By Fred Kroner
The Mahomet-Seymour eighth-grade and seventh-grade junior high boys’ basketball teams both won the championships of their own Bulldog Invitational tournament.
The eighth-graders didn’t have a game closer than 22 points. The Bulldogs whipped Mount Zion, 50-28, on Tuesday (Oct. 31), Danville North Ridge, 49-15, on Wednesday (Nov. 1) and Tolono Unity, 44-22, on Friday (Nov. 3).
Jackson Golden (12 points) and Tristen Adams (10 points) were the team’s top scorers against Unity. Colin Hammerschmidt tallied six points, Preston Clark added five points and Wil Selk tossed in four points.
The Bulldogs turned a 12-8 lead after one quarter into a 23-13 cushion at halftime.
In three tournament games, Clark made eight of his nine field goals from three-point range.
Against North Ridge, Adams led the way with 10 points. Clark recorded nine points and Bradley Jones ended with eight points as did Konner Fisher and Golden.
M-S led, 18-6, after the first quarter.
Against Mount Zion, Golden registered 18 points. Clark finished with 12 points, Fisher contributed eight points and Luke Buh totaled six points.
The Bulldogs held a 26-9 halftime advantage.
M-S continued its winning ways at home on Monday (Nov. 6) against Mattoon with a 44-5 triumph.
Fisher swished three three-pointers en route to a game-high nine points. Adams recorded eight points, Golden had six and Camden Beedy hit five points.
In a game where 10 of 14 squad members reached the scoring column, other point leaders were Levi Lunney (four points), Hammerschmidt (three points), Jackson Tieffel (three points), Brennan Bailey (two points), Buh (two points) and Selk (two points).
The Bulldogs forged a 19-6 halftime advantage.
M-S (4-0) returns to action on Thursday (Nov. 9) at home against Paxton-Buckley-Loda.
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The seventh-grade Bulldog squad won all of their tournament games by double-digit margins and had a different scoring leader in all three games.
M-S topped Tolono Unity, 42-21, on Friday (Nov. 3), Danville North Ridge, 45-20, on Wednesday (Nov. 1) and Mount Zion, 42-30, on Tuesday (Oct. 31).
Against Unity, Jaxson Tiefenthaler was the top scorer with 14 points. He was followed by Nathan Stabler (11 points) and Jackson Dancer (eight points).
The Bulldogs led, 14-3, after one period.
Against North Ridge, A.J. Fenelus tossed in a team-high 17 points, including 12 in the first half as M-S created a 25-6 lead at the break.
Dancer hit nine points. Stabler netted eight points and Owen Henry added six points.
Against Mount Zion, Stabler finished with 18 points, eight in the opening quarter as M-S zipped into a 12-4 lead.
Fenelus scored 11 points, Tiefenthaler ended with seven points and Dancer chipped in with three points.
The Bulldogs added another victory to their ledger on Monday (Nov. 6) with a 39-10 conquest of Mattoon at home.
Stabler made eight of his game-high 13 points in the opening stanza. Fenelus drilled seven points. Caleb Knox and Tiefenthaler each totaled six points.
Others who contributed to the scoring column were Henry (five points) and Will Martin (two points).
M-S (4-0) returns to action at home on Thursday (Nov. 9) against Paxton-Buckley-Loda.
