Illinois Valley boys basketball top 25 all-time scoring leaders

A look at the 25 all-time top scoring leaders for Illinois Valley schools past and present, including all schools in the BCR coverage area, as researched by BCR Sports Editor Kevin Hieronymus:

Name (years)	School	Points
1) Ron Zagar (1953-57)	DePue	2,515
2) +Paxton Giertz (2021-25)	Seneca	2,316
3) Jim Kinney (1957)	Magnolia Swaney	2,301
4) Charlie Moretz (1953-56)	Buda	2,224
5) Parker Neuhalfen (2011-15)	Bureau Valley	2,208
6) Brad Bickett (1982-86)	Ohio	2,177
7) Don Hamel (1965-69)	Mendota	2,158
8) Brian Piper (1987-91)	Ohio	2,132
9) Carlton Fay (2003-07)	Putnam County	2,129
10) Lance Harris (1982-86)	Ohio	1,936
11) J.J. Cravetta (2008-12)	Streator	1,930
12) Lee Piccinelli (2004-08)	Henry	1,907
13) Tom Schertz (1979-83)	Tiskilwa	1,891
14) Shane Phillips (1989-93)	Ohio	1,865
15) Seth Evans (2005-09)	Seneca	1,847
16) Christian Benning (2021-24)	Streator	1,832
17) Shawn Jeppson (1994-98)	Hall	1,829
18) Paul Hart (2018-20, 21-22)	St. Bede	1,811
19) Roger Cannon (1962-66)	Neponset	1,809
20) Roger Weller (1951-55)	LaMoille	1,785
21) Reuben Slock (1997-01)	Bureau Valley	1,771
22) Ron Marroquin (1980-83)	DePue	1,767
22 tie) Gary Langham (1987-90)	LaSalle-Peru	1,767
24) Owen Landwehr (2015-18)	Mineral (Annawan)	1,751
25) Jerry Zielenski (1964-68)	Hennepin/Putnam County	1,736

Notes on players:

Ron Zagar scored 1,014 points as a senior, averaging 37.6 ppg. Was at Iowa four years (played three).

Paxton Giertz is a senior at Seneca High School.

Brad Bickett played at Eureka College and before launching a Hall of Fame coaching career with stops at Western, Bureau Valley and Rock Falls.

Don Hamel played at Northern Illinois and had a long, successful coaching career in Texas.

Carlton Fay played at Southern Illinois.

Shawn Jeppson was the 1998 AP Class A Player of the Year. He also scored more than a 1,000 points at ISU.

Paul Hart played his junior season in Arkansas during COVID.

Brad Bickett,a member of Ohio's 1986 state runner-up team, is the Bulldogs all-time leading scorer with 2,177 career points. He formerly coached at Buda Western and Bureau Valley, now leading the Rock Falls Rockets. (BCR file)