Golden Balls and Hardwood Truths: Four Crowns, One Night at the State Farm Holiday Classic

  

Golden Balls and Hardwood Truths: Four Crowns, One Night at the State Farm Holiday Classic

Basketball, at its best, doesn’t need alibis. It simply shows up, laces its sneakers, and tells the truth. On December 30, 2025, the truth echoed off the hardwood at the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, where four championship games decided four destinies at the 2025 State Farm Holiday Classic.

Four divisions. Four final whistles. Four golden balls handed to teams that survived December, pressure, and the long arithmetic of tournament basketball.

Small School Girls Championship

Paris Tigers 53, Winnebago Indians 40

The top seed usually writes the script, but Paris brought its own pen.

Winnebago, the No. 1 seed, arrived with expectations packed neatly in their warmups. Paris, seeded third, arrived with something more dangerous—belief. The Tigers stalked the game patiently, turned defense into currency, and cashed in when it mattered. The final score read 53–40, but the margin was carved over four quarters of discipline and poise. Paris didn’t steal a crown; they earned it, one possession at a time.

Small School Boys Championship

Photo by Alan Look Photography

Quincy Notre Dame Raiders 72, Joliet Catholic Hilltoppers 59

Every tournament needs a Cinderella, and Joliet Catholic wore the slipper proudly.

Seeded eighth, the Hilltoppers turned the bracket upside down before running into a Quincy Notre Dame team that played like it had memorized the ending. The Raiders, a No. 3 seed, weathered the emotion, absorbed the punches, and leaned on execution when the confetti was still imaginary. A 72–59 final sent the Raiders home with hardware—and a reminder that magic is wonderful, but fundamentals still win championships.

Large School Girls Championship

Photo by Alan Look Photography

Washington Panthers 52, DePaul College Prep Rams 36

This one was heavyweight versus heavyweight.

The No. 1 seed Washington Panthers and No. 2 seed DePaul College Prep Rams gave the bracket what it wanted—a proper final. Washington turned the game into a clinic, defending space, valuing the ball, and turning patience into points. The 52–36 score reflected a Panthers team that understood the moment and never blinked. The crown fit because it had been measured all season.

Large School Boys Championship

Photo by Alan Look Photography

Normal Community Ironmen 59, Rock Island Rocks 44

If December basketball could hum, it would sound like Normal Community.

The Ironmen, the top seed, met Rock Island in a final that felt inevitable and earned. Normal Community imposed its will defensively, controlled tempo, and forged a 59–44 victory that was as solid as the name on the jersey. Rock Island fought. Normal Community finished. That’s the difference between silver and gold.

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When the lights dimmed at the Shirk Center, four champions walked out carrying more than trophies. They carried stories—about brackets busted, seeds validated, and December nights when high school basketball felt like the center of the Midwest universe.

For complete coverage, features, and storytelling rooted in the heart of the game, visit Best Look Magazine.
And for the images that freeze the exact heartbeat of these moments, visit Alan Look Photography—Bloomington-Normal’s best Look in Sports Action Photography, capturing the soul of the heartland since 1999.