Positive Things in ICE lands...

[PanthersWildcats86]

Enough of the negative stuff. Lets get out the positive stuff from the ICE...

Manteno is having a really good month. Junior Left tackle Josh Gesky is getting a great write-up from Edgy...thanks Edgy. Gesky is getting offers left and right...the first Panther player, I believe, to get D1 scholarship offers. FBS Arkansas State has offered, along with FCS schools: Tennessee-Martin, Montana State, and EIU & SIU in the last week...Apparently his 5.2 GPA is attracting Ivy League schools. His senior brother Jeremy has committed to Olivet for the fall as a frosh.

Per his Aunt Annette, Junior WR / DB Luke Trepanier has committed to playing baseball at Bradley U...another Valley ballplayer in the family, as his older sister Carly played softball at Valpo...

Come on ICE guys, there's gotta be some more good news in ICE land...

 

[ClownBaby]

Sounds like the ICE is getting raided for talent.

 

[epicbret]

Aunt Annette know of any RB 'croots looking to move and transfer?

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

Aunt Annette know of any RB 'croots looking to move and transfer?

Aunt Annette is busy replacing her gym workouts with playing center for her Gagliardi Award finalist son's practice sessions...I'm guessing cousin Luke is running routes...

And if you are looking for RB talent, wrong program...I'm not sure how the Panthers are going to replace Wurster at RB...

 

[FCHS2019]

Manteno has endless baseball talent it seems, but for some reason hasn't translated into a lot of on field success...

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

Manteno has endless baseball talent it seems, but for some reason hasn't translated into a lot of on field success...

The Panthers have had a pretty good run of baseball talent, but seemingly of the wrong type to make a big high school postseason run. Its seems the key is usually the big stud pitcher...but Manteno is better known for producing kids who get recruited as position players who also pitch... The Panthers have had kids go to Illinois, Minnesota, and Purdue among others, but have only won 3 regionals in history. They have won 22 or more games 10 straight years prior to this cancelled season, with 2 of the 3 regional titles, but never had the kid being recruited as a stud hurler...And they tend to run into the stud hurlers from Herscher, RC or CC before they get too deep into the playoffs.

I suppose the more interesting point is that most of the stud baseball players don't play football at Manteno...a couple played soccer, some just play baseball. Others like Gavin Zimbelman focus on football in the summer when their body types and sizes indicate that baseball should be their sport - and voila, he's a Gagliardi finalist as a college junior.

 

[UlbKA91]

Sounds like the ICE is getting raided for talent.

 

[FCHS2019]

The Panthers have had a pretty good run of baseball talent, but seemingly of the wrong type to make a big high school postseason run. Its seems the key is usually the big stud pitcher...but Manteno is better known for producing kids who get recruited as position players who also pitch... The Panthers have had kids go to Illinois, Minnesota, and Purdue among others, but have only won 3 regionals in history. They have won 22 or more games 10 straight years prior to this cancelled season, with 2 of the 3 regional titles, but never had the kid being recruited as a stud hurler...And they tend to run into the stud hurlers from Herscher, RC or CC before they get too deep into the playoffs.

I suppose the more interesting point is that most of the stud baseball players don't play football at Manteno...a couple played soccer, some just play baseball. Others like Gavin Zimbelman focus on football in the summer when their body types and sizes indicate that baseball should be their sport - and voila, he's a Gagliardi finalist as a college junior.

Good points, they never have that stud pitcher to get them through a regional or sectional final. And while they have the 3 Big Ten kids you mentioned, that's been over a 20 year period.. Nichols was a stud pitcher, but think arm problems kept him off the mound his senior year??

And the conference has been loaded last 10 years.. Herscher 10 straight regional titles, 2 trips to Peoria.. RC and Lisle state champs, Westmont couple trips to Peoria.. and while not a lot of post season success, Coal City and Manteno both with tons of talent