30
This is the 30th time that area boys have congregated for an All-Star basketball game. The game started as the Telegraph All-Star Game in 1984, with the West squad beating the East team 108-81 at Lancaster Gym in Dixon.
The game changed names in 1998, when the Telegraph and Daily Gazette merged operations.
On a side note, Darrin
Kester – a Rochelle graduate – played in that first game. His daughter, Stephanie, will play today for the Gazette girls after a stellar career at Sterling High School.
10
This marks the 10th time that Sauk Valley Media has hosted a girls All-Star basketball game. The Gazette team won the first game 67-58 at Sauk Valley Community
College in 2004.
2
That’s how many backboards have reportedly been destroyed during practices for the All-Star Classic over the years. In 1984, Rochelle’s Tim Trosper shattered a backboard at Amboy Junior High. It must have been a good omen, because he went on to earn MVP honors.
The very next year, John Bothe – an Amboy graduate and current coach of the Oregon Hawks football team – also shattered a backboard in practice. He also went on to earn MVP honors.
1990
That was the year the game expanded and players from Rock Falls and Sterling were invited to play.
5
That’s how many boys game MVPs have come from Sterling and Rochelle. Amboy and Rock Falls have both produced four MVPs.
3
That's how many MVPs have come from Sterling in the girls game.
Newman has had two.
37
That’s the record for most points scored in the Classic by a single player. Rock Falls grad Rian Nailor did it in 2008, and is one of six to score in the 30s. Dan Lundquist (1990) and Ben Rand (2003), both of Rochelle, scored 33 points each. Matt Beard (Rochelle, 1991), Jim Preston (Newman, 1986) and Josh Lurking (Oregon, 1991) each scored 30 points.
26
That’s the record for most points scored by a player in the girls game, which is shared by Devon Carbaugh (Sterling, 2007) and Tara Michels (Dixon, 2004). Two other players have reached 20 points. Polo’s Renee Deuth scored 22 in 2008, and Aleena Hammelman (Sterling) scored 20 last year.
20-20
There have been two recorded 20-point, 20-rebound games in All-Star history. Rochelle’s Tim Trosper scored 27 points and had 21 rebounds in 1984. Rock Falls’ Todd Veltrop scored 20 points and had a record 23 rebounds in 1991.
13
That’s the record for most 3-pointers made out of 15 during the boys game 3-point contest. Dixon’s John Craft achieved that in 1992.
12
That’s the 3-point contest record for the girls game that is shared by Dixon’s Tara Michels (2004) and Sterling’s Kelsey Hall (2006).
45
That’s how many recent graduates will suit up tonight and take a crack at some of these numbers. Be sure to show up at 5 p.m. to root them on.