Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week: Prairie Ridge’s Eli Loeding

Name: Eli Loeding

School: Prairie Ridge

Sport: Basketball

Why he was selected: Loeding, a 6-foot-4 junior, poured in a game-high 27 points to lead Prairie Ridge to a 61-48 upset victory over McHenry on Feb. 7 and hand the Warriors their first Fox Valley Conference loss of the year. The Wolves fell to McHenry 59-36 on Jan. 10.

For his performance, Loeding was selected as the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Marian Central wrestler Andrew Alvarado, Crystal Lake Central wrestler Jackson Marlett and Marengo basketball player Maggie Hanson also were nominated.

Loeding answered a few questions from Northwest Herald sports editor Alex Kantecki.

Your team lost by 23 points the first time you played McHenry. What enabled you to beat them the second time?

Loeding: Putting in more work than the previous weeks because we knew that we were capable of so much more.

Did your team do anything to celebrate that big win?

Loeding: We didn’t do a whole lot to celebrate because we have more to accomplish.

How is your team feeling heading into the final weeks of the regular season?

Loeding: We are feeling good, but we’re always excited to prove something.

What is your favorite pregame meal or snack?

Loeding: My favorite pregame meal is Chipotle because that’s my favorite fast food.

If you could pick one throwback NBA jersey, which one would you take?

Loeding: A John Wall jersey would be pretty dope.

What’s it like having brothers (Brian and Mike Frericks) as your basketball and football coach?

Loeding: It’s a blast. Both of my coaches are great coaches and people.

If you could hop in the DeLorean with Doc Brown and Marty McFly, what athletic contest would you want to see?

Loeding: The game Derrick Rose tore his ACL and stop them so we could continue watching him play as a Chicago Bull.

What would be your dream job?

Loeding: A pro golfer.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Loeding: Bad breath is pretty bad.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

Loeding: Sports and hanging out with friends and family.