High school basketball

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…