Joliet Catholic junior running back Ty Isaac has been looking forward to looking forward. Now he can do so after orally committing to Southern California on Tuesday morning.

“It feels great to finally have my decision made and announced,” Isaac said. “It’s a decision I didn’t take lightly. I really gave it a lot of consideration. I feel like I can move forward now and not worry about recruiting anymore.”

Full Story….

PEORIA — After four unhappy trips to Peoria, the Central Cougars needed one more journey to find that elusive Class 2A state championship.

The Cougars defeated Normal University High 53-47 Saturday to bring the state title back to Clinton County for the first time since Wesclin won it in 1990.

“We’ve been here and I wouldn’t trade those times we brought those other teams up here for anything, but this is the icing on the cake,” Central coach Stan Eagleson said. “This is for all the Cougars.”

Normal U-High’s Tommy Schilleras tries to drive against Central’s Kyleer Scheer during Saturday’s Class 2A state championship game at Carver Arena in Peoria. – Fred Zwicky/For the BND

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Central senior all-starter Brandon Book erupted for 28 points to fuel the Cougars’ second-half comeback, scoring 13 of his team’s 17 points in the third quarter.

Book hit a layup with 24.1 seconds remaining, but missed the free throw and Central led 49-45. U-High’s Mitch Styczynski brought the Pioneers within two, 49-47, with 11.2 seconds left.

Central’s Nick Grapperhaus hit four free throws in the final eight seconds to seal the win as the Cougars closed out the best season in school history at 34-1.

Read rest of story – http://www.bnd.com/2012/03/11/2094767/cougars-are-fit-for-a-crown.html

Woodlawn defeated Carrollton, 48-45, to claim the Class 1A state title Saturday at Carver Arena. But it took a clutch go-ahead 3-pointer from A.J. Webb to make it happen.

Trailing 45-43 with 30 seconds left in the game, the Cardinals put the basketball in the hands of Webb, who nailed a triple with only 17 ticks left on the clock.

“He got a good, clean look at it and he knocked it down,” said Woodlawn coach Shane Witzel. “He’s got a lot of guts, and he’s willing to take that shot.”

Woodlawn held a 30-27 lead at halftime, but the Cardinals went cold shooting in the second half. Christian Hollenkamp sank a jump shot to give Woodlawn a 37-32 advantage with 4:53 left in the third quarter.

However, Carrollton ripped off the final nine points of the period and took a four-point edge into the fourth quarter.

Luckily for Woodlawn, it has one of the best long-range shooters around in Gabe Owens. The junior buried two 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter to put the Cardinals back in front.

“This is unbelievable, and that was the best game I’ve ever played in,” said Owens, who was very emotional after the game. “This is really a dream come true. Getting second or third is nice, and you get a little bit of recognition, but it’s nothing like this.”

NORMAL, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame led Breese Central by 15 points at halftime of the Class 2A state championship game Saturday at Redbird Arena.

The Raiders were just warming up.

Notre Dame overpowered Central with its size and speed during a 62-31 victory for the Raiders’ fourth state championship and second in a row. Notre Dame (33-1) hasn’t lost to a team from Illinois the last two seasons.

Junior Jordan Frericks, a 6-foot-2 forward, had 18 points and five rebounds, and Kristen and Kassidy Gengenbacher each added 11 points for the Raiders.

“When you have a team that is ranked (No.) 1 all throughout the season, it’s hard to live up to that pressure,” Kassidy Gengenbacher said. “We handled it really well. We were really positive and didn’t pay too much attention to the media. We just really talked within ourselves.”

Notre Dame led 29-14 at halftime behind a balanced scoring attack that included nine first-half points from Kassidy Gengenbacher.

The Raiders made it difficult for Central (30-6) to find an offensive rhythm by getting a hand on the ball nearly every Cougars possession. They came up with 15 steals, including 10 in the first half, and held the Cougars to five third-quarter points.

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Sophie Brunner simply refused to let her team lose.

The Aquin girls basketball team’s all-state junior came through with the biggest performance of her career in what just so happened to be the biggest game in program history. She scored a game-high 34 points and set an IHSA Class 1A record for most rebounds in a title game with 16 as she willed the Bulldogs to a 61-51 victory over Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City that captured the state championship.

“You can’t say enough for Sophie,” Aquin coach Jeff Curry said. “There was no quit in her. She wanted this title more than anybody I think.”

The Bulldogs (32-4) trailed the Hornets for almost the entire game, and by as many as nine points four different times. But every time CHBC looked like it might be taking control for good, Aquin would fight back.

“I thought if they didn’t get it to double digits we’d be OK,” Curry said.
“Sometimes when we’ve been down before we just know that if we can keep pushing and pushing that we can get back up,” Aquin senior Ellen Brunner said.

Full Story,..

Richmond, a former McDonald’s All-American from Waukegan, Ill., played the 2010-11 season at Illinois. He averaged 7.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 31 games. He was suspended before the NCAA tournament for an athletic code violation and never suited up again for the Illini. He left school early for the NBA draft, but he was not selected.

Richmond was arrested Aug. 9, 2011, on felony charges of aggravated battery, unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated assault after allegedly confronting his ex-girlfriend’s father. He pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful use of a weapon Jan. 23 and was sentenced to 1-1½ years of probation.

The Premier League has nine teams based from Scranton Wilkes-Barre, Pa., to St. Louis. Richmond will attend his first practice with the Predators on Wednesday night and will play in a home game on Saturday. He will have to commute about three hours each way from his home in Waukegan to Sterling, Ill., for practices and home games.

Full Story….

The four qualifiers in the Class 1A field were all ranked in the Top 5 in the final Associated Press poll of the season, as preseason No. 1 Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City Coop was voted into the No. 2 slot, followed by No. 3 LeRoy, No. 4 Aquin and No. 5 Illini Bluffs, respectively. LeRoy knocked off the polls No. 1 team, Annawan, 56-53 in the Super-Sectional round. Speaking of No. 1’s, everyone is looking up at defending state champ Quincy Notre Dame in Class 2A, at least from a polling standpoint. The Raiders have been the AP’s top squad in Class 2A from pillar to post this season, with the team’s lone loss coming to the top ranked large school in the state of Missouri.

Complete Article

SCHEDULE
Friday, February 24
Session 1
Class 1A Semifinals
LeRoy vs. Aquin – Noon

Illini Bluffs vs. Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City  – 2:00 p.m.

Session 2
Class 2A Semifinals
Quincy Notre Dame vs. Aurora Central Catholic – 6:30 p.m.

Breese Central vs. Stillman Valley – 8:15 p.m.

Saturday, February 25
Session 3
Class 1A Finals
Third-Place – Noon
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Session 4
Class 2A Finals
Third-Place – 6:30 p.m.
Championship – 8:15 p.m.

Salem Super-Sectional

@Lawrenceville Regional
(1) Olney (East Richland) 54 vs. (2) Newton 58 | Final

@Eldorado Regional
(1) Mt. Carmel 56 vs. (3) Fairfield 27 | Final

@Teutopolis Regional
(1) Marshall 26 vs. (2) Teutopolis 42 | Final

@Macon (Meridian) Regional
(1) Pana (H.S.) 52 vs. (3) Sullivan 37 | Final

@Carlyle Regional
(1) Breese (Central) 58 vs. (2) Carlyle 52 | Final

@Pinckneyville Regional
(1) Nashville 42 vs. (2) Freeburg 11 | Final

@Herrin (H.S.) Regional
(1) Herrin (H.S.) 40 vs. (2) Sesser (S.-Valier) 48 | Final

@Vienna Regional
(1) Vienna 24 vs. (2) Metropolis (Massac County) 40 | Final

 Decatur (Millikin U.) Super-Sectional

@Camp Point (Central) Regional
(1) Quincy (Notre Dame) 91 vs. (3) Camp Point (Central) 33 | Final

@Piasa (Southwestern) Regional
(1) Piasa (Southwestern) 34 vs. (3) Gillespie 37 | Final

@Pleasant Plains Regional
(1) Williamsville 51 vs. (2) Pleasant Plains 24 | Final

@Virden (North Mac) Regional
(4) Rochester 37 vs. (2) Hillsboro 38 | Final

@Clinton Regional
(4) Maroa (M.-Forsyth) 52 vs. (2) Decatur (St. Teresa) 62 | Final

@Beecher Regional
(1) Peotone 32 vs. (2) Seneca 35 | Final

@Champaign (St. Thomas More) Regional
(1) Champaign (St. Thomas More) 49 vs. (2) St. Joseph (S.J.-Ogden) 41 | Final

@Watseka Regional
(1) Fairbury (Prairie Central) 59 vs. (3) Watseka 40 | Final

River Forest (Concordia University) Super-Sectional

@Chicago (F.W. Parker) Regional
(1) Chicago (Latin) 48 vs. (3) Chicago (Holy Trinity) 25 | Final

@Chicago (Gordon Tech) Regional
(1) Chicago (C. Academy) 47 vs. (2) Chicago (Gordon Tech) 35 | Final

@West Chicago (Wheaton Academy) Regional
(1) Melrose Park (Walther Lutheran) 41 vs. (2) Elmhurst (Timothy Christian) 26 | Final

@Chicago (Raby) Regional
(1) Chicago (Raby) 40 vs. (3) Chicago (Noble Street Charter/Golder) 31 | Final

@Lisle (Sr.) Regional
(5) Westmont vs. (2) Lisle (Sr.) – Sat

@Plano Regional
(1) Aurora (Central Catholic) 46 vs. (3) Plano 36 | Final

@Chicago (Maria) Regional
(1) Chicago (CICS/Ellison) 40 vs. (3) Chicago (Hope) 57 | Final

@Chicago (University) Regional
(4) Chicago (St. Francis de Sales) 47 vs. (3) Chicago (Agricultural Science) 36 | Final

Monmouth (M. College) Super-Sectional

@Bloomington (Central Catholic) Regional
(1) El Paso (E.P.-Gridley) 54 vs. (2) Bloomington (Central Catholic) 49 | Final

@Toulon (Stark County) Regional
(1) Peoria (P. Christian) 29 vs. (2) Eureka 41 | Final

@Sherrard Regional
(1) Sherrard 67 vs. (3) Taylor Ridge (Rockridge) 46 | Final

@Hamilton Regional
(1) Havana 51 vs. (2) Carthage (Illini West) 58 | Final

@Port Byron (Riverdale) Regional
(1) Rock Falls 48 vs. (3) Port Byron (Riverdale) 40 | Final

@Princeton Regional
(1) Peru (St. Bede) 48 vs. (3) Spring Valley (Hall) 52 | Final

@Oregon Regional
(1) Stillman Valley 50 vs. (2) Oregon 36 | Final

@Poplar Grove (North Boone) Regional
(1) Rockford (Lutheran) 45 vs. (2) Elgin (St. Edward) 38 | Final

 Credits:
Feature Image: Chris Kays – http://www.shuttersnapphoto.com/

Varsity Schedule

9:00 am Delavan vs Springfield Lutheran

10:30 am Deer Creek Mackinaw vs Maroa-Forsyth

12:00 pm Paris vs Moweaqua Central A & M

1:30 pm Newark vs Nokomis

3:00 pm Lanark Eastland vs Niantic Sangamon Valley

4:30 pm Herscher vs Pleasant Plains

6:00 pm St. Joseph-Ogden vs Williamsville

7:30 pm Macomb vs Riverton

JV Schedule

8:30 am Maroa Forsyth vs Riverton

10:00 am Moweaqua Central A&M vs Williamsville

11:30 am Delavan vs Newark

1:00 pm Deer Creek vs Pleasant Plains

2:30 pm Paris vs St. Joseph Ogden

4:00 pm Springfield High Frosh vs Macomb

5:30 pm Rochester Frosh vs Sangamon Valley