The new year has kicked in and plenty of local stars are making a push to become the first Rockford Register Star high school athlete of the week for 2023.
You can vote on the nominees below up until noon on Friday, either at rrstar.com or on the poll below.
More sports stories at rrstar.com
Football: Former Guilford star Polk says coaching for hometown Chicago Bears
Boys basketball: How boys basketball has become the best high school sport in the Rockford area
Tournament tunes: What Rockford-area athletes listen to before the big game
More basketball: Winning is all in the family at No. 2 Pecatonica
Elijah Daugherty, Rockford Christian basketball
Daugherty, and the Cummings’ brothers, have the Rockford Christian boys basketball team soaring at 19-1 this season. Daugherty scored 30 points to lift Rockford Christian over Pecatonica, 73-67 last Monday. The Royal Lions did, however, suffer their first loss of the season Saturday, falling 76-69 to Fulton.
Cadence Diduch, Freeport wrestling
Diduch claimed the title in the 125-pound bracket at the Batavia Girls Wrestling Invitational on Saturday, using three pins to cruise to the title. Last season she won the NIC-10 title against the boys, and claimed the state title against the girls. “It was very important to me to start the season off strong because it helps build my confidence up for upcoming tournaments,” Diduch said of her first three matches of the season. “And I was so excited to compete with my fellow girl teammates.” Diduch’s teammate NaJeyah Wallace won the 155-B bracket in Saturday’s tourney.
Charlie Hunt, Hononegah bowling
Although Harlem won the team title, Hunt kickstarted the entire tourney with a perfect-300 game and eventually rolled a 1,413 to cruise to the individual title at the Belvidere Regional on Saturday.
Antonio Lewis, East basketball
Lewis scored 26 points, 20 points and 23 points in East’s last three games this past week, helping the E-Rabs climb to 13-8 on the season headed into this week. He also had nine rebounds and was 10-for-15 from the floor in Wednesday’s game; was 8-for-12 from the floor in Saturday’s first game; and he was 8-for-8 from the field and added seven rebounds in Saturday’s second game.
Brock Metzger, Rochelle wrestling
Metzger, the junior who recently helped the Rochelle wrestling team secure its program-record-tying 21st team win of the season, rallied in a big way to place third at Saturday’s Mahomet tournament. Metzger trailed 11-0 after the first period and rebounded to earn a pin in the second period, placing third in his weight class.
Netavia Wickson, Boylan wrestling
Like Diduch, Wickson won first place at Saturday’s Batavia invite, rolling to the title in the 135-pound bracket. She earned a 27-second pin in the only match that she actually had to wrestle, after having a bye in the first round, and earning an injury default in the title match.
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on Twitter at @JayTaft. Sign up for the Rockford High School newsletter at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a wide variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears to youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star, and for over 30 years all together.
