•June 15, 2016•
In discussions with the Sullivan-Okaw Valley cheerleading coach, the decision has been made to expand the roster of the 2016-2017 Sullivan-Okaw Valley cheerleading team from 16 up to the 21 members who tried out for the 2016-2017 team.
The coach has determined that she will be able to successfully coach and supervise this number of athletes.
A very generous donation from an anonymous local business owner has been made to the Sullivan-Okaw Valley cheerleading team. Read More
Photo furnished
Regional Championship team
Front row: Kailyn Boyer, Natalie Jeffers, Kaylee Thomas, Chloe Weybright, Paige Robinson, and Moranda Matheson; Middle row: Grace Harlin, Kayla Wheeler, Gracie Weybright, Dani Dick, Bella Benning, Jess Robinson, Madison Vogel, and Kailey George; Back row: Assistant Coach Wayne Perrine, Assistant Coach Samantha Inman, Maddie Perrine, Danielle Lochbaum, Kyra Jackson, and Head Coach Dave Benning.
Timberwolves Softball Award Winners: Okaw Valley Timberwolves softball players were recognized during the recent sports banquet. Most Improved Player-Kailey George; Hustle Award-Kaylee Thomas; Outstanding Defensive Player-Paige Robinson; Outstanding Offensive Player-Natalie Jeffers and Grace Harlin; MVP-Maddie Perrine.
•June 8, 2016•
Okaw Valley softball finished the season in a second place tie in the LOVC NW with a 7-3 record.
Coach Dave Benning’s Timberwolves softball team had a 16-10 overall 2016 record.
From the mound Maddie Perrine’s 12-9 record totaled 100 strikesouts over 112.7 innings pitched. Perrine allowed 131 hits and 32 base on balls, finishing with a 4.53 ERA.
Grace Harlin pitched 22.3 innings with a 2-0 record. Harlin had 15 strikeouts, 21 base on balls and 34 hits for a 4.71 ERA.
Madison Vogel pitched five innings in two games with two strikeouts and 12 hits.
Grace Harlin had 41 hits over 24 games, netting 34 runs for Okaw Valley. Harlin had 10 doubles, three triples and drove in 23 RBIs four a .488 avg. She led the team with 14 stolen bases.
Natalie Jeffers scored 30 runs off 34 hits in 21 games. Jeffers had six doubles, five triples and five home runs with 31 RBIs finishing with a .466 batting average.
Paige Robinson had 29 hits for 22 runs in 19 games. Robinson hit seven doubles and two triples for 13 RBIs and a .483 avg.
Jess Robinson had 29 hits in 124 games for 19 runs. She had three doubles and one home run with 19 RBIs and a .439 batting average. Read More
Photo furnished
Regional Champion Timberwolves move on to sectionals Thursday in Danville.
•May 25, 2016•
By Kirk Whitaker
News Progress Sports
Nohitter.
When a pitcher allows no hits, that normally spells success for his team.
Beat down would be a more appropriate term for this one.
Behind a homer and triple by catcher Garrett Fritz, two inning endingdoubleplays, Drew Fruchtl’s no hitter propelled Okaw Valley past Arthur- Lovington/Atwood-Hammond 15-0 Tuesday night at the St. Teresa Regional semifinals.
This set up the chance for a repeat Regional championship Saturday against one of the only three teams who had defeated them to date in Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg.
“I thought Drew came out really well mixing his pitches up early,” Timberwolves head coach Andrew Hagerman said. “We also gave him some good run support too. We didn’t hit bad, we didn’t hit great, but it was enough today.”
After a four run first, the ‘wolves hung a seven spot in the second, chasing Knights’ starter Marcus Vanausdoll from the contest and all hope of a Knight comeback as well. Read More
•May 11, 2016•
By Matt Kracht
News Progress Sports
Okaw Valley won their ninth straight contest Friday beating the Purple Riders 9-0. Senior Drew Fruchtl tossed a complete game gem to stay a perfect 7-0—the best record in the area.
Now 18-2 overall the Timberwolves have a week of conference contests to decide who sits atop the Little Okaw Valley Northwest. Head coach Andrew Hagerman commented the team was just happy to be playing again after a wet start to May, “It’s 75 and sunny; these kids wanted to come out and swing today. We haven’t played a lot of these days. We have been playing two game weeks instead of four. The conference games we will make up, so we have five or six games this week.”
Arcola threatened to take an early lead in the first after a two out infield single was followed by a double off the fence in right center. Faced with runners on second and third with two outs, Fruchtl bounced back with a clutch strikeout to end the threat.
Timberwolves’ leadoff man Taylor Coleman started a three run rally in the bottom of the first with a single to the gap in right center. Fruchtl then helped his own cause with a double to left, setting up second and third with no outs. Read More
Photo by Jason Smith
Blue Dophins Celebrate. Front Row: Alivia Melvin, Max Kersten, Matthew Wesselman, Mason Booker, Madalyn Booker, Zoe Johnson, Johnathan Iacobazzi, Tucker Kull. Back Row: Brodie Goss, Tyler Homann, Anna Wooters, Gabrielle Spain, Natalie Drury, Calista Clark, Jessica Renfro, Natalie Turnbaugh, Sofia Nuzzo.
•April 27, 2016•
Sullivan Blue Dolphins closed out another successful season by hosting their team banquet at Sullivan VFW.
The team’s season runs annually from the summer long course season starting in April and swimming through short course season ending in March. The Dolphins celebrated the 50th anniversary of the team this season. Head coach Jason Drury ended the season by continuing his 13 year stretch of championship meets by taking the most swimmers to the Regional meet, Age Group State and Senior State meets.
To show the accumulation of the swimmers’ hard work and dedication throughout the season the following swimmers were awarded individual recognition.
Brodie Goss took home the top prize of Blue Dolphin of the Year. Goss was selected by his teammates for this honor. Consideration for the award is based on hard wordk at practice, respect to coaches and team members, assistance to other swimmers and setting an example of what a Blue Dolphin should be.
The swimmers also vote per practice group for group representative for Blue Dolphin of the Year. Yellow Group selected Clair Welch, Bronze Group Tucker Kull, Silver Group Ethan Schmohe, Gold Group Jessica Renfro and Titanium Natalie Drury. Read More
Photo by RR Best
Timberwolves’ Austin Hill’s determination gets him to the bag just as the throw arrives in Okaw Valley’s win over Shelbyville.
•April 20, 2016•
By Matt Kracht
NP Sports Reporter
Okaw Valley baseball knocked off crosstown rival Shelbyville 13-3 in impressive fashion Saturday.
Garrett Frtiz allowed two earned runs over five innings to get the win in a quality start.
The Timberwolves’ offense exploded for 10 runs in the fifth inning after a stretch of base hits head coach Andrew Hagerman said was a long time coming.
“We went on a streak of hitting there in the fifth that I have not seen in a long time. It was just single double, double after double line drives really solid hits. No lucky hits or bloopers. We just really took a good approach in that inning and one through nine came up with some big hits,” Hagerman said.
Shelbyville manufactured a run in the first inning to take the early lead. Okaw Valley responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning thanks to an RBI double by Dylan Park.
The Rams added two more runs in the second after a throwing error by the pitcher set up a first and third situation with no outs. A drag bunt for a base hit loaded the bases before a two RBI single made it a 3-1 contest. Read More
Photo by Darian Hays
Redskin pitcher Dylan Liddiard did the five inning stretch against the Storm, getting eight strikeouts, allowing four hits and one run.
•April 13, 2016•
Sullivan baseball team’s trip to the Tuscola Showcase let the Redskins showcase some talent.
Sullivan came away April 8 with a big 11-1 win over Danville Schlarman and followed up Saturday evening with an 8-4 win over Salt Fork.
Dylan Liddiard pitched the five inning game for the Redskins, giving up four hits, throwing 39 of 65 strikes with eight strikeouts. Liddiard gave up one run and four walks in the game.
Depmatt and Rongy split pitching duties for the Hilltoppers. Depmatt gave up nine runs on four hits in 2.1 innings while getting three strikeouts. Rongy pitched 1.2 innings giving up two hits and two runs.
Alec Ballinger and Zach Hrvol scored home runs in the game.
Ballinger had two hits, scoring three runs with one RBI. Hrvol got a hit, two RBIs and scored twice.
Brett Tuttle scored one run following a base on balls. Bryce Farris scored one time following a walk. Read More
•April 6, 2016•
By Matt Kracht
NP Sports Reporter
Sullivan softball had a tough start to conference play last Wednesday as the team fell in an away contest to Tuscola 7-1. However, the squad rebounded with an impressive 14-1 result over Decatur MacArthur on 15 hits in just four innings.
Sullivan head coach Andy Wagner credited an improved approach at the plate with the offensive success. “We really emphasized our hitting approach this week. We changed a few approaches with a few of the girls, and we swung the bats a little bit better today.”
Heidi Clements pitched both games for the Lady Redskins and held Tuscola to one run over three innings before a late Warriors rally pushed the contest out of reach. Against Decatur Clements put together an all-conference performance going the distance and coming up one out short of a shutout. Clements allowed only four hits, and MacArthur’s lone run came on a fielder’s choice with the Lady Redskins up by 14. Coach Wagner praised the attitude of Clements through the early part of the schedule. “Heidi pitched her tail off against Tuscola. She threw her changeup more today and deserved a shutout; she threw that well.”
The Lady Redskins put away a talented MacArthur team early with a nine run second inning. Clements helped her own cause with a leadoff single. A walk and a bunt single followed before a line drive to right brought home the game first run.
Irie Dulin crushed a triple to the gap in right field to clear the bases and make it a 4-0 lead with just one out in the inning. An infield single followed before Bailee Pratt came up with the hit of the game. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
Timberwolves Taylor Coleman lays down a sacrifice bunt, advancing runners to second and third base during Okaw Valley High School baseball’s win over St. Elmo March 23.
•March 30, 2016•
Okaw Valley Timberwolves varsity baseball came away with a 9-2 home win over the St. Elmo Bombers March 23.
The Timberwolves’ Dylan Park went six innings and was the winning pitcher throwing 67-113 strikes with 19 first pitch strikes; Tanner Coleman threw eight strikes in 19 pitches in relief.
Flowers pitched five innings and Brown one to share pitching duties for the Bombers. Flowers got the loss throwing 55-93 strikes with Brown striking out 11 on 26 pitches.
Cody Drake had a home run and a double, scoring twice and getting one RBI.
Ian Tiarks hit a double and a triple contributing four RBIs for the Timberwolves. Read More
Photo by RR Best
Sullivan Baseball opened season at home last Friday with a loss, but came back on the weekend with a double header shut out.
•March 23, 2016•
Sullivan Redskin baseball started the season with a 9-6 win over Mattoon March 18.
By the end of Saturday they had gotten some batting practice while shutting out Cerro Gordo in a double header there.
On Saturday Cerro Gordo yielded to the Redskins’ bats with Sullivan getting 24 runs on 26 hits while holding Cerro Gordo to two hits.
Junior Tom Schibur got the win with five strikeouts, allowing two hits with one base on balls. Schibur threw 37 strikes in 54 pitches before Austin Minnigerode came in for relief, throwing one strikeout while pitching 8-15 strikes.
Alec Ballinger was 4-4 at bats, scoring four runs with two RBIs.
In five trips to the plate Brett Tuttle had four hits with four RBIs, while scoring three runs.
Zach Hrvol made the most of his six trips to the plate getting four hits and three runs while driving in two runs.
Bryce Farris got one hit with two RBIs and scored twice getting one base on balls. Read More