Photo by Keith Stewart
Defense came alive as Knights gather for the stop during Friday’s game in Clinton.

ALAH gives Cumberland its best

•October 28, 2015•

by Keith Stewart
For the NP

This isn’t just a sportswriter trying to make fans happy.

Friday night’s 50-20 loss to Cumberland was as indicative as the rest of the Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond football season: get better, be resilient, and never give up.

The Knights’ squad, which has had its fair share of injuries strike its small 25 man roster, has had to play a different puzzle each week when it came to assignments. And week nine was no different.

“It’s been that way all year long,” said head coach Dale Schuring. “I don’t think it’s been the same lineup twice all year. It’s been, ‘throw them out there and hopefully someone can tell them what to do.’ They’ve been very adaptable and willing to go wherever we need them so we can have 11 on the field and have some semblance of order. Tonight was no different. Great credit to the kids and their willingness to do that and trying the best they can in spots they don’t know.”

Quarterback Teddy Poe was unable to throw the ball Friday and back-up sophomore Will Cohan was out with an injured quad. So starting at the quarterback position for the first time this year was sophomore Marcus Vanausdoll, who used his sheer athleticism at times to get the Knights down field and lead them for their final game of the year.

“He was in there in an emergency situation tonight, and he did well,” said Schuring. “He was very willing to try and do whatever he could. He’s played several positions in this offense, so he had a decent idea of what was going on some plays, and others he just used his athletic ability.” Read More

Photo By RR Best
Redskins Blake Stewart steps over the goal line for a touchdown in the Homecoming football game between SOV and the Shelbyville Rams on Friday, October 9.

Strong in Second Half

•October 14, 2015•

By Matt Kracht
NP Sports Reporter

Sullivan Okaw Valley football played a second half for the ages Friday but came up just short in a 41-33 loss to the Shelbyville Rams.  Trailing 21-0 at the half the Redskins outscored the Rams 20-13 in the third quarter and 13-7 in the fourth getting within a touchdown of the lead.  SOV head coach Gerald Temples was proud of the effort displayed in the second half and hopes the team can build off the positives going forward.

“First half we did not get after it and play with emotion.  I am proud as heck of how we came back and did play in the second half.  Our kids played their tail off, and we are going to build on that going forward.”

The Rams opened up the game’s scoring after connecting on a 60 yard screen pass, setting up first and goal from the eight yard line.  Two plays later Garret Brachbill’s touchdown run with 1:30 remaining in the first period, gave the Rams a 7-0 lead.

The Redskins marched inside the red zone on their next possession thanks to a 30 catch and run by Ty Nichols but missed a field goal wide left with 11:28 left in the second quarter.

Shelbyville’s next possession was controversial. A pass interference call on fourth and 13 with five minutes remaining in the half gave Shelbyville a new life.   Blake Stewart, who was in step for step coverage with the Ram’s receiver, turned at the last second to deflect the ball away with his off hand in the front left corner of the north end zone.

However, the officials ruled too much contact had taken place even though the ball looked to be uncatchable.

Coach Temples acknowledged that the call was a back breaker at that point in the contest.  “The interference set up a touchdown for them which was a killer at the time. We didn’t think it was pass interference.”  Read More

Photo by RR Best
Play action for ALAH Knights with Teddy Poe taking the snap from Isaac Kitchen while Tyler Smith is poised to go.

•October 7, 2015•

By Matt Kracht
NP Sports Reporter

Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond fell to the Cerro Gordo Bement Broncos 47-22 at Wilson Field on Friday.  The Broncos came out of the gait swinging scoring 41 unanswered points before the half.

The Knights regrouped, outscoring the Broncos 22-6 in the second half.  ALAH head coach Dale Schuring said the team needed to start the game with the same intensity showcased after halftime.  “We have to come out with that kind of attitude and aggressiveness in the first half against a varsity team.”

The Knights attempted an onside kick to open the contest, but the Broncos were fortunate to fall on the ball.  Setup at midfield it took Cerro Gordo four plays and under a minute to cover 50 yards on the ground taking 7-0 lead.

ALAH was also setup at midfield on their first possession thanks to a nice kick return by Marcus Vanausdoll.   Back to back Ricky Davis catches allowed the Knights to advance as far as the Bronco 36 before the drive ended with Teddy Poe sacked on fourth and ten with 8:04 left in the first.

Cerro Gordo rode tailback Dalton Grohler to his second touchdown on the ensuing drive, extending the lead to 14-0 with 6:55 left in the first.

Teddy Poe was under constant duress on the Knights’ next possession, resulting in a quick three and out.   Read More

Photo by RR Best
Alec Ballinger (15) turns the corner getting protection from Drew Hubbard (22) as he racks up yardage on a great running night for the Redskins in their victory over the Meridian Hawks.

•September 30, 2015•

By Matt Kracht
NP Sports Reporter

The only suspense was in the coin toss before the game as Sullivan/Okaw Valley quarterback Ty Molzen lit up the Meridian Hawks for over 200 yards passing.

SOV outgained the Hawks 416 total offensive yards to Meridian’s 83, and the stingy Redskin defense kept the Hawks out of their own red zone for the entire game and out of the SOV end of the field for all but two possessions.

The Redskins won the coin toss and never looked back in a totally dominant offensive and defensive performance to take this conference game in style from the opening kick off to the final whistle. The Redskins took the opening drive to the Meridian 28 yard line where Ty Nichols took the handoff and scampered into the end zone with 9:35 left in the first quarter.

Meridian managed to run five plays before punting the ball back to the potent SOV offense which took a total of three plays to score on a 25 yard flat pass for a TD from Molzen to Alec Ballinger. Ballinger had five catches for 83 yards. There was still 5:38 left in the first quarter and SOV led Meridian 14-0.

Meridian received a gift as the SOV kickoff went out of bounds, and they started at their own 35 yard line for one of their longest offensive series, lasting nine plays, ending in an incomplete pass at the Sullivan 38 yard line where they turned the ball over on downs.  Read More

Photo by Mike Brothers
Tyler Smith creates a path for quarterback Teddy Poe on an end run during the Sangamon Valley Storm ALAH Knight game Friday at Niantic.

•September 23, 2015•

By Mike Brothers

Sangamon Valley’s Storm was more than the Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond Knights could handle Friday in Niantic. In a game interrupted by a storm, the home team prevailed 40-6.

“We were not ready to play,” Knights’ coach Dale Schurling said. “We were not mentally prepared to execute the plan we had practiced.  We made too many mistakes on assignments.”

Sangamon Valley took off running and was ahead 19-0 in the first quarter before a thunderstorm moved in with lightning. The game stopped at 1:18 in the first quarter and resumed shortly after 8 p.m.

By the end of the first half the Storm was leading 40-0.

ALAH stopped the first series of downs by the Storm in the third quarter.

Marcus Vanausdoll caught the Storm punt and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown. This ended as the final score 40-6.

The Knight defense continued to work the second half Sangamon Valley team with sacks behind the line from Isaac Kitchen, Kolby Rickman and Rick Davis toward the end of the game.  Read More