Impressive 21-win season leaves M-S seventh grade basketball hopeful
By FRED KRONER
A 21-win season for the Mahomet-Seymour seventh-grade boys’ basketball team came to an end on Wednesday with a 44-32 Class 4A IESA regional championship game loss to Danville North Ridge.
M-S ends the season with a 21-4 record. Following an 0-2 start to the season, the Bulldogs won 21 of their next 22 games.
Gavin Hammerschmidt scored 11 points to lead M-S in the finale. Lucas Dyer scored 10 points, Ray Long had six points and Trey Peters contributed five points.
The teams were tied entering the fourth quarter, but M-S coach Jon Adkins said, “we just missed a few shots down the stretch.”
In the semifinals on Saturday at Urbana, the Bulldogs took care of Urbana, 38-21. Dyer netted a team-best 17 points.
Nate Hale finished with 11 points. Hammerschmidt and Trey Peters each ended with five points.
In the team’s postseason opener, they downed Rantoul 47-25.
Mason Orton was the top M-S point-maker with nine. Travis Hoffman and Peters each tallied eight points.
Reis Claybrook and Long hit for six points. Dyer chipped in with three points.
“I am so proud of these kids this season for all their accomplishments,” Adkins said. “It is clear by the box scores that this is a talented group with multiple kids who can score.
“The future is bright for this group.”
The final five games of the year illustrated the team’s depth. Five different players led the team in scoring in the last five games.
For the season, Peters led (or shared the team lead) in scoring 13 times. Dyer and Hammerschmidt were each the leader in four games. Claybrook, Long and Hale led twice apiece and Orton once.
The highest individual point total was a 21-point performance by Peters against Clinton.
M-S Eighth-grade Boys’ basketball
The Bulldogs (11-11) open regional play on Saturday at home with a 9 a.m. game against Champaign Jefferson.
M-S Seventh-Grade Volleyball
The Bulldogs were unable to finish off Tri-Valley on Tuesday at home after posting a 25-9 victory in the first set. Tri-Valley responded by earning the win with 25-23 and 25-15 victories in the final two sets.
The teams were tied 17-17 in the second set, but Tri-Valley built a 10-1 lead in the third set.
The Bulldogs bounced back on Wednesday at home against Maroa-Forsyth.
M-S broke a 15-15 tie in the opening set by scoring 10 of the next 11 points in a 25-16 victory. The second set featured nine ties before the Bulldogs pulled away for a 25-17 triumph. Grace Brinkley provided a late six-point service run to spark the second-set win.
On Thursday at Champaign Jefferson, M-S rode the momentum of a strong second-set comeback to beat the Jaguars 25-21, 28-26.
In the second set, Jefferson built an 11-point lead before the Bulldogs stormed back, tying the match at 23-23 and then fighting off one set point before securing the sweep.
In the first set, an 8-8 tie was turned into a 16-8 M-S lead thanks to an eight-point service run by Ellie Barker.
M-S (8-3) plays at Forrest on Monday against Prairie Central.
M-S Eighth-Grade Volleyball
Visiting Tri-Valley secured a two-set sweep on Tuesday, outlasting the Bulldogs 25-21, 25-23.
In the second set, a nine-point service run by Marin Minick helped M-S create a 23-23 deadlock before the visitors tallied the next two points to end the match.
On Wednesday, M-S topped Maroa-Forsyth in the Bulldogs’ gym, 25-18, 23-25, 25-17.
The Bulldogs led 17-11 in the second set before a comeback by the Trojans forced a decisive third set.
A seven-point service run by Ava Henderson in the final set put M-S in command 19-13.
On Thursday at Champaign Jefferson, M-S swept the Jaguars 25-16, 25-14. The Bulldogs went ahead to stay, 8-7, in the opening set and built their lead from there.
M-S (6-5) plays at Forrest on Monday against Prairie Central. The eighth-graders are 1-1 in three-set matches this season.
