Altamont Girls Ready For Class 1A State Tournament Run

Altamont is set to head to the Class 1A State Tournament. Kurt Becker photo

Altamont High School is headed to the Class 1A Girls State Basketball Tournament and Coach Craig Carr and his crew are looking forward to the journey.

The Indians will square off against Glasford Illini Bluffs at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the CEFCU Arena, formerly known as Redbird Arena, on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal.

Coach Carr and his crew enter the contest with a 27-6 record after winning the Farmer City Blue Ridge Super-Sectional Monday with a 52-44 victory over Cissna Park.
Coach Carr talked about his players.

“Our sophomores include Alannah Pospischel, Emma Sphar and Kaylee Lurkins.

“Alannah is a small but mighty young lady. She is such a great teammate. Works as hard as anyone and is one of the most improved  in the program.

“Emma could be a very special shooter if she keeps working at it. She has a really big heart and wants to learn.

“Kaylee loves basketball and loves to have fun with her teammates. She really gives us a lot of laughs and comic relief especially when we need it the most. Defensively she has been fantastic in the post season.”

Juniors include Sophia Pearcy, Gabby Weishaar, Libby Reardon, Skylie Klein and Kylie Osteen.

“Sophia is one of the best kids I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. She will do whatever is asked and asks for absolutely nothing in return. She hasn’t gotten the playing time this year that she deserves but I’m looking forward to her as a senior.

“Gabby decided late to go out for basketball and I am so glad she did. Another fantastic young lady who simply just wants to do whatever she can to help the program. She’s an athlete with a lot of untapped potential that we need to bring out in her senior year.

“Libby had a good start to her season and then suffered an injury. She has come back and made a real difference in the stretch run. She is the life of the party but when she’s on the court she is all business. She will guard anybody that ends up standing across from her and do it with tenacity.

“Skylie had a slow start to her season and I know was frustrated at times but she showed great character and stuck with it. She has hit some huge three-point shots for us this year and has improved so much defensively.

“Kylie has overachieved all year. As an undersized kid she’s always asked to guard the other team’s best post player. She never hesitates to take on those assignments with enthusiasm. She is a sneaky scorer and a fantastic teammate.”
Seniors are Brianna Grunloh, Claire Boehm, Peyton Osteen and Grace Nelson.

“Brianna is our little bulldog. We love to put her on the other team’s best shooter because she won’t leave the kid and will stay in her shirt all night long. She has also hit some huge threes for us this year and rebounded the ball very well, considering her size.

“Claire has been such a spark for our team in so many moments. Defensively she causes so many problems and has taken 15 charges this year. Obviously she’s a tough kid who is willing to sacrifice for the good of the team. She has also hit some huge threes for us and makes so many good decisions with the ball in her hands. Claire is always looking to push the pace and hit home runs on offense.

“Peyton is our rock. She always knows what to say and when to say it. Offensively she has a variety of skills and just takes what the defense gives her. Defensively she’s also asked to guard kids bigger than her and like her sister, she’s willing to take on that responsibility. Her rebounding has been a difference maker for us in the post-season.

“Grace is just a humble super-star. She does everything she can to help her team win and that’s all she cares about. She is a fantastic teammate and wants her teammates to be involved offensively. When the game is on the line, there’s no one better with the ball in their hands. Grace is often asked to guard the other team’s most talented guard.

She never hesitates and causes them many problems. She is also a relentless rebounder and obviously very difficult to contain in the open floor. She deserves every honor and accolade that comes her way.”

Freshmen on the team are Ella Nelson, Kennedi Schultz, Avery Aldrich and Justyce Higgs. Manager is Morrison Mackenzie.

Assistant coaches for the Indians are Rachel Hammer and Chris Guse.

The Indians are led by Nelson who averages 29.9 points a game and leads the team in rebounding. This season she has a total of 222 rebounds and 103 assists. She has scored over 2,000 points in her career and has tallied 988 this season, hitting 214 out of 265 free throws and 163 three-pointers.
P. Osteen averages 7.5 a contest and Lurkins 6.5 a game. Osteen has 138 rebounds while Lurkins has pulled down 134.

Coach Carr talked about his team this season.

“Overall I would just say we rely on playing sound assignment-based defense,” said Carr. “Defense according to assignment. We’re undersized and not the most athletic bunch but we know where to be and when to be there.

“We had a 19-game winning streak but just never felt like we were clicking on all cylinders until we got to the post-season. We have executed on offense a lot better when we needed to in that time. We have also rebounded better by concentrating on the fundamentals recently.

“This team is led by the seniors who have been together for so long and have invested so much in Altamont basketball. Each senior is a fantastic role model in different ways. This group of four seniors has cemented their legacy in Altamont athletics with this post-season run and this season in general. They have set a fantastic example for our younger players to follow.”

The first opponent is Glasford Illini Bluffs who comes into the meeting with a 31.4 record. The Tigers are led by Lily Luczkowiak with a 19.5 average. She leads in rebounding with 205. Annabelle Fortin is next in scoring with 9.2 a contest and she is next in rebounds with 115 and leads in assists with 101. Reese Cruit has 107 rebounds and Brooke Buchen is second in assists with 92.

The Tigers are on a 10-game winning streak. They won the Mendon Unity Regional, the Bushnell-Prairie City Sectional and the Brimfield Super-Sectional.

The Glasford Illini BluffsTigers have been to the State Tournament one other time, back during the 2011-12 season and interestingly enough, they faced Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City in the opener. CHBC was a 63-54 winner and the Bobcats finished second while Glasford took third.

The other two teams in the field are Okawville (23-11) and Peru St. Bede (29-7). Those two meet at 11:15 a.m. Thursday.

“Obviously no opponent is going to be anything less than a great challenge right now,” said Coach Carr. “Just like every opponent has been for us in the post-season. However,

our girls never failed to meet a  challenge. They pay attention to the details of our scouting reports and communicate with each other about their assignments.
“They are constantly talking on the floor with each other and that makes me very proud as a coach. As I’ve said several times in the post-season, I would never bet against this group of young ladies no matter the challenge they are facing.”

This is Carr’s first year coaching the Altamont girls team.

“Now that I’m here, I can’t see leaving,” said Carr. “I love these kids. And I love our student body. We took three fan buses to the super-sectional. Not just the student body but the community support for these kids has really been impressive and inspirational.”

Altamont has been to the State Tournament one other time, back during the 1980-81 season. They lost in the first round of tournament play to Eldorado, 79-57. Tena Krause was the coach.

The winners Thursday will advance to the championship game Saturday at 11 a.m. The losers will turn around and play for third place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Coach Carr and the Altamont team huddle during a time out in the super-sectional. Kurt Becker photo