
Let the Esports begin! IHSA ramps up new activity for gamers

Miller rips first home run of the season
Photo of the day - February 5, 2021
Running on air
SJO football on tap, Spartans open on the road March 20

The six game schedule also includes a non-conference Thursday night contest at Charleston against the Trojans on April 1. The five other games will be battles against fellow Illini Prairie Conference schools.
One highlight on this season's lineup is the Spartans will host just two home games during the abbreviated spring season.
The first one of the campaign is against Pontiac on March 26 and the second against Bloomington Central Catholic on April 16. Fans, who don't mind a short drive, can catch a third game at Unity's Hicks Field on April 9.
SJO's final contest of the season will be a Saturday game against Monticello on April 24, a team the Spartan program has not beaten since 2016.
The 24th will be the last official day of IHSA sanctioned football until August. Meanwhile, under the approved Illinois Department of Public Health plan, the IHSA's revised pandemic schedule for spring sports such as baseball, track & field and lacrosse will already be underway. Practices for those sports are scheduled to begin on April 5 with games starting as early as April 12.
2021 SJO Football Schedule
March 26 • vs Pontiac
April 1 • at Charleston
April 9 • at Unity
April 16 • vs Central Catholic
April 24 • at Monticello
Photo of the Day | November 19, 2020

SJO ladies play for regional title after defeating Tuscola

Allowing their opponents nine unanswered points in the third quarter, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team, and through no lack of shooting opportunities, was unable to hit a shot from anywhere on the court. The nearly scoreless effort in the quarter was saved by way of a solo basket from senior Taylor Barnes. The Warriors, led by junior Brynn Tabeling's nine points, took the lead on the scoreboard and posed a bona fide threat in booting SJO from the postseason entering into final period of play. Tabeling went on to finish her last game of the season with 11 points. A three-pointer from Ella Armstrong plus six bench points from Hannah Dukeman and another field goal from Barnes (four points) was just enough work in the fourth quarter to advance the Spartans into tonight's regional title game. "We lost our composure for a little bit," said head coach Kevin Taylor after leading this team to their 19th win of the season. "We were able to regain it. We had some lapses but overall our help defense was really good tonight." The key defensive moment was a tip from Payton Vallee. With less than a minute to play and down by two, Tuscola moved the ball down the floor and tried to lob a pass over her head to Marissa Russo (8 points). Vallee leapt as high as she could knocking the ball away. Russo would have likely knotted the score had she got the needed touch. "They were hitting her on lobs a lot," Vallee said. "When I saw the other player look like she was going to lob it, I knew I had to make the best effort to jump up and get it." On offense, St. Joseph-Ogden was led by a game-high 15 points from Ella Armstrong. "Ella hits the big shots at the right time. It was really good to see," Taylor said about the sophomore starter. "She did exactly what she was suppose to do tonight." Armstrong, who also a part of SJO's aggressive defensive effort, was credited three treys and drilled both of her free throws to account for nearly half of her team's score. "My teammates set me good screens," she said. "I relied on them to help me a lot. Tuscola definitely did play good defense on me." Tonight will be the last time the St. Joseph-Ogden girls will play on their home court until next November. The Spartans look to beat Villa Grove, who canceled Schlarman Academy's season after a 57-49, a second time this season. The Blue Devils will come in ready to avenge their early season, three-point loss to SJO at the GCMS-Fisher Tipoff in November. Game time is set for 7pm.
St. Joseph-Ogden | 9 | 12 | 2 | 11 | - 34 |
Tuscola | 10 | 6 | 11 | 5 | - 32 |
SJO stuns Chicago Christian to win Elite 8 title



Spartans runners head to state
Spartans volleyball team aces postseason win over Oakwood
![]() |
Emily Bigger serves one of her nine aces against the Comets in the St. Joseph-Ogden High School's regional volleyball game on Tuesday. The Spartans won 2-0 and advance to Thursday's title game against Monticello. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks) |
More Sentinel Stories


I heard it in Syrian tenor Sabah Fakhri’s powerful voice reverberating in my mom’s car on the way to piano lessons and soccer practice during my youth. I smelled it in the za’atar, Aleppo pepper, allspice, and cumin permeating the air in the family kitchen. Read more . . .
Photo Galleries