Category Archives: Sports

ALAH Knights Playoff Bid Cut Short at Carrollton

News Progress Posted on by

•November 6, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

For the first time since 2014, the Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond football team made the playoffs.
Saturday, the Knights traveled a long way to take on Carrollton, a team ALAH coach Ryan Jefferson grew up playing against.
Carrollton took an early 8-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Knights answered in the second quarter when Brady Borntreger rushed in for a score to cut the lead to 8-7.
Bornterger also threw for 66 yards on 7-of-16 passing during the game.
Carrollton put up 16 points in the third quarter to extend its lead to 24-7. Read More

Sullivan Cross Country Runners Make Sectionals

News Progress Posted on by

•November 6, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

Three Sullivan cross country runners competed in the ISHA Effingham Sectionals Saturday.
For the girls’ individual runners, Tori Turnbaugh finished the race with a time of 20:58.96, and Katherine Kite ran a 21:41.62.
For the boys’ individual runner, Chase McClure finished with a time of 19:24.90. Read More

Senior Night Win for SHS Volleyball

News Progress Posted on by

Photo furnished
Alexis Wallace, Gwen Diepholz, Meena Corkill and Avery Still pose during SHS Senior Night Tuesday.

•October 30, 2019•
The Sullivan volleyball team celebrated a win on Senior Night against Tuscola Thursday but then lost in the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional quarterfinals Monday.
The loss to the host Wooden Shoes ended the Redskins’ season with an overall record of 9-21 and a 2-5 Central Illinois Conference record.
Teutopolis defeated Sullivan in straight sets, 25-13, 25-11. Read More

SOV Football Finishes Against Central A&M

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by R.R. Best
Luke Vanderburgh returns a punt against Central A&M on Senior Night at Victory Field Friday night

•October 30, 2019•
On Senior Night, Sullivan-Okaw Valley football team finished its second-straight winless season with a loss against Central A&M, the undefeated champions of the Central Illinois Conference. Read More

SHS Sends Cross Country Runners to Sectionals

News Progress Posted on by

•October 30, 2019•
The Sullivan cross country team competed in the IHSA Regional at Dacey Trail in Forest Park in Shelbyville, Saturday.
In rain and windy weather, three Redskins advanced to the Effingham Sectional meet this weekend.
For the girls’ team, Tori Turnbaugh and Katherine Kite advanced to sectionals. Read More

OVHS Volleyball Team Wraps Winning Season

News Progress Posted on by

Photo furnished
OVHS Players recognized: April Decesaro, Kate Jeffers and Paige Coleman at Senior Night Tuesday.

•October 30, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Okaw Valley volleyball team completed the regular season with a 22-10 overall record and a second place finish in its inaugural year in the Lincoln Prairie Conference.
The Timberwolves finished the LPC with an 8-3 after dropping a match to Argenta-Oreana Thursday (24th) and defeating Blue Ridge last Tuesday.
Against the Bombers, OV lost 24-26, 25-17, 20-25 in its last regular season game.
Kate Jeffers totaled five blocks and six kills, and Paige Coleman collected nine digs and six kills.
April Decesaro added two aces and six digs, while Grace Bunfill finished with 11 digs and 22 assists.
Avery Bruns recorded three blocks, Macie Fleshner had eight kills and Karson Park had seven digs.
Against Blue Ridge last Tuesday, OV won in straight sets, 25-17, 25-19.
Jeffers led the team with nine kills and three aces, and Coleman contributed eight kills and eight digs.
Bunfill tallied 25 assists, seven digs and two aces, while Fleshner finished with four kills and seven digs.
Bruns had four kills, Decesaro had 12 digs and Park had eight digs.
OV entered the Kansas Regional this week.

Knights Second Half Propels ALAH into Playoff Berth

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by Jason Brown
Ben Carroll rushes down the sideline in the Knights 23-0 win.

•October 30, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond football team went into the half against Villa Grove/Heritage tied at 0-0.
The winner of the game would earn its sixth victory and an automatic playoff berth.
After a first half filled with penalties and sloppy play by both teams, the Knights’ coach Ryan Jefferson told his players in the locker room what they needed to do to win the second half.
“Both teams played evenly bad the first half,” said Jefferson. “I told our team we needed to do three things to win the game: one) tackle better, two) less penalties, three) do something on offense. We did those three things much better the second half and never looked back.”
ALAH came out in the second half and scored three touchdowns and a field on its first four possessions.
“Starting the second half, it was like it was a new game,” Jefferson said.
The Knights put the first points on the board in only three plays.
A 52-yard kickoff return by Ben Carroll led to a Kaden Feagin 18-yard run and then a 10-yard touchdown run by Finn Davison.
Aaron Likens kicked the extra point to take a 7-0 lead.
Feagin finished with seven rushes for 38 yards and two catches for nine yards, and Davidson added 50 yards rushing on four carries.
ALAH’s second score came on their next possession after Brady Borntereger competed a 29-yard pass to Jamison Rocke to help put Likens in position for a 32-yard field goal. Read More

Knights Volleyball Team Knocks Off Arcola

News Progress Posted on by

Photo furnished
Four ALAH seniors (Abby Abercrombie, Addi Tinkle, Kaylee Yeakel, Marta Marti Guillen) pose with parents on Senior Night last Tuesday.

•October 30, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond volleyball team split two matches this past week to finish the regular season with a 12-22 overall record and a 3-6 in the Lincoln Prairie Conference.
The Knights knocked off Arcola on Thursday in straight sets, 25-19, 25-17.
Mackenzi Bowles hit eight kills to lead the Knights, and Charley Condill collected two aces, two kills and three digs.
Alisha Frederick tallied three digs and 16 assists, while Addi Tinkle added two aces, three kills and two digs.
Michaela Powell served four aces to lead the Knights, while Cheyenne Chupp hit four kills.
Last Tuesday against Tri-County, ALAH lost in two sets, 25-15, 25-18.
Bowles hit eight kills and two digs, and Frederick added 11 assets and five digs.
Condill collected three aces, two kills and two digs, while Marta Marti Guillen served three aces.
Powell and Ashley Seegmiller each served two aces, and Powell added six digs.
Tinkle tallied four aces, two kills, three assists and two digs.
ALAH entered the Class 1A Cerro Gordo Regional as the No. 11 seeded team this week.[/s2If]

OVMS at State

News Progress Posted on by

Photo furnished
OVMS at State
The Okaw Valley Middle School boys’ cross country team placed 11th overall at the IESA State Meet in Bloomington Saturday. Eighth grader Dominic Herold medaled by placing 18th out of 230 runners.

Redskins Volleyball Prepares for Senior Night

News Progress Posted on by

•October 23, 2019•
The Redskin volleyball team dropped two games this past week.
Sullivan lost to Windsor/Stewardson Strasburg last Tuesday and St. Teresa Thursday.
Thursday against St. Teresa, Sullivan lost in straight sets, 25-11, 25-17.
Avery Still had seven kills, while Zoe Walton added three.
Jerra Goad served two aces and had five digs, and Gwen Diepholz added five digs. Read More