Category Archives: Sports Section

Honn, Stain Advance to State 3-Point Shootout

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Neither able to make it to finals

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Although both Arthur-Lovington and Sullivan boys' basketball teams didn’t finish the seasons as they wanted on the team level, both teams sent individuals to State for the 3-point shootout at the Peoria Civic Center Thursday, March 13.

“I would have rather had a regional and had the chance to keep playing,” Derrek Stain commented.” But it is definitely something I am proud of.”

Arthur senior Clayton Honn and Sullivan Stain were the two individuals to advance; both were the first from their respective schools to advance to that level in quite some time, but for Stain it took some luck and clutch shooting to advance. Read More

Sullivan Show Choir Invitational a Success as Groups From Three States Compete

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Center Grove takes grand championship

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Eighteen competing groups, encompassing three states, flooded to Sullivan Saturday for the 28th Annual Sullivan Show Choir Invitational.

But this year’s competition looked different from years past. First there was the fact that there would be no finals portion of the competition. And second, was the fact that neither Decatur area school with a prominent show choir—Mt. Zion nor Eisenhower—came to Sullivan, rather both groups respectively competed in Wheaton where last year’s Sullivan Invitational Grand Champions Waubonsie Valley took Grand Champions to boot.  Read More

SHS Swim Banquet

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Photo by Keith Stewart SHS Swim Banquet The Sullivan swim team held their awards banquet last Thursday at the Sullivan Country Club. Pictured left to right are: Kali Forsyth, most improved female; Shawn Cody, most improved male; Bruce King, highest male sectional finish (second place); Brynna Sentel, highest female sectional finish (second place), Lily Bales, captain; Grant King, captain.

Photo by Keith Stewart
SHS Swim Banquet
The Sullivan swim team held their awards banquet last Thursday at the Sullivan Country Club. Pictured left to right are: Kali Forsyth, most improved female; Shawn Cody, most improved male; Bruce King, highest male sectional finish (second place); Brynna Sentel, highest female sectional finish (second place), Lily Bales, captain; Grant King, captain.

Future Redskins Youth League Ends with Championship

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Photo by Keith Stewart Haiden Dringenburg races upcourt with the basketball Wednesday as teammate Ryan Bailey tries to keep up. Carmen Howard looks to move in on defense, while her teammate J.J. Standerfer sneaks up from behind.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Haiden Dringenburg races upcourt with the basketball Wednesday as teammate Ryan Bailey tries to keep up. Carmen Howard looks to move in on defense, while her teammate J.J. Standerfer sneaks up from behind.

Cavaliers pull away in 26-22 win

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

Chester Reeder still remembers what is was like to be in fourth grade playing basketball.

“I remember my coaches, and I still remember the plays that we ran,” he said.

The first year SHS varsity coach, drawing on his still fond memories, decided last year to form the Future Redskins basketball league, a youth basketball league in Sullivan geared towards both building skills at an early age and getting the Sullivan youth interested in the sport. Read More

SHS Girls’ Basketball Banquet

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Photo by Keith Stewart SHS Girls’ Basketball Banquet The Sullivan girls’ basketball team held their awards banquet last Thursday at the Sullivan Country Club. Pictured left to right are: April Shuman, Lady Redskin award; Elissa Stewart, MVP, top defensive player (129 steal, 5.2 pg), captain, All-OVC honorable mention; Maggie Plank, captain, hustle and heart award; Brittin Boyer, captain, top rebounder (250, 10pg, 16.4ppg) first team All-OVC, fourth team All-State; Emily Neuhauser, captain, top offensive player (464 points, 18.6ppg), first team All-OVC; and Tatum Ellis, most improved player.

Photo by Keith Stewart
SHS Girls’ Basketball Banquet
The Sullivan girls’ basketball team held their awards banquet last Thursday at the Sullivan Country Club. Pictured left to right are: April Shuman, Lady Redskin award; Elissa Stewart, MVP, top defensive player (129 steal, 5.2 pg), captain, All-OVC honorable mention; Maggie Plank, captain, hustle and heart award; Brittin Boyer, captain, top rebounder (250, 10pg, 16.4ppg) first team All-OVC, fourth team All-State; Emily Neuhauser, captain, top offensive player (464 points, 18.6ppg), first team All-OVC; and Tatum Ellis, most improved player.

Schuring’s 26 Not Enough to Advance Knights Past St. Thomas More, Fall 61-52 in OT

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Photo by Susan Shadley The Knights’ Jeremy Plank goes up for a layup Tuesday night.

Photo by Susan Shadley
The Knights’ Jeremy Plank goes up for a layup Tuesday night.

AL unable to stop Sabers’ drive

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

With 1:02 to go in the fourth quarter, Tyler Schuring drained a triple to tie the game at 48 against St. Thomas More.

After a rare stop by the Knights, Arthur ran the clock down for one final shot and took a timeout with 15.5 seconds to go. It was only fitting Schuring took the shot—the junior led the Knights scoring 26 of his team’s 52 points—but the trey from the left wing went long and everyone in the stands got an extra session of Sectional basketball.

“We were trying to get Tyler a look on a set play of ours,” Knights head coach Dale Schuring explained. “We didn’t execute it great, I’m sure they knew Tyler would take the shot considering how he had shot to that point in the game. He got a decent look, and it was just a little long. We weren’t going to let them get another shot to score.” Read More

Sullivan Falls to Host Paris in Title Game

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Photo by Keith Stewart Alec Ballinger guards Paris’ Riley Spencer down low Friday. The sophomore had a senior night, scoring 15 on the night.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Alec Ballinger guards Paris’ Riley Spencer down low Friday. The sophomore had a senior night, scoring 15 on the night.

Not enough offense in fourth for comeback

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

As in so many of their games this year, Sullivan’s boys’ basketball team believed they were going to win last Friday’s regional crown against Paris. Even as the clock wildly ran down the last remaining seconds, Redskin players continued to scramble for the ball. But a poor second quarter and too little offense in the fourth spelled the 54-45 demise to what has otherwise been somewhat of a Cinderella year for the team that many expected to quietly finish under .500 and produce little in the way of news. Read More

Knights 3-peat With Regional Title Win Over Arcola

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Photo by RR Best Colton Yeakley tries to keep control of the ball Friday against Arcola.

Photo by RR Best
Colton Yeakley tries to keep control of the ball Friday against Arcola.

Get St. Thomas More Tues. in Danville sectional

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

The final scoreboard read 44-26 in favor of the Knights Friday, as they downed Arcola for their third straight regional crown, but early on, the game was much closer than the final score showed.

It took till 4:09 to go in the second for the Knights to hit their first triple of the night, courtesy of Clayton Honn, but the bomb gave Arthur an 11-10 advantage.

Yes, only 11-10 midway through two quarters, no typo.

The first score of the game came from a single free throw from Riders sophomore Austin Shaffer with just over five to go in the first, and the score was tied at six after a quarter. Read More

Sullivan Weathers Late Collapse to Earn Regional Title Shot Friday

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Photo by Keith Stewart Nick Frerichs drives up and over a Monticello defender Wednesday night. The junior not only had 21 points on the night, but also proved crucial in keeping Monticello's Nick Stokowski to just eight points.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Nick Frerichs drives up and over a Monticello defender Wednesday night. The junior not only had 21 points on the night, but also proved crucial in keeping Monticello's Nick Stokowski to just eight points.

First title game since 09 for Sullivan

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

This year’s season has certainly been measured by the goals Sullivan’s boys’ basketball team has set for themselves. The team has already checked off a winning record, finishing in the top half of the OVC, winning the conference tournament, and competing in all, if not most games.

After Wednesday night’s 56-51 win over no. 4 Monticello, the No. 1 seeded Redskins are poised to mark yet another goal off their list with a trip to the regional championship Friday against host and no. 2 seed Paris.

“They set goals for themselves before the season started, and we’ve accomplished them,” said head coach Chester Reeder. “The seniors told me at the beginning of the year that they wanted to win a regional. After two weeks of practice, I said we couldn’t write that goal down, because we weren’t close to where we needed to be. Believe it or not, after the Warrensburg throttling, we were down on ourselves. It was only one loss, and we acted like the season was over. I told them to bring their notebooks in, get our their goal sheet. I asked them what goal was missing, and they said, ‘Win a regional.’ I said, ‘I believe you can win it.’” Read More

Knights Roll OV, Advance to Regional Final Friday

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Photo by Keith Stewart Clayton Honn grabs the rebounds over Brody Sparks Tuesday night.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Clayton Honn grabs the rebounds over Brody Sparks Tuesday night.

Yeakley scores 11, grabs 11 boards

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

“That’s a three! Curtis Plank!” exclaimed Arthur announcer Dan Bolsen for the second time in the second quarter with 5:49 to go.

Obviously, Curtis Plank had just dropped a bomb, and Arthur was obviously in charge.

However, early on, Okaw Valley successfully slowed down the pace—keeping the Knights from scoring a 3-point field goal until Plank’s first with 6:15 in the second—but the Timberwolves simply could not buy a basket.

Okaw Valley never scored more than 11 points in a quarter and had no answer for Knights sophomore center Colton Yeakley on either end of the floor who lead all scorers with 11 and a game high 10 rebounds—his first varsity double double—and along with four points down low from Caleb Schrock, helped dominate down low for the Knights. Read More