HERSCHER — At the beginning of last week, the Coal City Coalers were 0-6 versus Morris and 0-2 in postseason play under third-year varsity basketball coach Brad Boresi.

What a difference five days can make. The Coalers are now above .500 in playoff games under Boresi after going 3-0 to win the 3A Herscher Regional. Their winning percentage against Morris is still just .143 during his tenure, but the Coalers finally broke through against a team they have played, and lost to, often with a 49-47 win in Friday's championship. It is their first regional title since 2001.

To get their third crack at Morris this season, the fourth-seeded Coalers defeated fifth-seeded Herscher 52-50 in a play-in game last Monday and upset top-seeded Pontiac 50-42 on Wednesday. Boresi says that the title run did not surprise him, though he knew getting past Herscher, which the Coalers defeated 41-40 at home in mid-January, would prove difficult.