Matyi Is First-Team All-State

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Sesser-Valier senior Justin Matyi has been named to the Associated Press Class 1A All-State team, which was announced Tuesday.

Matyi, who led the Red Devils to the sectional title with 42 points, was named to the first squad with Delavan's Brady Zimmer, Newark's Kyle Anderson, Madison's Xavier Williams, and Williamsfield's Alex Ott.

For the season, Matyi has 608 points for a 19.6 points per game average. He has 283 rebounds as well for a 8.8 average per game.

In his career, so far, Matyi has scored 1,841 points and 853 rebounds. His career numbers are 16.5 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game.

"This is a great honor and a well-deserved honor," SV coach Chip Basso said. "Justin has had an outstanding career and we have had a nice postseason run.

"But, you never know how people are going to vote," he said. "We've had a lot of publicity coming off a great year, so I think he was on a lot of people's radars."

Class 1A Second Team members are: Orion's Tanner Williams, Macon-Meridian's Trent Swigert, Salt Fork's Joel Learned, Madison's Kendall Echols and Springfield Calvary's Darren Price.

"Justin will be the first to tell you that this is a team accomplishment," Basso said. "The way teams defend him, it's amazing that he gets the stats he does, but he knows he wouldn't be on this list without his teammates."

Class 2A First Team selections were: Robinson's Meyers Leonard, Hales Franciscan's Pat Miller, Winnebago's Chas Cross, Fieldcrest's Nathan Ropp, and Peoria Manual's Lawrence Alexander.

Second team members are: Decatur St. Teresa's Nick Sanford, Fieldcrest's Taylor Baxter, Metro East-Lutheran's Bob Schnietz, Rock Island Alleman's Keelan Prince, and Garrett Gaffner and David Wiegmann of Breese Central.

Sesser is playing in the Class 1A supersectional in Salem tonight against Woodlawn.