LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
In the March 7 edition of The Prairie Press, the scores within the junior league article were incorrect and outdated. An updated version has been released below.
Sunday was a day of great basketball at Eveland Gym as the 60th Annual Junior League Tournament came to a close. The games were action-packed and the spectators were excited as the Cardinals captured the honor of being Season and Tournament Champs. They completed their season with a 17-0 record.
Lions 35, Eagles 27
The Eagles got off to a slow start during the first quarter and trailed 12-4, but the second string performed their magic and at halftime the Lions led 18-17. The Lions returned after the half-time break and immediately took control of the game. At the end of the third quarter, they led 28-19. Fourth quarter was a battle zone, but the Lions continued their quest for a win, defeating the Eagles 35-27.
Killian Davis scored 17 points. Mylah Moreschi and Parker Leloup each had four points. Ty Krabel and Karter Grissom each had a basket and a free throw. Owen Mattingly and Leo Higginbotham finished up the scoring with two points each.
Addyson Lawson showed up for the Eagles with 11 points. Anchor Sanstrom had three buckets for six points. Owen Smith added four points to the score. Kingston Hovis, Ryker Sanders and Kaison Jenkins each had two points.
Colts 25, Bears 19
The second game of the afternoon was another hard fought battle, but the Colts pulled out the win and claimed the Consolation Championship after defeating the Bears. Colts players jumped out to take the first quarter lead of 9-4. The second and third strings played well, and before time was up, the Bears only trailed 13-12 headed into the half. Each team scored only two points during the third, and the Colts led 15-14 headed to the last quarter. The Colts outscored the Bears during the final six minutes and claimed the 25-19 victory.
Colts player, Coby Kindred, led his team with eight points and Krayton Dunn was right behind with six. Lola Camp scored three. Kaydan Kennedy, Kallen Keys, Kinley Kindred and Ryder Burris each had two points.
The Bears were led by Kolt Guyer with six points. Bryce Pope added four and Skylar Wise had three. Tess Barrett, Mydinn Christenberry and Saydin Christenberry each had two points.
Tigers 35, Panthers 28
During the third place matchup, it was a back and forth battle until the Panthers just ran out of steam in the final quarter. The Panthers lead with a 12-8 score at the end of the first, and by half time the game was tied 18-18. Play was intense during the third quarter and the Tigers led 24-22. The Tigers kept it turned on during the final quarter and were able to take the third place title with a final 35-28 score.
Lexie Sallee led the Tigers with 10 points. Sam Pitts and Cruz Rogers each had six points. Tied with four points each were Chanse Pitts and Bryonna Daugherty, and finishing with three points was Hunter Rollings.
Hudson Gilbert led the Panthers with 16 points. Bryson Mills added a couple of baskets. Izzy Barnes, Jaxsin Brossman, Carson Halloran and Becher Blair each added two points.
Cardinals 27, Hawks 12
The Championship Game was a true battle during the first half of play, but quickly changed its tone during the second half. At the end of the first quarter, the Cardinals held a narrow 6-4 lead over their opponents. Cardinals continued scoring and at halftime the Cardinals led 13-10. The Cardinals started taking the ball to the basket during the third quarter of play and held a comfortable 20-12 lead headed into the final quarter. The Hawks were unable to score and the Cardinals won 27-20.
Leo Smith ended his Junior League play with 10 points. Sutton Burns had a great showing of seven points. Syrus Osborne had four points. Sam Weir, Zaydee Sinclair and Hudson Jewell had two points each.
Cullen Vietor led the Haws with four points. Phillip Williams, Kaydence Johnson and Liam Eveland each had two points. Knox Drake and Sam Horner each had a single free throw.