Photo by RR Best
SOV defense stops Meridian back at Victory Field.

•September 26, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan-Okaw Valley football team may have lost against Meridian 27-14 at Victory Field Friday, but the fundraising efforts of the “Real Men Wear Pink Night” were winners.
Meridian jumped out to an early lead and did not let go.
In the first quarter, SOV punted from its own end zone, and a good punt return put the Hawks deep into Sullivan territory.
SOV had the Hawks at second down and 14 yards, but Hawks quarterback Jacob Jones ran for a first down, and three plays later, Jones kept the ball on an option play and scored from the six yard line.
The point after kick was wide left, leaving the score at 6-0 with just more than six minutes left.
“Defensively, we struggle to stop the run,” said SOV coach Jeff Myers. “Can’t win football games at any level when you can’t stop the run.”
After an SOV drive that took Sullivan into Hawk’s territory stalled on downs, Meridian scored on an option play where Korey Damery scored on a 48-yard touchdown run.
The extra point was good to extend the lead to 13 with just more than three minutes in the first quarter.
“We moved the ball but couldn’t finish drives,” said Myers. Read More

•September 19, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan boys’ and girls’ cross country teams competed in the Shelbyville Trail Invitational and the Tuscola Classic at Wimple Park in Tuscola this past week.
In the Shelbyville Trail Invite, though the girls did not field a team, Katherine Kite finished in ninth place with a time of 21:28.63.
Adalee Nichols finished in 17th place with a time of 22:52.79.
For the boys, Chase McClure finished in 17th place with a time of 17:53.52 for a ninth place finish. Read More

•September 19, 2018•

The Okaw Valley boys’ golf team lost a triangular meet against Villa Grove and Tolono this past week.
Case Crawford shot a 38 to earn medalist honors, but the team shot a 194.
Host Villa Grove won with the low score of 183. Read More

•September 19, 2018•

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond volleyball team defeated Sangamon Valley/Tri-City in its Little Okaw Valley Conference Northwest opener last Thursday.
The Knights lost the first set 25-21 but battled back to win the next two sets by the same score of 25-11.
Taylor Powell’s four aces, 15 kills, 12 digs and 28 assists led the Knights. Read More

•September 19, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

Rather than the injury bug, the Sullivan-Okaw Valley football team has dealt with the injury monster.
To enter the game against Shelbyville Friday at Victory Field, four SOV game-one starters were on the sidelines.
“We are still pretty banged up right now,” said coach Jeff Myers. “We went into the game down four starters from week one and a quarterback still less than 100 percent from a week two shoulder injury.”
The Rams scored first with just under a minute in the first quarter when Dominick Kimberlin caught a 58-yard pass for a touchdown. The Rams then passed in the extra point for an 8-0 lead
SOV answered when receiver Dominick Kimberlin caught a 58-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Luke Harlin.
The kick failed, leaving the score at 8-6.
Kimberlin finished with 137 yards on three catches.
The Rams ran in two more scores in the second half to extend the lead to 21-6 lead.
The Redskins cut the lead to 21-12 when Luke Vander Burgh returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown with 4:26 left in the quarter. Read More