It was a sensational performance in this sectional semifinal between Verona Area and Beloit Memorial. Each team got a star performance with high scoring games from their guards, Terrin Jackson and Amare Hereford. Verona Area was able to get out to a 10 point lead in the first half behind a very hot start from Will Stremlow though Beloit Memorial would not go away and was able to get the lead early in the second half. Throughout the second half, the two teams traded runs with multiple ties and lead changes. Verona was able to string together a run in the final couple of minutes to grab the 85-76 win.

Jackson Connor – 2026 – F – Verona Area

Connor made some key plays during this game. This included a put back basket for the first points of the game and was especially true in the second half where he scored an efficient 7 points. This was in addition to his rebounding by the active 6’5” forward with a solid build. He was effective making plays inside which included a hard-fought rebound in the final 2 minutes which resulted in a basket inside for him later that possession to expand Verona’s lead to 5.  

Amare Hereford – 2026 – PG – Beloit Memorial

From the regular season to the playoffs to this one, Hereford has been having a special season. He had one more high scoring game in his high school career as he scored 49 points in this game. He is an elite scorer with a great ability to create for himself as he is highly elusive with the ball. He is incredibly quick beating defenders off the dribble and even splitting double teams. Hereford hit a pair of threes and was able to get a few buckets getting all the way to the rim with some acrobatic finishes but was elite in the mid-range as well as getting to the free throw line. The guard can quickly pull up and was consistently hitting contested mid-range jumpers, six of them in total in the game. From the free throw line, Hereford was 19-21 as he is very crafty drawing fouls. More than just his scoring, Hereford also passed it well off the dribble for 4 assists.

Terrin Jackson – 2028 – PG – Verona Area

The breakout sophomore season continued in this game as he took it to another level. Jackson led his team to the win while scoring 32 points. All game the quick and shifty guard was extremely effective aggressively playing on the attack and getting all the way to the basket as well as to the free throw line often. He was incredibly efficient from the free throw line where he went 20-21. Jackson also had some strong finishes through contact around the basket. In the final four minutes he was highly effective breaking a tight game helping Verona to the win as he scored 15 points in this stretch alone in addition to a key steal and assist.

Will Stremlow – 2027 – SG – Verona Area

Right from the start of the game, Stremlow was playing very active and making plenty of plays. This was especially with his scoring ability as he had 12 points in just the first 12 minutes of play to help build a double-digit lead for his team. He was aggressively attacking the basket in both the half court and transition as well as battling on the glass hard for an early put back basket. He has some positional size at 6’3” to hit some mid-range jumpers right over defenders, score posting up, rebound the ball at a high rate all game, and have a key block in the final minute of the game. The well-rounded junior guard finished the game with 18 points.