Steve’s Storylines from Night 1 of Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2024 -25 IHSA season kicked off on Monday. There were games happening all over the state. Several intriguing stories to watch going into the season. Here are some notable stories from night one.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>The 2028 class lives up to its Summer Hype.</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2531981' first='Cole' last='Kelly'] Nequa Valley 6'6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kelly exploded with a big first game dropping 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks leading his team into an opening season win. Three-level scorer and even got a dunk at the start of the game. A strong performance for first game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2125627' first='Ethan' last='Vahl'] 6'2 Oswego&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ethan is another top freshman we have covered for most of the summer. He opened up the season with 23 points and pulled down 7 rebounds in a win. An electric guard who will put up numbers this year.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2467517' first='Darrius' last='Hawkins'] 5'10 Homewood Flossmoor&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The human highlight reel started his high school career with 10 points and 3 steals off the bench playing behind some Division 1 caliber guards. Hawkins made sure he made his presence felt.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Senior Season has Begun</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2217980' first='Phoenix' last='Childs'] 6'4 Perspectives&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Huge night for [player_tooltip player_id='2217980' first='Phoenix' last='Childs'] with 33 points, 12 boards, and 4 assists. If this game was just a sample of what's to come for Childs I predict a look from D1 schools sooner than later.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1545131' first='Elijah' last='Lovemore'] 6'3 Bloom</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lovemore has been under the radar but never underrated. He opened with 16 points, 9 steals, 9 assists, and&nbsp; 7 rebounds in an easy win. Elijah has the talent to repeat these types of performances each night.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1977254' first='Luke' last='Smith'] Addison Trail 6'0</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A big opening night for Smith. He led all scorers with 32 points. A very efficient guard who is crafty and knows how to score a bucket in more ways than one.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Other Notables&nbsp;</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2125687' first='Travis' last='Brown'] West Aurora 6'0 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Great first start for Brown who led his team with 18 points in a game that came down to the last shot. Even in the loss, he looked good scoring with his quickness and all-around activity.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552445' first='Charles' last='Barnes Jr']. De La Salle 6'5 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Barnes led his squad with 27 points. The versatile wing got it done from all three levels on offense. Truly becoming a matchup problem for opposing teams.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1845355' first='Latrell' last='Kelley'] 6'1 Farragut 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kelly returned to IHSA play after a year of prep. He led Farragut in scoring with 28 points and also dished out 5 assists along with grabbing 6 rebounds. Good numbers on night one. He's a player coaches can add to their prospect list.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->