Soccer seniors made a super effort this fall

Not quite ready for full-fledged membership into the Marvel Cinematic Universe nor recruited by Dr. Charles Xavier for enrollment in his School for Gifted Young Children, Kolton Batty, Luke Cohen, Brayden Grimsey and Zac Seeley, the four seniors on St. Joseph-Ogden's soccer team made a heroic effort to produce a winning soccer season this fall.

Batty, who was named All-Conference First Team, along with an Honorable Mention for Seeley, were recognized as All-Conference players by the Illini Prairie Conference. Seeley was also recognized as the 2019 squad's Most-Valuable-Player at the SJO Fall Sports Awards earlier this week.

The quartet of seasoned and skilled footballers did not reach the level of success they had hoped as a team but will most certainly take the lessons they learned about themselves through the various trials and tribulations they encountered this season to become worthy X-Men or members of the MCU.

The Spartans finished the season with a record of seven wins, 14 losses and four ties. The team lost by two goals or less in seven of their losses.

The four seniors played for a combined 6,038 minutes. Batty was punched in for 1,709 of them.

Back in September after a home game, I interviewed the four about their hero personas. Here is a glance at the soccer team's unsung heroes.

Seeley hat trick gives soccer first win

Spartans' Zac Seeley dribbles the ball down the field on a beautiful September day . The senior went on to record his first hat trick of the year to give the St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team their first win of the season. View more photos from the Spartans' 5-1 victory over visiting Schlarman here: Spartans vs Hilltoppers soccer gallery. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Nazanine Agassi)

Left: Kolton Batty moves into position to head a high ball. Right: Aiden Cromwell switches ball direction to keep Schlarman defenders off the ball. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Brayden Grimsey battles for ball possession on the Spartans home field with a Hilltopper defender. Grimsey scored the final SJO goal of the day in the 5-1 non-conference win on Labor Day. See more photos of Grimsey and the Spartan soccer team here ... (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Nazanine Agassi)

SJO senior spotlight with Zac Seeley

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
A younger brother and a younger sister

Hobbies:
Running, fishing, playing soccer, playing video games, and hanging out with friends.

Favorite SJO memories:
He has enjoyed playing soccer at SJO, eating lunch with his friends each day and participating in Homecoming week all four years of high school.

Favorite classes:
Ag Construction, Ag Mech Tech, BSAA, Biology, and Intro to Ag

Favorite teachers:
Mr. Miller and Mr. Risley at St. Joseph Middle School and Mr. Don Beckett and Mr. William Billman at SJO.

Clubs & Activities:
Soccer (4 years) and Maroon Platoon

Career Plans:
He enlisted in U.S. Army and is currently in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, undergoing basic combat training.

Advice to future SJO students:
Get your homework finished on time.

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Text provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School. Photos by Clark Brooks.

Batty makes First-Team all-conference soccer team

Last week, Kolton Batty was one of three St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team members awarded Illini Prairie all-conference honors. The senior was the Spartans' only First-Team recipient.

Batty, the team's top defensive specialist who appeared in 25 games for SJO this season, scored one goal during several brief forays on the Spartan offense. He scored the only goal in his team's 6-1 loss to Iroquois West at the Cornjerker Classic. He took a total of 13 shots this season.

Also earning all-conference honors were goal keeper Hunter Ketchum (second-team) and Zac Seeley (honorable mention).

Ketchum spent 1,541 minutes defending St. Joseph-Ogden's goal. Only a freshman, he inherited keeper duties from Mason Behrens and finished the season with 145 saves at an average of 6.3 per game.

Seeley, a three-year varsity veteran, scored 11 goals this season and 21 total during his four seasons with SJO. The senior notched a hattrick in the Spartans' 5-1 win over Schlarman in September and recorded 3,066 minutes on the pitch during his career.

Photo of the Day - October 10, 2020

Spartans unable to answer Manteno challenge

Jacob Shaw kicks the ball down the field in St. Joseph-Ogden's home game against Manteno in 2018. The Spartans fell 4-0 in the non-conference match. Other members of the team that season included Logan Ingram, Justyn Frisby, Cailer Kellenberger, Sophia Martlage, Jared Emmert, Zac Seeley, Tyler Sullivan, Bryce Froeschl, Jordan Kelly, Brayden Grimsey, Kolton Batty, Joshua Baldner, Nathan Emmert, Luke Cohen, Seth Wedig, Cade Hausman, Joel Branson and Mason Behrens.

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Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Volleyball wins at T-town, soccer b'deviled

Sports Book: September 5

Volleyball team crushes T-town in straight sets

Abby McDonald's 2019 team battled to a 25-18, 25-13 victory on the road handing the Teutopolis (3-1) their first loss of the season.

Four SJO hitters collected six kills a piece in the two-setter.

Emily Bigger, Jenna Albrecht, Katelyn Berry and Kennedi Burnett were responsible for 24 of the Spartans' 32 kills. Bigger was credited with 25 assists.

T-town's Carly Michels had 7 kills and 3 digs against the Spartans. Kelsey Deters had 34 sets & 11 assists for the Lady Shoes in the non-conference loss.

St. Joseph-Ogden's junior varsity squad fell 2-1 by way of a, 27-25, 19-25, 17-25 decision. The Spartan freshman were unsuccessful in the quest for a victory dropping a pair of heartbreakers, 25-23 25-21.

Spartan soccer team suffers tough loss

After securing their first win of the season last over Schlarman Academy, the SJO soccer team drop their non-conference meeting against Bismarck-Henning, 10-1.

Mason Behrens scored the teams only goal as the team sinks to 1-4-1 on the season. Senior Zac Seeley took four shots on the Blue Devils but was unable to put the ball between the bars. Rookie goal keeper Hunter Ketchum saw 18 shots during his tenure in the box and made five saves.

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Attention high school and junior high coaches: Please send game scores and stats to us. Send results and weekly stats to sports@oursentinel.com.

Change Log: This story was updated 9/10/19 with St. Joseph-Ogden stat leaders.

Elsbernd, Miller Spartans of the Week

Week 2 Lady Spartan of the Week: Emily Elsbernd

Above, Emily Elsbrend down the field in SJO home game against Urbana University High. On the right, she chases down a loose ball in this week's home match against Fisher-GCMS. Click here to see more photos of Elsbrend. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Just a freshman, Emily Elsbernd earned a starting spot as a defensive player on this year's SJO varsity boys soccer team. What she lacks in size and mass, she more than makes up with grit and persistence when physically challenging veteran opponents for the ball. "She is just a powerhouse out there as a freshman," says soccer head coach Dan Vogelsang. "A lot of coaches compliment her all the time. I look forward to when she is a junior and senior."

Honorable Mentions: Jenna Albrecht (volleyball), Addie Allen (cross country), Katelyn Berry (volleyball), Raegan Crippen (soccer), Lacey Kaiser (volleyball), Hope Rajlich (cross country), Jillian Plotner (cross country).

Week 2 Spartan of the Week: Jaden Miller

Jaden Miller earn this week's honors after scooping up a blocked Rantoul punt and plunging into the end zone for the first defensive touchdown of the season. The heads up play and resulting score padded St. Joseph-Ogden's side of scoreboard in the 22-8 Illini Prairie Conference win over the Eagles.

At nose guard, Miller has 12 tackles heading into tomorrow's week three game against Bloomington Central Catholic. The Spartan defense has allowed just two touchdowns to the start the 2019 season.

Honorable Mentions: Kolton Batty (soccer), Drew Coursey (football), Payton Grimsley (golf), Brayden Grimsey (soccer), Lukas Hutcherson (cross country), Charlie Mabry (cross country), Coby Miller (football), Zac Seeley (soccer), and Sam Wesley (football).

Previous Spartans of the Week

Week 1: Jarrett Stevenson / Katelyn Berry


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Attention high school coaches: Help us recognize our area prep athletes each week. Please send game scores and stats to us for freshman and junior varsity as well as varsity games. Send game, race and match results and weekly stats to sports@oursentinel.com.

Seniors Plotner and Cain named Spartans of the Week

Week 5 Lady Spartan of the Week: Jillian Plotner

Last Saturday, Jillian Plotner ran the best race of her life. Not only did the senior lead SJO on course to third place award at their annual Spartan Classic, her time catapulted her into the St. Joseph-Ogden cross country program's all-time top ten runners in school history. Plotner finished seventh overall at 18:29 setting a new personal record and tying Sam Mabry's 2017 time also clocked at the Spartan Classic.

What is significant about her performance is the 46 seconds she shaved off her top time this season and the 40 seconds lopped off her previous PR of the nineteen minutes and nine seconds at last year's IHSA state cross country finals.

Honorable Mentions: Lindsey Aden (volleyball), Lacey Kaiser (volleyball), Ava Knap (cross country), Sophia Martlage (soccer), Hannah Rajlich (cross country), and Rylee Stahl (volleyball).

Week 5 Spartan of the Week: Payton Cain

Payton Cain earned this week's honors after fielding a punt during last Friday's homecoming game against Pontiac and running it 68 yards to give the Spartans a 13-0 lead in the first half. In the photo on the below, Cain turns on the speed on his way to his first TD of the season.

Cain has made an impact on special teams. He has accumulated 91 yards on punt return and 19 on kickoff returns so far this season.

The Sentinel caught up with him at a recent photo shoot at the high school and asked him a few questions.

Sentinel: What's you're go-to pre-game meal?
Cain: Spaghetti.


Sentinel: What is your favorite movie right now?
Cain: All The Fast & The Furious movies.


Sentinel: What's your dream job?
Cain: I don't know... Owning a business in Florida.


Sentinel: If you could have one meal with anybody, who would it be?
Cain: Michael Jordan ... scratch that. Walter Payton.


Sentinel: Who on the team makes you laugh the most?
Cain: Chance Izard!


Sentinel: What do you like about St. Joseph-Ogden High School?
Cain: The environment. The school, classrooms and sports, it's all awesome.


Honorable Mentions: Brady Buss (football), Luke Cohen (soccer), Alex Funk (football), Brayden Grimsey (soccer), Logan Ingram (soccer), Brandon Mattsey (cross country), Caleb Nemecz (football), Zac Seeley (soccer), and Brayden Weaver (football).

Previous Spartans of the Week

Week 1: Jarrett Stevenson / Katelyn Berry
Week 2: Emily Elsbernd / Jaden Weaver
Week 3: Drew Coursey / Hannah Rajlich
Week 4: Emily Bigger / Hunter Ketchum

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Attention high school coaches: Help us recognize our area prep athletes each week. Please send game scores and stats to us for freshman and junior varsity as well as varsity games. Send game, race and match results and weekly stats to sports@oursentinel.com.

Stevenson, Berry are Sentinel's 1st Spartans of the Week

Week 1 Spartan of the Week: Jarrett Stevenson

Stevenson averaged 8.6 yards per carry in the Spartan football team's home opener against St. Thomas More. The senior running back was good for 173 yards and scored four touchdowns in SJO's 36-8 win over the Sabers.

Honorable Mentions: Mason Behrens (Soccer), Drew Coursey (Football), Brandon Mattsey (Cross Country), Eric Poe (Cross Country), Zac Seeley (Soccer), Brayden Weaver (Football),

Week 1 Lady Spartan of the Week: Katelyn Berry

Before the month of September, Berry led the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team with six aces and is second in the hitting stats with 26 kills. On the road against Mahomet-Seymour, she was credited with one block, three assists and hit six winners in the team's 25-12, 25-16 non-conference victory on Aug 31.

Honorable Mentions: Emily Bigger (Volleyball), Kennedi Burnett (Volleyball), Emily Elsbernd (Soccer), Jillian Plotner (Cross Country) and Hannah Rajlich (Cross Country).



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Attention high school coaches: Help us recognize our area prep athletes each week. Please send game scores and stats to us for freshman and junior varsity as well as varsity games. Send game, race and match results and weekly stats to sports@oursentinel.com.

Soccer team falls at Hoopeston, VB drops opener

Sports Book: August 27

Soccer suffers road loss

Keeper Mason Behrens fended off 9 of 12 shots on his goal in the SJO soccer team's 3-0 loss to Hoopeston on Tuesday. Senior Zac Seeley was unable to find net after booting three of the six SJO shots on the Cornjerker goal. Freshman Will Page played all 80 minutes in the team's first loss of the season. The Spartans look to bounce back against Uni-High tomorrow in their home opener at 4:30 p.m..

Volleyball falls 2-1 to St. T

After taking the first set 25-23, the St. Joseph-Ogden varsity volleyball team dropped the next pair, 25-15 and 25-21 in their home opener against St. Teresa. The Spartan play next at Mahomet-Seymour on Saturday. Match time is scheduled for noon.

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Attention high school and junior high coaches: Please send game scores and stats to us. Send results and weekly stats to sports@oursentinel.com.