Category Archives: Sports

Sullivan Suffers 9-8 Loss at Pana

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With unfortunate irony, the Sullivan baseball team began the season Tuesday much like they ended last year’s–with a one-run loss to Pana.

Despite taking a 4-0 lead in the first, Sullivan couldn’t get out of the second inning as the Panthers took advantage of walks and two-out hits to post seven runs.

“Nick (Frerichs) was one out away from getting out of the inning giving up just the one run, but we couldn’t get that third out, and they made us pay,” said head coach Troy Rogers.

The Redskins didn’t go down without a fight though, as they held Pana scoreless through the next two innings and eventually tied the game in the fourth.

But the Panthers added two more runs in the fifth, and despite Sullivan’s last ditch effort in the seventh with one run, they came up short once again against Pana.

“The effort was there. We played pretty well defensively and hit the ball very well at times. There is still a lot of work to do to get where we want to be,” said Rogers. “We will turn the page and get ready for Mattoon Friday. You learn from it and move on.”

Honn, Stain Advance to State 3-Point Shootout

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Neither able to make it to finals

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Although both Arthur-Lovington and Sullivan boys' basketball teams didn’t finish the seasons as they wanted on the team level, both teams sent individuals to State for the 3-point shootout at the Peoria Civic Center Thursday, March 13.

“I would have rather had a regional and had the chance to keep playing,” Derrek Stain commented.” But it is definitely something I am proud of.”

Arthur senior Clayton Honn and Sullivan Stain were the two individuals to advance; both were the first from their respective schools to advance to that level in quite some time, but for Stain it took some luck and clutch shooting to advance. Read More

Sullivan Show Choir Invitational a Success as Groups From Three States Compete

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Center Grove takes grand championship

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Eighteen competing groups, encompassing three states, flooded to Sullivan Saturday for the 28th Annual Sullivan Show Choir Invitational.

But this year’s competition looked different from years past. First there was the fact that there would be no finals portion of the competition. And second, was the fact that neither Decatur area school with a prominent show choir—Mt. Zion nor Eisenhower—came to Sullivan, rather both groups respectively competed in Wheaton where last year’s Sullivan Invitational Grand Champions Waubonsie Valley took Grand Champions to boot.  Read More

SHS Swim Banquet

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Photo by Keith Stewart SHS Swim Banquet The Sullivan swim team held their awards banquet last Thursday at the Sullivan Country Club. Pictured left to right are: Kali Forsyth, most improved female; Shawn Cody, most improved male; Bruce King, highest male sectional finish (second place); Brynna Sentel, highest female sectional finish (second place), Lily Bales, captain; Grant King, captain.

Photo by Keith Stewart
SHS Swim Banquet
The Sullivan swim team held their awards banquet last Thursday at the Sullivan Country Club. Pictured left to right are: Kali Forsyth, most improved female; Shawn Cody, most improved male; Bruce King, highest male sectional finish (second place); Brynna Sentel, highest female sectional finish (second place), Lily Bales, captain; Grant King, captain.

SHS Girls’ Basketball Banquet

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Photo by Keith Stewart SHS Girls’ Basketball Banquet The Sullivan girls’ basketball team held their awards banquet last Thursday at the Sullivan Country Club. Pictured left to right are: April Shuman, Lady Redskin award; Elissa Stewart, MVP, top defensive player (129 steal, 5.2 pg), captain, All-OVC honorable mention; Maggie Plank, captain, hustle and heart award; Brittin Boyer, captain, top rebounder (250, 10pg, 16.4ppg) first team All-OVC, fourth team All-State; Emily Neuhauser, captain, top offensive player (464 points, 18.6ppg), first team All-OVC; and Tatum Ellis, most improved player.

Photo by Keith Stewart
SHS Girls’ Basketball Banquet
The Sullivan girls’ basketball team held their awards banquet last Thursday at the Sullivan Country Club. Pictured left to right are: April Shuman, Lady Redskin award; Elissa Stewart, MVP, top defensive player (129 steal, 5.2 pg), captain, All-OVC honorable mention; Maggie Plank, captain, hustle and heart award; Brittin Boyer, captain, top rebounder (250, 10pg, 16.4ppg) first team All-OVC, fourth team All-State; Emily Neuhauser, captain, top offensive player (464 points, 18.6ppg), first team All-OVC; and Tatum Ellis, most improved player.

Schuring’s 26 Not Enough to Advance Knights Past St. Thomas More, Fall 61-52 in OT

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Photo by Susan Shadley The Knights’ Jeremy Plank goes up for a layup Tuesday night.

Photo by Susan Shadley
The Knights’ Jeremy Plank goes up for a layup Tuesday night.

AL unable to stop Sabers’ drive

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

With 1:02 to go in the fourth quarter, Tyler Schuring drained a triple to tie the game at 48 against St. Thomas More.

After a rare stop by the Knights, Arthur ran the clock down for one final shot and took a timeout with 15.5 seconds to go. It was only fitting Schuring took the shot—the junior led the Knights scoring 26 of his team’s 52 points—but the trey from the left wing went long and everyone in the stands got an extra session of Sectional basketball.

“We were trying to get Tyler a look on a set play of ours,” Knights head coach Dale Schuring explained. “We didn’t execute it great, I’m sure they knew Tyler would take the shot considering how he had shot to that point in the game. He got a decent look, and it was just a little long. We weren’t going to let them get another shot to score.” Read More

Sullivan Falls to Host Paris in Title Game

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Photo by Keith Stewart Alec Ballinger guards Paris’ Riley Spencer down low Friday. The sophomore had a senior night, scoring 15 on the night.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Alec Ballinger guards Paris’ Riley Spencer down low Friday. The sophomore had a senior night, scoring 15 on the night.

Not enough offense in fourth for comeback

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

As in so many of their games this year, Sullivan’s boys’ basketball team believed they were going to win last Friday’s regional crown against Paris. Even as the clock wildly ran down the last remaining seconds, Redskin players continued to scramble for the ball. But a poor second quarter and too little offense in the fourth spelled the 54-45 demise to what has otherwise been somewhat of a Cinderella year for the team that many expected to quietly finish under .500 and produce little in the way of news. Read More

Sullivan Weathers Late Collapse to Earn Regional Title Shot Friday

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Photo by Keith Stewart Nick Frerichs drives up and over a Monticello defender Wednesday night. The junior not only had 21 points on the night, but also proved crucial in keeping Monticello's Nick Stokowski to just eight points.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Nick Frerichs drives up and over a Monticello defender Wednesday night. The junior not only had 21 points on the night, but also proved crucial in keeping Monticello's Nick Stokowski to just eight points.

First title game since 09 for Sullivan

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

This year’s season has certainly been measured by the goals Sullivan’s boys’ basketball team has set for themselves. The team has already checked off a winning record, finishing in the top half of the OVC, winning the conference tournament, and competing in all, if not most games.

After Wednesday night’s 56-51 win over no. 4 Monticello, the No. 1 seeded Redskins are poised to mark yet another goal off their list with a trip to the regional championship Friday against host and no. 2 seed Paris.

“They set goals for themselves before the season started, and we’ve accomplished them,” said head coach Chester Reeder. “The seniors told me at the beginning of the year that they wanted to win a regional. After two weeks of practice, I said we couldn’t write that goal down, because we weren’t close to where we needed to be. Believe it or not, after the Warrensburg throttling, we were down on ourselves. It was only one loss, and we acted like the season was over. I told them to bring their notebooks in, get our their goal sheet. I asked them what goal was missing, and they said, ‘Win a regional.’ I said, ‘I believe you can win it.’” Read More

OV Pulls out Regional win against Raiders Monday

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Photo by RR Best Peyton Hagerman drives past a Central A&M defender Monday night. The junior led the night with 25 points.

Photo by RR Best
Peyton Hagerman drives past a Central A&M defender Monday night. The junior led the night with 25 points.

Hagerman leads the way with 25, Still with 23

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Early and often Okaw Valley (6-17) got inside on Central A&M (4-22) and used a large rebounding advantage to advance past the Raiders 76-68 in Monday night’s Arthur regional opener.

Peyton Hagerman lead all scorers with 25, and Devon Still added 23 for the Timberwolves to go with a game high 17 rebounds. Joe Jeffers also contributed eight points and 10 boards to the cause.

Early on, it was Hagerman’s nine first quarter points that largely kept the Timberwolves in the game—including five of the first seven of the game for OV—but the Timberwolves were down 22-19 after one.

“Peyton really asserted himself tonight,” Timberwolves head coach Tony Sparks said. “It was a point of emphasis for us to get down low as a team, and he did a good job off the bat and in the third to help us maintain our lead.” Read More

Redskins Romp Raiders 63-36 for Senior Night

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Photo by RR Best Pictured are the Sullivan boys’ basketball seniors, who were recognized at Friday’s basketball game against Central A&M. From left to right: Zak Britton, Shane Atchison, Cody Maxedon, and Derrick Stain.

Photo by RR Best
Pictured are the Sullivan boys’ basketball seniors, who were recognized at Friday’s basketball game against Central A&M. From left to right: Zak Britton, Shane Atchison, Cody Maxedon, and Derrick Stain.

Seniors Atchison and Stain Combine for 23

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Oh how time changes things.

As freshmen four years ago, this year’s seniors for the Sullivan Redskins boys’ basketball team didn’t look like a team that would or could beat itself out of a wet paper bag let alone a state ranked team or win the OVC tournament in the next few years.

But this year, they did just those two things—defeating eighth ranked in Class 2A Decatur St. Teresa, and winning the Okaw Valley Conference Tournament—among others that nobody expected they could, and the four remaining seniors—Derrick Stain, Zak Britton, Shane Atchison, and Cody Maxedon—are a large part of the team’s success. Read More