High School Sports
Gillespie boys advance to Macoupin County Tournament championship
Quentin Zenner finishes with 14 points in Gillespie’s victory over Staunton.
The Gillespie High School boys’ basketball team edged Staunton 70-52 last night to advance to the title game in the Macoupin County Tournament that will take place in Gillespie tonight at 8 p.m. The young Miner team is familiar with the championship atmosphere after winning the Carlinville Holiday Tournament less than a month ago.
The Miners (#2) will face number 1 seed Southwestern in the championship game who are undefeated in tournament after posting victories over North Mac (55-41) and Carlinville (79-50). The Birds are led by Tyler Rose and Andrew Fry who have combined to score 59 of the team’s 134 points in the tournament.
[pullquote]The young Miner team is familiar with the championship atmosphere after winning the Carlinville Holiday Tournament less than a month ago.[/pullquote]Gillespie is 13-5 on the season and 9-0 since losing to Greenville back on December 19, 2014.
Gillespie 70, Staunton 52
Tate Wargo knocks down a layup for Gillespie.
The Miners proved their second half strength once again after outscoring Staunton 24-12 in the fourth quarter to punch their ticket to the championship game. Gillespie trailed Staunton 19-20 at halftime before taking a 6-point lead by the end of the third quarter thanks to a 3-point play by Evan Price as the game clock expired.
Evan finished with 12 while Nick Price led the team with 22 points. Quentin Zenner posted 14 in the matchup. Gillespie shot 87% from the free throw line making 13 of 15 attempts to seal the victory.
Gillespie 57, Bunker Hill 53
Number two seated Gillespie was nearly upset by the number six seed Monday evening after the Miners trailed Bunker Hill 30-34 at halftime. The team overcame the deficit in the third quarter outscoring the Minutemen 13-8 to lead 43-42 heading into the final quarter.
The Miners carried the one-point lead into the fourth quarter and extended their lead to 47-44 with 3:50 left in the game. Gillespie jumped ahead 52-44 nearly 20 seconds later after making 5 of 6 free throw attempts from a Bunker Hill foul and then a double-technical on Bunker Hill. Gillespie’s 76% shooting percentage from the charity line sealed the victory, 57-53.
[pullquote]Gillespie is 13-5 on the season and 9-0 since losing to Greenville back on December 19, 2014.[/pullquote]Bunker Hill’s Michael Yates led all scorers with 21 points. Evan Price led Gillespie with 17 while Nick Price posted 15. Eli Fox followed with 9 for the Miners.
Gillespie 80, Mt. Olive 38
The host Miners knocked off Mt. Olive on the opening day of the tournament last Saturday, 80-38. The Wildcats posted little fight as Gillespie led 22-9 after the first quarter and later 46-28 at halftime. The Miners grew their lead in the third quarter outscoring Mt. Olive 29-8 to lead 75-36 heading into the fourth quarter.
Gillespie rotated nearly every player in the game against Mt. Olive with 10 of their 13 players posting at least one point. With a continuous clock in the fourth quarter, Gillespie slowed play down and finished with only five points in the quarter.
Nick Price led the team with 18 points, 12 of those points coming from his four three-pointers. Evan Price followed closely with 17 and Quentin Zenner and Blake Hayes each posted 10.
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In a decisive finish that underscored his rising dominance in Illinois Class 1A cross country, senior Chaz Oberkfell of Gillespie High School claimed the state title with a time of 14:31.10 at the IHSA State Cross Country Championships held at Detweiller Park on Saturday, November 8.
Finishing just behind Oberkfell, sophomore Evan Knobloch of Toulon (Stark County) crossed the line in 14:46.25, placing second. Rounding out the top five were senior Blake McLeese of Tuscola (14:46.45), senior Luca Bryja of Elgin (Harvest Christian Academy) with 14:48.38, and senior Elijah Teefey of Pleasant Plains at 14:49.02.
This victory marks Oberkfell’s second IHSA Class 1A state championship. He also won the state crown as a junior in 2024 with a time of 14:31.87. In his sophomore year, he finished 21st with a 15:21.43 season-best time.
Looking ahead, Oberkfell is set to compete in the New Balance NXR Midwest Regional Championships on Sunday, November 16, at the LaVerne Gibson Course in Indiana. The meet serves as a critical stepping stone toward the national championships, and Oberkfell will look to carry his state momentum into the regional stage.
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In a nail-biting showdown that will be remembered for years to come, the Gillespie Miners girls basketball team captured the South Central Conference title with a hard-fought 55-52 victory over the Pana Panthers on Thursday night, February 13. This marks Gillespie’s first conference championship since their back-to-back titles in 2001-02, when they shared the honors with Southwestern both finishing with a 9-1 conference record.
The game held at Pana High School was anything but straightforward. After a tumultuous 13-minute delay due to injuries and a technical foul controversy, the Miners rallied their spirits to secure the win. Amari Vickery led the charge with a stellar performance, scoring 21 points, while Mia Brawner added 11, Maggie Heyen contributed 10, Delaney Taylor posted 5, Sadie Sholtis scored 4, and Lainey Edwards and Corrine Fellin each had 2 points.
From the opening tip, it was clear that Pana was not going to roll over easily. The Panthers held leads at the end of the first two quarters, 15-14 and 28-26, showcasing their tenacity. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Pana had edged ahead 44-42, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
However, the game took a chaotic turn in the fourth quarter when a collision between Vickery and teammate Sloane Brawner resulted in both players going down with injuries. Sloane was not able to return the game but Vickery did. The Miners also lost both Delaney Taylor and Sadie Sholtis to fouls and Gillespie was assessed a technical foul under controversial circumstances which tied the game at 49. But Heyen carried the weight through the fourth quarter recording 6 of her 10 points in the final quarter of play.
Despite the setbacks, the Miners displayed remarkable teamwork resilience under the leadership of Nikki and Matt Brawner. With the SCC championship secured and the regular season concluded with a 22-8 overall record and 9-0 conference record, the Miners now shift their focus to the upcoming regional which is being hosted in Gillespie.
Gillespie hosts Alton Marquette on Monday, Feb. 17 for the regional semi-finals after Alton Marquette knocked East-Alton Wood River, 36-29, to face the Miners. The winner advances to the regional championship that will be played on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in Gillespie versus the winner of Staunton/Roxana.
