Two of the five local high school boys basketball squads are done for the season, with the remaining three ready for regional action on Wednesday.

Waterloo (22-9) enters its own Class 3A regional having won a share of the Mississippi Valley Conference title following a win at home Friday against co-champion Highland.

In a “Battle of the Bulldogs,” Waterloo’s orange-and-black ‘Dogs emerged victorious, 54-41. Alex Stell led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Max Oswald added 14 points. 

It marks the first MVC title for Waterloo hoops since 2014.

But the Bulldogs are not done with MVC opponents just yet. Waterloo hosts familiar foe Mascoutah to open regional play Wednesday. 

The winner of this game plays 7 p.m. Friday in the regional final against either Triad or Cahokia. The winner of the Waterloo Regional plays Tuesday in the Marion Sectional. 

Stell, a 6-foot-10 senior, leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 21 points per game and in rebounding at 13.4 per contest. 

Stell’s 1,680 career points put him in second place all-time at Waterloo. His 1,208 career rebounds are the most ever for Waterloo boys basketball and rank Stell at 15th most all-time in the state of Illinois. Per IHSA records, Stell is just behind Riverton’s Rich Fetter’s 1,215 rebounds from 1975-79.

Columbia (25-6) will face Cahokia Conference foe Wesclin at the Class 2A Carlyle Regional on Wednesday. The Eagles have downed Wesclin twice already this season. 

The winner of this game faces either Breese Central or Nashville in the regional final Friday night for a berth in Tuesday’s Carterville Sectional. 

The Eagles closed out their regular season with two convincing wins last week. 

On Thursday, it was an 84-51 victory over Mounds Meridian in Pinckneyville. Brody Landgraf scored 21 points, Sam Donald added 11 points and 15 rebounds, and Micah James contributed 11 points and seven rebounds. 

On Saturday, Columbia won 72-52 at home over Rochester. Eddie Smajic led the way with 27 points (6-for-10 on three-pointers), with Donald adding 13 points and 12 rebounds. 

Donald, a 6-foot-8 senior, averages 16.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game to lead the Eagles this season. He is fourth all-time in scoring at Columbia with 1,910 career points and tops all-time in career rebounds with 928. 

Smajic is averaging 15 points per game thanks mostly to 45 percent shooting from three-point land.

It’s been a long regular season for Gibault (9-22), but the post season got off to a promising start Monday night. 

The Hawks opened Class 1A Marissa Regional play with a 60-49 victory over the host school. Ryan Biffar, a senior who leads Gibault in scoring at 12 points per game, poured in 22 points. 

Gibault faces Waltonville on Wednesday night for a berth in Friday’s regional final against either New Athens or Steeleville. 

The winner of the Marissa Regional plays next Wednesday in the Cobden Sectional. 

The Hawks ended the regular season with a 47-41 loss to Marquette on Thursday. 

Valmeyer (15-16) ended its season Monday night with an 84-51 loss at New Athens to open Marissa Regional play. Jeremy Crossin led the Pirates with 13 points and eight rebounds. Evan Hill and Landon Roy contributed 11 points each. 

Valmeyer committed 22 turnovers and 30 fouls in the game. 

The Pirates concluded the regular season Friday with a 72-46 win at home over Lebanon. Aiden Crossin scored 22 points, and Roy added 19 points. 

On Thursday, Valmeyer won 53-44 over Maryville Christian. Roy scored 20 points. 

Playing their final games as Pirates on Monday were seniors Roy and Aiden Crossin. Both finished with more than 1,000 career points. 

Roy averaged 13.5 points per game this season and finished with 1,068 career points. 

Crossin averaged 15.5 points per game this season and finished with 1,289 career points. 

Dupo (2-18) also ended its season Monday night, falling 48-43 to Carrollton in a Class 1A regional contest.

On Thursday, the Tigers concluded their regular season with a 73-44 loss to Wood River. Teegan Hargrove led Dupo with 17 points. 

Last Tuesday, it was an 80-41 loss for the Tigers against Steeleville. Kaden Scheppelman scored 17 points to lead Dupo. 

Scheppelman was the leading scorer for the Tigers this season, averaging 12.3 points per game.