January 11, 2025
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Round 3: It’s Princeton and Kewanee for the regional title

Class 2A Hall Regional

By Kevin Hieronymus
Princeton's Grady Thompson (left) and Jackson Dressler apply the defensive pressure on Kewanee's Jordan Johnson Tuesday night at Prouty Gym. The Boilermakers won 50-40.

TRAC rivals Princeton and Kewanee will meet for the third team this season for the Class 2A regional title at Hall. The Boilermakers won the first two meetings. (Kevin Hieronymus)

Round 3 between the Princeton Tigers vs. Kewanee Boilermakers will be a win or go home game Friday night.

The Three Rivers East rivals will meet for the third time this season with the Class 2A Hall Regional championship on the line. Game time is 7 p.m. at Hall High School.

The Boilermakers beat the Tigers twice this season to claim the Three Rivers Conference East Division championship, winning first at Princeton, 50-40, and then 72-67 at home.

“They beat us twice. They have the upper hand. They’re conference champs. They’re a good ball team and well coached. They’re extremely athletic, and we’ve got our work cut out for us,” PHS coach Jason Smith said.

“We’ll be ready for the test and we’ll see what happens.”

PHS junior guard Grady Thompson added, “I’m very excited to get another chance at them. Winning this game means a ton to me, but I think it means a ton to the whole Princeton Tiger program. I think it’ll be a tough game, but a fun one.”

Kewanee coach Matt Clark expects another battle.

“We are expecting a tough game, especially with the familiarity that the two teams have with each other,” he said. “Princeton is a talented team and poses many challenges for their opponents. We are excited for the challenge and look forward to the atmosphere (Friday) night.

“With it being such a great rivalry between the two schools we are excited to add another chapter to the history of the series.”

The Tigers (20-9), winners of 10 of their past 11 games, overcame a slow start to beat Mendota 65-55 in Wednesday’s semifinals. Teegan Davis had 17 points and Thompson added 15 points while Kaden Monroe (12) and Christian Rosario (8) to combine for 20 points off the bench.

The Boilermakers (22-9) rolled to a 59-35 win over Chillicothe IVC in the night’s first semifinal, putting the running clock in play for the start of the fourth quarter. Sophomore Brady Clark, the coache’s son, led Kewanee with 18 points, and senior Niko Powe added 16.

Princeton upset a state-ranked Boilermakers team, 60-56, in the 2019 regional semifinals at Chillicothe before falling to Fieldcrest, 78-65, in the finals.