Mustangs headed to IESA State Tournament

By Fred Kroner

Prairieview Ogden’s seventh-grade boys’ basketball team is headed to the Class 1A IESA state tournament following a resounding 42-8 triumph over Cissna Park on Monday (Jan. 30)  in the Schlarman Sectional title game.

PVO (22-2) plays in a state quarterfinal game on Saturday (Feb. 4) at 10 a.m. against Springfield Christ The King (17-8) at East Peoria Junior High. The winner will play in a semifinal game at 5 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

Against Cissna Park, Lane McKinney collected a game-high 16 points and meshed two three-point shots. Jameson Ehler totaled eight points.

Other PVO scoring contributors were Lucas Waters (seven points), Airin Rash (six points), Royce Loschen (three points) and Wyatt McKinney (two points).

Loschen hit the team’s other three-pointer.

PVO jumped into a 16-2 lead after one quarter and expanded its edge to 27-4 at halftime. Defense took over after intermission as the Mustangs allowed just one more field goal.

On Friday (Jan.27), Lane McKinney recorded 12 points as PVO produced a 35-22 victory in a Class 1A IESA regional tournament championship game over Danville Schlarman Academy.

Adding six points apiece for the Mustangs were Ehler, Rash and Waters.

The team’s other scores came from Loschen (three points) and Casen Goff (two points).

PVO jumped into an 8-1 lead after one quarter and led, 14-11, at halftime.

The PVO seventh-graders have a 22-2 overall record with a nine-game winning streak.