Morton girls basketball player voted as Peoria Journal Star athlete of the week

Morton girls basketball player Addy Engel was voted as the Journal Star athlete of the week.

Engel earned 154 of 160 votes, beating out Illini Bluffs wrestler Ian O’Connor (141 votes) and Midwest Central/Delavan girls basketball player Cora DeSutter (131 votes).

Engel helped the Potters win their own Thanksgiving tournament behind a 15.8 point per game average. She started off with a 19-point effort in a win over Champaign Central, then scored 16 in a 10-point victory against Richwoods. On Saturday, the 5-foot-9 junior forward added 10 points against Batavia along with 18 in an overtime win against East St. Louis. She was selected to the all-tournament team along with teammates Tatym Lamprecht and Izzy Hutchinson.

The poll closed at noon Friday. Information about the nominees is below.

If you have a nominee for the honor, email us at sports@pjstar.com or tag us on Twitter @pjstarsports. Last week, Malachi Washington of the Peoria High football team was named JS athlete of the week.

Malachi Washington, Peoria High football

Washington put a cap on his senior season in spectacular fashion. The 5-foot-10, 206-pound running back rushed for 275 yards and a record-tying six touchdowns during Peoria High’s 45-44 loss to LaGrange Park Nazareth Academy in the Class 5A state title game on Saturday. He also ran in a pair of two-point conversions. Washington finishes his 14-game season with 3,348 yards and 53 TDs on 407 carries.

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Marquel Newsome, Richwoods boys basketball

The senior point guard helped Richwoods go 4-0 and win the Rockford Boylan Tournament this past weekend. He scored 27 points in beating St. Charles North, 64-46 to open the season. Newsome was named all-tournament team after scoring double-figures in the three other victories — 12 against Boylan, 69-50 and 10 versus Chicago Marshall, 63-34 along with 10 points and seven assists in beating Freeport, 77-55.

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Tyler Tate, Eureka boys basketball

Tate led the Hornets to a 3-0 start and a title at the Deer Creek-Mackinaw Tournament. The 6-foot-2 junior guard scored 14 points with four assists in a 78-36 win over Quest. He added 20 points, three rebounds and two assists in beating Illinois Valley Central, 71-38. Tate then scored 18 points with assists and two steals in beating the hosts, 65-35.

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Cora DeSutter, Midwest Central/Delavan girls basketball

The senior put together a big week, starting last Monday with 33 points and 20 rebounds in a 55-38 win over East Peoria. She then hit the game-winning free throws with 1.8 seconds left to beat Prineville, 40-38 on Wednesday. DeSutter finished with 19 points and tied the school record with 22 rebounds. Her next double-double of 13 points and 14 rebounds came in a 45-33 win against Kewanee on Friday. DeSutter then scored 20 points in Saturday’s 47-29 loss to Tremont.

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Ian O’Connor, Illini Bluffs wrestling

O’Connor claimed the Most Outstanding Wrestling at Saturday’s Illini Bluffs Invite. The junior recorded three pins to win the 132-pound division. His fall at 2:38 against Knoxville’s Gage Fox sealed the championship victory. IB took second as a team as Hunter Robbins (106), Jackson Carroll (145) and Paul Ishikawa all won titles. O’Connor is now 6-0 on the season.

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria Journal Star athlete of the week: Morton girls basketball