Late Drama and Early Dominance: Comets Blaze Past Brimfield

PEORIA HEIGHTS - The St. Thomas Comets’ boys basketball program delivered two different kinds of wins Monday night — one built on late-game poise, the other on early dominance — as both the 7th and 8th grade teams topped Brimfield.

The St. Thomas 7th grade boys basketball team pulled off a dramatic 31–30 victory over the Brimfield Indians on Monday night, surviving a tense final sequence to earn their second win of the young season.

With under 30 seconds left, the Comets held a slim two-point lead when Brimfield connected on a three-pointer to take a 30–29 lead. After a timeout, St. Thomas drew up an inbound play from half court, and it executed perfectly. Cam Frakes cut to the basket and finished a layup to put the Comets back in front with only seconds remaining. The St. Thomas defense then slammed the door shut, denying Brimfield any chance to answer as time expired.

The 8th grade Comets continued the momentum in the nightcap, jumping out to a 19–4 lead after the first quarter and never looking back in a 57–37 victory. The Comets controlled the tempo on both ends, leading 33–12 at halftime and 43–23 after three quarters.

Cruz Madrigal powered the Comets with a standout all-around performance, scoring 25 points on 11-of-20 shooting while grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out 5 assists, and collecting 4 steals. Madrigal set the tone early with 14 first-quarter points.

Colton Kepple scored 10 points and went a perfect 2-for-2 from the line, while Bryan Le also netted 10 on 4-7 shooting. Caden Atkins added 5, Jax Cowan hit a three-pointer in the opening quarter, Paul Schramm scored 2, and Caleb Whitten chipped in 2 while anchoring the defense with 3 steals.

Next up, the Comets travel for their first away matchup of the year Thursday at St. Patrick’s. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.