Special Edition of Tournament Tidbits: Championship game previews
3:30 pm: Large School Girls
Peoria Richwoods vs. Champaign Centennial
- This match-up is one of two that pits the No. 1 seed vs. the No. 2 seed.
- Peoria Richwoods is making its first title game appearance after a rare three-year drought. Richwoods and Bloomington Central Catholic (in the girls small school final) are both seeking their fifth State Farm Holiday Classic title. At 40-7 (.851 winning percentage), the Knights have the best record of teams playing at least 10 tournament games.
- Champaign Centennial has improved its finish every year – finishing third in 2010 before being the runner-up last year. Will the Chargers continue that improvement this year and take home the gold?
5:10 pm: Large School Boys
North Chicago vs. Rock Island
- A first-time Holiday Classic champion will be crowned during this contest, although both teams are familiar with state hardware.
- Fourth-seeded North Chicago has two state trophies in the past two years, finishing fourth in 2011 and second last year, but the Warhawks previous best finish in three trips to the Holiday Classic is a third-place finish in the 2009-10 season.
- Rock Island won the 3A state title in 2011, but this is the Rocks’ first ever appearance in a Holiday Classic championship game in 11 tries. With 28 career tournament victories, Rock Island was the team with the second-most wins without ever making the championship game (Stanford Olympia has 33 total tournament wins).
6:50 pm: Small School Girls
Champaign St. Thomas More vs. Bloomington Central Catholic
- The top-seeded Sabers are in their first Holiday Classic championship game in their sixth tournament appearance. They’ve knocked off two unbeatens and now get the task to play Bloomington Central Catholic which has 18 of its last 19 State Farm Holiday Classic games (the lone loss during that stretch was an overtime loss to El Paso-Gridley in last year’s final).
- This is Central Catholic’s ninth championship game appearance, most all-time by any boys or girls team. Like Richwoods, Central Catholic is trying to win its fifth title, which would be the most in girls tournament play. The Saints have won their first three games by a margin of victory of 30.3 points.
8:30 pm: Small School Boys
Quincy Notre Dame vs. Rockford Lutheran
- This is the second championship match-up that pits the top two seeds. Defending tournament champ Quincy Notre Dame is trying to be the first team since 2006-2007 (Bloomington Central Catholic) to win back-to-back boys tournament titles. This is QND’s sixth appearance in a title game, which ties the Raiders with Normal Community and South Holland Thornwood for the most in boys tournament history.
- Rockford Lutheran is trying to be the first boys team since 2009 (Champaign Centennial) to win a State Farm Holiday Classic title in their first tournament appearance.
