Veteran teams look to improve
Greenville, Staunton, Carlinville, Southwestern have key players back
Vandalia has new coach; Litchfield, Hillsboro, North Mac try to rebuild
11/30/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - The South Central Conference, like some of the other leagues last season, didn't have much in the way of postseason success as none of the members managed to advance past the regionals.

But this is a league that isn't without talent.

Greenville made it to a regional championship game a season ago for head coach Todd Cantrill.

The Comets finished tied with Litchfield for the top spot in the SCC but the regional title game slipped away with a loss to Auburn, 54-42 at North Mac.

Litchfield also had a fine run, finishing with a winning mark but their fate in the postseason was the same, a defeat to Greenville in the semifinals.

Head coach Daniel Bonnell took over early last season and got some quality out of his team throughout the season.

Coach Jason Darr at Southwestern has his top player returning from a twenty win season.

North Mac and head coach TJ Wilson was the fourth team in the conference that finished with an overall winning record.

Vandalia will have a new head coach with Joe Vanzo moves up from being an assistant.

This mentor was a ABV “Coach of the Year” at Hillsboro in 2020-21 during the Covid19 season.

Speaking of the Hiltoppers, Coach Corbin Govaia lost to North Mac last season in the regional at Virden but this program has three starters back to build on.

Pana hasn't had many losing seasons in its history but last year didn't go well for Panthers' head coach Adam Metzger as they stumbled badly out of the gate and never got going before being blown out in the first round of the regional.

Staunton managed to get to .500 for the first time in four seasons for head coach Ty Laux as the Bulldogs ended up with a first round regional win over Gillespie and then a loss to Alton Marquette to end the season at the Roxana Regional.

Carlinville and head coach David Suits closed the season on a long losing streak but they have their top four scorers back this season.

In previous seasons one could pencil in the usual teams that normally rise to the top but the 2024-25 version looks a bit more wide open.

Although the season was an overall success last winter for Litchfield and head coach Daniel Bonnell, the aftermath is that most of the players from the 20-13, 7-2 team that fell to Greenville in the regional semifinals at North Mac have graduated.

Seven seniors and all five starters left the system, making the rebuilding an immediate process for the coaching staff.

Gone from the program are senior guard Victor McGill, forward Keenan Powell, guard AJ Odle, forward Tate Dobrinich, forward Cam Stewart, forward Carson Saathoff, and forward Kenden Longwell.

That is a bunch to overcome with youngsters now needing to move up.

Keenan Logan, Nate Schaake, and Ethan Saathoff came off the bench last season for Litchfield.

Logan is a 5-10 senior guard while Schaake is a 6-4 senior forward.

Saathoff is a 6-1 junior forward.

All three will have more expectations as the season begins for Litchfield.

“There is open competition for all five starting spots, so it is possible any of these players may earn significant minutes throughout the season,” said Coach Bonnell.

Coach Bonnell added the names of senior Will Cress, a 6-2 forward, 5-10 senior guard Martavious Jones, 5-11 senior Brayden and Harrison Thomas, a 6-5 senior.

Juniors ready to suit up for the Purple Panthers are 6-1 forward Max Leitschuh Tucker and a pair of players who didn't play last season; Tucker Maguire and Sam Schwabb.

“This is essentially a brand new squad compared to last year’s 20-win team. We are expecting an adjustment period as players take on more significant and important roles compared to last year. Our seniors and juniors will both have to embrace leadership opportunities to help create a culture that is conducive to winning and improvement throughout the season. Our non-conference schedule has been revamped with some really tough opponents to better help us be more prepared for conference and post-season play,” said Coach Bonnell.

It's been a while since they won a regional but the program has 18 regional trophies in the case.

One wouldn't think that this program has been very successful over the years but Litchfield is approaching 1,500-wins in the program's history and if they match last season's win total the program will hit that mark.

Greenville head coach Todd Cantrill's club looks to be ready to repeat as South Central champions with seven seniors returning from the 23-9, 7-2 club that shared the wealth with Litchfield last winter.

The Comets didn't make it out of the regional but they're looking to make a postseason move this year.

The seniors back are three starters and four others who were important last winter.

Cale Ackerman, a 6-3 senior forward, posted 13.5 points a game as a junior.

Five-ten senior guard Gavin Doll and 6-3 senior forward Nolan Tabor return for Greenville.

Five-nine senior guard Gus Olson and 6-3 senior forward Ben Hutchinson return as do
5-7 senior guard CJ Jackson and 5-9 senior guard Carter Manhart.

“We will be a senior loaded team with a lot of returning experience,” said Coach Cantrill. “Ackerman could reach 1K career points this season.”

The Comets ended the season with a nine-game win streak before the regional final loss and Coach Cantrill hopes to build upon the successful run to begin 2024-25.
The Hillsboro Hiltoppers are looking for some improvement.

Despite going a respectable 5-4 last season in the South Central Conference, the rest of the non-conference games didn't go as well.

Coach Corbin Govaia and his club struggled to a 6-17 mark against everyone else.

Four seniors have left (Jace Stewart, Mitchell Lowe, Adrian Harston, Elliot Lentz) are gone from the club that fell to North Mac in a tough loss to end the season, a contest that they led heading into the fourth quarter before being outscored late in a 50-47 loss.

The returning players look to turn the tide as it has been a minute since the Toppers ended up with a winning overall record.

The top Topper in scoring last winter was Nathan Matoush, a 6-3 senior forward, who is also nearing 1,000-career points.

Caleb Greenwood, a 5-9 senior guard, is also back for Coach Govaia.

Greenwood will be called upon for more scoring this season to pick up some of the slack from the missing teammates who walked the aisle last spring.

Another senior returns with more responsibilities this season.

Five-nine senior Jackson Tuetken is a shooting guard for Hillsboro, and is a good defender according to Coach Govaia.

Other seniors include Peyton Chesney and Clayton Rufus, who understand their roles on the club.

The staff will have some underclassmen to work with.

Mark Mattson, a 5-11 junior, and 5-10 junior Tony White were on the varsity roster as sophomores.

Izac Zerrusen is another junior who made the squad along with sophomores Kamdin Civitate, Ryder Dettman, Eli Zaidi and Elijah Patton.

The program has numbers, which is somewhat of a pleasant surprise for a coaching staff that wants to rebuild towards the future.

“Greenwood handles the ball well and plays tenacious defense. Matoush is approaching a scoring milestone as he has been our top scorer for the past two seasons,” said Coach Govaia. “Tuetken is our 'Jack of all trades' as he does a little bit of everything for us. The rest of the group know their roles.”

The Pana Panthers were a bit unlucky to say the least as Coach Adam Metzger's club slipped to a 9-23 record in 2023-24.

The Panthers lost nine games last season that were single-digit decisions.

You have to go all the way back to 1995-96 to find the last time this boy's basketball program failed to reach double-digits in wins.

So learning how to win the close games is a priority for this coaching staff as they head into 2024-25.

Pana sent away five seniors from the squad back in the spring.

Clayton Worker, Ross Glick, Jamarion Cobbins, Logan Pickler and Ethan Hicks.

The ones returning have work to do.
Pana has some veterans the help turn things around.

Six-foot senior Hayden Blackwell is back as this will be his third year as a starter for the Panthers.

Matthew McFarland is a 6-3 senior that Coach Metzger will count on on the defensive end especially.

Brayden Carlson, a 6-foot senior, has battled injuries from the football field and he will help out with scoring.

Cash Lynch, a 5-10 junior, is also on the playoff football team as is 5-10 senior Isaiah Harbert.

Harbert missed last season injured from football.

Six-three Tyler Rench is a junior is also nursing injuries from the gridiron.

Sam Sims, a 6-foot senior, is also on the squad after concentrating on football and track for three years.

“This year's team will look to bounce back from multiple close losses last season. They are a dedicated, hard-nosed group that enjoy stepping onto the floor and competing. Their willingness to share the basketball and attack defenses will determine their success,” said Coach Metzger.
Vandalia has a new head coach who is familiar to most involved with the SCC.

Joe Vanzo takes over the Vandals' program after serving as an assistant at the school for the past three seasons.

Before that he spent 11-seasons at Hillsboro, including a 14-0 Covid19 shortened season in 2020-21 which resulted in an ABV 2A “Coach of the Year” award.

He takes over a program that went just 13-18 last winter but they will suit up an experienced unit coming off of a first round loss at home to Robinson at the Vandalia Regional.

Coach Vanzo has four seniors who were part of the process last season.

Five-eight guard Isaac Sachan returns for the Vandals along with a pair of 6-2 forwards; Wade Brannon and Ian Whitehead.

Brady Elder, a 6-1 forward is also part of the lineup for Coach Vanzo.

“The team brings back a lot of experience from last year's rebuild, with the seniors leading the way,” said Coach Vanzo. “The team has depth and competition for roles and minutes. All are expected to play and contribute.”

This mentor mentioned a trip of juniors who will contribute.

Six-one guard Kohnor Depew along with with 6-2 forward Carter Robbins and 5-11 Brenton McCarty.

Sophomores on the roster are 5-11 guard Qwentyn Stombaugh, 6-3 forward Andrew Casey and 6-5 forward Lucas Bowers.

“We are hopeful some of the growing pains we went through last season will help us this year with a group that is a year older and stronger. We have a great mix of kids who are skilled and love to compete. We are looking forward to the season,” said Coach Vanzo.

Coach Jason Darr is probably a pretty happy camper this season with the team he will put out on the court in 2024-25.

Coach Jason Darr is probably a pretty happy camper this season with the team he will put out on the court in 2024-25.

The Piasa Southwestern Birds flew a bunch higher last season, finishing 21-12 overall and 6-3 in the South Central race.

The postseason stay wasn't long but the beginning of this season will let everyone know if these Birds really can fly higher up the standings.

Six-seven senior Ian Brantley is back for Southwestern and he is approaching, with a good season, the career scoring mark at the school after shattering the single season mark as a junior.

Brantly netted 21.3 points a contest as a junior as he scored 702-points while grabbing 8.5 rebounds a game and hitting 56 percent from the field.

Ryan Lowis, a 6-1 senior, has been a starter for three seasons and has a shot at 1,000-points with a good campaign.

Lowis averaged 9.3 point a game.

Five-nine sophomores Connor Wood and Cason Robinson will be part of a young backcourt.

Wood is the point-man on offense for the Birds.

Look for senior forward Logan Custer, sophomore guard Thor Springman, and freshman guard John Kunz to push for minutes.

“This team is going to go as far as our team defense will allow us to go. We have some guys that can score in many different situations, but we need to get stops. Our defensive intensity must improve from the summer, and we must have the mentality to be get stops on the defensive end. This team has the potential to have a quality season, depending how our young players mature and develop throughout the early part of the season. Our team chemistry will also be a huge player on our success this season,” said Coach Darr, who is nearing 200-wins for his career.
Carlinville and head coach David Suits are looking for some spark this season as they head into 2024-25 with four seniors missing from the 12-20, 2-7 club from a year ago.

Gone from that club are last year's seniors are guard Matt Dunn, guard Cole Sullivan, forward Patrick Dunn and forward Camden Naugle.

The Cavaliers got off to an awful start, winning their first game and then losing six straight.

They did win three of four games at their own tournament to enter the second half of the season at 7-7.

But a 5-13 finish, which included losing the final seven contests ended the campaign.

A loss to rival Litchfield 51-38 at the North Mac Regional closed the book.

Coach Suits will turn to some returning players for help getting things turned around.

The top scorer from last season is back.

Six-two senior Dominic Alepra returns after leading the Cavaliers with 15.4 points per game as a junior.

Sawyer Smith, a 6-3 junior, was next on the scoring parade with 9.1 points per contest as a sophomore.

Tristin Thompson is a 5-10 junior who also added points (7.8 p.p.g.) last season.

Junior Tate Duckels (3.4 p.p.g.) is a 5-11 junior guard that gives this coach more scoring options.

The fifth starter will come from three returning players.

Six-foot senior Colin Pope, 5-10 junior Auggie Rowe and 6-1 senior Kaney Roper will compete for the spot.

Other sophomores on the roster are 5-9 guard Carter Zilm, 5-10 Cash Enrietta and 5-8 Michael Kaganich.

“We return four starters from last season. All four guys have played important roles over the past several seasons, and we will expect the same this year. We are expecting this upper class group to lead and do some really nice things for us this winter,” said Coach Suits.

Staunton and head coach Ty Laux finished the 2023-24 season with a 16-16 mark, 2-7 in the South Central and a loss to eventual sectional finalist Alton Marquette at the semifinals of the Roxana Regional.

The Bulldogs had some good wins, including an early season win over Hardin Calhoun, a 1A regional winner whom they split two games with.

Coach Laux only had one senior on the roster last season (Braden Buffington, 13.5 p.p.g.) which translates into having an experience group back as they head into 2024-25.

“We are bringing back our entire team from the second half of last season. Buffington was our lone senior last year, but got hurt right after Christmas and missed the entire second half,” said Coach Laux.

Five starters return for Staunton.

Five-nine junior guard Aaron Bodner is back for the Bulldogs.

Ethan Sharp, a 6-2 senior, is also a returning starter as is 5-11 sophomore Isiah Laux, the coaches' son.

Laux was the club's top scorer a year ago (12.4 p.p.g.) and Bodner, the point-guard, handed out the assists.

Five-nine sophomore Lucas Dillon also started games last winter as did Zander Machota, a 6-1 senior.

Coach Laux has some others who played important minutes last season.

Six-one junior Bryce Coalson, 5-11 sophomore Luke Moore, 5-7 sophomore Jeremiah Graham and 6-3 senior Zane Anderson will fill important roles and minutes as the Bulldogs look to be a bit deeper than most squads in the area.

“We are bringing back our entire team from the second half of last season. We will be a senior loaded team with a lot of returning experience,” said Coach Laux.

North Mac, the combination of Virden and Girard, Panthers had a good second half of the season last winter for head coach TJ Wilson.

After a 5-10 start to the year, North Mac ended up 17-16 overall, 6-3 in the league which included a late four-game winning streak.

The streak and season ended with a loss to eventual regional champ Auburn on their home floor at the North Mac Regional.

There are three seniors missing from that club; JT Alexander, Keagan Greff and Dane Vance.

The trio was responsible for most of the points for the Panthers a year ago.

Coach Wilson mentioned the ones ready to move up.

Six-foot senior Cooper Wilson returns for North Mac.

Payne Mclean, a 5-11 senior, is also back with experience.

The sophomore class will provide some players as 6-foot Collin Etter, 5-9 Camden Earley and 5-10 Clark Sanson.

Jacob Bickel, a 6-1 senior, is back after not playing since his freshman year.

Coach Wilson mentioned incoming freshman 5-9 Luke Alexander.

“We are very young and inexperienced with only two starters back from last year,” said Coach Wilson. “We had pretty good summer so we will have to see how fast we grow up.”