Sophomore forward Braydon Porter has gotten the band back together with the start of the new year, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for Yorkville.

The athletic 6-foot-4 Porter shares frontcourt duties in the Foxes’ ensemble with 6-8 sophomore forward Joey Jakstys, both of whom are in their second years on the varsity.

“We haven’t been healthy on a consistent basis,” Porter said, trying to explain an inconsistent first half of the season. “We had some injuries, then a span where a lot of us were really sick and we had to come back from that.

“That’s what started our team going on a (five-game) losing streak. We’re just now starting to get it together to where we were at the beginning of the season.”

Porter made sure the turnaround took another step Thursday night, scoring eight of his game-high 12 points in the first quarter as Yorkville took a 12-2 lead on the way to a 54-30 Southwest Prairie West rout of visiting Minooka.

The decision avenged a three-point conference loss on Dec. 5 to the Indians on their court.

Yorkville’s Braydon Porter (22) goes up for a dunk against Minooka during a Southwest Prairie West game in Yorkville on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Sean King / The Beacon-News)

Senior guards Gabe Sanders and Frankie Pavlik added 10 and nine points, respectively, for the Foxes (10-9, 7-3). Jakstys and senior forward Nathan Kubin each scored eight points.

“A good thing this game shows — no one has to score 20 or 30 points for us to blow a team out,” Porter said of Yorkville’s balanced attack. “I was our leading scorer with only 12 points.

“I felt like it was good because everything was spread out.”

Sophomore guard Graham Lee scored eight points off the bench to lead Minooka (10-11, 5-5).

Yorkville’s Braydon Porter (22) dunks the ball off a fast break against Minooka during a Southwest Prairie West game in Yorkville on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Sean King / The Beacon-News)

Yorkville coach John Holakovsky momentarily feared the game, moved up from Friday to beat the weekend polar plunge, might be cut short.

Porter opened the second quarter with a steal, driving in for a thunderous dunk that rattled the rim and pushed the backboard past the end line before swinging back.

“I think I was just running too fast,” Porter said. “All my momentum took the rim back. It seemed like it was falling a little bit and I had to jump off real quick. I saw the backboard rock back.”

A year earlier, in a game against Plainfield East, a dunk by Jakstys broke the rim on the same basket, resulting in a 45-minute delay.

Yorkville’s Braydon Porter (22) puts up a jumper as Minooka’s Luke Page (10) defends during a Southwest Prairie West game in Yorkville on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Sean King / The Beacon-News)

“I remember when I pulled on it, a couple screws came out,” Jakstys said.

With his team holding a 14-2 lead, Holakovsky didn’t want any delay.

“I’m thinking this could be the game,” he said. “We might have to postpone and come back another day, ruining our momentum. That came in my head.”

It didn’t, although Porter picked up two fouls in a one-minute span and sat the rest of the half.

Jakstys, who finished with six rebounds, four assists and four steals to go with a blocked shot, made two 3-pointers and everyone else chipped in.

Jakstys has missed time with an Achilles tendon issue, strained calf and a finger injury before the flu bug roared through the roster.

“We had like no practices for nearly two weeks,” Holokovsky said. “We just tried to put everyone together for the (Christmas) tournament and didn’t play well.

“On defense, it just showed, with us not in position, just defaulting and standing by our guy and not getting into a gap or getting in help position.”

Yorkville’s Braydon Porter (22) shoots a free throw against Minooka during a Southwest Prairie West game in Yorkville on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Sean King / The Beacon-News)

Porter, though, has growing confidence in the Foxes’ defense, especially teaming up with Jakstys.

“I think everyone on our team can play man-to-man, on their own, like on an island,” Porter said.

Porter and Jakstys been on the court together for just 10 games, seven going down as wins.

“It’s huge,” Holakovsky said. “They’re our two best players, no doubt.

“When Braydon gets going up and down the court like (Thursday night), he’s a really fun player to watch. He’s also gotten better with his defensive positioning.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/braydon-porter-yorkville-minooka-ihsa-boys-basketball/