By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Four minutes into the game, things didn’t look good on Homecoming Night.

The Teutopolis Wooden Shoes missed their first six shots, turned the ball over three times and trailed by nine points.

But as THS coach Chet Reeder said, “eventually it all clicked.”

Sparked by the deadly long range shooting by Evan Wermert and the strong play of Brock Deters inside, when the Shoes did get rolling, there was no stopping them.

And when the final horn sounded Friday night, there was reason to celebrate Homecoming. Teutopolis had posted a 77-65 victory over a talented Bloomington Central Catholic squad.

The Shoes first point came on a free throw by Matthew Deters at the 3:27 mark of the opening period. Wermert hit the team’s first basket 30 seconds later. But the Saints dominated early and owned an 18-8 advantage after the first eight minutes.

“We were finally playing at home,” Reeder noted. “I think the guys were pressing a little and I think they were a little nervous. But I am impressed with their resiliency. They stuck with it. I’m really proud of these guys.”

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The Teutopolis Junior High seventh grade girls basketball team completed another successful season by finishing fourth in the IESA Class 3A State Tournament, played at Auburn High School.

The Lady Shoes wrapped up their season with a 23-18 setback to Germantown Hills Thursday night.

TJHS led 16-13 at halftime, but Germantown Hills outscored the Lady Shoes 6-0 in the third period and 10-2 in the second half to get the win. Chloe Probst led T-Town with eight points.

Teutopolis opened state tourney play with a 26-14 victory over Lockport. The Lady Shoes used a 16-7 scoring surge in the second half to pull away. Malea Helmink scored 10 points for TJHS.

In the semifinal contest, Staunton prevailed by a score of 36-19. T-Town led 13-11 at halftime, but was outscored 25-11 in the second half. Probst had six points to lead TJHS.

The Lady Shoes ended their season with a 19-10 record.

The Teutopolis Lady Shoes outscored St. Joe-Ogden 14-4 in the fourth quarter Thursday night to pull away and post a 48-31 road victory.

T-Town led throughout, but the Lady Spartans were always within striking distance through the third quarter. The Lady Shoes led 12-8 after eight minutes, 23-18 at halftime and 34-27 heading into the fourth period.

Olivia Niemerg hit a 3-pointer and Lexie Niebrugge added four points in the final eight minutes to help THS expand the lead down the stretch.

Three Lady Shoes reached double figures. Ciara Roepke led the way with 13 points, while Karsyn Mette scored 12 and Niebrugge added 10. Mette also pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, while Niemerg had six steals and dished out four assists.

The Lady Shoes, now 7-1 and ranked in the AP’s Top 10 for Class 2A, will return home Monday to face Danville. They will also play Saturday at Olney.

The Teutopolis Wooden Shoes used a big third quarter to pull away, en route to a 62-31 win Tuesday night at Paris.

The Shoes held a 29-20 advantage at halftime, but then outscored Paris 23-9 in the third period to build a 23-point margin, 52-29, and take control of the game.

T-Town had a balanced scoring attack, placing three players in double figures. Evan Wermert led the way with 13 points, while Jordan Hardiek and Luke Ungrund scored 12 and 11 respectively. Wermert had a fine all-around game, also contributing eight rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.

“Our defensive execution was much better in the second half,” said THS coach Chet Reeder. “Our patience on offense was also better. It helped get us some great shots.”

The Shoes, who improved to 5-1, will face a tough opponent Friday night. They will welcome Bloomington Central Catholic to J.H. Griffin Gymnasium. T-Town enters as the No. 6 ranked team in the AP Class 2A poll, while BCC also received votes, but are outside the Top 10.

It will also be Homecoming at Teutopolis.