Collinsville Coach Matthews Emphasizes Life Lessons from Season’s Regional Final Game Against Edwardsville

EDWARDSVILLE — Edwardsville’s Tigers used an 11-0 run to open the second half to pull away for a 61-43 win over Collinsville on Friday night, Feb. 27, 2026, in the regional championship at Edwardsville. First-year Kahoks coach Hank Matthews for his team’s overall effort in the contest and the opponent’s shooting.

“They shot the ball really well,” Matthews said. “A lot of credit to Edwardsville, they came out ready to go. I thought we battled really well in the first half; we handled the barrage of threes, I thought we executed what we were trying to do well, and I was really happy going into halftime down by only five, to be honest.”

Matthews said Collinsville tried to adjust after halftime but credited Edwardsville and Coach Battas.

“To be honest with you, I was really happy with where we were at halftime. We tried to make a couple of adjustments, but I give a lot of credit to them. Coach Battas had them prepared; they shot the ball really well,” Matthews said. “That’s a team that hasn’t lost in over a month, and they’ve got a lot of confidence right now. They’re going to be a tough out for anybody.”

The Tigers’ 11-0 surge to start the second half proved decisive. Collinsville committed four turnovers during the stretch, which Matthews said reflected a season-long issue.

“No, absolutely,” Matthews said. “It was kind of our Achilles heel all year. A couple of things didn’t really go our way; a ball didn’t bounce our way. I thought we got a couple of clean looks that we didn’t knock down, but our guys competed until the very end. I wish we could get those four minutes back, but they kept playing, they kept being coachable, and competing.”

After the loss, Matthews emphasized lessons beyond the scoreboard, particularly with what he described as an emotional locker room.

“That’s why we play sports,” Matthews said. “Sports teach us lessons. Sports teach us what to do if things don’t go our way. How do you act? How do you respond? How does it motivate you for the next time an opportunity comes?

"We have a lot of seniors in our program; it’s an emotional locker room. If they use the lessons we try to teach them during the season, it can help them be successful in the most important game that they’ll ever play, and that’s life. I’m really proud of them.”

Collinsville finished the season 14-17 overall.

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