Cardinals finish fourth

2015 High School softball preview

Milledgeville Lady Missiles

Head coach Brad Grenoble and assistants Joe Leddy, Jody Engelkens and Sandy Schmidt lead this year’s team, which posted a 22-7 overall record and went 17-1 to win the conference championship in 2014. Junior Alli Bush returns at shortstop, and junior Sam Schmidt will take the mound for Milledgeville.

Coach Grenoble feels team speed, the ability to make teams think, and the fact that this team has seen the older groups win and what it takes to be successful are his squad’s strengths this season. A very young team, inexperience and a host of unproven players, he feels, will be its greatest weaknesses. He thinks Dakota, Pearl City and Orangeville will be three of the area’s top teams this year.

“We will be very young,” Grenoble said, “but it will be fun working hard and climbing the mountain to the top again.”

West Carroll Lady Thunder

Head coach Don Mathey returns for his ninth season leading West Carroll. He has a squad that finished 2014 with a 12-19 record and was 9-5 in the NUIC West in a second-place tie with Le-Win. The Lady Thunder won 8-5 in the quarterfinals of the 2A Morrison Regional but lost to eventual state champion Rock Island Alleman 12-1 in the semifinals.

Returning starters include: Abby Maike, senior P/IF/OF; Minica Smith, senior IF/OF; Anna Badtke, junior IF/OF; Brianna Kampmeier, junior C/OF/IF; Haley Appel, senior 1B/DP; Keeley Brinkmeier, senior OF/IF; Rachel Dykstra, senior OF/IF; Janessa Larson, senior OF/IF, and Sabrina Buckwalter, senior OF/DP.

Key newcomers include: Bailey Durward, junior P/IF; Emma Aljets, freshman C/IF; Riley Sullivan, freshman P; Shelby Skiles, sophomore IF/OF/C; and Josi Anderson, sophomore IF/OF.

“We have great numbers as we have 12 upper classmen and 16 fresh/soph players who signed up,” Mathey said. “Four of the fresh/soph will probably see some playing time on the varsity at some point in the season. With these numbers, it will allow us to play full schedules at both the fresh/soph and varsity levels.

“We played pretty well last summer in the Freeport High School Summer League, finishing 8-4, and it gave many players a chance to play,” Mathey said. “We also played in a much tougher Morrison Summer League and finished 2-4 there. We have some experience back, as we only lost two impact players from last year’s team. We also have a couple of freshmen that played ASA ball who might help out team.

“Team hitting should be better, and team speed should be pretty good. We also have excellent assistant coaches in Jerry Biederman, fresh/soph coach, and two volunteer assistants in Melissa Biederman and Roger Ellerbrock.

Team weaknesses include the loss of a good pitcher (6 wins) and an all-conference catcher to graduation. The Thunder had a team ERA of 7.29 last year. Mathey said this needs to improve and so must the team’s fielding (103 errors last season).

“We have a very challenging schedule,” Mathey said. “The non-conference schedule is as tough as it gets. We play many of the top teams in our area and even the state for that matter. I think we might have to concentrate on improving each game, one at a time, and not worry about wins and losses. The wins and losses will come with the improvement.”

Pearl City Lady Wolves

The Lady Wolves finished the 2014 season with a record of 19-5 and were 13-1 in the conference, winning league and regional titles. Head coach Mark Melville and assistants Brent Schneider and Kristi Fransen hope to improve on that record this year.

Returning players include senior pitcher/shortstop Halle Fransen, senior catcher Andrea Baumgartner, junior shortstop/third baseman Kylie Fransen, and junior center fielder Bronte Wright. Other players looking to contribute to Pearl City’s success will be junior pitcher/infielder Tori Clark, junior infielder/outfielder Julia Sesker, sophomore pitcher/infielder Kendra Melville and sophomore infielder/outfielder Micayla Pilson.

Returning pitching staff and catchers, and team speed will be team strengths.

Melville addressed the team weaknesses. “We’re looking to add depth at each position, and we must replace first, second, and third basemen who all graduated,” he said.

Who does Melville feel will be the teams to beat this season? Eastland, Le-Win, River Ridge, Warren/Stockton in the NUIC West and Dakota, Orangeville, and Forreston/Polo in the East.

“We will be playing a very tough schedule this year,” Melville said, “Along with a very tough conference, we’ll play many 2A-4A teams and also the Byron, Monroe, Stillman Valley and Rockford Boylan tourneys.”

Next week, a look at baseball. 

Class 1A boys basketball super-sectionals

March 10

at DeKalb

Forreston 67, Chicago (St. Francis de Sales) 53

at Carbondale

Mounds (Meridian) 51, Casey (C.-Westfield) 40

at Jacksonville

Brimfield 53, Okawville 38

at Normal

Colfax (Ridgeview) 57, Flanagan (F.-Cornell) 38

Class 1A State Finals

at Peoria

March 13

Semifinals

Mounds (Meridian) 50, Forreston 35

Brimfield 53, Colfax (Ridgeview) 34

March 14

Third Place

Colfax (Ridgeview) 53, Forreston 35

Championship

Brimfield 56, Mounds (Meridian) 52

Boys Basketball AP All-State teams

Class 1A 

First Team: Carson Cuevas, Brimfield; Pierson Wofford, Springfield Lutheran; Noah Frederking, Okawville; Tyler Streeter, Chicago St. Francis de Sales; Dakota Bennington, Peoria Christian

Second Team: Chris Jenkins, Chicago Luther north; Matt Chastain, LeRoy; Alex Bohnhoff, Dieterich; David Davis, Mounds Meridian; Aiden Chang, Freeport Aquin; William Tinsley, Colfax Ridgeview

Honorable Mention: Robert DeVries, Forreston; Marcus Chausse, Nokomis; Antonio Amoah, Chicago Luther North; Tyler Schuring, Arthur-Lovington/Atwwod-Hammond; Nick Marlo, Sesser-Valier; Deon Thomas, St. Anne; Alex Portwood, Milford; Keegan Bertsche, Flanagan-Cornell; Sam Althaus, Ridgewood; Jamal Garner, Illinois School for the Deaf; Bret Gittleson, AFC; Joseph Myers, Griggsville-Perry; Ross Owens, Woodlawn; Karson Arrenholz, Delevan; Davarae Edmonds, Mounds Meridian; Alex O'Neill, Peoria Christian; Justin Schneider, East Dubuque; Andrew Squires, Pecatonica

Class 2A

First Team: Bryan Heath, Rockridge; Donovan Oliver, Kewanee; Christian Williams, Decatur St. Teresa; Jake Reinhart, Bloomington Central Catholic; Johnny Fox, Chicago Hales Fransciscan

Second Team: Dylan Miller, Hillsboro; Spencer Foley, Chicago Uplift; Nolan Gerling, Breese Mater Dei; Parker Neuhalfen, Bureau Valley; Royce Newman, Nashville

Honorable Mention: Jeremy Roscoe, Chicago Uplift

Bahari Amaya, Harrisburg; Will Galik, Carterville; Noah McCarty, Sterling Newman; Bryce Pearce, Flora; Brett Mette, Teutopolis; Nick Duffy, Elgin St. Edward; Logan Kohrmann, Breese Central; Levi Laws, Mt. Carmel; Justin Lemenager, Clifton Central; Jarret Olson, Peru St. Bede; Dalton Menke, Winnebago; Zach Fisher, Monticello; Brandon Trimble, St. Joseph-Ogden; Trevor Davis, Waterloo Gibault; Joe Larry, Chicago Hales Franciscan; Erion Moore, Chicago Hales Franscisan; Matt Muller, Petersburg PORTA; Cole Solomon, Riverdale; Braeden Wollbrink, Monmouth-Roseville

Sauk Valley Media All-Area girls basketball team

First Team: Lexis Macomber, Eastland; Corrie Reiley, Prophetstown; Clare Kramer, Prophetstown; Allison Prestegaard, AFC; Kaitlyn Liebing, Amboy

Second Team: Lakin Goodman, Morrison; Gabby Sandoval, Sterling; Delaney Wilhelm, Amboy; Rachel Cobert, Erie; Heaven Bennett, Bureau Valley

Third Team: Bubby Doubler, Eastland; Kelsey Simpson, Sterling Newman; Emy Wright, Oregon; Madeline Prestegaard, AFC; Sarah Smith, Faith

Special Mention: Kassi Henrekin, Prophetstown; Jay Borum, Sterling; Dallas Clevenger, Rock Falls; Kennedy Dinges, Amboy; Carly Hartle, Dixon

Honorable Mention: Makenzie Fink, Eastland; Annie Forster, Eastland; Jenna Bibler, Milledgeville; Jade Graff, Milledgeville; Ashley Greul, Morrison; Keeley Meyer, Polo; Alex Sterenbery, Polo; Rashel Robinson, Sterling; Aubree Schmitt, Sterling Newman; Averi Leitzen, Fulton; Betsy Leonard, Fulton; Chelsea Lesniewski, Fulton; Shelby Adams, Prophetstown; Heather Strike, Prophetstown; Chelsi Blair, Rock Falls; Bailey Schrader, Rock Falls; Abbee Sigel, Rock Falls; Sydney Wilhelm, Amboy; Krista Beach, AFC; Allsyn Essex, AFC; Cassidy Koning, AFC; Carlie Bickett, Bureau Valley; Darcy Kepner, Bureau Valley; Isabelle Shiaras, Dixon; Tyler Smith, Dixon; Leela Parrish, Erie; Dealney Tegeler, Erie; Katie Cover, Faith Christian; Stacia Hamil, Faith Christian