TriCounty A truly dominating player in every facet of the game, Manual High School all-state basketball standout Sergio McLain is the Tri-County Male Athlete of the Year.
Son of Manual coach Wayne McClain, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound junior has triple threat ability: he can score, averaging 17 points; rebound, bagging 6.3 a game; and play sturdy defense.
McClain has had a career that high school players only dream about. In his first three varsity seasons, he had been a major reason Manual has won three consecutive state Class AA tournaments.
He has been an automatic all-stater several times, honored by the Chicago Tribune and the Champaign News-Gazette, and named to the first team of the Journal Starís Class AA team.
Wrote veteran Journal Star prep expert Bob Leavitt of McClain: "The strength muscular McClain added to Manual's lineup was nothing compared to the mental toughness his leadership gave the Rams."
Pursued by dozens of major college coaches, McClain and teammate Marcus Griffin, also a consensus all-stater, will attend the University of Illinois.
| BILL SUITS Bill Suits has had a strong desire for many years to be of service to other people. For the past five years he has been the official umpire for the Mentally Handicapped Adult Softball League sponsored by the Easter Seal Center and Peoria Park District. This commitment entails several assignments a week. In addition, he contributes to the formation of the special rules which govern the play of these softball games. He applies these rules as well as the control of the games with the greatest interest and concern for the players. |  |