Category Archives: Sports Feature

Sullivan 7th Grade Boys Basketball Conference Regional Champions 2024

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Sullivan 7th Grade Boys Basketball Conference Regional Champions
The Sullivan 7th grade boys basketball team won the Junior High Conference tournament over Tuscola and a week later won a conference championship over Tuscola, which was the last regular season game of the year. A week later they beat Tuscola for a third time in three weeks in the Conference Regional Championship. On Monday, January 29 they faced off against Teutopolis. They fell to them 28-20. They ended up with a season record of 22-4 overall.

Redskins Survive Challenge from Maroons; First Playoff Win in 22 Years

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Photo by Greg Floyd
Gavin Helmuth (77) and Adan Mills (50) join forces to bring down Clinton’s quarterback while a number of Redskins stand ready to help out if needed.

•November 1, 2023•

by E. Scott England

It can’t be said with complete certainty, but the week nine loss to the ALAH Knights might just have been the motivation SOV needed going into the first weekend of playoffs. Clinton came to Sullivan with a 6-3 record and a chip on their shoulder to finally win a playoff game in their school history. Unfortunately for the Maroons, they’ll have to wait until next season as the Redskins delivered their season-ending loss, 14-13. Read More

SOV JFL Heavyweights and Lightweight Win Division Conference Championship

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Members of the SOV JFL Heavyweights are: 00 Karson Ragsdale, 1 Aceon Fryman, 3 Alex Ingram, 5 Caysen Dyer, 6 Madyx Schwass, 7 Nixon Dundee, 11 Koda Plumb, 12 Ethan Smith, 13 Kaiden McKinney, 14 Kolton Kirby, 17 Liam Crouch, 20 Ethan Sims, 22 Rowdy Fayhee, 23 Ty Szabo, 40 Heath Tidwell, 43 Ronin Woods, 70 Cooper Husketh, 72 Asher Henry, 99 Kaeson McCoy.

•October 25, 2023•

Members of the SOV JFL Lightweights are 2 Mason Miller, 5 Kayden Randol, 6 Maddox Crist, 7 Colbert Harbin, 8 Axton Fryman, 11 Griffin Woods, 13 Zeke Hardesty, 15 Everett Finn, 16 Jesse Jones, 18 Cooper Pearce, 19 Jackson Williamson, 21 Boddie Collins, 23 Keegan Weaver, 26 Owen Moomaw, 34 Payton Schum, 36 Corbin Jungiewicz, 42 Luke Clevenger, 43 Cade Thompson, 45 David Ryherd, 49 Tyler Blickensderfer, 51 Wyatt Adams, 52 Jaxson Doty, 56 Will Flexser.

On Saturday, October 7, for the first time ever both Heavyweights and Lightweights won together undefeated (7-0) division conference championship against Tuscola. The Lightweight score was 67-13 and the Heavyweight score 24-18 with a triple overtime.

The boys celebrated at the SOV JFL banquet on Sunday, October 22nd at the VFW in Sullivan. To the community, family and friends “We are so proud of both teams and all their hard work and dedication this season. We’ve had an outstanding coaching staff . Thank you for volunteering your time and energy, getting to know each player and making them like family. We would also like to say thank you to everyone who supported all the boys and coaches, helping them this year be successful taking them to the next level. We’re all very proud of each and everyone of you. This one’s for you boys” 

REDSKINS ON 3 

1…2…3… REDSKINS

SOV Down Eagles in Home Opener

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Photos submitted by Natalee Hunter

•August 31, 2022•
Nobody could’ve asked for a better start to the 2022 Sullivan-Okaw Valley football season than the Redskins winning their first varsity game in five years by a score of 33-27 over the Newton Eagles in the August 26 home opener. This game will be one to remember for years to come.
Sophomore running back Aian Fryman said that this game was the end of the losing era and the beginning of a winning era. An early win like this has already pumped up the players to make this a successful season.
Principal Daniel Allen expressed his opinion on this win as well, “A moment like that transcends the walls of the school and brightens the climate throughout the entire community.”
The win is a bright spot for  SOV’s program after the varsity football season was canceled last year. Head Football Coach John Bertetto said, “Looking back to last year, canceling the varsity season was a very tough decision, but it was the best decision to keep our kids safe and give them a chance to compete at the varsity level for the future.” Read More

Sullivan Blue Dolphins Now Able To Compete

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Open division
Ethan Schmohe, Matthew Wesselman, Miles Kersten, Max Kersten, Isaac Chambers, Madalyn Booker, Mackenzie Erixon, Deanna Clark.

•June 16, 2021•
Sullivan Blue Dolphins Swim Team under the guidance of USA Swimming and Illinois Swimming is now able to attend swim meets under strict COVID requirements. In May, forty-six Dolphins attended a dual competition with the Terre Haute Torpedoes. The weekend of June 5, fourteen swimmers were able to compete at the Capital City Classic meet in Springfield which hosted some of the top swimmers in the state.
Top results from the Terre Haute meet:
8 & Under girls
5th place Ana Kean 100 backstroke
8 & Under boys
3rd place Tyler Blickensderfer 100 IM
4th place Mack Pogue 100 IM Read More

Guyot Honored As IHSA 2020-21 Official Of The Year

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•April 21, 2021•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports

On your marks! Set… Fans of track and field know exactly what sound follows those words. For 38 years Ben Guyot of Sullivan was the official who pulled the trigger on the starter’s gun. Last July Guyot was honored as the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) 2020-21 Official of the Year in Girls’ Track & Field. IHSA Officials of the Year are traditionally honored at a banquet during the IHSA Officials’ Conference each July. This year’s conference was moved to a virtual format. To be considered for this honor, an official must first be nominated by an Officials’ Association recognized by the IHSA. IHSA staff members then vote on the winners based on factors such as character, skill as an official, and levels worked in the IHSA State Series. Guyot admitted he was a terrible athlete in junior high and high school so the path to this honor was as expected. Guyot attended Murray State University which had a prominent track program in the early 1960s. “Over four years, I watched a bunch of great athletes in meets at MSU, since Big Ten teams showed up two-three times during the early spring for the ‘warm weather’ on the ‘Southern Circuit,’” Guyot said. “I watched and learned and began to become a good observer of processes and techniques of track and field.” When Guyot began teaching chemistry in Noble in 1966-67, he was drafted as a non-IHSA baseball umpire, a basketball timer during the winter and a “picker” in track. Read More

Sullivan Girls’ Basketball Knocks Off Rival Okaw Valley 50-21

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Photo by R.R. Best

•March 17, 2021•
by Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Sullivan girls’ basketball team ended the season by winning its final Central Illinois Conference and knocking off rival Okaw Valley.
The Redskins also said goodbye to four seniors who recorded impressive high school careers: Jerra Goad, Taylor Orris, Zoe Walton and Emily White.
These four seniors finished their careers with a record of 78 wins and 25 losses. They have been a part of two regional titles, two Sweet 16 appearances, and have won the conference outright twice and were co-champs once.
In four years, they finished with a CIC record of 23-5
“It was a very emotional start to tonight’s game,” said McCain, “but I am glad they played hard to finish out a great season. I wish they could have had a post season so we could have seen just how far this group of girls could have went … They did a great job leaving their legacy behind, and we wish them all the very best in their future endeavors.”
The Redskins ended this season with a 14-1 overall record.
Sullivan took advantage of a 17-7 second-quarter run for a 26-14 halftime lead.
The Redskins came out in the third quarter and put the game away with a 21-4 run for the eventual 50-21 victory. Read More

IHSA Pauses All Winter Sports to Comply with Mitigations

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•November 25, 2020•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster for school boards, athletic directors, coaches, parents and players involved with Illinois High School Association (IHSA) winter sports.
The competing announcements coming from Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the IHSA about playing high school basketball confused most parties who just wanted an answer to the question: will there be winter sports?
So all eyes were on the IHSA Board of Directors special virtual meeting Thursday, Nov. 19, for an update on winter sports.
During the meeting, the IHSA Board issued guidance to pause all IHSA winter sports and activities to maintain compliance with the most recent mitigations issued by Governor Pritzker that took effect Nov. 20. Read More

Layton Hall Signs With Indiana State

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Photo by Jason Brown
Layton Hall (left) in his sophomore year and Logan Hall (right) in his senior year line up to start the 2018 STM Saber Corn Classic Invitational.

•November 18, 2020•
by Jason Brown
NP Sports

Saturday, Oct. 31, Layton Hall competed the IHSA Class 1A Cross Country Sectional at Hickory Point Golf Course to officially end his high school cross country running career.
The senior won the meet with a time of 15:27.6.
The ALAH Knight also competed in the unsanctioned ShaZam Cross Country Club Championships at the Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe Friday, Nov. 6.
Hall ran a 15:58.89 for fifth place.
The ALAH boys’ team, which ran under the name 4 City Striders, placed second with 102 points behind the Harvest Christian Academy team (90 points) that ran as the Elgin Holy Cow Athletics.
The day before the ShaZam Cross Country Club Championships, Hall verbally committed to run for Indiana State next fall. Read More

SHS Golf Teams Hold Awards Banquets

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Hannah Righter took home the Most Improved Award during the girls’ golf team fall banquet last Tuesday.

•November 4, 2020•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Sullivan boys’ and girls’ golf team hosted Awards Banquets at the VFW Hall in Sullivan last Tuesday.
Only team members and coaches attended in person because of current Illinois Department of Public Health limitations on gatherings.
Several athletes collected individual awards.
For the boys’ team, Drew Rogers won Most Valuable Player (Lowest Average) Award.
Logan Westjohn left with the Leadership Award, and Will Haegan earned the award for Most Improved Average Score.
Leyton Ellis earned the Redskin Award. Read More