Here’s a look back at some of the top stories and moments that touched me and our readers the most.
• Most memorable moments: A year ago, I wrote about Princeton football ending its 20-game losing streak. My how a year can change things.
The 2015 Tigers became the first PHS team to post the first undefeated 9-0 season in school history. They reached the playoffs for the first time in 12 years and won the first conference championship in 29 years to finish 11-1.
The Bureau Valley Storm boys basketball team had its own streak of 20 wins to start the season.
The St. Bede Bruins baseball team reached the state tournament for the first time in 23 years, finishing fourth.
The Hall Red Devils football team reached the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2001 when they won state.
All memorable moments in their own right.
• National moment: The St. Bede Bruins landed on ESPN's Top Plays of the Day with a successful hidden ball trick in the state baseball tournament in Peoria that caught an unsuspecting Rockford Christian base runner. Na Na Na, Na Na Na!
• Most shocking moment: Hardly shocking really when it happened, as highly rumored as it had been. But it was still stunning to see Jarret Olson transfer from St. Bede to Galesburg in October in the middle of the school year. He pitched the Bruins baseball team to the state tournament and was on course to break big leaguer J.A. Happ's record as all-time scoring leader at the school. He left it all behind, however, now playing hoops for the Silver Streaks in Galesburg.
• My favorite moment: I was invited to sit in when the 1989 state runner-up Princeton football team hosted a team dinner for the then undefeated (11-0) Tiger football team and talked about brotherhood and school tradition. It was a special moment personally being linked to both great Tiger teams.
• Best game(s) to cover: Two games standout at first thought, both involving Princeton Tiger football. The Princeton-Hall game came with a lot of the drama, the arch-rivals taking a rain check after a Friday night Nesti Plunge. Less than 24 hours later, the Tigers returned to Spring Valley to beat the No. 2 Red Devils 14-7. Two weeks later, the Tigers socked it to No. 1 ranked Sterling Newman 14-0. The Hall game put the Tigers back on the state map; the Newman game kept them there.
The night Kewanee ended Bureau Valley’s 20-game win streak and Parker Neuhalfen netted his 2,000th career point was exciting as well.
• Best hustle play: Of all the plays on the gridiron this year, the one that stands out most is the hustle play by Blake Janssen that saved the Tigers football victory at Hall. The PHS junior chased down Hall's Chris Hammonds near the goal line, stripping him of the ball to save a game-tying TD.
• Story(ies) that received the most response: Following the local sport front as closely I do, it was startling to see how many of our young female athletes have been coming down with a rash of ACL injuries. This list includes Amanda Scheri of Hall, Anna Murray and Sara Grieff of Princeton, Emily Fordham of Bureau Valley and Alexa Damerell of St. Bede, who all under went ACL surgeries. I wrote a four-part series, Taking A Knee, about their injuries, their rehab, prevention, moving forward and received a lot of positive feed back.
• Feel good story: I like writing up the stories which are not the average game stories/sports moments. Such was the case when I learned about Trent DeVenney. The Bureau Valley South eighth-grader saw the U.S. Flag hanging in the school gym had seen its best days and wanted to get a new one. He also took the opportunity to dedicate the new flag to the late Chips Giovanine, whose old Western High rams graced the Buda hardwood on the way to back-to-back undefeated trips to the IHSA State finals in the mid-'70s. Well done, Trent.
• Most enjoyable interview: It's always hard to single out just one individual, especially when I come across so many great sports people. But one athlete I met for the first time this year who left a big impression on me was DePue senior soccer player Adrian Perez. I found him to be a most polite young man, outgoing and very respectful.
• Best quote: "We came to Peoria (as baseball players) and we left as rock stars," St. Bede coach Bill Booker said about the Bruins making national news with their hidden ball trick at state.
• Stunning finish: It appeared Princeton's win streak would end at just four, staring down defeat at the hands of Fulton after a dropped Tigers pass in the end zone. The Steamers, however, chose to run the ball to gain a first down instead of taking a knee to run the clock out and fumbled. The Tigers seized advantage, scoring a game-winning touchdown by Bret Emmerson with just 50.2 remaining to give the Tigers a 24-20 victory.
• Sadly missed: Last week's Sports Illustrated list of the sports people/athletes we lost in the past year was stunning, a staggering long list and counting when you include one of my childhood favorites, Meadowlark Lemon, who passed after publication. Greats like Yogi Berra, Frank Gifford, Dean Smith, Ken Stabler, for sure, and many others.
Locally, we sure lost a good one in Tampico softball president Anita Elgin,who will be deeply missed around the Western Bureau Valley League. I was also saddened by the loss of Phillip Briddick, my former Little Leaguer, and Dave Junis, a basketball official from Princeton.
• I’d like to thank you for reading this column for the past 29-plus years. It’s been an honor and privilege. God bless you all in the new year ahead.
Kevin Hieronymus is the BCR Sports Editor. Contact him at khieronymus@bcrnews.com.