Category Archives: Sports Feature

OV Softball Gets a Pair of Wins

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OVHS softball senior players Maddie Petrine, Kayla Wheeler, Jesse Robinson and Kailyn Boyer were honored this week.

•May 10, 2017•

The Okaw Valley softball team picked up two wins this week to improve its record to 13-9.

The Timberwolves defeated St. Elmo/Brownstown Monday and Arcola last Tuesday.

Monday night in Bethany, OV took an early lead with a run in the first inning, then tacked on four more in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead.

Both teams scored a run in fourth, and OV scored two insurance runs in the sixth for the final 8-2 score. Read More

Sullivan Baseball Improves with Two Wins

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Photo by Jason Brown
Zach Sowers pitches home.

Sullivan Baseball Improves with Two Wins

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Sullivan baseball team finished the week 3-1 with wins over Meridian and Warrensburg-Latham and a loss to Tuscola.

Monday the Redskins defeated Meridian 9-4.

Both teams scored two runs in the first inning, but Sullivan added two more runs in the second to take the lead.

Both teams scored a run in the fourth inning, but Sullivan tacked on another run in the sixth inning and one in the seventh.

Brett Tuttle was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Zach Sowers drove in three runs with two hits.

Bryce Farris and Dalton Rogers each scored two runs, and Jon Gavin had a hit and a run scored.

Rogers pitched four innings for the win. He gave up two earned runs on three hits and one walk. He struck out three.

Sowers pitched three innings and gave up one earned run on three hits and no walks. He struck out two. Read More

Sullivan Baseball Wins Two for the Week

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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

Players Drive Program for New Varsity Football Coach

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New SOV head varsity football coach Andy Kerley.

•April 12, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

Sullivan-Okaw Valley announced that Andy Kerley has been hired as the new head varsity football coach.

“Sullivan is a community I’ve always had great experiences with as a visiting coach,” said Kerley. “From the other sideline the support levels have always seemed good. The town, the administration, everyone seems to support the programs of the school, and that is a great positive when looking at a place as a potential working environment. The infrastructure is mostly in place already to allow the program to blossom.”

Kerley spent seven years as the Cerro Gordo-Bement Broncos head coach with four playoff berths (2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015) and a 42-28 record.

He coached at Shelbyville for a year before taking the Cerro Gordo position.

At Cerro Gordo-Bement, he was selected as the Decatur Herald and Review Macon County Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2013, and he also was named as the ESPN 1050 Decatur Coach of the Year in 2013.

This summer should be very important to Kerley, and he cannot wait to start. Read More

OV Graduate to Enter National Baseball Hall of Fame

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•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

Knights Bring Big Bats Out for Bulldogs

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•March 29, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond baseball team kicked off its season with a 1-2 record, winning over St. Teresa and losing to Monticello and Central A&M.

Against the Bulldogs of St. Teresa, the Knights exploded for 12 runs in the fifth inning to overcome a 6-3 deficit and blow the game open.

ALAH went on to win 20-12.

Shandon Herschberger recorded a game-high six hits (6-for-6) and four runs scored. He also knocked in three runs.

Lucas Otto recorded three hits, two runs scored and three runs batted in. Read More

ALAH Knights End Season at Regional Tournament

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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

Timberwolves Advance in Regional Action

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Austin Hill passes the ball during Okaw Valley senior night Friday.

•February 22, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Okaw Valley boys’ basketball team won on senior night Friday then advanced in the first round of the IHSA Class 1A regional at Okaw Valley High School in Findlay Feb. 20.

The host Timberwolves defeated Edinburg in the first round of the regional.

Okaw Valley did not blow out Edinburg but did increase its lead by three points each quarter for a 12-point win, 51-39.

Taylor Coleman scored a game-high 20 points, and Connor Cloyd hit double digits with 12 points.

Garrett Fritts added six points, and Jared Bunfill had five.

Austin Hill and Austin Harshman each scored three points. Read More

Sullivan Senior Redskins Score Well in Raiders Game

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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

First Round Regional Win for Sullivan Girls

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Photo by RR Best
The girls’ basketball lone senior Tatum Ellis, along with her parents Laura and Rick Ellis, is honored before the varsity girls’ basketball game against Clinton Thursday.

•February 8, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan girls’ basketball team carried its momentum from Thursday’s senior-night win against Clinton into the first round of the Class 2A regional to defeat Shelbyville Feb 6.

Sullivan, the host team, jumped out to a 21-2 first quarter lead and added four more for a 22-6 halftime lead.

The Redskins continued the pressure in the second half for the eventual 48-15 win.

Tatum Ellis scored a game-high 17 points, and Esther Miller collected 10 points, six rebounds and six steals.

Haley Rose and Brooke Tuttle each dished out three assists.

Tuttle and Chloe Riley each finished with six points, and Elizabeth Green, Avery Still, Laine Cameron and Kirsten O’Neil each recorded a basket. Read More