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Putnam County 8th grade boys win IESA 2A sectional, return to state

Pumas play Carthage in IESA State Tournament on Saturday

The Putnam County 8th grade boys basketball team is going back to state. The Pumas edged Serena 44-42 for the Wethersfield on Monday. PC also went to state in the 7th grade a year ago. Team members are (front row, from left) Davis Carlson, Calvin Fiedler, Hayden Doyle, Geoffrey Pagani and Camden Moriarty; (back row) assistant coach Brett Carlson, Luke Gabrielse, Brendan Linton, Nolan Weddell, Eli Pennell and coach TJ Askeland. Absent from photo Cayden Bush and Anthony Popurella.

The Putnam County 8th grade boys basketball team is going back to state. The Pumas edged Serena 44-42 for the Wethersfield Sectional title on Monday. PC also went to state in the 7th grade a year ago. Team members are (front row, from left) Davis Carlson, Calvin Fiedler, Hayden Doyle, Geoffrey Pagani and Camden Moriarty; (back row) assistant coach Brett Carlson, Luke Gabrielse, Brendan Linton, Nolan Weddell, Eli Pennell and coach TJ Askeland. Absent from photo: Cayden Bush and Anthony Popurella. (Photo provided)

By Kevin Hieronymus

The Putnam County eighth grade boys basketball team is going back to state.

The Pumas edged Serena 44-42 to capture the 2A Wethersfield Sectional on Monday. PC previously won the regional championship at Wethersfield, defeating the host 38-33.

Next up, the Pumas (22-3) make a return trip to the 2A state quarterfinals to face Carthage (22-5) at 10 a.m. Saturday at Kankakee Bishop McNamara. Carthage defeated Concord Triopia 33-15 at the Bushnell-Prairie City Sectional.

It is the second straight year for the PC eighth grade class to reach the IESA State Tournament. They fell to Riverdale Washington 28-17 in the 2025 seventh grade quarterfinals.

The PC-Carthage winner will come back to face the winner of the East St. Louis Younge (18-5) vs. Stewardson-Strasburg (26-0) quarterfinal at 5 p.m. Saturday.

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Kevin Hieronymus

Kevin Hieronymus

Kevin has been sports editor of the BCR since 1986 and is Sports Editor of Putnam County Record. Was previously sports editor of the St. Louis Daily News and a regular contributor for the St. Louis Cardinals Magazine. He is a member of the IBCA and Illinois Valley Hall of Fames. He is one of 4 sportswriters from his tiny hometown Atlanta, IL