With the regional opening of Class 3A Monday throughout Illinois, the preparations coordinator COLIN LIKAS offers an overview:
Rantoul region
Bulldogs Mahomet-Seymour n ° 2 (19-10)
Players to watch: Grant Coleman (father); Luke Koller (Soph.); Cole Lener (Sr.).
Regular season: The Bulldogs have torn apart in their last 10 games before their Friday final with Mattoon, losing only to state-classified Lincoln and eliminating Dunlap, Normal Community and Urbana.
Perspective: M-S has a goal on its back in a region full of teams who know each other, but also has the confidence to maintain its role towards a regional title.
No 3 Urbana Tigers (16-14)
Players to watch: Chris Cross (father); Bryson Tatum (Sr.); Jermale Young (Jr.).
Regular season: The Tigers had the toughest calendar of the area’s big schools and have two wins against Centennial and one against Champaign Central, but the late defeat against Mahomet-Seymour still stings.
Perspective: Trying to consolidate last season’s regional title – the first on the program since 1989 – Urbana will be very motivated to take revenge on M-S in a potential regional final.
Centennial Chargers # 5 (17-13)
Players to watch: Termarion Howard (Sr.); Axel Laby (father); Amareon Parker (Jr.).
Regular season: Since their six-point loss to Urbana on January 24, the Chargers have won eight of 11 – including a tilt of rivalry with Champaign Central – and have played State-ranked Peoria Notre Dame with two points in one of three defeats.
Perspective: The success of Centennial depends heavily on its ability to play its defensive style. If the chargers can get into this rhythm, they become difficult to beat. A choice of sleeper for the regional list of titles.
Champaign Central Maroons n ° 6 (14-15)
Players to watch: Pryce Punkay (Sr.); Isaiah Roosevelt (Jr.); Khailieo Terry (Jr.).
Regular season: The Maroons played a generally tough schedule that ended Friday with Proviso East and was on the wrong side in many close games, including against Moline, Morton, Normal Community and Centennial.
Perspective: Central is a viable threat to Mahomet-Seymour in the regional semi-finals. If the Maroons can get ahead early and close in such a situation, they may be able to run.
N ° 9 Rantoul Eagles (5-26)
Players to watch: Kamryn Rome (Sr.); Bryant Shaw (father); Colin Wilkerson (Jr.).
Regular season: The Eagles have lost their last eight games and have only one victory over a Class 3A enemy, won against Rochester on December 27.
Perspective: Rantoul would need his best performance of the season to defeat Champaign Central in the quarterfinals.
Bloomington Regional
N ° 4 Danville Vikings (15-15)
Players to watch: Nathanael Hoskins (Jr.); Tevin Smith (Jr.); Robert Stroud (Sr.).
Regular season: The Vikings were severely hampered by an injury to Smith and a long illness for Hoskins, dropping them from 9-3 and receiving state ranking interest as bad as 10-13 before a late rally.
Perspective: Smith finally returned in last week’s game with Rantoul, and he made the Vikings a completely different team. Lincoln, seeded, would be a real challenge in the regional final, but Bloomington, number 7, is beatable in the semifinals.
With the regional opening of Class 3A Monday throughout Illinois, the preparations coordinator COLIN LIKAS offers an overview:
Rantoul region
Bulldogs Mahomet-Seymour n ° 2 (19-10)
Players to watch: Grant Coleman (father); Luke Koller (Soph.); Cole Lener (Sr.).
Regular season: The Bulldogs have torn apart in their last 10 games before their Friday final with Mattoon, losing only to state-classified Lincoln and eliminating Dunlap, Normal Community and Urbana.
Perspective: M-S has a goal on its back in a region full of teams who know each other, but also has the confidence to maintain its role towards a regional title.
No 3 Urbana Tigers (16-14)
Players to watch: Chris Cross (father); Bryson Tatum (Sr.); Jermale Young (Jr.).
Regular season: The Tigers had the toughest calendar of the area’s big schools and have two wins against Centennial and one against Champaign Central, but the late defeat against Mahomet-Seymour still stings.
Perspective: Trying to consolidate last season’s regional title – the first on the program since 1989 – Urbana will be very motivated to take revenge on M-S in a potential regional final.
Centennial Chargers # 5 (17-13)
Players to watch: Termarion Howard (Sr.); Axel Laby (father); Amareon Parker (Jr.).
Regular season: Since their six-point loss to Urbana on January 24, the Chargers have won eight of 11 – including a tilt of rivalry with Champaign Central – and have played State-ranked Peoria Notre Dame with two points in one of three defeats.
Perspective: The success of Centennial depends heavily on its ability to play its defensive style. If the chargers can get into this rhythm, they become difficult to beat. A choice of sleeper for the regional list of titles.
Champaign Central Maroons n ° 6 (14-15)
Players to watch: Pryce Punkay (Sr.); Isaiah Roosevelt (Jr.); Khailieo Terry (Jr.).
Regular season: The Maroons played a generally tough schedule that ended Friday with Proviso East and was on the wrong side in many close games, including against Moline, Morton, Normal Community and Centennial.
Perspective: Central is a viable threat to Mahomet-Seymour in the regional semi-finals. If the Maroons can get ahead early and close in such a situation, they may be able to run.
N ° 9 Rantoul Eagles (5-26)
Players to watch: Kamryn Rome (Sr.); Bryant Shaw (father); Colin Wilkerson (Jr.).
Regular season: The Eagles have lost their last eight games and have only one victory over a Class 3A enemy, won against Rochester on December 27.
Perspective: Rantoul would need his best performance of the season to defeat Champaign Central in the quarterfinals.
Bloomington Regional
N ° 4 Danville Vikings (15-15)
Players to watch: Nathanael Hoskins (Jr.); Tevin Smith (Jr.); Robert Stroud (Sr.).
Regular season: The Vikings were severely hampered by an injury to Smith and a long illness for Hoskins, dropping them from 9-3 and receiving state ranking interest as bad as 10-13 before a late rally.
Perspective: Smith finally returned in last week’s game with Rantoul, and he made the Vikings a completely different team. Lincoln, seeded, would be a real challenge in the regional final, but Bloomington, number 7, is beatable in the semifinals.