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Johnson's 30 shoots Batavia past Marmion

The Class 7A state football final isn't the only championship Batavia will play for Saturday.

With a 70-54 win over Marmion on Friday night at the Ken Peddy Windmill City Classic, the Bulldogs boys basketball team improved to 3-0. They will battle the other 3-0 team in the tournament, Wheaton Warrenville South, for the title.

That game has been moved back to 9 p.m. Saturday to give the players a chance to head to DeKalb and watch the football team play Lake Zurich for the 7A state title at 4 p.m.

It's going to be a memorable day - and night - for the Bulldogs.

"I told them no shirts off or anything, dress appropriate, high-five the guys when they are done, then get in the car," Batavia coach Jim Nazos said. "There's such a great vibe in the school right now. Tomorrow is going to be a real cool day. The town is buzzing."

Sophomore Jayden Johnson, who led Batavia with 30 points against the Cadets (2-2), also is the scout team quarterback. He'll dress in the state championship game.

"It's been pretty insane but I'm happy and excited for the football team and excited to get with the basketball guys too," Johnson said.

The Bulldogs have won three straight despite missing somewhere between eight and 11 players on the football team who also will suit up in basketball, including several starters and rotation players.

In addition to Johnson, Kyle LeFever scored 16 points Friday, Clayton Deutsch had 8 and 5 rebounds and Marko Yager added 6 points off the bench.

"These guys are getting an opportunity," Nazos said. "I don't know what's going to happen when they (the football players) come back. We'll start all over. These guys are quietly getting it done."

Batavia never trailed Friday. Johnson opened the scoring with the first of his five 3-point baskets.

Mick Sullivan tied the game once for the Cadets at 3-3, but Deutsh scored on a putback to put Batavia back on top. By the end of the first quarter the Bulldogs led 21-14 keyed by Johnson's 10 points.

Up 32-25 with 1.9 seconds left in the second quarter and the ball under Marmion's basket, the Bulldogs executed a perfect full-court play. Deutsch inbounded and threw to Yager at half-court who turned and found a cutting LeFever for a catch-and-shoot 3 from the right wing.

LeFever buried the shot for a 35-25 halftime lead, and the Cadets never cut the margin under 10 points in the second half.

"That was a big momentum swing," Nazos said. "It fired them up at half. Credit to them, we called it and they executed it and got the look and Kyle knocked it down."

Sullivan led Marmion with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Tommy Surges added 13 points.

"My biggest thing with them is don't get discouraged, but we can't take a step backward," first-year Marmion coach Tony Young said. "Tonight I think we took a step backward. That happens. We have to keep pushing these kids, keep building them up.

"It's all part of the process. It's the growing pains right now. We're learning how to win. If you have never had success before, when adversity strikes and you get hit in certain situations, you really don't know what to do. There are a lot of things we need to continue to work on."

Wheaton Warrenville South 59, Kaneland 45: In the first game of the night at Batavia, the Tigers moved to 3-0 in the tournament led by Jake Healy's 19 points. The Knights (0-3) were paced by Blake Feiza with 21 points.

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