by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter
Arthur came into the week holding the 10th slot in the Class 1A polls, and Saturday they faced Decatur LSA, who beat the Knights when they were ranked 10th last season.
This season would be much different thanks in large part to Curtis Plank.
“In warm-ups my shot was just falling,” Plank explained. “It was just one of those nights I guess you could say. Coach called some plays for me, and I made those shots.” Read More
Photo by Keith Stewart
Meridian athletic director Eric Hurelbrink hands Sullivan's four seniors the Okaw Valley Tournament championship trophy Saturday night after the Redskins beat Meridian 53-46.
Sullivan battles through OV Tourney, defeating host in Championship Saturday
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
“Why not us.”
What had been a rhetorical question and even mantra became a simple statement Saturday night, when Sullivan, the no. 5 seed, upended no. 7 seed and host Meridian in the Okaw Valley tournament championship 53-46.
After 12 long years, the trophy came back to Sullivan in what is the final year of the Okaw’s existence. Sullivan last won the conference tourney in 2002 when they defeated Monticello 51-43. But it was 14 years ago that a young Chester Reeder, then a jr. on the basketball team, was a part of the 99' Sullivan group to win the trophy.
Now in his first year as head coach, Reeder and company signed off on the irony with Saturday’s win.
“It means so much. I’m just so happy for these kids, especially these seniors,” said an emotional Reeder after Saturday’s game. “They’ve been told their whole life that they aren’t going to be successful. I was told when I took the job that it was going to be a struggle, that we weren’t going to win very many games. I just kept telling them, ‘Don’t believe what you hear. Buy into being there for each other. Play tough, play together, and worry about the 30 guys that we have in the program and see what happens. Play as hard as you can and see what happens.’” Read More
Photo by Keith Stewart
Alec Ballinger powers his way through the paint Thursday night.
Earn shot at OVC tourney trophy Saturday against Meridian
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
“Fight. Fight for these last eight minutes.”
Chester Reeder didn’t want his team letting St. Teresa slip by–not again. Not in the fourth quarter. Not in the OVC semifinals. Not at all. After seeing their lead diminish in the fourth and eventually losing to the Bulldogs two weeks ago, the Redskins were prepared for a different outcome Thursday night, when they, the no. 5 seed in the OVC tournament, took on the no. 1 seed, and not to mention state ranked St. Teresa Bulldogs and came away with their second straight upset of the tourney, winning 65-58.
“It feels awesome,” said Reeder after the game. “I asked them before we left, ‘Why not us?’ We played with them for three and half quarters last time at their place. You can’t have any doubt. You have to believe in yourself, believe in each other, keep playing, and see what happens.” Read More
Photo by Keith Stewart
Sullivan’s lone senior Maggie Plank is seen with her father Jim and mother Lori during senior night Monday night.
Final conference game Thursday
by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter
Rebounding. Moving feet on defense. Fouling.
Those points of emphasis and 18 points from Maroa’s Brenna Fink were key in keeping the game so close in the early going Monday night between Sullivan and Maroa-Forsyth. In fact the score was 30-29 in favor of Maroa at halftime, and neither team led by more than four at the end of the first three quarters. Read More
Titans patient offense slows OV
by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter
The only time Okaw Valley’s boys held a lead against Tri-County Friday night was an early 2-1 advantage after a Greg Walker layup with 6:03 to go in the first.
The Titans regained the lead on a bucket with 4:46 to go and kept the pace slow throughout the rest of the quarter and game.
With the score tied at seven, Tri-County held the ball near half court for 30 seconds before starting a play with 10 seconds on the clock. Senior Tyler Wright then sank a 3-pointer as time expired for a 10-7 Titan lead after one. Read More
The Arthur-Lovington Knights continued their win streak Monday night defeating Georgetown-La Salette Academy 84-69. Senior Curtis Plank also hit his 1,000th point during the game. Read More
Photo by RR Best
AL’s Curtis Plank drives to the basket Saturday night. Plank led the team with 16 points.
Four Knights in double figures, Plank tops with 16
by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter
Arthur-Lovington lost a heart-breaker to Cerro Gordo-Bement in overtime the last time the two teams met in Cerro Gordo, so it was only poetic justice the two rivals met in the LOVC tournament final.
“This year the kids—especially the seniors—set their minds to it to make it this far,” Knights head coach Dale Schuring stated. “On a regular basis we struggle in this tournament, but this year the kids really stepped up and prevented anything from going wrong. This wasn’t a revenge game to me, but I’m sure the kids had some in their minds.”
Early on it looked as if the excitement of the previous meeting between the two would carry over as both crowds set an electric atmosphere for the game. The atmosphere carried over, and the Knights’ Tyler Schuring and Jeremy Plank opened with 3-pointers, which were answered by Bronco Connor Gross. Read More
Lady Red earn third in tourney while boys upset no. 4 seed
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
Monticello was perhaps left feeling slighted by Sullivan Saturday when both the Lady and Gentlemen Red beat the Sages in each of their conference tourneys. The girls won 75-54 solidifying third place in the OVC tournament (after losing a heartbreaker Thursday to Clinton), while the boys overcame a 10-0 run in the second to retake a lead they held on to for a 72-61 win. Read More
Submitted by Don Rousser
The Sullivan Blue Dolphins traveled to Decatur January 10-12 for the Seth Dunscomb New Year’s Opener hosted by the Decatur Swim Club. Read More
Seniors Coller, Goodman, and Miller Score 21, 18, and 10
by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter
As was the case for the Lancers and their volleyball senior night, their basketball senior night started off slow.
Tri-County started the game with an 8-2 run, with post player Abby Smith scoring four of her game high 27 in the opening run, but the Lancers would settle down and go to work in the second after leading only 14-13 after one. Read More