Quincy Catholic, Brown County claim third-place trophies at IESA seventh-grade state basketball tournaments

The Quincy Catholic and Brown County seventh-grade boys basketball teams both captured third place at their respective Illinois Elementary School Association state tournaments on Thursday night.

Quincy Catholic led from the start and rolled to a 42-22 victory over Abingdon-Avon in the third-place game of the Class 3A tournament at El Paso-Gridley High School. The Crusaders led 10-2 after one quarter and 23-4 late in the second quarter before giving up two baskets in the final 30 seconds of the first half.

Abingdon-Avon (27-3) scored the first basket of the third quarter to get within 23-10, but the Crusaders scored the next six points to push the lead back to 19 points. They led comfortably thereafter.

Rowan Stegeman led the Crusaders (19-6) with 16 points. Kaden Marth added 12, and Austin Genenbacher chipped in with eight points. 

The third-place trophy is the first for the seventh-grade team in the history of the Quincy Catholic program. Three of the Crusaders’ losses were to the third-place team in Class 2A (Brown County), the first-place team in Class 3A (Metamora) and the second-place team in Class 4A (Rochester).

Brown County outscored Kincaid South Fork 10-3 in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 35-22 victory in the third-place game of the Class 2A tournament at Macon Meridian High School.

Michael Kassing scored 13 points to lead the Hornets (29-1). Henry Ingram scored 10 points, and Bradley Markert and Beau Little contributed six points apiece.