Congratulations On A Great Season MD Knights - Herald Pubs

By Larry Thoeming
Clinton County News

After cruising through the Regional and Sectional, the Mater Dei Knights were faced with the daunting task of taking on the Murphysboro Red Devils, a team which had dispatched both Nashville and Pinckneyville on their route to the Elite Eight.
The Supersectional game, was played Tuedsday night, March 10, as part of a doubleheader. The Class A Super between Goreville and Central A&M was played first, and Goreville came out on top of that one, giving the Blackcats their ticket to Peoria. Many fans of that game stuck around for the second tilt, and with the MD and Murphy fans filing in, the Banterra Center (formerly know as the SIU Arena) was nearly packed for the finaqle.
The Devils were small but keenly athletic and fast, and had run most of their opponents out the door in previous games. The Knights were well aware of this and ready for a mad-dash game.
And, as if on cue, Murphysboro made it clear they would attack the basket with lightning moves. Though closely guarded by the Mater Dei backcourtsmen, the Devils did, indeed, get to the rim several times in the opening minutes. But there, success ended, because the two Knight inside defenders, 6-6 Caleb Zurliene and 6-5 Mitchell Haake awaited and the two combined to block or alter shot after shot. Mater Dei ran a patient offense, passing and cutting and got layups or good shots on each possession. Murphy finally made a bucket or two, and Mater Dei couldn’t get much separation, and a 30-foot prayer at the halftime buzzer allowed the Devils to remain fairly close, down 22-16.
Then, a pall fell over the Devils, as a stifling defense and some apparent jitters sent them into a funk which lasted the entire third period and much of the fourth. Mater Dei kept running the patient offense, getting layups and easy buckets and Murphysboro did…nothing. For over twelve minutes the Red Devils were held scoreless and the Knight lead grew to 42-16 at one point. Murphy finall scored but it was far too late. Both benches were cleared and the subs played out the string with the final score Mater Dei 46, Murphysboro 26.
The win moved the Knights to 30-5 on the season, and moved MD to the coveted Final Four, the State Tournament at Peoria, the goal of every player, every year. Unfortunately, though, that adventure was cancelled due to the health crisis facing the nation. Dreams of all the players and fans were abruptly dashed because the health of all was deemed more important than the playing of  the games.
So, though they didn’t know it at the time, careers ended that Tuesday night in Carbondale. Mitchell Haake, one of the few juniors to see much time this year, had perhaps his best game of the season, scoring 15 points and missing just 3 shots from the floor. He also captured a team-high 10 rebounds. Caleb Zurliene finished his splendid career with 12 points and five assists. Jacob Schadegg also finished his fine career with a stellar effort, scoring 10 points while hounding the Murphy guards no end. Grant Goebel scored six in his final appearance, and Junior Carson Loepker had 3. Zach Napovanice did not score, but he absolutely played an integral part in the win, with his ball-handling and smothering defense.
The team was in Peoria when given the news. Though heart-broken, Coach Ron Schadegg and crew accepted their fate with as much dignity as they could, given the circumstances. This writer finds it hard not to editorialize here, but he would like to say, it has been a pleasure writing about high school sports again, and the all kids from both Wesclin and Mater Dei have his admiration and he is glad to have been offered the chance to go along for the ride. To paraphrase the late, great Jack Buck, “The saddest thing that I can say, there’s a virus folks…no game today.”

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