EHS at Mount Zion; Bulldogs host Lawrenceville

Dustin White

After a bout of weather-related postponements earlier in the week, a majority of local schools are back in session and the prep boys basketball scene should be back in full swing with 14 regular-season games plus a half-dozen tournament games scheduled.

Effingham High School is set to make the longest trip of the Apollo Conference schedule when it travels north for a Mega Night at Mount Zion.

Following a girls game between the Flaming Hearts and Braves, the boys will square off with one team trying to remain undefeated in league play and the other targeting its first win of the Apollo season.

Effingham (2-5, 0-3 Apollo) hasn't won since beating Taylorville 59-56 on Nov. 28 at the St. Anthony Thanksgiving tournament and had Tuesday's non-conference game at Teutopolis pushed to Monday, Jan. 5, because of the icy conditions earlier this week.

Mount Zion (4-2, 3-0) started off the year going 1-2 at the Stephen Decatur Thanksgiving Tournament, but since then has won three in a row over Olney (66-63), Salem (75-63) and Newton (69-50).

Here in town, St. Anthony High School has a non-conference meeting set with visiting Lawrenceville at The Enlow Center; the Bulldogs (5-1) and Indians (4-2) each ride a two-game winning streak.

Lawrenceville is off to a solid start, hopefully erasing the memories of last year's 5-22 follow-up to an 0-25 campaign in 2006-07. In the four seasons prior to that, the Indians had accumulated 87 wins against just 27 losses.

St. Anthony has been off for a week since blistering St. Elmo 87-39 on the Bulldogs' homecoming night.

The Northsiders also have an afternoon home game scheduled with Dieterich for Saturday before next weekend's Charleston Holiday Tournament, where they have drawn the wrong half of what seems to be a poorly-balanced 16-team bracket.

National Trail Conference

Friday is scheduled to be homecoming game night for Teutopolis (3-2, 1-0 NTC) as it welcomes Neoga (3-3, 2-0) to J.H. Griffin to renew their National Trail Conference rivalry.

The two schools used to square off twice per regular season (at each other's homecoming), but cut one of those games a couple years ago.

Now, whichever team has the alternating home date uses it as its homecoming, and the Wooden Shoes will have a chance to avenge last year's 41-39 loss at Neoga's homecoming — the first loss of that nature since 1994 for T-town.

Stewardson-Strasburg (5-0, 0-0) and Windsor (2-4, 1-1) are scheduled to play on the Blue Devils' home court tonight, but both schools have again called off classes today, making the evening game a question mark.

Apollo Conference

Robinson (6-2, 3-0 Apollo) joins Mount Zion as the other undefeated team atop the Apollo standings, and it would like to pass up or keep pace with the Braves as it makes the trip to Newton (6-2, 2-1).

Newton, which saw a four-game streak snapped at Mount Zion a week ago, would love to ride a win into next weekend's Dieterich Holiday Tournament, where it is the No. 1-seeded favorite.

Charleston (3-4, 1-2) heads south for a battle at Salem (4-5, 0-3), while Paris (6-2, 1-2) tries for a second conference win in a row at Olney (3-3, 2-1).

Little Illini Conference

Only one LIC game is on tonight's schedule as Red Hill (3-2, 1-0 LIC) hits the road to tangle with undefeated Marshall (7-0, 2-0).

The Lions haven't had an opponent stay within 10 points since they handled Teutopolis 63-54 on Nov. 29 at the Lawrence County Capital Classic. Since then, Marshall has throttled Lawrenceville (75-48), Martinsville (104-44) and Flora (74-38).

Non-Conference

Casey-Westfield (2-1) has its first out-of-league experience tonight as it heads to Chrisman, while Flora (3-7) has a home date with the always-tough club from Madison.

The annual Shrine Game at Lincoln Trail College in Robinson will be contested by Hutsonville/Palestine and Oblong; there is also a girls game slated between the same schools.

Dieterich (5-3) makes its way to Louisville to play North Clay (3-1), renewing a formal Midland Trail Conference rivalry; Mount Carmel also heads to Waltonville (3-2).

St. Elmo Holiday Tournament

The 49th annual event plays on with two games tonight; at 6:15 p.m., No. 7 Cowden-Herrick (2-3) plays No. 6 St. Elmo (0-9) before the 7:45 p.m. matchup of No. 2 South Central (2-3) and No. 3 Brownstown (4-5).

The winner of the first game will face Mulberry Grove in Saturday's 5 p.m. consolation championship for fifth place, while the second game is a championship semifinal for a chance to face either No. 1 Altamont in the 8 p.m. title game or No. 5 Beecher City in the 6:30 p.m. third-place game.

Saturday Games

As mentioned, Dieterich is at St. Anthony for non-conference play Saturday, while Stew-Stras is scheduled for a trip to Jacksonville and the Illinois College Shootout against Illini Central.

Hutsonville/Palestine and Red Hill are both at the Shiloh Shootout, while Mount Zion has a home game with Decatur Eisenhower.

Dustin White can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 123 or dustin.white@effinghamdailynews.com.

Text Only