Category Archives: Sports Feature

Lone Goal Enough for Bulldogs’ Win Over Knights

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Photo by Keith Stewart David Emrick (left) tries to stave off St. Anthony's Andreas Travnik during Tuesday afternoon's contest in Lovington.

Photo by Keith Stewart
David Emrick (left) tries to stave off St. Anthony's Andreas Travnik during Tuesday afternoon's contest in Lovington.

Despite second half possession, Knights unable to score

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

St. Anthony head soccer coach Scott Demers wasn't happy with how his upper classmen were playing Tuesday afternoon so he benched them.

In their place went freshmen and sophomores.

Whether you agree with the move or not, it paid off for the Bulldogs when freshman Donovan Hammer scored on a cleanup after a loose ball found its way in the Knights' box with 5:29 remaining in the first half.

"We had an issue with going for the ball so I took out our starters and put in freshman," said Demers. "The seniors, the starters showed they didn't want to play, or their focus was on personal matters. Read More

Lancers Fall In Championship Match in Arcola

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Photo by Keith Stewart Brooke Tabb goes deep in the court to meet the volley during Saturday’s tournament championship against Tri-County.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Brooke Tabb goes deep in the court to meet the volley during Saturday’s tournament championship against Tri-County.

Sullivan finishes sixth

Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

With a record of 13-0—a school record accomplished after last Thursday’s victory over Cerro Gordo—the Arthur-Lovington Lancers took their perfect record into the Arcola Invitational Saturday, but with a slightly different lineup.

Junior Jessica Davis fractured the tip of her right ring finger and was unable to play in the tournament Saturday.

But that didn’t stop the Lancers from opening the day bright and early facing a pumped up Arcola squad.  Read More

SOV Downs A&M for OV Homecoming

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Photo by RR Best Quarterback Nick Frerichs tries to break a Raider tackle Friday night. The junior rushed for 125 yards and one touchdown and threw for 101 yards, including a touchdown pass to Joe Jeffers.

Photo by RR Best
Quarterback Nick Frerichs tries to break a Raider tackle Friday night. The junior rushed for 125 yards and one touchdown and threw for 101 yards, including a touchdown pass to Joe Jeffers.

First win over Raiders since A&M formed

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

After getting blown out by Maroa-Forsyth last week, SOV had to prepare for Central A&M, whom the Redskins had never beaten before. The stakes were even higher, due to the fact that this was the homecoming game for the athletes from Okaw Valley.

“Okaw Valley really does a great homecoming, and our kids do enjoy going over and participating in it,” Redskins head coach Charles Brown said. “The atmosphere was great today.”

Despite whatever distractions may come from the school festivities, Brown said his boys prepared well this week, and the evidence of such showed late in the first quarter as SOV drove down the field. Read More

First Half Alone Enough for Trojans to Defeat SOV

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48-7 routing comes almost entirely on the back of first half performance

Maroa-Forsyth quarterback Jack Hockaday pitches the ball to running back Chad Howell Friday.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Maroa-Forsyth quarterback Jack Hockaday pitches the ball to running back Chad Howell Friday.

 

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

Maroa-Forsyth's quarterback Jack Hockaday demonstrated Friday night that he doesn't have to be on offense to score.

The junior who helped lead the trojans to a class 2A state title last year as a sophomore, recorded 77 yards rushing, including two touchdowns and 239 yards passing, responsible for another two scores, but then had an interception and run back for the Trojan's final points Friday in the third quarter. Read More

Lady Red Give AL Toughest Game of the Season, but Fall in Three

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Photo by Keith Stewart The Lancers’ Jessica Davis puts a kill on during Monday night’s matchup with Sullivan. Davis had plenty of big hits in the third set to give her team the momentum it needed to ensure the win and its continued undefeated streak, which stands at 9-0.

Photo by Keith Stewart
The Lancers’ Jessica Davis puts a kill on during Monday night’s matchup with Sullivan. Davis had plenty of big hits in the third set to give her team the momentum it needed to ensure the win and its continued undefeated streak, which stands at 9-0.

Lancers prevail with second and third match wins

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

The rivalry between Sullivan and Arthur-Lovington has proved to be a hotly contested matchup in whatever sport the two schools face off in the last few years, and yesterday, in volleyball, that didn’t change.

The Lady Redskins came out white hot in the first set, getting on top of Arthur-Lovington ending the first set on a 10-1 run.

“We struggled with the ball on our side,” said Lancers head coach Val Cornwell. “We talked about passing and serves—which wasn’t very good at all—because we were being forced to go only outside so we couldn’t do much.” Read More

Nuzzos, Lehman Medal at Charleston Invitational

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Photos by Keith Stewart The Sullivan Okaw Valley Cross Country team competed at the Charleston Invitational this past Saturday. Brent Mauck is relieved to cross the finish line.

Photos by Keith Stewart
The Sullivan Okaw Valley Cross Country team competed at the Charleston Invitational this past Saturday. Brent Mauck is relieved to cross the finish line.

Small school in a big pond, SOV teams finish 9th and 11th

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

In one of the largest invitationals of the year, SOV saw three individuals medal, while the boys team finished 11th and the girls 9th.

"I was pleased with the performance," said head coach Ted Walk. "When we are competing with schools three to five times our size, we use it as an opportunity to adjust to the pacing of an invitational. When over 200 people are crammed in at a starting line, adrenaline is running high and athletes tend to go out too fast."

The boys were up first, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday at Eastern Illinois University's Panther Trail.  Read More

Lady Red Drop Five Matches at Mattoon Tourney

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Photo by Keith Stewart Sullivan’s Brittin Boyer dives for the ball during Saturday’s tournament at Mattoon. Her effort during the five matches earned her a spot on the all-tournament team.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Sullivan’s Brittin Boyer dives for the ball during Saturday’s tournament at Mattoon. Her effort during the five matches earned her a spot on the all-tournament team.

Poor showing Saturday all but erases strong start

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

After going 3-0 to start the season, the Sullivan volleyball team fell to 3-5 all in one day while competing at the 33rd Annual Mattoon Tournament this past Saturday.

All but one of their losses came in two set matches, with their final match against St. Elmo-Brownstown going to three sets. Sullivan won the first 25-22 but then fell in the next two sets 15-25, 12-15.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see our ‘refuse to lose’ attitude in the first two matches of the season especially, and I saw nothing of that attitude in our team as a whole in the tournament,” said head coach Heather Lindenmeyer.

Sullivan first faced Warrensburg-Latham but lost a close first set 25-23 followed by a 25-17 loss.

The Redskins next faced Heyworth, who had the same morning defeated host and reigning tournament champion Mattoon, in three sets. Read More

Lady Red Makes it Three in a Row to Start Season Off Right

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OV falls to 0-2 after two set loss Tuesday night

Photo by Keith Stewart Sullivan head coach Heather Lindenmeyer tells her team to get focused during a second set timeout Tuesday night. The Redskins did just that, cruising to a 25-19 win.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Sullivan head coach Heather Lindenmeyer tells her team to get focused during a second set timeout Tuesday night. The Redskins did just that, cruising to a 25-19 win.

by Emily Scott
Bethany Reporter

In an anticipated intra-county rivalry, the Sullivan Redskins volleyball team earned a 25-8, 25-19 win against the Okaw Valley Timberwolves Tuesday night.

Sullivan started out with a lead in the first game and continued with it strongly. Okaw Valley created a few chances to score but had trouble executing plays. As OV began to trail with  errors accumulating, Sullivan came out on top 25-8.

Attempting to come back in the second game, Okaw Valley saw better plays and execution as they kept a tighter hold on their opponent, who came right back with the same intensity. After a couple of time outs, which only increased the tension between the two rival teams, Sullivan struck back to defend their lead. Sullivan’s Emily Neuhauser and Brittin Boyer led the team in well-timed blocks and kills in the last half of the game to finish strong at 25-19 to win the match.  Read More

2013 Area High School Sports Guide

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FrontandBackSportSection-1Most area high school sports got underway the week of August 26.

The News Progress has compiled previews for Sullivan, Okaw Valley, and Arthur-Lovington high schools, which in turn see a variety of competitors in volleyball, soccer, football, cross country, and golf.

Check out this week's sport section for all fall 2013 previews.

SOV Linemen Take First in Tuscola Challenge

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JV and varsity each take top nod at neighboring competition

Lineman1

Submitted
Pictured is the varsity linemen squad who, along with the JV, took first place at the Tuscola lineman challenge Friday, July 26. Pictured from left to right: Coach John Bertetto, Brock Cook, Garrett Cuffle, Levi Nadler, Trey Schlieker, and Dakota Clayton.

It would appear that the SOV linemen have indeed been busy during the offseason–or so their recent first place finish at the Tuscola Lineman Challenge would lead one to believe. And not just the varsity. The JV also took the top overall nod.

Both squads competed in what amounted to seven events, including tractor tire flip relay, tractor tire pull, bench press competition, obstacle course, tire tug of war, rope tug of war, and truck push.

"I am extremely proud of our linemen this summer," said SOV lineman coach John Bertetto."These lineman challenges are a good measure of the teamwork, power, and stamina that are required to battle in the trenches on the football field, and our kids competed hard and did very well."

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