It's that time of year again! Holiday tournament season has finally arrived! While most of the tournaments are starting after Christmas day, we had some tournaments start a couple days before.
I was at the Hinkle Holiday Classic at Jacobs Saturday. This tournament is named in honor of former Jacobs head coach Jim Hinkle, who was in attendance Saturday.
Here's a recap of Saturday's action:
*- All stats unofficial
Crystal Lake South 86 Larkin 39: Four Gators, Led by Demirov, Put Up Double Digits
I walked in late, and when I got there the Gators had already scored 34 points!! They lead 34-10 after the first quarter, and continued to roll the rest of the way. Gators junior guard A.J. Demirov led all scorers with 16 points. Junior Cooper Bulena had 12 points, and freshman Carson Trivellini and 6-8 senior Christian Rohde each had 11 points. Junior guard Josh Hibbett led the Royals with 9 points.
Barrington 85 Elk Grove 35: Alec Schmidts and Oliver Gray Combine to Outscore the Grenadiers
The Broncos dominated this Mid-Suburban crossover clash. 6-5 senior Alec Schmidts shot the lights out, and 6-5 sophomore Oliver Gray showed some promise. Schmidts had 23 points, shot 6/7 from three, and had 5 rebounds. Gray had 13 points and 2 steals. Senior guard Devin Wildi led the Grenadiers with 7 points.
Jacobs 55 Johnsburg 48: The Host Golden Eagles Win McHenry County Clash; Jurzak and Howard Lead the Way
The Golden Eagles get the better of this back-and-forth affair. The Skyhawks took a brief one-point lead mid-fourth quarter after a J.T. Schmitt (16 points, 4/7 3-pt.) three pointer. However the Golden Eagles regrouped and ended the game on a 12-4 run. Junior Ben Jurzak (8 rebounds) and senior Treval Howard (4 rebounds, 2 assists) each had 14 points, and junior Nolan Roper had 11 points off the bench for the Golden Eagles including 3/5 from three. 6-5 senior Ben Person had 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists for the Skyhawks.
Mike Toussaint his credited with one killer Christmas suit!
Now back to the recap:
Lake Zurich 74 Prairie Ridge 46: Anton Strelnikov, Bears Pounce the Wolves in First Game Back at Hinkle in Twelve Years
The Bears are back after a twelve year absence, and came out in full force. 6-8 junior Anton Strelnikov ate up the Wolves defense in the paint putting up 20 points and 6 boards. He got help from senior Nick Popovic and sophomore Kain Kretschmar who each scored 11 points. Popovic also had 3 steals and 2 assists. 6-3 junior Ben Gablenz had 16 points for the Wolves including 4/7 from three, and added 3 rebounds and 2 steals. 6-4 senior John Fuery had 14 points and 3 rebounds for the Wolves.
Cary-Grove 53 Hoffman Estates 37: Trojans' Dominant Start the Key to Victory
The Trojans led 20-4 after the first quarter, and never looked back. Seniors Jake Hornok and Ryan Elbert led the early charge. Hornok led all scorers with 16 points. Elbert, along with sophomores A.J. Berndt and Adam Bauers each put up 9 points. Bauers and senior P.J. Weaver each grabbed 5 rebounds for the Trojans. Daiquan Daniels led the Hawks with 13 points including 3/8 from three. The Hawks were without 6-3 junior wing Nate Cleveland who was out with an injury.
Grayslake Central 59 Bartlett 45: Rams Win Last Year's Quarterfinal Rematch in Quest for Back-to-Back Titles
The defending tournament champs graduated all 5 starters from last season, but Coach Brian Centella's squad has reloaded with a mixture of experience, and up-and-coming stars. Despite not having 6-6 junior Christian Jaimes in the lineup, 6-4 senior forward Jadon Dumas filled in nicely and added 14 points. One up-and-coming star is 6-4 junior Xavi Granville. Granville led the Rams with 21 points and 5 boards. 6-4 senior Nathan Searce led the Hawks with 21 points, and helped keep them in the game after the Rams led by 21 at halftime. 6-5 junior Dimitre Petrasiunas added 6 points for the Hawks.
Grant 59 South Elgin 54: Balanced Scoring and Grit Lead Bulldogs to 5-Point Win
I felt that this game was the best first round matchup coming in, and it lived up to expectations. It was tight through three quarters and the Bulldogs seemed like they were going to pull away in the fourth. A late surge by the Storm cut the late Bulldogs lead from 13 to 5 with 37 seconds left, but it was too little too late. 6-3 senior Will Schubert (4 rebounds) and 5-10 junior Landon Enters (3 rebounds) each led the Bulldogs with 11 points. Juniors Braylon Gray and Cameron Houghton, and sophomore Damarrion Smith each had 8 points. Junior Kevon Brooks Jr. and 6-2 senior Ethan Zagore each led the Storm with 15 points. 6-3 junior forward Ishmael George had 9 points and 7 rebounds.
