That win, their fourth in three days, earned them the championship trophy in the 11th annual Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic.
This was the Bulldogs’ first trip to the finals in the seven years they’ve competed in this tournament and they became the smallest school to win it.
What does that say about their program?
“I think it says we’re going to compete regardless of who we play,” St. Anthony coach Cody Rincker said. “We’ll be prepared, we’ll be physical and we won’t be intimidated.
“When I saw the pairings, I felt confident about our first two games and thought we had a good chance to get to the semifinals,” Rincker added. “At that point, I figured we would see either Lincoln Way East or Tolono Unity. So, I knew it would be a dogfight to get to the championship. When you get to those games, you just give it your best shot and let the chips fall.”
Nobody expected St. Anthony and T-Town to be in the finals. LWE and Champaign Centennial were the favorites. But the Shoes knocked off Centennial Friday afternoon and the Bulldogs took care of the Griffins later that night.
As a result, virtually everyone was excited about an all-local championship game. And as expected, the Effingham High School gym was full.
The fan base dressed in red and white got excited when their Bulldogs went on 8-0 run to close out the first quarter. Ryan Schmidt knocked down a three-pointer and added a free throw, while Keenan Griffith hit a short jumper and Brock Fearday made a pair of foul shots to build a 17-7 advantage.
But when the second quarter got underway, the cheers began ringing out from the other side of the gym. Mick Niebrugge, who turned in a strong double-double performance, scored twice from in close and added a pair of free throws. Landyn Thoele then came off the bench to score on consecutive possessions.
With 5:13 to go in the opening half, the double-digit lead was gone and the score was tied, 17-17.
After Sam Link and Niebrugge traded baskets, however, the final three minutes belonged to the Bulldogs. Schmidt made a nice drive to the bucket for a score and Brock Fearday converted a THS turnover into another basket. Then, with 49 seconds left, Brock Fearday was fouled on a three-point attempt. He made all three foul shots and St. Anthony took a seven-point edge, 26-19, to the locker room at intermission.
“I was happy with how we came back to tie the game,” Teutopolis coach Chet Reeder noted. “But then we missed three layups. That’s like a turnover when that happens, especially against good teams.
“I give credit to Cody and his staff,” Reeder added. “They had a good game plan for us and played tough defense. But our guys never gave up. They kept talking to each other and kept the energy up. We just couldn’t get over the hump.”
The third quarter proved decisive.
The lead fluctuated between 7 and 12 points for the first four minutes. After Thoele scored, was fouled and completed a three-point play, the Shoes were within 34-25 at the 3:45 mark.
But once again, the Bulldogs went on a run.
Brock Fearday got it started with a basket. Griffith then scored on back-to-back possessions – one a shot from behind the arc – and Schmidt capped the 9-0 spree with a jumper. That made it an 18-point spread, 43-25, the largest lead of the game.
Drew Hoene hit a shot from long range and Niebrugge had a three-point play for the Shoes, but Will Fearday also had a three for St. Anthony. Heading into the final eight minutes, the Bulldogs were on top, 46-31.
Hoene tried to get the Shoes back within striking distance. He connected on a trio of three-pointers, plus Niebrugge hit two more jumpers. But the margin was never less than nine points. Schmidt made 5-of-6 free throws in the final period to help the Bulldogs stay comfortably ahead and secure the win.
“They’re two dudes (Schmidt and Brock Fearday) are pretty good,” Reeder said. “They’re all-staters for a reason. I thought we played well against them, but they made some difficult plays and some difficult shots.”
Schmidt finished with a game-high 26 points. That included scoring his 1,000th career point early in the fourth period. Brock Fearday scored 14 and Griffith added 10 to pace the St. Anthony scoring attack.
Both Schmidt and Fearday were named to the all-tournament team, along with Alex Kremer and Niebrugge from T-Town.
“Ryan has worked hard to put himself in position to make those shots,” Rincker said. “I’m proud of him and happy for him to reach 1,000 points.
“Our other players have also done a great job,” Rincker added. “They are good ballplayers that are still learning the varsity game. They are crucial to our success and they just keep getting better and better.”
Niebrugge led the Shoes with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Hoene scored 14 and Thoele added 10.
“Mick continues to get better,” Reeder said. “He didn’t play last year due to an injury, so he’s still a little raw. But he takes coaching well and has really stepped up for us.”
Teutopolis didn’t shoot the ball well. They made 18-of-52 attempts overall, a 35 percent clip. They were 5-for-20 from three-point range and 8-for-11 at the foul line. They did hold a 27-21 rebounding advantage.
“You have to make shots,” Reeder noted. “I thought we got some good looks. We just didn’t make enough. We started making a few in the fourth quarter, but it was too late.”
The Bulldogs shot 46 percent, connecting on 19-of-41 shots. They were 5-for-12 from behind the arc and 17-for-21 at the line. Brock Fearday and Griffith both grabbed seven rebounds.
The Shoes are now 9-4 on the season. They will travel to Monticello on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
“I’m extremely proud of this team,” Reeder said. “We went 3-1 against really good teams in this tournament. It wasn’t always pretty, but we saw some different styles and were able to grind out a couple wins. I think we’re in good position for the second half of our season.”
The Bulldogs, ranked No. 4 in the latest Class 1A poll, improved to 13-2. They will play at home against Robinson on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
“I love this rivalry with T-Town. We’re both ultra-competitive teams,” Rincker said. “Both teams are mentally and physically tough and play hard against each other. But when the game is over, we shake hands and then talk and laugh with each other. That’s what makes it such a great rivalry. That’s what makes it special.”
The St. Anthony coach is also looking forward to the next phase of the season.
“It’s a luxury to coach this team,” Rincker admitted. “They are unselfish and play extremely hard at both ends of the floor. We’re going to enjoy this win, but we’re also going to continue to work hard and improve.”
