Mount Pulaski hosts Meet the Toppers

[November 15, 2018] 

Saturday night at Mount Pulaski’s Ed Butkovich Gymnasium the purple seats were filled with fans ready for basketball. Fans got an early glimpse of both the girls and boys basketball teams, as they took to the court for a series of scrimmages. The JV boys scrimmaged first, followed by the girls and then the Varsity boys concluded the evening. Sandwiched in the middle were performances by the MPHS cheerleaders.

Coaches gladly provided comments at the end of the evening and with that here is what Hilltopper fans have to look forward to with the upcoming 2018-19 season upon us.

Hilltoppers head basketball coach Ryan Deibert is coming off a season in which last year’s team went 21-8 and lost to Decatur LSA in the regional championship. The Hilltoppers lost six seniors to graduation. This year the lineup will feature only one senior, Jonathan Shehorn. Deibert knows the challenges ahead and has a group of young men ready to meet those challenges. “This year we’re just looking for constant improvement,” said Deibert. “I mean that’s the main thing. I really think they are ahead of where I thought they would be a week into it. We had ten practices this week coming into tonight so I think maybe there’s a little fatigue but that’s something we gotta get over and get in a little better shape. We need to work on them getting to read each other to where we’re not having to coach as much from the sideline. We can sit there and let them take the initiative and kind of direct what’s going on on the floor and feed off each other. Our goal is for them to just get more comfortable with each other and get some experience.”

Lone senior Jonathan Shehorn had a major setback early last season when he suffered a torn ACL. Shehorn only played about three minutes in a game last year before getting hurt, according to Deibert.

“Sitting out the season motivated Jonathan and he looks pretty strong for this year.

“Jonathan has been a big surprise coming back. He played as a sophomore and shot the ball well in some JV games but that’s obviously different than Varsity games. But Jonathan has worked his butt off to get back into shape and he’s in phenomenal shape. His shot has really come around and him being able to step in to give us another shooter is good. We’ll always take more shooters,” said Deibert.

Lady Toppers coach Eric Leever is eagerly anticipating a fun season of basketball for the girls, who finished the season last year with a 14-13 record. Four seniors will guide the team, with one of those being a newcomer to high school basketball.

Abigail Fitzpatrick last played basketball as a Honeybear at MPGS. Now, after focusing on volleyball throughout her high school career, the senior decided to get back on the basketball court for one last go-round.

Fitpatrick joins fellow seniors Skylar Hayes, Morgan May and Savanah Moore. A huge supporting cast is right in the mix of things and all of this has Leever pumped up.

Coach Leever summed it up, “I am real confident going into our Thanksgiving tournament, even though we’ve only had ten days of practice because of the volleyball postseason,” said Leever.

“We will have four seniors this year and we will have some really strong juniors. Isabella Wade and Kaylee Wilham are our juniors with varsity experience.

"We will have some kids coming off the bench to give us some minutes, too.

"But we are also super-happy to have Abigail Fitzpatrick this year. She’s picking up things every night. She tracks the ball really well and she’s going to be a great rebounder for us. She’s still a little reluctant to shoot the ball but I think she’s going to help us out in the paint. She is quick and she’s strong. She sees the floor really well.

"I think her and Skylar Hayes really click. They play well together.

"Savanah Moore gives us another option. She shoots the ball well and attacks the basket.

"Hopefully we’ll get some minutes out of Morgan May in the paint and in the post.

"We’re pretty solid. Conditioning is probably gonna kill us these first few games. I am just really excited for the season. It’s going to be a fun year.”

It’s also the last year for Mount Pulaski fans to cheer on Skylar Hayes before she takes her talents to the collegiate level. Leever has coached Hayes throughout high school, along with assistance from Skylar’s dad and JV coach, Steven Hayes. “Skylar has had a phenomenal first three years at MPHS,” said Leever. “That kid is a crazy gym rat. I mean, she is playing basketball somewhere every stinkin’ day and you gotta love her effort. She’s just a good kid. She’s a great student. When you see her off the floor, she’s super-polite. She’s just an all around great kid so I am excited for her to have a really good strong senior year. She’s getting ready to sign with UIS to play college ball.”

Finally Leever adds, “As long as we can stay healthy and get in shape I think we’ll be ready to roll. Let’s have some fun.”

Meet the Toppers - the 2018 seniors representing their sports ~ Morgan May, Skylar Hayes, Jonathan Shehorn, Maggie Anderson, Savanah Moore and Abigail Fitzpatrick.

This year’s cheerleading squad features 14 girls and just one of those is a senior ~ Maggie Anderson. Fans might recognize Anderson as a member of the 2018 State Champion Trap Shooting Team. Anderson was a key reason for bringing home the state title in the team’s first year of existence at MPHS. For now she’s put aside the gun for a couple nights a week to cheer for the Hilltoppers. Cheer Coach Carly Powell had high praise for her lone senior.

 

“Maggie is our only senior cheerleader and she is a doll,” said Powell. “She tried out late. Her sophomore year we had a fall tryout because our numbers were low. She was like, “You know, I’ve never cheered before. I thought this might be something fun to do.” And she came out and had the best jumps I’ve ever seen in my life. As a sophomore she got the rising star award at the athletic banquet that year and has just grown as a cheerleader since then. And she’s done really well with the younger girls. We have eleven new ones this year. She’s had big roles to fill as our only senior guiding the way and she has stepped up to the plate.”

Good luck to all the 2018-19 Toppers!

2018-19 Mount Pulaski Hilltoppers Boys Basketball

Seniors

Jonathan Shehorn

Juniors

Joey Davis
Zac Hinds
Todd Kelly
Brandon Kretzinger
Dustin Murphy

Sophomores

Grant Davis
Colton Hagan
Matthew Hagenbuch
Josh Lawson
Drew Martin
Emery Matthews
Tanner Pharis
Brayden Williams
Kade Wisely

Freshman

William Keyes
Lucas Kuhlman
Braden Meagher
Lane Murphy
Aiden Schneider
Cullen Tyson

2018-19 Mount Pulaski Lady Hilltoppers Basketball

Seniors

Abigail Fitzpatrick
Skylar Hayes
Morgan May
Savanah Moore

Juniors

Reagan Kirk
Maddie Roberts
Isabella Wade
Kaylee Wilham

Sophomores

Alexis Davis
Katelyn Eskew
Hannah Lowe
Chloe Olson

Freshman

Riley May
Miranda Ingram
Xzandria Turner
Clarissa Turner

2018-19 Mount Pulaski Cheerleaders

Seniors

Maggie Anderson

Juniors

Maddison Abner
Emma Aylesworth
Autumn Benhart
Makayla Stewart

Sophomores

Emma Buenrostro
Lexis Caslin
Anna Schoth
Aletheia Woodford

Freshman

Alanea Cyrulik
Delaney Howard
Chloe Lewis
Karson Mott
Delia Phillips

[Teena Lowery]