03-31-2021
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - In a year of chaos and bedlam in our world, where uncertainty was the norm, high school basketball was finally played in an albeit shortened season.

With no postseason and limitations on 'who could play who' due to Covid19 restrictions it was a difficult season for all involved.

Despite all of the obstacles in their paths, teams carried on and played as many games as they could against conference foes and anyone else they were allowed to play.

Wearing masks with limited fans to cheer them on, the kids took it all in stride and got through a tough season.

ABV has chosen a pair of kids for postseason awards who were standouts not only in this belated and shortened season but for their careers as well.

Six-foot-seven senior Noah Franklin of Cobden and 6-foot-8 senior Kaleb Applebey of Mount Carmel are the ABV “Player of the Year” picks for Class 1A and 2A respectively.

The numbers stack up and back up any and all debates about the choices.

In Franklin's case, the statistics are staggering for a four-year varsity starter.

The guard/forward marked up a lot of scorebook's in four seasons of varsity action.

In his final game as a prep, he scored 28 points to lead the Appleknockers to an undefeated season at 18-0 and a win over Trico.

During the contest he went over the 2,000 point plateau, a level that few in the history of Illinois High School Basketball have achieved.

Only 156 boy's players have reached 2K since 1906 when high school basketball became a sport in Illinois.

Number 157 is now Noah Franklin.

The final figs are 2,015 points, 1,052 rebounds, 507 assists, 146 steals and 152 blocked shots.

As a senior Franklin averaged 27 points, 11.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per outing.

Franklin has chosen Southwest Baptist University in Missouri as his college home for the next four years.

FYI, the SBU athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference which features schools from Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

Applebey eclipsed the 1,000 point mark earlier this season (1,150) and was a three year starter on the Mount Carmel squad for Coach Tyler Buss.

Applebey was part of a sectional championship team and two previous regional title squads.

In 2019 he set a Pinckneyville “Duster Thomas Classic” single game record of 38 points in a win over Greenville.

In the shortened 2020-21 campaign Applebey averaged 19.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game as the Aces went 15-2.

His field goal percentage was 64.3 percent and he ended up with 847 rebounds as he dominated in the paint.

His next stop is Wabash Valley College but not as a basketball standout.

Applebey is a standout pitcher set to play for the Warriors' baseball team.

Both Franklin and Applebey were listed last season in the Associated Press and IBCA all-state teams and will likely end up on the first team of both squads in 2020-21.

Coach Wendell Wheeler took over the Cobden program three seasons ago and he led the Appleknockers to an unbeaten season this winter.

The veteran coach reached the 400-win mark during the 2020-21 season as he helped mold this club into a winning program.

In his second season (2019-20) the Appleknockers won the program's first boy's basketball regional championship since 1964.

Each season Cobden improved under Coach Wheeler.

The other coach who deserves the props for this shortened season is Coach Joe Vanzo at Hillsboro.

This club, part of the South Central Conference, ran the table in winning the league title to complete a 14-0 regular season, 9-0 in the league.

The Hiltoppers (one 'L') won close games in the league which is a sign of a well coached club who handled the pressure of rivalry games.

Hillsboro, in winning those 14 games, matched the beginning of the 1998-99 club (Coached by Dyke Buerkett) who went 30-1 in a sectional championship season.

A case could be made for several of the other players on the First Team ABV lists for POY.

Here's a look at some of the other players who Graded A from ABV.

Class 1A

Six-foot-one senior Noah Livingston of Casey-Westfield netted 26.4 points per night for the 11-1 Warriors while adding 6.4 rebounds a game.

Coach Tom Brannan's club dropped just one game (3A powerhouse Effingham) during its LIC championship run.

Will Hosselton, a 6-foot senior who was also a C-W standout, added 12.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

C-W swept through the tough Little Illini Conference undefeated at 8-0.

Livingston is getting serious looks from area colleges from D-I on down.

Edwardsville Metro-East Lutheran senior A.J. Smith put up robust numbers for the 10-5 Knights under head coach Anthony Smith (his father).

Smith is the younger brother of former Illinois Mr. Basketball Mark Smith who just completed his senior season at the University of Missouri.

A.J.'s 22.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists were among the leaders in the St. Louis area.

Okawville's Jacksen Harre scored 14.9 points, grabbed 3.5 rebounds and handed out 3.8 assists as a senior for the Rockets who ended up 11-2 in the shortened season.

Harre is headed to Kaskaskia College for basketball.

Graham Meisenhelter, a junior guard on the Macon Meridian squad, averaged 21.3 points and hit 59 percent of his shots from the floor for the Hawks.

He also grabbed 10.4 rebounds per contest.

His teammate Drew Hurelbrink, also a junior, popped home 13.9 points and averaged 8.4 boards.

Macon Meridian will be ranked as one of the top teams in the state in 1A for 2021-22.

Garrett Gunter, a 6-foot-1 senior guard at Sesser-Valier, also had a fine senior season for the Red Devils and head coach Shane Garner.

Gunter averaged 17.3 points a game for the 9-4 S-V squad while also grabbing nine rebounds a game with a field goal percentage of 56 percent.

Altamont senior guard Kaiden Eirhart averaged 19.3 points a contest this winter for the 12-4 Indians.

Steeleville junior Lane Lazenby stepped into a starting assignment this season for the Warriors and notched 13.5 points a game while grabbing six rebounds along with five assists for the undefeated Cahokia Conference Kaskaskia Division champions.

The Warriors and head coach Aaron Fiene didn't have a senior on their squad so next winter could be very special for the program.

Joe Melton, a 6-foot-7 senior for Norris City-Omaha-Enfield, averaged 22 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots a game for the Fighting Cardinals who ended up 11-1 overall while winning the Greater Egyptian Conference regular season and tournament championships.

Logan Antrim, a senior guard for Effingham St. Anthony who scored 10.4 points and dished out nearly three assists a game, was a floor general for the Bulldogs this season as his club won the National Trail Conference regular season title and ended up 12-4 overall and 8-0 in the NTC.

Antrim is headed to Lincoln Land College to pitch for the baseball team.

Class 2A

Junior Brady Moore of Breese Central averaged 11.5 points and 4.1 rebounds for the unbeaten Cougars and Coach Jeremy Shubert.

Breese Mater Dei senior Mitchell Haake netted 12.8 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Knights, who finished 12-2 under head coach Ron Schadegg.

Senior Jackson Holmes of Columbia put together another fine season, as he averaged 16 points and 8.6 rebounds for the Eagles.

Pinckneyville senior Dre Scott ended his prep run with 16.7 points a game for the Panthers while also grabbing 6.4 rebounds for Coach Bob Waggoner's 12-3 club.

Isaac Hosman, a freshman guard at Massac County, netted 13.4 points and dished out 6.2 assists for the 14-2 Patriots, the champs of the SIRR Ohio Division.

Teammate and senior J.J. Sweat scored 12.7 points and snagged 4.9 rebounds for Coach Joe Hosman's club.

Senior forward/guard Landon Zurliene led Fairfield with 20 points and six rebounds a game as the Mules ended up 17-2 on the season and 10-0 in the Black Diamond East Division.

Zurliene is headed to McKendree University to play basketball in 2021-22.

Benton senior guard Reece Johnson produced 15 points and six assists for the Rangers who finished up 11-5 on the season.

Carterville 6-foot-5 senior Eli Downen led the Lions with 13.6 points and 5.9 rebounds a contest.

Downen has been a leader for Coach Shane Hawkins and is also the football team's quarterback.

Beau Stipp, a senior guard from Mount Carmel, was also a standout for the Aces as he posted 18.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

Buzz Ritzel, a senior from Nashville, ended his career with 16.0 points per game average along with 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the Hornets and head coach Wayne Harre.