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Even
before Kerry (Rapp) Honerkamp began her
career at Centralia High School, people were
taking notice.
"I
still remember looking up nto the crowd and
seeing [longtime CHS coach ] Ann Murray
there,? Honerkamp said of her days at
Irvington Grade School where she was a
standout. "I was a little
nervous." But
Honerkamp overcame whatever jitters there
might have been to have one of the finest
basketball careers in Centralia high School
history and earn her place as a 2014
inductee into the Centralia Sports Hall of
Fame. A
four-year starter for Centralia, Honerkamp -
who graduated from CHS in 2003 - went on to
establish Orphan Annies records in points
scored (1,665) and rebounds (881). "Looking
back, I can't really remember just one
game," said Honerkamp of her time at
CHS. "I think it was just a
culmination of many wonderful, long-lasting
memories." "It
was great playing for Ann Murray. She
was passionate about the game and shared
that with us." Ironically,
her final game at CHS coincided with the
last one coached by Murray, who retired at
the end of the 2003 season with 486
victories. In
her very first varsity contest, Honerkamp
posted 14 points, six rebounds and four
assists in a game verus Pleasant Plains - a
stat line that would grow and remain
remarkably constant over the next four
years. "She
is the best freshman I ever had in the
post," Murray said prior to the Annies'
opener in Honerkamp's first year.
"She has an unbelievable concept of how
the game is supposed to be played." "That
summer we went to a camp at SLU [St. Louis
University] and I got to know the girls on
the team," said Honerkamp.
"But getting to play varsity [as a
freshman] wasn't something I dreamed would
happen." As
a junior, she pumped in a career-high 31
points versus Highland including the 1,000th
point of her career. She was just as
consistent her senior year in averaging 15.6
points per game to go with 7.1 rebounds
while shooting 65 percent from the floor. Always
quick to credit her teammates for her
success, Honerkamp was a four-time All
Southern Illinois Coaches Association pick
as well as an All-South Seven Conference
choice in all of her four years at
CHS. She also earned All-SICA honors
as a hitter in volleyball. Following
her days at CHS, colleges came calling. "I
had never really thought of playing college
basketball until it became apparent that I
had an opportunity to do so," said
Honerkamp who had drawn the attention of St
Louis University from her camp days there. Honerkamp,
who was also prior to her sophomore year
played for an elite AAU team based in Des
Plaines that qualified for the nationals,
chose the Billikens and was redshirted her
freshman year. There
were five post players who were
freshmen," she said. "But I
was able to travel with the team." The
following season Honerkamp saw considerable
action and had an impressive game against N.
11 Vanderbilt. But there were other
considerations. "I
was in the speech pathology programs and had
my first class at 9 a.m.," she
said. "We also had early morning
basketball practice and it was coming down
evry day to either miss practice or
class. "I
was really enjoyng the speech pathology and
mad the decision to focus on my
studies. My parents were going to
support me no m atter what I did and the
coaches [at SLU] understood." Now
an elementary scshool teacher in Centralia,
Honerkamp still has links to basketball and
in 2009 served as an assistant coach for the
Kaskaskia College women's basketball team
that took fourth in the NJCAA national
tournament. "That's
the great thing about it," she
said. "Whether it's in our
driveway teaching my two daughters
something, or going to an Annies or Orphans
game, it's always with you." "It's
provided me with a lot of opportunities, and
made some great friendships." Honerkamp
said she's looking forward to the induction
ceremony. "I
didn't expect it," she said of her
being chosen. "I'm honored and
excited to be going in the Hall." list@morningsentinel.com
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