Sports Briefs

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Photo by R.R. Best
Sullivan High School Homecoming
Football Game
The Redskins huddled with 10 yards to go to try and score against the St. Teresa Bulldogs.

•March 31, 2021•
Football
The St. Teresa Bulldogs spoiled Sullivan-Okaw Valley football team’s homecoming game Friday night at Victory Field.
Sullivan fell behind 27-0 in the first quarter and 48-0 at halftime. The Redskins eventually lost 68-0.

Volleyball
The Okaw Valley volleyball team split a pair of Lincoln Prairie Conference games this past week. The Timberwolves knocked off rival Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond but lost to Tri-County.
Against ALAH, at Arthur, the Knights took the first set 25-23.
Okaw Valley battled back to take the second set 25-22, and then won the match by taking the third set 25-18.
For ALAH, Cheyenne Chupp led the team with 12 kills, and Charley Condill followed with six kills.
Mackenzi Bowles and Kaylee Schrock each recorded five kills, and Michaela Powell recorded 11 digs.
Alisha Frederick dished out 17 assists, and Sarah Rafferty added 13 assists.
Okaw Valley’s loss came against Tri-County. The Titans swept both sets. The first set was back-and-forth with both teams pushing the set until Tri-County won 30-28. Read More

Sullivan Loses to Meridian in Football, Posts Win in Volleyball

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Quarterback Luke Vander Burgh hands off the ball to Cody Browne.

•March 24, 2021•
by Jason Brown
NP Sports

This past week, the Sullivan/Okaw Valley football and volleyball teams kicked off what should have been their fall season sports.
The Redskin football and volleyball teams each competed against a Central Illinois Conference foe, the Meridian Hawks.

Football
The football team hosted Meridian at Victory Field Friday night.
Sullivan fell behind 6-0 with about five minutes left in the first quarter when the Meridian quarterback kept the ball for a seven-yard rushing touchdown.
The Hawks extended their lead to 22-14 at halftime.
Sullivan/Okaw Valley battled back and cut the lead to 28-21 with a score in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter with about 5:30 left in the game, on first down and goal at the four-yard line, quarterback Luke Vander Burgh kept the ball and scored on a run up the middle. The extra point tied the game at 28-28. Read More

ALAH Loses to Cumberland 21-16

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•March 24, 2021•
by Jason Brown
NP Sports

After nearly 16 months of waiting, Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond Knights football coach Ryan Jefferson could not wait to start the football season.
The Knights kicked off their season with a 21-16 loss to a tough Cumberland team at Toledo Friday.
ALAH took a 3-0 lead with a 33-yard field goal by Aaron Likens, but Cumberland scored on the next two possessions for 14-3 lead in the second quarter.
The Knights scored again to cut the lead to 14-10, and then both teams traded touchdowns for the final score. Read More

Okaw Valley Senior Girls Basketball

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Okaw Valley Senior Girls Basketball
Okaw Valley High School held their basketball senior nights recently. Girls basketball senior are Foreign Exchange Student Meike Zenker and seniors Delaney Johnson and Miaya Lehman.

Sullivan and Okaw Valley Boys’ Basketball Wrap Up Their Seasons

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•March 17, 2021•
by Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Sullivan and Okaw Valley boys’ basketball teams wrapped up their seasons this past week.
Though there is no post season for this year, the two teams had successful seasons in their own ways.
Okaw Valley finished at the top of the Lincoln Prairie Conference with only one loss that came at the hands of rival Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond.
The Sullivan boys’ basketball team (in a full season) would have at least doubled its win totals from the last two years.
Sullivan lost its last two games of the season, including to rival Okaw Valley Friday night.
The Redskins lost to St. Teresa, Tuesday, March 9, and Friday night against Okaw Valley. Read More

Sullivan Girls’ Basketball Knocks Off Rival Okaw Valley 50-21

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•March 17, 2021•
by Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Sullivan girls’ basketball team ended the season by winning its final Central Illinois Conference and knocking off rival Okaw Valley.
The Redskins also said goodbye to four seniors who recorded impressive high school careers: Jerra Goad, Taylor Orris, Zoe Walton and Emily White.
These four seniors finished their careers with a record of 78 wins and 25 losses. They have been a part of two regional titles, two Sweet 16 appearances, and have won the conference outright twice and were co-champs once.
In four years, they finished with a CIC record of 23-5
“It was a very emotional start to tonight’s game,” said McCain, “but I am glad they played hard to finish out a great season. I wish they could have had a post season so we could have seen just how far this group of girls could have went … They did a great job leaving their legacy behind, and we wish them all the very best in their future endeavors.”
The Redskins ended this season with a 14-1 overall record.
Sullivan took advantage of a 17-7 second-quarter run for a 26-14 halftime lead.
The Redskins came out in the third quarter and put the game away with a 21-4 run for the eventual 50-21 victory. Read More

Okaw Valley Senior Cheerleaders

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Okaw Valley Senior Cheerleaders
Okaw Valley High School held their basketball senior night recently. Senior cheerleaders are Macie Fleshner, Autumn Burns, Julia Hildebrandt, Marissa Bell, Haven Caulfield and Danae Nave.

ALAH Boys’ Basketball Finishes Season

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•March 17, 2021•
by Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond boys’ basketball team finished the season with five-straight wins for a league-leading 8-1 Lincoln Prairie Conference record and a 12-2 overall record to end the season.
The Knights knocked off Clinton Tuesday, March 9, Cerro Gordo/Bement the following night and then defeated Warrensburg-Latham 84-54 Friday to end the season.
Against the Broncos, the Knights cruised to a relatively easy win.
For ALAH, Jamison Rocke scored a game-high 29 points to go with five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Wyatt Romine contributed 20 points and ripped down a team-leading eight rebounds.
Austin Plank drained eighteen points and had a game-leading seven steals. Read More

Sullivan Boys’ Basketball Finishes the Week 1-2

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•March 10, 2021•
by Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Redskins knocked off Villa Grove/Heritage Saturday but lost to Tuscola in overtime last Tuesday and Cerro-Gordo-Bement last Monday.
In a nonconference matchup against Villa Grove/Heritage Saturday, Sullivan outscored the Blue Devils by five points in the first quarter and five points in the second quarter for a 30-20 halftime lead.
Sullivan extended the lead ten more points in the third quarter on its way to a 59-37 win.
Senior Ian Plank scored a team-leading 21 points, seven steals and four assists to go with three rebounds.
Leyton Ellis followed with 20 points, three rebounds and three steals.
Ben Bushue collected a team-high seven rebounds to go with four points. Read More