Here are the 80 Peoria-area players who'll coach at Curley 'Boo' Johnson's basketball camp
No one is a bigger fan of Peoria-area high school basketball than Curley “Boo” Johnson.
Even from Arizona.
The former Harlem Globetrotter follows his former campers during the season, watching via streaming intently from the start of the season through the Illinois High School Association postseason. He made sure to tune into the Brimfield, Fieldcrest and Morton girls making their runs to the state finals.
When the Metamora boys played for the Class 3A state championship, CBJ followed every minute including the two overtimes.
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“It was exhilarating and nerve-wracking at the same time,” Johnson said of watching the state finals. “You watch these kids grow up and then you follow them during the season … then they get to high school’s biggest stage and all the pressure, and you seem them excel. It’s fun to watch from start to finish.”
Johnson, a 1982 Peoria High grad, made his annual spring release of his complete Skills for Life basketball camp high school staff on Wednesday. This is the 14th edition of his boys camp, while the girls are celebrating a decade.
Journal Star all-area players from the 2021-2022 season litter each of the boys and girls staffs. Five all-area boys camp "coaches" include Ethan Kizer (Metamora), Tyson Swanson (Metamora), Tyler Heffren (Eureka), Justin Page (Manual) and Cooper Koch (Peoria Notre Dame). Nearly all of the 30 boys staff — 23 to be exact — participated in the CBJ camp as campers.
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On the girls side, seven all-area players are represented as coaches in Ellie Cahill (Eureka), Denali Craig-Edwards (Peoria High), Aaliyah Guyton (Peoria High), Mae Herman (Elmwood), Tatym Lamprecht (Morton), Ashlyn May (Fieldcrest) and Claire McDougall (Washington). Of his 50 camp "coaches," 47 of the girls staffers are former campers.
Gyms at Dunlap High School and Middle School host the camp for an eighth year from Aug. 1-5. The boys camp runs in the morning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. followed by the girls afternoon session — 2-6 p.m. — for players ages 9-to-14 years old. Registration remains open and is $190 per camper.
Visit skillsforlifepeoria.com for more information, including a registration form.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
Boo camp coaches
A full list of the players who will be “coaches” at the 2022 Skills for Life Basketball Camp hosted by Curley “Boo” Johnson.
Boys (30) – Austin Schaumburg (Dunlap); Logan Mason (Dunlap); Ryan Dietz (Dunlap); Jacob Borrowman (Limestone); Kaden Otto (Canton); Marquel Newsome (Richwoods); Bo Benassi (Pekin); Tate Schaefer (Pekin); Stephen Braun (Illinois Valley Central); Gus Rugaard (Morton); Tripp Rugaard (Morton); Hank Alvey (Illini Bluffs); Ethan Kizer (Metamora); Tyler Mason (Metamora); Tyson Swanson (Metamora); Drew Tucker (Metamora); Matthew Zobrist (Metamora); Jake Stewart (Washington); Logan Morse (Farmington); Tayshaun Kieser (Princeville); Tyler Heffren (Eureka); Oliver Heinz (Brimfield); Jackson Churchill (Lewistown); Justin Page (Manual); Caden Latta (Manual); Nas Jackson (East Peoria); Cooper Koch (Peoria Notre Dame); Eoin Dillon (Peoria Notre Dame); Camden Gardner (Peoria Christian); Finn Heath (Peoria Heights)
Girls (50): Bree Erickson (Dunlap); Julia Sollberger (Dunlap); Sophia Remmel (Dunlap); Hannah West (Limestone); Jakiya Jordan (Limestone); Allison Wheeler (Canton); Kamryn Heider (Richwoods); Adriana Barber (Richwoods); Alayna Sprattling (Richwoods); Denali Craig-Edwards (Peoria High); Allannah Jackson (Peoria High); Aaliyah Guyton (Peoria High); Allie Lambe (Pekin); Zoe Kormah (Pekin); Savannah Jost (Tremont); Whitney Rumbold (Tremont); Tatym Lamprecht (Morton); Gabby Heer (Morton); Ellie VanMeenen (Morton); Anja Ruxlow (Morton); Cora DeSutter (Midwest Central); Carly DeSutter (Midwest Central); Faith Harper (Midwest Central); Tinley Lemmerman (Illini Bluffs); Izzy Vandeschraaf (Metamora); Ella Stivers (Metamora); Camryn Youngquist (Metamora); Mallory Bennett (Metamora); Katy Ramage (Metamora); Alivia Hootman (Lewistown); Addison Swadinsky (Deer Creek-Mackinaw); Claire McDougall (Washington); Addie Kimler (Washington); Destinee Harwood (Princeville); Ellie Cahill (Eureka); Elly Doe (Brimfield); Olivia Kappes (Brimfield); Kylie Moeller (East Peoria); Kaitlin Cassidy (Peoria Notre Dame); Emma Crofton (Kewanee); Kaylea Randall (El Paso-Gridley); Ashlyn May (Fieldcrest); Mae Herman (Elmwood); Janessa Wallace (Peoria Heights); Emily Demetreon (Stark County); Elise Hahn (Normal U-High); Josie Hughes (Havana); Taryn Wickman (Havana); Kaity Robinson (Havana); Brook Pieper (Abingdon-Avon)
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 'Boo' Johnson camp 2022: Peoria-area high school players who'll coach
