Notebook: Princeton’s Jason Smith, Darcy Kepner named as IBCA District Coach of the Year

The Princeton boys and girls basketball teams had record-breaking seasons this year.

The girls repeated as conference champions, setting a school-record with 27 wins.

The boys repeated as regional champions and matched a school-record 32-win season.

The leaders of the Tigers’ pack, Jason Smith and Darcy Kepner, have been named as IBCA 2A Coaches of the Year for District 11.

Other area girls coaches recognized as District Coaches of the Year are Jason Burkiewicz (1A) of Annawan, Jim Jobst (1A) of Serena, Doug Swanson (2A) of Sherrard and Scott Hardison (3A) of Geneseo in District 11 and Mitch Neally (2A) of Fieldcrest in District 12.

Area district boys coaches of the year include RJ Coffey (1A) of Fulton, Andy Saey (2A) of Rockridge and Ryan Vasquez (3A) of Sterling in District 11 and Allan Hatton (1A) of Midland, Dean Twait (1A) of Serena and Russ Witte (2A) of Seneca in District 12.

Coaching carousel spins

Saey moves to UT: Ryan Webber stepped down as head boys basketball coach at East Moline United Township on March 22, wishing to spend more time with his family. Three weeks later, Webber, who was 144-75 in eight years at UT, was announced as the new head girls coach at Bettendorf, Iowa, where he lives with his family.

UT moved quickly to fill its vacancy, naming Rockridge’s Saey on April 13, the day after Webber was announced at Bettendorf. Saey was head coach at Rockridge for six years, guiding the Rockets to an overall 121-41 record with back-to-back state tournament appearances the past two seasons.

The Rockets knocked out Princeton for this year’s sectional championship.

Geneseo has hired Ryan Hill as its new boys basketball coach. He succeeds Brad Storm, who was not retained at the conclusion of a winless campaign. Hill spent two seasons as head coach at Davenport Central, his alma mater, going 4-18 then 14-8.

Princeton will host baseball, softball regionals

The IHSA has recently announced its assignments for the upcoming postseason. They include:

Girls soccer: The DePue-Hall and Princeton girls soccer teams have been assigned to the 1A Mendota Regional. The tournament starts Tuesday, May 9 with No. 9 DePue-Hall playing No. 2 Alleman at 4 p.m. followed by No. 8 Princeton, the defending champion, vs. host Mendota, the No. 3 seed, at 6 p.m. The regional championship will be contested at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 12.

Baseball: Princeton will serve as a regional host along with Orion in the Class 2A Knoxville Sectional. Bureau Valley, Kewanee and Hall are also assigned to the subsectional A.

In 1A, Putnam County and Ottawa Marquette will host regionals in the Elgin Harvest Christian Academy Sectional. St. Bede is also assigned to the subsectional A.

Softball: Princeton will also host a 2A regional in softball along with Brimfield in the Rockridge Sectional. Bureau Valley, Hall, Kewanee and Mendota are also assigned to the subsectional B.

St. Bede, a defending regional champion, will host a 1A sectional. The Bruins are assigned to the subsectional B with the Amboy co-op, Putnam County and Henry. Sterling Newman and Annawan-Wethersfield are the regional hosts.

Boys track: Hall, Putnam County and St. Bede will run out of the 1A El-Paso Gridley Sectional on Wednesday, May 17 while Bureau Valley has been assigned to the Class 1A Rockridge Sectional on Friday, May 19. Princeton will compete out of the Class 2A Sectional at Geneseo in a field including former NCIC rivals in Dixon, Kewanee, L-P, Mendota, Ottawa, Rock Falls, Streator and Sterling.

Girls track: ALO, Bureau Valley, Hall, Putnam County and St. Bede have all been assigned to the Class 1A Erie Sectional with Annawan-Wethersfield and Henry at the Class 1A Farmington Sectional on Wednesday, May 10. Princeton will make a road trip to the Class 2A Sectional at Galesburg on Thursday, May 11 rather than attending the closer sectional at Sterling with Mendota.