May 12, 2024
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Colmone Classic: Fieldcrest tops LaSalle-Peru, will play for 13th championship

Rock Falls beats Mendota for title berth, Princeton downs Marquette

By Kevin Hieronymus
Fieldcrest's Nathan Cook dribbles up the floor as L-P's Brady Romagnoli defends during the 49th annual Colmone Classic on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 at Hall High School.

Fieldcrest's Nathan Cook dribbles up the floor as L-P's Brady Romagnoli defends during the 49th annual Colmone Classic on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 at Hall High School. The Knights won (Scott Anderson)

SPRING VALLEY - Fieldcrest players have been asking coach Jeremy Hahn about the Knights’ history in the Colmone Classic at Hall High School and if they had won any championships before.

He smiled and told them yes.

“I said, it’s been a couple of years, but I tell you what, it’s been a lot,” Hahn said. “Coach Winkler (former Fieldcrest coach Matt) is a great mentor of mine and meant a lot to me and established what Fieldcrest is. And it’s our duty to kind of keep that up and play great basketball. And I hope we did that tonight.”

The Knights have a chance to add to that great tradition, defeating LaSalle-Peru, 74-47, in Friday’s semifinals at Hall.

“It means a lot, because that’s a great team. Well coached. Some great players,” said Hahn, who served as assistant coach under Winkler and is now in his second year as head coach. “We knew it was going to take everything we had. Boys came out and executed the game plan. It was a fun game to be in.”

Fieldcrest head boys basketball coach Jermey Hahn watches his team play L-P during the 49th annual Colmone Classic on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 at Hall High School.

Fieldcrest head boys basketball coach Jermey Hahn watches his team play L-P during the 49th annual Colmone Classic on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 at Hall High School. (Scott Anderson)

The Knights (4-0) will play for Fieldcrest’s 13th Colmone crown against Rock Falls at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The Rockets (6-2) defeated Mendota, 64-47, in Friday’s second semifinal.

Rock Falls has some Colmone tradition of its own, winning the championship in 2016 and 2018.

Also Friday, Princeton beat Ottawa Marquette, 70-62, in the first game of the night.

Fieldcrest 74, LaSalle-Peru 47: A running-clock, 27-point victory over the Cavs was not necessarily on the Knights’ game plan.

The Knights led 33-23 at the half and used a 21-9 third-quarter edge to stretch their lead to 54-32.

“Oh, I can always dream (for that big of a win),” Hahn said with a smile. “It’s hard, because you play in a great tournament like this, always has been with great teams, you don’t expect doing something like that. Hats off to my guys. They work really hard in practice. They really bust it and get after it. They like to play quick and I think that really worked to our advantage.”

Connor Reichman led the Knights with 21 points while Ed Lorton and Brady Ruestman hit for 13 each.

Brendan Boudreau had nine points for L-P and Seth Adams added eight.

Rock Falls 64, Mendota 47: The Rockets jumped out to a 24-8 first-quarter lead. The Trojans were able to cut into the Rockets lead with a 16-13 second-quarter edge to make a 37-24 game at halftime.

Rock Falls stretched its lead to 50-32 by outscoring the Trojans, 13-8 in the third quarter.

Mendota's Iziah Nenez works his way inside Rock Falls's Kuitim Heald during the 49th annual Colmone Classic on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 at Hall High School.

Mendota's Iziah Nenez works his way inside Rock Falls's Kuitim Heald during the 49th annual Colmone Classic on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 at Hall High School. (Scott Anderson)

Gavin Sands led the Rockets with 15 points, shooting 6 of 12 from the field. Ryken Howard and Ayden Goff each added 12 points.

Mendota also placed three in double figures - Izaiah Nunez with 15, Aden Tillman with 11 and Braiden Freeman with 10.

Rock Falls's Gavin Sands drives to the basket past Mendota's Cale Strouss and teammate Dane Doyle during the 49th annual Colmone Classic on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 at Hall High School.

Rock Falls's Gavin Sands drives to the basket past Mendota's Cale Strouss and teammate Dane Doyle during the 49th annual Colmone Classic on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 at Hall High School. (Scott Anderson)

Princeton 70, Marquette 62: The Tigers scored the first 13 points of the game and led 27-8 just three minutes into the second quarter.

A dunk and tip slam by 6-7 power forward Noah LaPorte extended the Tigers’ lead to 48-30 with 2:12 left in the third quarter.

Princeton still led 60-45 with just over four minutes left in the game.

The Crusaders made a game of it, closing within five points (66-61) with a minute left, but the Tigers (5-4) held off their late charge.

“Two good teams going at each other and playing hard. We just got lucky to be on top,” PHS coach Jason Smith said.

LaPorte poured in a game-high 30 points, 11 in the third quarter. He was one of four Princeton players in double figures, including Jordan Reinhardt (15), Korte Lawson (12) and Daniel Sousa (12).

Marquette packed a 1-2 punch with Alec Novotney (23) and Denver Trainor (20), who combined for 43 points.

Princeton will meet Pontiac in the fifth-place game at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The Tigers defeated Pontiac, 62-57, in the 2022 title game.

The Crusaders (3-2) will meet host Hall at 3 p.m. for seventh place.

Sophomore tournament

The Princeton sophomores beat Bureau Valley, 54-52, in double overtime to finish their tournament at 2-1. Stihl Brokaw gave the Kittens a spark with seven points in the final minute with a 3-pointer, a 2-pointer and pair of free throws.

Like the varsity matchup, Fieldcrest beat L-P, 49-41, in overtime in the sophomore semifinals Friday. They will play Pontiac, which beat Rock Falls 53-32 at 10:30 a.m. Saturday for the sophomore title.

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