The Sentinel 2021-22 Boys All-Area Basketball Team

Andrew Beyers goes up for a shot against the Eagles
Andrew Beyers goes for a layup between Rantoul seniors Angel Soto and Avontay Anderson (left) during second half action. Beyers, named to this year's Sentinel All-Area basketball team, and the St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team rolled over the visiting Eagles in their Illini Prairie conference game back on February 8, 74-54.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Sentinel All-Area First Team

Here is our list of the best area players for the 2021-2022 season.

First Team

Andrew Beyers, Senior
St. Joseph-Ogden

Will Cowan, Junior
Unity

Evan Ingram, Senior
St. Joseph-Ogden

Blake Kimball, Senior
Unity

Austin Langendorf, Junior
Unity

Ty Pence, Junior
St. Joseph-Ogden

Henry Thomas, Sophomore
Unity

Logan Smith, Sophomore
St. Joseph-Ogden

Second Team

McGwire Atwood, Junior
St. Joseph-Ogden

Hayden Brazelton, Senior
St. Joseph-Ogden

Nolan Grindley, Senior
St. Joseph-Ogden

Jacob Maxwell, Junior
Unity

Dalton O'Neill, Sophomore
Unity

Trustan Price, Senior
Unity

Coy Taylor, Freshman
St. Joseph-Ogden

Andrew Thomas, Sophomore
Unity

Honorable Mention

St. Joseph-Ogden:
Maddux Carter (Jr)

Unity:
Jay Saunders (So)

Unity's Trustan Price celebrates a three-point shot during the Rockets' Class 2A regional title game against St. Joseph-Ogden. Price and the Rockets' season came to end after a 58-50 loss to the Spartans at the Rocket Center. Price, a senior, is a member of The Sentinel's all-area Second Team.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Editor's Note:

A Certificate of Recognition is available for each of the players listed above. Players, coaches, or parents/guardians can email us at sports@oursentinel.com to receive their 2021-22 certificate.

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Rockets drop fierce battle in basketball regional title game

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity's Blake Kimball goes up for a shot down the baseline on St. Joseph-Ogden's Coy Taylor during the second half. After an 11-all first quarter start, the Rockets' basketball season came to an end with a 58-50 loss to the Spartans at the Rocket Center on Friday. Visit oursentinel.com next week for more photos from this game.
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Rockets drop non-conference bout at Mt. Zion

MT. ZION -- The first quarter of the game made all the difference in the outcome of the Unity's boy's basketball team's road game at Mt. Zion.

While the Rockets ran up and down the floor stride-for-stride during the last three periods of the non-conference game, it was the first-quarter eight-point advantage the Braves carved out that sealed their 62-56 win.

Led by senior Blake Kimball, Unity's starting five delivered the bulk of the team's total score. Kimball, who spent 35 minutes on the floor, finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and two steals.

The Rockets' second-leading scorer, Henry Thomas, finished with 16 points, six boards, and three assists. Austin Langendor rounded the team's top three scorers with nine points.

Mt. Zion's Carson Cuddy and Ethan Hamrick finished with 23 and 21 points, respectively.

Box Score

Final: Mount Zion 62 - Unity 56

  1 2 3 4 OT F
Unity 12 12 14 18 0 56
Mount Zion 20 14 10 18 0 62


Unity --
Kimball 8 (1) 0-0 -- 19, Cowan 1 (2) 0-0 -- 8, H. Thomas 4 (2) 2-3 -- 16, Rawdin 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Warfel 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Saunders 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Porter 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, O'Neil 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Price 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, A. Thomas 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Langendorf 2 (1) 2-2 -- 9, Maxwell 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0.

Mount Zion --
S. Driscoll 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Adams 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Koester 2 (1) 0-0 -- 7, McAtee 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, J. Driscoll 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Bauman 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Hamrick 4 (2) 7-11 -- 21, Owens 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Trimble 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, Cuddy 4 (4) 3-3 -- 23, K. Clark 2 (0) 1-2 -- 5, R. Clark 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Hart 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0,

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Unity fall semester honor roll students

TOLONO -- Students who achived a grade point average of 3.75 or better at Unity High School earn High Honor Roll recognition. Students earning a GPA of 3.20 to 3.74 are recognized as Honor students.

Senior High Honor Roll

Zayne Bonner
Grace Frye
Elise Johnson
Marie Baxley
Katelyn Allen
Shelbee Taylor
Annabelle Jokisch
Sydney Olson
Isabella Warner
Delaney Kamradt
Allyson England
Kaitlyn Reedy
Sara Steffens
Emma Bleecher
Lauryn Kennedy
Elise Swanstrom
Thomas Cler
Taylor Henry
Sarah Butler
Payton Kaiser
Erika Steinman
Malia Fairbanks
Alaina Scroggins
Taylor Cloud
Kelley Street
Samantha Ruggieri
Nolan Miller
Tyler Hensch
Carli Keller
Allison Shonkwiler
Hailey Flesch, Evelyn Eastin, Krystal Crossin
Tavius Hosley, Addison Montgomery
Grace Renfrow
Destiny Williamson
Madeline Reed
Savannah Alagna
Anna Burgoni
Shaelynn Carrier
Nolan Decker
Marshall Church

Senior Honor Roll

Ivy Wright
Phillip Hartke
Bridget Henry
Harper Hancock
Grace Brock
Calli Chandler
Macie Knudsen
Bailey Rice
Cole Newell
Riah Inman
Hanna Mataya
Carson Kleparski
Dillon Rutledge
Ryan Cole
Cameron Marvin
Claire Markstahler
Joseph Thompson
William Thompson
Carson Willard
Alida Maggio
Cameran Hansen
Nathan Weakley
Clayton Jamison
Christopher Conley
Christian Hite
Joel Neverman
Sophia Darnall
Blake Kimball
Anna Wodtka
Cody Broadfoot
Tristania Hansen
Grant Albaugh
Lucas Sommers

Junior High Honor Roll

Erin Lopez
Caleb Amias
Sophia Stierwalt
Sarah Rink
Brendan Graven
Raena Stierwalt
Kaitlyn Schweighart
Dylan Moore
Rachel Aders
Calvin Baxley
Mary Bryant
Jacob Maxwell
Anna Clark
Lauren Miller
Roger Holben
Andrew Mowrer
Avery White
Ellen Ping
Abigail Pieczynski
Annah Cloin
Emmalee Atkins
Ava Vasey
Audrey Remole
Julie Ping
Emily Anderlik

Junior Honor Roll

Ian Russell
Hunter Duncan
Mason Perry
Andrew Manrique
Emmilia Tiemann
Tyler Liffick Worrell
Jayce McGraw
Haylen Handal
Jolie Meyer
Kayla Nelson
Cale Rawdin
Annabelle Steg
Maria Buffo
Paige Farney
Lauren Cooke
Anthony Chaney
Lillian Montgomery
Kara Young
Logan Allen
Reece Sarver
Kiersten Reasor
Natalie Weller
Madison Loftsgaard
Anna Hamilton
Alivia Renfroe
Peyton Weckle
Garrett Wingler
Brandon Goyne
Boden Franklin
Bobby Kirkland

Sophomore High Honor Roll

Eden Johnson
Anna Polonus
Ava Price
Carsyn Smith
Madysen York
Lily Steffens
Shelby Hoel
Olivia Shike
Erica Woodard
Katelyn Moore
Rebecca Carter
Cassidy Keller
Jocelyn LeFaivre
Aubrey Sanders
Natalie Ellars
Analyse Carter
Caelyn Kleparski
Desire De Los Santos
Tanner Chilton
Isaac Ruggieri
Abigail Woolcott
Tatum Meyer
Briana Ritchie
Madison Henry
Lauren Neverman
Taylor Drennan
Dalton Oneill
Margaret Ingleman
Breanna Weller
Andrew Thomas
Logan Siuts
Caroline Jamison
Eric Miebach
Reagan Little
Ruby Tarr
Brooke Hewing
Henry Thomas
Meredith Reed
Brock Suding
Brenlee Dalton
Connor Cahill
Evelyn Albaugh
Jeremy Wells
Castillo Sanchez
Emberly Yeazel
Michael Porter
Piper Steele
Kamryn Edenburn
Bridget Vazquez
Maci Richmond

Sophomore Honor Roll

Bailey Grob
Nathan Bleecher
Bayleigh Jones
Dean Niswonger
Emma Plackett
Kendra Cromwell
Gabriel Howard
McKayla Schendel
August Niehaus
Zachary Lorbiecki
Kate Thomas
Carson Parker
Trevor McCarter
Aubrey Schaefer
Jay Saunders
Tanner Wells
Rylee Richardson
Gillian Rice
Sophia Wozencraft
Brooklyn Haas
Ava Holladay
Emma Fish
Darren Weckle
Keaton Roether
Thayden Root
Bryson Weaver
Grant Siuts
Carly Scroggins
Alexis Ritchie
Kolton Wells
Sebastian Allen
Trevor O'Bryan
Mason Davis

Freshman High Honor Roll

Joseph Temple
Ashley Rennels
Faith Hall
Avery Watson
Catharine Ford
Molly Baxley
Ashlyn Denney
Alex Mowrer
Ryan Robinson
Savannah Rubin
Camryn Reedy
Kade Dubson
Elle Cheely
Madelyn Darnall
Chloey Duitsman
Paige Brewer
Ryan Rink
Rylee Refisteck
Lauren Hellmer
Jordan Daugherty
Lindsey Johnson
Daniel Stein
Ava Fenter
Sophia Hartke
Meagan Rothe
Kadence Goff
Josephine Cler
Lindy Bates
Hunter Eastin
Lydia Rossi
Dallas Hollingsworth
Lauren Shaw
Kolton Black
Wyatt Huffstutler
Tessah Williams
McKinley Weller
Sophia Beckett
Sophia Frye
Gracie Meharry

Freshman Honor Roll

Ava Davis
Ezekiel De Los Santos
Reigna Price
Emily Decker
Noah Bryant
Brady Parr
Michael Bromley
Nolan Wishall
Paige Garretson
Estella Dodd
Caleb Hoewing
Bentten Cain
Alexis Gady
Gavin Weaver
Emmerson Bailey
Cohl Boatright
Lindsey Lewis
Logan Zumbahlen
Taylor Prough
Maddie Wheeling
Austin Mikeworth
Makayla Nonman
Riley McNeely
Grant Steinman
Jacob Davidson
Kathryn Lancaster
Logan Church
Brianna Blakley
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Rockets end losing streak with six-point win over Blue Bullets

MORTON -- After back-to-back losses in the past week, the Unity basketball team survives a near loss to the Blue Bullets of Knoxville (15-5) to win 60-54 at the Morton Basketball Shootout on Saturday.

The Rockets' 12th win of the season was yet another nail-biting affair. The score was knotted at 25-all at the end of the first half after a productive 20-point quarter by Knoxville. Will Cowan and Thomas Henry drilled two threes apiece in the third quarter to help construct an 11-point Unity lead.

Despite a valiant effort by the Blue Bullets to rally back into the contest with four players reaching double figures, Unity was able to hold off the surge in the final quarter.

David Hise and Braden Downs led the Knox County team with 12 points each. Bryar Fleisher and Beau Honeycutt chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Meanwhile, Unity had three players turn in double-digit performances.

After a 19-point output against Paxton-Buckley-Loda less than 24 hours earlier, Blake Kimball scored 18 points to lead both rosters in the shootout game. Will Cowan found his stroke from beyond the arc, draining five treys and finishing with 17 points for the Rockets.

Starter Tristan Price hit a couple of three-pointers and went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line to finish with 10 points.

Unity (12-4), currently tied 5th in the Illini Prairie standings, will have a chance to polish their record a bit. Tuesday, the Rockets host St. Thomas More at the Rocket Center and take on the Eagles in Rantoul on Friday.

Box Score

Final: Unity 60 - Knoxville 54

  1 2 3 4 OT F
Unity 11 14 22 13 0 60
Knoxville 5 20 11 18 0 54


Unity --
Kimball 6 (1) 3-5 -- 18, Cowan 1 (5) 0-0 -- 17, H. Thomas 0 (2) 1-2 -- 7, Rawdin 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, Warfel 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Saunders 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Porter 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, O'Neil 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Price 1 (2) 2-2 -- 10, A. Thomas 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Langendorf 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, Maxwell 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0

Knoxville --
Downs 3 (0) 6-6 -- 12, McClay 3 (0) 3-3 -- 9, Hise 4 (1) 1-2 -- 12, Wallace 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Fleisher 0 (3) 2-2 -- 11, Nolan 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Tuckey 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Curey 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Honeycutt 5 (0) 0-2 -- 10, Shreves 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Saulte 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Morris 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Bent 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Bentz 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0

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Prep Sports Notebook | Unity, SJO suffer losses on the hardwood

Unity falls in OT loss to PBL

PAXTON -- Paxton-Buckley-Loda (9-6) outscored the Unity basketball team 13-3 in an overtime session on their home court to hand the Rockets their fourth and second consecutive loss this season. The Panthers used seven of the 11 free throws in the extra period to win, 51-41.

Nursing a 22-16 lead at the half, the Rockets' Blake Kimball scored all eight of his team's points in the third frame. Meanwhile, PBL closed the gap on the scoreboard, shaving the point deficit down to a two-point difference.

Unity's scoring effort was a mere shadow of their first-half effort. Kimball, who finished with 19 points - 12 from three-point range, was quiet after the third period. Austin Langendorf stepped up by scoring six of the team's eight fourth-quarter points and forced the tie at the end of regulation play. The Rockets' third-leading scorer, he finished the night with nine points.

Behind Kimball, Thomas Henry was Unity's second-leading point producer with 11 hard-earned points. Will Cowan rounded out the team's scoring effort with two points from a field goal in the first quarter.

Keegan Busboom led the Paxton-Buckley-Loda scoring effort with 13 points. Fellow seniors Mason Medlock and Brandon Knight scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. Key to their success was another senior, Mason Bruns, who came off the bench to score nine points down the stretch for the Panthers.

Box Score

Final: Unity 41 - Paxton-Buckley-Loda 51

  1 2 3 4 OT F
Unity 11 11 8 8  3 41
PBL 11 4 13 10 13 51


Unity --
Kimball 2 (4) 3-3 -- 19, Cowan 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, H. Thomas 1 (2) 3-6 -- 11, Rawdin 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Warfel 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Saunders 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Porter 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, O'Neil 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Price 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, A. Thomas 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Langendorf 4 (0) 1-3 -- 9, Maxwell 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0,


Paxton-Buckley-Loda --
Bruns 2 (0) 5-8 -- 9, Ager 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Busboom 1 (3) 2-2 -- 13, Uden 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Sanders 0 (0) 0- -- 0, Graham 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Gronsky 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Johnson 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Medlock 3 (0) 6-6 -- 12, Hitz 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Donaldson 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Snelling 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Knight 4 (0) 3-5 -- 11,

Unity wrestling squad post four wins

MONTICELLO -- The Rockets' wrestling squad posted three shutouts during the first day of wrestling at the Illini Prairie Conference Meet this week.

Unity defeated IVC, 84-0; Rantoul, 84-0; and the St. Thomas More program, 81-0. While Monticello was the only program to score team points against the Rockets, UHS wrestlers cruised to a 72-6 victory.

SJO loses conference game by 14

ST. JOSEPH -- The St. Joseph-Ogden (12-4) basketball team dropped their first conference game of the season, falling to Pontiac at home, 58-44. It is the second straight loss for the Spartans, who dropped a non-conference contest, 54-38, on the road against Class 2A powerhouse Teutopolis on Tuesday.

Hoping to avenge last season's two-point loss to the Hawks, SJO plays at Prairie Central on Tuesday, January 18.

The Spartans are back in the Main Gym next Friday, where they will tip-off against Illinois Valley Central.

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Rockets notch 11th win of the season, Unity picks up IPC victory

TOLONO -- Both teams were off to an ugly start in their first basketball game of 2022. Unity's shotmakers converted on just 34.2% of their shots while hosting Olympia in their Illini Prairie Conference game last Friday. Luckily, the visiting Spartans' shots weren't falling either allowing the Rockets to post a 41-34 win over their guests.

Backed by Will Cowan's 10 rebounds, seven of them on the defensive end of the court, Unity held Olympia to just six first-half points inside the Rocket Center.

The Spartans, who made baskets on 23.8% of the balls they tossed at the rim, were led by Chase Litwiller's double-double 19 points, and 11 boards.

Unity (11-2) took an early lead on a three-pointer from Cowan and two more, in addition to a field goal, from senior Blake Kimball for an 11-4 first-quarter lead. Kimball was Unity's only scorer in the next frame with six points. Meanwhile, Olympia mustered only two points, both on free throws from Litwiller and his brother Andrew before halftime.

Despite being outgunned 28-24 in the second half, a fourth-period burst from Kimball and teammate Henry Thomas' six crucial free throws kept the game from slipping away. Jacob Maxwell hit a field goal and free throw in the final frame for the Rockets.

Kimball led all scorers with 25 points. He also added to the cause six rebounds and a pair of steals from his 35 minutes on the court. A bigger asset on defense on Friday, Cowan finished the night with four points.

Cowan & Co. are at home again tomorrow against Tuscola. The varsity game is scheduled to start at 7pm. The Warriors are 12-3 on the season with losses to Okaw Valley, Monticello, and Indiana's 21st Century Charter.

Box Score

Final: Prairie Central 48 - Urbana 21

  1 2 3 4 F
Unity 11 6 5 19 41
Olympia 4 2 10 18 34

Unity --
Kimball 5 (4) 3-10 -- 25, Cowan 0 (1) 0-0 -- 3, H. Thomas 0 (0) 6-8 -- 6, Rawdin 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Warfel 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Saunders 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Porter 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, O'Neil 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Price 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, A. Thomas 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Langendorf 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Maxwell 1 (0) 1-6 -- 3

Olympia --
Ragland 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Peifer 1 (0) 1-2 -- 3, Wilson 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, D. O'Donnell 0 (0) 1-2 -- 1, Swartzendruber 0 (2) 0-0 -- 6, Pierce 1 (0) 2-4 -- 4, A. Litweiler 0 (0) 1-2 -- 1, Wilie 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Dane 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, C. Litwiler 6 (0) 7-9 -- 19, David 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Evans 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, G. O'Donnell 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Olsen 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0

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Slow start sinks Rockets at T-town

Despite draining two more treys than the Wooden Shoes, the 9-7 advantage did not keep the Unity's boys basketball team from absorbing their first loss of the season on the road on December 4.

Coming off a 61-53 win over Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin in their season opener at home on November 30, the Rockets' got off to a slow start against Teutopolis, scoring just seven first-quarter points to their opponent's 14.

By the end of the half, Unity trailed by 14 and was in the same position by the end of the third quarter at 48-34.

Blake Kimball scored seven of his 12 points for the night in the final quarter. The senior also went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.

Tristan Price, who matched Kimball's performance from the line with two third-quarter shots from the line, finished the night with 8 points. Austin Langendorf was the team's second-leading scorer with 11 points.

The Wooden Shoes were paced by 16-point outputs from juniors Brendan Niebrugge and Caleb Siemer. Kayden Althoff converted on all six attempts from the free-throw line for Teutopolis.

Box Score

Final: Teutopolis 59 - Unity 51

Unity --
Kimball 10-2-12, Cowan 6-0-6, Thomas 7-0-7, Warfel 3-0-3, Price 6-2-8, Langendorf 9-2-11, Maxwell 2-0-2.

Teutopolis --
B. Niebrugge 15-1-16, M. Niebrugge 7-2-9, K. Althoff 3-6-9, M. Althoff 2-0-2, J. Niebrugge 6-1-7, Siemer 12-4-16.

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Prep Sports Notebook: Jones secures win for Spartans, Unity beats Marshall

Smith carries Spartans in win over Hoopeston Area

Logan Smith scored 17 points, collected five steals, and finished night with three rebounds in St. Joseph-Ogden's 75-46 win at Hoopeston.

Junior Ty Pence, who made ever shot inside the three-point line he took, led all scorers with 18 points and hauled in six defensive rebounds.

Evan Ingram finished with the 11 points and four assists for the 5-0 Spartans.

Rockets pull out win over Lions

Unity out-rebounded Marshall 41-23 in Once again, Blake Kimball closed out a Unity game as the leading scorer. The senior dropped 14 points and snagged four rebounds in the Rockets' 58-51 non-conference victory last night.

Down three points after the first eight minutes, Unity flipped the score to go up 25-20 at the half and stayed a step ahead of the Lions the remainder of the game.

Austin Langendorf, who made crucial free throws in the final quarter, finished with 13 points. Henry Thomas also finished with double-digits with 10 points for the Rockets.

Jacob Maxwell led the team in rebounding with eight boards. Langendorf and teammate Will Cowan had six rebounds apiece.

Jones sticks a speedy pin for SJO

Quincy Jones was the only Spartan to notch a win at the team road meet with Oakwood. The Comets defeated St. Joseph-Ogden in their early season dual meet, 67-6.

Jones, wrestling at 220-pounds, won his match over Harley Grimm with a 38 second pin.

The Comets won three matches pins thanks to Brysen Vasquez at 160, Reid Dazey at 145, and Pedro Rangel wrestling at 126-pounds.

Other area scores

Urbana falls to Centennial in overtime, 60-54.

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Prep Sports Notebook: Rockets pick up two basketball wins, SJO celebrates all-conference players

Kimball averages 10pts a quarter

Senior Blake Kimball scored 31 points in the first three quarters of Unity's game at Arcola on Monday. Kimball's strong performance, along with Will Cowan's 12 points in the last three periods, the boys' basketball team won the away game, 69-41.

Jacob Maxwell hauled in 10 boards for the Rockets and Cale Rawdin snagged another seven for the cause.

Despite a scoreless first quarter against the Rockets, Arcola saw a balanced scoring effort with points from eight players. Beau Edwards led the Purple Riders' offense with 10 points.

SJO girls fall short on the road

Peyton Jones goes up for a shot in SJO's Turkey Tournament game against Centennial. The junior sunk five three-pointers at Mahomet-Seymour on Monday. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
St. Joseph-Ogden's Peyton Jones had a huge night against Mahomet-Seymour hitting five treys and finishing with a team-high 19 points. Unfortunately, it was enough as the Spartans fell to the host Bulldogs, 58-46.

Payton Jacob and Ashlyn Lannert came alive in the fourth quarter to finish the night with eight points apiece.

The Bulldogs' Cayla Koerner led all scorers with 26 points. The 5-5 senior buried four three-pointers and was 6-for-8 from the free throw line against SJO.


Rockets pick up road win at Urbana

Erika Steinman and Lauren Miller scored eight points each in Unity's road game at Urbana. Raegen Stringer and Katey Moore chipped in another six apiece in the Rockets' 43-22 non-conference win.

Taylor Henry led the squad with a team-high 12 rebounds and a pair of assists. The Rockets also saw good rebounding numbers from Hailey Flesch (6), and Miller (5), also credited with four steals.

Stringer distributed six assists and harassed the Tigers taking the ball away with three steals.

Mboyo-Meta leads all scorers

Urbana's Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta scored a game-high 10 points against visiting Unity. Five other players contributed to the Tigers' 43-22 loss at home to the Rockets. Zineria Edwards was the second-leading scorer on her team with five points on Monday.

Urbana travels to Peoria on Thursday to face the Lions in their den and then host Peoria Manual on Saturday in Oscar Adams Gym at 2:30pm.

Wrestling results wanted

High school and youth wrestling coaches send us your meet results to editor@oursentinel.com.

Other area basketball scores

Uni-High girls defeated Arthur-Okaw Christian, 41-21.

St. Joseph-Ogden football players earn all-conference recognition

Joe Frasca boots and extra point during SJO's home game against Rantoul. The sophomore earned all-conference honorable mention for his efforts during the 2021 season.
Last week, St. Joseph-Ogden football player Tyler Burch earned First Team recognition from the Illini Prairie Conference. The junior defensive back was the only Spartan named to the top team.

Seven other SJO football players also receive recognition this season.

Conrad Miller (Lineman), Keaton Nolan (Running Back), and Griffin Roesch (Wide Receiver) were named on Second Team offense.

Lineman Owen Birt, linebacker Coby Miller and Ethan Vanliew at defensive back made the cut for Second Team defense.

Sophomore Joe Frasca, who handled kicking duties for SJO, earn honorable mention.

Correction: When this story was originally published it said Tyler Burch was a senior. The story was changed to reflect his actual status as a junior at St. Joseph-Ogden.
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Prep Sports Notebook: Pence scores 29 for SJO, Kimball drops 25 in Rockets' opener

Kimball doesn't miss a beat, scoring 25

Tolono -- After just two practices, Unity quarterback Blake Kimball hit his stride making the transition from the gridiron to the hardcourt on Tuesday. The senior led the Rockets to a 61-53 win over visiting Bismarck-Henning with 25 points after last Friday's state title football game against Byron.

Kimball is in perfect form starting his first foray back to the gym converting five treys and shooting 6-for-7 from the free throw line.

Unity also got double-digit scoring from another state football finalist. Linebacker Austin Langendorf, now at forward on hardwood, finished with 15 points. After missing the second of two attempts from the free throw line in the first quarter, he piled on 14 more in the last three quarters in the contest.

Starter Henry Thomas rounded out the Rockets' top three scorers with 10 points.

Unity hits the road Saturday to take on Teutopolis and plays another away contest on Monday at Arcola. Varsity games times are scheduled for 2:30pm and 7pm, respectively.

Box Score

Unity --
Kimball 19-6-25, Cowan 2-0-2, Thomas 10-0-10, Price 3-0-6, Langendorf 13-2-15, Maxwell 0-6-6.

Bismarck-Henning --
Meidel 24-5-29, Ingram 3-0-3, Rice 6-0-6, Tidwell 2-1-3, Sacket 9-0-9, Dodd 0-1-1, Hill 2-0-2.

Four Spartans notch double-figures

St. Joseph -- Ty Pence scored a game-high 29 points in the St. Joseph-Ogden varsity basketball team home debut Tuesday night at the Toyota of Danville Classic. The junior scored 17 of his total output in the first quarter for the Spartans.

Evan Ingram, Brock Trimble and Logan Smith also finished with 10 or more points in SJO's 78-55 win over Cissna Park on their home court.

Using just two quarters, Ingram contributed 14 points. Trimble, a sophomore, drained three shots outside the arc in the first half and added a field goal in the third quarter for 11 points. Smith, who is also a sophomore, added 10 points to the cause.

"It feels great," said Ingram on getting the W in front of a home crowd. "Our offense is really explosive. Good things are ahead."

The 2-0 Spartans are back in action tonight at 8pm to face Oakwood in Day 2 of pool play.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden --
Brazelton 2-0-2, Carter 6-0-6, Taylor 2-2-4, Smith 9-1-10, Landrus 0-2-2, Trimble 11-0-11, Pence 27-2-29, Ingram 13-1-14.

Cissna Park --
Huse 3-0-3, Savoree 8-2-10, Neukomm 5-2-7, Verkler 15-3-18,Spitz 14-1-15, Bohlmann 2-0-2.

Unity girls rebound

Cissna Park -- After taking one on the chin on Monday evening, the Unity girls basketball team quickly rebounded back to their winning ways beating Cissna Park 44-22 on the road. The Rockets' defensive effort limited the Lady Timberwolves to just seven first-half points.

Forward Taylor Henry led all scorers with 17 points. The senior also tallied five rebounds and three steals in the non-conference victory.

Junior Lauren Miller also had five boards. In addition to her nine points, she was credited with four assists and a pair of steals.

Meanwhile, Erika Steinman finished with eight points behind 4-for-4 free throw shooting.

The Rockets continue their three-game road campaign with their next stop at Villa Grove tomorrow night. Varsity tipoff is scheduled for 7:30pm.

Box Score

Unity --
Ray 2-1-3, Miller 8-1-9, Steinman 4-4-8, Stringer 4-0-4, Reed 2-1-3, Henry 12-5-17.

Cissna Park --
A. Seggebruck 2-1-3, Knake 6-0-6, Morrical 4-4-8, Maul 0-1-1, Karas 4-0-4.

Other area sports scores

Oakwood defeated Schlarman 50-41 at the Toyota of Danville Classic.

Arcola-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond won big over LaSalette in their first appearance at the annual St. Joseph-Ogden early season tournament, 63-34.

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Photo Gallery: Giving their all, Rockets come up short in 3A title game

(Left to right) Unity football captains Grant Albaugh, Dillon Rutledge, Chance Ingleman, and Blake Kimball hold up the team's runner-up trophy after the Class 3A title game at Huskies Stadium on the Northern Illinois University campus in DeKalb. In the program's sixth state final appearance since head coach Scott Hamilton took the reigns, the Rockets fell 35-7 to Byron Tigers finishing the season with a 13-1 record on Friday. More photos and recap coming later this week.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity's Nick Nosler comforts teammate Oran Varela as the final seconds tick off the game clock in the fourth quarter. Nosler, a junior, led all defenders with a game-high 11 tackles, five of which were solos. Varela finished the game with six tackles for the Rockets.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Lineman Karson Richardson (right) receives a hug from a teammate as time runs out for the Rockets. Byron held the Unity offense was held to just 205 yards of total offense and keep the ball for 32 minutes and five seconds during the combined four quarters.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity fans go crazy on a touchdown pass to Dillon Rutledge as time ran out in the first half. The 37-yard pass play would be the Rockets only score of the game.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
The Unity Dance Team performs for Rocket fans during halftime. The Rockets trailed on the scoreboard, 21-7.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Rockets' wide receiver Jay Saunders bobbles a pass from Blake Kimball in the third quarter. Saunders caught three passes for 39 yards in the state final game.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity offensive linemen line up infront of a propane heater to stay warm. Temperatures at game time was in the upper 20s.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Liam Alt and the Rocket offensive line move after the ball is snapped. The Class 3A game lasted just 2 hours and three minutes.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Wide open in the end zone, senior receiver Dillon Ruthledge hauls in a 37-yard pass in the second half for a Unity touchdown. Rutledge caught another pass, a 12-yard one, to finish the final game of his prep career with 49 yards.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Blake Kimball hands the ball off to teammate Matt Brown. The Byron Tigers effectively bottled up the Unity offense with Brown good for just 77 yards on 17 carries.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity fans root for their team during the first half.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Austin McDaniel pulls down a Byron ball carrier during the first half. McDaniel finished the game with seven tackles, one for a loss.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Will Cowan stretches out to push Byron ball carrier Chandler Binkley out of bounds in the first quarter.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
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Class 3A runner-up, Rockets finish the season 13-1 after title game against Byron

Blake Kimball runs the ball through Byron defense
Unity's Blake Kimball carries the ball during the IHSA Football State Finals Class 3A title game against Byron on Friday, November 27. The quarterback carried the ball nine times for a net gain of just 26 yards and threw for 102 on eight completions out of 15 attempts. Kimball and the Rockets finished the season with a record of 13-1 after falling 35-7 to the Tigers in high school championship game on Friday. View more photos from the game at here.
Chris Johns/PhotoNews Media
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4th-quarter comeback propels Unity to Class 3A football championship game

The last time the Rockets played a semifinal football game at home there was three inches of slush on the grassy turf of Hicks Field. Brutally cold with a sustained 15 mile an hour crosswind gusting to 30 at times, last Saturday's weather conditions were in stark contrast to that of the Blizzard Bowl of 2015.

Under a cloudless blue sky and gentle rays of sunlight heating the barely two-year-old artificial turf, the outcome, played by seniors who were still in junior high during the Blizzard Bowl, was identical. Three quarters of solid defensive play yielded yet another shot at a football state title, the sixth since 1994 when head coach Scott Hamilton took the reigns, after defeating visiting Mt. Carmel, 28-21.

Head coach Scott Hamilton is congratulated by fans after Unity's 28-21 win over Mt. Carmel. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
"What a crazy game," Hamilton said while Unity players and fans celebrated the team's fourth 2021 playoff victory. The number one seed in the southern playoff bracket, the Rockets played all four postseason games at Hicks Field. "We'll enjoy this one and wake up tomorrow morning and give her hell."

The Rockets jumped out in front on their first possession on an 87-yard drive capped off with quarterback Blake Kimball sprinting three yards toward the southeast court of the end zone, and to the dismay of dozens of Golden Aces fans along the barrier behind the end zone, diving just inside the orange pylon for the first TD of the game.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
With a little help from teammate Camden Mette, Unity's Boden Franklin strips the ball from Mt. Carmel's Blayne Sisson during first quarter action. The Rockets recovered the fumble to set up their next scoring drive. See more game photos from iphotonews.com.

Three minutes later, thanks to a fumble forced by junior Boden Franklin, Kimball was back in the end zone after a two-yard run to put his team up 13-0. With another easy PAT and looking at 14-point first-quarter deficit, Mt. Carmel was shell-shocked. Or, so it seemed.

Shaking it off, the Golden Aces started pulling them out of their sleeve. The first, with less than a minute on the scoreboard, Zeke Hadra scored on an 11-yard run. Then, a second barely two minutes into the second quarter to tie the ballgame up at 14-all courtesy of Mt. Carmel quarterback Blayne Sisson's 70-yard gallop through the Rocket defense.

Mt. Carmel wasn't finished. Hadra threw down another ace in the form of a 10-yards touchdown sending both teams into the locker room with MTC looking golden at 21-14.

"Everything looked so bad the whole second quarter, the whole third quarter, and we couldn't do anything," Hamilton said.

Though it has been a rare occurrence for the Rockets to be behind on the scoreboard, teams don't win 17-straight football games by giving up.

"For whatever reason, whether it was the Monticello game, or if you look back to some of the other games last year, they just hung in there," Hamilton said. He also highlighted his team's struggle against Paxton-Buckley-Loda, whose football program loudly announced their entrance into the mighty Illini Prairie Conference this year. He was proud of how they responded with their 'it ain't over until its over' attitude. "They just don't ever give up on each other."

In the first series of the fourth quarter, Rockets' Will Cowan snags a interception in the Unity end zone. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, Kimball and Matt Brown, who broke out for a 56-yard run on the drive, move the ball down the field. Pushed out of bounds at the 15-yard line, the Rockets had to wait until Kimball barreled into the east end zone for a third time to tie up the score.

"These guys just don't quit," Hamilton said, holding back tears of joy. "Their character is unbelievable."

Re-energized the Unity defense squad created another scoring opportunity with another interception. Camden Mette comes up big with 6:40 left in the fourth quarter. Not long after that, Brown finds his way into the end zone and the Rockets get the PAT to go up 28-21. The Rockets are just 5 minutes, ten seconds away from going to state.

"As he does all the time, Coach (Tony) Reetz got it figured out upfront," Hamilton said. A couple of defensive stops, a little game-clock finesse, and Unity would be preparing to play their 14th game this season. "Coach (Dave) Fink and our defensive guys took care of it on that end, and it's off to DeKalb we go."

Refusing to give up ground, the Unity defense stood tall stalling Mt. Carmel's desperate efforts to get a first down. The Rockets take control of the ball on their own 40 and meticulously wind down the clock down for the win.

Next up, the final test. Unity, who will play its first postseason road game at Huskie Stadium on the campus of Northern Illinois University, will square off against Byron.

The Tigers, who will make their third consecutive state final appearance, lost both previous contests by four points. In 2018, Monticello prevailed at Memorial Stadium, 24-20, and Williamsville held on to beat Byron 46-42 in DeKalb for the 2019 title.

Game time is at 4pm.


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Photo Gallery: Unity football is headed to state!

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity football head coach Scott Hamilton celebrates with players and fans after his 2021 Rocket team defeated visiting Mt. Carmel High School on Saturday at Hicks Field on Saturday. Unity prevailed in the seesaw battle to advance to the state title game after defeating the Golden Aces, 28-21. Heading to the Class 3A championship game, the Rockets will take their 17-game win streak to DeKalb to face the Byron Tigers who upset IC Catholic with a stunning fourth-quarter 15-14 comeback.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Clutching the game ball, Rockets' quarterback Blake Kimball congratulates members of the Mt. Carmel team after the game. Kimball scored three of the four Unity TDs on Saturday and finished the game with 142 yards.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Members of the Unity Dance Team perform during halftime. The Rockets trailed going into the locker room, 21-14.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
A Unity receiver nearly loses his helmet taking a hit from Mt. Carmel safety Gage Kennard on a pass play.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Rockets' lineman Austin McDaniel lays out Golden Aces' receiver Gage Kennard in the second half.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity student fans cheer for their team during the fourth quarter. The Rockets fourth-quarter rally secured one of two spots in the Class 3A title game.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Cameron Marvin celebrates the first of two fourth-quarter TDs for the Rockets.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity quarterback Blake Kimball rolls out looking for an open receiver in the third quarter. See more photos of Kimball from this game here.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Oran Varela, a 5-11, 225-lb lineman for the Unity Rockets, fights his way past Luke Laws into the Golden Aces' backfield in the first half.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity's Cale Rawdin carries the ball looking for more green turf to cover moving the ball up the field.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Golden Aces linemen Luke Dardeen and Noah Noble celebrate their team first touchdown in the second quarter.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
With a little help from teammate Camden Mette, Unity's Boden Franklin strips the ball from Mt. Carmel's Blayne Sisson during first quarter action. The Rockets recovered the fumble to set up their next scoring drive.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity's Grant Albaugh and Kyus Root break through a banner before the start of their last home game of the season. The Rockets played all four of their 2021 postseason football games on their home field. Beating Mt. Carmel in the semifinals punched the Rockets' ticket to the Class 3A championship game this Friday at 4pm.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Rockets' Matt Brown and Karson Richardson head out to the field before the start of their team's final home of the season. The Rockets have not lost a contest at Hicks Field since August 30, 2019 against Illinois Valley Central. See more photos from this game using the preceeding link later this week.
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Runaway Rocket

Blake Kimball runs for a touchdown

Unity quarterback Blake Kimball finds plenty of open turf as he sprints from 13-yards out for the north corner of the east end zone at Hicks Field. With just over two minutes left to play in the game, the score extended the Rockets' lead by 20 over the visiting Williamsburg Bullets and sealed their advancement for another 2021 playoff game. After the 28-7 win, the undefeated Rockets will host the 12-0 Mt. Carmel's Golden Aces in an unprecedented fourth consecutive home playoff contest next Saturday. Kimball, who finished with 85 yards on the ground, scored another touchdown earlier in the third quarter on similar play from the 15-yard line. More photos and game story coming soon.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
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Photo Gallery: Unity wins playoff game over PBL, 21-14

Seth Hitz misses a tackle on Unity's Tyler Hensch
Paxton-Buckley-Loda Seth Hitz misses a tackle on Unity's Tyler Hensch during the second-round playoff game last Saturday. The Panthers (7-4), new to the Illini Prairie Conference, put up a good fight against the state-ranked Rockets at Hicks Field before their season came to a close after a 21-14 finish in Unity's favor. Next, the Rockets host the Bullets of Williamsville at 2pm tomorrow.
Photo: Unity Rocket Photos
Blake Kimball scrambles with the ball
Unity quarterback Blake Kimball sheds PBL linebacker Dalton Jones keeping the ball for a short gain. On a beautiful November afternoon in Tolono, Kimball set a school record on Saturday for most completions in a single season with the Rockets at 136. Tomorrow, he will have an opportunity to set the bar higher when the Rockets host their third home playoff game this season against Williamsville for a quarterfinal showdown. Saturday's forecast calls for mostly cloudy conditions with the high in the upper 30s. West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph could be a problem for extending his mark much higher.
Photo: Unity Rocket Photos
Austin Langendorf and another Unity player breaks up a pass play
Austin Langendorf and another Unity player break up a pass play to PBL's Jacob Gronsky. The Rockets, who entered the game scoring 41.9 points per game during the regular season, got the job done with a 21-14 victory is in its 26th playoff appearance in the last 27 fall seasons. A win tomorrow and the following week will mark Unity's sixth playoff appearance in as many years. See more game photos at Unity Rocket Football.
Photo: Unity Rocket Photos
Unity Dance Team
The Unity Rockettes perform on the sidelines for fans during the game on gorgeous fall day.
Photo: Unity Rocket Photos
Braxton Manuel bursts through a banner before the start of second-round game between Illini Prairie Conference foes. Manuel and the Rockets defeated the Panthers earlier in the season, 35-0.
Photo: Unity Rocket Photos
Rockets' Boden Franklin grabs on to Panther ball carrier Tyler Smith on a third-and-three play for a loss. The stop forced PBL to punt the ball putting it on Unity's 9 yard line. See more game photos at Unity Rocket Football.
Photo: Unity Rocket Photos
Paxton-Buckley-Loda senior Tyler Smith along with help from teammate Garret Sanders brings down Unity's Matt Brown. With a chip on their shoulder and something to prove, the Paxton-Buckley-Loda defense held Unity, who averaged 41 points/game during the regular season, to a total of 21 in their playoff game. PBL gave up an average of just 11.9 points in their first nine games in the IPC.
Photo: Unity Rocket Photos
Unity assistant coach and offensive line coach Tony Reetz talks to players during the game. UHS trailed 14-7 early in the second half of an exciting high school football game. The Rockets erased the deficit, first, on a pass from Blake Kimball to Dillon Rutledge on a fourth-and-15 play, and later when Kimball found his way into the end zone on a 13-yard run with 6:42 left in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Photo: Unity Rocket Photos
Matt Brown evades PBL's Tyler Smith. Brown will be key to Unity's advance past Williamsville when they meet on Saturday at Hicks Field. In their last meeting back during the 2012 playoffs, Unity survived 10-7 on a last-second field goal on a day shaping up with similar weather conditions nine years ago. Brown finished the game against the Panthers with 87 yards on 24 carries.
Photo: Unity Rocket Photos
Unity senior Blake Kimball stretches forward to get the ball into the end zone for the game-winning score. Kimball called his own number 23 times tallying 101 rushing yards producing a come-from-behind playoff win for the Rockets. See more game photos at Unity Rocket Football.
Photo: Unity Rocket Photos
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