Category Archives: Sports

Knights Downed by Oakwood in Final Minutes

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•December 7, 2016•

Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports

Down three with 18 seconds to go, the Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond Knights faced a three point deficit with the ball, coming out of a timeout, against Oakwood Fithian, coached by former Sullivan grad Craig Black.

The game that was tied at halftime and saw the Knights come back from six down early in the fourth tied the game again with two minutes to go. It came down to the last shot.

Senior Shandon Herschberger got the ball at the top of the key and heaved up a desperation shot but got too much backboard, and the shot rolled forward off the rim, taking away a game the Knights had taken from their grasp. Read More

Warriors Take Down Redskins Despite Hot Start

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•December 7, 2016•

Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports

After starting the first six minutes of the game on a 13-4 run, featuring three 3-pointers from Addison Darush, it looked as if the Lady Redskins basketball team was going to keep its foot on the gas and get a big CIC win.

But it was not meant to be.

Turnovers plagued Sullivan, and Tuscola beat the Lady Redskins down the floor several times throughout the game for easy layups in transition, taking the game 65-54.

After Tuscola stole a Sullivan pass and took it the other way for a layup, Darush hit two of her game high six triples.  Read More

Timberwolves Finish Strong Against Hilltoppers

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•November 30, 2016•

Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports

What in the first half looked as though it would be a close game Nov. 28 got blown out of the water in the second half by host Okaw Valley’s two biggest scorers.

It all started with the Timberwolves down 12-8 in the final seconds of the first quarter. It ended with a 45-27 Okaw Valley win.

Mt. Pulaski had scored with just over six seconds left, looking to take the momentum into the second, but Paige Robinson didn’t get the memo.

Robinson took the inbounds pass and calmly took the rock just over half court before pulling a “Steph Curry” and swishing a shot just inside the half court stripe to cut the deficit to one. Read More

Strong Second Half Gives Braves Win over Sullivan

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•November 30, 2016•

Sullivan’s Lady Redskin’s strong first half wasn’t enough to keep Mt. Zion from a 49-45 win November 28.

Sullivan outscored the visiting Lady Braves 13-4 in the first quarter and had a 23-14 lead at the half. A third quarter 16-9 effort brought Mt. Zion’s team back as a 19-13 fourth quarter tipped the scales against Sullivan.

“We started the game off well and played great defense the first half, only giving up 14 points,” Sullivan coach Sheri McCain said.

“We were not mentally tough in the second half and had too many unforced turnovers,” she continued, pointing out 47% free throw percentage and hitting two for seven in the fourth quarter cost the game.

Mt. Zion was 10-12 from the free stripe in the fourth quarter. Read More

Rupert Signs Letter with Parkland

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Photo by Mike Brothers Signs Letter with Parkland Sullivan Redskin softball stand out Makenzie Ruppert signed a letter of intent to play catcher in Parkland Community College softball program next season. Ruppert’s high school softball teammates attended the Nov. 22 signing ceremony at Sullivan High School gym. Pictured seated from left: sister Ema, mother Kari, Makenzie, father Shane, and brother Tristan. Standing are Sullivan coach Troy Waggoner and Parkland head coach Chuck Clutts.

Photo by Mike Brothers
Signs Letter with Parkland
Sullivan Redskin softball stand out Makenzie Ruppert signed a letter of intent to play catcher in Parkland Community College softball program next season. Ruppert’s high school softball teammates attended the Nov. 22 signing ceremony at Sullivan High School gym. Pictured seated from left: sister Ema, mother Kari, Makenzie, father Shane, and brother Tristan. Standing are Sullivan coach Troy Waggoner and Parkland head coach Chuck Clutts.

Okaw Valley Falls Hard Against St. Anthony

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•November 23, 2016•

In seasons past the Okaw Valley baseball team has beaten teams 18-0.

The same could be said for the softball team and SOV football.

But to start the 2016-17 boys’ basketball tenure, the ‘Wolves were on the wrong end of that margin after a quarter.

The first bucket of the season came with 5:09 to go in the first half when Garrett Fritz took to the lane and lifted up a floater that wasn’t sent back by one of the St. Anthony post players. Read More

Football Players Honored At Sports Awards Banquet

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•November 23, 2016•

The fall sports banquet for Sullivan Okaw Valley sports was held recently with football all conference recognition given to several players.

Coach Gerald Temples announced that Preston Waggoner was named Most Valuable Offensive Lineman;  Kolton Rose - Most Valuable Defensive Lineman. Read More

Game Winning Knights Long Shot Downs Sages

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•November 23, 2016•

Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports

The 10 point lead with 4:39 to go was long forgotten.

Monticello closed the gap on their home court Nov. 18 with 43 seconds to go. They took the first Sage lead of the game 41-40.

Things looked even more dire after Mychaela Miller missed an open layup attempt with five seconds to go.

The Knights fouled, and Monticello made the back end of the two offerings. Then the magic the Knights enjoyed in volleyball rolled over to basketball.

Kim Davis inbounded the ball to Hannah Wallen with 3.9 seconds to go.

Wallen got past half-court and heaved up a prayer from the volleyball line which banked in to give the Knights the 43-42 win. Read More

Wooden Shoes Drop Redskins to Open Season

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•November 16, 2016•

Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports

After last season’s 91-15 dismantling at the hands of Teutopolis, the Redskins’ season opening victory over the Shoes just the season before felt like an eternity ago.

This season, the result was the same, only not near as much of a beating.

The Wooden Shoes took a 10-1 lead out of the gate, a 25-5 advantage after a quarter, and ultimately take the season opener 78-35.

Sullivan still had several bright spots while taking on the defending second place team in the state tournament from a season ago who is returning three of its starters.

Esther Miller was responsible for all five of the Redskins’ first quarter points and would finish with nine on the night, sinking a free throw, and two layups--one off a steal going coast-to-coast and the other off an inbounds play--but it was Addison Darush who took the rest of the night.  Read More

Knights Get Slammed Out of Sectionals

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•November 9, 2016•

Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports

There were no magical three-set triumphs this time around.

In a sectional also comprised of powerhouses St. Thomas More and St. Joseph-Ogden, Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond drew Tri-Valley, a team with two losses on the season, one of which came at the hands of SJO.

The Vikings sported arguably the most menacing hitter of the whole sectional in 6’2” junior Hannah Clayton, along with a couple other players taller than anyone on the Knights’ roster, but the Knights made things interesting.

It looked as if beating would have been a more descriptive word in the beginning.

Clayton gave the Vikings their first point after Abby Foreman downed a kill, and the match was even up until the five point mark.

After that, things got a little carried away.  Read More