Xander Plungis celebrated exuberantly while also crying. Plungis and his Riverside Brookfield Junior Bulldogs fifth-grade Blue basketball teammates had just captured their historic state championship, 42-31, over downstate Highland Black in the Silver Division of the Feeder State Championships, March 23, at the University of Illinois Champaign.
“I was really happy that we won it all and did what we were trying to do,” Plungis said. “It felt kind of relieving. But also kind of sad because I’m probably not going to play with these kids again. Every kid tried their best and that’s what we needed. It just felt different and better to do it with the kids I did it with. I’ve never won anything like that before and to be one of the best teams in Illinois is a great feeling.”
Team members are Rocco DeNapoli, Lachlan McQueeney, Ryan Nesler, Joey Pilch, Plungis, Tyler Reingruber, Sebastian Torres and Henry Zib. They are coached by Alex Plungis and assistant coach Carney DeNapoli.
This is the first state title in the tournament’s eight-year history for the Junior Bulldogs, the high school feeder program started in 2002 by director and RBHS varsity boys basketball coach Mike Reingruber.
“That’s definitely the best feeling I’ve had in my career,” Tyler Reingruber said. “It was just crazy with all of the people I’ve seen throughout the years in Junior Bulldogs and all of the teams, that we were the first team to ever win a state championship.”
Teams must win state-qualifying tournaments to participate at state. In their feeder/school teams division, the Bulldogs beat the Orland Park Eagles 45-36 in the semifinals and the Hillsboro Hilltoppers 39-32 and Taylorville 32-26 in pool play.
Most Bulldogs were part of three 2024 fourth-grade state teams. They were a combined 1-11 with many on teams that were winless.
“It’s a big accomplishment (one year later) and they worked really hard for it. It was relief, it was joy and it was a lot of tears,” Alex Plungis said. “There was something special where I don’t think they were going to lose or it was going to take monumental effort to beat us.”
Mike Reingruber began the Junior Bulldogs with 18 players and one seventh- and eighth-grade team. There now are more than 150 players on 15 teams ranging from eighth to third grade, which has included second graders at times.
Last year, the eighth-grade Blue team reached the finals but lost to Oswego East.
“[Our fifth graders] have grown up in our gym, in my house, in our locker room. They breathe RB basketball. That’s what is so special,” said Reingruber, Tyler’s father.
“I’m super-grateful for all of our coaches and players. Our fifth-grade coaches from all three teams (Plungis, DeNapoli, TJ Johnson, Kris Kaczmarzcyk, Kevin Sherman and Mikey Berscheid) as well as every single player on the Black and White teams contributed to this state title. They push the kids every single day in practice.”
Tyler Reingruber (13 points, 6 rebounds), Zib (10 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists) and Xander Plungis (9 points) paced the Bulldogs in the title game. At halftime, the Bulldogs trailed by four points.
“Everyone was kind of mad, but we came back with the same energy,” Xander Plungis said. “The energy, hustle, defense, passing, I feel, were the best we’ve done all year and I feel like it came at the best time possible.”
With the Bulldogs only up one, Reingruber delivered 3 three-pointers in the final two minutes. The third came just after a Highland timeout.
“It’s just a great feeling and then to have my teammates there with me, we all contributed,” Tyler Reingruber said. “The [shooting] work that I put in throughout the season, the offseason, just helped me reach that goal.”
Season leaders were Reingruber (9.4) and Plungis (8.9) in scoring average, Torres (244) in rebounds, Reingruber (81) and Zib (71) in assists, Reingruber (49) in three-pointers and Torres (60), Reingruber (57), Zib (56) and Nesler and Plungis (54 each) in steals.
The Bulldogs’ 32-18 record also included winning the CYBN West Suburban Winter League and seven other tournaments. Their schedule includes AAU all-star teams besides other feeder/school programs.
Alex Plungis, who moved to Riverside from La Grange, has coached with DeNapoli the past three seasons.
“I couldn’t imagine doing it with anybody else because I’m demanding in terms of preparation,” he said. “For me, it’s just joy for the kids but more importantly all of those families that have given us the opportunity to spend so much time to teach them the game and to be young men and good teammates.”
Players agreed the support of parents, friends and other Bulldogs teams at the championship game contributed to the victory.
Zib attended last year’s eighth-grade finalist, which included friends of his brother.
“They played their hearts out. I think we really avenged it and won it for them,” Zib said. “Our energy was super high and everybody gave their full effort. I think I’m going to remember putting in my effort and to never stop pushing as hard as I can.”
“Our Junior Bulldog program is truly a family,” Mike Reingruber added. “Seeing all the parents and kids from many of our other teams and grade levels who stuck around to watch the state championship and cheer these kids on was just an unbelievable feeling. It is absolutely incredible to have such a strong parent and player support network.”
They led the storming of the court after the victory. Among the first to congratulate Xander Plungis was his friend Owen Bloom from the fifth-grade White team.
“When he came and hugged me, I couldn’t tell if it was real or not because I was so happy. We were all so happy,” Plungis said. “I’m so thankful for all of the people who stayed [to support us]. I’m so happy that we got the win.”