Deer Creek-Mackinaw brought home the Class 1A state championship trophy with a convincing 15-point title-game victory, a massive achievement for coach Joni Nightingale. This kind of historic performance demands recognition, especially now that the 2025-26 high school sports season is wrapped, and it is time for fans to weigh in on the top coaches.
From Sectional Heartbreak to State Dominance
Nightingale’s Dee-Mack squad, finishing with an incredible 34-3 record, truly ascended to new heights. Just before this season, the Chiefs had suffered back-to-back Class 2A sectional title losses, making their move down to Class 1A a turning point. The road to the state finals was epic, featuring four consecutive blowouts that showed their true power before a nailbiter against Wethersfield in the supersectional. But from that point on, it was smooth sailing. Dee-Mack won both of their state finals games by double digits, capping it off with that dominant 15-point championship win. Senior Dalia Dejesus was the driving force, earning Journal Star Small-School Player of the Year honors. This team was locked in, and Nightingale coached them straight to history.
Cinderella Runs and Program-Best Finishes
The competition for Coach of the Year is stacked, with other incredible leaders also delivering unforgettable seasons. Patrick Gornik led Dunlap tennis to not only program history but also into the Peoria-area record books. The Eagles finished second in Class 1A, becoming the highest finisher for a local girls team at the tennis state finals. Sophomore Anna Yu, the Journal Star Girls Tennis Player of the Year, powered that charge with her second-place singles finish, a first-ever for a Peoria-area singles player to reach a state championship. Dunlap’s 28 points came from Yu (12), Isabella Gusso and Katherine Brewer (eight), Alassea Michel (five), and Melaina Humbles and Berkeley Stigall (three).
Meanwhile, Tiffany Klaus guided Tremont volleyball on a true Cinderella run to the Class 1A state finals. The Turks, finishing 23-19 and seeded fourth in their regional, ended up as the state fourth-place finisher, the highest finish in program history. Klaus led her team to huge victories over two No. 1 seeds as well as a three seed on their way to the Final Four. Their biggest victory? Knocking off top-seeded Hartsburg-Emden in a three-set classic in the Elite Eight. Tremont then battled eventual state champion Cissna Park in the semifinals before falling to Norris City in the third-place match. Sophomore Nora Parsons was named to the Journal Star Small-School All-Area Team. Kim Barth also coached Washington basketball, coming off a Class 3A state third-place finish.
This is the sixth and final poll in this summer series, and it is crunch time. Metamora track and field coach Sheridan Ray already took home the Boys Coach of the Year title last week. Now, it is time for you to make your voice heard for the Peoria-area high school Girls Coach of the Year. Head to pjstar.com/sports to cast your vote. The poll closes at noon Thursday, so do not wait, let’s crown a winner!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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