SPRINGFIELD -- The Effingham County Rebels picked up a Region 2AAAAAA win Tuesday, beating New Hampstead 71-58 at home to stay unbeaten after four games.

“It feels good,” said Rebels head coach Jake Darling. “I still don’t feel as though we’ve played our best basketball yet. As a coach, you hope you’re not at your best early in the season.

"We have a long ways to go and there are a lot of things we need to fix.”

The Rebels never relinquished the lead despite several close calls.

“We have six seniors and I think that plays a big role late in the game,” said Darling. “Those guys were part of our Sweet 16 team last year so they know how to handle things.”

See the Dec. 6 edition of the Effingham Herald for more details.