High School Girls Basketball
Lady Railers roll over the Senators 74-25
Team improves to 25-0

 

[January 24, 2024] 

Tuesday night’s matchup between the Lincoln Lady Railers and the Springfield Senators, who recently won the 2024 Springfield City Tournament, featured a lot of highlights. Not only did both Lincoln teams crush the Senators, but head coach Taylor Rohrer was surprised with a little ceremony and a plaque honoring her for winning her 200th career game at LCHS. Win no. 200 came back on January 16, 2024 against Mount Zion.

A large crowd also showed up to support the girls and they were not disappointed. The Lady Railers gave the fans plenty to cheer about but perhaps the loudest applause during the game came at the end of the first quarter when Becca Heitzig hit her first buzzer beater of her career! It was actually a graceful looking shot that hit the center of the square on the backboard absolutely perfectly and ricocheted off the glass with a thud before it bounced through the net. Hands down the play of the game!

First Quarter

There was just a wee bit of a slow start to this contest, with Springfield scoring the first basket a minute into the game and the Lady Railers not scoring until three minutes into the game, but stranger things have happened on occasion. Becca Heitzig made that first basket for Lincoln, just the little baseline jumper that she’s perfected. But it didn’t take Kloe Froebe long to get warmed up. Froebe’s three from the top put Lincoln in front at the 4:33 mark and it was full throttle from here. Froebe’s two steals resulted in baskets and a 9-4 score. Then after Froebe and Heitzig spent some time at the free throw line it was a 13-4 ballgame.

The score quickly reached 22-4 with Tori Geriets, Froebe and Heitzig on a roll. Heitzig sank a three just under the one minute mark and is it ever remarkable to see how much she has improved her game and pushed herself out of her comfort zone. And the best was yet to come.

With the score 22-6 and the Senators in possession of the ball, Geriets stole the ball in the corner and quickly passed it to Froebe. Froebe spotted Heitzig running past her and knowing she had the closer shot, she passed it off. Heitzig took one bounce and leaped in the air, tossing the ball, arched high, and “smack” it hit that painted white square dead center and dropped through the net for a long three.

Geriets put her arms in the air nearly in sync with the referee, who signaled a three. As Heitzig ran towards the bench she was greeted by Froebe and gave her a little shrug, followed by high fives. No one was hotter in the building than Froebe and Heitzig, who had combined for 23 of the team’s first quarter points. At the end of the first eight minutes, Lincoln was on top 25-6.

Second Quarter

Froebe would not cool off in the second quarter. She started the scoring with a quick three and led her team with 13 total points in the quarter. At the five minute mark

Taryn Stoltzenburg hit a three and the score was 39-7. Stoltzenburg’s three came after the technical foul on the Senators coach.

The Senators coach was obviously upset with a call, but most likely more frustrated with his team just not knowing what to do with these Lady Railers. After a three by Jenna Bowman and another basket by Froebe, Lincoln was embarrassing the Senators with a 48-11 lead.

One final basket before the half went to Springfield and still the Senators put their heads down as they headed to the locker room, 48-13 the score.

Third Quarter

Bowman showed no mercy, sinking a three at the 7:45 mark and then it was Froebe with a layup twenty-five seconds later. After Geriets hit a field goal the lead was 55-15 and there was still 6:40 left to play in the quarter. With Piper Whiteman on the floor the points just kept coming. Whiteman tossed in seven points and in the blink of an eye Lincoln was on top 66-22.

Fourth Quarter

It’s becoming a habit. Lincoln loves to run that clock on the opponent. Whiteman made the first two buckets of the quarter and drove the lead to 70-22. Mia Clark and Lily Holmes made the final shots for Lincoln and sent the Senators back to Springfield losers by a final score of 74-25.

Once again Kloe Froebe outscores the opponent with 31 points. Her game is just phenomenal and sometimes can be taken for granted, as every time she touches the ball and heads to the rim, it’s a highlight reel. When she gets to Colorado State University next season, this girl is going to get a lot of well-deserved attention. It’s worth repeating, she is the number one player in Illinois.

Becca Heitzig tossed in 11 points and just when you think she’s done it all, she thrilled everyone with that first quarter buzzer beater. Again, the first one of her career. Way to go, Becca!

Piper Whiteman comes off the bench and quietly scores 11 points. Talk about a valuable “sixth man” in Piper Whiteman.

Lincoln is now 25-0 overall and 9-0 in the Central State Eight Conference.

The Lincoln JV team also picked up a great win versus the Senators.

Lily Holmes led Lincoln with 24 points in the 49-16 win.

Makinley Knapp had 10 points for Lincoln.

Lincoln will play at Taylorville on Thursday night.

The JV game will tip-off at 6:00 p.m.

The Varsity game will tip-off at 7:30 p.m.

Prior to the introductions of the starting lineups on Tuesday night, Coach Taylor Rohrer was honored with a plaque and these words:

"Tonight we are going to take a moment to recognize Coach Taylor Richmond Rohrer.

"Taylor Rohrer is in her 12th year coaching the Lady Railers basketball program. Rohrer is a 2005 graduate of West Aurora High School. She played basketball in college for two years at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri. She then transferred to Northern Illinois University and graduated with her Bachelors in Physical Education in 2011. While attending Northern Illinois University, Taylor was the assistant varsity basketball coach at Rosary High School in Aurora for 3 years and at Larkin High School in Elgin for 1 year. She also coached the Illinois Lady Lightning in Lombard IL, guiding the 6th grade team to the AAU Nationals in 2011.

"In 2012 Taylor took over the Lady Railer Basketball program. In her first season the Lady Railers won 4 games and lost 27. In her second season the Lady Railers won 4 games and lost 26. Her first winning season was in 2014 and despite a couple losing seasons thrown in over the last decade, the rest of her career has been very successful. With the current group of seniors she has compiled a record of 93 wins and counting and 19 losses. Her career has been capped off, SO FAR, by that spectacular season last year that ended with the Lady Railers earning a second place finish at State with a 36-1 record.

"When recently asked about those early years with very few wins, Coach Rohrer said, “You just gotta put the time in. Luckily, at that time Kari Froebe was over at WLB and Todd Koehler was over at Zion and they both really produced great kids for me. I was very fortunate to get those kids and other kids from the co-op schools. You just gotta trust the process,” Coach said with a smile.

"Coach Rohrer has always had a passion for the game of basketball and it shows in her coaching. She is engaged in the game for every second and she coaches each girl for the entire 32 minutes every night, no matter the score.

"It was a dream come true for Taylor to take over the Lady Railer basketball program and she loves seeing her players succeed as individuals and as a team.

"This year’s captains of the team, Becca Heitzig and Kloe Froebe, have this to say on behalf of the team:

First from Becca:

"Coach likes to give the credit to us whenever there is a success but she deserves to be honored for the huge accomplishment of 200 wins!! For the time, energy, dedication, and patience it takes - especially while being a new mom, I can't even imagine! I and the whole team want you to know how much we love and appreciate you!”

Now from Kloe:

“Coach Rohrer is far more than just an amazing coach, she is a phenomenal person and great role model for us all to follow. 200 wins is an incredible feat that did not come easily. Coach Rohrer has spent countless hours away from her family and sacrificed her free time to help our team and all the teams that she has coached before us. We are so grateful to have Coach Rohrer as a coach and as she is always quick to celebrate our accomplishments, we want to celebrate her and express how her hard work and dedication to the Lady Railers basketball program has not gone unnoticed. On behalf of myself and the entire team, congratulations, Coach!”

Tonight we ALL congratulate Coach Rohrer on her 200th win and counting, currently 201, as the Lady Railers head basketball coach. We are so lucky that you fell in love years ago with a farmer and chose to stay in Lincoln IL.

Taylor and her husband, Neil, live in Lincoln with their son, Levi, who Taylor carried with her all last season, bringing him into the world in May of 2023. Taylor and Neil also continue to love their precious dogs, Rocky, Buck and Dixie.

Congratulations, Coach!

You make Railer Nation PROUD!

Varsity scoring

Lincoln 74

Froebe 31
Heitzig 11
Whiteman 11
Bowman 6
Geriets 6
Stoltzenburg 5
Holmes 2
Clark 2

Springfield 25

Scheffler 6
Harris 5
Toran 5
Rhinehouse 4
Borders 3
Williams 2

JV scoring

Lincoln 49

Holmes 24
Knapp 10
Clark 7
Whiteman 3
Gilbert 2
Schneider 2
Adams 1

Springfield 16

Rhinehouse 6
Robinson 4
Hoffman 3
Auble 2
Nichols-Holman 1

[Teena Lowery]