By Steve Raymond
News Report Staff
Overall, Christmas basketball tournaments are struggling.
They are experiencing difficulties attracting schools and spectators.
Some have had to resort to adding junior varsity teams to complete their tournament field.
Some draw so few fans, you wonder how they can afford to turn on the lights or hire officials.
An exception to that is the Effingham & Teutopolis Christmas Classic.
What started as an eight-team event has grown into a 16-team field and other schools have already contacted the tournament committee about getting involved. Where other tournaments can’t fill their brackets, there is a waiting list here.
How is that possible?
That’s easy to answer.
It’s a combination of cooperation, determination, local support and the overwhelming love of basketball that exists here.
The 9th annual Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic should be a great one.
The field includes 16 quality teams that should provide plenty of competitive games over three days.
This year’s tournament will be played Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Dec. 28-30. Games will be played in Effingham and Teutopolis.
The full schedule is listed below:
Wednesday, Dec. 28
At Teutopolis
Game 1 – 3 p.m. – Belvidere vs. Oak Lawn
Game 3 – 4:30 p.m. – St. Anthony vs. Lutheran North
Game 5 – 6 p.m. – Dixon vs. Brooks
Game 7 – 7:30 p.m. – Charleston vs. Teutopolis
At Effingham
Game 2 – 3 p.m. – Mattoon vs. Lincoln Way East
Game 4 – 4:30 p.m. – Champaign Centennial vs. Newton
Game 6 – 6 p.m. – Knoxville vs. Pleasant Plains
Game 8 – 7:30 p.m. – Highland vs. Effingham
Thursday, Dec. 29
At Teutopolis
Game 9 – 9 a.m. – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 3
Game 11 – 10:30 a.m. – Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7
Game 13 – Noon – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 3
Game 15 – 1:30 p.m. – Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7
Game 17 – 4:30 p.m. – Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11
Game 20 – 6 p.m. – Loser Game 13 vs. Loser Game 15
Game 23 – 7:30 p.m. -- Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 15
At Effingham (Main Gym)
Game 10 – 9 a.m. – Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 4
Game 12 – 10:30 a.m. – Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8
Game 14 – Noon p.m. – Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 4
Game 16 – 1:30 p.m. – Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 8
Game 18 – 4:30 p.m. – Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 12
Game 22 – 6 p.m. – Loser Game 14 vs. Loser Game 16
Game 24 – 7:30 p.m. – Winner Game 14 vs. Winner Game 16
At Effingham (Auxiliary Gym)
Game 19 – 4:30 p.m. – Loser Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11
Game 21 – 6 p.m. – Loser Game 10 vs. Loser Game 12
Friday, Dec. 30
At Effingham (Auxiliary Gym)
Game 25 – 10 a.m. – Loser Game 19 vs. Loser Game 21 (15th place game)
Game 27 – 11:30 a.m. – Winner Game 19 vs. Winner Game 21 (13th place game)
At Effingham (Main Gym)
Game 26 – 10 a.m. – Loser Game 17 vs. Loser Game 18 (11th place game)
Game 28 – 11:30 a.m. – Loser Game 20 vs. Loser Game 22 (7th place game)
Game 29 – 3 p.m. – Winner Game 20 vs. Winner Game 22 (5th place game)
Game 30 – 4:30 p.m. – Winner Game 17 vs. Winner Game 18 (consolation championship game)
Game 31 – 6 p.m. – Loser Game 23 vs. Loser Game 24 (3rd place)
Game 32 – 7:30 p.m. – Winner Game 23 vs. Winner Game 24 (championship game)
The Lincoln Lady Railers are not only undefeated this season, but they have been winning by an average margin of 39 points.
Led by their outstanding junior guard, Kloe Froebe, they showed why Friday night in Effingham.
The Lady Railers jumped out to a quick double-digit lead, got 29 points from Froebe and rolled to an 83-46 win over the Lady Hearts.
Lincoln is now 13-0 on the season and 5-0 in the Apollo Conference
Froebe had 11 points in the first eight minutes, helping Lincoln bolt to a 29-12 lead. It was 47-17 at intermission.
In addition to Froebe, three other players reached double figures. Becca Heitzing scored 12 points and Jenna Bowman and Tori Geriets both chipped in with 10.
Ella Niebrugge had 10 points for EHS, while Bria Beals and Madison Mapes scored nine and eight respectively.
The Lady Hearts dropped to 9-3 overall and 3-2 in league play.
Effingham will now be off until playing in the Charleston Holiday Tournament. The Lady Hearts will play two games on Monday, Dec. 26 – 3 p.m. against Tri-County; and 6 p.m. against Jacksonville.
EHS will also play two games Tuesday, Dec. 27 – 1:30 p.m. against Charleston; and 4:30 p.m. against Teutopolis; and finish tournament play Wednesday, Dec. 28 – 4:30 p.m. against Danville.
Coach Jeff Schafer is just one victory shy of setting the school record for most coaching wins. He is currently tied with Jim Maxedon at 458 victories.
The Effingham Hearts turned in a pretty solid performance Saturday night, but dropped a 59-46 decision at Lincoln.
“We were patient and handled ourselves well against their press,” EHS coach Obie Farmer said. “We missed four point-blank layups and gave them a couple second chance opportunities. Overall, we played well, but to beat a team like Lincoln, you have to play nearly perfect.”
Andrew Donaldson connected on a pair of three-pointers and Garrett Wolfe added another from long range and the Hearts were within 15-11 after the first eight minutes. The Railsplitters then outscored the Hearts 14-5 in the second period to build a 29-16 advantage at halftime.
Both teams scored 30 points in the second half.
Wolfe finished with 18 points and Donaldson added 12 for the Hearts. Payton Cook, Lincoln’s 6’7” standout, scored a game-high 21 points to help the Railers improve to 8-1 overall and 4-1 in the Apollo Conference.
The Hearts dropped to 4-8 overall and 3-2 in league play. They will not play again until Wednesday, Dec. 28, when they face Highland in a first-round game of the Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic. That game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Ask virtually any local or area basketball coach about Jeff Schafer and one of the comments you will hear most often is this:
“His teams are always prepared.”
According to the veteran Effingham girls coach, he got that from his high school coach – Jim Maxedon.
That characteristic served both coaches very well.
When Maxedon retired from coaching the Hearts in 1991, he had chalked up 458 wins in 24 seasons at EHS. It was, by far, the most wins any coach at the school had recorded.
Until Thursday night.
The Lady Hearts put together a terrific performance, especially over the final three quarters, and posted a convincing 65-43 victory over the St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs.
The gave Schafer his 458th victory, tying him with Maxedon.
“It’s pretty cool,” Schafer admitted. “I went to school here and played for Coach Maxedon. I’ve copied him a lot through the years. His teams were always prepared to play and I’ve tried to do the same thing. I also use his practice plan. He had a big influence on me.”
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