The regular season is winding down. The postseason pairings come out soon. Sports Editor Matt Daniels has The News-Gazette’s latest area Top 10 poll:
1. Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin
➜ Record: 25-0
➜ Previous ranking: No. 1
Chaz Dubois and the Blue Devils still have a chance at an undefeated regular season. A 51-43 road win against Hoopeston Area last Friday night was only the fifth time an opponent lost by single digits. But BHRA quickly made up for it with a 77-53 home win against Chrisman on Tuesday night. Now, the Blue Devils turn their attention to Milford on Friday night in another road Vermilion Valley Conference game before playing at Georgetown-Ridge Farm next Tuesday night.
2. St. Joseph-Ogden
➜ Record: 17-5
➜ Previous ranking: No. 2
Tanner Siems and the Spartans have almost gone a month without a loss. SJ-O carries a nine-game win streak into Friday night’s home game against Bloomington Central Catholic before making the trip to Williamsville to play Auburn, the No. 3 team in the latest Class 2A Associated Press statewide poll, at 6 p.m. Saturday in the Illini Prairie/Sangamo Shootout. SJ-O has been especially dominant lately, winning 70-45 at St. Teresa on Tuesday night and beating Monticello 68-38 at home last Friday.
3. Unity
➜ Record: 19-6
➜ Previous ranking: No. 4
Mason O’Neill and the Rockets upped their winning streak to 10 games after a 58-53 home win against Pontiac on Tuesdsay. Two lengthy bus rides await Unity this weekend. First up is a Friday night game at Chillicothe IVC in Illini Prairie Conference play and then a trip to Williamsville on Saturday to play the host Bullets at 7:30 p.m. in the Illini Prairie/Sangamo Shootout. Williamsville is ranked second in Class 2A in the latest AP statewide poll.
4. Tuscola
➜ Record: 20-5
➜ Previous ranking: No. 5
Kam Sweetnam and the Warriors have a 20-win season to cherish after Wednesday night’s 64-45 victory against Clinton in the Central Illinois Conference Tournament in Shelbyville. The win against the Maroons sends Tuscola, which has won five of its last six after a three-game losing skid in mid-January, into Friday night’s CIC Tournament championship game against Warrensburg-Latham. A team the Warriors lost 47-38 to on Jn. 21.
5. Westville
➜ Record: 21-5
➜ Previous ranking: No. 3
Easton Barney and the Tigers sustained their first Vermilion Valley Conference loss on Tuesday night with a 49-45 setback at Oakwood team that has won five straight games. All is not lost for Westville, especially with a Feb. 18 home game against Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin still on tap. Two home VVC games await this weekend, with Chrisman paying a visit on Friday night before the Tigers host a quality Hoopeston Area team on Saturday.
6. Champaign Central
➜ Record: 13-9
➜ Previous ranking: No. 6
Tre Cole and the Maroons sure enjoyed the first game of a three-game homestand against Big 12 Conference opponents, with Cole making a half-court shot at the buzzer to lift the Maroons past state-ranked Peoria Manual 49-46 last Friday night. A rivalry showdown with Urbana is on the schedule for Friday night before another emotionally-charged home game. And that’s Centennial next Tuesday night.
7. Salt Fork
➜ Record: 16-7
➜ Previous ranking: No. 7
Jameson Remole and the Storm won’t run away from teams. That’s not just not their style. Salt Fork picked up two close wins last weekend, defeating Iroquois West 35-31 on the road to improve to 6-1 in Vermilion Valley Conference play and then knocked off visiting Fisher 50-40 last Saturday. Salt Fork has had all week to prepare for Friday night’s home game with Watseka before neary rival Oakwood pays a visit to Catlin next Tuesday night.
8. Arcola
➜ Record: 17-6
➜ Previous ranking: No. 8
Tanner Thomas, who recently topped 1,000 career points for the Purple Riders during their 48-34 win against Cerro Gordo/Bement last Friday night in the fifth-place game of the Lincoln Prairie Conference Tournament, are starting to play like they did the first month of the season. After winning 54-44 at Heritage on Tuesday night, Arcola brings a three-game win streak into Friday night’s home game with Blue Ridge.
9. Armstrong-Potomac
➜ Record: 19-8
➜ Previous ranking: Not ranked
James Huisinga and the Trojans are already assured of the program’s first winning season since the 2005-06 season. Beat Hoopeston Area on Friday night in a Vermilion Valley Conference home game for A-P at its own Robert L. Bezely Gym, and a 20-win season is also long overdue since the 2005-06 team went 23-8. The Trojans have won their last four games, with Tuesday night’s 54-47 victory at Watseka their latest triumph.
10. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley
➜ Record: 15-9
➜ Previous ranking: Not ranked
Austin Kasper and the Falcons have fared well since going 1-2 at the McLean County/Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament last January. Mainly because GCMS has won three of its last four games, including a convincing 79-55 home HOIC victory against Flanagan-Cornell on Tuesday night. A second shot at a Fieldcrest team that beat GCMS 55-50 in the McLean County/HOIC Tournament quarterfinals awaits on Friday night in Gibson City.
