Oakwood’s seventh-grade girls’ basketball team won its third successive game on Tuesday (Oct. 12), topping Rossville-Alvin at home, 12-7.

Brooklyn Myers tallied all of her game-high 10 points in the second half. Avery Trimmell added two points.

On Thursday (Oct. 7), also at home, Oakwood topped Prairieview Ogden, 18-14.

Myers led the way with 10 points. Lainee Smith hit four points and teammates Ireland Harrison and Jocelyn Wood each chipped in with two points.

“We really locked down on our defense and closed the game,” Knights’ coach Phillip Myers said.

The eighth-grade Knights snapped a four-game losing streak on Tuesday, handling Rossville-Alvin 13-9.

Caydence Vermillion netted a team-high five points. Gracie Hanner and Brynlie Wait each hit three points. Mady Nicoson registered two points.

“Great overall game,” Phillip Myers said. “Girls really played hard. Brynlie Wait was great on the boards tonight offensively and defensively.”

On Thursday, the eighth-graders were edged by Prairieview Ogden, 21-19, when PVO hit the go-ahead basket in the final 10 seconds.

Vermillion was the team’s top scorer, with nine points. Wait came off the bench to tally seven points. Nicoson collected two points and Sophia Aquino made one point.

Both Oakwood teams have 3-4 overall records and will return to action on Thursday (Oct. 14) at Potomac-Armstrong.

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In a low-scoring game, the Oakwood eighth-grade girls’ basketball team suffered a narrow 11-5 loss at St. Joseph on Tuesday (Oct. 5).

Mady Nicoson and Brynlie Wait each had two points for the Knights.

“We could never get our offense going and that hurt us the entire game,” Oakwood coach Phillip Myers said.

Oakwood (2-3) returns to action on Thursday at home against Prairieview-Ogden.

Oakwood Seventh-Grade Girls’ Basketball

The first win of the season for the Oakwood seventh-grade girls’ basketball team came on Tuesday (Oct. 5) after surviving a double-overtime contest at St. Joseph, 20-18.

Brooklynn Myers hit a game-high 15 points for the Knights. Ireland Harrison contributed five points.

St. Joseph scored late in regulation to force overtime, but it was up to Myers to sink two free throws with nine seconds left in the first OT to keep the game going.

Oakwood (1-4) returns to action on Thursday at home against Prairieview-Ogden.

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Oakwood’s eighth-grade girls’ basketball team opened the season with back-to-back victories before suffering its first loss.

The Knights began with a 21-12 conquest of Hoopeston Area at home on Thursday (Sept. 23). Caydence Vermillion led the way with 13 points.

Mady Nicoson tallied four points. Brynlie Wait hit two points as did Sophia Hart.

On Monday (Sept. 27), Oakwood went on the road and handed Bismarck-Henning a 22-9 defeat.

Vermillion set the pace, scoring eight points. Nicoson had six points, Jaelyn Estock notched four points. Wait and Hart finished with two points apiece.

Not to be overlooked, coach Phil Meyers said, was the play of Estock. “She played a great defensive game,” Meyers said.

On Tuesday (Sept. 28), the Knights winning streak was halted at home by Salt Fork, 31-9.

Vermillion led the way with five points. Allie Huchel hit two points. Chipping in with one free throw apiece were Nicoson and Hart.

Oakwood (2-1) returns to action on Thursday (Sept. 30) in Danville against Schlarman Academy.

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Five Comets earned postseason recognition on either the Vermilion Valley all-conference team or the Vermilion all-county team.

Senior Katelyn Young was a member of the 10-player first team on both honor squads.

Senior Aubrey Wells and junior Aaliyah Denius were members of the seven-player special mention list on both squads.

Addie Wright, who was selected to the 10-player honorable mention all-conference team, was elevated to the seven-player special mention all-county squad.

The other Oakwood player to earn recognition was sophomore Ashlynn Pinnick, an honorable mention all-county pick.

Denius and Pinnick were team scoring leaders in at least one game. Denius, Pinnick, Wells and Wright all had multiple games where they scored in double figures.

Young averaged a team-best 22.7 points per game for the 23-8 Comets.

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Senior Jayden Cox and junior Brevin Wells will represent Oakwood High School in the Class 2A division of the IHSA state three-point shooting contest.

The event will take place on Thursday at the Peoria Civic Center.

They qualified on Friday by placing among the top four at the Pontiac Sectional.

Wells led the Comets with 71 three-pointers during the regular season. The three-point baskets accounted for two-thirds of the field goals Wells made during the regular season.

Cox and Wells are two of 32 qualifiers for the Class 2A state finals.

During the regular season, Cox nailed 24 three-point baskets.

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Young will also be invited to play in the annual IBCA all-star game at the end of the school year.

Young broke Oakwood’s all-time scoring record – for girls or boys – by amassing 2,361 points in her four-year career, including 658 points as a senior.

She was the Comets’ top scorer in 28 of the 29 games she played as a senior for the 23-8 squad. For the season, she averaged 22.7 points per game.

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The Comets more than held their own in the first half on Wednesday against unbeaten and state-ranked Bismarck-Henning in a semifinal game of the St. Joseph-Ogden Class 2A boys’ basketball regional tournament.

Oakwood held the lead at halftime 28-25 before falling 62-52.

Josh Young led the Comets with 14 points. Jayden Cox added 10 points. Jackson Powell scored nine points and teammates Elijah Harden and Dalton Hobick finished with seven points apiece.

B-H/R-A (31-0) used a 22-14 third-quarter spurt to take a five-point lead into the final period.

Oakwood hit 7 of 8 free throws.

On Monday, for the third time in four games this season, the Comets topped Vermilion County rival Georgetown-Ridge Farm on the basketball court.

Oakwood prevailed 59-50 in a first-round game of the SJ-O regional.

Young hit a team-high 13 points and was one of four squad members to score in double figures. Cox and Harden each tallied 11 points. Brevin Wells finished with 10 points.

Young was the team’s top scorer in 11 of the final 14 games this season.

G-RF led 14-12 after one quarter, but Oakwood had regained the lead, 30-26, at halftime.

The Comets hit 20 of 29 free throws. G-RF made 7 of 16 free throw attempts.

Oakwood ends with a 17-15 season record.

Young was the team’s top scorer this season in 15 games. Wells set the pace in 13 games. Isiah Ruch led in five games, Powell in three with Kade Anderson and Harden leading in one apiece.

Wells knocked down 71 three-point shots this season, accounting for two-thirds of his 107 field goals. Powell drained 41 three-pointers and Cox netted 24.

Oakwood’s top single-game point totals were 24 by Wells, 23 by Harden and 23 by Young.

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The Comets fell behind by 15 points at halftime on Friday at Schlarman Academy, and suffered a 67-59 Vermilion Valley Conference setback.

For the first time this season, Oakwood had five double-figure scorers in the same game.

Brevin Wells and Josh Young each netted 12 points. Jaydon Cox hit for 11 points while Elijah Harden and Jackson Powell tallied 10 points apiece.

Schlarman led 17-11 after one quarter and 36-21 at halftime.

Oakwood (16-14) returns to action Monday in the fourth meeting with rival Georgetown-Ridge Farm in the 7 p.m. first-round Class 2A regional game at St. Joseph.

Oakwood leads in the season series 2-1.

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The Comets assured themselves of an above-.500 season on Tuesday by overpowering visiting Georgetown-Ridge Farm 63-36 on Senior Night at Fithian.

Oakwood, which has a four-game winning streak, led 34-28 at halftime and then allowed the Buffaloes just eight more points thereafter.

Josh Young scored nine of his team-high 22 points in the first period as the Comets spurted into a 19-13 lead.

Elijah Harden tallied 10 of his 16 points during an 18-0 third-quarter run.

Brevin Wells scored nine points and Kade Anderson added seven points for Oakwood.

Anderson, Harden and Jayden Cox were the seniors who played in their final home contest.

Oakwood (16-13) returns to action on Friday in its regular-season finale at Danville Schlarman Academy.  The Comets are 9-3 in Vermilion Valley Conference games.

Oakwood and G-RF will play for the fourth time this season on Monday at 7 p.m. in a first-round Class 2A regional game at St. Joseph.

Oakwood won the first meeting in three overtimes, but G-RF captured the second game by 12 points. Friday’s win gave the Comets a 2-1 lead in the season series.

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Senior Elijah Harden scored a season-high 23 points – 12 in the fourth quarter – on Friday as Oakwood held off Westville 70-55 on the Tigers’ court.

The Comets built a 33-16 halftime lead, but Westville cut its deficit to 42-35 entering the final period.

Harden’s previous high game this season was 11 points. He was supported by Josh Young (18 points) and Brevin Wells (10 points).

The Comets (15-13) return to action on Tuesday in their Senior Night game at Oakwood against Georgetown-Ridge Farm. The Comets are 8-3 in VVC contests.

The Comets have a three-game winning streak.

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