By Jeff Vorva
Three basketball teams from the area had extra happy holidays.
Beecher and Manteno’s boys teams joined Peotone’s girls teams in winning holiday tournaments to close out the 2023 portion of their seasons.
Beecher kept its record perfect at 16-0 by winning the Warkins Memorial Classic with a 49-42 victory over Mercer County in Erie. Adyn McGinley led the Bobcats with 22 points.
The Bobcats opened 2024 ranked seventh in the state in Class 2A by the Associated Press in its Jan. 3 poll and received two first-place votes. Breese Central was ranked first and had seven first-place votes.
Beecher was also just one of nine teams to open 2024 with an unbeaten record.
The Bobcats also opened 2024 with two more wins with a 73-24 win over Tri-Point and a huge 43-40 overtime win over Peoria Notre Dame in the Taylorville Shootout.
Manteno won its first Blue Division title in the Kankakee Holiday Tournament with a 51-48 victory over St. Anne.
Nicky Johnson hit the game-winning basket and was named the tournament MVP. Kyle McCollough was named to the all-tournament team while Zach Myers was named coach of the tournament.
Peotone’s girls won their own tournament with a 47-44 victory over Plainfield South.
Addie Graffeo and Madi Schroeder were named to the all-tournament team.
More hoop–la
Manteno’s girls basketball team finished second in the Chicago Christian tournament, dropping a 52-46 title-game decision to Morton.
Ava Peterson and Maddie Gesky were named to the all-tournament team. Gesky, a freshman, had 25 rebounds in a 47-42 semifinal win over Chicago Christian and 17 boards in the title game.
Crete-Monee’s boys team finished seventh in the Dig Dipper tournament at Rich Township as Zyheir Gardner was named to the all-tournament team.
C-M softball coach named
Crete-Monee named India Steward as its softball coach.
Steward, a Rich South graduate, played college softball at Western Kentucky and Ball State.
Aside from earning academic All-America honors, Steward was named to Ball State’s Dynasty41 team as she helped the team earn its first NCAA regional victory.
She was also recently the head softball coach at Stevenson High School.
Wall of Fame
On Jan. 12, the Manteno athletic department will host its Wall of Fame night.
Aside from the 2011 football team being honored, former football player Ryan Sample, wrestlers Stevie Silva and Schuyler Lindsay and basketball player Doug Wenzel will be honored.
Sports bits:
–Manteno wrestler Carter Watkins won the 175-pound division at the Princeton Invitational.
–In a 71-48 win over North Lawndale on Jan. 6, Crete-Monee’s boys basketball team connected on 16 3-point baskets.