(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
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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