When South Elgin defeated Bartlett 66-61 in Upstate Eight Conference action in South Elgin on Jan. 13 it was an uptempo, fast-paced game.

Harvest Christian Academy might be one of the smallest high schools in the area with an enrollment of 165 (according to the IHSA).

Trailing Larkin by 10 points early in the fourth quarter, South Elgin’s basketball team never stopped believing. That strong mindset paid off, as the Storm rallied for a 58-56 Upstate Eight Conference victory over the Royals on Thursday night in South Elgin.

South Elgin must have felt like a heavyweight boxer.

Prairie Ridge’s Drake Tomasiewicz and Ben Gablenz softened the absence of starters Samuel Loeding and John Fuery as the Wolves started the Jacobs’ Hinkle Holiday Classic.

If you weren’t at St. Charles East’s 63rd annual Ron Johnson Thanksgiving Tournament, you missed a chance to look into the future of high school basketball.

Displaying balanced scoring, solid defense and its customary 3-point shooting attack, St. Charles East’s basketball team split 4 games at the Saints’ 63rd annual Ron Johnson Thanksgiving Tournament this past weekend.

Here’s a look at what to expect this winter for the Upstate Eight Conference boys basketball teams.