High school basketball

For nearly 30 years, Eric “Coach E” Ewald has shaped Lincoln basketball from the background — building confidence, refining an offense and quietly making players better people. Now, the longtime Railers assistant is stepping into the spotlight as an inductee of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

With a win in the final game of the season Friday night, the Richwoods High School boys basketball team heads back to Peoria with a third-place trophy in tow.

The Richwoods Knights are 29-4 and carrying a 16-game winning streak into their IHSA Class 3A semifinal game against DePaul College Prep on Friday in Champaign.

The Metamora Township High School boys basketball team is looking to take the next step after placing second in the state a year ago.

Two wins away from a potential state championship, this year’s Peoria High School girls basketball team has advanced farther than any other in program history.

A hotbed of talent since the 1980s, Peoria has produced several standout players, six high school state championships and four Illinois Mr. Basketball winners.

Metamora will bring a 17-game winning streak into Friday’s IHSA Class 3A semifinal game against Chicago Simeon at State Farm Center in Champaign.

For the next week or so, many student-athletes in central Illinois will take on double duty while coaches work to coordinate schedules so players don’t…