Winter Sports Banquet
March 12, 2008
A special thanks goes out to all of the athletes and parents who attended the Winter Sports banquet on Tuesday, March 11. It was such a great sight to see all of the winter athletes and their parents come together to honor and celebrate their successes.
The night events started off with insights from our Activities Director, Mr. Steve Stewart, followed by short speeches from the winter head coaches of each sport. After the thank-you's and words of encouragement and appreciation were shared by all the coaches, each sport went to specified locations for their awards and certificates.
At the banquet, Mr. Stewart extended an appreciation to all of the parents and the athletes for their hard work and commitment to the athletic program here at SVHS. As noted by Mr. Stewart, SVHS plays in one of the most competitive divisions in the State of Illinois, thereby acknowledging the great competitive spirit that rests within the SV community. It is because of the talent, dedication and commitment of the athletes and parents that makes SVHS successful and a power house within the division and in the state. He also acknowledged the accomplishments of our winter athletes, noting the 2nd Place finish at State by the wrestling team and the 10th place finish of our cheerleaders in State competition.
All of the head coaches expressed their appreciation to the athletes and the parents for their involvement in their daughters and sons success here at SVHS. A special thank you also went out to the SVHS administration and the Athletic Boosters for their strong support and commitment to SVHS. The financial backing given to the athletic program here at SVHS has been instrumental in setting high expectations and standards for our athletes.
Coach Lewis talked about how proud he was of all the boys basketball teams, competing every night throughout the season. He acknowledged the great leadership given by the seniors, especially their commitment to daily practice to improve themselves as well as the overall basketball program. "The team really started coming together at the end and played their best basketball of the season, although just by wins and losses alone it may not seem that way. We competed in one of the toughest conferences in the state with three regional champions and three teams (not all regional champions) that finished with 20+ regular season wins," stated Lewis. Even though this year's team did not get a regional or conference championship, Coach Lewis acknowledged the foundation set by the seniors for the future success of the boys basketball program.
Coach Alderks discussed the Varsity overall record of 11-16, stating that the "record of 11-16 was deceiving and does not reflect the kind of team we were. Nine out of the 16 losses were by 8 points or less." The Varsity girls finished second place finish at the Forreston Thanksgiving tournament. She also announced that Stacie Harvey received All-conference and All-state special mention. Ms. Harvey will also be entered in the record books as #15 in the career scoring list. Junior Val McKnight will also be in the record books for the single season scoring.
Hats off to the athletes, parents, coaches, maintenance, administration and the boosters for all that you do. Without you, SVHS would not be the strong, competitive force in Illinois.
**Though this article is posted, there is more to come from the head coaches in regards to the Winter Sports Banquet. Stay tune as their comments come in.....
