Boy sectional basketball championships will be on the line around the state tonight. Here’s a look at sectional championship game scores for Bureau County schools as researched by BCR Sports Editor Kevin Hieronymus:
1936 – Fulton 41, Princeton 29
1941 – Streator 34, Hall 32
1944 – Marseilles 37, St. Bede 35
1950 – Kewanee 57, DePue 50
1951 – Odell St. Paul 57, DePue 53
1952 – Ottawa 59, DePue 53 (Little Giants turned back in third straight finals appearance)
1954 – Princeton 54, Ottawa 46 (Tigers become first Bureau County team to reach state, then the Sweet 16; Joe Ruklick had 20 points, Fred Boher 16, Lew Flinn 13)
1955 – Princeton 48, Streator 37 (Dick Hult had 19 points, Flinn 11 as Tigers return to state, placing 4th)
1958 – Ottawa 70, Tiskilwa 65 (Chuck Sash leads Indians with 28 points)
1973 – Toluca 62, St. Bede 58-Class A
1974 – Hall 55, Wethersfield 49-Class A (Red Devils win first sectional, Steve Hochstatter scores 16 points, Tom Jaskowiak 12, Rollie Himes 12. Bob Jiles’ Red Devils did not play a single home game that season as Red Devil Gymnasium was under construction)
1975 – Western 51, Wenona 50-Class A (Chips Giovanine’s undefeated Rams go on to state, Bobby Sprowls has 21 points)
1976 – Western 62, Roanoke-Benson 61-Class A (Rams return to state undefeated, Kevin Anglin scores 16 points, Ron Nielson 12)
1980 – DePue 68, Wethersfield 67-Class A (Eric Bryant’s Little Giants win first and only sectional at Princeton; Rick Resetich scores 34 points)
1983 – Tiskilwa 62, Mendota 61-Class A (Bob Prusator’s Indians win first sectional and would advance to state; Bill Moretz has 20 points, Tom Schertz 17)
1985 – Ohio 81, St. Bede 60-Class A (Bulldogs win first sectional behind its “Thunder (Brad Bickett 26) and Lightning” duo (Lance Harris 27); Bruins had stunned state-ranked Princeton in regional finals)
1986 – Ohio 61, Newark 59-Class A (Lloyd Johnson’s Bulldogs repeat as sectional champions and would go on to place 2nd at state; Harris nets 24 points, Bickett 23)
1988 – Sandwich 75, Hall 49-Class A
1991 – Hall 78, Yorkville 60-Class A (Red Devils reign on their home floor)
1992 – Princeton 54, Mendota 53-Class A (Jeff Ohlson sinks game-winning free throw to give Roger Lowe’s Tigers first sectional title for PHS in 37 years; Matt McDonald nets 26 points)
1994 – Princeton 60, Stark County 58-Class A (Dan Marquis stole the ball back each time after missing three free throws to preserve Bruce Placek’s Tigers’ sectional title on their home court)
1995 – Yorkville 73, Princeton 70-Class A (Foxes win in third overtime on last-second 3-pointer on a deflected pass; Foxes also hit 3 at buzzer to send game into OT)
1997 – Hall 71, Indian Creek 48-Class A (Eric Bryant “Jr.” scores 22 points for his dad’s Devils who would go on to the state finals)
1998 – Hall 102, Bureau Valley 45-Class A (Hall keeps hustling atop the 1A rankings behind Class A Player of the Year Shawn Jeppson’s 22 points; Red Devils would finish as state runner-up again)
1999 – Plano 64, Hall 40-Class A (Reapers end Red Devils’ sectional run)
2000 – Bureau Valley 60, Winnebago 59-Class A (Brad Bickett’s Storm survive in overtime, led by Justin Yepsen’s 17 points)
2001 – Bureau Valley 59, Stillman Valley 48-Class A (Storm repeat as sectional champions at Somonauk, Reuben Slock has 21 points, 8 rebounds)
2002 – Bureau Valley 52, Princeton 41-Class A (The Storm rally at the Storm Cellar behind the late shooting of Phil Endress (16 points) to keep their sectional streak alive and go on to earn third straight third-place finish at State)
2003 – Princeton 63, Rockford Christian Life 32-Class A
2004 – Peoria Christian 68, Hall 65-Class A (Russ Witte takes Hall to finals in first year as coach)
2005 – Eureka 66, Bureau Valley 60-Class A (At Princeton)
2009 – Princeton 71, Manual 65-2A (Jesse Brandt’s Tigers shock former 4-time state champ at Chillicothe in one of PHS’ biggest wins in school history)
2010 – Winnebago 70, Princeton 54-2A
2019 – Bureau Valley 56, Newman 49-2A (Jason Marquis’ Storm overcome 18-10 deficit to overtake the Comets)
2023 – Rockridge 64, Princeton 46-2A (Rockets end Tigers’ season that saw them ranked No. 1 in state for most of season)
2024 – Byron 59, Princeton 43-2A
2025 – Rock Falls 49, Princeton 43-2A