QJHS, Camp Point Central eighth graders finish as state runners-up, Southeastern takes fourth

TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — Trailing by 13 points early in the second half, the Quincy Junior High School eighth grade boys basketball team got within two points in the fourth quarter but never got the lead in a 46-42 loss to the Michelle Obama School of Technology and the Arts (STA) from Park Forest in the championship game of the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 4A state tournament.

Quincy trailed 27-18 at halftime, then gave up two baskets by Keiwon Gulley to open the third quarter to fall behind 31-18. The Comets cut the lead to 34-27 after a three-point play by Tim Griffith, but Obama STA scored twice to end the third quarter to push the lead back to 11 points.

The Comets then scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter, with Brennan Lepper scoring on an offensive rebound and Lepper and Parker Douglas each making 3-pointers to make the score 38-35. Gulley made a layup for Obama STA, but Lepper answered with another 3-pointer to get Quincy within 40-38 with 3:48 remaining in the game.

A basket by Obama SAT’s Byron Miller was matched by a basket by Douglas with 1:36 left to play. The Comets were then forced to foul the Patriots multiple times, and Gulley made two free throws with 37.4 seconds remaining. After a Quincy turnover, Gulley made another free throw with 21 seconds remaining.

Griffith scored on an offensive rebound with 11.4 seconds remaining, and Gulley added the game’s final point on a free throw with 9.1 seconds to go.

Lepper finished with 18 points for the Comets (25-2), and Griffith added 17. Gulley scored 23 points for the Patriots (28-3).

Quincy has sent teams to the IESA boys basketball state tournament 47 times, with the eighth-grade boys taking second place in 1986, 1999, 2001 and 2025. The Comets’ only eighth-grade state title came in 1991.

Camp Point Central finishes second in Class 2A

KANKAKEE, Ill. — The Camp Point Central eighth grade boys basketball team found itself facing an insurmountable uphill climb at halftime of Thursday night’s  Illinois Elementary School Association Class 2A state championship.

Effingham St. Anthony led the Panthers scoreless in the first half while building a 17-0 lead that eventually turned into a 39-13 victory at Bishop McNamara High School.

Camp Point Central, which had been on a magical postseason run that included a buzzer-beater by Braxton Kestner to win the sectional and an overtime victory in the state semifinals, got the offense going in the third quarter with eight points, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

Kestner led the Panthers with seven points, while Noah Aeilts had four and Wes Homan had two.

Central ends its season with a 23-4 record.

Suns bring home fourth place from state tourney

WARRENSBURG, Ill. — Once the Cambridge eighth grade boys basketball team got its rally started, it was nearly impossible for Augusta Southeastern to slow it down.

The Vikings trailed the Suns 33-22 through three quarters of Thursday’s third-place game in the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 1A state tournament before going on a 19-5 blitz to earn a 41-38 victory at Warrensburg-Latham Junior High School.

Nolan Stephens led the Suns with 14 points, while Hudson Ramsey and Kash Lantz both finished with nine points. Cambridge had three players combine for 38 points.

The Suns finished the season with a 20-8 record.