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With the 2024-25 season set to get underway Monday, here’s a look at the Putnam County, Mendota, Princeton, Bureau Valley, LaMoille, DePue, Earlville, Fieldcrest and Henry-Senachwine boys basketball teams.
Putnam County
Coach: Harold Fay (eighth season, 94-116)
Last season’s record: 7-25, 2-7 Tri-County
Top returning players: Jadan Stoddard, sr.; Miles Main, sr.; Drew Carlson, sr.; AJ Furar, sr.; Daric Wiesbrock, sr.
Top newcomers: Jonathon Stunkel, jr.; Juan Ramirez, jr.; Alan Castro, jr.; Braiden Bickerman, jr.; Traxton Mattingly, jr.; Braiden Zuniga, jr.; Jonathon Avila, jr.
Worth noting: Stoddard and Main return after seeing significant time for the Panthers last season. Stoddard averaged six points and four rebounds last season, and Main contributed four points and five rebounds per game. Carlson, Furar and Wiesbrock came off the bench. A group of seven juniors also will contribute. “A strength will be the ability to play deep into the bench,” Fay said. “Offensively, we will try to be patient and run time off to limit possessions. We hope to have a balanced scoring game and not rely on the same person.”
Mendota
Coach: Steve Wasmer (third season, 23-41)
Last season’s record: 14-9, 3-7 Three Rivers East
Top returning players: Aden Tillman, jr.; Braiden Freeman, sr.; Cam Kelly, sr.; Dane Doyle, jr.
Top newcomers: Cole Tillman, fr.; Alex Beetz, jr.; Drew Becker, so.; Johan Cortez, jr.
Worth noting: The Trojans return several key players from last year’s team while adding a group of newcomers who won 20-plus games on the freshman and sophomore levels last year, along with talented freshman Cole Tillman, who led Holy Cross to an IESA title last year. “We have a lot of depth and a lot of guys who have experienced a lot of success in the past,” Wasmer said. “We are looking to build on that success at the varsity level.” Wasmer expects the Trojans to be balanced offensively with the Tillman brothers leading the way, and Doyle and Kelly also capable of big nights. “I think we are going to be difficult to guard,” Wasmer said. “We have a lot of guys who can shoot the 3, and we should be able to spread a team out. We will look to run and make games high scoring.” Wasmer said Mendota has some work to do on defense. “We are a lot taller and longer than we have been in the recent past, but I’m worried about our physicality,” Wasmer said. “We will probably play a little more zone than we have because of our length, but either way, we can’t rely on our offense to put up 75 points every game, as we will have off nights on that end.” The Trojans hope to win 20-plus games and win postseason hardware. “Our aim is that this is the year we contend for championships,” Wasmer said. “It’s been too long of a drought for Mendota basketball. Our last regional title was 2013.”
Princeton
Coach: Jason Smith (sixth season, 90-47)
Last season’s record: 17-16, 7-3 Three Rivers East
Top returning players: Jayden Fulkerson, sr.; Wyatt Koning, sr.; Noah LaPorte, sr.; Jordan Reinhardt, sr.; Luke Smith, sr.
Top newcomers: Asa Gartin, sr.; Arthur Burden, sr.; Stihl Brokaw, jr.; Ryan Jagers, jr.; Jackson Mason, jr.; Daniel Barnes, jr.; Luke LaPorte, so.
Worth noting: The Tigers have won three consecutive regional championships with two Sweet 16 appearances in the last three years and look to continue the postseason success this season with a strong core returning along with a solid group of newcomers. Noah LaPorte will lead the Tigers after averaging 21.5 points and 12 rebounds per game last season. Reinhardt (8.8 ppg last year) also was a key contributor last season. “We have a solid group coming back. A group that played really well together this summer and that was without Ryan [Jagers], who was still coming off an ACL injury,” Jason Smith said. “I love the way we compete, and I believe we have quite a bit of depth this year. We might struggle early [due to extended football playoffs], but the more practices and games we have with each other and the more continuity, the better we will be.” Jagers missed last season with an ACL injury, Gartin is back after not playing last season, Burden came over from wrestling, and Barnes transferred from Princeton Christian. The Tigers have height with the LaPorte brothers, as Noah is 6-foot-6 and Luke is 6-4, while Jason Smith said this might be his best shooting team with Reinhardt, Fulkerson, Noah LaPorte, Jagers and Mason.
Bureau Valley
Coach: Jason Marquis (12th season)
Last season’s record: 15-17
Top returning players: Landon Hulsing, sr.; Bryce Helms, sr.; Elijah Endress, sr.; Landen Birdsley, sr.; Logan Philhower, jr.; Blake Foster, so.
Top newcomers: Brad Schoff, jr.; Zac Wiggim, jr.; Brandon Carrington, jr.; Liam Swearingen, sr.
Worth noting: The Storm return a strong nucleus in three-year starters Hulsing, Helms and Endress, who were all key contributors last season. Hulsing averaged 12.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game last season, while Helms averaged four points and three assists and Endress contributed 6.7 points and three rebounds per game. Birdsley, who missed time last season with an injury, Foster and Philhower also will make an impact. Bureau Valley will be facing new challenges this season as it enters the Lincoln Trail Conference after a long run in the Three Rivers. “It is a great new challenge for us with the Lincoln Trail and playing some schools that probably look a bit more like us in terms of size and rural community makeup, especially as TRAC continues to evolve,” Marquis said. “We are in for an incredibly challenging conference slate. Winning games on the road will be difficult. There will be some long bus rides, and we’ll have a target on our backs as the ‘new guys.’ I’m hopeful our kids will realize before we start conference games come January that we can’t waltz into the LTC and win games because of our size or historical success. These LTC schools are tough places to win, requiring us to compete at the highest level every time we take the floor.”
LaMoille
Coach: Chance Blumhorst (third season, 15-41)
Last season’s record: 7-23 (2-8 Little Ten)
Top returning players: Tyler Billhorn, sr., F; Brayden Klein, sr., G; Josh Martin, sr., G; Tate Sundberg, sr., F
Top newcomers: Ed Fry, sr., F
Worth noting: Things are looking up in Blumhorst’s third season at the helm of the Lions, with his largest roster yet with 20 kids. The Lions are optimistic to double their win total from last year with a run at regionals. “We do have a challenging schedule, but that’s what we want and what we’ve worked hard for in the offseason,” Blumhorst said. ... Billhorn (14.5 ppg), Klein (13.7) and Josh Martin (8.4) head a deep senior class offensively, with Sundberg a force on the defensive end and offensively with his ball handling, passing and court sense, Blumhorst said. Fry joined the team this year and will provide rebounding and defense. Blumhorst said seniors Jack Heinzeroth and Rick Boege, who are “some of the hardest workers we have,” will compete for minutes. Juniors Connor Deering and Cody Wynn both contributed last year, as did sophomores Jhett Cowser, Braden Fischer, Wyatt File and Harley Blair, who got their feet wet at the varsity level as freshmen.
DePue
Coach: Isaac Reyes (first season)
Last season’s record:
Top returning players: Vance Hayes, Martin Quintana
Top newcomers: Nico Lopez, fr.
Worth noting: Reyes was a late hire in the summer, but he said the Little Giants have worked hard to make up for lost time. “I’m proud of them already,” Reyes said. “I was hired to be head coach after summer. It has not been easy for us. We had a lot to cover in this short amount of time. They came in and have been working at it every day. I couldn’t have asked for a better group to start my coaching career.” Reyes said DePue’s offense will have many options. Defensively, he said the Little Giants are quick on their feet. “They welcome any challenge,” Reyes said. “We will not shy away from any competition. I expect them to give every team a hard time when they are playing defense.” Reyes said Lopez is “a very talented freshman who I think will shock a lot of teams as the season goes on.”
Earlville
Coach: Gerald Fruit (seventh season, 93-69)
Last season’s record: 28-5, 9-1 Little Ten
Top returning players: Adam Waite, sr.; Easton Fruit, sr.; Gavin Guelde, sr.
Top newcomers: Grady Harp, sr.; Adin Hensley, jr.
Worth noting: The Red Raiders lost three starters and their top two scorers from last year’s team that set a program record for wins, but do return a pair of starters in Waite and Easton Fruit. “We have players coming back with experience, and we have some players up and down the roster who are wanting to have a successful year and are working hard to achieve our goals,” Gerald Fruit said. “I believe we will be competitive this year. I would like to see us have 20-plus wins, finish top three in the Little Ten and do well in tournaments.” Waite (10.5 points, 10 rebounds per game last year) is expected to be an offensive leader along with Easton Fruit and Guelde. “I believe we will have a disciplined offense,” Gerald Fruit said. Defensively, he expects to “not let the other team get anything easy.” “I believe we are a team that will grow as the year goes on,” Gerald Fruit said. “While we have experience, I believe some of the less experienced players will develop and contribute during the season.”
Fieldcrest
Coach: Jeremy Hahn (third season, 56-11)
Last season’s record: 33-2, 12-0 Heart of Illinois
Top returning players: Ed Lorton, sr., G; Jordan Heider, sr., G; Jackson Hakes, sr., C; Isaac Kpa, sr., F
Top newcomers: Kash Klendworth, jr., G; Braden Hahn, jr., G; Layten Gerdes, jr., G; Kayden Eilts, jr., F; Eli Gerdes, jr., G; Drew Overocker, so., G
Worth noting: The Knights graduated several key players from last year’s team that set a program record for wins at 33-2 and advanced to a sectional final, but Fieldcrest also returns multiple key contributors. “Like nearly all programs, we have lofty goals each season,” Jeremy Hahn said. “The players have nearly unanimously said they would like to finish at the top of our conference and go as far as possible in the state tournament.” Lorton has a shot at 1,000 career points, Heider “creates so well for others and himself ... and will be a center hub of our offense,” and Klendworth is “a very polished shooter/scorer.” “Offensively, we are working to be an efficient group,” Jeremy Hahn said. “With a lot of new faces at the varsity level, we are still working to identify roles and style of play. Spacing and ball movement will be key for us.” He said the Knights are still developing a defensive identity. “We will work toward being able to apply pressure on the ball and hopefully extend that pressure full court,” Jeremy Hahn said. “Rim protection is also a work in progress and will likely be done by committee. We don’t have a 6-6 guy ready to block a ton of shots, but [we] have some length (6-3 to 6-4) and big bodies who do a good job of maintaining position and rebounding.”
Henry-Senachwine
Coach: Randy Westerdahl (fifth season, 26-69)
Last season’s record: 10-20, 2-7 Tri-County
Top returning players: Carson Rowe, jr.
Top newcomers: Bobby Gaspardo, jr.; Ben Meachum, jr.
Worth noting: The Mallards have an inexperienced roster with only two seniors and only one returning starter in Rowe, who averaged 12.5 points per game last season. “We are a young team with two seniors and not much experience,” Westerdahl said. “It will be interesting to watch and see how this team jells.” Westerdahl said guard play will be Henry’s strength, and he expects the defense to be “quick and scrappy.” “We want to win two or more games in our Thanksgiving tournament and advance in the Christmas tournament and regional,” Westerdahl said. “We want to make [it past the play-in game of] the conference tournament.”