Redskins 57 – Ducks 49
Category Archives: Sports
Sullivan Middle School cross country teams finish strong at Class 2A state meet
•November 4, 2026•
by Jamie Crosier
Members of the Sullivan Middle School cross country program gather for a team photo following the IESA Class 2A sectional meet. The girls captured the sectional championship, while the boys finished third, qualifying both teams for the state meet.
The Sullivan Middle School cross country program capped off a successful 2026 season with both its boys’ and girls’ teams advancing to the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 2A state meet. The girls finished third in the state, while the boys placed ninth.
The program includes boys and girls in fifth through eighth grades who compete together in meets throughout the season. Head coach Tara Bates and assistant coach Drew Campbell led the teams through a schedule that included invitational championships, conference titles and strong postseason performances.
Both teams won the St. Anthony Invitational, themed “Who Let the Dawgs Out,” competing against 11 other teams. At the Shelbyville Invitational, the boys finished second and the girls placed third among 20 teams.
Sullivan Middle School eighth graders Avery Hess and Aubrey Fultz celebrate their All-State performances at the IESA Class 2A state cross country meet. Hess finished fourth individually, while Fultz placed ninth.
The teams continued their success at the Dunlap Invitational, which featured more than 45 teams from schools of varying sizes across Illinois. The boys finished eighth and the girls ninth.
Both teams captured Junior High Okaw Conference championships before advancing to the Class 2A sectional meet. The girls won the sectional championship, while the boys placed third, earning both teams a trip to state.
Read MoreSBD opens season with strong showing in Bloomington
•November 4, 2026•
by Jamie Crosier
Pictured in the back row, from left, are Edie Gibbons, Natalie Rahn, Kinsley Eads and Emme Kirkley. Front row, from left, are Lucy Brettschneider, Cooper Atchison, Waylon Atchison, Tucker Atchison, Tinley Eads and Stella Perrott.
The Sullivan Blue Dolphins opened their swim season at the Rachel Dean Memorial Meet in Bloomington, hosted by the Bloomington Normal Swim Club.
The team started the season with several qualifying performances, as 11 swimmers earned spots in the Circle City Classic Invitational, scheduled for January in Indianapolis. Of those 11 swimmers, 10 qualified for the Winter Regional Championships in February.
Read MoreOV Senior Night
Gabby Totten, Exchange Student Victoria Lopez Alarcon, Exchange Student Mia Foerster, Gracey Christensen and Katie Coventry were honored during Okaw Valley Volleyball Senior Night October 20th.
Redskins face tough test against perennial Class A powerhouse Camp Point Central
•November 4, 2026•
by E. Scott England
Camp Point, Illinois is a tiny village about 160 miles west and a little north from Sullivan. With a population of just over eleven hundred, this community loves football. Three years ago they had a perfect season capped off with a 14-0 win over another Class A powerhouse, Lena-Winslow for the state championship trophy. The following year they just missed the state championship game, losing in the quarterfinals to Althoff Catholic, the eventual champions of that year.
They haven’t missed the playoffs for as long as MaxPreps goes back with records. They’ve appeared in the state game the day after Thanksgiving three times in that span. This year, they are looking to return to Bloomington, but they must get past the Sullivan Redskins first. So, on Saturday, November 7, Camp Point Central will make the near three hour journey to Sullivan to take on the Redskins at Victory Field.
The Camp Point Central Panthers are currently 9-1. Their only loss of the season came from a thrilling game against Brown County, the number one seed in the south bracket of the Class A playoffs. The Panthers also bring with them a younger team, the majority of the starters being juniors or below. This does not mean they do not bring talent though.
Like Havana, Camp Point has a quarterback, Kale Niekamp, that wreaks havoc on both sides of the ball. He also does the punting for the Panthers so watching for a potential fake is always an option. Niekamp does not run a lot, but he is able if needed. He averages around 50 yards per game in rushing.
The majority of the rushing for Camp Point is shared between juniors Luke Ippensen, Grant Hamilton, and Kolin Bockhold. Each of those running backs average over 60 yards per game. Also getting some touches is also Jackson Fowler. He averages a little over 40 yards per game.
Read MoreSullivan Redskins prevail over Havana Ducks in Round 1 of IHSA Playoffs
•November 4, 2026•
by E. Scott England
The weather has been beautiful this fall. Warmer temperatures, not a lot of rain—though some is needed, and an extended football season. The temperature dropped a little last Saturday which made it feel all the more like fall football. The Sullivan Redskins received a four seed in the Class A IHSA playoffs. That gave them an opening round bye as they awaited the eventual winner: the Havana Ducks.
The Ducks arrived in Sullivan on the shoulders of junior Jack Turner. Turner is their dual threat quarterback, their kicker, the punter, and an imposing defensive back. Sullivan knew in order to be victorious, they would have to do their best to prevail against the Turner-led Ducks.
First Quarter
The action started immediately in the first quarter. The Ducks received the ball to start the game, and it appeared Sullivan had done their due diligence with watching game film. They stopped the first two runs and then excellent pass coverage forced Havana to punt on fourth down.
Read MoreSullivan prepares for playoff game; Will face Havana Ducks
•October 28, 2026•
by E. Scott England
In the new playoff format, the Sullivan Redskins drew a first-round bye with their 8-1 record. They were also given a number four seed for the playoffs. They also just barely made the Class 1A cutoff. Sullivan Athletic Director, Cole Huber, knew the class ranking could go either way. “We had been seeing projections of us being the largest 1A school or us being the smallest 2A school, so I wasn’t going to be surprised either way.”
Being in Class 1A doesn’t equate to easier competition though. “If we win our Round 1 matchup, the next two rounds we are poised to play teams that got top 2 in state the last few years. So 1A isn’t necessarily an easier road,” said Huber. Head coach John Bertetto is pleased either way. “We are proud of our guys for having a great year so far and happy that we earned the chance to play another game on Victory Field.” He shared similar thoughts to Huber on drawing a Class 1A ranking. “You are going to see some really tough teams no matter where you end up, so you just have to wait and see what the IHSA puts together and go out and play your best to hopefully keep advancing.”
Read MoreSullivan escapes thriller in Villa Grove to finish 8-1 in regular season play
•October 21, 2026•
by E. Scott England
It was the final game of the regular season for both teams. Sullivan traveled to Villa Grove to take on the newly established Villa Grove/Heritage Blue Devils. Both teams had already secured their spots in the playoffs as well. So what were they playing for? Playoff points in hopes to secure a first round bye.
VGH came into the game with just two losses on the season, to ALAH and Fisher. Sullivan had beaten Fisher but fell to ALAH. The Blue Devils are known as a passing team with a quarterback who’s not afraid to scramble for extra yards. But they are also known for their defensive line that struggles to shut down the run game. The Redskins haven’t faced a pass heavy team this year, but they have one of the top rushers in the state with over 1200 rushing yards going into the game. All that combined for what was an exciting game from start to finish.
Read MoreSullivan trap shooters place at state meet
•October 14, 2026•
by Jamie Crosier
Seven members of the Sullivan Trap Team competed alongside youth shooters from across Illinois at the Illinois 4-H State Shotgun Shoot on Saturday, Sept. 26, at Brittany Shooting Park in Bunker Hill.
Five of the seven Sullivan shooters finished in the top three of their age divisions. Seventy shooters representing 19 counties competed after five of the 75 registered participants canceled.
Lauren Lester took first place in the junior division, while Declan Stollard finished second. In the senior division, Kolten Kidd placed first, Ty Szabo finished second and Carter Honchell placed third.
For Kidd and Szabo, first and second place came down to a shoot-off between teammates.
Ties affecting the top 10 places in each division were settled through shoot-offs. Kidd and Szabo had each finished with a score of 98, sending the two Sullivan teammates back to the line to determine who would take first and who would finish second.
Read MoreRevenge for last season complete; Redskins send Pirates down the plank
•October 14, 2026•
by E. Scott England
Last year during the regular season, the Cumberland Pirates beat Sullivan by two touchdowns. Then during the rematch in the first round of the playoffs, the Pirates ended the Redskins season, again, by two touchdowns. So, when Cumberland rolled into town during week eight, which also happened to be senior night, you could say that more than a chip rested upon the shoulder of the Redskins.
The energy at Victory Field was palpable. Latest IHSA playoff projections have Sullivan back in Class 2A with a playoff berth clinched. That doesn’t mean it’s time to take it easy. Revenge for last season still needed to be delivered.
Cumberland took the kickoff and was immediately held to a three and out. The defense bounded off the field as the punt team came out for the Pirates. It was a high snap but a good punt, pinning Sullivan deep in their own territory at their own 17-yard line.
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