The Times Area Roundup: Serena, Newark girls score wins; Plano votes to leave the Interstate 8

At Serena on Tuesday, the host Huskers girls basketball team improved to 18-8 with a 32-27 win over Reed-Custer.

Jenna Setchell provided 11 points and four assists, Paisley Twait scored 12 points to go with seven rebounds and three assists, and Makayla McNally pitched in five points and six rebounds for Serena.

Newark 49, Marquette 45: At Newark, the host Norsemen survived a close one with their visitors.

Avery Durdan (16 points), Lilly Craig (14 points, six rebounds, four steals) and Keely Nelson (eight points, six steals) spearheaded the Marquette attack.

Boys basketball

Fieldcrest 64, Tremont 41: At Minonk, the host Knights led the Heart of Illinois Conference game throughout, including by 15 points at halftime.

Landon Modro poured in 24 points to lead Fieldcrest. Jordan Heider added nine, with Brady Ruestman scoring eight.

Earlville 55, IMSA 54: At Earlville, the host Red Raiders (13-8, 5-2 Little Ten) secured the one-point conference victory led by Ryan Browder’s 28-point, 10-rebound, four-assist double-double.

Adam Waite (10 points) and Garett Cook (nine assists) also led Earlville.

Dwight 68, Midland 57; Roanoke-Benson 46, Putnam Co. 44: At the Tri-County Conference Tournament in Granville, Dwight advanced to face top-seeded Seneca on Wednesday, while the Rockets upset the host Panthers to move on to a Wednesday semifinal with Marquette.

Wrestling

Sandwich 57, La Salle-Peru 21; Rochelle 60, Sandwich 15: In an Interstate 8 triangular, Cesar Garcia (195 pounds), Nolan Bobee (160) and Kai Kern (138) scored two victories apiece as the Indians recorded the split.

Conference moves

Plano also leaving I-8: Plano, the lone remaining charter member of the Interstate 8 Conference since its formation in 1979, is leaving the league to join the Kishwaukee River Conference beginning with the 2023-24 school year.

Plano is joining Sandwich, which announced its switch in December, in moving to what will be an eight-team conference that also includes Woodstock, Woodstock North, Harvard, Marengo, Richmond-Burton and Johnsburg.

“Everybody has their opinion, but from my perspective this move is putting our student-athletes in position to be competitive enough to win conference championships,” Plano athletic director Steve Lucas said. “Hopefully, it gives our coaches and athletes confidence when they go into compete, as well as create excitement for the student body to where we can increase our participation numbers. The two are tied together.”

Plano’s move is the latest shift for an Interstate 8 Conference that has undergone quite a facelift over the past five years. In 2019, six schools from the now-defunct Northern Illinois Big 12 – Kaneland, La Salle-Peru, Morris, Ottawa, Rochelle and Sycamore – joined the league. Next school year they will be the only remaining members.

That move came after Coal City, Herscher, Lisle, Manteno, Peotone, Reed-Custer, Streator and Wilmington left to create the Illinois Central Eight Conference.

– Read Josh Welge’s full story at mywebtimes.com.

JV/sophomore boys basketball

Wilmington 49, Streator 39: At Wilmington, Isaiah Weibel scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half, but a 21-9 fourth quarter gave the Wildcats the win.