Sports
St. Elmo Holiday Tournament opens play Tuesday
ST. ELMO — Top-seeded and defending champion Altamont High School rolls into the 49th Annual St. Elmo Boys' Basketball Holiday Tournament as the prohibitive favorite this week, boasting a 4-0 record which includes blowout victories over second-seeded South Central and No. 3 Brownstown.
Never mind that the No. 1 seed has failed to win the first-place trophy at St. Elmo four of the last five years, or that Altamont's huge triumphs at the expense of South Central and Brownstown only mean the latter two squads will be highly motivated for revenge.
Such points are not lost on Altamont Coach Doug Hill, who is 23-7 (.767) for his career in the tournament, including four of the Indians' record eight championships.
"People know what we've got and there is a huge target on our back every game, every night," said Hill, whose squad opens defense of its title Tuesday evening at 6:15 against No. 8 Ramsey. "But our kids are young, strong, and confident."
Hill might also have added "tall."
With the most towering frontline in Altamont's 96-year history, the Indians go 6-foot-9, 6-6 and 6-6 below the basket to present possibly the most lopsided height advantage ever seen at the tourney. Senior Greg Sperry, the tallest of that trio, is scheduled to become the first player taller than 6-7 ever to compete in the tournament.
Throw in a shooting guard who averages 20 points per game and a point guard who dishes nearly 10 assists per night, and it's understandable why Altamont is playing with such confidence.
Knowing his basketball history, Hill is also fully aware that nothing is a foregone conclusion.
For example, South Central boasts an Illinois Hall of Fame coach who has guided the Cougars to a 22-7 record against Altamont over the last 20 years, while Brownstown is the school which stunned the Indians in February of 2007 on the latter's home floor in postseason play.
No. 4 Mulberry Grove and No. 5 Beecher City traditionally post some of the most tenacious efforts of holiday tournament week, while No. 6 St. Elmo always looms a danger as Altamont's archrival.
Not to be overlooked, No. 7 Cowden-Herrick and No. 8 Ramsey have been known to scorch the nets from three-point range in recent years, enabling both to pull their share of surprises.
Action begins at St. Elmo's historic gymnasium Tuesday night with the Ramsey/Altamont contest, followed by Mulberry Grove and Beecher City at approximately 7:45. Quarterfinal play continues on Wednesday evening, with South Central facing Cowden-Herrick at 6:15 and Fayette County rivals Brownstown and St. Elmo taking the floor in the nightcap.
Following semifinal rounds in both the championship and consolation brackets Thursday and Friday, the tournament concludes Saturday with the consolation final at 5 p.m., followed by the third-place contest at 6:30 and the championship at 8.
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