Both MSJHS basketball teams continue to play strong towards end of the season
By FRED KRONER
Mahomet-Seymour’s top-seeded seventh-grade boys’ basketball team overpowered Champaign Jefferson, 60-29, on Saturday (Jan. 20) in a semifinal game of the IESA Class 4A regional tournament at Champaign Edison.
A.J. Fenelus tossed in a season-high 24 points while drilling a season-high four three-point shots.
Nathan Stabler scored 16 points and Jaxson Tiefenthaler contributed 11 points.
Also reaching the scoring column were Landon Benner (four points), Logan Rehberg (three points) and Will Bednar (two points).
M-S led, 17-9, after one quarter and took a 37-15 lead into the locker room at halftime.
M-S (24-1) will play at Edison against second-seeded Urbana in the regional championship game.
In the Bulldogs’ regular-season finale on Thursday (Jan. 18), M-S set a school record for wins in the regular season with a 48-26 win at Normal Kingsley.
The Bulldog seventh-graders were sparked by what was at the time a season-high 23-point outburst by Fenelus.
Stabler scored 17 points and Tiefenthaler contributed six points for a team coached by Jon Adkins. The other two M-S points were scored by Sammy Perez.
The Bulldogs took an 11-5 lead after one quarter and expanded its margin by halftime to 22-10.
On Wednesday (Jan. 17), the seventh-graders posted a 43-14 victory at Monticello, led by Fenelus’ 13 points. Stabler tallied 12 points and Caleb Knox finished with six points.
Tiefenthaler ended with four points. Bednar and Stephane Mwilambwe each chipped in three points. Will Martin had two points.
The Bulldogs built an 8-3 lead in the first quarter and were in command at halftime, 16-8.
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The M-S eighth-graders also captured a regular-season record for wins on Thursday (Jan. 18) with a historic victory at Normal Kingsley, 38-27.
The team’s season record is 23-1.
Jackson Golden scored 14 points and Tristen Adams added 13 points for the eighth graders, coached by Matt Clark.
Preston Clark generated six points while teammates Brennan Bailey and Jackson Tieffel chipped in with three and two points, respectively.
M-S carved out a 15-6 lead after one quarter and took a 23-9 lead into the locker room at halftime.
One day earlier, on Wednesday (Jan. 17), the M-S eighth-graders prevailed, 41-25 at Monticello.
Golden tossed in 20 points for the eighth-graders.
Konner Fisher dropped in seven points while both Adams and Colin Hammerschmidt netted six points. Preston Clark made two points.
An M-S lead that was 13-6 after eight minutes was built into a 24-10 margin at halftime.
The eighth-graders will open IESA Class 4A regional tournament play as the No. 1 seed on Saturday (Jan. 27) at Danville North Ridge.
The Bulldogs will play at 1:15 p.m. in the semifinals against the winner of an early-morning game between fourth-seeded Champaign Franklin and fifth-seeded Urbana.
