Terriers win Gillespie Tournament

The Staunton Terriers were recently crowned champions of the Gillespie Tournament. Staunton opened play on Saturday, Nov. 12, against Southwestern with a 31-19 victory. Cale Dugger and Paxton Brown paced the squad with 10 points each, while Kaiden Linkeman (9 pts.) and Blaine Sievers (2 pts.) rounded out the scoring. On Wednesday, Nov. 16, Staunton faced off against St. Francis Holy Ghost out of Jerseyville. This was a low scoring affair, but SJHS eventually emerged with an 18-13 win. Aiden Saracco posted 10 points to lead the squad, while Dugger (3 pts.), Xander Clark (3 pts.), and Sievers (2 pts.) also scored for the Terriers. The win over SFHG propelled Staunton into the championship game against Hillsboro on Friday, Nov. 18. Despite being down several players due to injury and illness, Staunton fought hard and prevailed in the title tilt by a score of 32-26. Saracco had an outstanding game, as he led all scorers with 19 points. Dugger (8 pts.), Linkeman (4 pts.), and Clark (1 pt.) rounded out the scoring for the championship squad.

Staunton also played a mid-week regular season game against Calhoun on Tuesday, Nov. 15. The 8th graders faced a Calhoun team that finished 3rd in State last year in Class 2A. However, the Terriers were up for the challenge and emerged with a 39-24 victory. Luke Moore posted double figures (14 pts.) to lead the squad, which also received scoring from Isiah Laux (9 pts.), Owen Looney (6 pts.), Jeremiah Graham (6 pts.), Lucas Dillon (2 pts.), and Josh Dahl (2 pts.). The 7th graders dropped a close game by the score of 27-24. Dugger paced the team with 11 points on the night. He was aided by Brown (6 pts.), Saracco (3 pts.), Linkeman (2 pts.), and Sievers (2 pts.).