Barnes scores 18 in Monticello win

Taylor Barnes had a great game against Monticello.

Making seven of her nine free throw attempts, Barnes scored a game-high 18 points in St. Joseph-Ogden's 47-39 home win over the Sages.

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Spartan Atleigh Hamilton tries to steal the ball from Sages' Lizzie Stiverson. Hamilton gave a strong defensive effort to help the Spartans extend their record to a two-game win streak. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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"She made free throws and she was aggressive," was the first thing head coach Kevin Taylor said about the senior's performance in the Martin Luther King Day contest. "We always talk to her about being more aggressive. She made a couple of drives and got a couple of rebounds - she just put it altogether tonight."

It was by no means a clean basketball game. Both teams engaged in scrappy play, something the SJO, despite their youth was better at.

"It was a scrappy, physical game. Whenever we play our conference schools it can be that way," he said. "Everybody wants to win."

.::. Buy this photo .::. Monticello's Olivia Swanson tries to dribble past SJO sophomore Ella Armstrong during first half action. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

A week ago Monday, Taylor's Spartans wanted it more.

Up by one thanks to Barnes' seven points in the second quarter at the half, the Spartans played a much stronger second half.

"We didn't start the best," Taylor pointed out. "We still got a lot to work. I know the end of the year is getting here pretty quick, but I liked that they settled in and started running a little bit better offense."

St. Joseph-Ogden played a consistent pace producing 13 points in the last three quarters of the Illini Prairie Conference game.

Despite missing two of her three free throws, Katie Cramer was the Spartans' second leading scorer with eight points. Ella Armstrong scored six and Ashlyn Lannert enter the game after the start contributing another five points.

Monticello center Jayna Burger finished with 15 points. The 5-11 senior was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Cleo Clark, who converted five out of her six trips to the charity stripe, finished with 10 points for the Sages.

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Senior Katie Cramer scoops up a loose ball in the second half between Monticello's Cloe Clark and Lizzie Stiverson. Cramer finished the contest with eight points. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Payton Vallee checks her elbow after a hard fall during second half action against the Sages. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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In the midst of a sea of hair and arms, Atleigh Hamilton snags a rebound for the Spartans. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Ella Armstrong looks up while she secures the ball after ripping it from the grasp on Monticello Jayna Burger. Armstrong finished with six points in the conference win over the Sages. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	8	13	13	13	- 47
Monticello	10	10	7	12	- 39

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ella Armstrong 6, Payton Valle 4, Taylor Barnes 18, Katie Cramer 8, Atleigh Hamilton 2, Taylor Wells 2, Payton Jacob 2 and Ashlyn Lannert 5.

Monticello: Cloe Clark 10, Renni Fultz 6, Lizzie Stiverson 8 and Jayna Burger 15.

Spartans advance after downing Villa Grove-Heritage in regional title game

Up by one with four seconds left in the first quarter after Villa Grove-Heritage's Vanessa Wright scored at the other end of the court, senior Katie Cramer took the ball into the north corner and lined up a shot three feet from in front of the Maroon Platoon's headquarters. She pulled the trigger just as the buzzer sounded hitting nothing but net to extend St. Joseph-Ogden's fragile, early game lead to four at 11-7.

Fragile indeed.

Despite building a seven-point advantage, the largest lead by either team in the first half of the game, the Spartans toiled on repeating a nearly identical third quarter encore of Tuesday night's semifinal against Tuscola to win 50-34.

Seniors Katie Cramer, Hannah Dukeman, Anna Wentzloff and Taylor Barnes take possession of the team's IHSA plaque. The win over Villa Grove-Heritage marked the third consecutive regional championship title for the Spartans. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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"This time of the year no one is going to give up. No one is going to stop playing hard," said St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Kevin Taylor in regards to yet another underwhelming third quarter that allowed the Blue Devils to tie up the score at 25-all. "I knew they would come back at us. I knew the game was not over."

VGH head coach Dan Sappenfield called a time out with 3:52 left in the third. After play resumed Aliya Holloman found herself at the free throw line where she sank two shots to tie the score up at 25-all.

Shortly thereafter, Taylor Wells drew a foul call and drilled the first shot before missing her second to give the Spartans a one point lead that would not last for long.

The Blue Devils immediately responded with a lay up from Samantha Campbell after inbound pass to go up 27-26. It would be the last time VGH would see numbers on their side of the scoreboard great of the two.

Right after Atleigh Hamilton hit the second of her two free throws, Taylor called a time out with fans from both sides looking a pair of 27's on the scoreboard.

"That seems to be a pattern for us," said Katie Cramer. The senior, who now has three regional titles to her credit, led the SJO's offensive effort with 12 points. "We like to come out after halftime kind of flat. But, we picked it up and I wasn't worried once we picked up our energy."

After the 30 second break, an energized, highly physical Spartan squad took command of the floor out scoring VGH 18-7. Abby Behrens led final quarter effort to help the Spartans put the game out of reach with six points, four from her six attempts from the charity stripe.

Behrens along with Ella Armstrong tallied nine points each in the championship victory and SJO 20th win of the season.

"In the third quarter, sometimes, we kind of collapse in on ourselves and we have to dig ourselves out of a hole," said Behrens, who was happy to secure the win on her home court. "I thought we did well recovering."

Peaking at what seems to be the right time, Taylor was happy to see his team play an aggressive, more tenacious brand of basketball.

"They played smart. They played tough tonight," Taylor said without hesitation about the team effort. "They played strong. As a coach I love to see that."

Except for practice, the girls team is done at home for the season.

Taylor & Co. will travel to Paris on Monday to face the winner of the Sullivan regional, a contest between sectional host Paris (#1 seed) and Sullivan (#4 seed). The sectional semifinal will tipoff at 7:30 pm.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	11	13	8	18	- 50
Villa Grove-Heritage	7	11	9	7	- 34

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Payton Jacob 8, Taylor Wells 1, Atleigh Hamilton 5, Katie Cramer 12, Abby Behrens 9, Taylor Barnes 6 and Payton Vallee 9.

Villa Grove-Heritage: Jordan Ray 2, Maci Clodfelder 1, Kyleigh Block 14, Aliya Holloman 9, Vanessa Wright 2 and Samantha Campbell 6.

Jacob leads SJO in IVC rout

Payton Jacob and Katie Cramer teamed up to score 24 points, enough to have beat Illinois Valley Central on their own in the St. Joseph-Ogden girls first home game of 2020.

Jacob, a sophomore, led all scorers with a game-high 14-point performance. Cramer finished with 10 points.

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After a quick dive, Ella Armstrong scoops up the ball in SJO's home game against Illinois Valley Central. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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"We tried to make sure we stayed calm and not focus on their record," said Jacob about their Illini Prairie Conference foe. The Grey Ghost had only one win on the books heading into their bout against SJO. "If you just looked at their record it would have been easy to go out and assume we had the win."

Not wanting to take IVC lightly, the Spartans concentrated on their execution to dominate nearly every facet of the game.

"We made sure we were focus on our game and not on the way they were playing," said Jacob.

Taylor Wells came off the bench yet again this season for yet another solid output on both sides of the court. In addition to the sophomore's eight points, she battled under the rim snagging four defensive boards and a pair of offensive ones for a total of six.

Payton Vallee led the team in rebounds with 11 on the day.

Even with a 29-10 first half advantage fueled by Jacob's 11 points, the Spartans kept their foot on the gas adding another 18 points in the third quarter before coasting to the final buzzer.

Remarkably, IVC sent the Spartans to the free throw line just once in the 32-minute affair with Jacob capitalizing on both shots in the third-quarter.

"She's been really working on her shot and some other things," said head coach Kevin Taylor about Jacob. "Today, it paid off. It's nice to see was rewarded for the extra work she has been putting in."

In typical fashion this season, the rout was built on a balanced scoring effort. Abby Behrens and Ashlyn Lannert distributed five assists apiece allowing 10 different players to put points on the scoreboard.

"We're excited to get conference play going and wanted to start the right way," said Taylor after leading SJO to their 14th win of the season. "Overall it was a good effort by the girls to start conference."

Next up, Jaoob and Cramer face St. Thomas More at home on Monday. Varsity tip-off is slated for 7pm.

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Abby Behrens dribbles the ball down the court with pressure from Illinois Valley Central's Lilly Madl. Behrens was held to just one field goal in the victory and was credited with five assists. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Anna Wentzloff makes a pass during second half action against the Grey Ghost. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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"I've been off kind of lately. It is kind of nice to be back in the rhythm of things." ~ Senior Katie Cramer

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Payton Jacob keeps the ball away from Grey Ghosts' Marley Williamson. Jacob scored 11 of her game-high 14 points in the first quarter. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Ella Armstrong takes a shot over IVC's Aynna Johnson. Armstrong, who finished with six points, was one of 10 SJO players that put points on the scoreboard on Saturday. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Box Score

Team 1	17	12	18	8	- 55
Illinois Valley Central	6	4	8	1	- 19

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 4, Payton Jacob 14, Taylor Wells 8, Atleigh Hamilton 2, Katie Cramer 10, Abby Behrens 2, Taylor Barnes 3, Payton Vallee 2, Ella Armstrong 6 and Anna Wentzloff 4.

Illinois Valley Central: Johnson 2, Williamson 5, Madl 1, Wolf 5 and Palmer 6.

Spartans pick up second win at GCMS-Fisher Tipoff

Katie Cramer looks for an open teammate while playing in the Spartans' third-place game during the Class 2A state finals back in February. Then a junior, she contributed 5 points and had three rebounds in SJO's 68-53 win over Hillsboro. Last night, the senior scored a pair of three-point shots in the open quarter Tuesday against Iroquois West at the GCMS-Fisher Tipoff to help St. Joseph-Ogden improve to 2-0 on the season. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

St. Joseph-Ogden picked up their second win of the season after beating Iroquois West 49-16 in last night's pool play at the GCMS-Fisher Tipoff in Fisher.

Ashlyn Lannert came off the bench to score a game-high 15 points for the Spartans. She also made three of her four free throw attempts.

Senior Katie Cramer hit a pair of threes in the opening frame and Payton Vallee added two buckets to give SJO at 10-2 lead at the start of the second period.

SJO held the Raiders to just five points in the first half. Despite making three of their five shots from the charity stripe, the Raiders (0-2) did not hit a shot from the field in the second period. Their scoring struggled continued into the third period with only four points from junior Shelby Johnson.

Meanwhile, Taylor Barnes matched Cramer's effort and nailed two treys to help the Spartans stretched their halftime lead over the Raiders to 19 points.

Iroquois West's offensive effort was led by Johnson with 10 points. Three of her teammates Emma Lopez, McKinley Tilstra and Abby Kochker contributed two points apiece in the loss.

The Lady Spartans, who won last year's title, are one win away from once again reaching the tournament's championship game. Thursday at 5:30pm, SJO will square off against Villa Grove-Heritage in their final pool contest.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	10	16	12	11	- 49
Iroquois West	2	3	4	7	- 16

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 15, Nora Walden 2, Payton Jacob 2, Katie Cramer 6, Abby Behrens 2, Taylor Barnes 6, Alyssa Hamilton 9 and Payton Vallee 5.

Iroquois West: Emma Lopez 2, Shelby Johnson 10, McKinley Tilstra 2 and Abby Kochker 2.

The Spartans girls once again prevail in OT

Popping in four three-pointers tonight, Katie Cramer matched her season-high total of 14 points to help St. Joseph-Ogden survive their second overtime thriller this season with a non-conference win over visiting Tuscola.

Taylor Barnes also contributed a pair of treys in the second quarter and Payton Jacob dialed in a long distance field goal in the extra period to lift the Spartans to a 5-1 record.

SJO trailed by one point at the half 20-19 and stormed ahead in the third quarter nearly outscoring the Warriors 2-1 to go up, 35-29.

Warriors' Ella Boyer, who was quiet the first three quarters, lit up the score board with eight points for the night to help tie the score at 42-all.

Under pressure, Jacob and Cramer, one of just four seniors on the state runner-up team from the previous season, both drilled one shot each from beyond the arc in the OT session. Barnes and junior Atleigh Hamilton knocked down two free throws between the two of them to end the contest with Tuscola looking at a four-point deficit.

The Warriors were paced by junior Marissa Russo, who matched Cramer's 14-point performance. Brynn Tabeling also finished with double figures for Tuscola with 12 points.

In addition to Cramer's 14, Barnes finished with nine points for the Spartans. Abby Behrens, a talented sophomore, came off the bench to contribute eight points. Jacob, another sophomore and starter, chipped in seven points.

SJO's next three games are on the road starting Thursday at Danville, then to Oakwood on Saturday and concluding on Monday at Mahomet-Seymour for another non-conference matchup.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	7	12	16	7	8	- 50
Tuscola	11	9	9	13	4	- 46

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 2, Payton Jacob 7, Atleigh Hamilton 6, Katie Cramer 14, Abby Behrens 8, Taylor Barnes 9 and Payton Vallee 4.

Tuscola: Brynn Tabeling 12, Hope Dietrich 2, Ella Boyer 8, Abbey Jacob 5, Klemitzki 5 and Marissa Russo 14.

Opening loss will strenghten the Spartans, SJO falls 64-44 at home to Paris

Senior Katie Cramer brings the ball down the court during first half action in her team's home opener against Paris. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

After grinding out four consecutive wins to start the season and bring home the GCMS/Bunnies Tipoff title last week, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team suffered their first loss of the season. Outmatched, the Spartans fell 65-44 on their home court to the visiting Paris.

The Tigers came out feisty and visibly hungry for the win on Tuesday. The coaching staff had did their homework on the SJO squad. Paris head coach Dave Tingley had his team press the Spartans player from end to end on the floor forcing plethora of turnovers from the opening tip.

The defensive pressure was too much to handle for SJO. The Spartans mustered just five first quarter points and trailed midway into the second by 20 points until Taylor Wells found a basket after the relentless Tigers ran up the score with 11 unanswered points.

Payton Jacob drilled the next two shots to narrow St. Joseph-Ogden's deficit to 14 points. From that point forward, Kevin Taylor's team, though at a slight disadvantage without the veteran leadership of Hannah Dukeman on the floor, played competitive second half.

"We knew they would be after us the whole game and press us," said Taylor, now in his third season at the helm of the Lady Spartans. "There was never a time to let up against Paris."

While it wasn't enough to come out on top, the Spartans enjoyed scoring contributions from nine players.

Starter Taylor Barnes led the way with a team-high nine points. Sophomore starter Payton Jacob had six points. Alyssa Hamilton and Ashlyn Lannert came off the bench to score six apiece as well.

"We're young. We just didn't handle it the best way we could early on," Taylor said. "I hope the girls learn from it as we move on through the season."

Paris had four players finish with double figures against the Spartans.

Senior Karrington Krabel drained a game-high 16 points for the Tigers. Sarah Isaf and Jenna Gates, also senior members of the squad, scored 12 and 10 points, respectively. Sophomore Katelyn Littleton was 2-for-2 from the free throw line and had a pair of threes in her 10 point finish.

While it was an ugly loss, Taylor is confident that his team will become stronger because of it.

"It's a learning process. We're not set up to win a regional title," Taylor said. "I'm not satisfied with this game."

Nor should he be. After major second half adjustments and the shell shock wore off, SJO played a respectable second half barely outscored by the Tigers, 34-28. Starting two seniors, two sophomores and a junior there is some chemistry that needs to come together and much work to be done before the postseason.

"I saw some things that they improved on (tonight) and we'll work on more in practice as we move forward," he added.

St. Joseph-Ogden, now at 4-1 for the season, hosts Tuscola for a non-conference game on Monday before embarking on a three-game road campaign starting next week. Playing a game every other day, SJO starts with a trip to Danville on December 7, then plays a little closer to home on December 9 against Oakwood and finishes up tour at Mahomet-Seymour on December 11.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	5	11	15	13	- 44
Paris	16	15	20	14	- 65

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 6, Payton Jacob 6, Taylor Wells 5, Katie Cramer 4, Abby Behrens 3, Taylor Barnes 9, Alyssa Hamilton 6 and Payton Vallee 2.

Paris: Karrington Krabel 16, Sarah Isaf 12, Jenna Gates 10, Katelyn Littleton 10, Kendra Young 6, Madyson Rigdon 6, Deming Hawkins 3, and Kelsie Crampton 2.

Spartans Tipoff champs after OT win over PBL

They did it. For the third consecutive year, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team has brought home the Lady Falcon/Bunnies Tipoff Classic title.

They did it after defeating Paxton-Buckley-Loda 45-43 in their first overtime game of the season.

They did it with scoring contributions from eight different members of the team, not one reaching double-digits on Friday.

Senior Katie Cramer led the Spartans' offense with nine points. Alyssa Hamilton totaled two threes and a bucket in overtime to finish with eight points. Taylor Barnes, who sank six of her ten free throw attempts, and Ashlyn Lannert chipped in six points apiece.

Tied at the end of regulation time at 38-all, Lannert, Hamilton and Payton Vallee scored two points each in the final period. Barnes hit one of her two free throws during the OT session to help the Spartans outscore the Panthers seven to five.

Lannert, a sophomore, and Cramer also received all-tournament team recognition.

Mackenzie Bruns led the PBL (2-2) scoring effort with a game-high 17 points and was 7-for7 from the free throw line. Brooke Walder helped out with eight points.

Mirroring last year's state final run, SJO's record improved to 4-0 on the season. The Spartans will host their first home game of the season on Tuesday evening with a non-conference match against Paris.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	9	13	9	7	7	- 45
Paxton-Buckley-Loda	10	10	10	8	5	- 43

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 6, Payton Jacob 7, Taylor Wells 5, Katie Cramer 9, Abby Behrens 2, Taylor Barnes 6, Alyssa Hamilton 8 and Payton Vallee 2.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda: Brooke Walder 8, Baylee Cosgrove 3, Lorena Arnett 5, Mackenzie Bruns 17, Kirra Lantz 3 and Makenna Ecker 7.

SJO girls advance to Lady Falcon/Bunnies Tipoff Classic title game

Tonight, St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team will play for their first tournament championship trophy of the season.

The shot at the Lady Falcon/Bunnies Tipoff Classic title comes on the heels of a fourth quarter surge by the Spartans. Clawing past Villa Grove/Heritage's offensive duo of Aliya Holloman (20 points) and Kyleigh Block (17 points), SJO secured their third win of the season, 46-43.

On the wrong end of a 19-15 score at the half, the Spartans dug in and drained five three-pointers in the third quarter. The Blue Devils countered with 16 points of their own, eight courtesy of Block, six from Holloman and a bucket from Samantha Campbell.

Holding VG-H to just eight points in final quarter, SJO matched that number and then added a few more.

Katie Cramer, still hot from three-point range, hit two more shots and drilled a pair of free throws. The senior finished the night with 14 points and was 2-for-2 from the line.

With the help of a clutch free throw from Payton Vallee, Taylor Barnes' third three-pointer of the game and a bucket from Payton Jacob, the Spartans prevailed improving to 3-0 on the season.

In all, St. Joseph-Ogden tallied a total of ten three-point shots from Jacob (1), Barnes (3), Cramer (4) and sophomore Abby Behrens with two.

You will want to saddle up early to help pack the gym tonight for what will surely be a barnburner at Fisher. The championship game, scheduled to start at 7pm, pits the Spartans against Paxton-Buckley-Loda, who knocked off tournament co-hosts GCMS 56-38 to reach the final.

A three-peat in the making, the Spartans have won the tournament the title past two seasons. The Panthers have the offense to keep that from happening tonight.

PBL had three players with double-digit scoring against the Lady Falcons. Mackenzie Bruns delivered 13 points, Hannah Schwarz added 12 and Baylee Cosgrove's hit 10 to lead the Panthers' offensive scoring.

Box Score

Team 1	5	10	15	16	- 46
Team 2	2	17	16	8	- 43

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 3, Payton Jacob 7, Katie Cramer 14, Abby Behrens 6, Taylor Barnes 13 and Payton Vallee 3.

Villa Grove-Heritage: Kyleigh Block 17, Samantha Campbell 2, Aliya Holloman 20 and Jordyn Ray 4.

Payton Vallee's free throw beats Comets, Armstrong leads scoring effort

With the scored tied at 40-all and just four seconds left in regular time, Payton Vallee hit a game winning free throw to give the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team a one point victory over their host Oakwood on Saturday.

Trailing 13-6 after one quarter against the Comets, the Spartans roared back scoring 18 points in the second frame courtesy of 10 unanswered points.

Ella Armstrong's five points along with four from Taylor Wells and a total of nine from the combined efforts of Ashlyn Lannert, Katie Cramer, Taylor Barnes, Abby Behrens and Vallee, erased the early game deficit to put SJO up, 24-23.

Both teams produced an identical number of points in third and fourth quarters of their non-conference matchup.

In the last quarter, the Spartans never trailed on the scoreboard. The Comets tied the contest three times and did not allowed SJO more than a three point advantage in the final eight minutes.

Katelyn Young's final free throw opened the door wide for a possible overtime win for the Comets. Vallee, who finished with just two points, slammed that door shut when she hit the second of her two free throws - and the most important one of the night - with little time on the clock for Oakwood to respond.

Young, who hit eight of her 11 free throws, led the Comets with a game-high 22 points. Aaliyah Denius added another 11 in Oakwood's second loss of the season. The Comets are now 7-2 heading into their next game against Westville on Monday.

While Vallee's clutch shot won the game, the Spartans' win would not have been possible if wasn't for Armstrong's varsity career-high 13 points.

In her best outing playing for the maroon and Columbia blue, the sophomore was 2-for-2 from the free throw line and hit a trey in each of the last two quarters of the game.

Behrens finished with seven points for SJO and teammate Barnes, a senior, contributed six first half points to round out St. Joseph-Ogden's top three scorers on Saturday.

The Spartans, now at 7-1 for the season, are back on the bus Monday where they hope to pick up win number eight at Mahomet-Seymour in another early season non-conference game.

The Bulldogs, who are 4-3 heading into contest with the Spartans, already have one loss against a Illini Prairie team. Prairie Central, powered by senior Elly Haberkorn's 21 points, prevailed in the 48-40 opening loss for Mahomet-Seymour.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	6	18	6	11	- 41
Oakwood	13	10	6	11	- 40

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 2, Payton Jacob 4, Taylor Wells 5, Katie Cramer 2, Abby Behrens 7, Taylor Barnes 6, Payton Vallee 2 and Ella Armstrong 13.

Oakwood: Katelyn Young 22, Ashlynn Pinnick 2, Addie Wright 3, Aubrey Wells 2 and Aaliyah Denius 11.

Four tie for team-high in conference loss to Unity

Plagued by a mid-game shooting slump where St. Joseph-Ogden (15-6) could only muster a mere 13 points over two quarters, the Spartans girls basketball team dropped their Illini Prairie road game to Unity, 49-40.

It took five hardworking SJO players to match the Rockets' one girl scoring machine Elyce Knudsen and her first quarter output on January 13. Ashyln Lannert, Payton Jacob, Atleigh Hamilton, Taylor Barnes and Ella Armstrong combined for 14 points in the opening frame to offset the Unity senior's 13.

As the game wore on, the Spartans ability to produce points to keep up with the Rockets (14-6) temporarily fell by the wayside.

Outscored 13-4 in the third quarter where Lannert made two free throws and sophomore Alyssa Hamilton chipped in a bucket, the Spartans unsuccessfully tried claw their way back in the fourth.

Four St. Joseph-Ogden players tied for the team-high with six points. Lannert, Atleigh Hamilton, Katie Cramer and Barnes matched their game combined for 24 of the Spartans 40 points.

Knudsen, after dropping 18 points in the first half, led Unity's effort with a game-high 29 points.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	14	9	4	13	- 40
Unity	13	13	12	11	- 49

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 6, Payton Jacob 5, Atleight Hamilton 6, Katie Cramer 6, Abby Behrens 2, Taylor Barnes 6, Alyssa Hamilton 4 and Ella Armstrong 5.

Unity: Chloee Reed 6, Lauren Miller 3, Taylor Henry 9, Elyce Knudsen 29 and Martina Miebach 2.

Spartan defense stifles Sages

Seniors Peyton Crowe and Bree Trimble could have defeated Monticello all by themselves. It would have made an interesting two-on-five challenge for the dynamite duo who combined for 34 first half points in St. Joseph-Ogden's 67-21 conference win over the Sages on Monday.

Trimble quickly accumulated a game-high 19 points and Crowe, who finished with 17 points, contributed 15 of her own in the first half.

There is no 'I' in team, but for the rest of season, St. Joseph-Ogden might want to look at a way to insert the word "We". Monday night's Illini Prairie Conference contest was a team effort.

It was the 12th game this season the SJO girls defensive play has held an opponent under 35 points. With the starters out, the Spartans did not allow a single score from Sages in the final quarter of the game.

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Maclayne Taylor dribbles the ball down the court during SJO's home game against Oakwood earlier in the season. Taylor scored 7 points in her team's Illini Prairie Conference win over Monticello. Eleven of the Spartans 12 players contributed offensively in the rout. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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As my former boss might say with his thick, rich, barely north of the boarder Texas accent: "Looky here. Funny thing is, you know, them two (Crowe and Trimble) could have taken the night off."

Yeah. Maybe.

Even with the pair sitting in their warm-ups, enjoying a generous marshmallow-laden hot chocolate and discussing plans for prom still months away, SJO would have still earned the W. Nine of the remaining ten players on the roster combined for 31 points.

In addition to the effort by SJO's leading two scorers, Payton Jacob came off the bench to score 8 points. Maclayne Taylor tallied 7 points in the first three quarters and Ella Armstrong chipped in 5 in the last quarter. Taylor Barnes and Hannah Dukeman made a pair of field goals a piece in the first half.

Angela Palmer, Katie Cramer, Alysa Lannert and Payton Vallee each scored a bucket in the rout for another 8 points.

Monticello was paced by Renni Fultz with 13 points. Olivia Swanson and Lizzy Stiverson were held to just 3 points each. Jayna Burger rounded out the Sages' effort with a single field goal in the first quarter.

The Lady Spartans are in action again this Saturday at home against Mattoon. They will follow the non-conference game with a home court showdown against Rantoul on Monday, January 21.

Spartan Spotlight with Carson Mills

If she had super power, Carson Mills would want it to be the ability to read minds. One of three sisters all born on the same day and graduating together this May, Mills plans to pursue a degree in graphic design after high school.

The Sentinel couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask six questions to learn more about her and what it's like being a triplet.

Sentinel: Out of all of the theater productions you were a part of in high school, which was your favorite and why? Were an actress or part of the crew? What was your main responsibility?

Mills: My favorite theater production was the Lottery my freshman year; I played a dead woman as an extra.

Sentinel: You are going to the University of Cincinnati this fall. What do you see yourself doing with a degree in Graphic Design in ten years?

Mills: With a degree in Graphic Design, in ten years I see myself designing product advertisements or logos for a large company such as Coke or Disney.

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Carson Mills

Clubs & Activities

Softball (2 years), Drama Club, Art Club, Spanish Club, SADA Maroon Platoon

Hometown:
Ogden

Siblings:
She and her two sisters, Ava and Bailey, are triplets

Hobbies:
Drawing and hanging out with friends

Favorite SJO memories:
She will remember going to all of the football games during her senior year, and she had a blast cheering on all of the seniors. She has also really enjoyed all four years of Homecoming at SJO.

Favorite classes:
All of her art classes, Spanish with Senor Zak Sutton, and science with Mrs. Jeanna Kerner.

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Max and Mrs. Anderson at Prairieview-Ogden and Senor Sutton and Mr. Kiel Duval at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

College:
University of Cincinnati, majoring in Graphic Design

Advice to future SJO students:
Get involved as early as you can in high school and to go to the games.

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Sentinel: Who are three people you would invite to dinner at fabulous restaurant and why?

Mills: Three people I would invite to a fabulous dinner are Timothee Chalamet, Tom Holland, and Dylan O'brien because they are my celebrity crushes.

Sentinel: Oh, about homecoming at SJO, what did you enjoy the most about going?

Mills: What I enjoyed most about homecoming at SJO was dressing up and taking photos with my friends before the dance.

Sentinel: I asked your sisters this, so I will ask you, too: What is the best thing about being a triplet? And of course, the worse?

Mills: The best thing about being a triplet is going through life together and although we each have our own unique experiences, it's comforting to know there are two other people growing with me! Though there are a lot of good times together, the worst part about being a triplet is when my siblings take my clothes.

Sentinel: If you were a superhero, what would be you main super power? Who from SJO would be your sidekicks and why?

Mills: My main super power would be to read minds. My best friends Anna Wentzloff and Katie Cramer would be my sidekicks because I know they will alway have my back!

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Profile information & photos provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

Crowe leads SJO over Unity

St. Joseph-Ogden scored 12 unanswered points in the first six minutes of the third quarter last week to notch another conference win last Monday. The Spartan girls team rolled 59-27 win over Unity after allowing just 10 points total in the second half of the game.

Peyton Crowe delivered a spectacular game-high 20-point performance in the win. The senior made all six of her free throw attempts and drilled a pair of shots from three-point range to overpower the Rockets.

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Peyton Crowe fires a shot after driving down the baseline past a Unity player. Crowe, who is closing in on scoring her 1000th point, finished the game with 20 points. See more photos from the game here.(PhotoNews Media Archive Photo/Photo by Clark Brooks)

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"She played well tonight and not just on scoring. She was hustling," said SJO head coach Kevin Taylor. "She took a charge and played good defense for us."

Once again the Spartans got off to a sluggish start.

Closing the first quarter with a one point lead, Taylor made a few adjustments and watched his team take command of the game in the second one.

"Our defense improved," he said. "Then we started scoring and getting better looks. We definitely picked it up on the second quarter."

Led by Bree Trimble, St. Joseph-Ogden put together a second quarter rally outscoring Unity, 18-8. She was the catalyst behind nine unanswered scores that allowed her team to pull away.

"I got on her early about not going up strong with the ball," Taylor said about Trimble's effort in the first quarter. "As always, she came through for us."

The senior finished with 13 points and missed just one of her eight free throws.

"We started out very slow. It was not a good quarter for us," Trimble said. "Every team that plays us, plays their best against us. We knew we had get out of rut and step up our game."

The Spartans also enjoyed a solid showing from Hannah Dukeman, who finished with 12 points. Maclayne Taylor added another 8 to the score. Both drained a three-point shot in both the 2nd and 3rd quarter to stretch the lead over their conference rivals.

Maclayne's improvement this season hasn't gone unnoticed by her teammates.

"She has grown throughout her four years here," Trimble pointed out without hesitation. "This season she can really handle the ball well Whenever we need a shot, she's there and makes it for us."

Ella Armstrong, Katie Cramer and Taylor Barnes rounded out SJO's scoring effort with a field goal apiece.

The Rockets were paced by Elyse Knudsen with 16 points and Rysa Stacy with 8.

The victory made it the fourth consecutive win for the 17-4 Lady Spartans since their loss to Bishop McNamara (Class 3A) at the State Farm Classic last month. Prior to that loss, the team's longest unbeaten streak was the 9-0 start to the season.

SJO's four losses this season have been at the hands of three Associated Press ranked 3A schools and 2A ranked Teutopolis.

SJO sets State Farm Classic record

The St. Joseph-Ogden ladies made a stunning debut in their opening contest at this year's State Farm Classic basketball tournament. The #1 seed held Peoria Christian to just 10 points, not for just one quarter, but the entire game in a dominating 80-10 victory.

The win was the seventh best score, now tied with Rock Island from a game in 2016, recorded in the tournament's 40 year history.

"I think our team came out with energy and everyone was exited to start the tournament out in a positive way," said Spartan head coach Kevin Taylor. "I hope we care that energy over for our next game where we will see a very good team."

SJO took command early outscoring the Chargers 23-5 in the first quarter. They dialed up the pressure in the second to take a 41-point lead at the half.

Allowing Christian just 3 points total in the second half and buoyed by bench players, the Spartans added another 39 points to scoreboard. Ten of Taylor's 11 players contributed in the drubbing.

Bree Trimble led SJO with a game-high 21 points and was followed freshman Payton Jacob, who came off the bench to add 10 points. Parkland College recruit Peyton Crowe and junior Katie Cramer scored 8 points. Erin Miller, who was 2-2 from the free throw line, along with Taylor Barnes, Maclayne Taylor and Hannah Dukeman contributed 6 points each. Dukeman also shot 100% from the charity stripe.

The victory set a new tournament record making it the largest winning margin (70) in a girls game.

The Chargers, who fall to 0-13 on the season, were led in scoring by junior Tiffany Mallow with 5 points. Lydia Keehner finished with 4 points and Kaitlyn Johnson made one of two free throws to round out their team's scoring effort.

The Spartans advance to face Laney Lantz and Camp Point Central/Augusta SE on the championship side of the bracket. Lantz scored 21 point in their tournament opener against Oakwood. Tipoff is schedule for 4pm today at Bloomington High School

Ladies win again! SJO knocks off Vikings, 52-45

It took the Danville girls basketball team two quarters to match the Spartans' first quarter scoring output in their non-conference game on Thursday. By the time the game reached the halftime intermission, St. Joseph-Ogden built an impressive 16 point lead and never looked back on their way to a 52-45 victory over the Vikings.

Spartan forward Payton Vallee boxes out Paris' Kelsie Crampton in her team's first home game of the season. In SJO's road game at Danville on Thursday she tied for a team-high finish of ten points with teammate Payton Jacob. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

The Paytons, Jacob and Vallee, led another balanced SJO offensive attack with 10 points each. Vallee was 2-for-2 from the free throw line and Jacob nailed four of her six shots from charity stripe.

Ella Armstrong came off the bench to add seven points while Ashlyn Lannert and Taylor Wells contributed six apiece leading the 10 out of 13 players who lit up the Spartans' side of the scoreboard.

Making eight of her nine free throw attempts, junior Erin Houpt lead the Vikings' offense with a game-high 25 points. Senior Miracle Payne and Tharija Rose, a sophomore, both had six points to round out Danville's top three scorers.

Improving to 6-1 on the season, the Spartans move on to another non-conference game today at 4:30p at Oakwood High School. SJO has one more road game, Mahomet-Seymour on Monday, before enjoying four straight home games heading into the Christmas break.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	13	16	7	16	- 52
Danville	8	5	19	13	- 45

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 6, Payton Jacob 10, Taylor Wells 6, Atleigh Hamilton 2, Katie Cramer 2, Abby Behrens 3, Taylor Barnes 4, Alyssa Hamilton 2, Payton Vallee 2 and Ella Armstrong 10.

Danville: Erin Houpt 25, Tharija Rose 6, Nau'tika Conaway 1, Aanija Reed 1, Zytara Boyd 2, Miracle Payne 6 and Destiny Davis 4.

Taylor Wells leads Spartans past Sabers

After trailing by three points at the half, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team rallied back to notch another conference win at home. In a noteworthy second half defensive effort, the Spartans held St. Thomas More to just six points in the final two quarters of their Illini Prairie Conference shindig to win, 42-25.

Taylor Wells, who went 2-for-2 from the free throw line, led the SJO charge with 12 points. The sophomore starter was the only player to reach double digits and the only player to score more than four points in the last half of the contest on January 6.

Ashlyn Lannert came off the bench to finish the night with eight points. Payton Jacob rounded out the top three scorers for the Spartans contributing six points.

Meanwhile, freshman Kennedy Ramshaw led visiting St. Thomas More with six points. Teammates Tatum DeVriese and Sarah Gibas scored five points apiece in the Sabers' loss.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	7	9	19	17	- 42
St. Thomas More	4	15	2	4	- 25

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 8, Payton Jacob 6, Taylor Wells 12, Atleigh Hamilton 2, Katie Cramer 3, Abby Behrens 2, Taylor Barnes 4 and Ella Armstrong 5.

St. Thomas More: Sarah Gibas 5, Maddie Swisher 2, Bridget Delorenzo 2, Ava Dickerson 4, Tatum DeVriese 5, Alaina Bowie 1 and Kennedy Ramshaw 6.

Wells delivers buckets of points

Taylor Wells came off the bench Monday to lead all scorers in the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team's second home game of the year. The sophomore led all scorers with 12 points to help SJO roll past St. Thomas More, 42-25.

After a dismal first quarter, the Sabers showed a brief spark of scoring brilliance, dropping 15 second quarter points building a modest lead three-point lead at the half, up 19-16.

The Spartans returned to the floor to match STM's first half scoring output under the leadership of Wells and her six points along with the combined efforts of four other SJO players in the third quarter.

Sabers' Maddie Swisher tapped a solo field goal in the same period making it all her team could muster against the 15-4 Spartans, who also picked up their second conference win of the season. Held to just six points in the second half, St. Thomas More dropped to 0-2 in the conference and 3-9 overall.

After Wells' contribution, St. Joseph-Ogden's top three scorers were sophomores Ashlyn Lannert with eight points, Payton Jacob with six and Ella Armstrong added another five to the mix. The Spartans received 33 of their scoring total from five of the six sophomores on this season's varsity roster.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	7	9	19	7	- 42
St. Thomas More	4	15	2	4	- 25

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 8, Payton Jacob 6, Taylor Wells 12, Atleigh Hamilton 2, Katie Cramer 3, Abby Behrens 2, Taylor Barnes 4 and Ella Armstrong 5.

St. Thomas More: Kennedy Ramshaw 6, Alaina Bowie 1, Tatum De Vries 5, Ava Dickerson 4, Bridget Delorenzo 2, Maddie Swisher 2 and Sarah Gibas 5.

Hamilton leads Spartans in first win of the season

Alyssa Hamilton led the St. Joseph-Ogden basketball squad with a team-high nine points in their season opener Monday night at the Fisher-GCMS Tipoff Classic. The Spartans, who finished their last season with a third-place state finish in February, held Fisher to just a pair of free throws in the third quarter, rolled past the Bunnies, 39-22.

Payton Jacob had eight points and junior Payton Vallee, back in action after a quick turnaround from the third-place state volleyball team, helped balance the offense contributing seven more points in the non-conference tournament game. In all, six SJO players scored in the season opener.

The Spartans, who finished their last season at 28-5, continues their pool play at the early season tournament tonight facing Iroquois West at 5:30pm.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	5	14	12	8	39
Fisher	6	8	2	6	22

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 6, Payton Jacob 8, Katie Cramer 3, Taylor Barnes 6, Alyssa Hamilton 9 and Payton Vallee 7.

Fisher: Kylee Bishop 8, Sidney Hood 9, Elyssa Clanton 2, M. Sommer 1, and Leah McCoy 2.

Seniors earn Honor Roll recognition at SJO

St. Joseph -- At the end of October, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced the first quarter Honor Roll and High Honor Roll recipients. Eighty-four members of the St. Joseph-Ogden Class of 2023 earned first-quarter Honor Roll recognition.

To receive honor roll recognition at SJO, students must earn a grade point average of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Students whose GPA soared above 3.74 are recognized as High Honor Roll students.

In all, 342 students from the freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior classes earned Honor Roll recognition.

High Honor Roll

Alyssa Acton
McGwire Atwood
Kaytlyn Baker
Olivia Baltzell
Cara Blanchard
Taylor Burch
Tyler Burch
Maddux Carter
Ariana Chambers
Madelynn Cook
Morgan Cramer
Aiden Cromwell
Zachary Dahman
Aleah Dial
Emily Elsbernd
Leah Finley
Joselyn Frerichs
Brent Golladay
Kennedy Greer
Kylie Greer
Andrew Guelfi
Mikyla Haley
Hayden Henkelman
Maya Hewkin
Taylor Hug
Shayne Immke
Emily Jeffries
Aliya Jones
Peyton Jones
Cameran Kelley
Jacob Kern
Aaron Lane
Katherine McDermott
Teagan Miller
Courtney Myren
Ava Northen
Allegra Pearman
Ty Pence
Jack Robertson
Emma Rydell
Kirsten Schaefer
Johanna Schmitz
Jack Setterdahl
Isabel Sexton
Paige Siegmund
Payton Vander Logt
Taylor Voorhees
Alayna Wagle
Emma Ward
Maggie Ward
Jackson Wetzel

Honor Roll

Owen Birt
Ethan Blackburn
Payton Carter
Yamilka Casanova
Bryce Collins
Katie Earley
Grace Flessner
Jessica Gadbury
Joe Gherna
Jackson Greer
Connor Hale
Bryson Helfrich
Mary Hinrichs
Jonas Hutcherson
Jade Kelley
Hunter Ketchum
Austin Kofoot
Skyler Langley
Shane Logan
Haleigh Maddock
Aidan McCorkle
Kyle Meccoli
Blake Morgan
Jacob Newman
Madeline Osterbur
Katharine Short
Garrett Siems
Trinity Tapia
Olivia Terven
Mallory Wagner
Gracelyn Warns
AJ Wells
Payton Wendell

72 freshmen at SJO earn High Honor Roll recognition

St. Joseph - Earlier this week, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced the third quarter Honor Roll and High Honor Roll recipients. This year's freshman class labored to produce 72 scholars who earned High Honor recognition.

To receive Honor Roll recognition at SJO, students must earn a grade point average of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Students whose GPA is above 3.74 are recognized as High Honor Roll students. Below is the list of this semester's students who achieved High Honor Roll recognition. Follow this link to see the names of students who made the Honor Roll.

Seniors

Alyssa Acton
McGwire Atwood
Kaytlyn Baker
Olivia Baltzell
Cara Blanchard
Taylor Burch
Tyler Burch
Maddux Carter
Yamilka Casanova
Ariana Chambers
Madelynn Cook
Morgan Cramer
Aiden Cromwell
Zachary Dahman
Aleah Dial
Emily Elsbernd
Leah Finley
Joselyn Frerichs
Jessica Gadbury
Brent Golladay
Kennedy Greer
Kylie Greer
Andrew Guelfi
Mikyla Haley
Hayden Henkelman
Maya Hewkin
Taylor Hug
Shayne Immke
Emily Jeffries
Peyton Jones
Cameran Kelley
Jade Kelley
Jacob Kern
Aaron Lane
Collin Livesay
Haleigh Maddock
Kyle Meccoli
Teagan Miller
Courtney Myren
Ava Northen
Madeline Osterbur
Allegra Pearman
Ty Pence
Jack Robertson
Kirsten Schaefer
Johanna Schmitz
Jack Setterdahl
Isabel Sexton
Paige Siegmund
Payton Vander Logt
Taylor Voorhees
Alayna Wagle
Emma Ward
Maggie Ward

Juniors

Edward Alewelt
Logan Allen
Aden Armstrong
Owen Baltzell
Samantha Beetz
Chloe Burkhalter
Payton Carter
Rachel Divan
Sadie Ericksen
Addison Frick
Grace Getty
Chloe Harper
Rachel Harris
Brody Hausman
Annabelle Hueber
Tanner Jacob
Kya Jolley
Helene Jones
Lauren Lannert
Hayden Lewis
Quinn Lewis
Taylyn Lockhart
Addisyn Martinie
Shannon McMahon
Talan Miller
Isaiah Mock
Caleb Ochs
Macy Reed-Thompson
Addison Roesch
Addison Ross
Daniel Santiago
Addison Seggebruck
Lucas Skelton
Logan Smith
Dylan Smoot
Drew Thurman
Emma Thurman
Braxton Waller
Elissia Ward
Colin Wayland
Corbin Wells
Hayden Williams
Peyton Williams
Spencer Wilson

Sophomores

EJ Beckett
Audrey Benoit
William Besson
Sul Bonny
Preslee Christians
Madison Clampitt
Ella Dietiker
Luke Ditchfield
Jackson Ennis
Savanna Franzen
Addison Funk
Tayton Gerdes
Olivia Getty
Makennah Hamilton
Lauren Harris
Maebree Houston
Paige Johnson
Dylan Jones
Amilliya Kindle
Madison Lankster
Logan Mills
Gabriel Mortlock
Grace Osterbur
Chayse Palmer
Sonia Patel
Nathan Phillips
Audrey Ruppel
Charles Schmitz
Kyler Swanson
Collin Thomey
Samantha Uden
Kailynn West
Reese Wheatley
Charley Wright
Fiona Xiao

Freshman

Trevor Ames
Kylie Barrowman
Lexie Barrowman
Kaitlyn Beyers
Emily Bird
Tim Blackburn-Kelley
Aiden Bonny
Addison Brooks
Sara Bytnar
Shelby Campbell
Jacob Carlson
William Carlson
Rudra Chaudhary
Adelyn Childers
Christopher Coffey
Katie Ericksen
Callie Evans
Abigail Getty
Camden Getty
Brandon Goodwin
William Haley
Zachary Harper
Claire Hartman
Amelia Huckstadt
Lydia Huckstadt
Adalyn Jannusch
Kaelyn Jolley
Sophia Kasper
Madilyn Kelley
Cooper Kietzman
Alexis Lackey
Ryker Lockhart
Mackenzie Loschen
Michael McDaniel
Isabelle McGinnis
Emma McKinney
Kodey McKinney
Patrick McMahon
Ava Midkiff
Ashlyn Miller
Hannah Mock
Delaney Nekolny
Allison Ochs
Brennan Oleynichak
Kayla Osterbur
Colton Overstreet
Garrick Page
Branson Pearman
Kaleb Peoples
Asher Pruemer
Ainsley Rhoton
Lily Rice
Landon Roberts
Amber Ruppel
Cameron Schluter
Allison Schmitz
Trevor Sexton
Landon Smith
Lucas Smith
Tao Smith
Karleigh Spain
Quinn Stahl
Sydney Steinbach
Hadley Sweet
Carlee Taylor
Luke Tranel
Hunter Van Meenen
Sophia Vliet
Madeline Wells
Wyatt Wertz
Logan Xiao
Cyrus Zadeh

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