Hornets rally late to win State


Darren Kinnard
Section618.com

CHAMPAIGN — The Nashville Hornets made it a habit this postseason of winning close games, so it only seemed appropriate that the Hornets would rally from six points down late to beat Monticello 32-31 to win the 2A State Championship.

And naturally the clinching play came on a defensive stand.

After Joey Sprinkle’s layup with 2:40 to play gave the Sages a 31-25 lead, Nolan Heggemeier hit a three-pointer. Then following a Monticello turnover, Kolten Gajewski put back an offensive rebound to pull Nashville within one at 31-30 with 59 seconds to play.

Gajewski finished with a double-double to lead the Hornets–14 points and 11 rebounds.

With 35 seconds to play, the Sages missed a layup, which Nashville senior Saxton Hoepker rebounded. The Hornets quickly attacked, and Hoepker scored the go ahead basket with 20 seconds to play. It was his only basket of the game.

The Sages had a final opportunity to win it, but multiple Hornets prevented Monticello’s leading scorer Ben Cresap from getting a clean look with Hoepker blocking his shot. As the teams scrambled for the ball, the clock ran out, the buzzer sounded, and the Hornets celebrated their first boys basketball state tournament in 44 years.

That title came back in 1978 in the Assembly Hall. This one came in the same building, now known as the State Farm Center, as the boys tournaments returned to Champaign this year for the first time since 1995.

It’s two state titles for the Weathers, as Patrick and Brad are believed to be the first father/son duo to each win basketball championships–Brad’s coming back in 1989 as head coach at Carlyle now Patrick’s in his first year as the Hornets’ head coach, with his dad on the bench as an assistant.

Now the Hornets will get to hang a white championship banner in their Assembly Hall.