Category Archives: Sports Feature

SBD 2025–2026 team banquet recap

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•April 15, 2026•

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On Friday, April 10th, the Sullivan Blue Dolphins hosted their 2025–2026 Team Banquet. All team members were awarded a team medal, recognizing their commitment and achievements throughout the season. The evening also celebrated the contributions of the coaching staff, board members, and swim officials who support the team year-round.

Summer and Winter Regional Championship Teams received certificates for their accomplishments. Additionally, the Summer and Winter State Championships were award their achievements.

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Second round of Sullivan Athletic HoF inducted

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•February 25, 2026•

by E. Scott England

Sullivan High School has started a new athletic Hall of Fame this year to honor the athletes who have thrilled fans on courts, fields, and pools over the years. During the first round of inductees, Roger Beavers, Seth Dunscomb, and Luke Standerfer were recognized. As promised, a second wave of inductees were honored a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday before the Sullivan Lady Redskins game. 

Stacy McLaughlin

Stacy McLaughlin (Class of 1982) was one of the first Sullivan lady athletes to make an impact on the court and track. Title IX of the 1972 Civil Rights Act prohibited the discrimination based on sex in schools. This landmark federal legislation opened the doors to women’s sports in schools. Less than 10 years later, Stacy showed why it was important to have women’s sports.

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Annika Kelley earns 7th National Taekwondo title

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•July 2, 2025•

Photo Submitted Annika Kelley holding her hard-won competition medal.

Annika Kelley of Sullivan earned her 7th National title on June 27th at the 2025 UTA Grand Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Taekwondo school did not go as a group to the UTA nationals this year, but Annika attended and competed in weapons and forms. She has set a personal goal for herself to earn 10 National titles by the time she is 13 years old. With receiving her 7th one at 10 years old, she is well on her way. She also took 3rd place in traditional weapons. This is the third year in a row she has won 1 national title in Creative Weapons. On May 5th she participated in the Omaha National Martial Arts Championship, where she won 2 National titles. Her next event will be July 25th and 26th, a Karate-based National championship through the Ozark Mountain National Championship.

New Redskin school record in 110m hurdles

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•April 2, 2025•

The Sullivan mens track team dominated the six team meet they hosted last Wednesday night, finishing 48.5 points ahead of second place Villa Grove. Redskin Mason Booker was a standout as he reset his own school record in the 110m hurdles with a time of 15.89. The following Redskin athletes earned points.

Mason Booker: 2nd 110m Hurdles, 2nd 100m 

Colt Wilson: 6th 100m

Deaiden Arnold: 1st 200m, 3rd Long Jump

Rhett Lehman: 2nd 400m

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S, no OV in the future; Sullivan nixes 20+ year co-op

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•February 5, 2025•

by E. Scott England

Over twenty years ago, Sullivan and, then, just Bethany, formed a co-op to give access to sports for students who would not normally be granted such an opportunity. For Bethany, this meant that those desiring to play football would indeed have the opportunity. For the longest time, the co-op was just called Sullivan/Bethany, but colloquially was known just as the Sullivan Redskins. Eventually, in 2001 Bethany and Findlay merged to become Okaw Valley. Over time, the co-op decided to adopt the acronym SOV for the Sullivan/Okaw Valley teams.

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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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Photo submitted
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