The postseason is still a month away, but the area scene is heating up. Sports Editor Matt Daniels unveils The News-Gazette’s latest Top 10 rankings:
1. Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin
➜ Record: 21-0
➜ Previous ranking: No. 1
Caden Keleminic and the Blue Devils will play for a Vermilion County Tournament championship. The bleachers at Mary Miller Gym on the Danville Area Community College campus should be full on Saturday night after BHRA remained unbeaten following a Thursday night win against Hoopeston Area.
2. St. Joseph-Ogden
➜ Record: 12-5
➜ Previous ranking: No. 3
Parker Fitch and the Spartans will make the long trek to Chillicothe carrying a four-game win streak into Friday night’s Illini Prairie Conference game with the Grey Ghosts. This is after a home nonconference win against Manteno on Wednesday night. SJ-O then hosts Prairie Central at 5:30 p.m. in another conference game.
3. Westville
➜ Record: 19-3
➜ Previous ranking: No. 4
Kiptyn Appl and the Tigers will try to hand Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin its first loss on Saturday night. While, at the same time, trying to guide Westville to its first Vermilion County Tournament championship since 2015. The Tigers increased their win streak to seven games after beating Armstrong-Potomac on Thursday.
4. Champaign Central
➜ Record: 12-6
➜ Previous ranking: No. 5
Aidyn Beck and the Maroons get a rematch with Centralia on Friday night during the semifinals of the Salem Invitational. The two teams played already in the quarterfinals of the Centralia Holiday Tournament on Dec. 27, with the host Orphans easily winning 56-32. Central, however is 5-1 since that loss.
5. Tuscola
➜ Record: 15-4
➜ Previous ranking: No. 2
Parker James and the Warriors will try to end a three-game losing streak — the three losses are by a combined 11 points — when they host Clinton on Friday night in a Central Illinois Conference matchup. The two teams are familiar with one another after Tuscola earned a 43-37 victory on Dec. 28 to win the Monticello Holiday Hoopla title.
6. Unity
➜ Record: 15-6
➜ Previous ranking: No. 9
Tre Hoggard and the Rockets have won seven straight games following a comfortable 73-46 road win against St. Thomas More on Tuesday night that came after two hard-fought wins against Quincy Notre Dame and Princeton. A home date with Illini Prairie Conference foe Rantoul awaits on Friday night at the Rocket Center in Tolono.
7. Arcola
➜ Record: 14-5
➜ Previous ranking: No. 6
Brevyn Whisman and the Purple Riders enter the Lincoln Prairie Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the 12-team event. Arcola is the host school and will play its first tournament game at 11 a.m. Saturday against either Villa Grove or Unity Christian after a 51-45 home win against Sullivan on Tuesday.
8. Salt Fork
➜ Record: 13-6
➜ Previous ranking: Not ranked
Ian Church and the Storm get after it defensively, with Thursday night’s 37-28 victory against Georgetown-Ridge Farm the ninth time it has held opponents to less than 40 points in a game this season. Salt Fork will play for third place on Saturday night at the Vermilion County Tournament against Hoopeston Area.
9. Monticello
➜ Record: 11-8
➜ Previous ranking: Not ranked
Tyler Blythe and the Sages cruised to a 74-40 home nonconference win against Olympia on Tuesday night for the 1,750th victory in program history. A chance to get win No. 1,751 happens on Friday night when Monticello travels to play at Paxton-Buckley-Loda in an Illini Prairie Conference game.
10. Clinton
➜ Record: 13-8
➜ Previous ranking: No. 10
Keaton Graves and the Maroons started Central Illinois Conference play off on the right note with a 62-59 road win against Shelbyville last Friday night. Playing for the first time since that win will also come on the road as the Maroons get set for a showdown at Tuscola on Friday night.
