Hornet basketball fans, it’s that time of year again. The boy's basketball team has earned the number one seed in their sub-sectional, which is quite a feat as only 16 teams in 1A this year can say that they have achieved this. The Hornet also currently ranks #9 in 1A according to NestoHoops, the most reliable source of Illinois high school basketball. People have been talking about Heyworth and how far they can go, but despite being the top team in their regional this will not be easy. First I will preview Heyworth’s first-round game, then talk about Heyworth’s potential opponents, and then wrap it up with an interview with a student-athlete.
First off, the Hornets open up on February 19th against Grace Christian Academy out of Kankakee in Hornet Gymnasium. This will be the last time the Hornets will be able to play in front of their home fans so even though school has the day off I suggest people come out and support the home team one last time. Grace Christian Academy has a long drive after a season where they currently only have five wins and they have multiple ugly losses this year. But there is no need to overlook anyone in the postseason, as all it takes is one loss and your season is over. Heyworth when this article is released is on an 8-game winning streak, but hopefully, despite playing a couple of tough teams the Hornets can make it 11 coming into this game.
The regional bracket consists of 8 teams. In chronological seeding order, Heyworth, Flanagan-Cornell, St. Anne, Donovan, Milford, Grant Park, Cissna Park, and Grace Christian Academy. All of these teams are out East and the games are at St. Anne, which is a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Heyworth. Despite the road trip, the Hornets are favorites in this regional, but there are two teams that I believe are the Hornet’s biggest challenge. They will most likely play each other, but it is Flanagan-Cornell and St. Anne. Flanagan, who Heyworth has already beaten twice, is a solid team. They are a gritty team and have proven they can pull off upsets, as they took down 2A Pleasant Plains this past weekend on a buzzer-beater by their leading scorer Kesler Collins, who is currently averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds per game. If it’s not Flanagan in the regional championship, then the next likely team is the St. Anne Cardinals. They are led by junior guard Jordan Davis, who is averaging 17 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals a game for St. Anne. Both teams are very similar as neither has a whole lot of size, so if they meet up in the regional semi-final this should be a very good game.
We interviewed junior Maddox Klawitter about him and the team’s mindset going into postseason play as the Hornets are trying to achieve something they have never done before, a state championship. “We just need to continue to play together,” said Maddox, “that’s what we have done really well is come together toward the end of the season”. This is proven to be true as the Hornets have shared the ball very well these past couple of games and the results have shown obviously as they currently ride an 8-game winning streak. Maddox also mentioned how the effort has played a huge role in this 1 seed. “We have been focusing on our defensive intensity more during practice”. Catch the Hornets in their last three home games on Feb. 14th, Feb. 16th, and Feb. 19th and throughout their entire postseason run. The town of Heyworth is buzzing and hopefully, the buzz will help the Hornets be able to compete in March.
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