Category Archives: Sports Section

Four Area Inductees In IBCA Hall of Fame

News Progress Posted on by

•December 12, 2018•

The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association announced its 2019 Hall of Fame class.
Four area candidates are included as inductees.
Included among the 48 players to be inducted are Sheri (Adams) McCain and Allyson (Glazebrook) Kunz.
McCain, a 1992 Sullivan graduate, is the current Redskins girls’ basketball coach.
While McCain has been head coach her teams have appeared in five regional title games and won three regional titles (2013, 2014 and 2018).
After high school, McCain continued her basketball career at Lake Land and Western Illinois.
Another girls’ basketball player, Kunz, graduated in 1995. Read More

ALAH Girls’ Basketball Team Faced Four Tough Matches

News Progress Posted on by

•December 12, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond girls’ basketball team lost four games this past week.
The Knights lost to Monticello Monday night, Mattoon Saturday, Villa Grove/Heritage Thursday (Dec. 6) and Tri-County last Tuesday.
Monday night against Monticello, ALAH took a an 8-7 lead after one period and a 20-18 halftime lead.
The Sages went on a 14-4 run in the third quarter to take the lead 32-24.
The Knights outscored Monticello 16-14 in the final period but could not come back in the 46-40 loss.
Marissa Herschberger led the Knights with 12 points to go with four rebounds, two assists and five steals.
Alexa Miller contributed six points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists, and  Emma Harris collected seven points and five rebounds, and Mackenzi Bowles added six points, four rebounds and two steals. Read More

Tough Week for Timberwolves

News Progress Posted on by

•December 5, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Okaw Valley boys’ basketball team dropped back-to-back games to Central Illinois Conference teams last week.
OV lost to Tuscola Saturday and Shelbyville Friday.
Against Tuscola, the Timberwolves fell behind 17-8 in the first quarter.
Though OV tied in scoring the rest of the game, the Timberwolves could not make up the early deficit and lost 58-49.
OV made six 3-pointers in the game, including three by Sam Hagerman.
Hagerman and Camden Coleman each scored 13 points. Read More

Meridian and Oakwood Beat ALAH Knights

News Progress Posted on by

•December 5, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond boys’ basketball team dropped two nonconference games this past week.
The Knights lost to Meridian Saturday and Oakwood Friday.
Saturday in Arthur, Meridian jumped out to an early 23-7 lead in the first quarter.
In the second period, the Hawks outscored the Knights 22-12, and ALAH could not recover in the second half for the eventual 74-42 loss. Read More

ALAH Takes Cumberland, Falls to Sullivan

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by Jason Brown
Freshman Knight Mallory Nichols (#5) bears down on defense against freshman Redskin Lilly Null.

•December 5, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond defeated Cumberland Thursday (Nov. 9) but lost to Sullivan Monday night.
Against Cumberland at Toledo, the Knights fell behind in the first quarter 10-8 but rallied in the second quarter 16-7 to take a 24-17 halftime lead.
ALAH added to that lead by one by the end of the third quarter and then held on in the fourth quarter for the 40-35 win.
Freshman Alexa Miller scored a game-high 13 points to go with six rebounds, two assists and three steals.
Marissa Herschberger followed with six points, five rebounds and four steals.
Sophomore Mackenzi Bowles, senior Emma Harris and freshman Mallory Nichols each scored five points.
Harris also added a team-high eight rebounds, and Bowles collected six rebounds and two steals. Read More

Runners Make All Area Boys’ Teams

News Progress Posted on by

•December 5, 2018•

The Champaign News Gazette announced its 2018 All-Area boys’ cross-country teams last week.
Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond had two runners earn honors, and Sullivan had one.
For the Knights, sophomore Layton Hall was named to the all-area second team, and senior Austin Romine earned all-area honorable mention honors.
For Sullivan, sophomore Chase McClure earned all-area honorable mention honors.

Darush Tees Off at JALC

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by Mike Brothers
Darush Tees Off at JALC
Sullivan High School golfer Addison Darush signed a National Letter of Intent to play on the John A. Logan College (Carterville) Volunteer golf team at the SHS gymnasium Monday, Dec. 3. Front row sitting: Larry Wagner (grandpa); Aimee Darush (mom); Addison Darush; Dave Brandt (dad); Kaye Wagner (grandma); Presley Wagner (cousin, not pictured). Back row: Shane Dyel, JALC Golf Coach and Andy Wagner, SHS Golf Coach.

Sullivan Girls Basketball Team Picks Up Pressure for Two Wins

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by Jason Brown
Sullivan coach Sheri McCain shouts words of encouragement to her players.

•December 5, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan girls’ basketball team picked up more wins this past week by defeating Shelbyville on the road last Thursday (Nov. 29) and Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond Monday night in Arthur.
Against ALAH, the Redskins fell behind early in the first quarter when the Knights jumped out to a 7-2 and 12-6 leads.
Sullivan made a late first-quarter push with its consistent full–court press and scored the last 13 points to push ahead 19-12.
The Redskins kept the pressure on in the second quarter to outscore the Knights 21-8 for a 40-20 halftime lead.
“It wasn’t a real good shooting night for us as we shot 13-for-53 from the field (2-point field goals),” said Sullivan coach Sheri McCain. “The good news is we crashed the boards and had 54 total rebounds. We played a good first half and became a little complacent in the second half.” Read More

Arthur Okaw Christian Overpower OV Girls

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by RR Best
Okaw Valley’s Kate Jeffers goes after the ball at an Arthur Christian player’s expense in the Okaw Valley game in Arthur, Monday, Dec. 3.

•December 5, 2018•

The Okaw Valley girls’ basketball team fell to 1-8 with a 69-29 loss to Arthur Okaw Christian Monday night.
The Timberwolves had no answer for the Franklin sisters, who combined for 47 points.
OV fell behind 29-7 and could not recover.
For the Timberwolves, senior Bella Banning led the team with nine points, including three 3-pointers, and freshman Mia Harris had seven points.
Junior Kate Jeffers contributed six points, and freshman Shyanne Harding, and sophomore Danae Nave and Ciera Perry each added two points to round out OV’s scoring.
The Timberwolves are scheduled to travel to Altamont Thursday (Dec. 6) and then to Martinsville Monday.

Sullivan Redskins Boys Work on Offense and Defense

News Progress Posted on by

•December 5, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

After winning its season opener, the Sullivan boys’ basketball team dropped its next two games last week.
“I think we are heading in the right direction,” said Sullivan first-year coach Craig Black. “The guys are working hard everyday in practice, and they are still trying to learn our defensive and offensive systems. Our goal is to be playing our best at the end of the season, and I think we will be able to do that.”
The Redskins lost to St. Anthony at Effingham Friday and Stewardson-Strasburg/Windsor last Tuesday.
St. Anthony overwhelmed Sullivan with a 25-5 first-quarter run and did not look back to its 69-32 victory. Read More