The District 161 Board of Education recognized Parker Junior High’s seventh-grade boys’ basketball team for playing in the Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) state tournament. The 2023-24 season was the first time Parker’s seventh-grade team qualified for state.
On Jan. 22, Parker defeated defending state champions Markham Prairie Hills 47-40 to earn the regional title. The Falcons’ next game, against crosstown rival James Hart, ended in an overtime win with a score of 48-43. The team lost to Bloomington in the first round of the state tournament on Feb. 3.
The board congratulated the Parker coaches and players on a successful season that ended with 16 wins and four losses.
The seventh-grade team from Franklin Middle School in Springfield won the IESA Class 4A state tournament in early February.
