IHSA Championship Day: Young Guns Prove Their Worth

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Saturday's IHSA Championship games were full of excitement! The 2A championship had four lead changes, while the 3A championship saw three. Both the 1A and 4A games had two lead changes. Several freshmen and sophomores played key roles in their teams' success, whether they received first- or second-place trophies. NOTE – there were no underclassmen appearances in the 4A championship.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Goreville Blackcats vs Chicago Marshall Commandos – </strong><em>(1A Championship)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(#32) Braden Compton is a medium-framed freshman for the Goreville Blackcats. During the game, his role expanded. He became the primary point guard in the second half. He demonstrated his ability to bring the ball up the court quickly. He also handled pressure effectively. Compton also shows offensive potential in big games, hitting a deep three from beyond the arc in the second quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(#21) [player_tooltip player_id='2422347' first='Darrin' last='Laye Jr.'] of the Chicago Marshall Commandos definitely made his mark in the 1A championship game. Laye Jr., a sophomore for the Commandos, was all over the court. He finished with an astonishing thirty points in the Commandos' 52–44 win over the Blackcats. It didn't stop there; Laye Jr. came away with 7 boards and 6 steals for the Cats. He's a leader who communicates with his teammates, drives the offense, and jumps into passing lanes to force turnovers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Manuel Rams vs. Quincy Notre Dame Raiders – </strong><em>(2A Championship)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore (#15) Rico Booker for the Manuel Rams is a tough defender. He came away with a few steals in the 2A championship. This helped his team top the Raiders 60 – 55. Rico has fast hands and feet and is always waiting for the ball carrier to expose the ball. He had at least 2 steals and 2 rebounds in the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore (#12) [player_tooltip player_id='2917031' first='TJ' last='Togarepi'] played significant minutes for the Raiders, logging thirty minutes. It's clear that the underclassman appears to be a leader for their future. Togarepi and the Raiders were unable to secure the “W” in the championship. Still, he looked like a reliable defender with a potential scoring touch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Deerfield Warriors vs. East St. Louis Flyers – </strong><em>(3A Championship)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 3A championship ranks among my top five must-see games, with freshman (#14) [player_tooltip player_id='2403346' first='Drew' last='Schnurman'] playing a key role. Schnurman stepped up at a critical moment. He hit a baseline three-pointer. This shot gave the Warriors a one-point lead over the Flyers in the fourth quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore (#3) [player_tooltip player_id='2369868' first='Charlie' last='Yellen'] is another shooting guard for the Warriors who made his presence felt during the championship. Yellen was a reliable ball handler who can find lanes to drive, but seemed more comfortable dishing to his teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last but not least is Flyers' Freshman (#10) Emaurion Jackson. Once again, he was impressive, to say the least. He's an explosive guard who reads plays, blocks passing lanes, and cuts passes down. Jackson is a high-motor player who used his aggression to help take down the Warriors 52 – 46.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->