What Caught Parham’s Eye on Opening Night

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>***Use Code “BLACKFRIDAY2025” for 50% off your annual subscription THIS WEEK ONLY***</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No better way to kick off Thanksgiving week than with a full slate of IHSA opening-night action. The Chicagoland area delivered right away, with several standout performances and early-season statement wins. Here's a look at some of Monday night's top results.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Yorkville Christian 59, Hope Academy 56</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This matchup was billed as a premier showdown between two of the top 2026 guards in the state—[player_tooltip player_id='1874810' first='Jayden' last='Riley'] (Yorkville Christian) and Tyjuan Hunter (Hope Academy). Unfortunately, the head-to-head never materialized, as Hunter played only a couple minutes before sitting with what appeared to be a nagging injury.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Riley still delivered a strong opener, finishing with 16 points while facilitating the offense and controlling tempo. The night however belonged to 2027 guard [player_tooltip player_id='2125688' first='Tray' last='Alford'], who poured in 22 points and looked every bit like a breakout candidate for the Mustangs. His shot-making down the stretch proved to be the difference in a tight win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Plainfield East 64, St. Charles North 58</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Plainfield East leaned heavily on rising sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2406554' first='KJ' last='Miller'], who continues to trend upward after a productive summer. The versatile 6'7 guard/wing stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. Miller showed added strength, knocked down multiple threes and used his improved physicality to get downhill and finish through contact. His development will be one of the more intriguing storylines in the southwest suburbs this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Notable Individual Performances</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Several players across the area opened the season with eye-popping scoring nights:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2323275' first='Adam' last='Flowers'] (Downers Grove South)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>33 points, 10 rebounds in an overtime loss to Lincoln Park. Flowers was dominant as a three-level threat and controlled stretches of the game with his motor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2439329' first='William' last='Occomy'] (Lindblom)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Exploded for 41 points in a one-point loss to Hyde Park. One of the top pure scorers in the city put the area on notice with an elite shot-making performance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2538631' first='Grant' last='Smith'] (Lyons Township)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The sophomore made a massive varsity debut with 34 points and 9 rebounds, showcasing maturity, confidence, and advanced scoring tools for his age group. Smith led his team to a victory over Proviso East.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->