Teutopolis welcomes home Wooden Shoes after historic season

Mar. 12—TEUTOPOLIS — To cap off an impressive postseason run, Teutopolis residents lined the streets in the heart of the village to officially welcome home the Teutopolis boys basketball team after their recent third place win in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state tournament.

Following a parade down Main Street in Teutopolis, players, cheerleaders, fans and other local residents filled J.H. Griffin Gym at Teutopolis High School to celebrate the historic season.

To kick off the ceremony, Village President David Repking read a proclamation declaring Sunday, March 12, "Wooden Shoes Basketball Day."

Among others who spoke during the ceremony Sunday was Teutopolis Unit 50 Superintendent Matthew Sturgeon, who was welcomed to the stage by Teutopolis High School Principal Tanner Lawson.

Sturgeon congratulated the team on placing third in the 2023 IHSA state tournament and defined what it means to be a Wooden Shoe.

"Wooden Shoes are family, they are tradition, they are community, and they are progress," Sturgeon said.

Jason Roepke, the father of Teutopolis senior Logan Roepke, spoke on behalf of senior players' parents during the ceremony. Roepke recognized local fans for packing the stands at the State Farm Center for the tournament.

"That place is a huge venue, and guys, we did a great job to fill it up," Roepke said.

Additionally, Roepke took a moment to express his and other parents' appreciation for the high school's cheerleaders, who were with the team every step of the way during their long journey to the state championship.

"Girls, we played 37 games this year, and there's no doubt in my mind that you ended with 37 wins and zero losses," Roepke said.

Roepke also thanked coaches and reminded the crowd of the team's motto: "Earned not given."

"You guys lived up to this motto so well, and you earned every bit of it boys," he said. "Today is most definitely a great day to be a Shoe."

Also during the ceremony, an emotional Chet Reeder, the head coach of the Teutopolis High School basketball team spoke to the crowd.

"The outpouring of support means so much," Reeder said. "I've got the best job in the world,"

Reeder emphasized the impact the team and its players have on the community, especially its children.

"I know that when they're out on the playground they're not pretending to be Michael Jordan, Steph Curry or LeBron James. They're pretending to be one of these guys, and that's what's so special about this community," Reeder said.

Reeder fought back tears as he recognized his family and the team's five senior players.

"Thank you for making me a better coach," Reeder said. "It has been an honor to coach you five."

Reeder is the coach of one of only four Teutopolis basketball teams to ever make it to the state tournament.

"It's really cool to even be mentioned in that same breath," Reeder said.

When asked what he thinks he will remember the most about this team, it is how hard they've worked to get as far as they did this season.

"They turned in championship practices every day, and that's what I'll remember the most about this group," Reeder said.

After the ceremony, Reeder reflected on the team's preparation before defeating Taylor Ridge (Rockridge) to win third place in the state tournament.

The team had just experienced a heartbreaking loss against Chicago (DePaul College Prep) in the state semifinal, but they remained determined.

"We just said, 'You've got one game left. There's no tomorrow. Lay it all on the line,'" Reeder said. "And that's what they did."

Also in reference to the team's ability to bounce back to win third place in the state tournament Thursday, Teutopolis senior Caleb Siemer said the team was determined to end the season on a strong note with their victory over Taylor Ridge (Rockridge).

"We didn't want to go home with our final game being a loss," Siemer said.

Siemer also expressed his appreciation for the overwhelming support the community has shown throughout the season, particularly at the State Farm Center when they took the court during the state tournament this year.

"I saw a bunch of blue and gold," Siemer said of the crowd. "They've always been supporting me, cheering me on, especially the kids."

James Niebrugge was also among the five Teutopolis seniors who addressed the crowd during the ceremony Sunday.

"This is a great group to be with and I couldn't ask for better teammates," Niebrugge said Sunday.

Following the ceremony, Niebrugge reflected fondly on getting to play two games at the State Farm Center Thursday.

"It's always kind of been a dream for me," he said.

Like Niebrugge, Teutopolis senior Logan Roepke reflected positively on the opportunity to play on such high-level court with the same teammates he's been playing with for almost his entire life.

"U of I was a surreal moment," Roepke said. "You get the feeling that you've made it."

Fellow senior Caleb Bloemer is happy to be a part of the team that finally brought Teutopolis High School back to the state tournament for the first time since 2007.

"It felt good to finally break the curse," he said.

Another senior, Brendan Niebrugge, briefly reflected on the historical season after the ceremony Sunday.

"It means a lot to put our names in the history book," he said.

Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or

by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300132.