Konner Hobeck scores 26 to lead Oak Ridge past Perryville

The Oak Ridge Blue Jays started the basketball season strong with a 66-47 win over the Perryville Pirates in the first round of the Woodland Invitational Tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 28, in Marble Hill, Mo.

Senior Konner Hobeck led Oak Ridge with a 26-point performance, followed by 18 points from fellow senior Ty Wilson.

"We came out strong," Hobeck said. "We had one of two of our players gone, and it got to our heads. We took motivation from that, and we just kept going."

Oak Ridge demonstrated on Tuesday that they will go as far as the duo of Hobeck and Wilson can go.

"We've been playing since second grade," Hobeck said. "We know exactly what we want to do and the motions we want to say. It's there. We have great chemistry."

The same goes for his brother, Brock Hobeck. Brock pitched in five points to help give Oak Ridge a 17-11 first-quarter lead, and Konner scored 12 points in the second quarter to give the Blue Jays a 39-15 halftime lead.

"We can just read off each other," Hobeck said.

Perryville was led by Jake Cassell, who scored 17 points, including four baskets from the three-point line. Barrett Wheeler scored the second-most point for the Pirates with eight.

The Pirates scored 16 points in both the third quarter and fourth quarter, but couldn't make up any ground due to being kept away from the free-throw line. Oak Ridge won by a wide margin despite making 10-of-30 from the charity stripe.

The Blue Jays finished 21-6 last season, winning 20 games for the first time since 2013. Hobeck believes the best is yet to come this year.

"We can make it to state," Hobeck said.

Oak Ridge will take on Woodland in the semifinal round of the tournament at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30. The Cardinals advanced by defeating Zalma 115-17. A win on Thursday would put Oak Ridge in the tournament championship game for the first time since 2019. The Blue Jays last won the tournament in 2018, when they defeated Delta 76-69.

"We haven't won it for a long time," Hobeck said. "I think it would put our names out, and it will look good through the district seeding."

Perryville will take on Zalma in the consolation round at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30. The winner will face Meadow Heights in the fifth-place game at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1.