Category Archives: Sports Section

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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Photo by R.R. Best
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

WSS Volleyball Wins Invitational

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•October 10, 2018•

The Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg volleyball team took the long way but eventually won the Shelbyville/Pana Invitational Saturday.
The Hatchets defeated Pana in straight sets, 25-21, 25-23 but lost its first match in 11 games 25-16, 25-19 against Rochester.
WSS knocked off Newton 25-22, 25-12 in pool play, then beat St. Thomas More 25-14, 25-24 to earn their way back to the championship game. Read More

Knights Fought Hard but Were Overcome in Overtime

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•October 10, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond football team’s playoff hopes slipped away in a heartbreaking overtime loss to Cerro Gordo/Bement Friday in Cerro Gordo.
After hosting its homecoming last week, ALAH could not play spoiler for CGB’s Homering in a back-and-forth game.
“Most fun game I’ve been a part of in my young career,” said ALAH coach Ryan Jefferson. “These are the types of games I enjoy the most, the ones where both teams battle hard for 48 minutes. Even without the win, I am so proud of our kids because of the fact that this was the first game where we battled through adversity and fought back. We have had a terrible habit of letting an opponent’s big play or a two score margin get to us mentally, and it gets us out of the grinding gear when that happens.”
The Knights scored first on a 6-yard run in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead.
The Broncos battled back in the second quarter with a 28-yard touchdown run. The kick failed, leaving the score at 7-6. Read More

Sectional Girls’ Golf Team

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SHS Golf Team advances: (from left) Alexis Britton, Alyssa Shriver, Esther Miller, Coach Andy Wagner, Addison Darush, Irie Dulin and Erin Wallace.

•October 10, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

For the fifth time in school history, the girls’ golf team advanced to a sectional meet by placing third in the IHSA Class 1A Charleston Regional at the Charleston Country Club last Wednesday.
“I am very proud of all our girls in the golf program this year,” said Sullivan coach Andy Wagner. “Out of all the teams I’ve coached, this team deserves to be at sectionals more than any. Very, very proud of their competitiveness”
Sullivan scored a combined 392 to finish second place behind winner Charleston’s 370.
Monticello placed third with 418 and Pana fourth with 430.
On a windy and hot day, Sullivan placed four golfers in the top 15 places. Read More

First Sectional Championship Earned by Sullivan Golf Team

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Sectional Meet Champions: (Left to right) Drew Rogers, Logan Westjohn, Aiden Short, Caden Ellis, Leighton Burcham, Tim Lawyer, Leyton Ellis and coach Ben Richter.

•October 10, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan sports program had not celebrated a sectional title in any sport since an Amanda Glazebrook led team won a basketball sectional in 2002.
Earlier in the year, the boys’ team won the Little Okaw Valley Conference for the fourth time in five years, then finished the regular season a perfect 21-0.
Last Tuesday, the boys’ golf team won its third golf Class 1A Regional championship in the last four years.
And Monday at the Danville Country Club, the Sullivan boys’ golf team won its first sectional championship in school history and qualified for the state meet for the first time since 1979.
“They are really proud of their accopmlishment,” Coach Ben Richter said. “It was a tough day in tough conditions and with the added pressure of being the number 1 seed in the sectional they played a little above their average but still hung on for the win.”
The boys’ team shot a combined low of 339 to win the Danville (Schlarman) Sectional title Monday. Read More