Pecatonica power: State basketball rankings have boys team at No. 2 for first time ever

Pecatonica won a school-record 27 boys basketball games last year. Pec has been even better this year. Maybe even state-title better.

Pecatonica (13-1) is ranked No. 2 in Class 1A in the second Associated Press poll of the season, which came out Wednesday and is the first since early December. Coach Bobby Heisler said he thought Pecatonica had not been state ranked anywhere in the top 10 since at least 1996.

“I remember growing up, Pec was not very good at basketball, so it’s pretty cool now that it’s my turn to be on the team we are that highly ranked, that highly respected by everyone,” senior forward Korbin Gann said.

“The whole community, the whole town is very excited about us. There is murmuring around town. Everybody talks about the rankings. Everybody talks about how well we have been doing this year. The past few years we have been getting better and better and the whole town is behind it.”

More:Pecatonica rallies to beat No. 5 ranked boys basketball team in the state

Pecatonica received three of the 16 first-place votes and finished with 109 points, behind only Jacksonville Routt (11-1) with 130. Two other local teams finished in the top 10. Scales Mound (13-1) is ranked No. 4.

Four of the top 10 teams in Class 1A were unranked in the original poll.

Rockford Christian (15-0) is ranked No. 9 in Class 2A.

The only other local ranked team is Byron in 2A girls basketball. Stillman Valley and Winnebago were ranked in the original 2A girls poll but have since dropped out.

A year ago, Pecatonica won its first regional title in 17 years before losing a 60-57 thriller at sectionals to Scales Mound, which went on to finish third in the state. This year, Pec has handed Scales Mound its only defeat.

“Being behind all those guys, seeing them go through the pain of losing to Scales Mound last year, definitely helped,” sophomore guard Jaxon Diedrich said.

“It’s cool to be one of the first Pecatonica teams to be ranked this year. There is a lot of work to do, but I feel we can be ranked even higher. And the end goal is different than being ranked No. 1.”

Goals like winning a sectional title. Something Pecatonica has never done — in any sport except bass fishing — in the more than 80-year history of the school.

Or going even further.

“It feels good to be ranked No. 2,” sophomore guard Cooper Hoffman said. “We have to stay there and keep working on getting better. We have been playing really well on offense. We just have to work on our defense to keep getting better.”

Here are the complete AP basketball polls:

CLASS 1A BOYS

School                W-L   Pts  Prv

1. Jacksonville Routt (9) 11-1  130  3

2. Pecatonica (3)   12-1  109  NR

3. Decatur Lutheran    14-0  82   6

4. Scales Mound (2)    13-1  62   5

5. Augusta Southeastern (1) 12-2  59   1

6. New Berlin   11-3  46   2(tie) Camp Point Central 10-3  46   NR

7. Waterloo Gibault    11-3  45   10

8. Tuscola                   14-1  40   NR

9. Altamont (11-3) 33 NR

Others receiving votes: Illini Bluffs 23. Catlin (Salt Fork) 21. Casey-Westfield 21. South Beloit 18. North Clay 16. Winchester-West Central 13. Centralia Christ Our Rock 13. Chicago Marshall 10. Aurora Christian 7. Serena 6. Yorkville Christian 6. Farina South Central 4. Effingham St. Anthony 4. Midland 3. Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg 1.

CLASS 2A BOYS

School                        W-L   Pts  Prv

1. Fairbury Prairie Central (8) 15-0  142  2

2. Princeton (2)  14-0  135  3

3. Columbia (1)    13-2  99   4

4. St. Joseph-Ogden     11-1  92   5

5. Chicago Perspectives (3) 12-5  84   6

6. Breese Central  14-2  65   8

7. DePaul College Prep (1)   7-6   62   1

8. Teutopolis       12-2  37   NR

9. Rockford Christian (1)  15-0  36   NR

10. Rockridge      10-3  32   7

Others receiving votes: Bloomington Central Catholic 18. Normal University 17. Pinckneyville 16. Williamsville 10. Beecher 10. Benton 7. Seneca 6. Eureka 4. Rockford Lutheran 4. Massac County 4. Momence 2. Pleasant Plains 2. Freeburg 2. Clark  1.

CLASS 3A BOYSSchool                  W-L   Pts  Prv

1. Simeon (11)   12-0  155  1

2. Sacred Heart-Griffin (5)  11-0  146  2

3. Hillcrest          15-1  107  T3

4. Chicago Mt. Carmel  15-1  96   NR

5. Decatur MacArthur  14-0  85   7

6. Metamora                    11-2  79   5

7. East St. Louis 8-1   66   T3

8. St. Ignatius  13-3  43   6

9. Hyde Park    14-2  36   NR

10. Lemont           12-2  27   8

Others receiving votes: Grayslake Central 20. Kankakee 7. Mt. Zion 2. St. Patrick 2. Crystal Lake South 2. Burlington Central 2. Centralia 1. Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights) 1. Marmion 1. Richwoods 1. Rock Island 1.

CLASS 4A BOYS

School                     W-L   Pts  Prv

1. Whitney Young (14)  12-4  140  4

2. Kenwood (1)  12-2  134  1

3. Lisle (Benet Academy)  16-1  110  8

4. Rolling Meadows   16-1  103  6

5. Moline             12-2  90   2

6. Joliet West          11-4  46   3

7. Chicago Curie Curie    11-4  40   NR

8. Lyons              11-1  35   NR

9. Brother Rice           14-2 24   5

10. Quincy           12-2  23   9

Others receiving votes: Lincoln Way East 15. St. Rita 14. Belleville East 14. Glenbrook North 13. Proviso East 5. Barrington 4. New Trier 4. Hinsdale Central 3. Chicago Heights (Bloom Twp.) 3. Geneva 2. Libertyville 2. Proviso West 1.

CLASS 1A GIRLS

School              W-L   Pts  Prv

1. Galena (10)          15-0  119  1

2. Mendon Un            17-1  98   4

3. Okawville          14-2  96   2

4. Tuscola            18-0  90   6

5. Neoga            17-1  75   3

6. Havana (1)         15-2  53   5

7. Brown Count           14-2  46   NR

8. Effingham St. Anthony    14-4  34   7

9. Christopher             14-1  24   8

10. Calhoun               3-1   14   NR

Others receiving votes: Orangeville 12. Nokomis 10. Father McGivney Catholic 9. Hardin County 7. Lena-Winslow 7. Brimfield 5. Chicago Morgan Park Academy 4. Elmwood 4. Tri-County 3. River Ridge 2. Carrollton 2. Amboy 1.

CLASS 2A GIRLS

School                   W-L   Pts  Prv

1. Quincy Notre Dame (1        17-1  128  1

2. Fieldcrest                 16-0  99   2

3. Chicago (Noble Street/Butler) 18-3  77   4

4. Teutopolis            14-2  60   6

5. Byron              13-2  58   5

6. Paris                   17-1  56   8

7. Peotone (1               14-0  54   NR

8. Camp Point Central        12-2  41   NR

9. Princeton                14-2  35   7

10. Petersburg PORTA          14-0  20   NR

Others receiving votes: Sherrard 16. Althoff Catholic 14. Stillman Valley 12. Hamilton County 9. Breese Mater Dei 9. Deer Creek-Mackinaw 6. Monmouth-Roseville 6. Pleasant Plains 5. Winnebago 3. Tolono Unity 2. DePaul College Prep 2. Pana 2. Canton 1.

CLASS 3A GIRLS

School             W-L   Pts  Prv

1. Nazareth (9)                 14-1  117  1

2. Peoria Central               14-2  86   8

3. Peoria Notre Dame            14-1  85   3

4. Lincoln (3)                 18-0  81   T6

5. Montini                   11-3  77   5

6. Carmel                    13-3  71   2

7. Washington                   13-2  53   4

8. Chicago Hts Marian Catholic   13-3  21   NR

9. Geneseo                13-3  12   10(tie) Galesburg               16-4  12   9

Others receiving votes: Deerfield 11. Rockford Boylan 10. Hyde Park 9. Mahomet-Seymour 6. Dixon 3. St. Ignatius 3. Taylorville 1. Burlington Central 1. Dunlap 1.

CLASS 4A GIRLS

School              W-L   Pts  Prv

1. Fremd (1)           15-1  91   3

2. Geneva              12-2  89   10

3. Hersey                  15-3  78   1

4. Bolingbrook (2)        13-1  77   4

5. Normal Community (2)        16-0  54   8

6. Alton (1)                   15-0  46   NR

7. Maine South              13-3  39   NR

8. Benet                   11-4  25   2

9. Kenwood                 12-2  25   T6

10. Naperville North          11-6 23   NR

Others receiving votes: O'Fallon 18. Loyola 13. Lake Zurich 13. Barrington 4. Whitney Young 4. Lyons 3. Libertyville 3.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Pecatonica power: State basketball rankings have Pec at No. 2