NTC Showdown Tonight -- St. A vs. Altamont

Effingham St. Anthony and Altamont will meet tonight at the Enlow Center and it's going to be a battle with the National Trail Conference boys basketball regular season crown up for grabs.

Game time is 6:15 p.m. with the junior varsity and around 7:45 for the varsity contest.

National Trail Conference guru Kurt Becker has put together some interesting news on tonight's contest and here are the bullet points.

A win by Altamont guarantees the Indians their first undisputed NTC title in 36 years. Altamont has won 10 NTC regular season championships, most recently sharing the honor with Dieterich and St. Anthony in 2014. But only four of Altamont's titles have been decided in outright fashion: 1944, 1946, 1947 and 1980.

A win by St. Anthony clinches a share of the crown for the Bulldogs. Altamont could still share in the title, but the Indians would be forced into a must-win situation in their Feb. 19 Senior Night game against Windsor/Strew-Stras in order to do so.

St. Anthony has won 24 NTC regular season championships (19 undisputed) during its 66 years as a member of the league. (Altamont is a charter NTC member, dating to the inaugural season of 1932-33, while St. Anthony was voted into membership on Feb. 4, 1950, and began play as a league member in November of 1950.)

Altamont enters the contest with a conference mark of 5-0; St. Anthony stands at 5-1, with its lone loss coming on Dec. 11 via a 56-44 decision at St. Elmo/Brownstown.

The NTC observed its first, official season in 1932-33, before adding a conference tournament in December of 1935. That is why the league crowns its 84th regular season champion this week, despite the fact it recently celebrated its 81st conference tourney.

NTC Regular Season Champions

1932-33  Cowden                     (11-1)
1933-34  Neoga                       (11-1)
1934-35  Neoga                       (11-1)
1935-36  Altamont                    (11-1)
                Teutopolis                  (11-1)
1936-37  Altamont                    (10-2)
                Neoga                       (10-2)
1937-38  Brownstown                 (8-2)
               Teutopolis                     (8-2)
1938-39  Cowden                        (8-2)
1939-40  Teutopolis                   (10-1)
1940-41  Teutopolis                     (9-1)
1941-42  Neoga                         (10-2)
1942-43  St. Elmo                       (12-0)
1943-44  Altamont                      (13-1)
1944-45  St. Elmo                       (14-0)
1945-46  Altamont                      (13-1)
1946-47  Altamont                      (14-0)
1947-48  Teutopolis                     (11-1)
1948-49  Teutopolis                     (14-0)
1949-50  Teutopolis                     (13-1)
1950-51  Cowden                        (13-2)
1951-52  Cowden                        (12-2)
1952-53  Effingham St. Anthony  (14-0)
1953-54  Stewardson-Strasburg   (14-1)
1954-55  Effingham St. Anthony  (12-2)
1955-56  Effingham St. Anthony  (13-0)
1956-57  Effingham St. Anthony  (12-0)
1957-58  Effingham St. Anthony  (10-0)
1958-59  Windsor                        (10-1)
1959-60  Effingham St. Anthony   (9-0)
1960-61  Teutopolis                     (11-0)
1961-62  Cowden                         (10-1)
1962-63  Windsor                           (9-2)
1963-64  Neoga                            (11-1)
1964-65  Effingham St. Anthony     (9-0)
1965-66  Effingham St. Anthony     (9-0)
1966-67  Teutopolis                       (11-0)
1967-68  Beecher City                  (13-0)
1968-69  Beecher City                  (12-1)
1969-70  Effingham St. Anthony     (9-0)
1970-71  Effingham St. Anthony     (9-0)
1971-72  Effingham St. Anthony    (9-0)
1972-73  Effingham St. Anthony    (9-0)
1973-74  Stewardson-Strasburg   (12-0)
1974-75  Teutopolis                       (10-0)
1975-76  Effingham St. Anthony    (9-0)
1976-77  Stewardson-Strasburg    (9-0)
1977-78  Teutopolis                       (9-0)
1978-79  Effingham St. Anthony    (8-1)
              Teutopolis                       (8-1)
1979-80  Altamont                       (9-0)
1980-81  Altamont                       (8-1)
              Effingham St. Anthony    (8-1)
1981-82  Beecher City                  (8-1)
1982-83  Beecher City                  (8-1)
1983-84  Teutopolis                     (9-0)
1984-85  Teutopolis                     (9-0)
1985-86  Teutopolis                     (9-0)
1986-87  Teutopolis                     (9-0)
1987-88  St. Elmo                        (9-0)
1988-89  Teutopolis                     (9-0)
1989-90  Teutopolis                     (9-0)
1990-91  Teutopolis                     (9-0)
1991-92  Teutopolis                     (9-0)
1992-93  Teutopolis                     (9-0)
1993-94  Teutopolis                      (9-0)
1994-95  Stewardson-Strasburg   (8-1)
              Teutopolis                        (8-1)
1995-96  Effingham St. Anthony   (8-1)
              Teutopolis                        (8-1)
1996-97  Effingham St. Anthony    (9-0)
1997-98  Effingham St. Anthony    (9-0)
1998-99  Effingham St. Anthony   (9-0)
1999-00  Teutopolis                       (9-0)
2000-01  Effingham St. Anthony   (9-0)
2001-02  Effingham St. Anthony   (9-0)
2002-03  Teutopolis                       (9-0)
2003-04  Teutopolis                       (9-0)
2004-05  Teutopolis                      (9-0)
2005-06  Teutopolis                      (9-0)
2006-07  Effingham St. Anthony   (9-0)
2007-08  Altamont                       (8-1)
              Effingham St. Anthony    (8-1)
2008-09  Teutopolis                      (9-0)
2009-10  Teutopolis                     (10-0)
2010-11  Teutopolis                      (10-0)
2011-12  Teutopolis                     (10-0)
2012-13  Altamont                        (8-2)
              Dieterich                         (8-2)
2013-14  Altamont                        (8-1)
              Dieterich                        (8-1)
              Effingham St. Anthony   (8-1)
2014-15  Dieterich                       (9-0)