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.
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.”
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.”
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