New team, same result: Ironmen in contention to win second SFHC title in three years after narrow win
- Jonathan Michel
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
NORMAL — Normal Community’s second game of the 2025 State Farm Holiday Classic felt much different than its first.
The Ironmen rolled to a 71-43 win over Rochester on Friday but found itself in a scrape-and-claw match of tug-of-war against Mahomet-Seymour in Saturday’s Large School Boys quarterfinals at Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center.
In a game that featured eight lead changes and seven ties, Normal Community’s Trey Birditt made a layup to go ahead for good with 1:16 to go. A pair of forced turnovers and free throws from him and Chase Kasten helped the Ironmen see their way through to Monday’s semifinals with a 54-51 win.
The final four of the tournament has been a familiar spot for the Ironmen, who have brought home hardware in six out of the last 10 years. While they know Saturday’s win wasn’t pretty in all facets, they were relieved to pass a strong mid-season test.
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