CARLYLE — As first round leaders, Christopher seniors Kye Garver and Dylan Holden were the last to weigh in on the final day of the Bass Fishing State Tournament at Carlyle Lake.

Garver and Holden watched all their closest competitors go to the scales. They knew their bag needed to weigh 7-pounds, 7-ounces or more to win a state title. They knew it would be close, but the final verdict was a 6-pounds, 3-ounces–giving Moline the first IHSA State Championship awarded in person in 15 months.

Earlier, the Maroons had brought in the biggest bag of the tournament, with their five fish weighing in at 13-pounds, 1-ounce giving them a two-day total of 20-pounds, 3-ounces.

Garver and Holden finished with a two-day total of 19-pounds, leaving the Bearcats as state runner-up–a result made tougher by the one that got away–a potential 3-pounder the duo could not get into the boat.

Murphysboro freshmen Tucker Horstman and Gage Boucher started the day in second place behind Christopher. The Red Devils brought in a final day bag of 4-pounds, 9-ounces to finish with a two-day total of 13-pounds, 14-ounces and a sixth place finish.

Carbondale’s Jayden Snyder fished by himself. He caught one of the day’s biggest bass, weighing in at 5-pounds, 15-ounces. That was part of a 9-pound bag that vaulted Snyder into the top 10 with a ninth place finish.