Annawan, Illini West, Princeville all win girls basketball holiday tournaments

The hustle and bustle of the holiday tournament season is now over. Conference play gets into full swing over the course of the next two weeks with multiple teams looking to set a new tone. Here are the first Area Fab Fives of the new year:

BOYS

1. Annawan

2. Farmington

3. Bushnell-Prairie City

4. Abingdon-Avon

5. Wethersfield

There are no remaining area unbeatens on the boys side after Annawan and Farmington dropped games at their holiday tournaments last week. The Braves and Farmers are still the top two teams but took a step back to the field. B-PC might have made a bigger jump but the Spartans came up short in the MVIT championship game. They have a big one with Farmington next week. A-Town’s impressive run to the MWHT title game gets them into the four spot while a seven game win-streak and a third Warkins title in five seasons pushes Wethersfield into the top five. Galva nearly squeezed in with a solid performance at Princeville while Bureau Valley and Mercer County could easily jump back in after falling out this week.   

GIRLS

1. Annawan

2. Illini West

3. Princeville

4. Lewistown

5. Brimfield

It wasn’t the prettiest championship game of the week, but Annawan’s 56-46 State Farm Classic championship win over Danville Schlarman was the biggest statement of the girls season so far. Next Monday’s showdown with Princeville will be another big one. Illini West enters the new year as the Beardstown tournament champ and could continue to roll. Princeville won its own tournament and, after a slow start, is beginning to play it’s best basketball of the season. Lewistown bounced back from a semifinal loss to IW by taking third at Beardstown. Brimfield holds the final spot despite a tough week against a deep SFC field. Knoxville came up just short in the Warkins title game against Stockton and just missed the top five.