Local Sports Digest: Wallace 7th grade girls playing for 3rd; Marquette 8s meeting RSM for trip to IESA State

Wallace 7s will play for third

Wallace’s seventh grade girls basketball team will play for third place in the IESA Class 1A State Finals on Thursday after splitting its first two games at state – a 28-24 win over Royal Prairieview (Hailey Thrush 16 points, Kellin Gross six) and a 44-14 loss at the hands of Sigel St. Michael’s (Thrush six points).

Wallace’s 7s defeated fellow regional champion Flanagan 35-11 to advance to state.

Shepherd 8s fall in regional title game

The eighth grade Shepherd girls basketball team finished 23-3 after a 26-9 loss to Minooka in the Rams’ IESA Class 4A regional championship game. Ashlyn Ganiere scored nine points for Shepherd.

The Rams bested Plano 28-13 to advance to the title game, led by Ganiere’s dozen points and seven from Alaina Schulz.

Marquette 8s claim regional title

The Marquette eighth grade girls basketball team defeated Wallace 22-15 to win a Class 1A IESA regional title. Anna Hjerpe and Morgan Collins each scored seven points, with Hunter Hopkins adding five for Marquette.

Marquette advanced to the title game with a 38-3 handling of Waltham. Hopkins (13 points), Hjerpe (10) and Kinley Rick (10) paced the Marquette attack.

Marquette (21-1) will play fellow 1A regional champion Ransom-St. Michael (16-8) on Wednesday.

Seneca, Fieldcrest win 2A IESA regionals

The eighth grade girls basketball teams from Seneca and Fieldcrest captured IESA Class 2A regional titles and will play Wednesday for the right to advance to IESA state.

Seneca (13-8) defeated Riverdale Washington via a 2-0 forfeit, while Fieldcrest (13-10) topped Sparland 50-43.

Shepherd boys split with Lincoln

Shepherd’s seventh and eighth grade boys basketball teams split with La Salle Lincoln – the 7s lost 29-23 (Luke McCullough 13 points, Jordan Gomez and Blake Schiltz four each), while the eighth grade Rams won 36-27 (Griffin Dobberstein 17 points, Dane Schmitz four).

Before that, the seventh graders beat Morris 34-6 (Landyn McEmery nine, Schiltz five); bested Indian Creek 42-26 (Amari Molina eight, Nevan Holloway eight), McEmery seven, Rory Moore six, Tommy Snell five); and beat Dwight 31-7 (McCullough 10, Moore seven).

The eighth grade team fell to Morris 27-24 (Schmitz seven, George Shumway six, Michael Schulz five); lost to Indian Creek 40-29 (Shumway nine, Dobberstein and Schulz six, Kaylen Kundert five); and bested Dwight 40-17 (Shumway 10, Dobberstein eight, Kundert eight, Schmitz eight).

Central 6s keep winning

The Central sixth grade boys basketball team lost to Minooka 26-9 (Luca Fernandez five points); beat Marquette 29-26 (Henry Farabaugh 10, Fernandez six, Bryce Ceja five); topped Seneca 27-16 (Fernandez 10); edged Coal City 32-30 (Fernandez and Farabaugh 10 apiece); topped Northlawn 23-8 (Fernandez 10); and lost 37-22 to Bureau Valley (Fernandez 11, Ceja five).

Woodland sweeps Saunemin, Flanagan

Woodland’s seventh and eighth grade boys basketball teams swept Saunemin recently, with the 7s winning 36-29 (Nate Berry 29 points), and the eighth grade Junior Warriors triumphing 35-24 (Brezdyn Simons 13 points, Berry 10).

Woodland also swept Flanagan — the 7s 43-24 (Brayden Matsko 17 points, Grant Wisson 11, Berry 10, Eli Quantance five); the 8s 26-20 (Simons 10, Berry eight).