Category Archives: Sports Section

OV Can’t Overcome State Ranked Shiloh on Senior Night

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Photo by Jeni Yantis Okaw Valley’s girls’ basketball team recognized its seniors Saturday afternoon during their game against Shiloh. Pictured left to right are: Shelby Dash, Mollee Decesaro, Abigail Weybright, and Brooke Whitrock.

Photo by Jeni Yantis
Okaw Valley’s girls’ basketball team recognized its seniors Saturday afternoon during their game against Shiloh. Pictured left to right are: Shelby Dash, Mollee Decesaro, Abigail Weybright, and Brooke Whitrock.

Still wrap up best regular season record in nine years

by Emily Scott
Bethany Reporter

Though they fought hard the whole game, the Lady Timberwolves were not able to get a win on their senior night Saturday, instead falling 60-32 to the no. 4 state ranked Shiloh.

The Raiders’ big advantage was starting out with a full court press and scoring 21 points in the first quarter while OV scored only six. Most of their points came from Bethany McGinness and the 6’1” center Lauren Moses, who was the obstacle to get past the entire game and eventually went 13 for 16 at the free throw line. Read More

Lancers Compete for Three Quarters, Then Fall to Arcola 47-32

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Purple Riders Zone Trouble for Lancers

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Early on it looked as if AL-AH would give then no. 8 ranked in Class 1A and LOVC foe Arcola a run for their money. The Lancers maintained their pace, and Arcola star junior Taylor Edwards started the game a little cold. Arthur-Lovington held an 11-7 lead after a quarter of play with Karly Goodman scoring five and Emily Seegmiller four, and Brianna Morgan adding two free throws for Lancer scoring. Read More

T-Wolves Lose to Neoga Saturday

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The Okaw Valley boys’ basketball took two straight losses last week, falling to Neoga Saturday 47-62 and to Arcola the night before  59-68.

Junior Peyton Hagerman led his team in both games with 18 points against Arcola and 16 against Neoga.

“We struggle to be consistent,” said head coach Tony Sparks. “We played one of our best games of the year against Arcola. Then we played Neoga Saturday and struggled to bring much energy.”

OV will host Tri-County Friday and then Windsor Saturday for senior night.

“We will continue to get better,” added Sparks. “Hopefully a couple of the younger kids can give us the spark we need over the last three weeks, and we can end the season strong.”

Singers Take Third Runner-Up at Troy Buchanan Show Choir Competition

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by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

The recent snow has caused one reverse humdinger of a situation for the Sullivan Singers.

For the Singers, that effect has been seen in out-of-class rehearsal time taken by the snow days.

“All of our out-of-school practices seem to keep falling on snow days,” Singers director Connie Mulligan said. “We have done some good things to this point in our competition season, but we really needed the repetition and class time we have missed.” Read More

AL Dominates LSA 82-48 in Rough Game

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by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Arthur came into the week holding the 10th slot in the Class 1A polls, and Saturday they faced Decatur LSA, who beat the Knights when they were ranked 10th last season.

This season would be much different thanks in large part to Curtis Plank.

“In warm-ups my shot was just falling,” Plank explained. “It was just one of those nights I guess you could say. Coach called some plays for me, and I made those shots.” Read More

Sullivan Wins OVC Tourney First Time in Over a Decade

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Photo by Keith Stewart Meridian athletic director Eric Hurelbrink hands Sullivan's four seniors the Okaw Valley Tournament championship trophy Saturday night after the Redskins beat Meridian 53-46.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Meridian athletic director Eric Hurelbrink hands Sullivan's four seniors the Okaw Valley Tournament championship trophy Saturday night after the Redskins beat Meridian 53-46.

Sullivan battles through OV Tourney, defeating host in Championship Saturday

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

“Why not us.”

What had been a rhetorical question and even mantra became a simple statement Saturday night, when Sullivan, the no. 5 seed, upended no. 7 seed and host Meridian in the Okaw Valley tournament championship 53-46.

After 12 long years, the trophy came back to Sullivan in what is the final year of the Okaw’s existence. Sullivan last won the conference tourney in 2002 when they defeated Monticello 51-43. But it was 14 years ago that a young Chester Reeder, then a jr. on the basketball team, was a part of the 99' Sullivan group to win the trophy.

Now in his first year as head coach, Reeder and company signed off on the irony with Saturday’s win.

“It means so much. I’m just so happy for these kids, especially these seniors,” said an emotional Reeder after Saturday’s game. “They’ve been told their whole life that they aren’t going to be successful. I was told when I took the job that it was going to be a struggle, that we weren’t going to win very many games. I just kept telling them, ‘Don’t believe what you hear. Buy into being there for each other. Play tough, play together, and worry about the 30 guys that we have in the program and see what happens. Play as hard as you can and see what happens.’” Read More

Another Upset Stunner by Sullivan, as Redskins Defeat St. T 65-58

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Photo by Keith Stewart Alec Ballinger powers his way through the paint Thursday night.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Alec Ballinger powers his way through the paint Thursday night.

Earn shot at OVC tourney trophy Saturday against Meridian

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

“Fight. Fight for these last eight minutes.”

Chester Reeder didn’t want his team letting St. Teresa slip by–not again. Not in the fourth quarter. Not in the OVC semifinals. Not at all. After seeing their lead diminish in the fourth and eventually losing to the Bulldogs two weeks ago, the Redskins were prepared for a different outcome Thursday night, when they, the no. 5 seed in the OVC tournament, took on the no. 1 seed, and not to mention state ranked St. Teresa Bulldogs and came away with their second straight upset of the tourney, winning 65-58.

“It feels awesome,” said Reeder after the game. “I asked them before we left, ‘Why not us?’ We played with them for three and half quarters last time at their place. You can’t have any doubt. You have to believe in yourself, believe in each other, keep playing, and see what happens.” Read More

Plank Finishes Senior Night with Final Basket in 70-56 Victory

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Photo by Keith Stewart Sullivan’s lone senior Maggie Plank is seen with her father Jim and mother Lori during senior night Monday night.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Sullivan’s lone senior Maggie Plank is seen with her father Jim and mother Lori during senior night Monday night.

Final conference game Thursday

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Rebounding. Moving feet on defense. Fouling.

Those points of emphasis and 18 points from Maroa’s Brenna Fink were key in keeping the game so close in the early going Monday night between Sullivan and Maroa-Forsyth. In fact the score was 30-29 in favor of Maroa at halftime, and neither team led by more than four at the end of the first three quarters.  Read More

Okaw Valley Boys Fall Apart Late to Tri-County, 46-34

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Titans patient offense slows OV

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

The only time Okaw Valley’s boys held a lead against Tri-County Friday night was an early 2-1 advantage after a Greg Walker layup with 6:03 to go in the first.

The Titans regained the lead on a bucket with 4:46 to go and kept the pace slow throughout the rest of the quarter and game.

With the score tied at seven, Tri-County held the ball near half court for 30 seconds before starting a play with 10 seconds on the clock. Senior Tyler Wright then sank a 3-pointer as time expired for a 10-7 Titan lead after one. Read More