MSJHS 7th grade boys’ basketball on 14-game win streak
By FRED KRONER
Mahomet-Seymour’s seventh-grade boys’ basketball team extended its winning streak to 14 games by virtue of six more wins.
The Bulldogs (14-2) topped Clinton 41-17, George Evans 34-24, Urbana 46-36, Prairie Central 45-36, St. Joseph 48-31 and Champaign Edison 40-22.
Trey Peters was the top scorer with 14 points in the M-S win at Clinton. Lucas Dyer and Miles Woolsey finished with four points apiece.
In a road game against George Evans, Ray Long was the team-leader with 10 points, followed by Peters (nine points), Reis Claybrook (seven points) and Dyer (four points).
In a home win against Urbana on Jan. 12, Claybrook and Dyer each netted 10 points. Peters and Gavin Hammerschmidt added eight points apiece. Nate Hale scored four points.
During a four-game span, ending with the Urbana game, no squad member led the team in scoring more than once and, in that stretch, six players led or shared the team-lead in scoring.
This week, Dyer tallied nine points to lead the way in the win over Prairie Central on Monday. Hammerschmidt netted eight points. Scoring five points apiece were Hale, Brayden Garrett, Henry Wagner and Long.
When M-S handed St. Joseph its first loss of the season on Tuesday, Hammerschmidt collected 17 points. Long and Claybrook added six points apiece. Dyer totaled five points. Finishing with four points apiece were Hale and Wagner.
The Bulldogs will enter Christmas break after Thursday’s 40-22 win over Champaign Edison. Peters was the top M-S scorer with nine points.
Dyer contributed seven points and Garrett had six. Claybrook, Hale and Long all ended with four points.
During the winning streak, 12 of the 14 victories have been by margins of nine points or more.
M-S eighth-grade Boys’ basketball
After winning nine of their first 10 games, the M-S eighth-graders endured a spell where they lost four games by a combined total of 10 points.
The Bulldogs lost at Clinton 35-34, and to Urbana in overtime, 53-52. Cade Starrick scored a team-high 19 points against Urbana. Jack Gallier made 10 points, Finn Randolph had nine points and Isaac Warren added eight points.
Against Clinton, Gallier and Randolph scored 10 points apiece.
“Struggled early against some of their pressure defense,” coach Doug Ingold said, referring to the Urbana game. “Made a few adjustments throughout the game. We had a small lead with 1:30 left. They were able to hit a shot from behind the basket to tie it.”
M-S dropped a 49-45 decision to unbeaten Prairie Central, which sunk six three-point shots. Starrick led M-S with 18 points.
St. Joseph broke a late-game tie with two baskets and edged the Bulldogs 40-36. Gallier’s 13 points were a team-best. Braden Pagel scored 10 points.
M-S (9-7) will take a two-week break from games and will return to action on Jan. 7 at Bloomington.
“We have struggled to put together 24 minutes of basketball and are playing a lot of close tough games,” Ingold said. “I am proud of the team for the way they have fought in every game.
“I have told them that these are the type of games that are getting us ready for postseason play.”
The team’s lone losses this season by more than four points were a 58-20 setback against George Evans and Thursday’s 40-31 setback against Champaign Edison. Gallier led the way with 11 points against Evans and 12 against Edison.
Pagel and Warren each scored six points against Edison.
