Tidbits from Day 1 action at the 2023 State Farm Holiday Classic
Honoring the Colemans
North Chicago boys coaches Gerald and Cheryl Coleman were honored before their first-round game against Normal Community in the Large School Boys Bracket. The duo has led North Chicago to two prior Classic titles, and currently are tied for third in all-time Classic victories among active coaches. This will be their last season coaching the Warhawks.
Seeds Hold
The top-4 seeds in each bracket were winners on day one and advanced to the quarterfinals. The Large School Boys bracket saw every higher seeded team win in the first round.
The Upsets
Most notable in first round action: #11-seeded Rock Falls boys defeated #6 Minonk Fieldcrest in Small School Boys action, #12 Brimfield girls beat #5 Rockford Lutheran on the Small School Girls side , and in the Large School Girls bracket #12 Bloomington downed #5 Kankakee and #11 Peoria Richwoods beat #6 Plainfield North.
Speaking of Bloomington
For the first time since 2009, the Bloomington High School girls team won their opening game and reached the quarterfinals. They finished 8th in that tournament.
Exit Right
With Downs Tri-Valley boys win last night, it marks the first time they will play on the winners side of the bracket since 2012 when they finished 7th.
Reflecting
With Quincy Notre Dame’s boys loss, it marks the first time competing on the Consolation side of the bracket since 2009 when they finished 11th in the boys 3A-4A bracket. They went 12 consecutive tournaments finishing 8th or higher.
In 2009, St. Joseph-Ogden’s boys finished dead last in their bracket. Since then, they have finished no worse than 9th (consolation champs) and will finish in the winners bracket again this year.
Again, 2009, it was the last time Morton finished on the consolation side of their bracket as well (12th). This is the 13th straight year they will finish 8th-place or higher.
Record Setting Coaches
For Bloomington Central Catholic’s girls coach Debbie Coffman and Normal Community boys coach Dave Witzig, every game they win is a Classic record. Witzig has the most wins of any coach in the boys tournament (62), and Coffman extended her win total to 68 with the first-round win.
Bloomington Central Catholic boys’ coach Jason Welch needs one win to move into the top five of career tournament victories. He is sitting on 40 and IVC’s Jim Thornton (5th) has 41.
Kankakee Bishop McNamara boys coach Adrian Provost moved into a tie for 25th last night with 17 career tourney victories.
With his next win, Camp Pt. Central/Augusta Southeastern’s Matt Long will tie Galesburg’s Evan Massey for 5th all-time with 34 career tourney wins.
A Cool 1000
Rock Island’s KJ Lamonte scored his 1000th point during the Rocks’ win over Oswego. On the girls side, Quincy’s Taylor Fohey eclipsed the 1000-point threshold in their victory over Springfield.
Public League Support
After defeating Addison Trail, the North Lawndale boys team traveled to Bloomington High School to support Chicago Hyde Park’s girls team in their late game against Normal West. Current Hyde Park coach Corey Morgan previously coached the girls team at North Lawndale, leading them to a 2nd-place finish behind Classic participant Morton in the 2015-16 Class 3A State Tournament.
Top Scorers – Day 1 (20 points minimum)
Small School Girls
Trinity Davis – Kankakee Bishop McNamara 24
Callie Huston – Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 23
Cate Uhren – Bloomington Central Catholic 23
Lauren Miller – Camp Pt. Central/Augusta Southeastern 22
Gracie Furlong – Galena 22
Large School Girls
Avery Tibbs – Washington 25
Mia Gaines – Chicago Hyde Park 22
Emma Scheffler – Springfield 21
Small School Boys
Brayden Stombaugh – Downs Tri-Valley 26
Cooper Hoffman – Pecatonica 21
Devin Tanton-DeJesus – Rock Falls 21
Marshawn Cocroft – Aurora Christian 20
Cam Morel – Aurora Christian 20
Gavin Sands – Rock Falls 20
Large School Boys
Luke Smith – Addison Trail 28
Will Ashford – Aurora Metea Valley 21
KJ Lamonte – Rock Island 21
Love the tournament tidbits every year.
Glad to see theclassic.org going strong. Here is a tidbit for the team – this year marks the 25th year of theclassic.org since I started it back in 1998. I just looked it up – the domain name was first registered October 19, 1998. I’m checking in on the action while 40,000 feet over Japan.