TAKING HOME THIRD: Teutopolis defeats Taylor Ridge (Rockridge) to earn third place at Class 2A State Final Tournament
Mar. 10—CHAMPAIGN — Although the Teutopolis boys basketball team didn't vie for a state championship in 2023, they did end the season with a win.
The Wooden Shoes defeated Taylor Ridge (Rockridge), 52-43, to earn third place at the Class 2A State Final Tournament at the State Farm Center on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
"I told them it was a very limited scouting report, quick turnaround," Teutopolis head coach Chet Reeder said. "We got to do the things you do and do well — diving on the floor, pressuring the basketball, running in transition and rebounding the ball; you have to trust your fundamentals and they did that for the most part.
"We wore them down."
The Shoes opened the game, trailing by one point, 11-10.
Senior James Niebrugge started with a layup for the game's first points.
Rockridge senior Jase Whiteman then knocked down a three-pointer before two free throws from senior Brendan Niebrugge made it 4-3.
Whiteman then hit another shot to make it 5-4.
Junior Garrett Gaddis then followed with a three-pointer of his own to make it 7-5.
Whiteman then tied the game after getting another shot to fall with 2:56 left before Gaddis answered by knocking down his second three-pointer to push Teutopolis ahead 10-7.
The Rockets, though, ended the first quarter strong, as sophomores Landon Bull and Caleb Cunico made back-to-back layups to equal the score at the end of the frame.
But the Wooden Shoes responded, outscoring Rockridge, 18-11, in the second quarter to make it 28-22 at the break.
Teutopolis then enjoyed a 13-point advantage heading into the fourth before the Rockets surged in the final frame, outscoring the Shoes 14-10 to make the final score.
"It felt like a Christmas tournament or a summer game," Reeder said. "We got no time to breathe and you have to move on. This is my last game to coach and I'm going to coach them as hard as I can. At halftime, I chewed them out a little bit because we weren't doing things right.
"You know this is your last game; there's no tomorrow when it comes to basketball. So, lay it all on the line. Do not leave here and think, 'I could have done more, or I wish I would have done more,' and they left it all on the line today."
Senior Caleb Simer ended his prep career with a double-double, as he scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with four assists and three steals.
Brendan Niebrugge added 10 points and seven rebounds.
Gaddis had nine points, three rebounds and one assist. Senior Caleb Bloemer had five points, one assist and one steal. James Niebrugge had four points, seven rebounds and one assist and senior Logan Roepke had three points, one rebound and one assist.
As for the Rockets, Whiteman led the team with 20 points, five rebounds, one assist and four steals.
"We knew we had to guard him," Reeder said. "He's a really good shooter and he can get in the paint. Finally, we just went no help on him and tried not to let him touch the ball. We let him get loose a couple of times, but we forced them into shots he didn't want to take. They were quick; they were off-balance. With very little prep, I thought we did a good job on him."
Bull added 10 points, four rebounds and two assists. Cunico had eight points and four rebounds and junior Carson Klemme had five points, five rebounds, one assist and four steals
The Wooden Shoes end the 2022-2023 season with a 29-8 record.
Contact EDN Sports Editor Alex Wallner at 618-510-9231 or alex.wallner@effinghamdailynews.com.
