Community is riding a hot streak after battling some of the state’s top competition as the 20-4 Ironmen enter the final stretch of the regular season having won 11 of their last 12 games.

The Iron opened the new year with a tough test, falling to the No. 3-ranked Morton (18-5) in Class 3A for their third loss of the season.

At the MLK Tournament in Wheaton, Community again faced elite competition, finishing the weekend 3-1. 

Their lone setback came against 4A’s No. 7 Waubonsie Valley (24-1), but they closed the tournament strong with a 48-40 win over Downers Grove North (19-6)—a rematch of last year’s Super-Sectional.

Dominance in the Big 12

Community has been perfect in Big 12 Conference play, posting a 5-0 record in January.

In the first week of the month, the Iron went on the road to conquer Class 3A No. 10- ranked Peoria High 54-46 before edging Peoria Manual 63-61 in a thrilling comeback, erasing a six-point deficit in the final two minutes. The matchups featured Division I-bound talent, with Manual’s Dietrich Richardson (Bradley) and Peoria’s Leshawn Stowers (Miami of Ohio) leading their respective squads.

With a 7-0 conference record, the Ironmen are on track to defend their Big 12 title. Three conference games remain against Danville (3-4), Richwoods (4-3) and Normal West (1-6), giving Community a strong shot at an undefeated conference run.

A Statement Win Over Metamora

The Ironmen secured one of their biggest wins of the season against Class 3A No. 9 Metamora. Facing a team that handed them a regular-season loss last year, Community got its revenge, defeating the Redbirds 66-62.

Metamora, led by Division I commits Matthew Zobrist (Bradley) and 6-foot-10 Jonah Funk (South Dakota State), rallied from a 16-point deficit behind a second-half explosion from Zobrist. The sharpshooter dropped 31 points—27 in the second half—including four threes and a 13-for-16 performance at the free-throw line.

Kobe Walker, named the game’s MVP, delivered a dominant performance, matching Zobrist with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Trey Birditt added 15 points, including a crucial six-point run to put Community up 60-59. Late-game free throws from Chase Kasten and Andrew Naour helped seal the win as Zobrist missed two from the stripe with 37 seconds left.

Carving Their Own Identity

Despite graduating a senior class loaded with talent, the Ironmen, Athletic Director Mr. Nic Kearfott said, have silenced early-season doubts.

“Obviously, coming off of last year’s team, which was phenomenal,” Kearfott said, “there were big shoes to fill.”  

Kearfott said the team’s ability to establish its own identity has been key to its success.

“They’ve worked their tails off, and they said, ‘We’re gonna play this type of basketball, and this is who we are,’” Kearfott said. “We’ve had kids fill the roles, and throughout the year, it’s been awesome watching from the first game of the Intercity to now—kids understanding what their role is, what their position is, how to fill those and what’s best for the team. I think that’s been really, really cool to watch.”

Extending the Streak on the Road

Community extended their win streak to nine games over the weekend, winning back-to-back road contest on a trip that saw the Iron span 215 miles in 24 hours.

On Friday, the Ironmen traveled east to face Danville in a Big 12 showdown, staying perfect in conference with a 61-51 win over the Vikings.

Saturday, Communityed headed west to Moline to battle 4A’s No. 12-ranked Maroons (22-4).

Winning the matchup 74-68 in what has 0ften been a postseason preview, with the teams meeting in the Pekin Sectional Semifinal three years in a row.

Led by veterans from last year’s state run and key contributions from newcomers like Andrew Naour, Jarrel Brown and Chase Kasten, the Ironmen head into the postseason with the same goal—making it to the state championship.

This time, they’re aiming to finish the job.

If the Ironmen, Kearfott said, “continue to compete and stay healthy, [this] could be a pretty interesting postseason again.”