Jacksonville Wins Taylorville Tournament, Extends Winning Streak to Seven

Jacksonville completed a dominant run at the Class 3A Taylorville Tournament on January 1, routing Glenbard South 63-32 in the championship game to cap four consecutive wins at the event. The Crimsons improved to 8-4 overall, extending a winning streak to seven games after a difficult 1-4 start.

The championship tilt was controlled from the outset. Jacksonville carried a 30-19 lead into halftime and pushed the margin to 47-26 entering the fourth quarter before finishing with a 31-point victory. Masen Johnson led the Crimsons with 17 points, Jace Taylor added 13 and Greyson Prevett chipped in 12; eight players scored for Jacksonville. The team hit six three-pointers in the game, with Johnson and Taylor each making three, while Glenbard South managed just five from beyond the arc.

Jacksonville’s tournament run included earlier wins over Bartonville Limestone (72-52), Mount Zion (74-59) and Marion (60-56). A different player led the team in scoring in each of those four victories, a sign of the depth coach Michael Cameron has cultivated since losing last year’s Central State Eight scoring leader Amaree Burries to graduation.

The shift to a full-time 1-3-1 zone defense at Civic Memorial in mid-December appears to have been a turning point. The new look helped the Crimsons close quickly on perimeter shooters and tighten defensive rotations, limiting opponents’ three-point production while enabling Jacksonville to force quicker possessions. The change coincided with the seven-game streak and the team’s improved consistency.

Senior leadership has been central to the turnaround. Troy DeFrates credited team cohesion and unselfish play for the victory, saying, "I think one thing about us is we play as a team. You see the stat sheet, and the starting five, we have, like, 10, 10, 10, 10. It's very spread-out scoring." Masen Johnson, a returning starter, pointed to bench contributions when he said, "I feel like we have a lot more depth coming off the bench for sure, and we just play a lot more connected." Coach Cameron highlighted the seniors' role, noting, "We have four seniors that are being seniors. They're leading the way, and they want to win."

For Morgan County, Jacksonville’s tournament title is more than a trophy; it signals a meaningful midseason turnaround that could reshape expectations for conference play and postseason seeding. The combination of a durable defense, balanced scoring and deeper rotation gives the Crimsons a clearer path to sustain success through the remainder of January and into the Central State Eight schedule.