Illinois Valley Times

STREATOR

This year's Streator boys basketball team looks a lot like last year's version.

What the players will be pushing for is a different look in the win-loss column.

The Bulldogs went 15-17 last season, but have seven letterwinners back this season, led by D'Angelo Pryor, who averaged 14.4 points and 7 rebounds a game. Fellow returnee Dakota Limberg averaged 6.7 points and 2.9 rebounds, and John Benckendorf was second on the team, with 30 3-pointers. Mitch Vickers averaged 5.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists.

Other key returners are Adam Brown (4.2 ppg), Joey Byers (3.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg) and Blake Kelly.

"Returning basically the same exact team from last year, we have very high expectations for this season,” Head Coach Beau Doty told the Illinois Valley Times. “Hopefully, the experience gained from our younger players (playing in a regional title game at Plano) will pay dividends this year."

 

SOMONAUK

Unanimous All-Little Ten Conference selection Nate Wegener, a senior guard, is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Wegener will be joined by senior center Austin Pfau (9.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and senior guard Addison Bode (8.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg).

Head Coach Ron Hunt told the Times that the team has a nice mix of post and perimeter players this season, as it looks to improve on last season's 12-17 record.

“A core of vets will lead newbies in how to play together,” Hunt said.

 

OTTAWA

Senior McKe Tucker is the leading returning scorer after averaging 10.6 ppg. Classmate Eric Fox averaged 5 points a contest, sophomore Wyatt Hill notched 4 points a game, and senior Andrew Bacon accounted for 3 points a game.

"Our players have worked very hard in the off season," Head Coach Mark Cooper told the Times. "They are excited and ready for the start of the season. We graduated two three-year varsity players, but return a few players with varsity experience."

ST. BEDE ACADEMY

Senior guard Jon Dose averaged 11 points per game and hit 74 percent of his free-throw attempts in helping lead St. Bede Academy to a 19-9 record last season.

Senior guard Josh Sapp also is back after a season of averaging 6 points per contest and making 75 percent of his free throws. Junior Jackson Funfsinn (5 ppg, 70 percent on free throws) gives the Bruins yet another experienced guard.

Other returning players are senior forward/center Nate Kinsella, senior guard Ben Sons, senior guard Joe Marenda, senior guard Josh Shipp and senior forward/center Michael Manning.

"We are excited about the upcoming season,"  Head Coach Brian Hanson told the Times. "We have guys who logged a lot of varsity minutes last year, and we are ready to get going.”

 

LASALLE-PERU

Coming off a 23-5 season, five letterwinners will lead the charge this year.

Returning players include senior power forward Peyton Sampson, senior guard Austin Prybylinski, senior guard Kyle Christman, senior guard Kaleb Salas and senior forward Ryan Porter.

“I’m excited to coach this group of young men,” Head Coach Jim Cherveny told the Times. “They’ve come a long way in the first two weeks of the season. I’m interested to see what the upcoming season has in store for us.”

 

Note: Not all schools returned requests for information from the Times.