SJO win over PBL punches playoff ticket

St. Joseph-Ogden's Carson Sarnecki, Davin Alverez, and A.J. Wells are all smiles after a big stop by the Spartan (6-3) defense during Friday's home game against Paxton-Buckley-Loda. SJO cemented their spot in the 2022 IHSA playoffs after defeating the visiting Panthers, 34-20. The trio, along with the rest of the team, will return to Dick Duval Field on Saturday to face Robinson in a first-round playoff game. The opening kick is scheduled for 3:00 pm. PBL, who also made the playoffs, will face the undefeated Illini Prairie Conference champions of Prairie Central in their first-round matchup. More photos from this game coming soon.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


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Photo Gallery: Three-game win streak, SJO clobbers BCC for Homecoming

SJO cheerleaders Alexis and Emily
Ready to enjoy another Homecoming tradtion, cheerleaders Alexis Taylor and Emily Jeffries share a pregame smile before the start of the St. Joseph-Ogden's homecoming game against Central Catholic. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Ethan Vanliew
Ethan Vanliew slaps hands of fans as he runs down the tunnel during team introduction for the Spartans. Vanliew would intercept a Bloomington Central Catholic pass in their end zone and run the ball back for a one-hundred yard pick six in the second quarter. He also caught three passes for 25 yards in St. Joseph-Ogden 33-0 shutout on Friday. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


St. Joseph-Ogden head football coach Shawn Skinner shares a big smile with assistant coach Nick Bialeschki before the opening kickoff between his Spartans and visiting Saints from Central Catholic. About two and half hours later, Skinner had an even better reason to smile with the homecoming win in the books and the program record improving to 3-3 on the season. "Defense was phenomenal from the very beginning," said Skinner, who pointed to the tenacity of his defensive backs and their attention to detail. SJO picked off two passes, one that was returned 100 yards for a TD in the second quarter. "We had a good scouting report, but our kids had to execute it and they were fabulous."

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Lineman Conrad Miller and linebacker Alex Funk

Spartan lineman Conrad Miller and linebacker Alex Funk bring down a Saints' ball carrier during first quarter action. In their best performance of the season, the SJO defense held BCC scoreless and just 144 yards in total offense. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Evan Ingram hurls a pass to an open receiver in the first quarter. The senior signal caller completed eight of 17 passes for 63 yards against the Saints.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Seniors Conrad Miller (77) and Keaton Nolan (8) explode off the line while playing defense in the second quarter for the Spartans. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Peyton Sarver, Keaton Nolan and Ramsey Primmer celebrate

A game official signals touchdown while Spartans Peyton Sarver, Keaton Nolan and Ramsey Primmer celebrate the score in the west end zone after teammate Ethan Vanliew ran an interception back 100 yards for a TD in the second quarter. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Ramsey Primmer breaks up a pass play for SJO
St. Joseph-Ogden defensive back Ramsey Primmer breaks up a pass play to Central Catholic receiver Nick Mardis during the second quarter.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Jett Morris

Spartans' Jett Morris fights off Central Catholic lineman Michael Mier while battling in the trench during second quarter action. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


St. Joseph-Ogden student fans in the Maroon Platoon section catch comemorative footballs tossed into the stand by cheerleaders. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


SJO Cheerleaders perform at halftime
SJO cheerleaders perform a stunt for during their portion of the halftime show. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Baritone saxophone player Wyatt Loghry and members of the Spartan marching band perform their competition piece during Friday night's halftime show. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Eri Shimada performs with the SJO Marching Band
Eri Shimada performs with the St. Joseph-Ogden High School Marching Band during halftime.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Coby Miller carries the ball through the Saints defensive line during the second half. The senior tallied up 178 yards in game six of the season on 20 carries. He also caught one pass for three yards in the Homecoming game. Miller and the Spartans play at home again in two weeks against Rantoul and will celebrate senior night at the last regular season home contest of the season. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Braxton Waller plays offense for SJO
Sophomore Braxton Waller looks to pick up a downfield block while playing on the the offensive line in the second half of the game.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


Spartan linemen Mitchell Wright and Austin Cotter move with the flow of the play while playing on the defensive line during the fourth quarter. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


SJO's Alex Funk

Junior Alex Funk takes a well-earned drink on the sidelines in the fourth quarter of the game. Funk was a key figure on defense and finished the game with 5 receiving yards and 20 rushing yards. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


SJO players and student fans sing the school fight song together after the school's big homecoming football victory. St. Joseph-Ogden, improving to 3-3 on the season, needs just three more wins to quarantee a berth in this year's IHSA playoffs. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks


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A great night to be a Spartan - SJO defeats BCC, 33-0

Lineman Spencer Fitch lets out a joyous roar as he runs to waiting teammates and fans to sing the school fight song after he and the St. Joseph-Ogden shutout visiting Bloomington Central Catholic, 33-0. Extending their win streak to three games and moving to a 3-3 record with the Homecoming game victory on Friday, the Spartans travel to Pontiac looking for win #4 next Friday. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Spartans football improves to 1-1 after Pontiac shutout

Spartans shutout Indians

Keaton Nolan heads for the end zone after taking a hand off from quarterback Evan Ingram during the Spartans' first home game of the season last Friday. For a second consecutive meeting the St. Joseph-Ogden football team posted a shutout against the Indians posting a 28-0 victory. Improving to 1-1 on the season, SJO travels to Charleston on Thursday to take on the Trojans in a non-conference contest.

(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Photo of the Day - December 28, 2020

JC Ducey, Tyler Johnson and Lukas Graves enjoy an SJO football game

Tres grandes sonrisas

Former Spartan athletes JC Ducey, Tyler Johnson and Lukas Graves flash million dollar smiles as they show a little love to their favorite sports photographer from the back of a truck bed in 2013 during St. Joseph-Ogden's home football game against Marshall. The trio, who played in a state football title game together in 2006, also were teammates on the baseball field. Johnson, a three-sport athlete, played basketball while Graves wrestled his way to state finals appearances during the winter seasons. Later that evening the entire Spartan nation wore smiles as SJO rolled to a 47-0 shutout over the visiting Lions in the season opener on August 30.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Photo of the Day - December 4, 2020

Lineman Eli Marlow escorted off the field
SJO gives up plus-40 to visiting Cardinals
Head coach Dick Duval, on the left, and Casey Hug (middle) escort injured Eli Marlow off the field before halftime during St. Joseph-Ogden's home game against Stillman Valley on September 5, 2008. Marlow suffered game-ending trauma to his left shoulder. Later, the visiting Cardinals handed the Spartans a sour 44-25 loss. The last time a SJO team allowed an opponent to score over 40 points in the regular season was to Clifton Central in 2002. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Spartan rule the roost, spoil Eagle homecoming

Jaden Miller and teammates celebrate a SJO touchdown
St. Joseph-Ogden's Jaden Miller is congratulated by teammates Brayden Weaver and Blake Primmer after he picked up a deflected punt and ran it in for a TD on Friday in his team's Illini Prairie Conference game against Rantoul Township High School. The Spartans rallied in the second half of their Illini Prairie Conference contest to defeat the Eagles 22-8 after their sixth consecutive annual gridiron meeting on last Friday. SJO improves to 2-0 on the season and will host Bloomington Central Catholic at home next week. Find more photos from this game in the SJO vs Rantoul Football Gallery. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)




Photos this week


The St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team hosted Oakwood-Salt Fork in their home season opener on Monday. After a strong start, the Spartans fell after a strong second-half rally by the Comets, falling 5-1. Here are 33 photos from the game.


Photos from the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team's home opener against Maroa-Forsyth from iphotonews.com.