It was a big way to start the month in Beecher.
The seventh running of the Josh Baumgartner State Farm Shootout once again provided a plethora of basketball from morning through night Feb. 1 at Beecher High School.
The hosts opened the action with a 50-39 win over Lisle to improve to 13-10 heading into this week’s action.
Manteno dropped a 62-57 decision to Armstrong and were 16-10 to open this week’s play. Ray Lee had 25 points to lead the Panthers.
In other action, Iroquois West beat Momence, 56-43, Joliet Catholic Academy topped the Chicago Agriculture School 76-58, Coal City beat Westmont 50-44 and Rantoul topped Reed Custer 81-51.
Wenzel honored
Former boys basketball coach and current principal Doug Wenzel was inducted into the Manteno High School Wall of Fame on Jan. 31 before a game against Grant Park.
Wenzel coached the boys for 13 seasons.
In his second year at the helm Wenzel’s team won 25 games and the first regional title in school history. The Panthers won their second in 2024.
Wenzel eventually followed in the footsteps of his father, Ken, who coached the team from 1980-1989.
Warrior wrestlers strong in SAC
Three Crete-Monee wrestlers took first place in the Southland Athletic tournament while four took second and four more took third.
Firsts went the Jaylene Johnson, Malakai Scott and Kijuan Springfield.
Seconds went to Dominic Jackson, Gerard Fleming, Angel Mojica and Jayden Stovall.
Thirds went to Jarele Johnson, Jason Adams, Karmon Harris and Aiden Roop.
The Warriors finished second as a team.
Sports bits
–Crete-Monee’s boys basketball team beat Bloom for the first time since 2018 with a 50-48 overtime home win on Jan. 31. Robert Kennedy Jr. came of the bench to score 31 points in the Southland Athletic Conference thriller.
–Crete-Monee’s Destiny Wilson became the first Warriors female wrestler to win an IHSA match when she earned a victory in the first round of the Rich Township Regional on Feb. 1.
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