ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Jon Beck

School: Scott City

Sport: Basketball

Coach: Derek McCord

Week report: Beck -- 6-foot senior who has signed to Arkansas State University -- averaged 28 points in three games during the I-55 Classic in leading the Rams to the championship. Over four games, the four-year varsity player is averaging 25.3 points a contest. Beck -- who is known for his accurate 3-point shooting (48 percent last year) -- was a first-team all-state selection as a junior.

Coach's comments: "He's only lost 12 games as a varsity player. That's better than any stat I can give you. He's a winner. He's a hard worker and a great leader on and off the court. He doesn't lead by what he says. He leads by what he does. He's very hard to guard off the dribble and he's a tremendous defender."

Cherish Tillman

School: Jackson

Sport: Basketball

Coach: Ron Cook

Week report: In the first week of the season, Tillman, a 5-9 junior guard, scored 43 points in two games in guiding the Lady Indians to their ninth straight Farmington Tournament title, including 16 points in Jackson's 50-36 win in the championship game. The Lady Indians are 2-0 and are looking to make their fifth straight appearance in the Class 4A Final Four.

Coach's comments: "She's a strong individual, a very good athlete, explosive off the floor...she's just a solid ballplayer. She made a lot of improvement (from last year when she started and averaged about eight points per game) as far as confidence goes. She's more of a leader on the floor this year. She's a very dedicated player and committed to the game of basketball."