Top athletes honored by Warren High board

Warren Township High School board members provided formal recognition to a star basketball player and other athletes at a recent public meeting.

Brandon Paul, named the 2009 Mr. Basketball of Illinois, was among the six athletes to receive the official kudos and an opportunity to take photos with their coaches and board members at Gurnee-based Warren District 121.

Also honored were boys wrestling state qualifiers Connor Drew and Justin Santiago, girls gymnastics team state qualifier Katie Vovolka, state diving qualifier Sage Stephens and state 500-yard freestyle swimming qualifier Danny Conway.

Paul, a senior, will attend the University of Illinois on a basketball scholarship. He averaged nearly 20 points, seven rebounds and three steals per game. The Blue Devils lost to Waukegan High School in the Class 4A sectional championship game.

Boys basketball head coach Chuck Ramsey noted how Paul bested about 700 players who were eligible for the state's top honor for the sport. Coaches and media from across Illinois vote on the Mr. Basketball recipient.

Warren board member Roberta Pfeiffer brought a new basketball to the meeting and received Paul's autograph on it before getting in a picture with him. Paul is the first Mr. Basketball from Lake County.

Drew and Santiago are seniors and have completed their tenures as Warren wrestlers. Vovolka, Stephens and Conway are, respectively, a junior, sophomore and freshman.