With three straight wins the Alliance junior high boy’s basketball team is the 2024 Panhandle Conference Champ for the second year in a row. The Crusaders downed Morrill, Hyannis, and Hemingford in the finals to garner the title. With the victories, St. Agnes now sees its record improve to 6 and 2 for the year.
Crawford would host this year’s tournament with 8 teams competing in the event which was played on Monday. St. Agnes began its repeat quest by defeating Morrill 61 to 12 in the opening round. The Crusaders would score 21 first quarter points to grab the early lead. Eighth grader Jackson Devlin got SA on the scoreboard first with 3 quick points. A bucket by Crusader Caysen Robertson pushed the lead to 5 to 0 while 3 more Devlin points and another Robertson hoop made the score 10 to 0 midway through the opening quarter. Thanks to points by Cisco Cody, Jay Shelmadine, and Tripp Johnson Alliance surged ahead 18 to 0. The period ended with the Lions from Morrill tallying 4 points and a 3 point play by Alliance’s Jett Childers. After one, St. Agnes was out in front 21 to 4. Alliance was superior again in the second. The Crusaders would outscore the Lions 12 to 0. More scores by Cody, Robertson, Devlin, and Grayson Dibrito gave the Crusaders a 33 to 4 lead at halftime.
The third began with an Alliance 10 to 0 run thanks to points by Cody and Robertson. A three by Morrill stopped the run but St. Agnes countered with the period’s next 8 points. In the run the Crusaders got points by Devlin, Johnson, Trey Carter, and a three by Dixon Bair. Going to the fourth St. Agnes led 51 to 7. A trey by Dibrito is how the fourth began. It was followed by a three by Morrill. The game closed with points by Crusader Danny Jelinek and Bair. Final St. Agnes 61 Morrill 12
MOR 4 0 3 5 12
SA 21 12 18 10 61
Ten Crusaders would get into the scorebook led by Cody who had 14 and Devlin with 13. The rest of the book read: Robertson 8 Bair 5 Dibrito 5 Jelinek 5 Johnson 4 Childers 3 Carter 2 Shelmadine 2
In the second round, the Crusaders had their hands full with the Longhorns of Hyannis. St. Agnes would pull away in the second half and go on to down the Horns 36 to 29. In the opening period it was Hyannis gaining the upper hand, outscoring SA 9 to 7. The Crusaders would get first quarter points by Devlin, Robertson, and Bair. Play was tight in the second. Buckets by Cody and Devlin tied the game at 11. Down 3, back to back threes by Johnson gave the Crusaders a lead at 17 to 14. The half closed with 5 Longhorn points and a score by Robertson. The teams went to half with the game knotted at 19.
Both defenses were strong in the third. Hyannis was limited to one hoop and 4 free throws. Meanwhile points Robertson and Tanner Salcido kept St. Agnes close. A huge Bair 3 plus a score by Jelinek gave Alliance a lead at 28 to 25 heading to the fourth. The finale saw just 4 points by Hyannis while baskets by Devlin and Robertson helped SA keep the lead. Free throws by Devlin and Shelmadine sealed the 36 to 29 win for Alliance.
HY 9 10 6 4 29
SA 7 12 9 8 36
Eleven Devlin points led Alliance while Robertson added 7. Johnson had 6 with Bair netting 5. Scoring 2 apiece were Cody, Jelinek, and Salcido Finishing with one was Shelmadine.
In the finals St. Agnes faced the Bobcats of Hemingford. It was a rematch of last year’s finals which were won by the Crusaders. Seventeen first period points by SA helped the Crusaders cruise to a 47 to 14 win. Down 2 to 0, St. Agnes scored the match’s next 12 points to build an early lead. The Crusaders would receive points in the run from Salcido, Cody, Robertson, Devlin, and Bair. The period closed with a Bobcat goal and St. Agnes points by Cody and Johnson. After period #1 Alliance led 17 to 4. Hemingford would be held to just 2 points in the second while Alliance would score 7. Buckets by Devlin and Johnson plus a Jelinek three made the score 24 to 6 at half in favor of the Crusaders.
Both teams would score 8 points each in the third. Two quick hoops by Robertson and buckets by Cody and Bair helped the Crusaders maintain their lead. The quarter closed with 6 straight by the Bobcats and Alliance ahead 32 to 14. SA finished the contest, outscoring Hemingford 15 to 0. Points by Crusaders Cody, Robertson, Salcido, Johnson, Jelinek, and Phoenix Red Nest ended the scoring. SA 47 Hemingford 14
HEM 4 2 8 0 14
SA 17 7 8 15 47
Points for Alliance Salcido 6 Cody 8 Robertson 8 Devlin 4 Bair 4 Johnson 8 Jelinek 5 Red Nest 4.