(Photos by Dan Cruz)

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ALTON - The Harry Gallatin Players of the Year Banquet last took place in 2019, but that hasn’t stopped the awards from being bestowed. The show must go on.

The 2021 recipients of the Gallatin Player of the Year awards were Alton senior Ja’Markus Gary for Male POY and Civic Memorial senior Tori Standefer for the Female POY.

It marks the 76th year the award has been presented to a male player and 28th year it’s been awarded to a female player. Due to COVID-19 limitations and the shortened 2021 prep season, the Gallatin committee decided to only award the POY trophies to keep the tradition alive.

Gary was a highlight for an otherwise forgettable season for the Redbirds, as they finished 0-13. He averaged 18.3 points per game, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals to lead AHS in all those categories. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound guard also led the Birds in free throw shooting at 72.1 percent. He posted a pair of double doubles and had a season-high, 32-point outburst vs. Belleville West on March 3.

Gary becomes the third Alton boys player to receive the Gallatin POY award in the last five years.

Standefer completed a stellar four-year career with CM this season. The point guard turned in a team-best 15.2 points per game as well as 4.6 assists, which were also tops for the Eagles. She helped lead CM to a 16-1 record in head coach Mike Arbuthnot’s first season at the helm.

Standefer’s win stretches the Eagles girls hoops program’s streak of POY recipients to a whopping 11 straight years.

The Gallatin POY Banquet hopes to return to full capacity in 2022, celebrating its 75th fete. The plan is to present their entire line of awards — the POYs, 110-percent, free throws, team sportsmanship as well as its meritorious award.

The Gallatin Awards began in 1946 under the direction of the now defunct Alton Exchange Club. When the Exchange Club disbanded after the 2017 banquet, a group of locals stepped in to save the festivities and named them for Roxana High grad, NBA legend and Naismith Hall of Famer Harry Gallatin.

The Gallatin committee is comprised of Bill Roseberry, Steve Porter, Joe Silkwood, Frank Akers, Tim Lowrance and Trish Holmes. The awards are divvied out to the five Riverbend schools — Alton, Marquette Catholic, CM, East Alton-Wood River and Roxana.

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

2021 — Ja’Markus Gary of Alton and Tori Standefer of CM

2020 — Gavin Huffman of Roxana and Anna Hall of CM

2019 — Donovan Clay of Alton and Anna Hall of CM

2018 — Sammy Green of Marquette Catholic and Kaylee Eaton of CM

2017 – Maurice Edwards of Alton and Allie Troeckler of CM

2016 – Shandon Boone of Marquette Catholic and Allie Troeckler of CM

2015 – Darrius Edwards of Alton and Allie Troeckler of CM

2014 – Deion Lavender of Marquette Catholic and Megan Trost of CM

2013 — Hunter Reine of Roxana and Megan Trost of CM

2012 — Hunter Reine of Roxana and Megkinize Carter of CM

2011 — Tony Bradley of Alton and Cassie Endicott of CM

2010 — Tony Bradley of Alton and Kelsey Harrison of East Alton-Wood River

2009 — Ryan Mathews of Alton and Michaela Herrod of Alton

2008 —Ruben Cotto of Alton and Katie Broadway of CM

2007 — Kavon Lacey of Alton and Katie Broadway of CM

2006 — Kavon Lacey of Alton and Katie Broadway of CM

2005 — Lorenzo Taylor of Alton and Emily Best of EA-WR

2004 — Nick Certa of Marquette Catholic and Emily Best of EA-WR

2003 — Nick Certa of Marquette Catholic and Jordan Davis of Roxana

2002 — Travis Williams of EA-WR and Casey Law of CM

2001 — Michael Stockard of Alton and Ashley Russell of EA-WR

2000 — Demarko “Book” Snipes of Alton and Michelle Beiermann of Marquette Catholic

1999 — Demarko "Book" Snipes of Alton and Kendra Snyder of Marquette Catholic

1998 — Tony Certa of Marquette Catholic and DoBee Oros-Moore of Alton

1997 — Marlon Crawford of Alton and Jenni Combes of CM

1996 — Nic Stotler of CM and Angela Payne of Roxana

1995 — Greg McDanel of Roxana and Erica Oge of Marquette Catholic

1994 — Eric Frankford of CM and Amie Gernigan of Marquette Catholic

1993 - Ty Laux of CM

1992 - Brad Bohannon of Marquette Catholic

1991 - Jonathan Denney of CM

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1990 - Kevin Caldwell of Alton

1989 - Joe Vann of Alton

1988 - Steve Mason of Marquette Catholic

1987 - Jamie Humphries of CM

1986 - Larry Smith of Alton

1985 - Larry Smith of Alton

1984 - Dale Liley of EA-WR

1983 - Rick Taylor of Alton

1982 - Steve Wooley of EA-WR

1981 - Dan Coddington of EA-WR

1980 - Troy Washpun of Alton

1979 - Jim “Buzz” Logan of EA-WR

1978 - David Goins of Alton

1977 - Brad Scheiter of Alton

1976 - Leroy Stampley of Alton

1975 - Chris Schroeder of Roxana

1974 - Doug Nalley of Alton

1973 - Lafayette Collins of Alton

1972 - Dennis Olston of EA-WR

1971 - Ron Caldwell of Alton

1970 - Dave Taynor of CM

1969 - Mike Jeffries of Alton

1968 - Leon Huff of Alton

1967 - Ricci Stotler of CM

1966 - Jim Bailey of EA-WR

1965 - Terry Brown of EA-WR

1964 - Larry Jeffries of Alton

1963 - Bob Hilgendorf of CM

1962 - Larry Shoemaker of Alton

1961 - Gary Lane of EA-WR

1960 - Karl Doucleff of Western Military Academy

1959 - Jerry Messick of EA-WR

1958 - Mike Hunter of Alton

1957 - Jim Lemon of EA-WR

1956 - Cliff Talley of EA-WR

1955 - Essic Robinson of Alton

1954 -Richard Brown of Roxana

1953 - Dick Harbke of Roxana

1952 - Ron Fisher of EA-WR

1951 - Bob Kuhn of Alton

1950 - Lowell Pettit of EA-WR

1949 - Ron Bedwell of Roxana

1948 - Sam Vinyard of EA-WR

1947 - Bob Caffery of EA-WR

1946 - Dick Erzen of EA-WR

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