Check out some of the top athletes from Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Knox, McDonough, Mercer, Stark and Warren counties.
With the Thanksgiving turkey (and leftovers) just about put away, it’s officially basketball season.
While Illinois high school teams started ahead of the holiday week and played over the weekend, everyone hits full stride as the calendar turns to December and the final month of 2025.
The USA TODAY Network reached out to area coaches to learn more about their teams heading into the winter, and here’s what they’ve come back with.
IHSA girls basketball regionals are set to start on Valentine’s Day 2026 (Saturday, Feb. 14), with the state finals scheduled for March 5-7. Boys basketball regionals begin on Monday, Feb. 23, and the state tournaments are set for March 12-14.
A dozen boys coaches responded and nine girls teams returned information in a questionnaire that was sent to all schools in Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Knox, McDonough, Mercer, Stark and Warren counties. You can see who they’re excited about below.
63 Western Illinois Boys Basketball Players to WatchWestern Big 6
Galesburg: The old is new for the Silver Streaks as alum Taylor Thiel comes home from Texas to lead the team as head coach. His son, senior Stone Thiel, is approaching 1,000 career high school points and has interest from a host of NCAA Division III schools in the area. From a season ago, seniors Keigan Crummer, Jackson Wyatt, Leslie Kelley and Tobi Kivunina all return to the court. And sophomore Cesaire Bile, who started some games as a freshman, and cousin Eden Mayala, could be big contributors.
Lincoln Trail
Galva: The Wildcats have gone from two wins to 10 wins to 22 wins over the last three seasons and return all five starters. Blake Stahl will lead this winter; the senior is a two-time all-conference performer and No. 2 in points in program history. Senior JP Sloan and junior MJ Louck Jr. Were all-conference performers last season as well. It’s a deep team that also includes seniors Cyrus Hurd, Braden Murphy and Jay Smith; and juniors Reid Harris, Braxton Hulstrom and Ty Keup.
Knoxville: Veteran coach Tom Garriott takes over the Blue Bullets this winter as the team hopes to get back to a winning record. Look for seniors Hank Walters and Wayne Beardsley, as well as sophomore Austin Harshbarger, to lead here.
Stark County: With a host of sophomores expected to be part of the rotation for the Rebels, seniors Ben Browning and Connor Daum, along with junior Tanner Bishop, will need to provide the calm and experience to get back over .500 this winter. Coach Kane Mastin also is excited to see what happens with senior Tyson Gillespie, a “gym rat” who’s expected to get rotation minutes.
United: All-conference selections Ian Leffler and Nolan Jenks are both seniors hoping to make a dent in the standings against Abingdon-Avon and Galva. Sophomore guard Collin Leary could be the facilitator in this group. The rotation should be filled out by senior Aiden Martin and juniors Chance Stewart, Kellen Boone, Koen Sperry, Lucas Horner, Carter Olson, Houston Jackson and Landon Williamson.
Wethersfield: In Year 2 under Kyle Galli, the Geese are aiming for a top-half finish in the conference this winter. PG Collin Hodge and guard Drew Hornback return, but the X factor could be junior Kruz Galbraith, who’s 6-foot-3 and a quality outside shooter who is learning quickly.
Prairieland
Bushnell Prairie City: First-year coach Shane Curry is going to lean on seniors DeArion Ruffin Thomas and Connor Palm to help him create their culture with the Spartans. Camden Shinn, Christian Graybill, Logan Ash and Ryan Adler should be part of the rotation.
Illini West: Coming off a program record for wins, the Chargers now look to get into a regional final this winter. Entering the season, versatile Wes Robertson is 250 points away from 1,000 in his career, while Ethan Carlisle is a three-year starter and team captain, and both are college baseball recruits. Also look out for juniors Grady Blue and Cash Jones, as well as sophomore Myles Wear, as Illini West and Macomb look to shoot it out in the Prairieland South.
Macomb: The Bombers return two senior starters from last winter in guard Drew Watson and forward Nolan Hoge. Look for juniors Carter Havens and Kellen Martin to be important if Macomb wants to challenge defending champion Illini West.
North Fulton: Chance Jones’ latest stop as a basketball coach in Western Illinois lands him here after two stops at Galva, a run at Alwood and stints with both Black Hawk East and Spoon River colleges. All-conference guard Conner Muson leads four key returning seniors, along with Brody Thum, Kolby Clear and Ashton Warfield. NF also has a quartet of new juniors who will help fill the rotation.
West Prairie: 1,000-point scorer Braden Coplan leads all five returning starters this winter. He was a first-team Prairieland selection last season after averaging 18.1 points per game. Senior forward Ryan Clark is the other top scorer back (a second-team all-league pick), and coach Ian Conkling has two freshmen expected to make an impact in Holden Coplan and Gannon Shipman, along with senior Austin Nelson.
Mid Illini
Canton: The Little Giants hope that time in the conference with bigger schools will give them the experience necessary for a big run in the Class 2A postseason. Sivante Stokes is a 6-foot-3 point guard who finds the rim and can clamp down on defense, and Lakon Otto also returns for Canton.
45 Western Illinois Girls Basketball Players to WatchWestern Big 6
Galesburg: The Silver Streaks won a regional in March and bring back seven of their top eight players, looking for even more success. Ella Herchenroder was a third-team all-state pick by the IBCA and first-team Western Big 6. Jozalyn Kilgore was an honorable mention all-state pick, and Taylor and Grace Herchenroder, Zaniyah Carter, Khloe May and Lily Furrow know the system of second-year coach Lexi Demott. It’ll be tough to move up, though, as nine of the league’s top 10 players return.
Lincoln Trail
Ridgewood: The Knights are off to a great start this season before the holiday, going 4-1 in their first five games under first-year coach Luke Leander, who was an assistant a year ago and spent seven seasons with the junior high program. Junior Mackenzie Peck, an honorable mention all-Lincoln Trail selection last season, leads the way, with sophomores Livvy Edmund and Maggie Leander, as well as freshman Anna Doubet being other key contributors.
ROWVA-Williamsfield: Longtime area coach Jeff Hannam brings back his entire roster from last season, and that continuity should improve their standing in the Lincoln Trail Conference and ICAC. Senior Megyn Erlacher was an all-conference forward, and the team returns seniors Ella Rigg, Riley Smith, Lauren Johnson and Ella Erlacher, as well as juniors Kinley Danner, Emerson Hannam, Maddi McGarry and sophomore Eliza Tucker.
Stark County: Bob Bohm’s Rebels have no seniors this winter and will be led by sophomore Coley Johnston, the team’s leading scorer a year ago and second-team all-conference pick. Junior Sophie Finnegan led the team in assists and steals, and Hallie Newton was the top rebounder. The question now is, who among the next 4-5 players in the pecking order can supplement them?
West Central: Thomas Williams takes his first varsity head coaching position with the Heat. Seniors Kenna Klossing, Grace Seitz and Reegan Shafer are three of seven returners with varsity experience, which will be key with four freshmen expected to be among the team’s players to watch this winter.
Wethersfield: On the way to the Sweet 16 a season ago, Lana Scott finished as a special mention all-state pick by the state coaches’ association and was a first-team all-conference selection. Senior forward Camryn Anderson was a second-team pick, and look out for freshman guard Kyleigh Anderson this fall.
Three Rivers
Kewanee: With an entire lineup of juniors, can Kewanee make some noise this year while trying to go out with a bang in 2027? Damaris Diaz is a returning all-conference selection at forward, averaging 13 points per game and shooting 63 percent. Bailey VanWinkle is the other returning starter, with classmates Audrey Clucas, Addison Yepson and Kieryn Abernathy expected to play the supplemental roles.
Monmouth-Roseville: The Titans have won a pair of regionals in the last three seasons, but if they do it again, it’ll be thanks to a host of new faces. Don Luper moves from assistant to head coach for a team that lost four of its five starters from last season, and an injury has knocked out sophomore Layla Katile, the only returner with significant playing time. That leaves it to senior forward and team captain Lilly Mahoney to lead the way. Other players to watch include senior Brianna Brent; juniors Alayna Riley, Lyric Churn and Jazmyn Copeland; and sophomore Carmyn Way.
Prairieland
Lewistown: All-Prairieland forward Joley McLaughlin (a Carl Sandburg commit) leads the way, alongside fellow senior Mylie Sours. From there, it’s underclassmen ready to step up: Sophomores Carsyn Braun, Sam Bonney and Grace Bonney, and junior Addison Roddis.
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