The St. Joseph-Ogden High School boys’ basketball team has played in the State Farm Holiday Classic since 2006.
But the Spartans have never come away with the tournament championship at one of the premier small-school holiday tournaments in the state.
If they do this year, though, no one will be surprised.
SJO received the top seed in the 16-team tournament that runs Dec. 27-30 in Bloomington-Normal.
All 32 games in the small-school tournament this year will either take place at Normal West High School or at the Shirk Center on the Illinois Wesleyan University campus in Bloomington.
SJO opens its tournament stay against No. 16 Annawan at noon on Dec. 27 in the Normal West A gym.
If the Spartans can get past Annawan, a 4 p.m. quarterfinal game on Dec. 28 at the Shirk Center awaits against either No. 8 El Paso-Gridley or No. 9 East Dubuque. El Paso-Gridley and East Dubuque tip off the tournament at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 27 at Normal West.
The semifinal games are set for 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 29 at the Shirk Center, with the championship game set to tip off at 5:15 p.m. on Dec. 30 at the Shirk Center.
Aurora Christian is the second seed and has a first-round game against No. 15 Fieldcrest at 8 p.m. on Dec. 27 at Normal West. Bloomington Central Catholic is the third seed and plays No. 14 Winnebago at 6:30 p.m. in a first-round game on Dec. 27 at Normal West, while Rockford Lutheran is the fourth seed and meets No. 13 Olympia at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 27 at Normal West in a first-round game.
Other first-round matchups on Dec. 27 at Normal West include No. 5 Quincy Notre Dame against No. 12 Chicago Providence St. Mel at 3 p.m., No. 6 Kankakee Bishop McNamara against No. 11 Tri-Valley at 5 p.m. and No. 7 Normal U-High against No. 10 Rock Falls at 9:30 p.m.
SJO placed fourth at last year’s tournament and has reached the championship game once before, placing second in 2016.
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