galesburg boys basketball - The Register-Mail

D18 The Register-Mail, Galesburg, Ill. Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008
United
The Red Storm need to replace last
year’s leading scorer Courtney Young,
who averaged 12.2 points, but United
returns six letterwinners to the club. It
will be a team that relies heavily on
the sophomore class. United finished
4-20 and 3-8 in the league under
coach Dennis Mann, who is entering
his 31st year as a head coach and his
PRAIRELAND CONFERENCE GIRLS
North Fulton takes guarded approach to season
LTC
From Page D17
BY ZACK CREGLOW
The Register-Mail
GALESBURG — The
North Fulton girls basketball
team is going with a different
approach than most others.
Basically, the Wildcats are
just playing all guards.
“We are a team of guards.
We have been for a few years,”
coach Craig Davis said. “We
haven’t had any size for a few
years, so guards have been
our strength.”
While he may have a dearth
in height, the talent of the
North Fulton stands out in a
crowd.
The prize of the Wildcats
squad is senior Jenna Tompkins,
a returning player on
the 2007 Register-Mail’s allarea
girls basketball team.
A threat to score in various
ways, Tompkins averaged
15.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and
3.8 assists for last year’s 20-8
North Fulton squad.
Having a senior like Tomp-
North Fulton’s Jenna
Tompkins, a returning
Register-Mail All-Area
player, drives on an
Abingdon opponent in
a game last season.
Tompkins will join
a talented group of
Wildcats to try to
improve on last season’s
20-8 record.
KEN EXUM/The Register-Mail
kins hides a lot of
deficiencies, Davis said.
“It makes (coaching) a
whole lot easier. When she
graduates, she is going to
fourth at United.
Cambridge
Erica Nimrick, the team’s most
valuable player last year, returns for
her final season in what should be
a strong year for Cambridge. Nimrick
was first-team all-conference after
averaging 13.1 points and 4.1
points, and she’s joined by returning
starters Jasmine Beam (9.7 points)
and Amanda Kruger (6.1 points).
Cambridge finished last season at 16-
3 and 7-4 in the LTC.
Stark County
The Lady Rebels finished 4-7 in
league play but opposing coaches
leave quite a hole,” he said.
“She has always had some
older girls who have had some
leadership on the team and
you can see with her and our
believe they will be difficult to contend
with because of their height and
shooting ability. The Rebels are only
one season removed from a 26-6
campaign that included a trip to state.
ROWVA
Eight letterwinners return for the
Tigers in coach Heidi Nelson’s 13th
season coaching her alma mater. The
Tigers, who finished 15-15 and 5-6
in the Lincoln Trail, will rely heavily
on junior Kelsey Kovacik. The point
guard led the team last season with
10 points a game. Taylor Rice and
Kaylyn Nelson will add depth to the
Tigers.Westmer Steve Moseley’s squad
other older girls that’s rubbed
off in a positive way.”
Tompkins is joined the
backcourt by young talents
in juniors Courtney McKown
and Meredith Beoletto. The
tandem showed the ability to
score as sophmores starters,
and Davis counts on them to
continue to develop.
“Meredith Beoletto can
play inside a little bit and as
far as the team goes, we are
not going to be any different
than we’ve been the last four,
five years,” Davis said. “We
are quick.”
The team, while small, will
not shy from the paint.
“We take a lot of pride in
the fact that we can score in
the paint,” Davis said. “That’s
my philosophy that’s where
the game is won and lost.”
North Fulton finished third
in a rough Prairieland Conference
that also features powerhouse
Brimfield, Havana and
Abingdon.
Jim Blane’s Brimfield
will rely largely on Erica Tharp and
Emily Frieden in Westmer’s final season
of girls basketball before consolidating
with Aledo next year. The Warriors
struggled mightily last year, finishing at
3-21 with only win in the LTC.
West Central
The reigning conference champs
are stacked once again with all-staters
Miriam Rutzen and Ashley Coffey
returning. Rutzen has been the most
dominating player in the Galesburg
area the last two seasons, and Coffey
developed into one of the best post
players around. The team will have
to adjust to new coach Jay Blender’s
squad went 29-5 and won the
ROWVA Class 1A Sectional,
defeating area power West
Central, while Havana finished
20-10 to get second in
the league. Abingdon finished
15-15 last year but should
make a move this year with
all-area honorable mention
pick Alivia Colwell and fellow
senior Jamie Bloomberg
returning to the backcourt.
Davis believes the conference
will again be difficult,
but he believes his team can
compete with anyone in the
league.
“It’s going to be a pretty
good conference. Havana
is going to be pretty good.
Brimfield is going to be really
good, and Abingdon has a
nice team,” Davis said. “We
have four starters back and
we are expecting to be very
competitive with everybody
we play. As we get the season
going, we will see where we
can stand.”
defensive-minded approach and
replaced all-area guard Rachele Jack,
who was lost to graduation.
Wethersfield
Sophomore gunner Shelby Steger
returns as one of the top players in the
LTC for Wethersfield, which is coming
off a regional championship last year.
Steger averaged 15.2 points for the
Flying Geese, while handing out 3.8
assists. But the team will have to
replace graduated all-stater Natalie
Fargher, the leading scorer in the LTC
last season at 21.2 points.