Boys basketball: Johnsburg gets Mike Toussaint’s 400th win in pivotal KRC triumph over Woodstock

JOHNSBURG – Johnsburg had just about everything stacked in its favor heading into Tuesday’s Kishwaukee River Conference game against Woodstock.

It was senior night, coach Mike Toussaint was sitting on 399 career wins, and, most importantly, the Skyhawks were eager to exact some revenge after a loss Jan. 20 at Woodstock.

Johnsburg jumped out quickly and led all but 20 seconds in the first 1:40. The Skyhawks maintained a double-digit lead most of the game and defeated the Blue Streaks 63-52 to take sole possession of first place in the conference.

The victory for Toussaint was his 154th with the boys program. From 2000 through 2011 he coached several of the best Skyhawks’ girls teams in school history to 246 wins.

“We had a lot of energy coming into this game,” said Johnsburg forward Dylan Schmidt, who led all players with 26 points and 16 rebounds. “It’s senior night, and having them beat us last time we knew this was a big game in conference. We had a lot of energy coming into this game.”

If Johnsburg (14-12, 6-1) wins its three remaining KRC games, it takes the championship outright.

Toussaint, his shirt soaked from a celebratory water cooler dousing in the locker room, was impressed with his team’s man-to-man defensive effort.

“Defensively, we played well. Kyle Patterson did a good job on [Woodstock’s Spencer Cullum],” Toussaint said. “The defense was solid. Offensively, we go in spurts. We’re so streaky. We get up and can’t get over the top to put them away.

“We knocked down shots and played well defensively. Jacob [Welch] played well inside today, and Dylan’s Dylan.”

Welch, a 6-foot-6 senior headed to Northern Illinois University on a football scholarship, tossed in 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Ian Boal scored eight, and Jake Metze had seven.

Woodstock (9-15, 5-3) beat the Skyhawks 55-49 in their meeting 11 days earlier.

“The first time we got a little too cocky,” Welch said. “We forced too many shots, and they didn’t fall. We’ve played more man [defense], and it’s worked out well for us. We got more turnovers that way.

“Today we got the middle and kick-out 3s. The energy was better, overall, senior night, coach got his 400th. That was huge for us.”

Schmidt had three 3s and a dunk, along with a variety of driving baskets in the lane. He hit 10 of 22 shots.

Cullum led Woodstock with 16 points and nine rebounds. Keaton Perkins added nine, and Trent Butler had eight.

“They took it to us on the boards,” Streaks coach Ryan Starnes said. “We came out a little tentative in terms of crashing the offensive boards. The reason we were successful the first time we played was we were plus-10 on the boards.

“I felt like every time we made a run and would get it down, they would get three or four looks at the basket and Schmidt would hit a 3.”

Johnsburg 63, Woodstock 52

WOODSTOCK (52)

Sivore 1 0-0 2, Haak 2 0-0 6, Cullum 7 1-3 16, LYons 2 0-0 4, Ke. Perkins 4 0-0 9, Butler 2 3-4 8, Chapman 3 1-1 7, Ka. Perkins 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 5-8 52.

JOHNSBURG (63)

Metze 1 2-4 7, Boal 3 0-0 8, Schmidt 10 3-4 26, Welch 5 1-2 11, Groves 2 1-1 5, Schmitt 1 0-0 2, Person 0 0-0 0, Patterson 2 0-0 4, Benbenek 0 0-0 0, Horne 0 0-0 0, Schaefer 0 0-0 0. Totals: 25 6-11 63.

Woodstock 8 15 15 14 – 52

Johnsburg 19 15 12 17 – 63

3-point goals: Woodstock 5 (Haak 2, Cullum, Ke. Perkins, Butler), Johnsburg 7 (Schmidt 3, Metze 2, Boal 2). Total fouls: Woodstock 13, Johnsburg 11.