Lincoln College hosts the inaugural All-State Junior High Classic for Girls

[December 20, 2018] 

Some of Illinois’ best junior high girls basketball players ascended on Lincoln over the weekend to participate in the All-State Junior High Classic. Nearly 140 girls from all over the state of Illinois spent Saturday and Sunday in Lincoln. They participated in skills competitions and practices in gym all across town on Saturday before playing between four to five games on the campus of Lincoln College in the Old Gym and in Lincoln Center on Sunday. The championship game was at 7 p.m. on Sunday night.

The 2018 All-State Junior High Classic Champions ~ the Central team coached by Kari Froebe

The Central team, coached by West Lincoln-Broadwell’s Kari Froebe, won the entire tournament. In the semifinal game, the Central team edged the West team 53-51.

The North team coached by John Peters of Maroa-Forsyth.

In the championship game, Central took down a tough North team by a final of 48-42. WLB’s Kloe Froebe led all scorers with 19 points in the championship game. Jenna Bowman, Elly Martinez and Becca Heitzig also represented WLB on the Central team. Mount Pulaski’s Hailee Daigh and Alexis Wade also had the opportunity to play for Coach Froebe on the Central squad. Hannah Cleveland of Olympia was chosen for the team, too, but she fell ill over the weekend and unable to participate.

Lisa Johnson and Kloe Froebe go one-on-one in the All-State Classic.

Hailee Daigh drives around Kendall Lowery. Daigh finished with 8 points for the winning Central team.

Kirk Whiteman, the lead faculty for Sports Management at Lincoln College, was very pleased with the success of the weekend tournament, which was created to “reward and recognize some of the top junior high players in the state.”

“First of all, I’d like to thank the Logan County Tourism Board,” said Whiteman. “We came up with the idea last year and they had approached us for an idea for heads and beds. I’ve been running basketball tournaments for 25 years and so it was an opportunity for people thinking about what can we do for the Logan County area. With my basketball background and knowing a lot of people we were able to put this together. We didn’t know how it was going to go the first year with the boys, but we had a wonderful turnout. (The boys All-State Junior High Classic was held March 2-3, 2018 and it will be held again the first weekend in March, 2019) We decided to do it for the girls this year and we had another wonderful turnout. It’s been an exciting time for these young ladies, celebrating their accomplishments throughout their junior high careers and now many of them move onto high school. It was great to see them come together with some of the best players in the IESA.”

Whiteman said for the player introductions were on Saturday night at the Lincoln Center and the gym was packed. “It was magical just to come in here and see the facility. There wasn’t a seat to be had on the bleachers side at the Lincoln Center. It was pretty amazing the number of families that attended. Fourteen junior high coaches were here this weekend. Thirteen of the fourteen coaches had either state championships or state-playing experience in the IESA. We had a former Division I player from East Peoria that played at SIU Carbondale as one of the coaches for our West team out of Peoria. Kylie Giebelhausen was her name. Then we had a chance for DeRonté Polite, who’s going to do great things with the women’s basketball team at Lincoln College. He was able to address the crowd ~ all 140 athletes and their families. He’s been around and will probably run into some of these players down the road when he’s recruiting them out of high school. It was just a wonderful experience all the way around. I got a lot of compliments from the fans, the parents, and the players about the facilities here at Lincoln College,” said Whiteman.

The tournament also gave girls who have been local rivals a chance to play together and form a friendship.

Hailee Daigh, Alexis Wade and Kloe Froebe are three girls who battled on the court for years on opposite teams and finally had a chance to be teammates at the Junior High Classic. As once rivals, these girls hit it off immediately as teammates and clicked instantly on the court.

As the tournament champions giggled nonstop after the game while admiring their championship rings, Daigh offered her thoughts on the keys to the win. “I think our ball movement and our quick passes came in clutch today,” said Daigh. “We rebounded and boxed out and hit the boards really well. That helped us win.”

“I think we moved the ball around very well and we had some good moves,” added Alexis Wade.

“I think it was fun playing with other people since we are always used to playing with our own WLB team,” Kloe Froebe chimed in.

"Seeing how other people play and other coach’s coach was a lot of fun,” Wade said.

“We’ve played against her (Froebe) for like 3 years,” said Daigh.

“There was another all-star game and I was on the opposite team as Hailee and Alexis,” laughed Froebe.

That’s just bad luck right there.

Daigh also liked getting to experience the coaching technique of Kari Froebe. “Our coach was amazing. She makes things fun. I think she has ADHD because she can never sit still. She has to be moving or talking all the time, but it’s fun,” said a smiling Daigh.

“She taught us some different plays and some different moves that helped us a lot,” Wade offered up.

“It was fun and we’re all looking forward to rings because Kloe says she’s never gonna have one again,” Daigh said, busting out in laughter.

Alexis Wade and Hailee Daigh of Mount Pulaski. Photo courtesy Kristen Wade.

Becca Heitzig, Elly Martinez, Jenna Bowman and Kloe Froebe show off their bling. Photo courtesy WLB.

All-State Junior High Classic champion ring as modeled by Hailee Daigh.

“She said it’s the only ring she’ll ever receive,” laughed Wade.

Despite being extremely tired and needing sleep, the three girls couldn’t stop laughing and smiling after the game. Proof that once rivals can become friends.

Lisa Johnson and Brianna Hill leaving the Lincoln tournament as friends. Photo courtesy of Antonia Hill.

Two other girls who had never met before, but ended up on the same team at the tournament, left Lincoln as friends. Brianna Hill and Lisa Johnson were teammates on the North team and both were impressive on the court while off the court their smiles showed they had forged a new friendship, too.

Brianna Hill of Memorial Junior High in Lansing, played on the North team that came up just short in the championship game. “It’s been a great experience,” said Hill. “Even though we are here for competition and to compete against all the best girls in the state it has been great for me individually because I learned how to play with new people on the court. This is my first time getting to do this. I have played in camps like this before but this is my first time playing in an All-Star Classic.” Hill led the North team with 14 points.

Lisa Johnson of Troy Middle School in Shorewood, also played on the North team. “It was real nice,” said Johnson of the tournament. “We got to see some of the best players in the state. It was really good competition.”

Johnson’s junior high team, Shorewood Troy Middle School, is the Class 4A IESA State Champions - back-to-back. Johnson also won the AAU National Championship as a member of the Illinois Excitement. Not only that, she hit the winning shot at the buzzer in the national championship game.

Johnson’s mom, Patricia, thought the tournament was very good for her daughter. “I think this tournament was very challenging. It was very tough. I think the girls on both teams hustled. We’ve got some good players from the state of Illinois. I think Lisa did really well. She’s a positive player. She’s a team player. Her sportsmanship is awesome. I couldn’t ask for anything more from her.”

Johnson’s dad, Anthony, was almost moved to tears he was so proud of his daughter and the experience she gained at the tournament. “She’s a very humble girl. She is very quiet. She’s an honor student. She’s just the perfect kid. She always prepares and takes her time. She is the type of player that can make her teammates better. She’ll stay after practice to help other girls learn how to shoot and dribble. She likes to have fun and get to know everybody. It doesn’t matter where she’s at, she bonds with the other girls quickly. We’ve only been here for a day and she bonded with these girls so quick it was ridiculous. I am proud of her. I want to cry because she’s just a great kid.”

John Peters, of Maroa-Forsyth, who coached both Johnson and Hill on the North team, enjoyed his entire team and coaching experience. “It was fun,” said Peters. “I enjoyed these girls. They did wonderful. Just watching them do their skills challenges was fun. The experience was just wonderful. I even enjoyed watching all the other girls play. Just seeing everybody enjoying themselves and getting along, that’s what it’s all about. I always say it’s about the players, let them enjoy it and have fun and I am just along for the ride.”

A couple other guys who some might say are just along for the ride are the referees and they, too, weighed in with positive thoughts.

“To be honest with you I thought they brought out some of the best talent in the state. They’ve come out here and performed well. Basically all we are doing is trying to keep the game fair. There is a lot of talent on the court,” said referee Barry Johnson.

Maylon Tate, another referee for the tournament, said, “The teams played hard today and they played good. There was a lot of good sportsmanship out there. It was a good time.”

Finally just a couple thoughts from the winning coach, Kari Froebe, who is in her 10th year guiding the Lady Wolverines of WLB. Froebe coached the Central team to that 48-42 victory Sunday night at Lincoln Center.

“I think it was a great experience for all these young athletes,” said Froebe. “The fact that they get to interact and to see each other as kids instead of competitors on the court. They actually get to see each other off the court and see that different personality, which I think is fantastic. It’s a great opportunity. I think Kirk and Angie Whiteman and Dave Kasel all did a great job organizing this and what a fantastic event for the community as well.”

Hotels, restaurants and gas stations were all busy throughout the weekend noted Froebe. “In turn that one cent sales tax goes back to our schools,” said Froebe. “So it helps everybody in town. It’s a great event and a great opportunity for these girls.”

Froebe also realizes the more personal gain for these athletes that takes place off the court.  “That’s what basketball is all about, you know, getting to meet new people and the experiences and the life lessons that you learn from it,” said Froebe. “Most importantly, especially with teens, you become family. You are friends. I mean it is a tight little circle. It is your little basketball world. I always say it’s one for all and all for one. In this little circle and you know, you mess with one, you get ‘em all. Especially with these local girls getting to see each other and know each other off the court, they get protective of each other, which is great.”

Whiteman also noted the event helped to kick off the Sport Management Club at Lincoln College. The tournament gave Lincoln College students such as J.D. Eigenbrod and Emily Martinez a chance to gain experience in running sporting events. “You are only as good as the people you have working with you and it was phenomenal to have these Sport Management students from Lincoln College this weekend.”

Hats off to Kirk Whiteman and all the folks who put on a successful tournament in Lincoln for these girls. In a few short months it will be March and time for the boys to hit the court at the Lincoln Center.

[Teena Lowery]