Prep Sports Notebook | Area prep football and volleyball gets underway

SJO's Peyton Williams
St. Joseph-Ogden senior Peyton Williams pounds the ball past St. Anne's Maria Mendez and Kylie Toepfer during set one of their non-conference game on Wednesday, August 23. The Spartans won easily by way of a 25-7, 25-15 decision.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Williams serves notice
ST. JOSEPH - Peyton Williams gave a serving clinic last Wednesday notching five aces against visiting St. Anne. The Spartans dominated all aspects of the game against the Cardinals to earn their second win of the season, 2-0.

Williams was credited with seven kills across two sets and had three digs to help SJO defensively. Senior Addie Roesch delivered another six kills and chalked up four digs. Halle Brazelton kept the ball in play with her five digs and distributed 13 assist for the Spartans.

Seggebruch steps up
BISMARCK - Junior Ava Seggebruch hammered four kills to help St. Joseph-Ogden pick up win number 3 this season via 25-12, 29-27 win over host Bismarck-Henning. Once again, Peyton Williams led the Spartans' offensive effort amassing seven kills, two aces, and six digs. Fellow senior Addie Roesch had three kills, three digs, and matched Williams in the serving department with a pair of aces against the Blue Devils.

Setter Halle Brazelton was in near perfect form with 17 assists.

#4 ranked Unity victorious
TOLONO — Dane Eisenmenger completed 19 of 26 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns to lead Unity to a 27-12 victory against Prairie Central at Hicks Field on Friday in Illini Prairie Conference football. The Rockets enter 2023 ranked #4 in the preseason poll by the Associated Press.
SJO knocks off Sages
ST. JOSEPH - Heading into Friday night's annual opener against Monticello, the SJO football suffered seven losses in their last ten meetings on the gridiron against the Sages. When the lightning-delayed game concluded after midnight, senior starting quarteback Logan Smith had scored five times and threw a 31-yard TD to elevate the Spartans' in a 40-14 romp.

Smith led SJO's offensive effort with 102 rushing yards and 163 passing. Running back Justice Wertz finished with 67 yards on 12 carries, and speedy Tim Blackburn-Kelly got the call seven times for 38 of St. Joseph-Ogden's 418 total yards.

Tigers fall in their return to prep football
The Urbana football team played their first varsity game in three years on Saturday. The Tigers kicked off their return with on a road game at Centennial.

The Chargers scored 49 unanswered points before the Tigers finally scored twice in the fourth quarter. UHS, who will face Peoria Notre Dame this Friday, dropped the season opener to Centennial, 49-14.

"We will try to get better," said head coach Curtis Blanden after the game. "Rome wasn't built in a day. It's going to take some time and I have the time to do it."

Attention high school coaches: Help us recognize our area prep athletes each week. Please send game scores and stats to us for freshman, junior varsity, and varsity games. Send game, race and match results and weekly stats to sports@oursentinel.com.
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Williams leads SJO over Fisher with 12 kills, Roesch collects seven aces

Peyton Williams pummel the ball through the Hoopeston Area defensive effort during SJO's home match on
ST. JOSEPH - The St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team posted their 25th win of the season after defeating Fisher at home for Senior Night in straight sets, 2-0. The non-conference victory improves head coach Abby McDonald's 2023 season record to an impressive 25-4.

Peyton Williams led the Spartan offense in the contest with 12 kills and three aces. Addie Roesch pounded six kills and racked up a match-high seven aces.

Halle Brazelton, who chalked up three aces, distributed 20 assists during the regular season match in SJO's Main Gym. The senior also was credited with three aces and seven digs.

Sadie Ericksen led the defense with nine digs, while Brazelton and Roesch contributed seven more apiece as the Spartans took both sets, 25-13.

SJO honored eight seniors, including Halle Brazelton, Sadie Ericksen, Grace Goldenstein, Chloe Harper, Halene Jones, Taylyn Lockhart, Addie Roesch, and Peyton Williams.

Congrats SJO Volleyball Seniors

Related SJO volleyball news:


Volleyball milestone reached, SJO's McDonald reaches the 400th match win
Members of the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball program pose for a group photo with head coach Abby McDonald after her 400th win on Monday. The milestone came came after the Spartans defeated Hoopeston Area at home in two sets, 25-13, 25-22. Under McDonald's leadership the program ...
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Photo-of-the-Day | SJO volleyball brings home state trophy
Lacey Kaiser dives for a dig in St. Joseph-Ogden's third-place ...
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300 Wins 4 Abby
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Spartans start postseason run with a victory over the Cornjerkers

St. Joseph-Ogden's Peyton Williams tips the ball over Hoopeston Area's Tobi West during second set action of their Class 2A semifinal volleyball match at Bismark-Henning-Rossville-Alvin High School on Tuesday.
PhotoNews Media

BISMARCK -- The St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team opened their postseason run with a 2-0 win over Hoopeston Area at the Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin Class 2A regional on Tuesday. SJO won the first set 25-18 and took the second by two points, 25-23.

Senior Shayne Immke barely missed posting a double-double for the Spartans tallying 11 kills and nine digs against the Cornjerkers. Addie Roesch posted nine kills and led the team on defense with ten digs.

Mikyla Haley and Peyton Williams contributed six digs a piece to help put SJO in the regional championship game against the host BHRA on Thursday. Senior Taylor Hug recorded 26 assist and two digs in the squad's first postseason contest.


Top left: SJO libero Mikyla Haley passes the ball to the front row during first set action against the Cornjerkers. Top right: Spartans' Addie Roesch attempts to put the ball away between Hoopeston Area blockers Kaitlynn Lange and Charissa Johnson. Bottom left: Shayne Immke takes a big swing at the ball for one of her 11 kills in the IHSA regional match through Cornjerkers' Logan Watson. Bottom right: Taylor Hug, Josey Frerichs and Peyton Williams wait for an HA player to serve during set two of their match. Photos: PhotoNews Media

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St. Joseph-Ogden pulls off gutsy come-from-behind win over Oakwood

Peyton Williams and Reese Wheatley
St. Joseph-Ogden's Peyton Williams and Reese Wheatley celebrate a point during set 1 of the Spartans home match against Oakwood. Down by as many as eight points, the SJO volleyball team showed their true grit with a six-point run, making it a two-point game at 16-18. After regaining the serve at 16-20, senior Chloe Harper served-out the set 25-20 to give SJO a hard-fought win. Still on fire, the Spartans pounded their way to a 17-3 second-set advantage and closed it out for the victory, 25-7.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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SJO defeats Monticello in Week 1

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Area prep football and volleyball gets underway

Peyton Williams gave a serving clinic last Wednesday notching five aces against visiting St. Anne ...
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Roesch tallies 8 kills in Spartans' home win over PBL

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
ST. JOSEPH - The St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team extended its late season win streak to six games on Tuesday after knocking off Paxton-Buckley -Loda at home, 25-22, 25-11.

Addie Roesch piled up eight kills and hammered three aces for the Spartans, who haven't lost a match since October 7. Peyton Williams contributed one ace along side her four kills and four digs. Roesch also booked four digs in the Illini Prairie Conference regular season match.

Halle Brazelton dole out 15 assists and added a pair of digs to her season stats.

The Spartans (27-4 overall, 7-2 IPC) start their postseason as the #1 seed in the Class 2A Watseka regional. Enjoying a first-round bye, Roesch and Williams will lead the SJO against the winner of Monday night's match between Iroquois West and Hoopeston Area on Tuesday at 6pm.

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Photo Gallery | SJO volleyball overpowers visiting Hawks
Thirteen photos from St. Joseph-Ogden's home game against Prairie Central.
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Williams leads SJO over Fisher with 12 kills, Roesch collects seven aces
The St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team posted their 25th win of the season after defeating Fisher at home for Senior Night in straight sets, 2-0. The non-conference victory improves head coach Abby McDonald's 2023 season record to an impressive 25-4.
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St. Joseph-Ogden pulls off gutsy come-from-behind win over Oakwood
St. Joseph-Ogden's Peyton Williams and Reese Wheatley celebrate a point during set 1 of the Spartans home match against Oakwood. Down by as many as eight points, ...
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St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team wins season opener at Maroa

SJO's Peyton Williams was all smiles before the start of last fall's home game against Marshall. The Spartans declawed the visiting Lions, 25-13, 25-9. This week, she opened her final season with 16 kills on Monday against Maroa-Forsyth. Photo: PhotoNews Media Archives
MAROA - After dropping the first set by a two-point decision at 26-24 to host Maroa-Forsyth, the all upperclasswomen roster from St. Joseph-Ogden seized the next two sets, notching the team's first road win of the season in their opener against the Trojans.

Led by Peyton Williams' 16 kills, SJO won the second set 25-17 and took the decider, 25-19 on Monday. Willams, one of eight seniors on this year's squad, also collected four aces and six digs for the Spartans.

Addie Roesch, a senior, logged six digs, ten kills and a pair of aces. Sadie Ericksen, also in the Class of 2024, was credited with eight digs and two aces. Setter Halle Brazelton recorded 24 assists to start the season.

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Despite sloppy start, SJO volleyball team rolls past Unity

TOLONO -- The Unity volleyball team came out swinging against visiting St. Joseph-Ogden in the Illini Prairie Conference match on Tuesday. Unfortunately for the Rockets, the team was unable to maintain the intensity needed in the 2-0 loss to the Spartans.

It is rare that SJO head coach Abby McDonald calls a timeout early in a match, but four serves into the first set and down 4-0 on the scoreboard against Unity, she signaled to the referees for a brief halt as the Rockets' dominant play had her team out of sorts. After the action resumed, the Spartans struggled, but were able to methodically work brief moments of magic to keep the game in reach.

The two teams tied up the score five times in the first set until St. Joseph-Ogden's Shayne Immke's block put her team up 19-18. Firmly in system, SJO then won six of the next eight points to win, 25-20.

Emmalee Atkins tries to tip the ball over St. Joseph-Ogden's Peyton Williams

Unity's Emmalee Atkins tries to tip the ball over St. Joseph-Ogden's Peyton Williams. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Immke would finish the match with five kills and seven digs.

With the momentum squarely on their half of the court and Taylor Hug at the service line, the Spartans hammered out an 8-0 lead over their headlight-struck host to start the second half.

"Taylor has a very high volleyball IQ. She is the quarterback of our team." McDonald said. "She will do everything she can to win behind the service line."

Hug led the team's service effort with three aces. She was the game leader in assists with 14.

She added, with an appreciative smile, "She typically has a plan even if it is different than mine."

Hug and the Spartans, who were now firmly playing in system, continued to pile on points building a 15-point lead on the Rockets to go up, 20-5. The match ended with SJO up by 15, 25-10.

"We were not taking care of the ball," said Unity head coach Erika Yerry. "We need to work on consistency."

Junior outside hitter Addie Roesch putaway six kills and served two aces for the Spartans. Immke added another five kills and notched half of the 14 digs between her and Hug's defensive effort. Mikyla Haley tallied 10 digs and was credit with two of the team's seven aces.

"We played with a lot of confidence," McDonald said critiquing her team's second set performance. "When get our left side swinging early and our right, it really affects our opponents."

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Over 130 middle school students earn spot on quarterly Honor Roll

One hundred thirty-two students from St. Joseph Middle School achieved Honor Roll recognition this week.

Seventh grade students earning High Honors recognition are Logan Allen, Owen Baltzell, Payton Carter, Maya Chahine, Rachel Divan, Sadie Ericksen, Joseph Frasca, Addison Frick, Logan Haake, Chloe Harper, Rachel Harris, Annabelle Hueber, Tanner Jacob, Kya Jolley, Helene Jones, Tori Kibler, Quinn Lewis, Taylyn Lockhart, Addisyn Martinie, Isaiah Mock, Rowan Musselman, Macy Reed-Thompson, Addison Roesch, Nathaniel Roth, Daniel Santiago, Lucas Skelton, Logan Smith, Drew Thurman, and Peyton Williams.

Students in seventh grade who earned Honor Roll status include Chloe Allen, Luke Allen, Tyler Boggs, Halle Brazelton, Kyler Brown, Garrett Denhart, Cameron Dressen, Ashton Fonner, Holden Jones, Brock Kellenberger, Connor Little, Grace Mabrey, Carson Maroon, Seth McBride, Peyton McDougal, Ethan McElroy-Fitzpatrick, Shannon McMahon Jr., Carlina Patterson, Ave Pettit, Bella Santanelli, Aescton Slowikowski, Madison Stevens, Corbin Wells, Justice Wertz, Nicholas Wetzel, Spencer Wilson and Owen Yohnka.

Eighth graders meeting the criteria for High Honor Roll recognition are McGwire Atwood, Kaytlyn Baker, Olivia Baltzell, Tyler Burch, Ariana Chambers, Maddux Carter, Cale Coursey, Aiden Cromwell, Zachary Dahman, Andrew Guelfi, Hayden Henkelman, Maya Hewkin, Taylor Hug, Shayne Immke, Peyton Jones, Jacob Kern, Aaron Lane, Teagan Miller, William Page, Allegra Pearman, Ty Pence, Ellen Place, Jack Robertson, Robert Rowland, Kirsten Schaefer, Katharine Short, Paige Siegmund, Trinity Tapia, Taylor Voorhees and Margaret Ward.

The following eighth grade students earn a spot on this quarter's Honor Roll: Alyssa Acton, Emma Rydell, Canyon Alwes, Trenton Severins, Sylvia Bills, Isabel Sexton, Owen Birt, Garrett Siems, Cara Blanchard, Olivia Terven, Kaylee Brown, Mallory Wagner, Taylor Burch, Emma Ward, Payton Carter, Jackson Wetzel, Gwendolyn Chatterton, Bryce Collins, Madelynn Cook, Abigail Dow, Leah Finley, Alex Funk, Jessica Gadbury, Joseph Gherna, Jackson Greer, Kennedy Greer, Hunter Hinen, Mary Hinrichs, Emily Jeffries, Cameran Kelley, Eleni Krall, Ryan Kuchenbrod, Collin Livesay, Carter Mabry, Aidan McCorkle, Courtney Myren, Christopher Newman, Nicholas Nosler, Emma Rydell, Trenton Severins, Isabel Sexton, Garrett Siems, Olivia Terven, Mallory Wagner, Emma Ward and Jackson Wetzel.
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Prep Sports Notebook: Atwood paces SJO golf team, Spartan soccer team fall short

Atwood leads Spartans at triangle meet

St. Joseph-Ogden's McGwire Atwood hits a shot off the 5th tee at Willow Pond Golf Course. SJO finished just two strokes out of tie for first at the triangle meet on Thursday. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

RANTOUL -- McGwire Atwood shot a 42 to lead the Spartan contingent during a triangle meet on Thursday at Willow Pond Golf Course. The Spartans finished second in the three-school event by just two strokes over Rantoul's combined score of 178.

Jacob Kern and Ashten Cafarelli carded 42 and 43 strokes, respectively. Meanwhile, Maddux Carter and Jack Robertson shot a 50, and senior Connor Hale rounded out the top six with a 62.

Judah Christian's Caleb McCullough lead all players as the day's medalist with a nine-hole best of 37 strokes. The Tribe finished in third place with 187 points on a beautiful fall day in Rantoul.

Spartan soccer team fall at STM

There was no shortage of effort or chances by the St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team during their road match at St. Thomas More. The Spartans played a tight 90-minute game yielding one unanswered goal in each half to the host Sabers to lose, 2-0.

Keeper Hunter Ketchum made four saves for SJO. The Spartan soccer team is just two wins a away from a ten-win season at 8-3-1.

Unity soccer shutout by Rantoul

The Rockets were unable to score in their Illini Prairie match against the Eagles. Rantoul managed to get four shots past the keeper to win 4-0 in their regular-season conference match.

Williams steps up for SJO

Junior Peyton Williams lodged a team-high eight kills against Pontiac during St. Joseph-Ogden's home match on Thursday. The Spartans improve to 13-4 on the season after taking down the Indians in straight sets 25-16, 25-14.

Addie Roesch, also a junior, and Shayne Immke contributed six kills apiece to maintain SJO's undefeated conference record, now 3-0.

The Spartans top four players tallied 30 digs. Setter Taylor Hug, who distributed 20 assists, led the team with 10 digs. Roesch and Williams had seven apiece, and Immke added another six digs to the total.

The St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team is off for six days, then resumes competition next Wednesday at Cissna Park. After the non-conference bout with the Lady Timberwolves, SJO is on the road again in search of a fourth Illini Prairie win on Thursday at Rantoul.

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St. Joseph-Ogden 2nd-quarter Honor Roll

St. Joseph-Ogden High School Honor Roll This week, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced the second-quarter Honor Roll and High Honor Roll recipients. 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.

High Honor Roll

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Senior

Honor Roll

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Seniors

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St. Joseph-Ogden first quarter Honor Roll

Earlier this week, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced their list of students who earned high honor roll status during the first quarter.

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.

High Honor Roll

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Seniors

Honor Roll

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Seniors

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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.

St. Joseph-Ogden High School Honor Roll 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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St. Joseph-Ogden third-quarter Honor Roll

St. Joseph-Ogden High School Honor Roll This week, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced the third-quarter Honor Roll and High Honor Roll recipients. 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.

High Honor Roll

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Seniors

Honor Roll

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Seniors

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