The Sentinel

Parker Fitch’s 27 points lead St. Joseph-Ogden past Eagles

RANTOUL - Parker Fitch had a career night, scoring 27 points in his 29-minute appearance for St. Joseph-Ogden in the team's road game against the Eagles (13-14). The junior went 7-for-7 from the free-throw line and finished 6-for-11 from three-point range in SJO's 77-55 Illini Prairie victory on Tuesday.

Senior Tanner Siems recorded a double-double, scoring 19 points and dominating the paint with 14 of the Spartans' 32 rebounds. Starting guard Coy Taylor rounded out the top three scorers with 10 points, five rebounds and two assists, helping secure SJO's 18th win of the season and ending a two-game skid.

The win improved St. Joseph-Ogden to 6-1 in the Illini Prairie Conference, setting up a dramatic matchup Friday night at home against Unity with conference title implications. The Rockets are the only undefeated team in the conference at 7-0. The forecasted freezing rain could be a factor, but if conditions hold, it promises to be an exciting night of high school basketball on Valentine's Day.

Spartan wrestlers advance to IHSA sectionals after big day at Monticello regional

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Jackson Walsh wrestles MacArthur's Tristan Green during their 120 pound match last month. Walsh was one of four Spartan wrestlers who advanced out of the Monticello regional meet on Saturday to sectionals.

MONTICELLO - Four St. Joseph-Ogden wrestlers advanced to this year's IHSA sectional meet at Clinton this Friday and Saturday. Ben Wells, Jackson Walsh, Landen Butts, and Cam Wagner, each with over 34 wins this season, wrestled their way out of the regional meet at Monticello High School last Saturday.

Wells, who is 35-11 for the season, finished second at 106 pounds for SJO, losing the title bout to Hoopeston Area's Charlie Flores (44-3) a minute and two seconds into their match. Finishing 2-1 for the day, the SJO freshman standout pinned St. Thomas More's RJ Cinnamon (19-15) in their quarterfinal match and notched an 18-3 technical fall against LeRoy's Austin Pacha.

At 113 pounds, Jackson Walsh went 3-0 to win a regional title for the Spartans. After a bye in the quarterfinals, Walsh faced Prairie Central's Julius Smith, whom he pinned a minute and 11 seconds into their match. His title match pitted him against LeRoy's Jake Baughman (23-21). With his best technical performance of the season, Walsh built a 15-point advantage for a tech fall, improving his season record to 39-8.

Senior Landen Butts was on the mat four times on his way to third place and qualifying for the sectional championships. After a first-round bye and cruising past Pontiac's Cale Christenson, Butts went toe-to-toe with Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley's Ethan Lowe in the 144-pound semifinal.

Lowe led on the scoreboard, going up 3-0 with a late first-period takedown. Neither wrestler could score in the second period. Lowe scored an escape and another takedown in the final period before getting the pin at 3:29. In the consolation bracket, Butts won his last two matches to finish the day 3-1 and in third place.

Cam Wagner also punched his ticket for a sectional appearance wearing the Spartans' maroon and Columbia blue. The coveted nationally recruited D1 lineman finished the day 2-1 and second in the 285-pound division. After the sophomore won his first two matches by pin, he was pinned himself in the division's title bout against LeRoy's Tate Sigler (41-5).

Also scoring major team points for the Spartans were Nathan Phillips (23-17) and Aiden Hundley (26-25), both finishing fourth in the 215- and 138-pound divisions, respectively.

Phillips went 2-2 with both losses to Unity's Chason Daly (21-21), concluding his final season with the SJO wrestling program with 23 wins and 17 losses.

If there were an award for the most matches wrestled, Hundley easily would have won it, having wrestled six matches. The sophomore won four matches via pins, totaling four minutes and 46 seconds, with three lasting an average of 45 seconds.