News Progress

March 4, 2015

A&M’s perimeter shooting proves problematic for Timberwolves
By Matthew Kracht
NP Sports Reporter

The Timberwolves came up just short in the second round of the ISHA Class 1A regional falling to Central A&M despite a 26 point performance by senior Devin Still.
Okaw Valley erased an 11 point second half deficit tying the game at 60-60 with two minutes remaining. However, the Raiders were able to hold on and advance, ending a gritty Timberwolves squad’s season.
After the game head coach Tony Sparks addressed his team’s calling card.
“Effort has been one of the signatures of this team all year long,” he said. “To lose a top scorer and leader going into the tournament, the team responded great. They just kept battling and never backed down. That is what we did all year. One thing this team did was play hard, and that is the one thing you want out of your team.”
Senior TJ Pieszchalski was the only Okaw Valley player with an offensive rhythm in the first half. Pieszchalsi, who finished with 10 points, scored eight of the first 19 for the Timberwolves and kept the team afloat. Coach Sparks was quick to compliment his player who has really grown down the stretch.
“TJ has been a good player for us for four years, and he’s played really well for us these last four or five weeks. He is another senior realizing that it was getting down to the end. So we have seen his effort go through the roof the last few weeks just playing harder and smarter.” Read More

March 4, 2015

The Sullivan/Shelbyville boys’ swim team finished third overall in the Urbana IHSA Swim Sectional last monthm marking the highest finish in school history. Read More

Photo by Jeni Yantis
The Okaw Valley boys’ basketball team celebrated its seniors (pictured) last Friday evening with a win over Cerro Gordo-Bement. From left to right: Devon Still, TJ Pieszchalski, Peyton Hagerman, Greg Walker, Joe Jeffers, Justin Vander Burgh, and Logan Tipsword.

February 25, 2015

Despite Lovekamp’s 35 points, T-Wolves prevail

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

Nathan Lovekamp and the rest of the Cerro Gordo-Bement Broncos may have tried containing OV’s Peyton Hagerman Friday evening, but they couldn’t control the nine other Timberwolves who put points on the board en route to Okaw Valley’s 76-70 senior night win.
“I thought everybody contributed,” said head coach Tony Sparks. “We were able to get to the rim and to the free throw line in the second half.”
The Broncos emerged from tip-off in a box-and-1 zone with Frankie Foran face-guarding Hagerman, which in turn helped in holding the typically fervent point guard to just four opening period points.
But in his place there was always someone else, whether it be Greg Walker fighting for a rebound and put-back, Dylan Park striking from the arc, or Justin Johnson coming off the bench scoring back-to-back baskets.
“Coach Bacon threw everything but the kitchen sink at us tonight,” said Sparks. “They definitely gave us a lot of different looks. Started out with a box and one on Peyton, which kind of neutralized him, but Dylan hit some shots in the first quarter. We did a good job of switching it up, and when you have good guards like we do in Dylan and Peyton, you should be able to recognize that stuff, and we did.”
The Broncos, meanwhile, relied heavily on their senior star guard Lovekamp, who still finished the evening with 35 points. Read More

February 25, 2015

Earn LOVC Regular Season Title

By Matt Kracht
NP Sports Reporter

Not even the polar vortex could stop the red hot Knights from rolling to a 57-33 victory over Sangamon Valley Friday night in Niantic.
The Knights’ defense held the Storm to just two points in the first quarter and six points in the second cruising to a 34-8 halftime lead. With the win the Knights salted away the conference championship, and head coach Dale Schuring was quick to give all the credit to his players.
“We have won the conference before–I don’t know that we had done it undefeated, but this is the first time since I have been coaching the boys that we have won the tournament and the conference itself. So it was a great accomplishment by this group, and it has been a long time since we had done that.” Read More