By FRED KRONER
A furious fourth-quarter rally on Monday (Feb. 5) enabled Mahomet-Seymour’s eighth-grade boys’ basketball team to secure a berth in the IESA Class 4A state quarterfinals.
The Bulldogs overcame a four-point deficit in the final period to edge Crete-Monee, 37-35, in the sectional championship game in the Bulldogs’ gymnasium.
Jackson Golden hit six of his game-high 16 points in the last quarter. Tristen Adams made four of his 10 points in the last quarter.
Preston Clark added six points overall after connecting on two three-point shots. Colin Hammerschmidt scored four points and Konner Fisher added one point on a fourth-quarter free throw.
M-S hit 9 of 10 free throw attempts in the game. Adams was 2-for-2 from the line and has hit 15 of his last 16 free throws. Clark has been the team’s top three-point marksman and has made shots from beyond the arc in 22 of the team’s 27 games.
The Bulldogs were behind, 16-14, at halftime and 30-26 after three quarters.
On Wednesday (Jan. 31), Golden poured in a season-high 24 points as M-S doubled the score on Danville North Ridge, 46-23, in an IESA Class 4A regional championship game.
M-S built an 8-2 lead after one quarter in the game played in Danville and increased its advantage to 20-6 at halftime.
Clark drained three three-point shots and seconded Golden with 12 points. Fisher’s four-point game included one three-point basket.
Contributing two points apiece were Adams, Camden Beedy and Luke Buh.
M-S (26-1) will return to action on Saturday (Feb. 10) at Taylorville in a state quarterfinal contest against Markham Prairie Hills (25-1) at 2:30 p.m.
With a win, the Bulldogs would advance into a 6:30 p.m. state semifinal game.
The eighth-graders are coached by Matt Clark.
The 14-player roster consists of Tristen Adams, Brennan Bailey, Camden Beedy, Preston Branson, Luke Buh, Preston Clark, Konner Fisher, Jackson Golden, Colin Hammerschmidt, Bradley Jones, Levi Lunney, Wil Selk, Jackson Tieffel and Collin Whooley.
The state berth is the ninth in school history for the M-S eighth-grade program and the second in the last three years.
Besides this year and 2022, the eighth-graders have also qualified for state in 2003, 2000, 1996, 1989, 1986 and 1962.
The 1962 team was a combined seventh- and eighth-grade program.
Three former M-S eighth-grade boys’ basketball teams have captured state trophies. The Bulldogs were third in 2003, first in 1996 and second in 1962.
