Vote Now: Select Patch's Next Athlete of the Week

Be heard by picking our Patch Athlete of the Week of the southwest for the week ending Dec. 18.

Vote for one of the following (or write in your own candidate in the comments):

: Varsity Cheerleading Squad. The Bolingbrook High School varsity cheerleading team Feb. 11 in Springfield, by winning the Bolingbrook Invitational earlier this month.

: Danny Spinuzza, sophomore point guard on the boys basketball team. DGS Coach Jay Baum called Spinuzza "the next coming of Bryan Mullins." Mullins was the best point guard in school history and now plays pro ball in France after a highly-touted collegiate career at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Spinuzza had eight points, eight assists, four steals and three offensive rebounds to spark the Mustangs to an 86-41 demolition of Willowbrook last week. The Mustangs are 7-1 this season, with a 3-0 conference record.

: , senior forward on the boys basketball team. Despite fouling out in the fourth quarter of Hinsdale South's 74-58 loss to Proviso East, Benson scored 25 points and recorded six rebounds. The Hornets are now 2-5 this season with a 1-2 conference record.

: Paulius Otruskevicius, senior guard/forward on the boys basketball team. Lemont won the Knights/Warriors Winter Classic at Lincoln-Way ­Central last week with a 63-50 win over Addison Trail. Otruskevicius scored 23 points and tallied 13 rebounds in the game. The Indians are now 7-1 this season.

Neuqua Valley: Pat Kenny, junior center on the boys basketball team. Kenny snatched a key offensive rebound with just seconds left against Bolingbrook and put it back in the basket, which gave Neuqua Valley a last week. “We ran a good play at the end there,” Kenny said. “Tyler (Sutton) got a great look. He missed it, which happens, but I got the offensive rebound and luckily got it in.” Kenny finished with 11 points. The Wildcats are 3-4 overall and 0-2 in the Upstate Eight Conference.

: Kiera Currie, sophomore forward on the girls basketball team. Currie led the Spartans with 30 points and 10 rebounds in their 69-55 victory over Rich East Saturday at the Oak Lawn Varsity Girls Holiday Tournament. Romeoville is now 8-1 this season. “We need to work on being consistent the whole game,” Currie told the Southtown Star. “If we come out slow, we’re not always going to be able to come back. We have to come out strong and just go out there and hustle.”

Want to write in your own candidate? Go ahead! But be sure to explain your pick in the comments and be sure to vote by 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 21.