Spartans' season ends in sectional semifinal loss to Manteno

St. Joseph-Ogden Basketball
Manteno's defensive pressure proved too much for St. Joseph-Ogden on Tuesday as the Spartans managed just 10 first-half points in a sectional semifinal defeat. The loss closes out a 20-11 campaign.


PONTIAC - St. Joseph-Ogden's girls basketball season came to an end Tuesday night with a 44-23 loss to Manteno in the sectional semifinal at Pontiac High School.

St. Joseph-Ogden Basketball
The Panthers' stifling defense held the Spartans to just five points in each of the first two quarters, building a commanding halftime lead. SJO struggled to find offensive rhythm in the second half, managing only 13 additional points despite adjustments.

Addi Brooks paced the Spartans with nine points, while Hayden Dahl added seven. Ashlyn Miller connected on a three-pointer in the third quarter, and Timeara Blackburn-Kelley and Ava Alexander each contributed two points in the loss.

Manteno's Emily Horath led all scorers with 19 points, and Maddie Gesky added 18 points in the paint for the Panthers (27-6), who advance to face Pontiac in Thursday's sectional championship game.

The defeat closes the season for SJO (20-11), which featured signature victories over Rochester, Williamsville and Unity. Interim coach Brian Brooks will lose nine seniors from this year's roster, including Kayla Osterbur, Addi Brooks, Ashlyn Miller, Kaitlyn Beyers, Timeara Blackburn-Kelley, Katie Ericksen, Mackenzie Loschen, Lexi Lackey and Kenzie Atwood.

The Spartans return just two juniors—Mia Jones and Hayden Dahl—along with sophomores Bella Frerichs, Megan Kearney, Ava Alexander, Atleigh Miller and Ainsley Dirksmeyer for next season. Interim head coach Brian Brooks was assisted by Bria Cessna and Taylor Howard.


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SJO girls basketball season finale 2025, St. Joseph-Ogden loses to Manteno sectional, Spartans basketball 20-11 final record, Illinois high school basketball sectional results Pontiac
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Spartan comeback effort foiled, Fitch delivers 15 points in loss

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

ST. JOSEPH - Spartans' Parker Fitch goes after a loose ball during SJO's home game against Bloomington Central Catholic on Friday. The Saints defeated the St. Joseph-Ogden in Illini Prairie Conference play, 57-50. Fitch led SJO with 15 points.


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TAGS: St. Joseph-Ogden basketball, SJO Cheer, Ryker Lockhart, Three-sport athlete Tim Blackburn-Kelley, Nolan Franzen defense, Senior Asher Pruemer, 2006
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Spartans mark decade since historic 2016 basketball championship

The Spartans secured the 2016 Class 2A championship with decisive performances in the state semifinals and finals. St. Joseph-Ogden defeated Breese Central after a strong second half in the semifinal. The following day, the team topped Rockridge behind balanced scoring and a standout second quarter.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Spartans' Kohlten Johnson slashes to the paint in SJO's semifinal game against Breese Central. Johnson and the 13 members of the 2016 basketball team will be honored on Friday, February 13, in a 10-year anniversary celebration.


ST. JOSEPH - On Friday, Feb. 13, St. Joseph-Ogden will hold a 10-year anniversary recognition ceremony for the school’s first and only state championship basketball team. The celebration will be held between the JV and varsity home games against Bloomington Central Catholic.

The Spartans won the Class 2A title on the strength of a 10-game winning streak to close the season. After a rough start against Breese Central in the first half of the state semifinal, the Spartans gelled into a dominant force at Carver Arena, overpowering the Cougars in the second half offensively and defensively for a 60-48 finish.

A day later, SJO faced Rockridge for the title and put on a dazzling shooting display in the second quarter that matched the Rockets’ entire first-half 22-point output. Behind a game-high 20 points from Brandon Trimble and 14 from Jake Pence, St. Joseph-Ogden secured the state title in another dominant display, 61-43.

       
Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

RIGHT: Jake Pence unloads a shot against Breese Central in Friday's semifinal game. LEFT: Brandon Trimble takes a shot over a Rockridge player in the Class 2A title game. Trimble led all scorers with 20 points. BELOW: St. Joseph-Ogden fans cheer for their team on Friday in the team's game against the Cougars.

St. Joseph-Ogden baskeball fans cheer for their team

“We had high expectations coming into the year. The guys set a goal of coming to Peoria,” SJO head coach Brian Brooks told reporters in the postgame presser. “We started slow but football went deep, which was great. Those experiences, I believe, bled over into basketball and being able to handle those.”

Prior to the 2016 title run, St. Joseph-Ogden had made two previous state appearances, once in 2007 and again in 2013. All three state finalist teams were under the leadership of Brooks, now the superintendent and currently coaching the Spartan girls' basketball team for one year due to the head coach on deployment with the National Guard.

The JV game against the Saints tips off at 5:30 p.m.


2015-16 St. Joseph-Ogden Boys Basketball Roster

No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr.
1 Ty Brown G 6-0 165 Sr.
3 Brandon Trimble G 6-2 170 Jr.
4 Brandon Dable F 6-2 190 Jr.
10 Drayke Lannert G 5-10 150 Jr.
11 Kolten Taylor G 5-11 160 Jr.
12 Garrett Grimsley G 5-9 140 Sr.
15 Aaron Schluter F 6-2 210 Sr.
21 Tegan Poole F 5-9 175 Jr.
22 Jake Pence G 6-0 160 Sr.
23 Kohlten Johnson F 6-3 185 Sr.
30 Jordan Brooks G 5-10 145 So.
32 Brody Trimble F 6-3 190 Sr.
33 Eli Oltean F 6-2 190 Sr.
35 Ryan Ferriman F 5-11 195 So.

Assistant Coaches: Kiel Duval, Mike Bialeschki, Isaiah Olson
Managers: Bryce Kelly, Kenzie Pence, Madi Smith, Emma Melchior

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

SJO student fans show their enthusiasum before the start 2016 title game.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Jordan Brooks gives his dad and coach Brian Brooks a hug during the awards ceremony.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Garrett Grimsley holds SJO's Class 2A championship trophy during the postgame awards ceremony.

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Photo of the Day |
Anniversary year: Spartans win 2A championship title

St. Joseph-Ogden basketball hug before time runs out
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

PEORIA - With the game in hand, Ty Brown hugs teammate Kohlten Johnson as the final minute of St. Joseph-Ogden's 2016 Class 2A championship game against Rockridge. The Spartans defeated the Rockets 61-43 to win the school's first state basketball title in school history. This year is the tenth anniversary of the historic victory.

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TAGS: Photo of the Day, St. Joseph-Ogden basketball state champions, IHSA basketball, SJO vs Rockridge
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Up and away, Spartans hand visiting Bullets 10-point loss

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

ST. JOSEPH - St. Joseph-Ogden's Parker Fitch goes up for a shot during the Spartans home basketball game against Williamsville on Tuesday. Fitch finished the game with 15 points to help SJO notch a non-conference win, 50-40. The senior converted on all three trips to free throw line. The Spartans are back on their home court on Saturday for the 2026 Christie Clinic Shootout where they will face Tremont in the final game of the day at 7:30 p.m. More photos and recap to come from this game soon.


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Area high school basketball results for January 3

Here is a quick roundup of basketball scores for area team on Saturday, January 3.


Girls Basketball

Girls' Area Scoreboard


Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 55, St. Joseph-Ogden 54
Heritage 47, Fisher 37


Boys Basketball

Boys' Area Scoreboard


Unity 82, Paris 50
LeRoy 74, Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 26
Rantoul 63, Normal West 58


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TAGS: Heritage Lady Hawks beat Fisher Bunnies, SJO girls suffer tough loss at GCMS, Unity boys roll over Paris, 2026 high school basketball
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High School Sports |
St. Joseph-Ogden Spartans

St. Joseph-Ogden's Katie Ericksen dribbles the ball
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Addie Brooks powers St. Joseph-Ogden past Watseka in shootout win

St Joseph-Ogden guard Addison Brooks
St. Joseph-Ogden used balanced scoring and composure on the road to beat Watseka 65-54. Brooks, Ericksen and Hayden Dahl combined for 45 points for the Spartans.


by Clark Brooks
The Sentinel


WATSEKA - St. Joseph-Ogden arrived at Watseka High School on Monday facing a Warriors team that had built its reputation on defense, but the Spartans left with a statement road win and a familiar formula: balance, patience and perimeter shooting.

St Joseph-Ogden guard Addison Brooks
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Addie Brooks follows through on a shot during the Spartans home game against LeRoy. The senior scored 18 points in last Monday's game against Watseka.
Senior Addie Brooks made the outcome feel inevitable. Brooks earned Player of the Game honors after drilling five three-pointers over the first three quarters, finishing with a game-high 18 points to lift St. Joseph-Ogden to a 65-54 victory in the rescheduled Country Financial Shootout. The win pushed the Spartans’ record to 8-1 and reinforced their ability to execute away from home.

Watseka entered the matchup having held Centennial and Oakwood under 20 points, but the Warriors were unable to slow St. Joseph-Ogden’s long-range efficiency. The Spartans averaged three three-pointers per quarter and finished the night with 13 from beyond the arc, repeatedly stretching the defense and opening lanes for ball movement.

St. Joseph-Ogden set the tone early, knocking down five three-pointers in the opening quarter. Brooks accounted for three of them, while Hayden Dahl added a pair. Timera Blackburn-Kelley capped the run by sinking two free throws, giving the Spartans a 17-13 lead after one quarter. From there, St. Joseph-Ogden kept steady pressure on the scoreboard, carrying a lead through the first three quarters that Watseka could not erase.

Katie Ericksen delivered a strong second-half surge, finishing with 14 points behind four three-pointers after halftime and perfect shooting from the free-throw line. Dahl added 13 points, providing a consistent scoring presence, while Blackburn-Kelley narrowly missed double figures with nine points and key contributions on both ends of the floor.

Watseka countered with balanced scoring of its own. Senior Christa Holohan led the Warriors with 14 points and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. Junior Rennah Barrett chipped in 11 points, and Leigha Covarrubias added 10 as three Warriors reached double figures.

Despite Watseka’s depth, St. Joseph-Ogden controlled the tempo and answered each push with timely shooting and composure.

Next up, St. Joseph-Ogden opens tournament play against El Paso-Gridley at Bloomington High School on Friday at 10:30 a.m.


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TAGS: St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball Watseka game, Country Financial Shootout SJO Watseka, Addie Brooks Player of the Game SJO, St. Joseph-Ogden road win girls basketball, Watseka Warriors vs Spartans basketball
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Ericksen leads offense, SJO long-range threat secures another win

St. Joseph-Ogden controlled the game from tip to buzzer, rolling past Charleston to improve to 7-1.


CHARLESTON - After a five-game win streak was snapped by Maroa-Forsyth more than two weeks ago, the Spartans continued to build momentum Saturday night, rolling past Charleston 68-37 to extend their current run to two straight victories.

Senior Katie Ericksen led the way with a team-high 20 points, scoring 15 in the second half as St. Joseph-Ogden pulled away. Ericksen knocked down a 3-pointer in every quarter except the second, setting the tone for an offense that connected on 12 shots from beyond the arc.

The Spartans seized control from the opening tip, jumping out to a 20-7 lead after one quarter. Charleston briefly found some footing in the second, fueled by Sadie Phillips, who scored 11 of her game-high 25 points in the period to trim the deficit to 10 at halftime.

Any momentum the Trojans built didn’t survive the break.

For the second night in a row, St. Joseph-Ogden came out of the locker room with purpose, pouring in 17 third-quarter points — a total that exceeded Charleston’s entire second-half output. The Spartans kept their foot on the gas in the fourth, adding 19 more points to turn the game into a rout.

Hayden Dahl continued her recent shooting surge, drilling four 3-pointers for the second straight game to finish with 14 points. Kayla Osterbur added 11 points in the post and went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line. Addie Brooks chipped in nine points.hitting three 3-pointers in the first half.

The Trojans, whose lone win this season came against Tuscola, fell to 1-9 and face Martinsville at home on Monday.

St. Joseph-Ogden improved to 7-1 and will host Watseka on Monday before a short break. The Spartans return to action the day after Christmas against El Paso-Gridley at the State Farm Classic in Bloomington.


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Photo of the Day |
Aggressive rebound, SJO falls in first trip to state

Ashley [Runck] Krisman playing basketball for St. Joseph-Ogden
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Normal - St. Joseph-Ogden's Ashley Runck snatches a loose ball away from Breese Central's Lauren Budde during their Class 1A state quarterfinal game at Redbird Arena on January 23, 2007. In the final year of the girls' two-class system, the Spartans fell to the eventual state champion Cougars 56-39 in the state quarterfinals. It was deepest post season run for SJO since the start of the girls' basketball program in 1973. Runck led the Spartans (29-4) in the loss with 12 points. Twelve years later, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls' basketball program returned to Redbird, finishing third in Class 2A.


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TAGS: Photo of the Day, St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team, SJO girls' basketball at state, Breese Central Cougars,IHSA basketball state finals
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