John Curtis

Daily Union Sports Editor

Shelby Area prep basketball teams were taking on teams from all over the downstate area and taking on the heat, as well this week in Vandalia at one of the two shootouts to be hosted by the Vandals.

Shelbyville, Stew-Stras, Pana and Windsor were four Shelby Area teams involved Monday and Tuesday. On Thursday and Friday in the second shootout, Shelbyville returned and was joined by Central A&M.;

Shelbyville hasn’t beaten too many teams in their three shootouts so far this summer, Pana is about .500 and so is Stew-Stras. All the area teams are checking out the new chemistry on their rosters brought about by graduations and underclassmen moving up.

Shelbyville has a new coach Matt Franks and an accompanying change in offensive and defensive philosophies. So, Shelbyville is still a little behind the learning curve, as they try to implement a new system and new mindset on the job at these shootouts.

“We’ll have two good rotations on defense and then have one bad one,” said Coach Franks.

Shelby was 0-3 at the Mahomet Shootout early in the month, and went 1-2 at St. Joe. The Rams beat Momence and came within four points of St. Joe. The Rams also lost to Princeton, a super-sectional team from last year. At Vandy on Monday, the Rams lost to Greenville, lost to Murphysboro and only beat Ramsey.

The Rams were led early this week by senior point guard Caine Cloe, a 3-year starter, and forward Dustyn Fatheree. The rest of the crew at Vandy were all freshmen: Jake Keown, Nathan Standerfer, Brody Bence, Tucker Schwengel, and Kurtis Cameron. Upperclassmen Levi Pruemer and Cody Langan, who were at basketball camp, and Austin Smith are expected to join them for the season.

Stew-Stras is only adding to their existing strength. Point guard Jaden Widdersheim and his fellow shootist Will Rincker were back for more and Jon Hoene was the lone anchor in the post with Chris Koontz on vacation. Add to that Kyle Helmuth, Luke Rincker, Zack Rincker, and some new pieces and they don’t seem to have skipped a beat.

Pana will be relying on Sharpshooter Derek Ade, some inside presence from forwards Nick Spracklen and Jake Adcock. A cast of upperclassmen hustlers like Dominick Rice and Adam Metzger and other former JV players ready to make the next step could fuel a surprise up tempo team.

Windsor has lost a group of seniors like, Jake McIlwain, Travis Trimble, Trevor Warner, but their sophomore-heavy cast from last year are now juniors, more experienced, more mature, and stronger.

Pana played Chrisman on Tuesday and went into overtime. In sudden death, Chrisman missed a shot and Pana came down and got Adcock in the paint for a short jumper and the win.

Shelbyville played Stew-Stras and the Comets gradually made it a 20-point win. Shelbyville didn’t penetrate enough, like their new coach wants, and settled for outside shots, which became the bulk of their scoring.

The Comets tried to break down the Ram defense and drive or dish and also got the ball into Hoene, who was unmatched. After the Shelby Stew-Stras game, Pana played again, this time against St. Elmo, which was undersized, but undaunted in their attempt to upset the Panthers.

In the Ram v. Comet game, the Comets went out to a 5-0 lead on a 3 and a 2, before Fatheree scored on a baseline hook. But, Hoene answered right back inside. Keown shaked and baked for a 2-point jumper. Hoene got a put back the next time down, 9-4. Standerfer dialed up a three and the Rams were back in it temporarily 9-7.

Will Rincker answered with a trey, then Widdersheim scored a two for a 14-7 lead. Keown hit a three from the key to stay close, 14-10. Hoene was fouled and sank both shots. Two minutes later Widdersheim scored on an inbound lay-up and then drove for two the next time down, 20-10 Comets.

The Rams missed an air-ball three and Zack Rincker got a two, 22-10. Brody Bence was fouled with 8 seconds left in the first and buried both, 22-12.

Cloe opened the second by knocking down a trey, 22-15. Successive turnovers were finally broken by a Luke Rincker three, 25-15. Luke then broke down the Rams defense and dished to Kyle Helmuth for a lay-up, 27-15. Standerfer dialed in again from the arc and got the lead back under ten, 27-18.

Stew-Stras then went on an 8-0 run, with scores from Hoene, Jeremy Reel, Will Rincker and a Hoene put-back, for a 17-point lead, 35-18. Cloe stopped the bleeding with a trey, but Widdersheim ran a pick and roll for Clayton Brandt who took it in for two, 37-21. Hoene scored inside, before Cloe sank another trey to close out the half, 39-24.

Once again, the Comets left Cloe open to start the third and made them pay with a trey, 39-27. Tucker Schwengel hit a two, cutting the deficit to ten. Both teams had turnovers, misses and steals over the next few minutes, before Stew-Stras got a rebound two.

More ragged play ended with a foul against Hoene, who stayed perfect at the line, 43-29. Schwengel got a rebound and Keown pushed it. He missed on a drive, but Bence got it back for two. Widdersheim wheeled and dealed and went base line and stopped for a bank shot. After two Ram misses, the Comets converted at the buzzer from an assist at the baseline, 47-31 after three.

Clayton Brandt had his own tip drill as he beat other players to the ball at the dish and converted, 49-31. Bence was fouled and, the other big man on the floor (besides Hoene), buried two more free throws. Cloe defended a Will Rincker shot and the Rams got the ball back. Fatheree missed once, got his rebound and missed again. Cloe grabbed the board and got it Keown for a three, 49-36.

Will Rincker came right back and drove this time for two. Rincker was the hot hand as he ran a back cut and scored, 53-36. Two trips later, Hoene posted up and scored, 55-36. A Ram turnover got the ball back in Hoene’s hands. He missed, but got his own board and drove for two and the foul. He missed finally, but the Comets were up by 20, 56-37.

Widdersheim blocked a Ram 3-attempt and the fast break the other way put Stew-Stras up 23, 59-36. At the Ram end, Keown put the ball one the floor, drove to the baseline and pulled up for a jumper. He arched it over the long arms of Hoene for a two.

The time started to wind down and Hoene was fouled again. He buried both shots and capped the score at 61-38.

Shelbyville finished their summer shootouts on Thursday and Friday at Vandalia. Basketball will now take a hiatus until November.