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St. Francis' Johnson merits MVP honor

St. Francis senior Gabe Johnson has earned Daily Herald MVP acclaim for his recent high school boys basketball performances.

Gabe Johnson, St. Francis: Four games in six days did not slow this 6-foot-3 senior. Johnson averaged 22.5 points and helped the Spartans win their final two Chicago Catholic League playoff games. Included were 25 points against St. Rita, 24 against West Chicago and 25 against Montini. Overall the sharpshooter made 50 percent of his field-goal attempts, 45 percent from the 3-point arc.

Brett Czerak, Aurora Central Catholic: This 6-foot-1 forward was the driving force behind a pair of blowout victories against Metro Suburban West rivals. The junior scored 29 points, including three 3-pointers, in a 62-47 win at Wheaton Academy. Three days later Czerak splashed two more 3-pointers and led the Chargers with 24 points in a 76-52 victory over IC Catholic Prep.

Joe Gatziolis, Elk Grove: The senior helped Elk Grove claim a share of the Mid-Suburban East title with a game-high 17 points in the Grens' 55-50 victory at Wheeling. Gatziolis scored a 3-point play after taking an inbounds pass in the fourth quarter to put the Grens on top for good. Elk Grove finished 8-2 in the division and earned at least a share of the conference title for the first time in 12 years.

Jarod Stonis, Wauconda: The 6-foot-1 junior guard has developed into a steady offensive force for the Bulldogs in his first season on varsity. He poured in a game-high 21 points (two 3-pointers) and grabbed 6 rebounds in a 54-46 win over Vernon Hills. He followed up with a 10-point effort, as the Bulldogs reached double-digit wins with a 79-65 victory over Mundelein in their regular-season finale.

Brett Czerak
Joe Gatziolis
Jarod Stonis
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