EAST ALTON — The Alton Redbirds swept the Player of the Year awards for the second year in a row at the 78th Gallatin Players of the Year Awards Banquet on Sunday, March 23, 2025, at Julia’s Banquet Center in East Alton.
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Alton junior Semaj Stampley captured the Boys POY Award, while AHS senior Talia Norman was the recipient of the Girls POY Award.
It marked only the third time in the history of the banquet that a school swept both awards in the same season. Last year it was Stampley and Jarius Powers. The Redbirds also did it in 2009 with Ryan Matthews and Michaela Herrod.
On Sunday, the finalists for the 2025 POY Awards received plaques as MVPs for their programs. On the boys’ side Marquette Catholic’s Chase Jones, CM’s Adam Ogden, Roxana’s Sean Maberry, and East Alton-Wood River’s Tamarion Marshall secured MVP awards.
The girl's MVPs were Avery Huddleston of the Eagles, Kaylynn Buttry of EA-WR, Kel'c Robinson of the Explorers, and Daisy Daugherty of the Shells.
Other major awards on Sunday were for 110 Percent, Free Throws, and Team Sportsmanship.
Alton's Alex Macias won the Boys 110 Percent Award, Justice Haynes was the Girls 110 Percent Award winner, Stampley doubled up as the Boys Free Throw Award and the girls was Marlee Durbin of CM.
The Team Sportsmanships Awards went to CM on the boys’ side and Marquette on the girls’ side.
A Special Service Award is also presented annually. The 2025 recipient of that honor was Steve Porter. Porter has been covering sports in the area for over 50 years. He is also on the committee but will be stepping down after tonight.
The keynote speaker was Kramer Soderberg who is the head coach of Millikin University.
Soderberg was named the head coach of the Millikin men's basketball program in April 2021. Soderberg had been on the Millikin staff since 2015 serving as the program’s top assistant coach.
Soderberg got right to work turning around the Big Blue program leading the team to a 14-12 record in 2021-22 and making the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament for the first time in program history.
Prior to joining the Millikin staff, Soderberg spent three years as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Missouri.
During Soderberg's first two years as a graduate assistant, Lindenwood compiled a record of 30-26 in its first two years of NCAA DII play. In 2012-13, Soderberg helped the Lions to a 19-7 record; one win away from winning a conference title in their first official season in the prestigious MIAA conference.
Soderberg had the opportunity to coach and play at Lindenwood University under his father, longtime college coach Brad Soderberg.
