High school basketball powerhouses Breese Central and Mounds Meridian entered the Carbondale Supersectional this year as their class system’s top-ranked teams in the state.

The Breese Central Cougars put together an outstanding season in which a lethal combination of defense and offense allowed Coach Stan Eagleson’s ball club a 31-1 record, as they ventured into the class 2A supersectional Tuesday at the

SIU Arena to face the Harrisburg Bulldogs in the second game of the evening.

“It was a heck of a ballgame and a lot different than what I expected,” Eagleson said. “Not nearly as many points and better defense.”

Harrisburg saw its season end in a 30-37 defeat to the Cougars Tuesday, as the Cougars beat the Bulldogs for the second time during the season.

With three juniors and a sophomore as the means to the Bulldogs’ success, the club’s future for a state championship run looks bright after taking care of Benton and Pinckneyville in the Eldorado 2A Sectional.

Despite a week of grave devastation within their community, the Harrisburg team produced a quality season.

“This could possibly be the most skilled basketball team Harrisburg has ever seen,” said coach Randy Smithpeters. “We have some kids who spend a lot of time in the gym. We have more strengths than we do weaknesses, and the kind of competition Breese Central brings to the table is the kind that will only make us better in the long run.”

At the beginning of Tuesday’s game, a feeling of déjà vu was in the air of the SIU Arena as the Woodlawn Cardinals (27-6) came ready to take on the No. 1 ranked 1A team in the state, the Meridian Bobcats (28-2), for the second supersectional in a row.  Similarly, the upset-minded Cardinals took down the top-ranked Bobcats for the second time in two years.

A first-quarter scoring drought put Meridian behind early, and with key players in foul trouble, the fourth quarter of the 1A Supersectional saw Woodlawn run away with a 62-48 victory over the Bobcats.

“All in all we had a great season with a lot of quality wins,” said Meridan head coach Jeff Mandrel. “This year’s end was very similar to last year’s, but you can’t teach effort, and these kids gave it their all every game this season.”

Both Meridian and Woodlawn have greatly benefited from the Illinois High School Association’s switch to a four-class system, with both teams able to boast four and five straight regional titles.

The two teams have solidified themselves during the last five years as the top 1A teams in southern Illinois, and even with Meridian picked to take the trip to Peoria, March basketball is proving ground for success at the hands of the Woodlawn Cardinals.

With both Breese Central and Woodlawn making their second straight appearances at the state tournament, and the support of the communities they represent, a trip to the IHSA State Championships in Peoria is a big deal for high school basketball teams and fans alike, evident through a packed SIU Arena rarely seen this season.