Category Archives: Sports Section

Big Plays Boost Bombers By ALAH Knights

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•October 17, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond football team could not upset the undefeated Argenta-Oreana Bombers at Arthur Friday night.
AO, which stands atop the Little Okaw Valley Conference at 5-0, scored 38 first half points on mostly big passing plays.
“Argenta is a good team,” said ALAH coach Ryan Jefferson. “They have speed, strength, but I think the difference this year for most teams is their aggressiveness in the trenches, both offensively and defensively. It isn’t matched by many other teams. Most of their scores came from big plays where we had guys to the football, but we just didn’t tackle, and they broke it long.” Read More

SOV Football Team Recognizes Seniors on Victory Field

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Photo by RR Best
Cullen Dyer finds a hole in the line to run through.

•October 17, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan/Okaw Valley football team could not find its first win of the year on Senior Night against Clinton at Victory Field Friday night.
“Defensively we played better than we had the previous two weeks,” said Sullivan coach Jeff Myers. “Played better assignment football most of the time. The offense didn’t do the defense any favors by continually giving them a short field. Offensively, we continue to lose at the line of scrimmage.”
Clinton scored on a 36-yard pass in the first quarter and scored 14 more points in the second quarter to take a 21-0 halftime lead. Read More

ALAH Volleyball Knocks off Heyworth

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•October 17, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond volleyball team competed in the St. Thomas More Tourney Saturday and bookended the tournament with two close matches.
During the tournament, ALAH defeated New Berlin and Heyworth but lost to Cerro Gordo, St. Thomas More and Mt. Pulaski.
Before the tournament last Tuesday, ALAH lost to Blue Ridge and after the ALAH knocked off Arthur Okaw Christian Monday night.
There is one more game to be played in the tournament. ALAH’s current record is 19-10.
In the first match of the tournament, the Knights knocked off Heyworth 25-21, 25-23.
Taylor Powell corralled 12 kills and seven digs, and Emma Harris followed with six kills and a clock. Read More

Sullivan Volleyball Plays Broncos Senior Night

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Senior Zoe Ray bumps the ball against St. Teresa.

•October 17, 2018•

The Sullivan volleyball team could not pick up its first win of the season with losses to St. Teresa Thursday and Cerro Gordo on Senior Night Monday.
Thursday, Oct. 11, the Redskins lost a Central Illinois Conference match against St. Teresa in straight sets, 25-8, 25-6.
In a non-conference game Monday night, Cerro Gordo played spoiler to Sullivan’s Senior Night by defeating the Redskins 25-14, 25-22.
Sullivan honored four seniors including Zoe Ray, Esther Miller, Ally Elzy and Jessica Voyles.
For results from the Windsor-Stewardson/Strasburg, see the WSS article.
This loss puts Sullivan’s record at 0-29 and 0-6 in conference play.
Sullivan is scheduled as the No. 11 seed in the Pana Regional next week.
The Redskins are set to play No. 8 seeded Vandalia at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22.

Three Win Week for Okaw Valley Volleyball Team

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•October 17, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Okaw Valley finished the week 2-0 in Little Okaw Valley Conference Northwest division action with wins over LSA and Sangamon Valley and defeated Meridian Monday night in Moweaqua.
Thursday, Oct. 11, OV defeated LSA in straight sets, 25-18, 25-11.
Kate Jeffers recorded nine kills, one ace, four blocks and two digs.
Paige Coleman added six kills and seven digs.
Madison Voegel contributed three kills and an ace, and Bella Benning added nine digs. Read More

WSS Hatchets are Back on the War Path

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•October 17, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

After breaking its win streak last week, the Windsor-Stewardson-Strasburg volleyball team started a new one.
The Hatchets defeated South Central and Neoga in the Nation Trail Conference Tournament over the weekend and knocked off Sullivan last Tuesday.
Against Neoga, WSS won in two sets 25-16 and 25-10.
Megan Schlechte led WSS with 15 kills, 11 digs, two assists and an ace. Read More

Sullivan Boys’ Golf Team Remained Goal Focused

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Historic Journey to State
The Sullivan High School boy’s golf team fought frigid weather to place fifth in the Class 1A state golf tournament at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington. Pictured: Coach Ben Richter, Leyton Ellis, Leighton Burcham, Tim Lawyer, Caden Ellis, Aiden Short, Logan Westjohn and Drew Rogers.

•October 17, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

It is not often a team sets several goals for the season and accomplishes every one of them.
But that was what the Sullivan boys’ golf team did this season.
Saturday the Redskins completed their last goal of the year: competing in the state golf meet.
“We started the season at the practice green at the country club,” said Sullivan coach Ben Richter, “and we said what were our goals: ‘We need to go undefeated.’ It was, ‘We need to win the conference.’ And then it was, ‘Win the regional, win sectional and go to state.’ They achieved all of their goals so I am really proud of them.”
Sullivan placed fifth with a score of 337 in the Class 1A state golf meet at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington Saturday. Senior Caden Ellis earned all-state honors with a tie for third place with a score of 76. Read More

St. Teresa Bulldogs Over Redskins

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Dillon Wallace runs the ball against St. Teresa Friday night.

•October 10, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan-Okaw Valley football team’s homecoming was spoiled in a 66-0 loss to St. Teresa Friday.
The Bulldogs, who are ranked No. 4 in Class 2A, scored 37 points in the first quarter and 21 in the second.
Senior quarterback Cameron Kesterson was 3-for-8 for 14 yards passing, and he rushed the ball 15 times for 48 yards.
Junior Dillon Wallace had nine yards rushing on five carries, and sophomore Luke Vander Burgh ran the ball six times for 11 yards.
Sophomore Dominick Kimberlin, sophomore Ian Plank and junior Adam Collins each caught one pass. Collins’ and Kimberlin’s passes were for five yards each, and Plank’s catch was for four yards.
Senior Leman Jones led the team with eight total tackles and Vander Burgh had six.
Wallace and senior Cullen Dyer each recorded five total tackles.
Jones also caused a fumble, and Wallace recovered it.
Sullivan Okaw-Valley is scheduled to host another CIC matchup against Clinton Friday.[/s2If]

ALAH Volleyball Team Wins Division Championship

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ALAH Knights win Northwest Division.

•October 10, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond volleyball team won the Little Okaw Valley Conference Northwest division championship against Cerro Gordo last Tuesday but lost the 43rd annual LOVC championship to Tri-County Thursday in Arthur.
LOVC championship, ALAH lost to the Titans in three sets.
The Titans took the first set 25-15, but the Knights battled back to win the second set 25-23.
Tri-County won the final set 25-21, breaking ALAH’s 9-game winning streak.
Marissa Herschberger totaled two kills, three aces, six digs and 25 assists, and Mackenzie Brown 11 kills and two digs. Read More

Cross Country Teams Compete at Lake Land

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OVHS Cross Country at Lake Land
The OVHS cross-country team traveled to the Cumberland Invite which is run on the campus of Lake Land College.
Karlie Stauder led the girls with a 23rd place finish while her sister Kylie placed 25th, and Mia Harris placed 42nd. Parker Perrine was the top boy performer getting 57th, and Preston Ozier got 61st. One hundred thirty boys and 100 girls competed in the event. The team will run at St. Anthony Saturday, Oct. 13.

•October 10, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

Three area cross country teams competed in the Cumberland Invitational at Lake Land College in Mattoon Saturday.
For Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond, Layton Hall took second place with a time of 16:26.97, and Austin Romine ran a 18:57.59 for 47th place.
Justin Miller’s time of 19:44.44 was good enough for 62nd place, and Jace Green ran a 20:28.05 for 81st.
Dustin Sawyer finished in 21:37.05 for 102nd, and Jack Rollyson ran a personal best time of 22:55.00 for 120th.
For the Okaw Valley boys’ team, Parker Perrine ran a 19:30.69 for 57th place, and Preston Ozier’s 19:44.30 was good enough for 61st place.
Canaan Christensen crossed the line with a season best time of 20:35.02 for 85th place.
For the Okaw Valley girls’ team, Karlie Stauder ran a personal best time of 22:14.70 to finish 23rd.
Kylie Stauder ran a personal best time of 22:41.59 for 28th place, and Mia Harris’ personal best time of 24:04.05 placed her 42nd. Read More