Every story from Metamora's run to the Class 3A basketball championship
The Metamora Redbirds won the Class 3A boys basketball state championship in 2022-23, the program's first title.
Coach Danny Grieves and the defensive-minded Redbirds — led by first-team all-stater and South Alabama signee Ethan Kizer and Journal Star Player of the Year Tyler Mason — took the State Farm Center court and defeated Chicago Simeon 46-42 on March 11 in Champaign.
Let's take a look back at their run through the 2022-23 regular season and playoffs. Below is every story we've written and tons of the photos from this season involving the No. 1-ranked Redbirds — including preseason prognostications, player profiles, playoff performances and more.
- Looking for all the Metamora scores? Regular season | Playoffs
The playoffs
Metamora earned back-to-back trips to the championship game, ending the second as Class 3A state champion. Here are links to each game story and accompanying previews and features along the way.
POSTSEASON
- Journal Star Player of the Year and all-area team: Tyler Mason named Peoria's top player
- 'How about those Redbirds!?: Metamora community celebrates its state champions
- Analysis: 2 reasons Metamora became elite — and 1 reason the Redbirds could stay there
STATE FINALS
- Metamora 46, Chicago Simeon 42: Metamora wins the Class 3A IHSA boys basketball state championship
- 'Lifelong memories': What Twitter is saying about Metamora's IHSA basketball state title
- Dave Eminian: How a small guard and a future accountant teamed up and led Metamora to a state title
- Metamora 50, East St. Louis 43: Metamora rallies for spot in IHSA Class 3A boys basketball title game
STATE FINALS PREVIEWS
- State preview:Experience, execution and the x-factor: What Metamora must do to win at state
- Who's going to win?Outlook and prediction for the IHSA boys basketball state finals
- Playoff sellouts?Metamora basketball has become the IHSA's hottest ticket
- All-state:Which Metamora players were named to the honor lists?
- Clutch: 6 of the best playoff performances around Peoria
SUPERSECTIONAL
- Metamora 60, Aurora Marmion 48:Metamora headed back to the IHSA state finals
- Preview:Metamora is one victory from IHSA state. Here are 3 things it must do to get back
SECTIONALS
- Metamora 65, Richwoods 50: 'Electrifying': Top-ranked Metamora beats Richwoods in sold-out sectional showdown
- Metamora 72, Sterling 70:Top-ranked Metamora avoids upset with tight victory
REGIONALS
- Metamora 60, East Peoria 44: Here are the 7 Peoria-area teams headed to sectionals
- Preview: The 6 Peoria-area teams with the best shot at a state title in 2023
- Unsung players: Metamora big man Luke Hopp among under-the-radar players in Peoria
The regular season
Metamora became the first Mid-Illini Conference team to ascend to the No. 1 ranking statewide, putting an even larger target on their backs as the regular season came to a close. East Peoria was the fourth-ranked team in the 1996 final AP poll. In Washington’s run to the 2008 3A fourth-place finish, the Panthers were ranked No. 7 to end the year. Last season, Metamora finished at 10 before its run to the 3A title game.
Metamora played in plenty of pressure-packed games this season. Included was a rematch with Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in January. “You talk about a great high school basketball atmosphere,” Grieves said. “Postseason atmosphere, for sure."
- Metamora 60, SHG 50: Redbirds won the anticipated title rematch, but knows the job is far from finished
Metamora this season was inspired in part by Nike Tyson, the daughter of coach Danny Grieves. Tyson, 37, was diagnosed with breast cancer on Aug. 30. As she has undergone treatment, the team has embraced her fight with black shooting shirts with #TYSONTOUGH written on the back and bracelets to honor Tyson and her fight.
Metamora senior Drew Tucker brought increased experience, leadership and strength into his final season with the Redbirds. Adam Duvall wrote about the guard early in the season.
The photos
Here are links to the multiple photo galleries we shot over the course of the 2022-23 season.
- Photo galleries: Celebration | State | Supers | Sectional | vs. East Peoria | vs. Manual | vs. SHG | vs. Limestone
The preseason
Expectations were high for Metamora in November when we picked it atop the power rankings for Peoria-area boys basketball teams. The Redbirds were returning four starters from its state runner-up team from 2021-22.
- Read more: Ranking the top 10 teams around Peoria
While we previewed all the top Peoria-area teams, we also selected the top players to watch around the area, including a trio of Redbirds players.