Normal Community is just the third school to sweep the State Farm Classic boys and girls championships. Photo Courtesy of: Mr. Nic Kearfott

The 2023 State Farm Holiday Classic proved historic for Community’s basketball programs, as the Ironmen boys and girls secured championships in their respective brackets.

The double championships mark a first in Community’s Holiday Classic history, an achievement the school fell just shy of in 2017. The boys netted a title that season while the girls finished in second.

When the final buzzers sounded this season on Saturday, Dec. 30, at Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center, both Ironmen programs hoisted trophies at the center court.

Community is just the third school to earn both Classic titles in one year, a feat accomplished by Galesburg in 1997 and Bloomington Central Catholic in 2018.

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The girls earned their second consecutive State Farm Holiday Classic title, holding on to defeat the Morton Potters. Photo Courtesy of: Mr. Nic Kearfott

The girls celebrated their second straight Holiday Classic Title with a hard-fought 51-46 victory over the Morton Potters (14-4), earning the program’s third overall title.

After three quarters, the top-seeded Iron boasted a 12-point lead, but the Potters battled back in the fourth quarter.

With 1:30 on the clock, Morton trailed by a point after the Potter’s Abby VanMeenen recorded a three-point play, cutting the lead to 47-46.

VanMeenen proved hard to stop for the Ironmen as she led the Potter’s fourth-quarter charge. The 6-foot freshman finished the contest with 18 points.

With less than 30 seconds to play, Morton fouled the Iron, sending one of the Community’s most reliable free-throw shooters to the line–Ali Ince.

Ince gave the Iron a two-point lead with 23 seconds remaining.

A technical foul against Morton proved pivotal. After the Potters were penalized for calling a timeout they did not have, Community sunk three free throws to cement the Iron win.

Olivia Corson and Ince were named to the 2023 All-Tournament team; Corson led the Community with 19 points, with Ince contributing 10 of her own in the title game.

The girls have won 11 straight, improving their season record to 17-1. The team is back in action Thursday, Jan. 4, when they play host to the 6-11 Bloomington Raiders in Big 12 play at 7:30 p.m.

The boys knocked off the Metea Valley Mustangs of Aurora with a decisive 72-58 win in the title contest.

The championship game was less of a nail-biter than Friday’s semifinal contest versus Romeoville.

After the Ironmen opened the contest with a 19-0 run against Romeoville, Community trailed the Spartans twice late in the game before the Iron ultimately squeaked out a 66-65 win.

Saturday’s Championship game would see the Iron take the lead and never look back.

Community took an 18 lead into the half against the Mustangs, and would lead the Metea Valley by no less than a dozen points the entire second half of play.

The Iron’s Jaheem Webber led Community with 23 points in the title game as the team improved to 12-1.

Braylon Roman finished the contest with 15 points and Noah Cleveland tallied 10. The two seniors were selected to the All-Tournament team.

The win was the boy’s first Holiday Classic Title since 2021, a program eighth.

The victory marked head coach Mr. Dave Witzig’s 500th career win, a milestone in the veteran’s 25 years at the helm of the Ironmen.

Witzig is the winningest coach in Holiday Classic history with 65 tournament wins.

The boys host Champaign Central (8-8) on Friday, Jan. 5 in Big 12 Conference action at 7:30 p.m.