Sweet revenge; Rockets bump Sages from postseason
Unity's Nosler wins IHSA state wrestling title
Unity's Nick Nosler is declared winner after his 195-pound title match with St. Thomas More's Brody Cuppernell at the 2023 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals on Saturday. Nosler, who finished as the Sentinel area's top finisher, won the bout by major decision, 11-3. The senior improved to 55-2 on the season after going 4-0 at the State Farm Center. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
TOP LEFT: Nosler scores a takedown on Cuppernell. TOP RIGHT: Smiling for his official IHSA photo, Nick Nosler stands tall at the top of the 195-pound podium on Saturday. BOTTOM: Cuppernell tries to avoid being rolled to his back by Nosler during their title bout. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
Brody Cuppernell is rolled to his back by Unity's Nosler. Cuppernell, a junior at St. Thomas More, finished his season with 45 wins and against 6 losses. See more photos of area wrestlers at the state tournament here. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
In The Know | 9 stories you might have missed in the past week
A summary of our stories from December 20 through 22 readers might have missed. Subscribe to get your daily notification of The Sentinel's latest news and photos here. It's free and unsubscribe any time.
Photo of the Day | December 19, 2022
TOLONO - Unity's Henry Thomas goes up for a shot between two Pleasant Plains players during second half action of their non-conference contest on Saturday. In front of ...
Guest Commentary | Seeing the hurts of others doesn’t make your troubles go away
When I was a child at Tomahawk Elementary School in Martin County, Kentucky there were many kids who got little to nothing for Christmas. I had classmates who I would never ask if they got anything for Christmas because I already knew ...
Special holiday prices for court time available at Atkins Tennis Center
URBANA - Atkins Tennis Center is offering reduce rates on indoor court time now through January 15, 2023. Area players can keep those extra holiday pounds off without putting a huge dent in their wallet. Normally $30/hour for indoor ...
Prep Sports Notebook | Spartans, Rockets post wins on the hardcourt
Photo of the Day | December 20, 2022
St. Joseph - With teammate Addisyn Martinie trying to help out, Addison Frick pulls down a rebound in SJO's home game ...
Frick drops 20 in SJO's road game at Oakwood
Addison Frick was perfect at the free throw line, 2-for-2, while leading the Spartans to their second-straight victory heading into the Christmas holiday lull. The 5-foot-7 junior finished the night with a game-high 20 points ...
A college education is gift we can give to children of our American heroes
NAPSI - While the holiday season is generally a time of joy and celebration, military families can often experience a very different range of emotions. Active service members and veterans returning home for the holidays might struggle to participate in family gatherings ...
Are you itching to get out and run the snow thrower?
NAPSI - With a total accumulation between two and four inches expected by this weekend and blowing snow until Sunday morning in our area, it is time to rev up the snow throwers and blowers to clear sidewalks and driveways for the holiday celebrations at your house.
Just like predicted precipitation from snow flurries and winter storms can be unpredictable, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) encourages home and business owners to be prepared in advance ...
With schools out for winter break, seasonal illnesses will be on the rise
Evergreen Park - Schools across the country are on winter break and holiday gatherings are here along with the winter weather. That means the perfect storm for seasonal illnesses to spread is nearly inevitable. This year we have heard the term "triple-demic" used in reference to the current strains of flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that are circulating across the country.
Prep Sports Notebook: SJO, Rockets add another win to their record.
Unity bounces back
With 16 points to her credit, Taylor Henry dropped points in all four quarters of the Rockets home game against Monticello on Monday. The senior was also credited with six rebounds as Unity picked up the conference win, 37-34.
Raegen Stringer delivered three assists and racked up four steals as the team's second-leading scorer with eight points.
Producing just a single free throw, Katey Moore led the Rockets' rebounding effort with seven boards to break a three-game skid.
Mboyo-Meta leads Tigers' scoring effort
Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta scored 11 points in Urbana's 64-29 loss at home to Champaign Central. The junior was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Destiny Barber had 8 points and Jasmine McCollough scored seven in the Big 12 Conference loss rounding out the top three scorers for the Tigers.Spartans notch 20th win
It didn't take long for first-year St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Drew Artega to notch his first 20-win season. The Spartan girls basketball team ended the conference season with a 50-28 win at home over Paxton-Buckley-Loda.
Draining four treys for SJO, Peyton Jones turned in a 16-point game-high performance on Monday. Addison Frick, who was 2-for-3 from the charity stripe, also finished in double-digits with 10 points. Senior Ella Armstrong chipped in another six.
Lorena Arnett spearheaded the Panthers' scoring effort with 8 points. The senior converted on all four trips to the free-throw line.
SJO boys win road game
The St. Joseph-Ogden boys basketball team still have their magic touch. The Spartans toppling Bloomington Central Catholic on the road 73-61 to earn their 19th victory of the season.Photo Gallery | St. Joseph-Ogden girls defeat Unity at home to win IPC title
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity's Lauren Miller blocks a shot from St. Joseph-Ogden's Ashlyn Lannert during the first half of their Illini Prairie Conference game on Saturday. With home court advantage, the Spartans won the contest 49-27 to clinch the Illini Prairie Conference title. Miller finished the game with six points, five rebounds, and four assists for the Rockets.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity head coach Dave Ellars reminds his players to keep their arms up during second quarter play against the Spartans.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Keep the ball away from Unity's Erika Steinman, Addison Frick secures a loose ball for the Spartans during the first half of the game. The sophomore guard finished the game with six points.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
SJO's Ella Armstrong goes after the ball for a steal from Rockets' Addison Ray. Armstrong finished with a game-high 12 points for the Spartans. Ray, who went of 0-2 from the free throw line, contributed one field goal in Unity's loss and finished with a hard-fought five rebounds.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Katey Moore hauls in a offensive rebound for the Rockets. The senior guard chipped in six of the team's 27 points.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
St. Joseph-Ogden senior Ashlyn Lannert tries to put a shot up over Unity's Katey Moore during the fourth quarter. Lannert finished the night with two points drained back in the first quarter of the contest.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Spartans' Ella Armstrong puts up a fourth-quarter shot on Unity's Lauren Miller. Armstrong, a senior, was the only player to score in all four quarters of the game on Saturday.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Rocket's Addison Ray looks to make a pass after coming up with a loose ball in the fourth quarter. Unity dropped to 20-8 overall and 6-3 in conference play after the loss to the Spartans. Ray and the Rockets hope to correct their three-game skid against 18-10 Monticello tonight at 7pm.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Kaytlyn Baker drives past Unity's Erika Steinman into the paint. Baker came off the bench late in the final quarter contributing a free throw to the Spartan's cause. The St. Joseph-Ogden girls team is back in action tonight against the Panthers of Paxton-Buckley-Loda (11-16) in their final IPC game of the season.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity senior Gracie Renfrow congratulates SJO players and staff on their win on Saturday.
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Watch tonight's area basketball teams play online
The St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team hosts Prairie Central (12-5) in their second Illini Prairie Conference match-up in the new year.
Coming off a 57-23 road win over Pontiac, the Spartans are 11-5 for the season.
Meanwhile, the Unity girls' basketball squad, who were supposed to play Tuscola on Saturday, make a short trip to northwest Champaign to take on St. Thomas More. The non-conference contest was canceled due to freezing rain and icy road conditions.
In the Rockets' last outing, Maddie Reed and Taylor Henry combined efforts to produce 20 of Unity's 37 points in the home win over Paxton-Buckley-Loda's girls' team.
Below is tonight's line-up on the NFHS Network.
Tonight's Live NFHS Broadcasts
January 10, 2022
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Prep Sports Notebook: SJO volleyball cruises past T-Town, Uni knocks off Sages
Romole scores twice in first half
Nolan Romle scored two of Unity's four goals in their home soccer match against Meridian on Thursday. The freshman's two scores, bookending a strike from Gabe Pound, gave the Rockets a 3-all tie leading heading into halftime.
Later, Meridian striker Spencer Uphoff broke the tie with an unassisted goal in the second half, but the Rockets refused to lie down thanks to junior Andrew Mowrer notching a penalty kick to retie the score, this time at four goals apiece.
With his first goal already under his belt in the first half, Hawks Micah McCoy scored the game-winning goal handing Unity a 5-4 loss.
Mason Davis made 13 saves on the day for the Rockets.
Still looking for their first win of the season, Unity (0-4) will play their next game, the team's first road match, on Monday, September 6 at Warrensburg-Latham. Romole and Rockets then travel to Champaign to face the Tribe of Judah Christian on Thursday.
Box Score -
Thomey buries two goals
When the bout was said and done, both the St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team and Hoopeston area would part ways with the identical season records of 4-1-1. Staring at recording their second loss of the season at the end of the first half, St. Joseph-Ogden bounced back to win their second road match of the season handing the Cornjerkers their first loss by way of a 3-1 advantage.
Hoopeston's Harrison Wood gave his team the early lead and their only goal of the contest despite 19 other attempts from his teammates. Teammate and goaltender Owen Root (6 saves) kept the ball out of his net during the first half play, but would later let three second-half Spartan shots slip by him in the final half.
SJO senior Jared Emmert earned his first of two assists feeding the ball to junior Aiden Cromwell to tie the game at one goal each. Emmert then set up the go-ahead score with a pass to Colin Thomey. Thomey, a freshman, sealed the victory with a follow-up goal with the help of Owen Baltzell.
Hunter Ketchum made 18 saves guarding the Spartan goal.
The St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team returns to the pitch on Monday, September 6 at Bismarck-Henning. Hoopeston Area visits St. Anne today and plays another road match, this one close to home, at Schlarman on Tuesday, September 7.
Box Score -
Urbana's Jacie Owens lines up a shot over the net during the Tiger's home match against St. Joseph-Ogden last month. In Thursday's home match against visiting Centennial, Owens came up short in her battle against Anna Park. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
Tigers fall at home
After avenging an earlier loss to St. Joseph-Ogden on Tuesday, the Urbana girls tennis team dropped their next home match to Centennial on Thursday, 8-1.
The Tigers' solo win came at #4 singles from Alisa Tangmunarunkit, who defeated the Chargers' Nicole Vozovoy, 8-4.
Next up, Tangmunarunkit and her teammates will host the St. Thomas More tennis team on Tuesday at 4pm.
Box Score -
Singles:
No. 1 - Sandhya Subbiah, CENTENNIAL def. Myra Stevens, URBANA, 8-3
No. 2 - Anna Park, CENTENNIAL def. Jacie Owens, URBANA, 8-4
No. 3 - Grace Kahler, CENTENNIAL def. Eisla Madigan, URBANA, 8-2
No. 4 - Alisa Tangmunarunkit, URBANA def. Nicole Vozovoy, CENTENNIAL, 8-4
No. 5 - Yehyun Nam, CENTENNIAL def. Matika Pounginjai, URBANA, 8-1
No. 6 - Aastha Patel, CENTENNIAL def. Grace Coady, URBANA, 8-2 Doubles:
No. 1 - Sandhya Subbiah/Anna Park, CENTENNIAL def. Jacie Owens/Myra Stevens, URBANA, 8-2
No. 2 - Grace Kahler/Yehyun Nam, CENTENNIAL def. Alisa Tangmunarunkit, /Matika Pounginjai, URBANA, 8-2
No. 3 - Nicole Vozovoy/Aastha Patel, CENTENNIAL def. Zoe Johnson/Grace Coady, URBANA, 8-0
No. 1 - Sandhya Subbiah, CENTENNIAL def. Myra Stevens, URBANA, 8-3
No. 2 - Anna Park, CENTENNIAL def. Jacie Owens, URBANA, 8-4
No. 3 - Grace Kahler, CENTENNIAL def. Eisla Madigan, URBANA, 8-2
No. 4 - Alisa Tangmunarunkit, URBANA def. Nicole Vozovoy, CENTENNIAL, 8-4
No. 5 - Yehyun Nam, CENTENNIAL def. Matika Pounginjai, URBANA, 8-1
No. 6 - Aastha Patel, CENTENNIAL def. Grace Coady, URBANA, 8-2 Doubles:
No. 1 - Sandhya Subbiah/Anna Park, CENTENNIAL def. Jacie Owens/Myra Stevens, URBANA, 8-2
No. 2 - Grace Kahler/Yehyun Nam, CENTENNIAL def. Alisa Tangmunarunkit, /Matika Pounginjai, URBANA, 8-2
No. 3 - Nicole Vozovoy/Aastha Patel, CENTENNIAL def. Zoe Johnson/Grace Coady, URBANA, 8-0
SJO golf finishes second at triangle
Jacob Kern, McGwire Atwood, Maddux Carter and Logan Smith combined for a four-man total of 181 strokes leading the St. Joseph-Ogden (7-1) golf team to a second-place finish in a three-school competition between Monticello and Rantoul-Paxton-Buckley-Loda varsity golf contingents.
Monticello finished first with 160 and Rantoul in third with 190 strokes.
Kern led the Spartans with 46 strokes on the Par 36 back nine at Willowbrook Golf Course. Atwood finished one stroke behind him with 47. Carter and Smith rounded out the top four scores with 43 and 45 respectively. Jack Robertson finished the course with 51 strokes and Talan Miller with 57.
SJO's Connor Hale shot a 59 and Tyler Buss 56 as varsity extras on Thursday.
St. Joseph-Ogden's Kelsey Martlage puts the ball back over the net during the Spartans' road match at Urbana on August 31. After winning that match, Martlage with partner Hope Rajlich defeated Watseka's Ashton Peters/Baler Rigsby 8-2 on Thursday.(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
Dow notches four straight wins
After a win-less first season in 2020, the St. Joseph-Ogden tennis program picked up its third team victory after rolling over Watseka on the road, 7-2.
SJO dusted up the doubles courts taking all three matches and picked up four wins in singles to improve their team record to 3-2 on the season.
Abbey Dow picked up another win at #1 singles besting the Warriors' Ashton Peters, 8-4. The Spartan now boasts four straight wins in singles competition.
Box Score -
Singles:
No. 1 - Abbey Dow, SJO def. Ashton Peters, WATSEKA, 8-4
No. 2 - Emma Simons, WATSEKA def. Allison Kearney, SJO, 8-6
No. 3 - Ava Swartz, WATSEKA, def. Ashlyn Lannert, SJO, 8-4
No. 4 - Claire Huffman, SJO def. Moriah Pueschell, WATSEKA, 8-1
No. 5 - Grace Schmitz, SJO def. Sarah Parsons, WATSEKA, 8-4
No. 6 - Olivia Getty, SJO def. Tiffany Zhao, WATSEKA, 8-6 Doubles:
No. 1 - Hope Rajlich/Kelsey Martlage, SJO def. Ashton Peters/Baler Rigsby, WATSEKA, 8-2
No. 2 - Abby Behrens/Jacey Lewis, SJO def. Emma Simons/Ava Swartz, WATSEKA, 8-6
No. 3 - Katie McDermott/Emma Rydell, SJO def. Moriah Pueschell/Sarah Parsons, WATSEKA, 8-4
No. 1 - Abbey Dow, SJO def. Ashton Peters, WATSEKA, 8-4
No. 2 - Emma Simons, WATSEKA def. Allison Kearney, SJO, 8-6
No. 3 - Ava Swartz, WATSEKA, def. Ashlyn Lannert, SJO, 8-4
No. 4 - Claire Huffman, SJO def. Moriah Pueschell, WATSEKA, 8-1
No. 5 - Grace Schmitz, SJO def. Sarah Parsons, WATSEKA, 8-4
No. 6 - Olivia Getty, SJO def. Tiffany Zhao, WATSEKA, 8-6 Doubles:
No. 1 - Hope Rajlich/Kelsey Martlage, SJO def. Ashton Peters/Baler Rigsby, WATSEKA, 8-2
No. 2 - Abby Behrens/Jacey Lewis, SJO def. Emma Simons/Ava Swartz, WATSEKA, 8-6
No. 3 - Katie McDermott/Emma Rydell, SJO def. Moriah Pueschell/Sarah Parsons, WATSEKA, 8-4
Uni outlasts Monticello
Arjun Kala had six saves in Uni-High's 3-2 win over Monticello at home on Thursday.
Noah La Nave had a hand ... er, leg in all three Illinek scores with his first coming via a pass from junior Teo Chemla 13 minutes after Monticello scored their first goal of the game.
Early in the second half, La Nave delivered a righteous pass for Arya Thirodira to sink the go-ahead score. The lead was short-lived as Monticello scored on a penalty kick near the halfway mark in the final half to tie the affair at two-all.
La Nave and Chemla teamed up again for the game-winner 70 minutes into the match for the final goal of the non-conference dual.
Box Score -
SJO volleyball remains unbeaten
The SJO volleyball squad improved to 6-0 on the season after powering past visiting Teutopolis 25-20, 25-10 at home, originally scheduled to be played in T-town, on Thursday.
Becca Steinbach tallied 12 assists and senior Hannah Fox stood out defensively with seven digs on the Spartans home court.
Kennedi Burnett delivered five aces and pounded six kills in the rout. The veteran senior also had six digs.
Next week, the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team hosts Champaign Central on Tuesday, September 7, and Oakwood a day later on September 8.
Coaches and fans, send us your team scores and stats
The 2021 fall athletic season is here and we want to make sure all Sentinel area high school coaches know where to send box scores and other sports information this year. The Sentinel needs your game scores and stat leaders after each game to keep fans, college recruiters and area readers well-informed on the four area prep athletic programs we are covering this season.
The Sentinel is looking forward to the days, hopefully soon, when we will have enough business advertising with us to help expand our coverage to more teams at each school as well as outstanding individual athletes and their accomplishments. Until then, we'll do what we can with the limited resources at our disposal.
New this season, by request, The Sentinel will begin covering high school sports at both Urbana University and Urbana High School in addition to St. Joseph-Ogden and Unity athletics. If you don't see it on The Sentinel, it is probably because no one took the time to tell us about it. We are relying on coaches, managers, ADs, parents and even players emailing or calling us to let us know the stories, final scores and interesting cool stuff we are missing. We would also like to let our readers know about schedule changes and cancellations, too.
If the team you would like us to cover has a team website, Facebook page or Twitter feed, do us a favor and email the link to us. If your team is posting scores, stats, and achievements it will give us a place to check. Send us a link so we can bookmark it.
Tag us on Twitter with @Sentinel_News or hashtag us with #SentinelSports or tag us on Facebook with @OurSentinelNews.
Let us know who is getting what honors from All-League and All-Conference, who is going to sign their NLI, and so on. The best way to send box scores and other info is via email to sports@oursentinel.com or editor@oursentinel.com. Do you have a player on the verge of breaking a school record, got a story idea or hot news tip? Don't hesitate to send an email to either address.
The Sentinel looks forward to covering your 2021-2022 season.
Prep Sports Notebook: Softball and baseball teams notch wins
Alyssa Acton hits a foul ball during SJO home game against Olympia. Today, in the Spartans' road game at Rantoul, the sophomore had 3 hits including a home run and 4 RBIs.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Spartans pick up 10th win of the season
Alyssa Acton put a shot over the fence in the fifth inning for a two-run homer to increase the St. Joseph-Ogden softball team's commanding lead over Rantoul, 11-4. In the next frame, Shayne Immke drilled a three-run, inside-the-park home run in the Illini Prairie Conference duel to put the Spartans up, 16-4.
Any hopes of an Eagles comeback was extinquished 1-2-3 by Acton, who was throwing heat from the circle. In her five-inning appearance, the sophomore slugger averaged just 12 pitches per frame to help the SJO pick up their 10th win of the season.
Emily Curtis, who gave up a pair of home runs and a double on 13 hits, earned the loss for the Eagles.
It was another superb outing also for Kelsey Martlage, who went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs, Immke with 2 hits and 3 RBIs and Maggie Ward (2-for-3) with two of the team's 11 stolen bases and a pair of RBIs.
Unity shuts out IPC foe
Every Unity batter that stepped in the box in today's home game today against Pontiac booked at least one hit in win #8 for the Rockets after handing the visiting Indians a 9-0 shutout.
Pitcher Taylor Henry, now 4-0 overall for the season, struck out 14.
The Rockets enjoyed back-to-back solo home runs in the bottom of the third, first from freshman Ruby Tarr, who went 2-for-4 on the day, and then from Henry, the next batter in the lineup, on a 3-1 count.
Madeline Reed and Gracie Renfrow hit a double during one of their three trips to the plate. Reed scored twice and contributed an RBI. Renfrow's offensive contribution included a pair of runs and 2 hits. Elise Swanstrom hit a triple and put two runs over the plate.
Unity improves to 3-0 in conference play. Next up, the Rockets take on IVC at home on Saturday with the first game of the twin bill starting at noon.
Spartan baseball team rebounds
It is hard to keep a good team down.
After dropping a disappointing heartbreaker to Maroa-Forsyth one day earlier, the St. Joseph-Ogden baseball team picked up their 13th victory of the season after beating Rantoul 8-7 on the road this afternoon.
Down 7-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning, SJO rallied back scoring five runs in the last two innings of the game for the win.
The key moment came on a one-out sacrifice fly ball from Andrew Beyers's in the top of the six that allowed senior Crayton Burnett to cross the plate from third for the go-ahead run.
The Spartans relied on three pitchers to get through their toughest conference game so far this season. Connor Hale was on the bump for two innings, Griffin Roesch saw action for just over an inning and Avian Gerdes three complete innings. The trio tossed 157 pitches and combined for nine strikeouts.
Hayden Brazelton and Isaiah Immke had two hits apiece. Ty Pence, Crayton Burnett and Keaton Nolan scored two times each for SJO.
SJO basketball game canceled, Unity soccer loses opener
Viking free throws sink Spartans
St. Joseph-Ogden dropped their home game to Danville, 59-53. Despite have three players in double figures, the Viking's Erin Haupt nearly single-handedly matched their effort with a game-high 30 points.
Ella Armstrong and Payton Jones scored 11 points apiece for SJO. Payton Jacob added another 10 points to the Spartans' side of the scoreboard.
Haupt, who converted 10 of her 11 free throw attempts, sank eight in the fourth quarter of the non-conference game.
The Spartans travel to Bloomington Central Catholic on Thursday for their final game of the season.
Unity opens soccer season
The Unity soccer team opened the 2021 season with a 9-0 loss to Illini Prairie Conference foe Bloomington Central Catholic.
The Saints' Jaylen Bischoff scored four times against the Rockets.
Unity travels to Monticello for their first road match of the season on Friday.
SJO soccer opens at home tomorrow
The first game of the season for DeJarnette Era and the Spartan soccer team will be played Wednesday at 4pm at the St. Joseph-Community Park. First-year head coach William DeJarnette will lead SJO against visiting Olympia in a conference match originally schedule for Thursday.
Under the state's modified Phase 4 protocol, each athlete can have four spectators attend games. Masks will be required and spectators must remain a minimum 10 feet away from the playing surface. Social distance between groups must be observed and the school will have blue x's marked in the spectator area to help maintain the required spacing.
Basketball game canceled
Four hours before it was to set to begin, St. Joseph-Ogden's road basketball game at Monticello was canceled as a precautionary measure for a possible COVID contact. According SJO Activities Director Justin Franzen, with the season ending on Saturday, the game will not be made up.
"We will base the games we have played in the conference off of percentages to determine end of the year standings," Franzen said. "We were able to practice tonight to prepare for St. Thomas More tomorrow."
St. Joseph-Ogden will host make-up JV game at 5:30pm tomorrow and follow up with a varsity contest around 7:00pm against St. Thomas More.
An unusual season: Coaches describe basketball challenges and success
St. Joseph-Ogden's Nolan Grindley tries to reel in a loose ball in the Spartans' home game against Teutopolis on March 5.
Sentinel: This is the last week of the basketball season. What are your thoughts going into it?
Dave Ellars, Unity girls head coach: "Glad we got to play. The girls gave outstanding effort, win or lose. They are a great bunch of girls and glad I have the opportunity to coach them this year."
Kiel Duval, St. Joseph-Ogden boys head coach: "I hope our guys finish strong. It has been tough knowing there is not a post season. I've been proud of the guys daily approach. They have grown as a team. I just wish we could have had them for an entire year."
Kevin Taylor, St. Joseph-Ogden girls head coach: "It’s hard to believe the season is almost over. It has gone really fast. Overall I’m glad the girls got a chance to play But we would like to finish as strong as we can. Even with no postseason I feel it’s important to have a good finish."
Matt Reed, Unity boys head coach: "I'm just relieved that we got the entire season in. We didn't miss any games. We had a few kids get quarantined, but no one was tremendously sick, so that was a blessing."
Sentinel: How well did you and the team handle the COVID protocols? Of all the things required, what was the hardest to adapt?
Ellars: "I think we handled it very well, we were didn’t have any cases. The hardest thing is playing and coaching with a mask. Not having any fans at most away games was tough on the kids."
Taylor: "No question the girls have done an amazing job dealing with all the covid protocols. It is very difficult to play in a mask and try to maintain social distancing. But they have done the best they could."
Matt Reed: "The kids adapted very well. The biggest issue with all teams was the kids wearing the masks properly. Its hard to tell a kid to constantly pull up their mask when they are playing as hard as they can, but that was the mandate."
Sentinel: What did you learn personally coaching basketball this season and what has been the most memorable moment so far?
Matt Reed: "Our team has really improved from the beginning of the season. We have had a chance to win every game since our game with St. Joe. We competed well in that game, beat PBL and Olympia, then lost two straight games by 2 points."
Ellars: "Kids are willing to adjust so they can play. Senior night, In January I never thought we would have a season."
Taylor: "This year, seeing the emotional struggle of the pandemic and seeing how it has affected everyone. The thing I had the chance to realize is how important the team atmosphere is. Seeing everyone go through tough times but In the end how the girls have come together and develop that team bond and support each other has been a really good thing to see as a coach."
Rockets take on Rantoul, Spartans vs Spartans tonight
The season is winding down and their still time to watch five area sports teams tonight on the NFHS Network.
The Rockets girls basketball varsity and JV squad travel to Rantoul for an Illini Prairie Conference contest today. The Eagles (0-4) are still looking for their first win of the season, while Unity, 1-7 overall and 1-4 in conference play, would like to add yet another victory to their win column tonight.
The St. Joseph-Ogden girls teams are also on the road tonight at Olympia, who are tied for third place with Monticello as of today with a pair of conference wins and one loss. The Spartans are currently ranked #2 with victories over five IPC teams.
Here is tonight's line-up:
• St. Joseph-Ogden Girls Junior Varsity Basketball @ Olympia | 5:30 PM Central
• Unity Girls Junior Varsity Basketball @ Rantoul | 5:30 PM Central
• St. Joseph-Ogden Girls Varsity Basketball @ Olympia | 7:00 PM Central
• Unity Girls Varsity Basketball @ Rantoul | 7:00 PM Central
• Unity Boys Middle school Basketball @ Tuscola | 7:15 PM Central
If you are not already a subscriber, follow this link sign up for a monthly or annual subscription to watch SJO or Unity sports via live stream or archived by the NFHS Network. Monthly passes are just $10.99 each or save 47% and purchase an annual subscription at $69.99.
Did you miss the last Unity or SJO basketball game. One of coolest thing about the NFHS Network is the ability to go back and watch games over and over again as long as you are a member. You can view this season's SJO basketball games here and all the Unity Rocket basketball games streamed so far here.
Five area teams on the court tonight
Both Unity and St. Joseph-Ogden's girls basketball squads face league rivals tonight to kick off the final month of prep basketball.
The Rockets host St. Thomas in a varsity only line-up tonight at the Rocket Center. The game will be available via internet streaming on the NFHS Network. A JV game is not scheduled at this time.
With just four games in the book, the Sabers have a record of 2-2 with wins over Rantoul and Illinois Valley Central (IVC) and nursing to losses, one to St. Joseph-Ogden and the other to Bloomington Central Catholic.
Meanwhile, this week's Basketball Player of the Week Taylor Wells and the St. Joseph-Ogden varsity are on the road tonight at IVC, 1-5 in the IPC and 3-6 overall, looking to end a two-game losing streak. The JV game is slated to start at 5:30pm and the varsity game to follow at 7pm. Unfortunately, neither contest is scheduled for live streaming this evening.
In their last outing, the Spartans varsity squad fell 55-45 in a non-conference bout against Paris on Saturday. Wells, who led the team's scoring effort with nine points along with baskets from eight other players wasn't enough to push past the host Tigers.
Now carrying a record of 4 wins and 1 loss, SJO (5-3 overall) is currently #2 in the Illini Prairie Conference. Bloomington Central Catholic sits at the top with a perfect 6-0 record. The Spartans and BCC will are scheduled to cross paths on March 11.
On the boys side, the Spartan varsity team start the backstretch of this season's and the month at home against the Saints (2-3), who needed two extra sessions to squeak by St. Thomas More 84-74 for their only conference game and win so far this season.
After dropping a heartbreaking 56-54 thriller to Prairie Central on Friday, the Spartans quickly regrouped to pull off a 58-29 non-league win over Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Saturday. SJO's 3-1 IPC record is good for third place at the moment and is lined up behind Monticello (3-0) and IVC (5-1).
Here are tonight's schedule and direct links to the live streams:
St. Joseph-Ogden Boys Junior Varsity Basketball vs Central Catholic | 5:25 PM Central
St. Joseph-Ogden Boys Varsity Basketball vs Central Catholic | 6:57 PM Central
Unity Girls Varsity Basketball vs St. Thomas More | 7:00 PM Central
If you are not already a subscriber, follow this link sign up for a monthly or annual subscription to watch SJO or Unity sports via live stream or archived by the NFHS Network. Monthly passes are just $10.99 each or save 47% and purchase an annual subscription at $69.99.
Basketball Players of the Week
~ Boys ~Blake Kimball Unity
Kimball tallied 30 points and five rebounds against Paxton-Buckley-Loda and February 20 after dropping another 22 in his team's home court loss to St. Joseph-Ogden.
Honorable Mention: Nate Drennan, Unity Evan Ingram, SJO Ty Pence, SJO |
~ Girls ~Taylor Wells St. Joseph-Ogden
Wells led the area girls in scoring with 25 points during Valentine's week. In the Spartans road loss to Tuscola, Wells went 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
Honorable Mention: Chloe Reed, Unity Taylor Henry, Unity Ella Armstrong, SJO |
Photo of the Day - November 24, 2020
Rockets stall in road trip at Rantoul
Surrounded by opposing players under the basket, Unity's Karson Ewerks looses control of the ball thanks to Rantoul's KeJuan Carodine behind him while going up for a put back in the paint during their Illini Prairie Conference road game earlier this year. The team's second leading scorer in the contest, Ewerks, a senior, finished the night contributing nine points in the 49-37 loss on January 21. Unity finished the 2019-20 season with a 1-8 conference record while Eagles' wrapped it up one step above with two wins, seven losses in the Illini Prairie Conference.
(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
Photo of the Day - September 28, 2020
Eisenmenger, Day run strong at PBL Invite
Unity's Sisay Eisenmenger runs along side teammate Savannah Day at the 2014 PBL Invite. Day clocked in at 20:29 in 7th place on the course at Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School while Eisenmenger finished in 8th place overall with a time of 20:44. The Rockets finished in second in the overall team standings on September 13, 2014.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Let there be sports! IHSA releases 2020-21 sports schedule
A collective sigh was heard throughout Illinois around 3:16 this afternoon. The Illinois High School Association announced a modified athletic competition schedule.
"This plan, like nearly every aspect of our current lives, remains fluid," said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. "Changes may come, and if they do, we will be agile while putting safety and students first. It was important that we provide a framework today for our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and officials to begin preparing for the 2020-21 school year."
The new schedule includes moving football and volleyball to the spring season and schools hosting just four sports to start the upcoming school year. Golf, cross country, girls tennis and girls swimming will start the Covid Era competition with finals occurring around the October 17.
The adapted schedule features a summer season, which will start on May 3 and runs through June 26.
Here is the release from the IHSA:
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for a special meeting on July 29, 2020, where the Board announced its intended plans for the 2020-21 school year. The plan has been sent to the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) for final approval.
"This plan, like nearly every aspect of our current lives, remains fluid," said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. "Changes may come, and if they do, we will be agile while putting safety and students first. It was important that we provide a framework today for our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and officials to begin preparing for the 2020-21 school year."
The COVID-19 pandemic led the Board to propose unprecedented scheduling changes for the 2020-21 school year. They include playing all sports over the course of truncated fall, winter, spring, and summer seasons. As a result, several team sports will shift to new seasons, including football, boys soccer, and girls volleyball moving from the fall to the spring.
"I applaud our Board of Directors for choosing a model that allows every student-athlete the opportunity for a modified season," said Anderson. "Based on our recent conversations, it is our expectation that today’s plan meets all of IDPH’s safety guidelines and will be approved."
IHSA boys and girls golf, girls tennis, cross country and girls swimming & diving will remain as fall sports, and can proceed to start on August 10 as scheduled. Per Governor Pritzker’s announcement on Wednesday, fall sports will begin with competition limited to conference opponents and other schools in the same general geographical area. Schools will be provided more details in the coming week about the scheduling limits, and scheduling will continue to be assessed throughout each season. The condensed 2020-21 season dates will be as follows (see chart below to see where each sport falls):
Fall: August 10 to October 24
Winter: November 16 to February 13
Spring: February 15 to May 1
Summer: May 3 to June 26
"The Board believes this plan offers the most realistic chance for student-athletes to participate in interscholastic sports while balancing the challenges of a new academic setting and IDPH Guidelines," said Erie High School Principal and IHSA Board President Tim McConnell. "We are an education-based athletic association, and school has to come first. By delaying the majority of the team sports in the fall, it will allow our schools and students the chance to acclimate to what will be, for many, a totally new educational experience. We will do our best to try to give every student-athlete the opportunity for a season this school year."
State Series tournament decisions will be made on a sport-by-sport basis as each season progresses, but providing postseason opportunities remains a priority of the Board. This could potentially include culminating State Series Tournaments after Regional or Sectional rounds, or seeking other non-traditional means to conduct events.
"I understand that today’s announcement will be met with mixed emotions," said Anderson. "Our staff and Board have heard from thousands of people over the past few weeks with ideas, opinions, and proposals on how we should proceed. We respect and understand their passion, because we share in it. It is a great reminder that if we want high school sports to return to normal, we all need to do our part to help stop the spread of COVID-19."
The Board also extended the current Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines, which will allow sports slated to be played in the winter, spring and summer seasons to allow an additional 20 days of contact for schools between September 7 and October 31 following IDPH Phase 4 Guidelines.
The Board also verified that IHSA by-laws do not prevent schools who are conducting remote learning from participating in IHSA sports and activities. Participation will remain a local school and district decision, regardless of the learning plan a high school is utilizing.
The Board discussed IHSA activities for the 2020-21 school year but did not take any action. The IHSA’s activity offerings include Bass Fishing, Chess, Debate, Drama & Group Interpretation, Individual Events, Journalism, Music & Scholastic Bowl.
"We believe we can still offer many of our activities via virtual contests," said Anderson. "The Board has asked our staff to investigate those possibilities, and we will report back soon on if and how each can be held."
Further details on items such as sport season and practice limitations will be released to IHSA schools following IDPH approval of the plan.
Three IHSA Board members (Hasson, McMahan, Rogers) were present at the IHSA office for the meeting, while the other eight Board members attended electronically. The chart below outlines the new IHSA schedule for the 2020-21 school year:
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