Sports

Oak Forest's Funkhouser Named Gatorade Player of the Year

Oak Forest senior right-hander Kyle Funkhouser was named the ESPNHS Gatorade Player of the Year for Illinois on Wednesday.

Call it a coronation ceremony for Oak Forest's King of the Hill. Kyle Funkhouser was named the ESPNHS Gatorade Player of the Year for Illinois on Wednesday.

Funkhouser, a senior right-handed pitcher, carried a 11-1 record into the Bengals' game against Marian Catholic in the semifinals of the Class 3A Lincoln-Way West Sectional.

"Funkhouser is an all-around tremendous pitcher," said Lemont coach Joe Rodeghero on the ESPNHS page. "He throws 90-plus with a good curve, and he's been dominant for three years."

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Funkhouser, 3.32 grade student, has signed a national letter of intent to play next school year at the University of Louisville. He also could be selected in Major League Baseball's amateur draft.

He earned first-team all-conference and all-state honors by recording 119 strikeouts in 76.1 innings. His work on the mound helped Oak Forest build a 27-6 record heading into play on Wednesday.

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