Sweet victory: SJO picks up dramatic win over STM

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Will Childers celebrates his team's 1-0 victory over visiting St. Thomas More Thursday afternoon. The Spartans improve to 9-6-1 on the season on a second half goal from Spencer Wilson. Up next, SJO hosts Georgetown-Ridge Farm at home at 9am on Saturday. The program will also recognize this season's senior athletes.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
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Rockets disrupt Spartan system with their own in 2-0 conference win

(St. Joseph) - With bragging rights and a conference loss on the line, Unity's road match in the St. Joseph-Ogden High School Main Gym had all ambiance and weight of a state semifinal match. There were two vocal student cheering sections, almost 300 fans, and two teams both loaded with athletic talent ready to clash. In the end, the Rockets broke a five-season losing streak, systematically defeating the Spartans, 2-0.

Unity's Maddie Reed sets the ball
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Maddie Reed sets the ball behind her during the second set action against the Spartans. Reed collected 19 assists and seven digs for the Rockets. Tucking away their second conference win of the season, Unity improved to 14-0 with the win over SJO.
Trading salvos in the first set, SJO (10-4) and the Rockets (14-0) held the scoring deficit at any given time to just points until the score reached 11-all. Suddenly, there was a shift in the offensive momentum that had Unity surged ahead on the scoreboard courtesy of a five-point run to go up 16-11 over the St. Joseph-Ogden. Unable to hold serve or shift the flow of the game in their favor thanks to their opponents' scrappy defensive play, the Spartans were outscored 9-2 from that point on en route to a 25-13 finish.

"We struggled on defense. They did a nice job mixing up their offense, keeping us on our heels all night long," said SJO head coach Abby McDonald. "We were never in system from the beginning. Our defense wasn't there tonight. Defense wins ball games and it was a real struggle for us."

While SJO struggled on defense, the Rockets excelled at it on Tuesday evening.

"We changed up our defense to defend against their outsides better," explained Unity's new head coach, Erika Yerry. "We know they have some pretty good hitters on the outside so we focused on blocking line and moving our defenders behind it so we could dig a few more balls and be in system."

The second set started much like the first with teams trading points until the score was tied at 7-all. The Spartans quickly added two more points forcing Yerry to call a timeout at 10-7. Soon, down by five, the Rockets started to methodically claw their way back into the set.

Yerry credited her team's success to playing tough defensively and serving tough.

"Our main goal was to get them out of system. So as long as we kept digging and serving them to be out of system then we had a chance to score a point," Yerry said. "My libero, Taylor Henry, did a good job of adjusting her defensive position and Katie Moore did a great job of block (the) line."

Down 21-19, Unity closed out the second set with six consecutive points for the 25-21 victory.

"We've got to clean up our serve receive. Our first ball contact was difficult for us tonight," McDonald pointed out. "Our setter was working as hard as she could. We just struggled in lots of areas of the game. I think the biggest part is just or mental game right now has to be stronger."

While it may have been a tough loss to swallow against their cross-county rivals, the Spartans were in a similar position with four losses at the end of September in 2019. The program did not lose another match until the state semifinal, setting up a Class 2A third-place finish.

"We've got to have leadership when we need it and not just when things are going good. It's got to be there when things are rough. These are all learning moments for us," McDonald said looking at the competition that still lies ahead. "Hopefully we can use this to make us better. We always say 'What comes in October'. Hopefully, this match is one they can look back on and learned something from."

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Spartans unable to tarnish unbeaten Rockets

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
St. Joseph-Ogden's Shayne Immke leaps above the net to try and block a kill attempt by Unity's Macie Knudsen. Immke and the Spartans fell on their home court after two sets, 25-13, 25-21.

"We struggled on defense. They did a nice job mixing up their offense getting us on our heels all night long," said SJO head coach Abby McDonald. "We were never in system from the beginning. Our defense wasn't there tonight."

"Defense wins ball games and it was a real struggle for us."

SJO falls to 10-4 on the season while the Rockets record continues on unblemished at 14-0.

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Rockets improve to 14-0, shock Spartans with road win

Unity remains undefeated

(Left to right) Unity's Macie Knudsen, Gracie Renfrow, Maddie Reed and Katey Moore celebrate the team's 2-0 win over host St. Joseph-Ogden. The Rockets remain undefeated at 14-0 under new head coach Erika Yerry after beating the Spartans, 25-13, 25-21. More photos coming soon. Here is a recap from this exciting match.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
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Critical health history; now is a good time to discuss family health

Photo:Shopify Partners/Burst


(StatePoint Media) - Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a rare disease that can be passed down from generation to generation within families. This condition causes numerous cysts to grow in the kidneys, resulting in the kidneys enlarging and losing function over time. Additionally, nearly 50 percent of affected patients over age 60 will experience kidney failure or end stage renal disease (ESRD). The most common form of PKD is Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) which, according to the National Kidney Foundation, accounts for nearly 90 percent of all PKD cases.

ADPKD affects an estimated 140,000 Americans. While relatively rare, it is the most common inherited kidney disease and the fourth leading overall cause of end-stage kidney disease or kidney failure. As a progressive condition, ADPKD may eventually lead to kidney failure requiring some form of renal replacement therapy, such as dialysis or kidney transplant.

"Although seemingly rare, ADPKD is quite prevalent and affects many families generation after generation. In fact, children of parents with ADPKD have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the disease, and spontaneous mutations can occur in new generations as well," says Meyeon Park, MD, MAS, director of the UCSF Polycystic Kidney Disease Center of Excellence and nephrologist, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. "This emphasizes the importance of people with a family history of PKD discussing the condition with their relatives, as well as the importance of speaking with a doctor who specializes in kidney care as early as possible."

Diagnosing ADPKD

ADPKD is typically diagnosed by an ultrasound of the kidneys; however, a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan may also be conducted. Genetic testing may sometimes be used for people who have received an inconclusive imaging result, have no family history of the condition, who may be considering testing to determine if they can pass the gene on to their children, and for diagnosis of possible kidney donors.

Using the latest technologies, physicians can now identify ADPKD patients at risk for rapid progression of kidney function decline as well as estimate how quickly someone with ADPKD is likely to progress to kidney failure based on the size of his or her kidneys. Although disease progression can be highly variable, even among family members, it’s important to confirm diagnosis early as patients with rapidly progressing ADPKD reach end stage renal disease at a younger age.

Disease Management Strategies

Early diagnosis and treatment are critical for ADPKD patients, since this disease progressively gets worse over time and cannot be reversed. While signs and symptoms often develop between ages of 30 and 40, individuals with a history of kidney diseases – and especially if ADPKD runs in the family – shouldn’t delay speaking with a kidney specialist, also known as a nephrologist. By acting early, individuals may be able to take steps to help protect kidney function and properly manage the disease, as well as any related complications such as high blood pressure, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, infected or bleeding cysts, abdominal bloating or discomfort and chronic pain.

"Take advantage of educational resources, such as www.ADPKDQuestions.com, to better understand the disease, available disease management strategies and recommended lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy diet and staying physically active," continues Dr. Park, MD, MAS, director of the UCSF Polycystic Kidney Disease Center of Excellence and nephrologist, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. "Being an empowered patient early on will help foster informed conversations about ADPKD with both relatives and health care providers, and may ultimately help to delay disease progression."

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Prep Sports Notebook: 3 Spartans commit, Urbana volleyball loses non-conference match at home

Three Spartan basketball players commit
Back in August, St. Joseph-Ogden basketball standout Taylor Wells announced her plans to continue her academic and athletic career at Mount Mercy University. The senior, who is making waves with the Spartan volleyball team this fall, joined the basketball program at the private institution of about 1,488 students.

The Mustangs are members of the Heart of America Athletic Conference and have made NAIA national tournament appearances six times since 1991. In the previous season from November through February during the Coronavirus pandemic, the program played 20 games and finished 7-13 overall.

On September 12, teammate Payton Jacobs announced on Twitter that she will pursue her dream to play college basketball at Illinois Wesleyan University. She is no stranger to the Shirk Center or the Bloomington-Normal area where she has played basketball at the State Farm Holiday Classic.

Late last week, a third Spartan announced a verbal commitment continue their basketball career. Senior Ella Armstrong join the Truman State University program in 2022. Located in Kirksville, Mo.. The Bulldogs finished the 2020-2021 season with a record of 17 wins and 5 losses. The Bulldogs are members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.


Ben Brown delivers hat trick
Ben Brown scored three times in Hoopeston Area's home match against Unity. The senior was also credited with a pair of assists in the 8-0 shutout.


Spartans defeat Tigers, 2-0
The St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team rolled past Urbana High School on the road in two sets, 25-11, 25-12.

Senior Kennedi Burnett led the offense with nine kills. Shayne Immke delivered another six while Ashley Eldridge contributed another five kills. Becca Steinbach was credited with 24 assist, seven digs and a pair of aces.

The Spartans host the Unity Rockets in what is expected to be a dramatic match between the two conference frontrunners.


SJO's Armstrong commits
St. Joseph-Ogden shooting guard Ella Armstrong announced her verbal commitment continue her basketball career at Truman State University located in Kirksville, Mo..

The Bulldogs finished their previous season 17-5 and are members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.


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Photo Gallery: Big numbers on the board, SJO beats IVC at home

Spartans' Griffin Roesch celebrates a TD
Griffin Roesch celebrates an SJO touchdown in the first quarter. The Spartan, looking for their first win of the season, went on to defeat visiting Illinois Valley Central, 48-7. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Evan Ingram throws an SJO pass

Spartan quarterback Evan Ingram tosses a pass during the first quarter. The senior signal caller completed five of his seven pass attempts for 105 yards. Two passes, one for 24 and another for 36 yards, resulted in touchdowns for St. Joseph-Ogden. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Angie Chahine
Angie Chahine gives a thumb up while cheering with the Maroon Platoon. Chahine, a member of the St. Joseph-Ogden tennis team, watched the home team rack up more touchdowns in four quarters on Friday night than their last three games of the pandemic-delayed spring season back in April of this year. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

With Griffin Roesch holding, sophomore kicker Joe Frasca puts the ball between the uprights on an extra point attempt. Frasca made six of his seven PATs for the Spartans. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Surrounded by cheerleaders from the St. Joseph-Ogden youth football program, high school cheerleader JoLeena Reynolds lead them and fans in a cheer during the first quarter of the home football game. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

After coming up with a big play for the Spartans, Tyler Burch celebrates after picking off a Grey Ghost pass. The play help build the Spartans' dominant momentum early in the game. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

IVC's Will Bundren stops SJO's Isaiah Moore's forward progress during the second quarter. Moore scored twice for the Spartans, once on a 1-yard run and on intercepted Grey Ghost pass. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

IHSA official Marv Dampeer watches a play develop in the first half of the game. Dampeer and the officials crew he works with are regulars work football games throughout east central Illinois. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

SJO junior Tyler Burch breaks up an Illinois Valley Central pass intended for wide receiver Gave Ross. The Spartans defensive secondary gave up just 81 passing yards to the Grey Ghost. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Griffen Roesch celebrates a one-yard plunge by teammate Isaiah Moore two and half minutes into the second half. Moore, who also had a pick-6 during the home game, increased the Spartans lead and started the running clock with the score at 42-0. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Spartan running back Justice Wertz is wrapped up by Grey Ghosts Brooklyn Clifford and Jayden Turner in the fourth quarter. Wertz finished the game with 48 yards and one touchdown on eight carries. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Publisher's Note: Check later for more photos from this game. Looking for photos of a specific player? Email us at photos@oursentinel.com with the athlete's name and jersey number for details.

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Urbana girls cross country team competes at big race

The Urbana cross country team finished the Richard Spring Invitational with 1,453 points in the 63-team invitational meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria on September 18.

Celia Barbieri led the Tigers to a 53rd overall team finish completing the course in 20 minutes and 2.4 seconds. The senior finished 185th overall.

Ten runners later Urbana's Abby Fairbanks crossed the finish at 20:11.1 followed by freshman Mia Nicholson 142 runners later at 21:46.6. Ellie Scully and Brianne Wefel rounded out the top five finishers with times of 23:51.6 and 24:10 respectively.

The three-mile varsity race was won by York with 93 points. Prospect finished in second place and Hinsdale Central in third.

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Guest Commentary: The more you sow, the more you will reap

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator


If you want a friend, be a friend. There is never a guarantee. However, if you do not put anything into a friendship it’s certain the friendship will never grow.

Keep in mind that friendships take time. The Bible says a man of too many friends will soon come to ruin,” Proverbs 18:24. Why is this? Because too much time maintaining too many friends doesn’t allow you the time you need to work your job, spend time with your family, do your school work, life work and take care of your business. If a person has ten or twenty friends to spend time with every week or even month, they will eventually neglect their family or careers.

The key is balance. Invest in people with your time and life and some of it will come back to you from others. Sometimes it won’t this is why you have to be realistic in building your network of friends and relationships.

Many years ago, a prospective student called about enrolling in our school and asked, "If I enroll in this school will I get anything out of it?" I said, "If you don’t put anything into it, you won’t get anything out of it. If you put a lot into it, then you’ll get a lot out of it." The man enrolled and went on to become a President of a college.

Growing up, I remember my relatives being hard workers. Some of them raised amazing gardens, while keeping their property clean and maintained. It took work but they took pride in their homes and how they lived their lives. They put a lot into where they lived and it showed.

If you put a lot into something it shows. Your marriage, job, children, career and your life in general. School work will reflect your effort. If you put money into an Individual Retirement Account or 401k or 403b every month your wealth will eventually grow and reflect your efforts. Social Security income checks reflect years worked and how much paid into the system.

However, anyone can put a lot into something without experiencing success. Businesses, marriages and careers have come short or even failed even though people invested everything. Often there are other factors beyond our control that all the work and focus will not resolve or overcome. You can’t control what other people may or may not do that impacts your life’s work and ambitions.

With this said, we have to remember the principle of reaping and sowing. If you want a good garden. You have to sow and care for the garden. Neglecting the garden is a sure path to failure.

Important aspects to relationships, wealth, health, career success and more are focus and investing wisely. The more you sow, the more you will reap. You can’t control all of life’s circumstances and influencers but you can control what you do.


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Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.

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This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Sentinel. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.


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Photo Gallery: St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team crushes Danville in two

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Kennedi Burnett cheers after the Spartans score a point against visiting Danville High School during set one of their non-conference volleyball match. SJO picked up the win at home defeating the Vikings in straight sets, 25-10, 25-7. Burnett served up four aces and hammered six kills over the two-set match. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Shayne Immke (12) and her teammates celebrate a point for the Spartans during the first set. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

SJO's Kennedi Burnett prepares to pound the ball over the net into the Danville Court. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Danville outside hitter Simone Atkinson passes the ball to her team's setter during first set action. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Spartan libero Hannah Fox passes the ball to a hitter in set one. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

SJO student fans in the Maroon Platoon help a Danville player locate the ball between points during the first set. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Emma Ward, Madison Atwood and Shayne Immke cheer for their team in set one. SJO quickly jumped out to a 12-4 lead on the scoreboard and never looked back. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Vikings' libero Audriana Alvarez passes the ball to her team's hitters during a long, scrappy point. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Emmalee Trover bumps the ball over the net for the Vikings during set two action on Wednesday. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Spartans' Shayne Immke goes up hoping to block a shot by Danville outside hitter Simone Atkinson. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

SJO's Shayne Immke attempts to put the ball away for a point. The junior outside hitter finished the contest with four kills and one ace against Danville. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Spartan volleyball team to host scholarship fundraiser at October 5 home match

SJO head coach Abby McDonald shakes hands with an IHSA administrator before receiving her third-place medal at the IHSA Volleyball State Finals in 2019. The 13-year veteran coach and her volleyball program are raising funds for a new scholarship program to honor former educator and football coach Dick Duval. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team will host a fundraiser to create a scholarship fund in the name of former longtime head football coach Dick Duval at its October 5 home game against Monticello.

Duval, who built SJO into a respected Class 3A powerhouse football program, passed away on August 26. Not only was he a math teacher and the school's athletic director for many years, but was also a member of the SJO Hall of Fame and Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. His career coaching record is an impressive 251 wins against 75 losses during his tenure with the Spartans.

Head coach Abby McDonald, who took over the head coach position at SJO in 2008, believes in the importance of her players giving back and leads the varsity, JV, and freshman teams in administering projects to benefit someone or an organization in the community.

"At least once while they are in high school, I like our girls to do some sort of community service project at one of our matches - something to give back to the community because the community does some much for them and for us," McDonald said.

Last year, because of the state's Covid mitigation, the team did not have a project to work on. The program's last effort was a fundraiser for a fellow player who had cancer.

"Coach Duval is such a huge part of who I am as a coach but also a huge supporter of all SJO athletics," McDonald said. Like Duval, she immediately made an impact after taking the reins, building the volleyball program into one that consistently makes deep postseason runs, including two IHSA final four appearances. "We wanted to do something to show support to his family and to continue his legacy. We thought a scholarship in his name, for hopefully several years to come, will be exactly the way we would want his legacy to continue."

For the main event, the Spartans will square off against Illini Prairie Conference foe Monticello. Duval, after retiring from the St. Joseph-Ogden school district, returned to teaching as a substitute teacher and taught mathematics at Monticello.

"There will be several opportunities to support the fundraiser," McDonald pointed out. There will be a pork chop dinner special, a silent auction, t-shirts for sale, and more in addition to the traditional 50/50 contest. "The girls are doing some different fundraiser opportunities. They are going to have pumpkins to buy that they have been working on."

She is hoping for a good turnout at the Tuesday evening match to help seed the scholarship fund so it will be available to SJO graduates entering college for decades to come.

"The more money we raise, the more years we can name a scholarship winner in his name."

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