Other area seventh-grade teams to reach state:
Cissna Park (21-1) and Oakland Lake Crest (15-4) in Class 1A and Salt Fork (17-4) in Class 2A.
THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JIM ROSSOW
ABOVE: Westville’s state-bound seventh-grade girls’ basketball team: (front row, left to right) Phoenix Nagrodski, Danica Fox, Denim Zaayer, Charlee Spezia and Calie Meyer; (back row) coach Ed Barney, Ella Douglas, Kinley Barney, Lillian Pabst, Alyssa Bays and assistant coach Krista Toth.
WESTVILLE – Next stop for Westville Junior High’s history-making seventh-grade girls’ basketball team: State.
The undefeated Wildcats (20-0) punched their ticket to the IESA finals with a win Wednesday night in Manteno. They’re the first girls’ basketball team in school history to make it that far.
“It’s a special group of girls, a close-knit group,” coach Ed Barney said. “They’ve been playing together since first grade and have worked hard. Their hard work has paid off.”
The sectional title was the latest high-water mark for the Wildcats, who earlier claimed conference, county and regional championships. They’ll play South Holland McKinley (11-3) in a Class 3A quarterfinal at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Auburn High School. A win would send the Wildcats to the Final Four on Dec. 12.
Salt Fork’s state-bound seventh-grade girls’ basketball team: (front row, left to right) Avery Bressner, Lily Booher, Adalynn Heckerson, Kylie Crist and Lennox Lyonsl (back row) coach Logan Wade, Maddilynn Hird, Evie Wear, Lily Trompeter, Alyse Bressner, Eleanor Daily, assistant coach Megan McCord and assistant coach Ashley High.
Cissna Park’s state-bound seventh-grade girls’ basketball team: (front row, left to right) Evelyn Bork, Eleanor Hildenbrand, Vana Henrichs, Annalise Landon, Harper Wichtner, Aaliyah Marquez, Anna Heeren and Katelyn Hamrick; (back frow) Tinley Estay, Hailey Kaeb, Kate Landon, Finley Henrichs, Emmaline Hildenbrand, Aubrey Lucht, Peyton Hurliman, Emry Niebuhr and Braylee Carl.
Oakland Lake Crest’s state-bound seventh-grade girls’ basketball team: (front row, left to right) Paislee Myers, Baylee Melton, Adlee McQueen, Olivia Turner and Amira Legrand; (back row) assistant coach Joe Morrisey, Willow Myers, Lily Burgess, Harper Bodecker, Jenna Gough, Maddy Helander, Brooklynn Hudson, Ainsleigh Watson, Peyton Conner, assistant coach Harley Richardson and coach Alyssa Childress.
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