Logan Smith goes up for a shot past Pinckneyville's Ty Laur and Lucas Lietz during St. Joseph-Ogden's Christie Clinic Shootout game against Pinckneyville on January 6, 2024. The Spartans lost to the Panther, 73-57. SJO went on to sweep the Illini Prairie Conference 9-0 competition and finished 27-7 after losing their sectional title game to Teutopolis.
Past Photos of the Day
TAGS: SJO loses at Christie Clinic Shootout, Pinckneyville Panthers defeat St. Joseph-Ogden,High School basketball, Photo of the Day from 2024
The 2026 Christie Clinic Shootout tips off Jan. 10 at SJO, featuring six top varsity matchups and a full day of basketball excitement.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Monticello's Ike Young tries to dribble past Seneca's Grant Siegal. The Sages return to the Christie Clinic Shootout without Young in January 2026.
by Clark Brooks
Sentinel Sports
ST. JOSEPH — The calendar may have just turned to a new year, but the competition is already heating up on the hardwood. Just ten days into 2026, the annual Christie Clinic Shootout at St. Joseph-Ogden High School will tip off, marking the unofficial midway point of the IHSA basketball season and for many programs, a perfect midyear measuring stick. The Shootout has grown into more than just a series of basketball games, it’s becoming a midseason tradition for teams gearing up for a deep postseason run.
The one-day showcase on Saturday, January 10, features six varsity matchups between some of central Illinois’ most competitive teams, beginning at noon in the main gym. A full JV slate will also take place in the practice gym starting at 10 a.m., giving fans a chance to settle in for a complete day of basketball.
St. Joseph-Ogden, Unity, and Monticello will once again represent the Illini Prairie Conference, and all three are looking to repeat the sweep they pulled off at last year’s event. The Spartans handled Warrensburg-Latham 59-49, Unity outpaced Fieldcrest 77-68, and Monticello edged Seneca 62-56 in a thriller.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Collin Thomey snags a rebound for St. Joseph-Ogden in the 2025 Christie Clinic Shootout. SJO will play Tremont in the shootout finale on January 10.
Mt. Zion returns to the shootout after a narrow 65-60 loss to Moline in last year’s lineup, while Bismarck-Henning also comes back following a hard-fought 68-62 victory over Normal University earlier this season. Between these returning programs and the IPC contenders, fans can expect fast play, defensive grit, and more than a few highlight moments.
All JV and varsity games will feature eight-minute quarters, with roughly 12 minutes between contests for warmups.
Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students with valid IDs. One ticket grants access to the entire day — a chance to see six competitive varsity games and an equally engaging lineup of JV contests.
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)
TAGS: Christie Clinic Shootout 2026, St. Joseph-Ogden basketball, Central Illinois high school sports, Illini Prairie Conference showcase, SJO athletics news
2025 Player of the Game :
Tyler Blythe, Senior - Monticello
LEFT: Monticello's Nolan Buehnerkemper drives to the paint despite the defensive efforts of Seneca's Brady Sheedy. Buehnerkemper finished with seven points for the Sages while Sheedy delivered a 15-point effort in the 62-56 loss for the Fighting Irish.
BELOW: Seneca's Grant Siegel battles Monticello's Tyler Blythe for a second-half rebound. Blythe led the Sages' scoring effort with 17 points. More photos from this game ...
Photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Moline vs Mt. Zion
2025 Player of the Game :
Trey Taylor, Senior - Moline
Mt. Zion's JC Anderson takes the ball up in the first quarter for two of his 20 points against Moline on Saturday afternoon in St. Joseph-Ogden High School's Main Gym. The Braves, who trailed all four quarters, threatened all eight minutes of the final quarter behind Lyncoln Koester's (not pictured) 14 fourth-quarter points.
Braden Freeman takes the ball hard into the paint during the Moline's Christie Clinic Shootout game against Mt. Zion. Freeman, a senior, finished in double digits with 14 points. Thanks to three other players scoring double digits, the Maroons defeated the Braves, 65-60. More photos from this game ...
Mahomet-Seymour vs Richwoods
2025 Player of the Game :
Amarion Smith-Holley, Freshman - Richwoods
ABOVE: Richwoods' Truman Raher attacks the baseline, trying to get around Mahomet-Seymour's Malachi Nichols. Nichols finished the game with 13 points for the Bulldogs. See more game photos ...
RIGHT: Mahomet-Seymour's Landyn Hannah goes up for a shot around Richwoods' Terrill Rickmon, Jr. in the opening quarter of the Bulldogs' Christie Clinic Shootout game against Richwoods. The Knights prevailed after an exciting four quarters of prep basketball action, 52-49.
Unity vs Fieldcrest
2025 Player of the Game :
Tre Hoggard, Junior - Unity
Knights' Drew Overocker tries to slap the ball away from Rockets' Brady Parr. Parr, who finished a perfect 2-for-2 from the free throw line, contributed four points in the Unity's victory. Overocker was scoreless after seeing action in the fourth quarter. See more photos ...
Photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Fieldcrest's Eddie Lorton drives to rim on Unity's Tre Hoggard during second half action at the Christie Clinic Shootout. Lorton and Hoggard were their respective team's leading scorer with 25 points each. Up by only two at half at 34-23, the Rockets outscored the Knights 17-12 in a decisive third quarter on the way to a 77-68 win.
SJO vs Warrensburg-Latham
2025 Player of the Game :
Kodey McKinney, Junior - St. Joseph-Ogden
Parker Fitch looks for an open St. Joseph-Ogden teammate to pass the ball during first quarter action against Warrensburg-Latham. One of four SJO players in double figures, the senior forward finished with 13 points in the Spartans' 59-49 victory. See more photos here ...
SJO senior Collin Thomey pulls down a defensive rebound out of the reach of Warrensburg-Latham's Drew Czaijkowski. Shooting 3-for-4 from the free-throw line, Czaijkokwski, a junior finished with seven points. Thomey missed just one of his six free throws to finish with 10 points.
Photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
University High vs BHRA
2025 Player of the Game :
Keison Peoples, Junior - Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin
Above: BHRA's Anderson Thomas pulls down a rebound under U-High's A.J. Holden. Thomas was one four Blue Devil players to finish in double figures with 10 points. More photos ...
Photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Above: With Normal U-High's Dallas Smith and Bodey Klemmensen guarding him, Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin's Micah Stanford looks for an open teammate to pass the ball. Smith led the Pioneer's scoring effort with 20 points and made four of five shots from the free-throw line. Stanford delivered three treys and field goal, good for ll points. The Blue Devils defeated U-High, 68-62. BHRA's Keison Peoples (not pictured) was named Player of the Game after scoring a game-high 24 points.
Logan Smith goes up for a shot in the second half of St. Joseph-Ogden's Christie Clinic Shootout game against Pinckneyville. The Spartans suffered their their third loss of the season, falling 72-57 to the Panthers. Smith finished the game with ten points. See more photos from this game below.
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