By Jeff Vorva
Correspondent
Beecher vs. Manteno in a softball sectional championship matchup?
That dream matchup could come to fruition as the Illinois High School Association announced its postseason seeds. The coaches picked Beecher first and Manteno second in the Sub-Sectional B portion of the 20-team Class 2A Herscher Sectional. Peotone picked up the ninth seed.
If all the seeds follow suit, the two area powers would meet for the Herscher Sectional title at 4:30 p.m. on May 24.
Heading into this week’s action, Beecher was 23-1 with its only loss being an 8-1 setback on April 15 to Class 4A power Lincoln-Way Central.
Since then, the Bobcats won 12 straight but had a rough-and-tumble battle with Peotone on May 1, escaping with a 2-1 victory. They also beat Clifton Central, 15-0, to win their 23rd straight River Valley Conference Title.
Manteno also is enjoying a dominant season, entering this week’s action with a 25-1 mark. The Panthers won 25 straight, but on May 2 dropped a 5-3 road decision to Joliet Catholic Academy despite carrying a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth.
The regionals begin May 13. The state championships are May 31-June 1 at Louisville Slugger in Peoria.
Manteno second in baseball sectional
In baseball, Manteno picked up the No. 2 seed in Sub-Sectional A of the Class 2A Beecher Sectional, one slot behind Wilmington. The host Bobcats, however, picked up the seventh seed and Peotone the 11th seed.
Regional quarterfinals start May 13. The state championships are May 31-June 1 at Dozer Park in Peoria.
Volleyball seed
The area only has one team with a boys volleyball team, and Crete-Monee picked up an 11th seed and is in Sub-Sectional B of the Collinsville Sectional.
Awards keep coming for Bobcats
The boys basketball season ended in early March, but Beecher still is picking up state accolades.
The “Champaign News-Gazette” announced its all-state team in late April, and Adyn McGinley made the second team, while Zack Johnson was named honorable mention.
McGinley was a do-it-all player for the Bobcats, averaging 16.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.1 steals for a team that made it to the super sectional for the first time in school history.
Johnson was also a high-level versatile player as he averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Sports bits
•Crete-Monee’s track standout Morgan Gillespie won the Southland Athletic Conference triple jump title, and the 3200 relay team of Janissa Williams, Kaleigh Simmons, Neeah Deere, and Aaliyah Eubanks also won a league championship.
•Crete-Monee basketball standout Jyaveion Green signed to play at Joliet Junior College, while volleyball player Sukiya Jones is heading to Lemoyne-Owen College.
•The Beecher’s girls soccer team clinched at least a share of the SICA title for its first conference title since 2018.