Published on January 21, 2026 10:34 am
Last Updated on January 21, 2026 10:36 am
#1 CUMBERLAND PIRATES
Coach: Justin Roedl
Record at Seeding: 17-2, 5-0 NTC
by DUSTIN WHITE
What a story this 90th Annual National Trail Conference boys basketball tournament could end up being for the Cumberland Pirates!
The program itself has literally no direct history with the nine decades of NTC tournament play, of course. Cumberland didn’t join up until this very season after exiting the Lincoln Prairie Conference for most sports, remaining for football in a league it joined in 2019 after a spell in the Little Okaw Valley Conference and a much longer stint as a founding member of the now-unrecognizable Little Illini Conference.
But the immediate impact is precisely what would make this story so special.
The Pirates have burst onto the NTC scene to snag the top seed in the storied league tournament and, as of a week prior to the meet’s opening game, have not lost a game to anyone besides Casey-Westfield – once in the semifinals of Cumberland’s own Thanksgiving tournament and again 11 days later by identical 44-39 tallies.
“We started off a little slow on the offensive side,” admits Justin Roedl, the 18th year Cumberland coach. “But since the Neoga game (a 58-22 victory on Dec. 12) we are putting more points on the board game after game.”
Roedl is correct: his Pirates averaged 49.6 points per game in opening the season 3-2 and have averaged 67 per contest in the ensuing 14-game winning streak that includes dominating championship runs at the St. Elmo and Vandalia holiday tournaments.
During the Vandalia tourney, Roedl’s club outscored the opposition by an average of nearly 22 points and pasted Greenville by 30 in the semifinals before dispatching the host Vandals 62-45 for the title. It was even more lopsided the previous week at St. Elmo … none of Cumberland’s three games were closer than 27.
“Our biggest strength is how well the boys play together,” said Roedl, who has now coached Cumberland’s boys for more consecutive years than anyone else. William Waldrip – the namesake of the Pirates’ high school gymnasium – coached 17 seasons from 1949 until 1966 and later retook the reins from 1970 until 1976.
“They are unselfish and do whatever it takes for the team to be successful,” Roedl continued. “We have had six different players lead us in scoring this year and five different players have scored 20 plus points in a game. We have a good mix of size, strength, and quickness and everyone understands their role and serves it well. We have multiple outside shooting threats to go with athletes that can attack the basket and finish around the rim.”
Cameron Roedl has been Cumberland’s leading scorer this year at 13.8 points per game; the junior is the coach’s son and a varsity player since his freshman season. Those can be tricky waters for a coach to navigate, but Cameron and classmate Isaac Venatta proved that season they deserved the minutes they were getting and haven’t looked back.
Chase Stewart, another junior, barely saw varsity action that year but during his sophomore campaign emerged as the Pirates’ second leading scorer at 9.1 per game and continues to contribute to the tune of 10.7 per game this year along with senior Reed Miller’s 12.2 per contest. Miller also draws the toughest defensive assignments, while 6-foot-7 senior Zack Harmon is the most athletic big man in the league and is Cumberland’s leading rebounder when healthy. Harmon hasn’t played since Dec. 30 in the VHT championship but is an enormous (literally) difference maker in the paint when he’s on the floor.
“In order for us to win games in the tournament we must first stay healthy throughout the week,” said Roedl. “Then we will have to continue to play together and put the team first. We will have to defend and rebound at a high level along with taking care of the basketball. If we do those three things and stay healthy we will give ourselves a chance in every game.
“I think the entire conference is solid this year where a lot of teams can beat anyone on any given night,” he added. “I think the top five seeds all have a legitimate shot at winning the tournament this year. They all have multiple players that can hurt you and will be tough to beat.”
Roedl has never coached in the NTC tournament, but he knows exactly what he’s getting into.
“I graduated from Altamont in 1996 and had the opportunity to play in this tournament,” said the Cumberland coach. “As a player we looked forward to hosting and playing in this tournament each and every year. You could always expect an extremely loud gymnasium with passionate fans filling the seats. It was always a great environment to play in and you couldn’t help but get up for each and every game.
“I’m excited to be part of the tournament this year for the first time as a coach. I’ve been a fan, player, and then a fan again … but now I get the chance to coach in what I believe is the best small school basketball tournament in the state. I’m excited to get to share this experience with our team and the entire Cumberland community as it is a unique experience that will provide exciting basketball games and lifelong memories.”