Unity, St. Joseph-Ogden highlight loaded Christie Clinic Shootout today

Unity and Warrensburg-Latham clash in a top-10 Class 2A matchup at the Christie Clinic Shootout. St. Joseph-Ogden will close the Shootout by facing Tremont in just the second meeting between the programs.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Warrensburg-Latham's Drew Czaijkowski tries to secure a rebound battling for possession with St. Joseph-Ogden's Tim Blackburn-Kelley during the 2025 Christie Clinic Shootout game. The Spartans defeated the Cardinals by ten, 59-49. This year, Warrensburg-Latham is off to an impressive #3 AP ranking, thanks to a 16-1 record so far this season.

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ST. JOSEPH — The calendar may have flipped to a new year, but the tone of the high school basketball season is already set. Just 10 days into 2026, the Christie Clinic Shootout returns to St. Joseph-Ogden High School on Saturday, offering a full day of competitive hoops and a midseason checkpoint for some of central Illinois’ top programs.

What began as a single-day showcase has grown into a winter staple, a place where teams can measure themselves against unfamiliar opponents while fans settle in for a day of quality basketball. Six varsity games will tip off in the main gym beginning at noon, while a full slate of junior varsity contests starts at 10 a.m. in the practice gym.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Monticello's Carter Foran tries to dribble down the baseline, but is cutoff by Seneca's Paxton Giertz. The Sages defeated the Fighting Irish for one of three Illini Prairie Conference victories last year, 62-56. Monticello will face El Paso-Gridley in this season's installment. Seneca is not in this year's studded lineup.

“It is going to be great matchups all day,” St. Joseph-Ogden athletic director Justin Franzen said. “We are really excited to be hosting this event.”

Three Illini Prairie Conference programs — St. Joseph-Ogden (10-3), Unity (11-2) and Monticello (7-2) — will again represent the league. All three swept their games a year ago, and each enters Saturday with postseason aspirations and plenty to prove.

The nightcap figures to draw the most attention. Unity will square off with Warrensburg-Latham at 6 p.m. in a marquee Class 2A matchup featuring two Associated Press top-10 teams. The Rockets, ranked eighth, face a Warrensburg-Latham squad sitting third in the state with a 16-1 record.

It is a rivalry that has quietly become a measuring stick for both team. Since 2008, the two programs have met 13 times, with Unity holding a narrow 8-5 edge. Their most recent meeting came in February 2024, when the Rockets pulled away for a decisive 65-46 win.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

For teams looking for a long postseason run and fans eager for wall-to-wall basketball, the Christie Clinic Shootout will deliver an exciting matchup. Brayden Henry and the Rockets will bring their A-game, proving their current state ranking is an underestimation.

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Saturday’s version brings added weight, with both teams using the game as a measuring stick heading into the second half of the season. Unity’s balanced scoring and pace will be tested by a Cardinals team that has been rolling through its schedule and arrives in St. Joseph with momentum and expectations.

Immediately following that contest, St. Joseph-Ogden will take the floor against Tremont in just the second meeting between the programs. The only previous matchup came in January 2008, when Tremont controlled the game from start to finish in a 66-47 win.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Kiel Duval calmly watches his team work their magic against the Warrensburg-Latham Cardinals in their 2025 shootout game. Duval and the Spartans will face Tremont at 7:30 p.m.

Spartans coach Kiel Duval knows the challenge ahead.

“They got three or four guys who can score with the basketball,” Duval said after Tuesday’s win over Williamsville. “They got a couple of really good guards who can shoot. They are going to be extremely physical.”

Duval said preparation this week has been more about sharpening focus than overloading his players.

“After Tuesday, we’ll have a laid-back practice and some film sessions, then work game strategy,” he said. “It’s one of those games where if we’re not ready to play, we are going to get beat.”

For Duval, a former three-sport Spartan, the shootout carries a different feel than a typical regular-season game.

“It is one of those days you look forward to as a player,” he said. “You have two of the state’s top-10 teams playing right before us. There are not a lot of teams around here that get the opportunity to play in a shootout.”

Beyond the featured matchups, the day’s schedule is built for basketball purists. Mt. Zion returns after a narrow 65-60 loss to Moline last year, while Bismarck-Henning is back following a gritty 68-62 win over Normal University earlier this season. The mix of Class 2A, 3A and 4A programs promises contrasting styles, physical play and plenty of energy from tip to final buzzer.

All varsity and JV games will be played with eight-minute quarters, with approximately 12 minutes between games for warmups.

Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students with valid IDs, with one ticket granting access to the entire day.

2026 Christie Clinic Shootout Schedule

Varsity (SJO HS Main Gym)

12:00 PM: (SW Locker Room) Eureka vs. BHRA (NE Locker Room)
1:30 PM: (SE Locker Room) Metamora vs. Mahomet-Seymour (NW Locker Room)
3:00 PM: (SW Locker Room) Peoria vs. Mt. Zion (NE Locker Room)
4:30 PM: (SE Locker Room) El Paso-Gridley vs. Monticello (NW Locker Room)
6:00 PM: (SW Locker Room) Warrensburg-Latham vs. Unity (NE Locker Room)
7:30 PM: (SE Locker Room) Tremont vs. St. Joseph-Ogden (NW Locker Room)

Junior Varsity (SJO PRACTICE GYM)

10:00 AM: (SE Locker Room) Eureka vs. BHRA (NW Locker Room)
11:30 AM: (SW Locker Room) Metamora vs. Mahomet-Seymour (NE Locker Room)
1:00 PM: (B103) Peoria vs. Mt. Zion (B106)
2:30 PM: (B102) El Paso-Gridley vs. Monticello (B105)
4:00 PM: (B103) Warrensburg-Latham vs. Unity (B106)
5:30 PM: (B102) Tremont vs. St. Joseph-Ogden (B105)

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TAGS: Christie Clinic basketball shootout at St. Joseph-Ogden, Unity basketball takes on Warrensburg-Latham, Illini Prairie Conference basketball, Monticello basketball team plays in shootout, Top-ranked Class 2A boys basketball teams play in St. Joe