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Pecatonica won its first state title in the nick of time. Not only are three senior girls basketball starters graduating, including all-time leading scorer and rebounder Elaina Rager, but Pec will also move up to Class 2A next year.
“We didn’t talk about it, but as coaches you pay attention to it,” Pec coach Daniel Rosenstiel said. “To come through was huge when you see your window.”
Pecatonica made little sports impact for eight decades. This was the first time in 90 years it ever went to state in any sport. But both basketball teams have set or exceeded school records four years in a row — the boys lost in sectionals, but were ranked No. 1 in the state. The football team, in a co-op with Durand, has 36 wins the last four years — the only four seasons in school history with eight or more wins.
More: It's not in the water. Secret to tiny Illinois town's storybook season runs much deeper
Yes, Pecatonica will move up in class next year, but why they will move up make school officials sanguine about it. Pecatonica, they say, has become a “destination school” that should keep growing and continue to be a sports power.
Here are four reasons why:
Pecatonica has long been the second-largest school in the NUIC, which has 21 schools split over three divisions. But it's official IHSA enrollment number is expected to leap from 270 to 320 next year, 20 students above the Class 1A cut-off of 300.
Actually, Pec was over that number this year with a school-record 319 students, but the IHSA counts the most recent past years, not the current season. Pecatonica principal Todd France said Pec might duck under the 1A cut-off for a couple of years but will likely keep growing long term.
“It’s ridiculous how many kids have been moving here,” France said. “Any time a house is going up for sale, it usually comes with three or four kids. I get calls here at the school from people looking for houses in the area. ‘Do we know anybody who is selling a house?’ We are not in the real estate business here, but when a house is listed, it goes quick. That says a lot about the community. And the school. A school is a big part of a community.”
“It starts with the families who were already here,” boys basketball coach Bobby Heisler said. “A handful of parents are investing in the sports programs. They decided to keep their families in Pecatonica and build it from the ground up. The Hoffmans specifically.”
Tyler Hoffman has coached a football team that had not had a winning season since 2006 to six straight winning seasons — all with one of his two sons as record-setting dual-threat QBs. Hunter and Cooper Hoffman also led the boys basketball resurgence.
Their success helped the girls basketball team also succeed.
“Winning breeds a lot of positivity in the community,” Rosenstiel said. “It makes kids want to play multiple sports, something you need to build your programs.”
Pecatonica is ranked the No. 88 best school in Illinois by U.S. News and World Report. Only No. 59 Hononegah is higher in the Rockford area. Byron at No. 158 ranks a distant third.
“We get a lot of students that want to transfer in here,” principal France said. “Our academics have grown rapidly.”
One of those transfers was Ryleigh Alexander. Pecatonica might not have been able to win a state girls basketball title without the star 5-foot-9 freshman, who grew up in Forreston before her family moved to Pecatonica.
“Pecatonica is a really good community with a really good school,” Rosenstiel said. “It gives students a chance to excel academically and be part of good sports programs.”
More: The secret behind NUIC powers Dakota, Eastland, Lena-Winslow
A Rockford Register Star story 12 years ago explored why Lena-Winslow, Eastland and Dakota had the best overall sports programs in a conference loaded with Class 1A powers. The answer, much like how tiny Scales Mound could be so good in its only boys sport of basketball, is that they had more amenities than most other small towns.
Lake Somerset is part of Dakota’s school district. Eastland has Lake Carroll and its golf course. Lena has two golf courses, a library and a swimming pool and the high school is less than five miles from Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park.
“The town. The number of parks. The water park. I felt I was at a resort,” Michelle Nafziger said after deciding to move her family to Lena 13 years ago. She also enjoyed Lena’s farmer’s market, florist, gift shops and even that it had a Dollar General. “Friends back home think I’m in the middle of nowhere and can’t get to anything,” she said. “I actually have access to more in this very small town and I don’t have to deal with traffic or fight for a parking spot.”
Well, the same is true of Pecatonica.
The Pecatonica Wetlands is a popular state park that Rockford sports teams go to for team retreats. Sumner Park is a popular local gathering place with picnic shelters, a playground, basketball courts and facilities for baseball, fishing and disc golf.
More: Guilford football players bond over wilderness trip
“The Wetlands and Sumner Park are another reason a lot of people come here and stay here,” Rosenstiel said.
There is also a public library in town, not just the school library, only two blocks from the high school. And the 107,000 square foot high school, which opened in 2003, is one of the newest high school buildings in the area with one of the biggest and brightest gyms.
Pecatonica also has Westlake Village, an upscale housing development with 353 homes, most of them built in the last 20 years. It has its own 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, pickleball courts, bike path and a small man-made lake.
“Westlake is a huge draw,” Rosenstiel said. “You’ve got everything you would want there. And we’re also only 20 minutes away from Freeport and Rockford. People can get away from big city life, but are also able to go into town and take advantage of what bigger towns offer."
"Pecatonica," said boys basketball coach Bobby Heisler, "has long been regarded as one of the best schools around. Combining that with winning sports teams and available homes in places like Westland Village is making Pecatonica a destination school."
Matt Trowbridge is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @MattTrowbridge.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: State champ Pecatonica grew out of 1A but is now 'destination school'
Continue reading...
“We didn’t talk about it, but as coaches you pay attention to it,” Pec coach Daniel Rosenstiel said. “To come through was huge when you see your window.”
Pecatonica made little sports impact for eight decades. This was the first time in 90 years it ever went to state in any sport. But both basketball teams have set or exceeded school records four years in a row — the boys lost in sectionals, but were ranked No. 1 in the state. The football team, in a co-op with Durand, has 36 wins the last four years — the only four seasons in school history with eight or more wins.
More: It's not in the water. Secret to tiny Illinois town's storybook season runs much deeper
Yes, Pecatonica will move up in class next year, but why they will move up make school officials sanguine about it. Pecatonica, they say, has become a “destination school” that should keep growing and continue to be a sports power.
Here are four reasons why:
People moving in
Pecatonica has long been the second-largest school in the NUIC, which has 21 schools split over three divisions. But it's official IHSA enrollment number is expected to leap from 270 to 320 next year, 20 students above the Class 1A cut-off of 300.
Actually, Pec was over that number this year with a school-record 319 students, but the IHSA counts the most recent past years, not the current season. Pecatonica principal Todd France said Pec might duck under the 1A cut-off for a couple of years but will likely keep growing long term.
“It’s ridiculous how many kids have been moving here,” France said. “Any time a house is going up for sale, it usually comes with three or four kids. I get calls here at the school from people looking for houses in the area. ‘Do we know anybody who is selling a house?’ We are not in the real estate business here, but when a house is listed, it goes quick. That says a lot about the community. And the school. A school is a big part of a community.”
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Hoffman family support
“It starts with the families who were already here,” boys basketball coach Bobby Heisler said. “A handful of parents are investing in the sports programs. They decided to keep their families in Pecatonica and build it from the ground up. The Hoffmans specifically.”
Tyler Hoffman has coached a football team that had not had a winning season since 2006 to six straight winning seasons — all with one of his two sons as record-setting dual-threat QBs. Hunter and Cooper Hoffman also led the boys basketball resurgence.
Their success helped the girls basketball team also succeed.
“Winning breeds a lot of positivity in the community,” Rosenstiel said. “It makes kids want to play multiple sports, something you need to build your programs.”
Award-winning academics
Pecatonica is ranked the No. 88 best school in Illinois by U.S. News and World Report. Only No. 59 Hononegah is higher in the Rockford area. Byron at No. 158 ranks a distant third.
“We get a lot of students that want to transfer in here,” principal France said. “Our academics have grown rapidly.”
One of those transfers was Ryleigh Alexander. Pecatonica might not have been able to win a state girls basketball title without the star 5-foot-9 freshman, who grew up in Forreston before her family moved to Pecatonica.
“Pecatonica is a really good community with a really good school,” Rosenstiel said. “It gives students a chance to excel academically and be part of good sports programs.”
More: The secret behind NUIC powers Dakota, Eastland, Lena-Winslow
Not a normal small town
A Rockford Register Star story 12 years ago explored why Lena-Winslow, Eastland and Dakota had the best overall sports programs in a conference loaded with Class 1A powers. The answer, much like how tiny Scales Mound could be so good in its only boys sport of basketball, is that they had more amenities than most other small towns.
Lake Somerset is part of Dakota’s school district. Eastland has Lake Carroll and its golf course. Lena has two golf courses, a library and a swimming pool and the high school is less than five miles from Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park.
“The town. The number of parks. The water park. I felt I was at a resort,” Michelle Nafziger said after deciding to move her family to Lena 13 years ago. She also enjoyed Lena’s farmer’s market, florist, gift shops and even that it had a Dollar General. “Friends back home think I’m in the middle of nowhere and can’t get to anything,” she said. “I actually have access to more in this very small town and I don’t have to deal with traffic or fight for a parking spot.”
Well, the same is true of Pecatonica.
The Pecatonica Wetlands is a popular state park that Rockford sports teams go to for team retreats. Sumner Park is a popular local gathering place with picnic shelters, a playground, basketball courts and facilities for baseball, fishing and disc golf.
More: Guilford football players bond over wilderness trip
“The Wetlands and Sumner Park are another reason a lot of people come here and stay here,” Rosenstiel said.
There is also a public library in town, not just the school library, only two blocks from the high school. And the 107,000 square foot high school, which opened in 2003, is one of the newest high school buildings in the area with one of the biggest and brightest gyms.
Pecatonica also has Westlake Village, an upscale housing development with 353 homes, most of them built in the last 20 years. It has its own 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, pickleball courts, bike path and a small man-made lake.
“Westlake is a huge draw,” Rosenstiel said. “You’ve got everything you would want there. And we’re also only 20 minutes away from Freeport and Rockford. People can get away from big city life, but are also able to go into town and take advantage of what bigger towns offer."
"Pecatonica," said boys basketball coach Bobby Heisler, "has long been regarded as one of the best schools around. Combining that with winning sports teams and available homes in places like Westland Village is making Pecatonica a destination school."
Matt Trowbridge is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @MattTrowbridge.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: State champ Pecatonica grew out of 1A but is now 'destination school'
Continue reading...
