Will Cook County News

Written by Claude Martinez. Updated 7/9/24 at 11:17 P.M.

It was a close one where the number one ranked Curie Condors took on the number two ranked Homewood-Flossmoor Vikings in the super-sectional on March 4th.

The first was fast paced play by both teams but Gianni Cobb (HF) put up almost all the scores for HF. On Curie, they made some brilliant passing from Christian Brockett to Mason Minor to Carlos Harris for a two. At the end of the first it was 14-14.

Kicking of the second with some heat, Brady Johnson (Curie) hit a three. Next Bryce Heard (HF) was fouled going 50%. Cobb was able to put HF in the lead for a bit with an underhand layup but Harris took a long two for the lead. Then Carson Brownfield (HF) made a two and then Curie’s Mason Minor got his own rebound to keep his team ahead. Ending the half, Michael Oliver (Curie) made a buzzer beater giving them a three point lead.

Curie 30, Homewood-Flossmoor 27.

Getting fouled right away was Brownfield, going 50%, but it would not be great for Homewood-Flossmoor. Curie was able to start pulling away earning a nine point lead for about four minutes. HF was struggling getting offensive rebounds and keeping ball control. Stepping up for HF was Gakobie McNeal, Brownfield and Jayden Tyler. Tyler was fouled making the three point play with 58 seconds left in the third.

Curie 44, HF 38.

In the fourth at 3:34, HF was down by eight. They were able to get a jump ball and started to battle up hill. Heard made a two and then Tyler. Curie called a timeout with 1:34 remaining. HF made a few more shots and turned over the ball two times but Tyler clutched up with a two. Cobb was fouled going 100% and gave HF a two point lead. On defense, with ten seconds left, the Vikings were able to keep Curies’ shooters out of range winning the Super-Sectional.

FINAL: Homewood-Flossmoor 60, Curie 58.

In the fourth quarter, head Coach Jamere Dismukes talked to the guys in the huddle. “Stay resilient. Just keep punching.” ” We played an entire season so we didn’t want this to be the end.”

Dismukes continued to tell the men “If you can feel like you can live with how you are playing, we’re good.”

Senior Gianni Cobb also spoke about what Dismukes’ said to them. “We are here. Just keep control. We are going to win this game.”

Last year Cobb fell short of his goals and he was going to make a statement. “I just have to do it for my team. I have to play like it’s my last game. I wasn’t going home. This happened to me last year in the super-sectional and I lost. I had to show my family, and everyone around me, that I’m going to bring it home to them.”

Junior Jayden Tyler talked about saving his team with a few minutes left in the fourth. “I seen that we had to pick it up. We were playing our worst basketball and we were still in the game. It just felt good helping us win.”

Dismukes added about Gakobie McNeal and Tyler. “McNeal didn’t score many points but he was a beast on the glass and they out rebounded us in the first half. When we put Gakobie in they struggle to get rebounds.” “Jayden did a great job scoring with the ball in that second half, to open up the lead, to get us back in the game.”

The Homewood-Flossmoor Vikings head to the state final tournament were they will face #4 Winnetka (New Trier) on Friday March 8th. If they will they win they compete for the 4A state title game on Saturday March 9th.

On July 9, 2024, Jayden Tyler commits to Kent State University.

More photos on Facebook and Instagram.

Special thank you to Tony McCoy and Joey Gelman (CPS) and head coaches Jamere Dismukes (HF) and Michael Oliver (Curie).