer from about 28-feet. When things like that take place in big moments nothing is better. Tonight was our night.”
BMS coach John Cook (center) gives instruction to his team during a timeout in the Junior Rangers 61-49 victory in semi-final action in the Class L state tournament. Benton will meet undefeated Marion in the championship game Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.
In the second frame it was all Wills as the Benton guard nailed four three-pointers scoring 12 of his team’s 16 points to give the Junior Rangers a comfortable 36-24 lead at the halftime intermission. After jumping out to the 14-point first quarter lead Centralia cut the lead to single digits on only one occasion in the second quarter but Benton quickly answered with a three-pointer by Wills and the Junior Rangers maintained a double-digit lead the remainder of the game.
“The first half might have been the best half of basketball we have played this season,” said Cook. “We were taking care of the ball, getting into our offensive sets quickly and knocking down shots. The energy and enthusiasm was the biggest difference to me compared to the Olney game.”
Wills finished with 26 points hitting 7-for-11 three-point attempts while Oxford scored 19. Tyson Houghland and Blane Pankey also had key performances for Benton in the victory. Houghland had eight points and five rebounds and Pankey had six points and also grabbed five caroms. Tony Tillman also scored two for Benton in a reserve role. Also seeing action and contributing to the win for the Junior Rangers was Gehrig Wynn, Oliver Davis, Hamilton Page, Jordan Richey, Scott Mosely, Brett Bonenberger, Parker Williams and Jourdan Garbo.
“When Austin hits shots like that , and has had a few games like that this year, we are a tough team to guard,” said Cook. “We all know what he is capable of and tonight he showed the entire town of Benton. On top of that we received 14 points and 10 rebounds from Houghland and Pankey. What a great team effort.”
Cook said he believes his team will bring the same attitude to the title game against undefeated Marion that they displayed in the victory over a good Centralia team.
“We played loose against Centralia like we have nothing to lose and believe we will have that same mentality in the championship game,” said Cook. “We’re in the title game and we’re going to come out and play hard and see what happens.”
In the first semi-final game Marion trailed Herrin 26-23 heading into the fourth quarter but the Wildcats roared back in the fourth quarter outscoring the Tigers 19-5 to move to 24-0 on the season. Herrin will face Centralia in the third place game at 6 p.m. Thursday night followed by the Marion-Benton state championship game at 7:30 p.m.
By Jim Muir
Derek Oxford hit a rebound basket at the buzzer to propel the Benton Middle School Junior Rangers to a thrilling 42-40 victory over an upset-minded Olney team Saturday afternoon at jam-packed James Waugh Gymnasium at Rend Lake College.
With the score tied 40-40 and only 14 seconds remaining in the game Benton coach John Cook called a time out and set up a final play designed to get sharp-shooting Austin Wills spotted up for a shot. Following the time out the final frantic seconds ticked down as Wills launched a jumper from the top of the circle with :04 seconds remaining that lipped-off the rim. Oxford fought for the rebound and got the shot off as the buzzer sounded sending the large maroon and white contingent on hand into a jubilant celebration and the Junior Rangers to the Class L Final Four.
Benton will square off against a tall and athletic Centralia team in semi-final action on Tuesday night at 7:15 at Rend Lake College.
An emotional Cook said following the game that his team fought through adversity, particularly in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
“It wasn’t pretty down the stretch, but we found a way to get the job done,” said Cook. “It was a crazy environment and nothing seemed to be going our way in the fourth quarter but we hung tough and remained poised. At this point of the season it doesn’t matter what it looks like – a win is a win and we are happy to be playing for another week.”
Both teams played even to a 8-8 score at the end of one quarter but Benton eased ahead in the second stanza outscoring Olney 14-7 to take a 22-15 halftime lead. Both teams again played even during the third with Benton maintaining a seven point lead at 33-26. The Junior Rangers put together a 7-4 run in the opening minutes of the final quarter to open up the biggest lead of the game at 40-30 and appeared to have Olney on the ropes. But some key three-point shooting coupled with a pair of Benton turnovers propelled Olney on a 10-0 run and a 40-40 tie.
“Once we got up 10 points I really thought we had a chance to put them away,” said Cook. “We were only 11-21 from the free throw line and I think that is where we let them hang around. Typically we are a much better shooting team than that. I thought for three quarters we played pretty well, despite not shooting the ball like we are capable. Our defense and rebounding was excellent, especially in the first half.”
Oxford led the Junior Rangers in scoring with 22 points to go with seven rebounds, three steals and two assists. Also in the scoring column for Benton was Wills with six points and four rebounds, Tyson Houghland with four points and six rebounds, Blane Pankey with three points and four rebounds, Gehrig Wynn with three points and Hamilton Page with three points and three rebounds. Also seeing action for Benton was Brett Bonenberger, Oliver Davis and Scott Mosely.
Cook gave high marks to the undersized but scrappy Olney team.
“Olney is an excellent basketball team,” said Cook. “They are very fundamental, they can shoot, they take good care of the basketball and they deserve a lot of credit for how they competed. Despite being undersized that might be the best guard play we’ve seen all year.”
In the upper bracket game on Tuesday undefeated Marion will face Herrin in the game prior to the Benton-Centralia match up. The winners will meet Thursday at 7:30 in the Class L state title game with Tuesday’s losing teams squaring off in the third place game at 6 p.m.
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois will host Miami University of the Mid-American Conference in this year’s BracketBuster event on Feb. 23. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.
The Redhawks are 8-12 overall and 3-5 in the MAC this season under first-year head coach John Cooper, who is a Missouri Valley Conference alum, having led the Shockers in scoring and rebounding in 1990 and 1991.
The teams have met only once before, with Miami winning in Carbondale in 1956.
Southern Illinois is 7-3 all-time in the BracketBusters event. The Salukis posted wins over Milwaukee (2003), Hawaii (2004), at Kent State (2005), at Butler (2007), Nevada (2008), Western Michigan (2010) and Green Bay (2011). The only losses were to Louisiana Tech (2006), at UIC (2009
The Benton Middle School 8th grade basketball team won the Hamilton County Class L Regional on Saturday with a 58-46 victory over the host Foxes. Pictured left to right, bottom row: Jourdan Garbo, Lance Cockrum, Gehrig Wynn, Oliver Davis, Tony Tillman, Parker Williams
Back row l-r: Coach John Cook, Jordan Richey, Hamilton Page, Tyson Houghland, Scott Mosely, Brett Bonenburger, Derek Oxford, Blane Pankey, Austin Wills, and Coach Andy Davis
By Jim Muir
The Benton Middle School 8th grade basketball team made it back-to-back regional titles with a hard-fought 58-46 victory over Hamilton County in the Hamilton County Class L Regional.
The victory improved Benton to 19-4 on the season.
With leading scorer Derek Oxford facing double and triple teams in the contest and also plagued by foul trouble the Junior Rangers rose to the occasion with a terrific team effort, according to coach John Cook.
“I was really impressed with the way our guys stood up to the challenge, “ said Cook. “I give Hamilton County a lot of credit, they are big and physical and they really held Derek (Oxford) in check the first half of the game. Austin Wills and Tyson Houghland really showed a lot of poise and leadership and really picked us up in the biggest game of the season.”
Houghland turned in his best performance of the season with 18 points and an eye-popping 15 rebounds. Wills had 16 points to to with four rebounds, three steals and three assists.
The Junior Rangers raced out to a quick 17-8 first quarter lead but the Foxes clawed back outscoring Benton 13-7 in the second quarter to pull within 24-21 at intermission. Benton hung 20 points on the scoreboard in the third quarter while holding Hamilton County to 12 and took a 44-33 lead into the final quarter of play.
Gehrig Wynn nailed a pair of 3-pointers and Oliver Davis hit a solo trey and Cook pointed to all three shots as keys to the win.
“All three of those 3-pointers came at pivotal times in the game,” said Cook. “When teams play a gimmick defense and key on your leading scorers, it’s shots like those that really define your team. I have said all year that we are not a one-dimensional team and I think we proved it in the regional championship game.”
Even though Oxford was facing a variety of defenses geared to slow him down he still scored 17 – four points below his average and the first time in 11 games he was below the 20-point plus mark. The 17 points by Oxford pushed him beyond the 1,000 point mark for his BMS career – a record achievement at the junior high level.
Cook said the regional title coupled with the stellar achievement and milestone by Oxford, and both events celebrated on the road, made for an emotional Saturday morning.
“Derek being honored at McLeansboro for his 1,000th point was a great moment. Being able to celebrate a regional championship and seeing him recognized for an outstanding achievement all in the same day is something I will never forget,” said Cook. “Derek was able to do that in front of family and friends and our biggest crowd of the season.”
The fact that Oxford’s achievements were recognized on the road was also a high point for Cook.
“I want to thank Clint Winemiller (Hamilton County athletic director) for the kind words he said about Derek,” said Cook. “Hamilton County was very accomodating and their fans were very classy with the reception they gave for our team. It was just a special day.”
BMS scoring is as follows: Houghland, 18, Oxford 17, Wills 16, Wynn 6, Davis 3. Also seeing action for Benton was Blane Pankey, Hamilton Page, Jordan Richey and Scott Mosely.
BMS will now move into Elite Eight action at Rend Lake College where they will face the winner of the Carmi-White County Regional in a 12 noon game on Saturday, Feb. 9. Benton will face either Mt. Carmel or Olney who will play Monday night.
By Jim Muir
The Benton Middle School 8th grade basketball team moved into Saturday’s Hamilton County Regional championship game with a convincing 53-20 victory over cross-county rival West Frankfort.
Derek Oxford led the way for Benton with 22 points and 12 rebounds – his 10th consecutive game with 20-plus points – and Austin Wills scored 13 points and added three rebounds, three steals and two assists in the lopsided victory that improved the Junior Rangers to 19-4 overall.
BMS will face the host Hamilton County Foxes in Saturday’s regional title game that will tip off at 10 a.m.
Coach John Cook’s team jumped out to a 12-5 first quarter lead, extended it to 26-14 at the intermission and then put the game on ice by outscoring the Redbirds 19-4 in the third quarter.
Cook has mixed and matched his eighth and seventh grade players this year and many times the seventh graders played three and sometimes four quarters in the seventh grade game before also contributing many minutes at the eighth grade level. With no seventh grade contest last night Cook said the fresh legs off the bench by his seventh graders helped in the win.
“We received a great deal of energy off the bench from our seventh graders, Hamilton Page and Gehrig Wynn,” said Cook. “I thought they both did a great job of coming in and bringing a little more intensity to both ends of the floor. Hamilton played positions that he isn’t used to playing and he knew exactly what to do and where to be. That shows how much he pays attention to detail in practice.”
Cook also lauded the effort in holding the West Frankfort team to only 20 points on the night.
“I was pleased with the defensive effort,” said Cook. “We communicated well on ball screens and had good rotations on the bottom of our defense.”
Noting the one-and-done format of post season where a loss now ends the season, Cook said he was pleased but at the same time downplayed the victory.
“Certainly this was a good win for us,” said Cook. “But it is also only one step toward where we ultimately want to be.
Also contributing to the win for Benton was Blane Pankey with eight points and three rebounds, Tyson Houghland with four points and four rebounds, Gehrig Wynn with three points and three rebounds, Scott Mosely with three points, and Hamilton Page with five rebounds. Also seeing action in the semi-final win was Oliver Davis, Parker Williams, Tony Tillman, Jordan Richey, Brett Bonenberger and Jordan Garbo.
By Jim Muir
Derek Oxford tallied a season high 30 points and the Benton Middle School Junior Rangers overcame a 13-point first quarter deficit to notch a 51-37 home court victory Monday night over Mt. Vernon.
The rousing come-from-behind victory improved BMS to 17-4 overall and was a proper send off to post season play that will begin Thursday night when Benton meets cross-county rival West Frankfort in a first round match up at the Hamilton County regional.
The Benton-West Frankfort game is at 5:30 followed by Hamilton County and Johnston City at 7 p.m. The winners will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday for the right to advance to the Class L state tournament at Rend Lake College.
The Junior Rangers fell behind 15-2 in the early going but rallied on a 5-0 run to close out the opening stanza, cutting the score to 15-7 at the end of one period.
“Mt. Vernon is big and very athletic, but early on they were simply out-hustling us. Their penetration was killing us and they were beating us to every rebound,” said Benton coach John Cook. “Defensively, they were able to stretch their zone across our small floor and it was difficult for us to move the ball or penetrate the gaps. We were forcing shots and shooting the ball very early in our possessions.”
Both teams scored 10 points in the second quarter and Mt. Vernon still controlled an eight point lead at the intermission, leading 25-17. Some halftime adjustments by Benton translated to a big third quarter for the Junior Rangers as they outscored Mt. Vernon 18-9 to turn grab a 35-34 lead at the end of three quarters.
Benton then put the game on ice by outscoring Mt. Vernon 16-3 in the final frame to gain the 51-37 victory.
“Hamilton Page and Scott Mosley gave us huge minutes off the bench and really played well on the defensive end. As a team we figured out what Mt. Vernon was capable of personnel-wise and we made the right adjustments,” said Cook. “Offensively, we put our better shooters on the top of the zone and gave them a little more freedom that earlier in the game. In the second half we were much more patient and looked to attack in transition.”
Along with Page and Mosley the BMS coach also gave high marks to Oxford who had six rebounds to go with his game high 30 points, Austin Wills who tallied 16 and also dished out five assists and Tyson Houghland, who scored three points but hauled down a career high 16 rebounds.
“I can’t say enough about the effort of Tyson (Houghland),” said Cook. “He has been sick for a couple of days now but he toughed it out and really defended and rebounded the ball well. Austin (Wills) found his stroke tonight and Derek was just himself tonight.”
The 8th grade team finished regular season with a 17-4 record, with two of those losses to unbeaten Marion. Benton also lost to Du Quoin and Herrin early in the season but avenged both those losses in the second half of the season. The BMS 8th grade players, cheerleaders and their parents were honored prior to the game, the last regular season game of the season.
The BMS 7th grade team was also victorious in the preliminary contest picking up a hard fought 41-35 win over visiting Mt. Vernon.
Blane Pankey led the way for Benton with 11 points and was followed closely by Brett Bonenberger who tallied nine points.
Benton led at every stop grabbing a 13-6 first quarter lead and maintained the seven point advantage leading 20-13 at halftime. The 7th grade squad upped its lead to 31-21 at the end of three.
Also contributing to the victory was Hamilton Page with seven points, Drew Owens with six points, Parker Williams with five points and Eldon Owens with three points. Mason Wills also saw action for Benton. The 7th grade squad was without the services of starting guard Gehrig Wynn who missed the game because of illness.
The seventh grade team, coached by Andy Davis, closed out the regular season with an overall record of 16-5 that includes a second place finish in the recent Big 7 Conference Tournament.
By Jim Muir
Perhaps its time the Benton Middle School Junior Rangers became known as the Benton Road Warriors.
For the 11th time this season the BMS 8th grade team picked up a tough road win, this time a thrilling 45-42 overtime victory over Carterville on Thursday night.
BMS coach John Cook said traveling to Carterville “was exactly what we expected it to be.”
“It is never easy to come out with a win at Carterville,” said Cook. “It was a tough road environment and I’m very proud of our guys for keeping their focus and making big plays down the stretch.”
The victory improves Benton to 16-4 overall.
Derek Oxford led the Rangers with 24 points and six rebounds – his eighth game in a row with a 20-plus point performance – and was followed by Tyson Houghland who turned in a solid game with 12 points and eight rebounds.
“Tyson (Houghland) had a huge game for us as did Blane Pankey, with some key rebounds and free throws in the overtime,” said Cook. “And Derek (Oxford) just kept attacking the basket and he hit some big, big shots for us when we needed them the most.”
BMS jumped out to a 16-10 first quarter lead but Carterville roared back outscoring the Junior Rangers 11-4 in the second quarter to take a 21-20 halftime lead. Both teams continued to battle in the second half with Benton pulling ahead 29-28 after three quarters. Carterville outscored Benton 12-11 in the fourth forcing a 40-40 tie in regulation.
Cook said he feels his team’s second half defense was the key to the hard-fought victory.
“Our defense in the second half was the difference in the game,” said Cook. “We were able to hold their two leading scorers to just six combined points. It was a team win, it took all our guys to accomplish that.”
Another key stat in the game, Cook said, was Benton’s free throw shooting late when the Junior Rangers hit 6-of-8 free throws in the fourth quarter and overtime period.
Along with Oxford’s 24 and Houghland’s 12 points Blane Pankey added four points and five rebounds, and Austin Wills scored three points. Also contributing to the win was Oliver Davis, Gehrig Wynn, Jordan Richey and Hamilton Page.
In the 7th grade contest BMS pulled out an exciting 21-20 victory behind eight points from leading scorer Gehrig Wynn.
Brett Bonenberger had a big game for BMS with the winning basket in the final seconds to secure the win. Bonenberger finished with six points, eight rebounds and a pair of steals.
The 7th grade team, coached by Andy Davis, trailed 7-2 at the end of the first quarter but outscored Carterville in the second frame 11-4 to take a 13-11 halftime lead.. Carterville outscored Benton 6-4 in the third quarter to force a 17-17 deadlock heading into the final frame.
Also scoring for Benton was Blane Pankey with three points and Hamilton Page with two points. Other players who contributed to the win are Parker Williams, Drew Owens, Eldon Owens and Mason Wills.
Benton’s 7th grade team is in action at Harrisburg in the Big 7 Conference Tournament on Saturday. Both BMS teams will be at home on Monday, January 28 for the final regular season game. It is also “8th Grade Night” where players and cheerleaders will be recognized.
Post season play for the BMS 8th grade team will begin Thursday, January 31 at the Hamilton County Regional.
INA, Ill. (Jan. 18, 2013) – A tradition of southern Illinois junior high championship basketball tipped off Friday, Jan. 18, with the Southern Illinois Junior High School Athletic Association’s 2012 Class S, M and L Girls State Basketball Tournament at Rend Lake College. The SIJHSAA Class S, M and L Boys State Basketball Tournament will follow on Feb. 1 – 14.
Okawville Junior High fans cheer on their Lady Rockets in the school’s win over Christopher Elementary, Friday night, in the opening round of the 2013 Southern Illinois Junior High School Athletic Association championship basketball tournaments.
Held on the floor of James “Hummer” Waugh Gymnasium at RLC for more than 30 years now, the girls and boys state basketball championships will showcase 56 local teams, all vying for a spot among the SIJHSAA’s 92-year history of the best junior high basketball teams in the region.
The tournament dates back to 1928 when it was played as sub-states at various locations in southern Illinois, particularly high schools. The tournament came to RLC when a significant snow storm hit the region in 1978, causing officials to scratch game after game in regional tournaments throughout the area. RLC provided a central site and the event has stayed there ever since. Moreover, it continues to grow larger each year, with more teams competing for the championship in classes S, M and L.
Greg Hale of Pinckneyville took over as SIJHSAA Executive Director last June, replacing 15-year head Jim Burnes. Hale talked about some goals he had for his role with the association. They included an improved website with sponsorship opportunities. He checked that off the list last year. The site at www.sijhsaa.com is completely revamped with better functionality, a slick look and feel, and corporate sponsors – including Baden which is providing all the balls for SIJHSAA tournaments. Results from the upcoming rounds at RLC can be found on this site, along with a wealth of information about SIJHSAA sports and opportunities for users to interact, predict tournament winners and post questions in forums.
The Girls Class M tournament at Rend Lake started things off Friday, Jan. 18, with Meridian and Aviston (3:30 p.m.), Christopher and Okawville (4:45 p.m.), Goreville and Pinckneyville Jr. High (6 p.m.), and Fairfield and Gallatin County (7:15 p.m.). The Class M final four is at 6 p.m. and 7:15 p.m., Jan. 22. A consolation game is set for 6 p.m., Jan. 25, immediately followed by the Class M championship at 7:30 p.m.
The Girls Class L tournament will start Saturday, Jan. 19, with Carterville going up against Centralia (9:30 a.m.), West Frankfort taking on Highland (10:45 a.m.), Massac County facing off against Collinsville (noon), and Carmi taking on Trico (1:15 p.m.). The Class L final four is scheduled for 6 and 7:15 p.m., Jan. 23, and the consolation final will be at 9:30 a.m., Jan. 26, immediately followed by the Class L championship game at 11 a.m.
The Girls Class S tournament also gets underway Saturday, Jan. 19, with Lick Creek and Summersville (2:30 p.m.), St. John Catholic (Red Bud) and Bartelso (3:45 p.m.), DeSoto and Germantown (5 p.m.), and St. Joe (Olney) taking on Hoyleton-Grand Prairie (6:15 p.m.). Final four matchups will be played at 6 and 7:15 p.m., Jan. 24, with a consolation final at 12:30 p.m., Jan. 26, followed by the Class S championship game at 2 p.m. The Class S finals will conclude the 2013 girls state tournament.
The Boys Class M tournament regional winners will start things off Friday, Feb. 1, with Region 3 versus Region 2 (3:30 p.m.), Region 6 versus Region 1 (4:45), Region 8 versus Region 4 (6:00), and Region 5 versus Region 7 (7:15). The final four is at 6 p.m., and 7:15 p.m., Feb. 5. A consolation game is set for 6 p.m., Feb. 8, immediately followed by the Class M championship at 7:30 p.m.
The Boys Class S tournament gets underway Saturday, Feb. 2, with Region 3 versus Region 13 (9:30 a.m.), Region 15 versus Region 12 (10:45), Region 4 versus Region 1 (Noon), Region 2 versus Region 16 (1:15), Region 9 versus Region 5 (2:30), Region 11 versus Region 6 (3:45), Region 7 versus Region 8 (5:00), and Region 14 versus Region 10 (6:15). Quarterfinals are at 3:30, 4:45, 6:00 and 7:15 on Feb. 4. Final four matchups will be played at 6 and 7:15 p.m., Feb. 7, with a consolation final at 2:30 p.m., Feb. 9, followed by the championship game at 4 p.m.
The Class L tournament will run Feb. 9 through Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14. The Feb. 9 lineup will feature Region 2 versus Region 3 (9:30 a.m.), Region 6 versus Region 1 (10:45 a.m.), Region 8 versus Region 4 (noon) and Region 5 versus Region 7 (1:15 p.m.). The tournament will continue with the final four at 6 and 7:15 p.m., Feb. 12. A consolation game will be played at 6 p.m.., Feb. 14, followed by the Class L championship at 7:30 p.m.
Scores and results from the series of SIJHSAA tournaments at RLC can be found on-line daily at www.sijhsaa.com or by following Rend Lake College at www.twitter.com. For all things athletic at The Lake, visit RLC online at www.rlc.edu/warriors.
