Photo by RR Best
Crossfire
Bryce Farris prepares for hot throw from Tommy Schibur in weekend Redskin action.

•April 19, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Sullivan baseball team finished the week 2-3 with wins against Clinton and Arcola and losses to Altamont, Central A&M and Shelbyville.

Clinton Monday

It took eight innings, but the Redskins defeated Clinton 4-3 on a walk off single by Jon Gavin. Sullivan bookended scores with two runs in the first and two in the eighth. Gavin was 2-for-4, and Tommy Schibur was 2-for-3.

Schibur pitched six innings and allowed one earned run on two hits and five walks. He struck out four. Queintan Britton pitched two innings and struck out two. He allowed one earned run on four hits and no walks.

Arcola Wednesday

Sullivan scored two runs in the first inning, five runs in the third and two runs in the fifth for a 10-0 win.

Sullivan recorded 13 hits and played errorless ball in the field.

Zach Sowers tallied three hits and three RBIs. Brett Tuttle and Schibur each had two hits, and Britton knocked in two runs. Sowers pitched seven innings and struck out five.  Read More

•April 5, 2017•

Okaw Valley 2013 graduate Eldon Yeakel will be entering the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on June 5.

Not as a player, of course, but instead as an intern.

Yeakel is the recipient of the 2017 Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Youth Leadership Development that last from June 5 to Aug. 11.

“I always enjoyed playing and watching sports growing up and once my love for history started to expand then it was a perfect combination of my two interests,” Yeakel said. “I was really intrigued with the internship given that the family that funds the internship was an avid baseball card collector and a Pittsburgh Pirates fan and I have been a huge Pirates fan since I was young and have collected a large sum of baseball cards.”

To be selected, Yeakel’s application that included a cover letter, resume, and three recommendations warranted an interview about why he applies, what he wanted to do at the museum and what he planned to do as a career. Read More

Photo by Jason Brown
Adam Day guards Cumberland’s Connor Butler during the Pana regional tournament.

•March 1, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond boys’ basketball team defeated Cerro Gordo/Bement and Arthur Christian but could not carry that momentum into a win at the Pana Class 2A regional.

ALAH fell to Toledo-Cumberland in the regional 61-32 to end its season.

The Knights trailed 13-4 after the first quarter and did not recover.

Shandon Herschberger led the Knights with 11 points and two assists, and Kobe Wells and Will Cohan each scored five points.

Colton Romine collected a team-high four rebounds, and Marcus Vanausdoll added a team-high three steals. Each player scored a basket. Read More

Photo submitted
Senior Basketball: Queintan Britton, Bryce Farris, Trey Garriott, Ricky Yang, Kolton Rose and Jarod Merryman pose before the game on senior night Friday.

•February 15, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan boys’ basketball team suffered two Central Illinois Conference home losses this past week.

The Redskins lost to Central A&M Friday and to Shelbyville last Tuesday.

Against the Raiders on senior night, the Redskins fell behind six in the first quarter, and CAM pushed that lead to 35-20 at the half.

The Raiders extended that lead in the second half for the 63-43 loss.

Senior Queintan Britton scored a team-high 15 points, and senior Bryce Farris followed with 14 points.

Juniors Zach Sowers and Brett Tuttle scored five and four points, respectively. Read More

Photo by RR Best
Taylor Coleman passes the ball against Decatur LSA.

•February 1, 2017•

by Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Okaw Valley boys’ basketball team defeated Tri-County 53-41 to take third place in the 46th annual Little Okaw Valley Conference boys’ basketball tournament in Nancy Stiff Gymnasium in Arcola Saturday.

The Timberwolves took an early lead, jumping out to an 11-0 run to start the game with Garret Fritz’s two baskets and a free throw, along with some free throws made by Austin Hill.

Okaw Valley advanced to gain an 18-point lead the first half but let the Titans back within six in the third quarter.

In the next six minutes though, Okaw Valley went on a 14-2 run to put the game away.

Okaw Valley held Tri-County to 34 percent shooting from the field (15-of-44) and out-rebounded Tri-County 38-24.

Fritz was the top scorer for Okaw Valley with 11 points.
Read More