By Ben Cox
Photos provided
The 103rd Winchester Invitational Tournament (WIT) wrapped up on Saturday, January 17, leaving players, coaches, fans and organizers alike with memories of a week that will be remembered for years to come.
From thrilling basketball battles to unprecedented logistical feats, this year’s tournament proved that even a century-old tradition can continue to surprise, inspire the West Central Illinois basketball community.
The WIT has long been known for its high level of competition and unique ability to draw teams and spectators from across the region. Over its long history, the tournament has weathered all sorts of challenges—blustery weather, packed gyms and unexpected game-day hurdles—but 2026’s edition added a new chapter to the record books.
Despite an unforeseen venue change that could have derailed the entire event, the tournament ran smoothly, demonstrating the resilience, dedication and cooperative spirit that make the WIT more than just a basketball tournament—it is a celebration of community for Scott County and beyond.
The week leading into the tournament was marked by an unexpected challenge that would have tested even the most experienced organizers. On January 15, Winchester superintendent Jeff Abell issued a statement announcing that structural concerns involving the elementary school gym roof had rendered it unsafe for occupancy.
An architectural team had conducted a thorough inspection and determined that while the cafeteria remained usable, the gym could no longer host physical education classes, practices or games until further notice.
For a tournament of the WIT’s magnitude, the sudden closure of the home gym could have spelled disaster. The event has long been a fixture of the Winchester community, with school facilities serving as the central hub for competition.
Yet, the WIT’s organizers, led by Winchester School’s Athletic Director Grant DeWitt, rose to the challenge. In an impressive feat of coordination, the tournament was relocated to Bluffs School on short notice.
Tournament officials expressed deep gratitude to everyone involved—from the school staff to local volunteers—acknowledging that it was the combined efforts of dozens of individuals that allowed the event to succeed.
While the off-court efforts were remarkable, the WIT’s heart and soul remains its basketball. Over the course of the week, teams battled fiercely in pursuit of the championship, producing memorable performances.
The championship game pitted the Staunton Bulldogs against the Routt Rockets in a showdown that exemplified the high-stakes drama the WIT is known for.
Staunton, in its first-ever appearance at the tournament, demonstrated poise and determination, edging Routt 58-55 to claim their inaugural WIT title. The victory extended Staunton’s winning streak to 14 games and improved their season record to 16-1.
Routt, the No. 1 seed in the tournament and ranked seventh in the Class 1A state poll, fell just short for the third consecutive year.
Staunton’s head coach Ty Laux, who had previously coached at Winchester 26 years ago, returned to the tournament stage with a new team and led them to a historic triumph—a full-circle moment for both him and the WIT.
The 3rd place game saw the Calhoun Warriors overcome the Brown County Hornets 66-59 in a hard-fought contest, while the 5th place matchup had the Porta/AC Bluejays narrowly defeating the South County Vipers. The consolation championship crowned the Triopia Trojans over the Greenfield-Northwestern Tigers with a decisive 66-46 victory.
Individual performances this year were equally impressive. Avery Neathery of Triopia delivered one of the most thrilling displays of the tournament, scoring 36 points—including a go-ahead three-pointer—and blocking a last-second shot to secure a 66-65 win over Carrollton in the consolation semifinals on January 15.
Routt’s Bryson Mossman reached a milestone during the semifinal matchup against Brown County, scoring the 2,000th point of his career en route to a 62-50 victory. Mossman finished the game with 24 points and continues to solidify his status as one of the premier players in the region.
West Central’s Nick Hamilton also earned recognition as one of the tournament’s top scorers, demonstrating consistency and leadership for his squad. All three players ended up on the WIT’s All-Tournament Team.
What’s next?
Routt will play five straight WIVC conference games heading into February. The games will include returns to the Routt Dome on January 20 against Griggsville-Perry and January 23 against Calhoun. Then, they embark on three straight road games against North Greene, West Central and Greenfield-Northwestern.
Triopia’s doing much of the same with mostly WIVC conference games moving forward. They welcome Brown County on January 20 and visit West Central on January 23. The Trojans will then be at the Beardstown Tournament to round out the end of January.
West Central will continue to adjust their home games to Bluffs moving forward. They are right back at it on January 23 against Triopia over there this week. Then, a mixture of non-conference games follow. We’ll detail any further hurdles for the Cougars’ teams going forward.
South County will face a pair of non-conference foes before heading to the Beardstown Tournament at the end of the month. January 20 sees a visit to Pawnee and then they welcome Calvary on January 23 before tournament play.
Jacksonville Boys Basketball
Jacksonville boys basketball split a pair of conference road games this week over in Decatur. The Crimsons fell to a highly-ranked MacArthur squad 82-58 on January 13. They returned to defeat Eisenhower 62-61 on January 16. The Crimsons are now 9-7 overall and 2-5 in Central State 8 Conference play. They are on the road in Jerseyville this week for the Jersey Community Winter Tournament. They start play on January 19 against the host school.
Girls Basketball
Unfortunately, it’s been a tough season for the Jacksonville Lady Crimsons. That continued on Saturday, January 17 on a road trip to Decatur to face MacArthur with a 54-28 loss. The Lady Crimsons are 3-16 overall and 0-5 in the Central State 8 conference. A pair of home games are coming up against Athens and Illini Central, with a trip to Jerseyville mixed in on January 22.
The 31st annual Lady Spartan Classic ended with an upset in the championship game on January 17, running in parallel to the boys tournament in Winchester. West Central, the #2 seed, upset #1 seed Triopia 43-38. A late run by West Central, capped by a late three-pointer by Braylee Littig, put the game to rest with less than a minute to play. The game saw several top players in the WIVC battle it out back and forth throughout the game, which had several lead changes. The tournament is likely a preview of the upcoming postseason.
Illinois College
The Illinois College women’s basketball team delivered a dominant performance on January 12 at Sherman Gymnasium, rolling past Eureka College 96–58 in non-conference action. The women also cruised to a 67-51 win over Beloit in a Midwest Conference contest on January 17 on the road. With a 24-point performance against Beloit, senior Jayln Patterson crossed 1,000 points for her career on the hilltop. IC improved to 8-8 overall and 4-3 in conference play with the wins this past week.
The Illinois College men’s basketball team pushed its conference record to over .500 with a 61-51 win over Beloit on January 17 on the road, as well. The Blueboys improved to 7-9 overall and 4-3 in conference play. The men and women head to Mt. Vernon, Iowa to face Cornell this week amid a two-game road swing.
The Illinois College men’s swimming team pushed its winning streak to 18 straight dual victories by taking a pair of contests at the Fort Natatorium on January 16. The Blueboys stopped Millikin, 120-74, and topped Illinois Wesleyan, 110-66. Routt Catholic High product Cade Emerick took the 1,650-yard freestyle in 18:21.64. Emerick is in his sophomore season on the hilltop.
