EJHS Takes Third, T-town Fourth at State

NORMAL -- Effingham Junior High School captured third place in the Class 7-4A State Girls Basketball Tournament Thursday evening at Normal Parkside Junior High School to finish with an outstanding season at 23-2.

The Mustangs held Taylorville scoreless in the first quarter for an 11-0 lead and pushed that to 22-7 at halftime. Carsyn Fearday provided the scoring punch for the Mustangs with 14 points. She connected on six field goals, including two three-pointers.

Taylor Sagle led the Terriers with eight points. Taylorville ends the season with a 20-8 mark.

Capturing the championship was Canton Ingersoll over Frankfort Summit Hill 31-18.

Effingham will have a Welcome Home. The police and fire department will escort and have a parade for the team going down Jefferson and back to EHS Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The kids will travel via limo behind the fire department and police.

At Normal

Effingham           11    11    2    6    --    30

Taylorville            0      7    4    9    --    20

Effingham -- Schafer 1-0 -- 2, Fearday 6-0 -- 14, Buscher 2-0 -- 4, Weis 1-4 -- 6, Fox 2-0 -- 4. TOTALS 12 FG, 4 FT.

Taylorville -- Pruitt 0-2 -- 2, Coy 1-0 -- 2, Snyder 3-0 -- 6, Lindsey 1-0 -- 2, Sagle 2-4 -- 8. TOTALS 7 FG, 6 FT.

3-point FG -- Effingham 2 (Fearday 2), Taylorville 0.

At Auburn

Teutopolis Junior High School fell just short in the third place game at the Class 7-3A State Tournament at Auburn High School Thursday.

Dunlap Valley Middle School took a 4-1 opening quarter lead behind the scoring of Emma Varness who had six of her eight points in the first half and led 9-6 at halftime. T-town found its footing in the second quarter. Julia Frey and Olivia Niemerg kept the Shoes in the game scoring four points going into the halftime break behind only 11-9.

T-town closed the gap by staying steady at the line. Niemerg had three clutch free throws in the third quarter to pull the Shoes within two points. But Kenna Koehler and Varness led the win for the Spartans late in the fourth quarter in a game that went down to the wire.

Varness finished with eight to lead Dunlap Valley. Niemerg led T-town with five points. The Shoes finish at 22-5.

Winning the state tournament was Hillsboro over Pleasant Plains 36-27.

The Teutopolis squad will receive a fire truck ride and be honored with a prade beginning at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Following the parade, there will be a brief ceremony in the TJHS gymnasium and a receptoin in the TJHS cafeteria.

At Auburn

Teutopolis                       1    5    3    4    --    13

Dunlap Valley MS          4    5    2    4    --    15

Teutoupolis -- Gebben 0-1 -- 1, Frey 1-0 -- 2, Grimes 1-1 -- 3, Niemerg 1-3 -- 5, Deters 0-0 -- 0, Mette 1-0 -- 2. TOTALS 4 FG, 5 FT.

Dunalp Valley MS -- Kleine 2-0 -- 4, Koehler 1-0 -- 2, Varness 4-0 -- 8, Cross 0-1 -- 1. TOTALS 7 FG, 1 FT.

At Strasburg

Nokomis captured the Class 8-2A Stewardson-Strasburg Sectional Thursday evening by downing Oblong 13-9.

Nokomis was led by Lohman with seven points. Johnson led Oblong with five. Nokomis heads to the Class 8-2A State Tournament and will face Paris Crestwood at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Metamora Grade School.

At Stew-Stras

Nokomis         2    4    2    5    --    13

Oblong            4    0    2    3    --      9

Nokomis -- Lohman 7, Huber 4, Sanders 2

Oblong -- Johnson 5, Neely 2, Mendenhall 2