Photo by Jason Brown
Avery Still passes the ball last year during the sectional at Tuscola. Avery looks to help Sullivan beyond a Sweet 16 bid.

•November 20, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

For the last two seasons, the Sullivan girls’ basketball team has earned trips to the Sweet 16.
This season, the Redskins are eager for a chance to go deeper in the state tournament.
Sullivan head coach Sheri McCain believes her team should contend for a Central Illinois Conference championship, but her real goal each year is making deep runs in the playoff.
“Our ultimate goal is to be ready for post-season play and bring home another regional title,” McCain said. “These girls have experienced a lot of success over the past few years and are hungry to keep the tradition going. They have fallen short in the Sweet 16 the past two years, but I know they are motivated and want to go beyond the Sweet 16.”
The Redskins have a good blend of height and speed to go inside and outside scoring.
And as usual, McCain led teams will apply full and three-quarter court pressure, along with well-scouted half-court defensive schemes.
“We are pretty quick in transition and like to get up and down the floor,” she said. “We have a lot of offensive threats and several girls can score outside as well as around the rim. I think we are also a pretty good team defensively, and I think our height and length will cause some problems for other teams.” Read More

•November 20, 2019•
The Sullivan girls’ swim team competed in the IHSA Swimming Sectionals at the Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center starting Saturday.
The Redskins placed seventh with 68 points. Champaign Centennial’s 209 points won the sectional meet.
Redskins Lilly Graham, Madalyn Booker, Gabrielle Spain and Kadence Kennedy competed in several events. Read More

•November 6, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond lost to Central A&M in the quarterfinals of the Cerro Gordo Regional last Tuesday.
The Knights won the first set 25-19, but the Raiders battled back to take the next two sets, 25-18, 25-19 to win the match.
Mackenzi Bowles led the Knights with 11 kills to go with three digs, and Cheyenne Chupp contributed nine kills and six digs.
Alisha Frederick had a team-high 25 assists to go with seven digs, and Addi Tinkle added three aces, five digs and three assists.
Michaela Powell recorded a team-high 20 digs and served three aces.
ALAH’s season ended with a 12-23 overall record and 3-6 in its inaugural year in the Lincoln Prairie Conference.

•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

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