•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.

•October 7, 2026•

by E. Scott England

Homecoming is always a joyous time in the Sullivan community. Windows painted across town on businesses. Pep rallies to get the student body energized. A festive parade sporting floats built by the four classes of the high school. The annual chili supper that’s been a staple of the tradition for decades. And the culminating event, a packed house at Victory Field to cheer the Redskins to victory.

Sullivan welcomed the Tri-County Titans, a winless team without a strong passing game that has struggled all year. But every team that faces a home team on their homecoming has a little more motivation to come out and prove their worth. That’s exactly what the Titans did on their opening play. With the ball deep in their own territory, the Titans ran their first play up the middle for 70 yards and the first touchdown of the game. Just like that, they assumed a 0-6 lead.

•September 23, 2026•

by E. Scott England

The Sullivan Redskins welcomed a new conference opponent, the Fisher Bunnies, last Friday night. Fisher had previously been part of the Heart of Illinois Conference for a long time before making the jump to the Lincoln Prairie Conference this season. “This was a big switch for them, but they thought our schools lined up more appropriately with them to give them competitive balance,” stated Sullivan Athletic Director Cole Huber. Regarding the addition to Fisher, Huber continued, “Since we lost Cerro Gordo-Bement to 8-man football, we needed another school to make us a 10-team, closed football conference so we don’t have to play any non-conference games”

•September 9, 2026•

by E. Scott England

The Sullivan Redskins have been on the road for the past two weeks, first traveling to Arcola and then heading to Nokomis for a Redskin Battle. After Arcola was easily dispensed, Sullivan encountered a bit of a roadblock courtesy of the Redskins of Nokomis.

Arcola

The opening quarter looked like it was going to be a hard fought battle between the Redskins and the Purple Riders. After a tough defensive stand that forced Arcola to punt their first possession, Sullivan began to move steadily down the field, effectively using both passing and running to their advantage. Unfortunately, a forced fumble with around four minutes left in the first quarter led Arcola to returning the loose ball 51 yards for the first touchdown of the game. That score would remain 0-7 for the remainder of the quarter.

•August 26, 2026•

by E. Scott England

Football was definitely in the air, though it did have a strange feeling to it. Chalk it up to the fact that it was a Saturday night game instead of under traditional Friday night lights. We have nothing but a shortage of referees to thank for the twenty-four hour shift. Or maybe the different feeling was Victory Field. It seemed not quite as lush thanks to a restriction on watering grass. The barely visible numbers looked like they were painted a month ago. And a track — well, the deep groove where the track once stood — under construction being prepared for a new surface to be poured all provided a sort of odd feeling, like maybe we showed up to football season too early.

That is until smoke began to pour from the inflatable tunnel. The giant video board flashing with hype. And the 2026 Redskins storming the field proudly carrying the Sullivan and American flags. Packed bleachers, horns and sirens blaring from the tailgating section on the north end, and an energized student section in the south endzone let everyone know that the new season is under way.