TUSCOLA — It’s not too often a talent like Sydney Moss doesn’t go on to compete in college, but that was going to be the case all the way up until just a couple weeks ago.
Moss, who led the Tuscola girls’ basketball team to a combined 60-5 record over the last two seasons as one of the best all-around players in the area, was ready to put all her focus into getting her nursing degree.
Then, something clicked.
“If I go to school and miss it, I can never go back,” Moss said. “I really wanted to pursue it and see how I liked it. I love basketball, so I’m hoping to carry it on.”
Now, after signing her last-minute letter of intent to continue playing at the University of Illinois Springfield last Monday, she’s set to do just that.
“They’re getting a player who hasn’t even come close to her ceiling,” former Tuscola coach Tim Kohlbecker said. “She’s always been good, but she didn’t really get serious about basketball until the last two years. … That girl is blessed with athletic ability. You don’t get kids who just have that kind of ability. She was blessed, and she’s made the most of it.”
Moss’ high school career started with her playing just for fun. It wasn’t until after her sophomore year that she put her mind to turning into a great player.
Just like that, Kohlbecker’s phone started blowing up with calls and texts from Moss asking if he could open the gym for her.
“I would just call coach up after school and be like, ‘Hey, can we get in the gym? There are some things I’d like to work on,’” Moss said. “Sometimes, we’d play one on one. He’d still make me run for some stuff. We’d just get up as many shots as we could.”
Kohlbecker cherished those gym sessions, calling them his favorite memories of Moss, but the reasoning goes well beyond watching her improve as a basketball player.
“The best part of it was I got to spend time talking to her,” Kohlbecker said. “It’s nice when you can get to know your players on a different level. Not only did she get better at basketball, but I enjoyed doing that so I could get to know her better as a person.”
Moss went from an “OK” freshman to someone Kohlbecker trusted entirely whenever she was on the court. She averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game as a senior, earning IBCA All-State Third Team and Illinois Media All-State Honorable Mention honors. Her coach knew he could always turn to Moss when the team was struggling because she never seemed to cool off and had the ability to single-handedly take over games.
Even so, she never acted like the star of the team. The truth of the matter is the Warriors don’t win 60 games in two years if Moss isn’t on the floor, but she shrugs it off and gives credit to the team.
“With her being so talented and gifted, the way she played as a teammate and interacted with her team had a heck of a lot to do with our team success,” Kohlbecker said. “No primadonna, no ego problems, no ‘Hey, I need the ball.’ She’s the kind of teammate you want. You could tell by the way the girls talked and got along with each other that she was the ultimate teammate.”
And that’s what she’ll remember most. While “playing together was amazing,” it’s the bond Moss formed with her teammates that she’ll hold closest to her. Whether it was shopping for families in need together during the holidays or jamming out to Queen’s “We Are the Champions” on bus rides home after wins, the last four years were “a tremendous amount of fun.”
“I love this team,” Moss said. “We’ve had some great memories, and we always had a great time together. Even through the hard times, we’d lift each other up. It was just a really good environment.”
A look ahead
Time to review
Now that we’re done with our All-Area spring sports coverage, we can turn our attention to the upcoming fall season, right?
Not quite. We still have our Preps Year in Review to go.
If you’ve been keeping up with Illini beat writer Scott Richey’s Illinois Year in Review this week, my preps version will look pretty similar.
Starting Monday, you can read the first couple of numerous lists I’ve been chipping away at lately. Essentially, it’s a look back at some of the most memorable parts of the 2023-24 year in prep sports, including the following lists: state champions, who deserved more pub, teams of the year, teams on the rise, future blue-chippers, All-Interview Team, super sophomores, fantastic freshmen, games of the year and top postseason moments.
It’ll all culminate on Saturday in the reveal of our Program of the Year along with Q&As with our Athletes of the Year, Jack Barnhart from Centennial and Macie Russell from Salt Fork, and lists of other notable senior performances.
And please, feel free to send me any suggestions or nominations you might have for the above lists. Who knows? Maybe I’ll use your opinion as a tiebreaker.
Shoutouts
Natalie Loy, LeRoy softball
Voted a Region V Second Team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association last week. Loy is just the second Panther in program history to receive this honor, as Emily Mennenga made the first team last year.
Ike Young, Monticello baseball
Committed to continue his baseball career at the University of Illinois last weekend.
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