Category Archives: Sports

Football 7 on 7 Tournaments Help Progress

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Photo by RR Best
Luke Harlan throws the ball.

•July 19, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

New Sullivan-Okaw Valley football coach Andy Kerley has had to use this summer as a crash course in familiarizing himself with his team and assistant coaches.

“It’s going well, I think,” he said. “It’s been a process both for the players and me. Me getting used to them and the new situation, and them adjusting to new things and me. I think in the past two-three weeks we’ve been gelling well.”

The summer has given Kerley a good idea of what strengths and weaknesses the team might have. Read More

Volunteers Needed for Deer Blind Construction

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•July 19, 2017•

U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Shelbyville, is looking for volunteers to assist with the construction and installation of hunting blinds that are used for their annual deer hunt for wounded veterans and people with disabilities. With generous monetary donations from Ameren, Scheels, CC Fire Equipment Co., and the Whitetails Unlimited Land of Lincoln Chapter, materials were purchased to completely remodel 11 hunting blinds. These improvements will provide greater accessibility for participants.  Read More

Siblings Place at Summer Stream

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Siblings Place at Summer Stream

Sullivan Blue Dolphins competed the weekend of June 23 in the Terre Haute Summer Steam Long Course Meet. Nineteen swimmers represented SBD and had several fast swims. Head coach Jason Drury said he could not have asked for more for the swimmers coming into a 50 meter long course meet. Siblings, Alivia Melvin and Aidan Melvin brought home second place high point trophies. Alivia in the eight and under division and Aidan in the six and under division. Submitted by J.D. Graham

Championship Game

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Photo by Brandi Denton
Championship Game
Okaw Valley and Sullivan 1 come together for a group picture after their championship game in Arcola June 29th. Okaw Valley won first place in the tournament and Sullivan 1 finished with 2nd place. Players are 11-12 years old.

Coach of the Year for ALAH’s Lane

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Coach of the Year Jerry Lane.

•June 28, 2017•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond softball coach Jerry Lane earned Coach of the Year honors from the Herald and Review last week.

“I am honored by the award,” Lane said, “but it wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for two amazing assistant coaches, Dana Tinkle and Tabitha Davis, as well as a fantastic group of young ladies that work great as a group and work hard to keep getting better.”

The Knights averaged 9.2 runs per game this season and finished with a 21-4 record. Read More

OVHS Catcher Named All Area First Team

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Photo by Jason Brown
Catcher Garrett Fritz made All Area first team.

•June 28, 2017•

Okaw Valley baseball catcher Garrett Fritz was named to the all-area first team last week.

Despite teams pitching around him all season, Fritz hit .515, had an OBP of over .600 and hit seven home runs and seven doubles.

An injury kept him from taking to the mound the whole season, but he threw 19-2/3 innings that featured 23 strikeouts.

“Garrett is arguably the best overall player in the area,” said OV coach Andrew Hagerman. “He is an exceptional defensive catcher as well. He controls the game when he is behind the plate.”

Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond’s Marcus Vanausdoll earned second all-area honors.

The junior Knight hit .555 on the season. Read More

ALAH Track Athletes Earn First Team All Area

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•June 28, 2017•

Three Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond athletes were named to the 2017 girls’ track and field News Gazette All-Area teams last week.

Freshman Kenli Nettles earned first team-all area honors.

Nettles placed in the top six in two events at the IHSA Class 1A State Track and Field Meet at O’Brien Stadium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Read More

Best Basketball Player is OVHS’s Paige Robinson

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Photo by Jason Brown
OVHS Paige Robinson-Best Player.

•June 28, 2017•

The 2016-2017 basketball season has been over for three months, but Okaw Valley guard Paige Robinson is still collecting awards.

Robinson won the female basketball player of the year award at the 9th Annual ESPNDecatur ESPY Awards in Decatur Saturday.

I am just proud of Paige as she is very deserving.” Coach Brad Akers began. “We are not a very big school and it is nice to see her getting the recognition she is with all of the work she has put in over the past two years.”

“She was not at the ceremony, again with the basketball camp,” he explained. “You can see her name on the screen via a picture from the Okaw Valley Timberwolves twitter.” Read More

Tennis Receives a Boost with New Court Surface

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Tennis anyone? Back row, left to right: Jo An Mathias, Evelyn Ashley, Aastha Patel, coach Chris Dobosz, Neej Patel, Kathy Camp. Front row, left to right: Mikhayla Mathias, Elizabeth Mathias, Aarya Patel, coach Susie Dobosz, Clayton Bone, Xander Ashley and Natalee Hunter.

Players From 3-90 Years Old

•June 28, 2017•

By Mike Brothers

Tennis courts at Wyman Park in Sullivan are riddled with tennis balls on Tuesdays and Thursday, but it’s all in the name of fun.

That is in large part due to the gaining popularity for tennis in the area and the efforts of Chris and Susie Dobosz.

Tennis began growing in Sullivan in 2010 when Chris, who operates Evolve Yourself Fitness, began discussing the possibility of starting a youth tennis program.

The program grew from those humble beginnings to developing a middle school tennis program in Sullivan last year.

“This sort of grew organically from those first discussions,” Dobosz said, noting that 100 people went through the program last year.

That kind of traffic took its toll on the Wyman tennis courts which hadn’t seen much action in years. Read More