A quick look back, who would have guessed?

Wow. How fast life can change.

Last August, if you had asked what I thought would be happening with all the St. Joseph-Ogden sports team by today, I would have predicted the baseball team would have just five losses and the softball team would have just notched their 20th win of the season.

Softball player Bailey Downing would have crushed the prep national home run record by now and looking to do more damage before SJO clawed their way into a Class 2A state semifinal game. Between calls and emails from college coaches from major programs from around the country, Atleigh Hamilton would be routinely jumping her winning state mark last spring. Pitcher Keegan McCarty would be carrying a 6-win, 1-loss pitching record and Drew Coursey would lead the team in RBIs for the Spartan baseball team.

I'd say head track coach Jason Retz would be writing a letter of apology and a check to help replace Unity's new synthetic rubber track after the speedy boys 4x200 spikes absolutely shread the center lane from a 22 second time better than last year's state qualifying mark.

The juggernaut Spartan athletic program and the dedicated athletes who proudly wear the uniforms would be firing on all cylinders across the board with postseason play just weeks away today. Who can argue that there wasn't a real good chance that there would be at least two new IHSA state trophies in an already crowded trophy case at the high school?

Then along came this doggone pandemic.

Before things get worse, while we wait for the Asian giant hornet invasion - they aren't threatening to humans or pets, and a perhaps a little tectonic plate action from the New Madrid Fault Line, let's look back to the first six Sentinel headlines that started off what looked like a seemingly normal 2019-2020 school year.


August 26, 2019
Our first story of the school year was a photo page featuring the football team's fall kickoff event where head coach Shawn Skinner said, "We don't have one or two leaders. We have a team of leaders right now." Click on the photo of the page to read the article.


August 28, 2019
Keeper Mason Behrens fended off 9 of 12 shots. SJO volleyball team looses to St. Teresa, who later took the 2A title months later. Click on the photo of the page to read the article.


August 28, 2019
University of Illinois freshmen Abigail Schlueter and Rylee Sjuts were two of 159 underclassmen designated Chancellor’s Scholars in the Campus Honors Program this fall. Click on the photo of the page to read the article or here.


August 30, 2019
Football dad's ready the field for the Spartans home football game. See who was involved by clicking on the photo of the page to read the article or follow the link here.


August 30, 2019
Emily Bigger was credited with 22 assists, nine digs and three kills leading the team to a 25-15 and 25-13 victory. Click on the photo to read more.


August 30, 2019
Two hundred and 27 minutes into the season, roughly a little more than two and half games, senior Zack Seeley finally nailed the soccer team's first goal of the season. Click on the photo to read the entire article.



2020 Senior Spotlight on Kenly Taylor

Kenly Taylor
On the right, Kenly celebrates senior night with her parents before the start of the Spartans' last home game of the season back on October 22, 2019. Above, Taylor celebrates a point for SJO during the team's state semifinal match against Breese Mater Dei at Redbird Arena. Below, the SJO senior poses for a photo with team's third-place trophy and her state volleyball medal. (Photos: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks)


Clubs & Activities
Volleyball (4 years)
Student Council, NHS, Spanish Club, Maroon Platoon, SADA, FCA

Hometown:
Ogden

Siblings:
An older sister; two brothers, one older and one younger

Hobbies:
Playing card games with friends, hanging out with family, and watching Netflix.

Favorite SJO memories:
Her greatest memories are playing hacky sack every Friday for Spanish Club during her senior year and the whole IHSA state volleyball tournament experience this past fall when the Spartans earned a 3rd place IHSA State trophy.

Favorite classes:
Physics with Mr. Robert Glazier and Spanish with Senor Zak Sutton.

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Anderson at PVO as well as Mrs. Heather Lindenmeyer and Mr. Marshall Schacht at SJO.

College:
Parkland College, majoring in nursing

Academic goal:
Study abroad in Spain.

Advice to future SJO students:
Enjoy every moment and to not take anything for granted.



Text provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School.


Senior Spotlight with Emily Hardimon, Lucas Downing & Faith Dahman

Faith Dahman

Clubs & Activities
Cheer (4 years), Track & Field (2 years), NHS President, SADA President, AMP, Future Spartans Mentoring Program, Spanish Club Leader, Bible Club Leader, Maroon Platoon, SJO Handbook Committee, Drama Club, We The People

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
Younger brother

Hobbies:
working at Sholem Pool, walking, and spending time with family and friends.

Favorite SJO memories:
She enjoyed mentoring in the Advisory Mentoring Program and being a part of the Future Spartans Mentoring Program. She also enjoyed her time as an SJO cheerleader, especially during the Homecoming games and at all of the Homecoming assemblies.

Favorite classes:
Advanced Civics with Mr. Marshall Schacht, Trigonometry with Mr. Kiel Duval, and U.S. History with Mr. Don Beckett.

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Lubinski and Mrs. Ford at St. Joseph Middle School and Senor Zak Sutton and Mr. Schacht at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

College:
University of Illinois, double major in Pre-Law and Political Science.

Advice to future SJO students:
Get involved in as many sports, activities, and clubs as you can.


Lucas Downing

Clubs & Activities
Soccer (2 years)
FFA, Maroon Platoon, Drama Club

Hometown:
Royal

Siblings:
Older sister and two younger brothers

Hobbies:
Playing baseball, riding four-wheelers, and hanging out with friends.

Favorite SJO memories:
He thoroughly enjoyed FFA in high school, and he highly suggests joining FFA to all SJO students.

Favorite classes:
BSAA with Mrs. Duitsman and Mr. Pfundstein and Geometry with Mr. Kiel Duval.

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Howard and Mrs. Anderson at PVO and Mr. Duval and Mr. Don Beckett at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

College:
Northwest Lineman College in Florida

Advice to future SJO students:
Be excellent, stay on top of your homework, and do not fall behind.


Graduating from college with an undergraduate or advance degree? Let us know. Read more ...

Faith Hardimon

Clubs & Activities
Spanish Club, SADA, Maroon Platoon, We The People

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
Younger sister

Hobbies:
Playing tennis, playing sand volleyball, and painting.

Favorite SJO memories:
Over the years, she has enjoyed post prom and playing hacky sack before school. She has also been a big part of the Maroon Platoon. During her senior year, she was one of the many road warriors from the Maroon Platoon that traveled to Unity High School to cheer on the SJO varsity volleyball team to victory. It is a moment she will never forget.

Favorite classes:
Spanish with Senor Zak Sutton, and all of the classes she had with Mr. Marshall Schacht as a teacher.

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. McDonald at St. Joseph Grade School, Mrs. Thompson at St. Joseph Middle School, and Mr. Schacht, Senor Sutton, and Mrs. Heather Lindenmeyer at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

College:
Illinois State University, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Spanish.

Advice to future SJO students:
Enjoy their senior year and to go to as many sporting events as possible.



Text & photos provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School.



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