Tigers, Storm to tip off season at Wethersfield

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Princeton will be returning to the scene of the crime when they take the floor Monday night to face Elmwood in the Wally Keller Invitational at Kewanee Wethersfield.

The Tigers went 5-0 a year ago to take the championship hardware after going 0-5 the year before.

“I am sure this year we will be the target for everyone else, since we won it last year. We will have to bring our best effort every night if we hope to compete,” PHS coach Jesse Brandt said.

Princeton will find some familiar company at Wethersfield with the arrival of the Bureau Valley Storm, who return to the tournament after playing most recently in the Sauk Valley Classic in Sterling. BV and Elmwood replace Kewanee and Stark County.

“I hear that Elmwood is very good, and I am looking forward to that tough test right out of the gate to see how our team responds,” Brandt said of Monday’s opener. “BV is going to be very good this year, and I look forward to that early challenge as well. I think we will have four very tough games.”

BV coach Brad Bickett surmises some people will think the Storm looked to soften their schedule, but he feels they have strengthened it.

“Kewanee Wethersfield, as the host, Coach Parsons always has his guys playing great. Elmwood, I think, is supposed to be one of the top teams in the Peoria area. You’ve got the (Princeton) Tigers who are a state-caliber team, and Putnam County has been great of late as well. We think that we strengthened our schedule,” he said.

“Those that know anything about basketball will see that. We’ll miss playing at Sterling at the field house. But that snug atmosphere at Wethersfield, it’s a nice facility, and they are great to you. We’re excited to go back there,” he added.

It should also not be lost on Storm fans that the team began play there before each of its three state runs earlier this decade. Those Storm state squads only won the tournament once in three years.

Princeton and Brimfield will meet in the first varsity game of the tournament at 7 p.m. Monday. The PHS sophomores will take on Wethersfield at 5:30 p.m.

Bureau Valley steps into the fray Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. vs. Elmwood, following the PHS vs. Putnam County game. That game will mark the only time the Tigers will face its longtime rivals this season. The Panthers broke off ties with PHS due to an in game, off the court incident a year ago.

Bureau County fans will be treated to an early dose of Tigers vs. Storm wars when the two square off at 7 p.m. Friday. The tournament concludes Nov. 28 with BV facing Putnam County and Princeton meeting the host Geese.

At Serena: The Terry Nelson era will tip off at St. Bede Bruins against the Newark Norsemen at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Serena Kickoff Classic. It will be an early tough test for the Bruins, facing a Norsemen squad who finished with a 26-6 record last year and won Class A regional and sectional championships.

The Bruins will continue to play the late game at Serena, facing the host Huskers Tuesday and Leland/Earlville Wednesday.

• In other tourney action, the DePue Little Giants travel to Streator Woodland this week.

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