ROCHELLE — Hub senior Garrett Burdin set a goal for himself to become an All-Conference First Team player before the end of his career at Rochelle Township High School. That dream became a reality this week, with Burdin earning unanimous First-Team recognition from the Interstate 8 Conference this season. Junior Zach Sanford was named an Honorable Mention.

Burdin led Rochelle in scoring this season, averaging 19.2 points per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from 3-point range. The senior guard, who eclipsed 1,000 points for his career earlier this winter, made a team-high 49 triples and led the Hubs in steals with 28. Burdin averaged 7.2 rebounds per game this season, grabbing 101 total boards.

“It’s a blessing and a dream come true,” Burdin said. “As one of the three seniors and as someone playing the most minutes, I feel I improved the most in my leadership. I was able to be a leader and mentor for my teammates and I’m excited to see what their future holds… I enjoyed playing for a community that loves sports and brings energy every night. There’s nothing better than playing in our gym and RTHS will forever be my favorite place to play.”

Sanford averaged 10.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season. The junior forward finished with a team-high 52.6 percent shooting rate from the field and totaled a team-leading nine blocks. Sanford was one of five juniors who could return as starters for Rochelle next year.

“It was shocking and unexpected, but I was happy to hear I was named an Honorable Mention,” Sanford said. “I believe my strength and my jumping ability improved the most this year, which helped me grab more rebounds. Next season, I hope to play better and smarter defense. I also expect to double my scoring and rebounding averages from what I did as a junior this season.”