Wolverines headed to State Championship: 8th Grade edition

 

[February 17, 2025]  The West Lincoln-Broadwell Wolverines boys basketball team will play for another state championship this week.

This edition features the Wolverines playing in the 2025 IESA 8th Grade Class 1A State Tournament championship game.

The Wolverines (26-3) will play Peoria St. Jude (27-2) on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. at Warrensburg-Latham Middle School for the state championship.

On Saturday afternoon WLB defeated Ransom 47-36 in the first round of the state tournament.

The first game was close early, with the score 8-4 after the first quarter. By halftime the Wolverines were up 20-11.

WLB held Ransom down 33-22 as the third quarter closed. Ransom was a big team but the Wolverines earned the 47-36 victory to move on.

Maddox Whiteman led WLB with 19 points.

In Saturday night’s semifinal versus Augusta Southeastern WLB won 45-27.

In the semifinal the Wolverines sprinted to an 11-2 first quarter lead but Augusta Southeastern closed the gap to 19-13 by halftime.

The third quarter was too close for comfort, with WLB hanging on to a 28-22 lead.

The WLB boys went on a tear in the fourth quarter and put up twelve unanswered points. The 12-0 run was started by a three from Griffen Cross and ended with a three from Maddox Whiteman. The boys had busted the game wide open by this point and they breezed to the 45-27 win.

Colby Bowman led the team with 13 points.

Kruz Froebe battled to get 10 points.

These boys might need a little rest before Thursday night's championship showdown with Peoria St. Jude. Staying healthy is key.

First round scoring
WLB 47
Whiteman 19
Cross 9
Hayes 8
Froebe 7
Bowman 2
Schaffenacker 2

Ransom 36
Thorp 11
Muntz 10
Lukach 4
Van Duzer 3
Park 3
Dippel 3
Stevens 2

Semifinal scoring
WLB 45
Bowman 13
Froebe 10
Cross 8
Hayes 6
Whiteman 6
Schaffenacker 2

Augusta Southeastern 27
Ramsey 12
Lantz 9
Akers 2
Stephens 2
Reuschel 2

[Teena Lowery]