Category Archives: Sports

ALAH Girls Take Tuscola Into Overtime, Senior Drive Not Enough

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•February 14, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

After defeating Villa Grove in the first round of the IHSA Class 2A Arthur Regional, the Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond girls’ basketball season came to an end with a loss to Tuscola last Tuesday.

In a back-and-forth barnburner, Tuscola took the early 10-8 first-quarter lead, but ALAH battled back to take a 27-24 halftime lead.

Tuscola clawed their way back in the third and tied the game in the fourth to send it to overtime.

In overtime, Tuscola outscored the Knights 4-2 for the 48-46 win. Read More

Tough Week for Sullivan Boys’ Team

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•February 14, 2018•

The Sullivan boys’ basketball team dropped two Central Illinois Conference games this past week.

The Redskins lost to Central A&M Friday, Feb. 9, and to Shelbyville last Tuesday.

Against the Raiders, Sullivan fell behind seven points in the first quarter and trailed 22-10 heading into the half.

CAM kept the pressure on in the second half for the eventual 51-21 win.

Caden Ellis led the Redskins with seven points, and Dominick Kimberlin followed with five points. Read More

OV Girls’ Wild Weekend Propels Them into Sweet 16 

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Submitted photo
The Okaw Valley girls’ basketball team not only won its first regional championship in Timberwolves’ history but also earned a Sweet 16 bid with a win over Altamont in the first round of the Louisville North Clay Sectional Monday night.

•February 14, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

“It has been a wild weekend!” said OV coach Brad Ackers.

In Monday night’s sectional game, OV fell behind 11-6 early in the first quarter but battled back to tie the game at 13, and from there both teams went back and forth with the Timberwolves taking a one-point lead into the half, 25-24.

OV extended the lead to 46-43 by the end of the third quarter, but it was an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter that helped put the game away for the Timberwolves.

With a three-point lead, 48-45, a basket by Madison Vogel, four straight points from Paige Robinson and two free throws from Natalie Jeffers extended the lead 56-45 with about four minutes left in the game.

OV fought off Altamont the rest of the way for the 68-58 win.

Earlier in the year, Altamont had topped OV 49-45. Read More

Central A&M Top Redskins

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•February 7, 2018•

The Sullivan boys’ basketball team dropped a game 87-50 to Central A&M to finish in eighth place in the Central Illinois Conference Tournament in Tuscola the last week.

CAM turned an eight-point first-quarter lead into a 37-25 halftime lead and did not look back in the second half. Read More

Swimmer Qualifies

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Swimmer Qualifies
Sullivan swimmer Brodie Goss qualified to attend the Circle City Classic 35th Anniversary meet in Indianapolis last weekend.
Goss qualified in the maximum number of events which is eight.
He made finals in six out of the eight events.

Knights Crank Up Defense to Topple Timberwolves

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Photo by R.R. Best
Austin Romine (#13) throws the ball out of a pack of Timberwolves Friday night.

•February 7, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond boys’ basketball team split a pair of games this past week.

The Knights knocked off Okaw Valley Friday but lost to Decatur LSA last Tuesday.

Against Little Okaw Valley Conference foes Okaw Valley, ALAH extended a 1-point first-quarter lead to four at half, 25-21.

“We started out well and continued to improve and compete better and better as the game went on,” said ALAH coach Dale Schuring. “We defended better than we have in a long time.”

The Knights took a 37-30 after the third quarter and stretched that lead in the fourth quarter for the 48-35 win.

“We shot the ball well, executed our offense with patience and rebounded extremely well,” said Schuring. “It was a must win situation for us in division play.”

Two Knights scored double-doubles. Read More

OVHS Timberwolves Hold Down Rams for Win

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Photo by R.R. Best
Knight Colton Romine and Timberwolf Austin Hill get entangled Friday.

•February 7, 2018•

The Okaw Valley boys’ basketball team finished the week 1-1 with a win over Ramsey Saturday and a loss to Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond Friday.

Against Ramsey, the Timberwolves took control early by holding the Rams to three points in the first quarter, while scoring 12.

OV took a 29-11 lead into half and then they led four more points for the eventual 50-28 victory.

Three Timberwolves finished with double-digit scoring.

Jared Bunfill and Trey Yarnell scored 14 and 13, respectively, and Garrett Fritz recorded 12 points.

Yarnell made three 3-pointers, and Yarnell dropped two. Read More

Fontbonne Bound

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Fontbonne Bound
Okaw Valley High School senior Grace Harlin has committed to Fontbonne University in St, Louis, Mo. She will have the opportunity to play golf and softball there.

Midwest Youth Team Tennis Offered In Sullivan

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•February 7, 2018•

Midwest Youth Team Tennis gives kids the opportunity to have fun and play on a team, and the Okaw Valley Tennis Association (OVTA) is offering a Midwest Youth Team Tennis program.

The USTA/Midwest Section(United States Tennis Association), OVTA partnership uses the USTA Youth Tennis play format with age appropriate equipment, court dimensions and scoring.  Read More