School Sports

Vandalia grad Eric Hobbie has been waiting for this moment for months.

On Thursday, it will finally happen. After missing two months of games, Hobbie will once again be on the court for McKendree University.

"I am very happy to be back," said the Bearcat senior. "There were several players that had an opportunity to play because I was injured. That may actually help us in the long run. The leg is not 100 percent, but it is getting better all the time."

Flora’s Paul Knapp passed the ball out of bounds as time expired in regulation, giving Wesclin an extra four minutes to compile a lead and win the Vandalia Holiday Tournament, 57-51, in overtime.

Alex Wilken made a 3-pointer 38 seconds into the extra period, and the second-seeded Warriors (10-2, 5-0 VHT) would not trail after that in an upset of the tournament’s top seed.

Wilken had a game-high 25 points and averaged 15.4 points per game, but was left off the all-tournament team.

On the court, Andrew Snow might be the most vocal basketball player in the area.

The senior point guard from South Central barks out nearly every offensive play for the Cougars and often berates opposing ball-handlers with screams of "ball, ball, ball" in hopes of forcing a turnover on defense.

"It's a good role,” Snow said. “Somebody's got to be out there to direct and tell people what to do, even though they know what to do."