Unity Rockets extend winning streak, defeat Williamsville 55-52


WILLIAMSVILLE - Like two evenly matched heavyweight prizefighters, Unity and Williamsville slugged it out toe-to-toe for bragging rights in their Illini Prairie/Sangamo Challenge Shootout game on Saturday. Coleton Langendorf scored nine points in the fourth quarter, propelling the Rockets (21-6), representing the IPC, past the Bullets, 55-52.

Unity Athletics Langendorf led his team with 16 points and went 3-for-3 from the free-throw line. He was one of three players to finish with double-digits, joined by Brayden Henry and Brady Parr, who scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Unity trailed by one point at the end of the first quarter but took a 25-24 lead at halftime.

Carson Doran of the Bullets led all scorers with 23 points. He added nine points in the third quarter to tie the game at 40. The 6-foot-3 senior made all four of his free throws but fouled out in the fourth quarter. With Williamsville's star player sidelined, Unity meticulously outscored the hosts 15-12 in the final quarter to secure the victory.

Unity will return to the Rocket Center on Tuesday to host the Vikings from Danville for another non-conference challenge. Langendorf and the Rockets will face a formidable opponent as they aim to extend their 13-game winning streak to 14. The varsity game tips off at 7 p.m.

Unity has three regular-season contests remaining. Their biggest challenge comes on Friday when Matt Franks and the Rockets put their undefeated conference record on the line at St. Joseph-Ogden against the Spartans, who are 5-1 in the IPC and 17-7 overall. After Friday's game, Unity will play their final home game against rival Monticello and finish the schedule with a road game at Oakwood.


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Lemont defends title to win 8th IHSA state championship cheer title


Lemont flyer poses during a stunt
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

A Lemont cheerleader poses at the top a stunt during her teams routine at state cheer in Bloomington. The team rallied back from tenth place on day one to first to win this year's title.

BLOOMINGTON - Whoops! They did it again. The Lemont cheer team made state history on Saturday by capturing the title in the Medium School Division at the IHSA Competitive Cheerleading State Finals. It marked their second consecutive victory and a state-record 16th trophy for the program.

In a story that will become school legend, Lemont rebounded from a shaky opening performance in the preliminary round on Friday. The team squeezed into the finals, finishing 10th, just 0.34 points ahead of Lake Forest and trailing the Crystal Lake schools Prairie Ridge and Central. After a couple of near drops early in their routine, their performance turned timid, lacking the usual energetic vigor.

Nearly 24 hours later, the team achieved the improbable, soaring from last place to a state title. Never before in Illinois state finals history has a cheer team so dramatically reversed their fortunes, going from the lowest score in prelims to the highest in the finals.

Lemont scored 89.79 on Friday and surged to 97.50 for the title. Providence Catholic, who tallied 94.21 in preliminaries, improved to 97.22 to secure second place. Grayslake Central took third with 93.54. The Rams led the division after the first day with 94.50.

Lemont, along with Lockport Township, Oak Forest, Sandburg, and Conant High Schools, are the only five programs to qualify for state every year since the IHSA adopted the sport. Together, these programs have maintained a storied 20-year tradition of 'making it to state'.

Medium School Division Final Results
1 Lemont 97.5
2 Providence Catholic 97.22
3 Grayslake Central 93.54
4 Morris 93.09
5 Oak Forest 92.15
6 Benet Academy 91.86
7 Highland 91.16
8 Prairie Ridge 89.7
9 Crystal Lake Central 89.24
10 Cary-Grove 89.06

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