BASKETBALL: Warriors come up just short of State title
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[It was a season to remember for the DuQuoin Middle School Warriors, and it ended in the State Championship game at Rend Lake College on Thursday evening as Highland defeated DMS 37-33 to take the title in Class L of the Southern Illinois Junior High School Athletic Association.
DuQuoin finished their season at 18-8 overall and added a Class L second place trophy to the Regional Championship they won on February 3.
The DMS Warriors were treated to a parade as they entered the DuQuoin city limits with two police cars leading and then a reception in the Middle School commons area. Many loyal Warrior fans were there to honor the second place squad.
Head coach Ryan Heape said "I am very proud to coach in this community, after seeing all the support we got this week. I know the kids appreciate it."
DuQuoin got on the board first in a slow-starting opening quarter with a free throw made by Jarred Thomas after he was fouled. Two Highland players were fouled in succession and all four free throws were good. Highland was uncanny at the free throw line shooting 12-for-13 during the game.
Jarred Thomas had a lay-up followed by a free throw as did Tucker Kuhnert to account for DuQuoin's six points. At the end of the quarter, it was 9-6 with Highland leading.
The second quarter started with Thomas hitting a three-point shot and Highland's Austin Elledge answering with one of his own. Thomas attempted another three point shot and was fouled in the process, then proceeded to made all three free throws. The Bullpups' shots continued to fall, and they kept making their free throws. DuQuoin had trouble working the ball inside, and was not hitting their perimeter shots. The quarter ended with Highland up 27-14 at the half.
Highland began the third quarter with an immediate lay-up, but the Bullpups wouldn't score again for over seven minutes.
Jacob Wright scored his only points of the game on a three with 4:56 to go in the third period, sparking a 9-0 run for the Warriors that cut into Highland's lead. When the Bullpups finally broke through and ended their drought with 4:04 to play, Thomas responded with a three-pointer and a stick-back to bring the Warriors to within three.
Highland scored a lay up at 33-28 with 1:51 left in the game, and DuQuoin was forced to foul in the closing minutes. With Hunter Behm's two points, the Warriors were down 37-33. Wright fouled out of the game with 13.2 seconds left. A last second shot by Thomas missed the basket, and 37-33 became the final score.
DuQuoin was led in scoring by Thomas with 24 points. Kuhnert had 4 points, Wright 3, and Behm 2.
Other team members are Trace Klein, Luke Metten, Dalton Day, Brock Bullar, Donovan Hamilton, Chad Heatherly, Cole Hopkins, Caleb Vogel, Nick King, and Braden Heape.
Bullar, the Warriors' point guard and one of their quickest defenders, was unable to play in Thursday's championship after receiving an ejection in the semifinals against Harrisburg.
Each player received a medal for the second place finish. Coaches Ryan Heape and Jacob Emling also received medals.
Highland had a very balanced scoring attack. Brode Portell had 12 points as did Austin Elledge. Blake Carroll had 6 points, Justin Twyford 3, Jake Freeman 3, and Luke Theis 1. Highland is coached by Matt Elledge and Brett Portell.
Coach Ryan Heape was very reflective in his comments. "I thought that our kids put a tremendous tournament together, and when they stand back and look at what they have accomplished, they will have no regrets. I give them a tremendous amount of credit when they had to play different positions in this game. They battled all the way to the end of the ball game. They had no quit in them tonight. I would expect nothing less from these kids."
"I think sometimes the hardest thing is to convince kids that when it hurts really hard to lose that shows how much you really care. It is not life and death. It is what makes us the people we are. These kids will bounce back and be very successful in life because they understand their roles. If you understand it on the basketball court, then you understand what your role is in life."
Coaches Heape, Emling, and the entire Warrior team have had a fantastic season. They have given DuQuoin and themselves a season to remember. Every time one of the players looks in the trophy case at DMS and sees that second place trophy, he will remember that he was part of a successful team.
Heape, during his coaching career at DMS, now has a first place, a second place, a third place, and a fourth place in the State Tournament. In softball or baseball, we would say he has hit for the cycle. Whatever term you use, it is the sign of a very successful coach, who has built a very successful program. Coach Heape's love for the game is obvious, and as he hugged each of his players at the medal presentation, his love for his players showed as well.
<element id="paragraph-1" type="body"></element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ <element id="paragraph-1" type="body"></element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ <element id="paragraph-1" type="body"></element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ <element id="paragraph-1" type="body"></element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ <element id="paragraph-1" type="body"></element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ <element id="paragraph-1" type="body"></element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ <element id="paragraph-1" type="body"></element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ <element id="paragraph-1" type="body"></element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[</group><group