The Sentinel

St. Joseph-Ogden tennis rolls past St. Teresa in season opener

Spartans take five of six singles matches in road victory. Veterans Rice, Farber, and Helfrich start the season with stellar performances.

DECATUR — The St. Joseph-Ogden girls tennis team opened its season with a convincing 7-2 win on the road at St. Teresa, showing balance across the lineup in both singles and doubles play.

SJO SPORTS The Spartans secured five of six singles matches to set the tone early. Lily Rice, Madison Farber, Ainsley Rhoten, Avarie Dietiker and Audrie Helfrich all collected victories, with Helfrich cruising to an 8-0 sweep at No. 6 singles.

St. Joseph-Ogden added two more wins in doubles competition. The pairing of Kenley Ray and Karleigh Spain battled to an 8-6 victory at the No. 2 position, while Sophia Schmitz and Shelby Warnes delivered an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles.

St. Teresa earned its two points at the top of the lineup. Vinathi Marri defeated Samantha Kelso 8-4 at No. 1 singles, while Brooke Nelson and Nora Jerabek combined to take an 8-2 win over Ava Midkiff and Maddie Wells at No. 1 doubles.

With the early road test behind them, the Spartans demonstrated the depth of their roster and strong season potential.

Match Results

Team Score: St. Joseph-Ogden 7 - St. Teresa 2

Singles
No. 1 — Vinathi Marri (St. Teresa) def. Samantha Kelso (SJO) 8-4
No. 2 — Lily Rice (SJO) def. Brooke Nelson (St. Teresa) 8-1
No. 3 — Madison Farber (SJO) def. Nora Jerabek (St. Teresa) 8-4
No. 4 — Ainsley Rhoten (SJO) def. Xaniyah Todd (St. Teresa) 8-2
No. 5 — Avarie Dietiker (SJO) def. Addison Johnson (St. Teresa) 8-4
No. 6 — Audrie Helfrich (SJO) def. Audrey Cunningham (St. Teresa) 8-0

Doubles
No. 1 — Brooke Nelson / Nora Jerabek (St. Teresa) def. Ava Midkiff / Maddie Wells (SJO) 8-2
No. 2 — Kenley Ray / Karleigh Spain (SJO) def. Xaniyah Todd / Audrey Cunningham (St. Teresa) 8-6
No. 3 — Sophia Schmitz / Shelby Warnes (SJO) def. Addison Johnson / Tiarra Perry (St. Teresa) 8-3

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Unity soccer drops season debut, hosts St. Teresa next

Unity soccer dropped its opener 7-0 at Newton and returns home Tuesday to face St. Teresa in nonconference play.

NEWTON - Unity struggled to find its footing in its season debut, falling 7-0 to Newton on the road Monday. The Rockets managed just one shot on goal in the 80-minute contest as the Eagles, last year’s Little Illini Conference champions, controlled possession throughout.

Newton broke through early with goals from Samuel Rodriguez, Lance Volk, and freshman Daniel Falcioni, who added another in the second half. Anderson converted a penalty kick, while junior Henry Will scored in each half to round out the attack.

Unity soccer player Tyler Huntington dribbles the ball

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity's Tyler Huntington dribbles the ball in last regional semifinal against Monticello. He is one of five seniors leading the Rockets this season.

The Eagles, who finished 10-7-1 last season and went unbeaten in league play, return a deep roster of 21 players this fall.

Unity, coming off an 8-8-3 finish in 2024 and a fourth-place showing in the Illini Prairie Conference, has a mix of veterans and underclassmen looking to grow into bigger roles. Seniors Matthew Hollett, Tyler Huntington, McCaskill, Caden, and Emma Swisher anchor the lineup. Sophomores Joel Hoewing, Ian Skibbe, Logan Wells, and Jack White join the rotation along with freshman contributors Kenny Adcock, Konnor Bletscher, Luc Popovics, Dylan Stierwalt, Javy Zavala, and Ethan Zgura. Carter Cromwell is the squad’s lone member of the Class of 2027.

The Rockets won two league matches last year, defeating Monticello and Illinois Valley Central, and will look to build consistency in nonconference play. They return to action this afternoon, hosting St. Teresa (1-0) at 4:30 p.m., followed by a Saturday home match against Argenta-Oreana.