"You got to be ready" - SJO bench steps up when called in SFHC opener

SJO's Tanner Siems takes control of the opening tipoff at the State Farm Holiday Classic on Wednesday.
NORMAL - From the opening tip through the first quarter, the St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team's efforts were dismal against East Dubuque in the second game of the Small School Division at the State Farm Holiday Classic. Up 27-25 at the start of the second half, the Spartans extended their fragile lead by as much as 11 in the third quarter over the tenacious Warriors on the way to a 56-47 win Wednesday afternoon at Normal Community West High School.

The East Dubuque punched SJO in the mouth early, going up 6-0 and led on the scoreboard the entire quarter. Spartans' Ryker Lockhart tied the game up with 3:37 left to play in the half, followed by two more SJO buckets to up 24-20.

"It didn't seem like we were ready to play," Spartan head coach Kiel Duval confessed. He gave credit to the way the Warriors came out to play. "They had a lot more energy from the start. They were more aggressive on both ends and that took us out of what we wanted to do."

The slow rev up to aggressive play was not ideal.

"In this tournament, you can't approach games like that," he explained. "One through 16 is really, really good. If you don't come ready to play, you saw what happened in the first quarter. You have to be ready to play when you walk off the bus."

Tanner Jacob takes a shot
Tanner Jacob goes up for a contested shot with East Dubuque's Carter Widmeier. Jacob scored 11 points for the Spartans in Wednesday's game.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
On the next possession, Warriors' Aaron Culbertson hit a jumper, closing the scoring gap. Tanner Jacob answered back with a trey of his own for SJO to make the score 27-23. East Dubuque would sink one more basket before the intermission and head in the locker room down by two.

It took just under a minute and a half at the start of the third quarter for Jacob to bag another trey and sink a field goal, giving SJO a 32-25 lead. Coupled with aggressive defensive play, the Spartans let the Warriors get close twice in the third quarter before taking full-control of the contest.

"It wasn't really a great start. We weren't ready to go," said Luke Landrus, who finished with eight points and four rebounds. "We picked it up after the second quarter. In the third quarter we really started playing defense and getting rebounds. That helped us offensively."

Landrus credited the bench for helping St. Joseph-Ogden get the win.

"Our bench helped us a a lot. We didn't start off fast, but we had good people come off the bench, played hard, and did their job."

Combined, Lockhart, Parker Fitch, Tim Blackburn-Kelley, Logan Lackey and Collin Thomey saw 32 minutes.

Ryker Lockhart, hopped of the bench, playing five minutes for SJO. He hit the second quarter, game-tying shot the Spartans needed against East Dubuque.

Photo: PhotoNews Media

"We got a lot of guys with the ability to play. We told them 'you got to be ready, whatever your roll is'," Duval said. "You got to play just like the other guys. There shouldn't be any drop-off. I thought the did today."

Three SJO players finished with double figures. Shooting 75% from the field, junior Tanner Siems finished with 15 points. Logan Smith accumulated 13 points during his 26 minutes on the floor. Both Siems and Smith had three rebounds and three assists. Jacob contributed 11 points and credited with two steals.

One-for-two from the free-throw line, Thomey led the Spartans' rebounding effort with five.

Tonight, the Spartans face Rock Falls in the tournament's nightcap at 8:30-ish at Illinois Wesleyan's Shirk Center.

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The Spartan beat goes on; SJO now 8-and-0 after crushing Pioneers

St. Joseph-Ogden's Tanner Jacob directs teammates while keeping the ball away from Normal University High School's Mason Hooper-Willis during the second quarter of their game on Friday. Hitting five three-pointers, the senior finished the non-conference game against the Pioneers with a game-high 20 points.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
ST. JOSEPH - For the past two seasons the Spartans had a bright, shining star with Ty Pence on the floor. As demonstrated by their now 8-0 record after pulverizing Normal University 77-47 on Friday, this season's St. Joseph-Ogden roster is an entire constellation.

After a competitive dual between two of central Illinois' top Class 2A programs in the first quarter ending 17-10, SJO scored 20 points in each of the three remaining frames while allowing their opponent an average of 12.3 points. The Spartans' defensive effort was stellar.

"I thought our defense played really, really well," said head coach Kiel Duval, now in his fifth season leading the Spartans. "We were solid defensively the entire night."

U-High came to St. Joseph with a 3-1 record against the pack of Bloomington-Normal schools and had taken down Rochester and Pleasant Plains, contributing to their #2 seed for this month's State Farm Classic.

"We knew these guys were seeded higher than us, and it felt good to beat them," said Tanner Jacob after turning in a game-high 20 points against the Pioneers. The senior was on fire in the first half, draining five treys helped dominate their guests at halftime, 37-19.

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Luke Landrus dribbles around Normal Univiersity's David Null. Landrus shot 50% from the field and was a perfect 2-2 from the free throw line for the Spartans in Friday's home win.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Duval said his game plan was to run the floor and look for openings during the transitions. He gave props to his players for getting the ball to Jacob and creating open looks for shooters.

"You know, you always look better when you hit shots," Duval said.

After he sunk his first three out in three-point land, Jacob's confidence was ignited. The senior was 5-for-8 from behind the arc and was 1-for-2 inside it.

"They just kept leaving me open. Once I hit that first one, I knew I was going to have a good night," he said. "I just knew they were going to go in."

Like Orion in the night sky, the St. Joseph-Odgen has seven or more stars that has the team glowing with talent.

"Chemistry and depth," Jacob replied, when asked about the team's strenghts this season. "Compared to past years, we have had really good players, but we haven't always had that deep of a bench."

Watching the past eight games, it is clear how far the talent goes down the varsity 2023-24 squad.

"We have multiple guys we can sub in if a guy gets in foul trouble or a guy got hurt," Duval explained. "Coy (Taylor) was limited tonight. Other guys stepped up, he played the role and carried on."

Despite being limited to just 16 minutes on the hardwood, Taylor was 4-for-4, pulled in three rebounds and dished out a couple of assists.

Depth? How's this? The Spartans narrowly missed having five players in double figures against arguable one of the best basketball teams from Bloomington-Normal.

Surrounded by U-High players, SJO's Tanner Siems tries to put the ball back up in the second quarter.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Logan Smith amassed 15 points in 26 minutes of play and led the team with assists at seven. Luke Landrus finished with 13 points, two rebounds and a pair of assists.

Tanner Siems and Taylor had nine points each. Siems led the Spartans' rebounding with five boards.

Sophomore Cameron Johnson paced U-High with 12 points, and Dalton Kruger, a senior, with ten. The Pioneers, who have another shot at SJO if both team's make it to the State Farm Classic semifinal on December 29, dropped to a 5-4 record.

Jacob and the Spartans are back in action at home next Tuesday, hosting Ayden Ingram and Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin. Ingram has averaged 16 points per game for the 8-2 Blue Devils.

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2024 Illinois Media Class announces boys' 2A All-State Teams


Tanner Jacob goes up for a shot around Pinckneyville's Ty Laur and Riley Bauersachs during the Spartans' Christie Clinic Shootout game in January. Jacob was the only Class 2A player from the area to be included on the Illinois Media's All-State list.
URBANA - The roster of players for the 2024 Illinois All-State boys basketball teams for Class 2A was made public on Wednesday. St. Joseph-Ogden's Tanner Jacob was the only Sentinel area player to earn a mention on the list.

The teams were picked via votes by Illinois Media, a group made up of sportswriters and broadcasters from different parts of the state. They selected five players for the first team and five players for the second team in each class. The players have received five points for a first-team vote and three points for a second-team vote.

The media members voting for this year's team include: Derek Bayne, WREX-TV Rockford; Josh Brown, Robinson Daily News; Jeremy Chawgo, Breese Journal; Kevin Chlum, LaSalle News-Tribune; Michael Clark, Chicago Sun-Times/Lansing News/SBLive; Jimmy Dean, WGGH radio Marion; Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star; Kevin Hieronymus, Bureau County Republican; Paul Hines, Mount Vernon Sentinel; John Homan, Southerm Illinoisan; Brian Hoxsey, Ottawa Times; Fred Kroner, Mahomet Daily; Randy List, Centralia Morning Sentinel; Jim Mattson, WEEK-TV Peoria/Bloomington; Dennis Mathes, Jacksonville Journal-Courier; Erich Murphy, Pontiac Daily Leader; Zach Piatt, Champaign News-Gazette; Randy Reinhardt, Bloomington Pantagraph; Matt Trowbridge, Rockford Register-Star; Matt Schuckman, Muddy River Sports; Mason Schweizer, Kankakee Daily Journal; Greg Shashack, Alton Telegraph; Steve Tappa, MC22-TV Quad Cities/QCSportsNet/Illinois Media All-State chair; Alex Wallner, Effingham Daily News; Bill Welt, Springfield State Journal-Register; Matthew Wheaton, Wheat on the Prairie; and Matt Wilson, Carlyle Union Banner.

Below are the all-staters for Class 2A.

FIRST TEAM

NAME, SCHOOL (HT., YR., POS.) POINTS
Docker Tedeschi, Benton (6-6, Jr., PF) 100
Ryan Tucker, Byron (6-3, Sr., G) 99
Calvin "CJ" Worsham, Chicago Christ the King (6-7, Sr., F) 88
Adyn McGinley, Beecher (6-0, Sr., G) 86
EJ Horton, Chicago Phillips (6-2, Jr., G) 85


SECOND TEAM

NAME, SCHOOL (HT., YR., POS.) POINTS
Dietrich Richardson, Peoria Manual (6-7, Jr., PG) 81
Al Brooks Jr., Chicago Noble Hansberry (6-7, Jr., F) 80
Ryan Mbouombouo, Chicago Latin (6-3, Sr., SF) 59
Paxton Giertz, Seneca (6-0, Jr., PG) 51
Christian Cummings, Rockford Christian (5-10, Jr., SG) 46


HONORABLE MENTION:
(28 TOTAL; IN ORDER OF POINTS)

Jonah Funk, El Paso-Gridley (6-9, Jr., C) 41; Sam Donald, Columbia (6-8, Jr., G) 39; Noah LaPorte, Princeton (6-6, Jr., F) 37; Christian Bentancur, Woodstock Marian Central (6-5, Sr., F) 36; Brady Clark, Kewanee (6-3, Sr., G) 33; Jake Willems, Riverdale (6-5, Sr., G) 31; Tyler Heffren, Eureka (6-4, Sr., G/F) 29; Vontez Dent, Rockford Lutheran (6-4, Sr., G/F) 28; Isaac Hosman, Massac County (6-0, Sr., G) 28; Mason Shubert, Breese Central (6-3, Sr., PG) 24; Bryant Jenkins, Lawrenceville (6-3, Sr., SF) 22; Dion Doyle, Macomb (6-5, Sr., F) 17; Braden Kline, Alton Marquette (6-3, Sr., G) 16; Brady Ruestman, Minonk Fieldcrest (6-6, Sr., G) 15; Owen Treat, Vienna (6-2, Sr., G) 14; Ian Brantley, Piasa Southwestern (6-7, Jr., F) 10; Sebastian Hill, Macon Meridian (6-3, Sr., G) 10; TJ Seals, Johnson (6-5, Jr.) 10; Tyler Curl, Fairbury Prairie Central (6-2, Sr., G) 9; AJ Keith, Pinckneyville (6-4, Jr., SG) 9; Cameron Ande, Harrisburg (6-3, Sr., SG) 8; Landon Bull, Rockridge (6-4, Jr., F) 8; Amari Edwards, Chicago Phillips (5-9, Jr., G) 6; Garrett Gaddis, Teutopolis (Sr., G) 6; Dierre Hill, Belleville Althoff (6-0, Jr., PG/SG) 6; Tanner Jacob, St. Joseph-Ogden (6-2, Sr., G) 6; Seth Macke, Trenton Wesclin (6-6, Sr., SF) 6; Zane Schrage, Breese Central (6-5, Sr., F) 6.

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Sports Page | Last second shot swipes tournament title from Spartans

BLOOMINGTON - The St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team suffered their second loss of the season after a brilliant third-quarter at the State Farm Holiday Classic on December 30.

Like the team's earlier loss to Beecher, the sweet taste of victory was yanked from their grasp in the last seconds of the game. With 1.8 second left to play and down by two on the clock, El-Paso Gridley made an inbound pass and got the ball to an open Chanceaye Maxon, Jr, who tossed the ball from 20 feet or so to the basket for a three, giving the Titans a 49-48 advantage at the buzzer to take the Small School Division title.

The Small School Division champions in 2022, the team went 3-1 in the tournament and were this year's runner up. Tanner Jacob was named to the All-Tournment team.

Senior Luke Landrus led SJO's scoring effort with 19 points. Coy Taylor finished with 11 points, and Jacob sank nine for the top three scorers. Jacob and junior Tanner Siems were the team's leading rebounders, collecting four boards each. Landrus hauled in three, and Collin Thomey snagged two in the title game.

The Spartans (12-2) include Ryker Lockhart, Tanner Jacob, Kodey Mckinney, Coy Taylor, Logan Smith, Luke Landrus, Tanner Siems, Logan Lackey, Will Haley, Kendrick Johnson, Asher Pruemer, Parker Fitch, and Collin Thomey.

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Spartans continue early season steamroll with win #6

Toyota of Danville MVP Tanner Jacob goes up for a shot during the Spartans' title game against Oakwood. The senior scored 16 points in SJO's first conference win over Central Catholic Saturday afternoon on the road.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
BLOOMINGTON - Coming off a huge overtime win over Normal West on Tuesday, the St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team was back in Blo-No to face Illini Prairie rival Central Catholic on Saturday. Like their earlier visit to the other downstate twin city, the Spartans returned home victorious after defeating the Saints 63-54.

Despite a 41% shooting effort against Central Catholic's 95%, SJO proved the adage 'less is better' doesn't necessarily win basketball games.

Tanner Jacob led the Spartans with 16 points. Junior Tanner Siems also finished in double figures with 13 points. Guards Coy Taylor and Logan Smith rounded out the top four scorers with eight points each.

The foursome fired 43 of St. Joseph-Ogden's 54 shots at the rim, draining 18 of the 22 that resulted in points.

Senior Luke Landrus dominated the boards with nine rebounds and led the Spartans with three steals. Smith, also a senior, was credited with five rebounds and seven assists.

SJO heads back to Bloomington-Normal as the #3-seed in the Small School Division State Farm Classic. Jacob and the Spartans appear to be firing on all cylinders and looking like a good bet for a repeat of last year's championship run. With four contests to play before their tournament opener against Ead Dubuque two days after Christmas, the currently undefeated Spartans have a brutal four-game schedule ahead of them.

On Tuesday, the team goes head-to-head with Danville over in the 'Ville, who hopes to avenge last year's 66-53 loss behind Ty Pence's 35-point show-stopper. The Vikings have taken losses this season to Centennial, Peoria, Lincoln, and Belleville West. Their three wins have been over smaller size schools, including Mahomet-Seymour, Rantoul, and Ogden International.

The Main Gym should be packed to the rafters on Friday when St. Joseph-Ogden hosts Normal University. Like the Spartans, the Pioneers have already beat Central Catholic and Normal West and will have vengeance on their minds as well after last year's loss to SJO at the State Farm Classic.

With four days to recover, Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin be in the house. Then, Friday, the St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team is back on a bus and heading to the den of the Beecher Bobcats, who are 8-0, 4-0 in the River Valley Conference.

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We need the help of passionate sports fans like yourself to help us cover more games, feature more athletes, and give recognition to the hard-working athletes who deserve it. There are several ways you can help.

You can help us by sharing our stories and photos on social media for your family and friends to enjoy. Having more readers helps us convince businesses to advertise with us. The more advertisers we have, the greater our local coverage.

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Landrus leads the way as Spartans pile up runs on U-High

Connor Hale, Tanner Jacob, and Jared Altenbaumer
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

ST. JOSEPH - Connor Hale, Tanner Jacob, and Jared Altenbaumer wait at home plate for Luke Landrus after his long bomb over the left field fence that landed five yards shy of Route 150 during St. Joseph-Ogden's home game against Normal University High School at Meier Field on Friday. Landrus, who also plastered a double and collected a stolen base in the contest, went 3-for-3 and delivered five RBIs in the Spartans' 17-7 non-conference win over the Pioneers. Hale and Jacob scored on the play giving SJO a 14-6 advantage on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning.

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St. Joseph-Ogden rolls past St. Thomas More, 59-28

Tanner Jacob tries to pull down an offensive rebound

CHAMPAIGN - St. Joseph-Ogden's Tanner Jacob reaches up to pull down an offensive rebound during second half action of his basketball team's road game at St. Thomas More on Tuesday. Behind teammate Ty Pence's game-high 30 points along with scoring contributions from eight other players, the Spartans (17-4, 2-2) rolled past the Sabers, 59-28. SJO will look to extend their two-game win streak when they play at home on Friday hosting the Monticello Sages. Jacob finished with eight points via a pair of treys and a field goal for the Spartans.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
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Photo Gallery | SJO wins prelude to the State Farm title

Ty Pence and Logan Smith go after a loose ball

St. Joseph-Ogden's Ty Pence and Logan Smith go after a loose ball with Rockford Lutheran's Vontesz Dent during first quarter action at the 2022 State Farm Holiday Classic. The Spartans went on to defeat the Crusaders 72-69 to advance the tournament's small school bracket title game. Pence and Smith each scored 25 points to secure SJO's victory.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Maddux Carter dribbles the ball

Maddux Carter dribbles the ball away from a Crusader Marquise Haynes during first quarter action. Carter was held scoreless but was an essential part of the SJO's defensive effort.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Logan Smith starts to accelerate

Spartan Logan Smith starts to accelerate past Crusaders' Marquise Haynes on a slash to the paint. The junior guard hit 11 shots from the field and knocked down three of his four free throw attempts to rack up 25 points.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Coy Taylor goes up for a shot

SJO's Coy Taylor goes up for a shot on a fastbreak play in the second quarter. The sophomore quietly contributed 10 points in the Spartans' victory.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Logan Smith prepares to shoot

Guarded by two Rockford Lutheran players, Logan Smith hesitate before putting the ball up under the St. Joseph-Ogden basket.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Tanner Jacob takes a shot

Tanner Jacob puts the ball up as Crusaders' Keaton Peifer defends on the shot. Jacob missed the shot but would later make amends with a three-pointer in the second half of the contest.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Ty Pence finds an open teammate under the basket

Ty Pence finds an open teammate under the basket during the second half. The Spartans led by six points at the break, 41-35.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Logan Smith attacks the paint

Logan Smith attacks the paint. His relentless forays inside caused repeated headaches for the Crusaders, who were unable to match the 5-foot-9 guard's tenacity.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Ty Pence scores 25

After being fouled on a shot, Ty Pence takes a moment recollect himself before heading the free throw line. Pence finished the game 5-for-7 from the line to share team-high scoring honors with teammate Logan Smith. Both players dropped 25 points for SJO.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Logan Smith jets past Rockford Lutheran's Marquise Haynes

Logan Smith jets past Rockford Lutheran's Marquise Haynes in the fourth quarter.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Ty Pence leaps for a shot over a Rockford Lutheran player in the fourth quarter.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Ty Pence guarded by Marquise Haynes

SJO's Ty Pence lines up a run to the rim while being guarded by Crusaders' Marquise Haynes.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Another photo of Logan Smith

Logan Smith looks for an open teammate after his approach to the basket was blocked.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Kyle Duval takes a moment to pass along instructions to Logan Smith

Head coach Kyle Duval takes a moment to pass along instructions to Logan Smith during a lull between free throw attempts. A day later, Duval would become the first SJO basketball coach to win a State Farm Holiday Classic title. A staple in the field of competition, the Spartans have played in the tournament for the past 17 years.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

McGwire Atwood lets out an emotional burst celebrating

McGwire Atwood lets out an emotional burst celebrating SJO's semifinal win. The senior, who scored six points for the team, wrapped a loose ball after a steal attempt by the Spartans to seal the win.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Illinois State basketball commit Ty Pence celebrates the Spartans semifinal win as the team heads back to the bench. After the team's four games at the holiday tournament, Pence earned his second SFHC All-Tournament Team award.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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St. Joseph-Ogden announces 1st quarter Honor Roll

St. Joseph-Ogden High School Honor Roll
Today, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced its first quarter Honor Roll. One hundred and fifty-seven students earned High Honor Roll recognition for their academic efforts in the first quarter of the 2020-21 school year. The junior class led the way with 43 students who secured GPA above 3.74.

Despite the challenges of hybrid schooling, 239 students started the fall semester with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher on the school's 4.0 scale.

High Honor Roll

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Senior

Honor Roll

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

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Clash of the conference Titans; SJO outlasts Unity

TOLONO - There weren't a lot of open spaces in the stands to plop down and watch the ensuing epic basketball game between visiting St. Joseph-Ogden and the host Unity at the Rocket Center on Friday. While it was a mild winter's evening outside, it was the heat and humidity of a Florida spring in the near-capacity-filled gym. The air was brewing with palatable excitement as the two teams with a combined record of 45-8, each enjoying a four-game win streak heading toward tipoff, warmed up.

Unity's Dane Eisenmenger tries to keep St. Joseph-Ogden's Luke Landrus from getting deep penetation into the paint during first quarter action of their Illini Prairie Conference game on Friday. See more photos below.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Unity (23-3) snagged the opening tip and it wasn't long before fans were forced to the edge of their seats by the 5's, Unity's Henry Thomas and SJO's Logan Smith. The two seniors, who later hugged after St. Joseph-Ogden (23-6) prevailed in the 73-72 overtime win, put on an impressive show of basketball skill, tenacity, and mental toughness.

"This was a fun basketball game," said Unity head coach Matt Franks. "This is what high school basketball is all about. I thought it was a great atmosphere."

Smith, who finished the contest with a game-high 29 points had five assists and three rebounds, drew first blood on a layup to momentarily put St. Joseph-Ogden in the lead on the scoreboard.

St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Kiel Duval said players like Smith, with his mindset, are tough to beat.

"It is tough to knock him down. He is an absolute winner," he said. "He has a 'refuse to lose' mentality. When you've got that, you are tough to beat."

On the next two possessions, Thomas scored in the paint giving, and Dalton O'Neill added two more points on a reverse layup to give the Rockets a 6-2 lead.

"Henry has worked really, really hard to get his game to where he can have a night like this," Frank said. Thomas finished the contest with a team-high 27 points and was four-for-eight from the charity stripe. Two Fridays earlier, the senior scored his 1,000th career point against Prairie Central at the Rocket Center. "I think it was a perfect combination of teammates moving the ball well so Henry can do what he does."

The Spartans would even the score on two free throws from Luke Landus and a jumper from junior Coy Taylor, tying the game at six-all.

After buckets from Unity's Tyler Henry and Eric Miebach, Andrew Thomas drains a trey, putting the Rockets up 13-6 with 1:20 left in the quarter. Flustered, the Spartans called a timeout.

The Rockets continued to lead on the scoreboard until Smith knotted the game at 19-all. After converting a free throw, SJO takes a 20-19 lead.

Unity shotmaking went cold after Coleton Langendorf hit his free throw to tie the game again at 20-all. Taking advantage of the lull, the Spartans make an 11-point run, going up 31-20.

In control the rest of the first half through the first four minutes of the fourth quarter, SJO held a comfortable lead on their hosts until the last four minutes and 12 seconds of regulation time when Henry Thomas racked up eight points consecutive points, trimming his team's deficit from seven to two, 64-66.

"We got into foul trouble and had some bad matchups," Duval explained. "Their best player got looks at the basket. Once we got into foul trouble, we had trouble recovering from that. We kind of went away from doing some of the stuff we did to get good looks."

With 10.7 seconds left in the game, SJO's Tanner Jacob sinks the first of two free throws and misses the insurance basket. Unity gets the rebound and the ball down to Dane Eisenminger, who pumped a shot outside the arc in front of his team's bench. The trey falls with three seconds left in regulation time, sending the game into overtime at 67-all and the Rocket Center into an unabashed frenzy.

Smith was the only player from either team to hit a field goal in overtime, helping St. Joseph-Ogden tallied six points against Unity's five to end one of the most exciting basketball games in the St. Joe-Unity rivalry.

"Both teams played really hard," Franks said. "A game like this could have gone all night. It was great basketball."

A free throw away from a second overtime, Franks said his game plan would have been to stay poised and composed if they had to go another session.

"(We would) stay in the moment. It's all about the next possession, and we'd have to just focus on that," he said. "St. Joe is a great team, and it takes a great effort to beat them."

Duval was expecting a dogfight and had no illusions, counting unhatched chickens. Earlier in the season, SJO suffered two losses in the last-second heartbreakers. The first in a non-conference game at Beecher 55-53, and the second on a buzzer-beater in the Small School Division State Farm Holiday Classic championship game to El Paso-Gridley.

"There were two good teams battling back and forth. We knew they were going to throw another punch," he said. "They are at home. They always play better at home."

Also contributing to SJO's scoring effort was Luke Landrus, who finished with 13 points, and Coy Taylor, 3-for-3 at the line, with 12 points. Tanner Siems had eight points, and Tanner Jacob drained a pair of treys and a free throw to finish with seven points.

Andrew Thomas, Henry's twin, finished with 13 points, and Dalton O'Neill, who went five-for-six on free throws, contributed 12 points. Eric Meibach (9), Dane Eisenmenger (5), Jay Saunders (3), and Tyler Henry (2) contributed in the Rockets' effort. Coleton Langendorf hit a solo free throw for one point.

"It was like a sectional championship game," Duval said, talking about the atmosphere. "That was huge. I am proud that our guys found a way to win."

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