The Sentinel

SJO continues to dominate IPC foes at conference meet, defeats Rantoul 58-16

CHILLICOTHE - In a commanding display of prowess, the St. Joseph-Ogden wrestling program continued their winning streak at the Illini Prairie Conference wrestling meet, triumphing over the Rantoul Eagles with a resounding 58-16 victory on day 2 of competition.

After a stellar performance on the opening day against Prairie Central, Pontiac, and St. Thomas More, SJO entered the match against Rantoul with justifiable confidence. The Spartans wasted no time asserting their dominance, securing wins in nine of the 14 weight classes. Almost every contested match ended in a pin, serving notice of SJO's rise back to its former reputation as a formidable small school wrestling program with the return of the Gallo family as coaches.

Leading the charge for SJO were standout wrestlers who delivered exceptional performances throughout the tournament. Landen Butts maintained his undefeated streak, going 3-0 over the weekend with impressive victories including a decisive pin against Daemian Spisak of Prairie Central and a quick takedown of Cale Christenson from Pontiac. Eli Birt also showcased his prowess with a solid decision victory over Drake Clemons from Prairie Central.

Aiden Hundley added to SJO's tally with a commanding fall over Kooper Wiles from Pontiac, while Jackson Walsh displayed his dominance with a pin over Sophia Mussari from Pontiac, solidifying his 2-0 record for the weekend.

Taking a look at their overall performance, SJO has outscored their opponents by a notable margin, tallying an impressive 226-75 since the start of the conference tournament. With three matches to go, the Spartans positioned the team for a top-three finish at this year's tourney.

Looking ahead, the Spartans are gearing up for their upcoming matches. Tomorrow, SJO will host a Multi-Quad event featuring Decatur Unity Christian, Decatur MacArthur, Hoopeston, Cumberland, and St. Thomas More, starting at 8:30 AM. Next week, they will face off against Champaign Central High School in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 PM, followed by a visit to GCMS on Thursday at 5:30 PM.

Box Score

106 - WELLS, BEN (SJO) over Forfeit, (Rantoul), FORFEIT; 113 - WALSH, JACKSON (SJO) over Hench, Emmett (Rantoul), Fall 1:20; 120 - GETTY, CAMDEN (SJO) over Forfeit, (Rantoul), FORFEIT; 126 - BIRT, ELI (SJO) over Taylor, Ryker (Rantoul), Tech Fall 22-6; 132 - Forfeit, (Rantoul) over Forfeit, (SJO), Double Forfeit; 138 - HUNDLEY, AIDEN (SJO) over Beach, Bryson (Rantoul), Fall 1:29; 144 - BUTTS, LANDEN (SJO) over Dunner, Nicholas (Rantoul), Fall 4:35; 150 - WARE, THOMAS (SJO) over Buck, Wyatt (Rantoul), Tech Fall 21-3; 157 - Almanza, Brandon (Rantoul) over MOORE, JONATHON (SJO), Fall 4:03; 165 - Williams, Darius (Rantoul) over VAUGHN, ALEX (SJO), Fall 7:14; 175 - SWISHER, DEVAN (SJO) over Mager, Alex (Rantoul), Fall 1:52; 190 - Schultz, Harley (Rantoul) over Carter, Liam (SJO), Maj Dec 14-6; 215 - PHILLIPS, NATHAN (SJO) over Nutter, Alexander (Rantoul), Fall 0:41; 285 - WAGNER, CAM (SJO) over Forfeit, (Rantoul), FORFEIT.

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Grace Bickers shines as Unity defeats Prairie Central, 50-26

Unity's Grace Bickers

Grace Bickers drives to the paint during Unity's Country Financial Shoot game at St. Joseph-Ogden High School in December. The rising sophomore star led the Rockets in their home win over Prairie Central on Thursday.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

TOLONO - Grace Bickers' total point production in Unity's home conference game against Prairie Central was greater than the combined effort of any three players from the Hawks' girls' basketball team. The sophomore shooting forward led all scorers with 15 points and capped the game with six rebounds for the Rockets.

Unity, behind a solid second half of play, outscored their opponents 29-13 and defeated Prairie Central, 50-26. The win moved the Rockets over the .500 mark with a 12-11 overall record and 4-1 in the Illini Prairie Conference.

"It was a great team defensive effort, and we were able to convert that defense into points on the other end," said first-year head coach Michael Donovan on the win. "Offensively, we were patient against the zone and moved the ball well to create good shots for teammates."

It was nearly a total team effort for the Rockets on Thursday, with 10 of the 11 players on the roster contributing to the final score. In supporting roles, Kendal Zerrusen and Emily Decker finished with five points each.

Decker, who recently signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her cross-country running career at Ball State University in Indiana, also snagged six rebounds for the Rockets.

It was outside shooting that gave Unity the advantage they needed, making five of 19 attempts from behind the arc. Prairie Central made just one of 11 long-range shots. The Rockets also dominated the points-after-turnover stat, with nearly half their total points (26) coming after Prairie Central turnovers.

Prairie Central was paced by Jayla Hammond's five points.

Unity has three games lined up next week, with two opportunities to move up in the conference standings. The Rockets travel to Pontiac (11-12, 3-2) on Monday to face the Indians in a regular-season conference game. On Thursday, they will host Illinois Valley Central (15-6, 5-1) at the Rocket Center and finish the week on Saturday with a home game against PORTA (18-5).