How sweet it is! Spartans extract revenge over Titans in semifinal game
NORMAL - For a third year in a row, the St. Joseph-Ogden boys' basketball program is in the State Farm Holiday Classic small school championship game. The Spartans prevailed in an exciting seesaw battle against El Paso-Gridley, 52-49.
After leading the entire first quarter and nearly half of the second, EPG took the lead behind three treys from Braden Hayes combined with a three from Jayvion Maxon and buckets to start and end the period, 32-29.
Ryker Lockhart (7 points) put the Spartans back on top with back-to-back three-pointers, going up 35-32 early in the third quarter. Hayes, who finished with 22 points, drained two more from the outside to help the Titans to a 45-40 advantage.
EPG stretched their lead to seven after a bucket from Micah Meiss (12 points) to start the fourth quarter. SJO quickly responded, scoring three unanswered buckets after a free throw from Coy Taylor to retake the lead with 2:24 remaining, 49-47. Meiss immediately knotted the score at 49-all and missed a critical free throw.
With less than a minute on the clock, Tanner Siems, who led the Spartans with 19 points, broke the deadlock with his fourth bucket in the frame. Up 51-49 and one second away from revenge for last year's loss, Coy Taylor (12 points) missed his first of two free throws and converted on the second to secure the Spartan victory by three.
The win extended the Spartans win streak to four games while improving to 7-3 overall.
Heading into Monday's title game, Tanner Siems has scored 43 of the 153 produced by SJO during the tournament. Coy Taylor, the second-leading scorer and free-throw shooter (13-19), has 37 points. Meanwhile, Parker Fitch and Collin Thomey have contributed 21 and 19, respectively.
On Saturday, after beating Quincy Notre Dame 80-57 a day earlier, Pecatonica slipped Normal University 56-54 to punch their ticket into the finale. The Indians opened the State Farm tournament with an impressive 83-53 win over Olympia.
This will the the toughest test for the Spartans so far this season. The Indians have four players who need to be contained defensively. Cooper Hoffman has drained 67 of his team's 220 points. Zion Briamah with 32 points, Brody Black with 41, and Jaxon Diedrich with 27 are threats. Hoffman scored 33 against Quincy Notre Dame.
The Small School Division championship game is scheduled to start at 5:15 PM on Monday at Illinois Wesleyan's Shirk Center. Admission is $15 for adults at the door. Ticket prices for Students with ID (K-12), Senior Citizens, Active Military, and Veterans are $10. Admission is good for all four title and third-place contests.
December 7, 2024 .::. 27 Photos
A perfect season, SJO goes 9-0 into 2024 IHSA football playoffs
ST. JOSEPH - St. Joseph-Ogden running back Wyatt Wertz is hoisted into the air by teammate Nolan Earley after scoring his third and final touchdown of the evening during the Spartans' home game against Paxton-Buckley-Loda (5-4) at Dick Duval Field. Wertz, who led all rushers with 148 yards, scored on runs of 14, 25, and 41 yards.
The Spartans defeated the Panthers in their last regular season contest 42-14 to become the 12th team in program history to finish with an unblemished record. The last time SJO enjoyed a lossless season was in the fall of 2015 under longtime head coach Dick Duval.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
***Editor's Note: This story has been updated. Initially, we identified the running back as Justice Wertz. The correct name of the player is Wyatt as shown above.
Spartans dominate Iroquois West 10-1, breaks IHSA record for most goals in a season
ST. ANNE - St. Joseph-Ogden continued its remarkable soccer season on Friday with a commanding 10-1 victory over Iroquois West in the IHSA Regional Semifinals, setting a new state record for most goals in a season. The Spartans’ 165th goal of the year broke a record that had stood since 1993, when Sandburg High School scored 164 goals across 30 matches.
The game ended at halftime due to the lopsided score, as SJO’s offense overwhelmed the Warriors from the start, scoring at will. With the win, St. Joseph-Ogden advanced to the regional title game, where they will face Watseka on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
The Spartans’ high-powered attack was led by standout performances from several key players. Alex Acosta notched a hat trick, adding an assist for good measure, while Tyler Hess matched his teammate with three goals and one assist. Logan Mills contributed two goals and two assists, and Yadi Acosta and Quinn Stahl each chipped in with a goal. SJO’s relentless offensive pressure proved too much for Iroquois West, which struggled to contain the Spartans’ dynamic attack. Davin Alvarez also added an assist in the rout, while goalkeeper Jaxson Colvin made two saves on three shots to secure the win. While the offense garnered much of the attention, St. Joseph-Ogden’s defense has been equally formidable throughout the season. Friday’s match marked the 21st game since the team’s last loss on August 29, a stretch that has included 14 shutouts. The Spartans have allowed just 15 goals all season, a testament to their balanced play on both sides of the ball. St. Joseph-Ogden (21-1-1) will now prepare for the regional championship match against Watseka. With the Spartans riding a 21-game unbeaten streak, including 20 wins and one draw since their lone defeat to Urbana University High, they appear poised to make a strong push in the remainder of the postseason. The Spartans’ offensive firepower, combined with their stingy defense, has made them a formidable contender in the IHSA playoffs. As they head into the regional final, SJO will look to continue its historic season and add more hardware in an already impressive campaign.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
St. Joseph-Ogden's Quinn Stahl fends off a Blue Ridge defender during a non-conference home match on September 16. Stahl delivered one of ten goals scored against Iroquois West in Friday's regional semifinal game at St. Anne.
The Spartans’ high-powered attack was led by standout performances from several key players. Alex Acosta notched a hat trick, adding an assist for good measure, while Tyler Hess matched his teammate with three goals and one assist. Logan Mills contributed two goals and two assists, and Yadi Acosta and Quinn Stahl each chipped in with a goal. SJO’s relentless offensive pressure proved too much for Iroquois West, which struggled to contain the Spartans’ dynamic attack. Davin Alvarez also added an assist in the rout, while goalkeeper Jaxson Colvin made two saves on three shots to secure the win. While the offense garnered much of the attention, St. Joseph-Ogden’s defense has been equally formidable throughout the season. Friday’s match marked the 21st game since the team’s last loss on August 29, a stretch that has included 14 shutouts. The Spartans have allowed just 15 goals all season, a testament to their balanced play on both sides of the ball. St. Joseph-Ogden (21-1-1) will now prepare for the regional championship match against Watseka. With the Spartans riding a 21-game unbeaten streak, including 20 wins and one draw since their lone defeat to Urbana University High, they appear poised to make a strong push in the remainder of the postseason. The Spartans’ offensive firepower, combined with their stingy defense, has made them a formidable contender in the IHSA playoffs. As they head into the regional final, SJO will look to continue its historic season and add more hardware in an already impressive campaign.
Keywords: St. Joseph-Ogden soccer, IHSA soccer record, Illinois high school soccer, SJO vs Iroquois West, St. Joseph-Ogden regional title, Illinois soccer playoffs.
Photo Gallery |
St. Joseph-Ogden stays undefeated, knocks off Carterville at home
St. Joseph-Ogden quarterback Kodey McKinney dives into the end zone to score a touchdown. McKinney carried the ball 12 times, scoring two touchdowns. The Spartans went on to defeat the visiting Lions, 26-20. Below are more moments from the SJO's fifth win of the season.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
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Photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks