High school soccer coach resigns this week

SJO coach Dan Vogelsang claps for his team after the home game against Rantoul in 2018. The four-year head coach resigned this week. (PhotoNews Media File Photo)

---

Earlier this week, head coach Daniel Voglesang tendered his resignation after four seasons at the helm of St. Joseph-Ogden High School soccer program.

"His resignation will be brought before the Board of Education on December 18," said Athletic Director Justin Franzen, who confirmed the report by email. "While a timeline has yet to be determined, the administration is currently evaluating the situation and will put a plan in place that will best suit the needs of our soccer program."

Under Voglesang's direction, the Spartans, who won their regional semifinal against Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond, 2-1, finished this past season with a record of 7 wins, 14 losses and 4 ties. His four-year record was 37-44-12.

The Spartans also posted wins over Schlarman, Oakwood, Georgetown-Ridge Farm-Westville and Watseka. The four-senior team tallied two conference wins, beating Unity 1-0 at home and posting a 2-1 road victory at Olympia.

Editor's Note: When The Sentinel first published this story, we inadvertently listed SJO's four-year record, using various sources available online, as 22-44-12. The story has been updated with the correct total of 37-44-12. We apologize for the error.

Opening games set for SJO at annual State Farm Classic

The 8-1 St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team earned a #4 seed out 16 small school programs set to square off at this year's State Farm Holiday Classic.

The Spartans open their bid for another tournament title this season at Normal Community High School, one of four tournament sites in Bloomington-Normal, against #13 Bishop McNamara at 8pm on December 26. Depend on how they fair against Fightin' Irish, they will face either Normal University High or Rockford Lutheran in either the championship or consolation semifinals on Friday.

Other teams in the upper portion of the bracket with SJO is Rock Falls, El Paso-Gridley, Oakwood and Annawan.

The boys squad, led by Chance Izard and frosh Ty Pence, were awarded the #6 seed.

They will tipoff at 5pm across town at Normal West at 5p against the Annawan Braves leaving plenty of time for Spartan fans to make both games the day after Christmas.

The Spartans, who opened their season on a 5-0 win streak and won the Toyota of Danville Classic title this past week, will be put to the test at the Classic.

The other six teams in the bottom half of the bracket with them include Rockford Lutheran, Tri-Valley, Rock Falls, Fieldcrest, Bishop McNamara and fellow conference team the #2 seeded Bloomington Central Catholic Saints. The complete boys bracket is here.

Single session passes are $8.00 for adults and $6.00 for students (K-12), senior citizens, active military and veterans. Admission for children under 5 years of age is free. All-Day and All-Tournament passes are also available. Find more ticket information here.

ViewPoint | Navigating dementia during the holidays

---

Guest Commentary by Diane Rock

---

Holidays can be a wonderful time of year when families get together and catch up on each other’s busy lives. All too often is also the time that you may find that things aren’t quite the same with our aging family members.

Those twenty-minute calls once or twice a month made everything seem a okay with the parents or grandparents. But now, you have noticed the signs and symptoms of dementia are starting to show.

Beginning signs often overlooked by many families are now more noticeable. Their loved one may not be eating well - losing weight can often be one of the first signs - along with falls, forgetfulness and/or a noticeable change in their personal hygiene. That parent, grandparent or close friend feels like they are older, forgetting things here and there, but it doesn’t seem alarming.

In couples where the spouse is suffering from dementia, they may become more argumentative and suspicious. Due to their forgetfulness, they assume the other is being untruthful.

Spouses often try to hide the signs and symptoms of dementia from their partner. Truly needing help, but not wanting to feel vulnerable, they are afraid of not being in control of their life they have built together.

A few things to keep in mind when celebrating and wanting to include family or friends suffering from dementia during the holiday season:

Your loved on may not realize that it a holiday and may ask often "Where should I be?". By responding with a reassuring answer such: "We are right where we should be, Ted invited us for dinner." This can give comfort to someone with dementia.

When around friends and family that they no longer recognize, avoid asking, “don’t you remember So-and-So?” It can be very frustrating and make them feel very inadequate or add to their confusion. While they may respond with a yes, they may still not have any idea who the person is or their relationship to them.

Please remember that sometimes over stimulation, like continuous loud environments or sudden noises, can sometimes bring about agitation or confusion.

Everyone loves seeing the excitement of young children especially at the holidays. But a busy, fast-paced environment is sometimes too much for someone with this disease. They no longer can process these situations as they once did and an innocuous experience may cause a sudden negative mood swing.

Consumption of alcohol has a much different effect on someone with dementia, especially if they are taking prescription medication and should be avoided.

Overall, just be mindful that your loved one may not enjoy these experiences as they did prior to onset of dementia. In advanced stages, it is often better to just spend quiet moments together separate from large family groups.

Remember that people with dementia continue to need loving, safe relationships and a caring touch not only during the holiday season, but everyday.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Diane Rock is the Community Resource Director at Amber Glen Alzheimer's Special Care Center located at 1704 E Amber Lane in Urbana. Learn more about Amber Glen and the memory care services they provide by visiting their website at www.amberglenalz.com. -----------------------------------------------------------

This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Sentinel. We welcome comments and viewpoints from readers who make up our diverse audience.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Cain and Izard make Toyota of Danville Classic all-tournament team

St. Joseph-Ogden guard Chance Izard was selected as this year's Most-Valuable-Player by participating coaches at the Toyota of Danville Classic.

Izard, who had a season high 24 points in his team's final tournament game against Watseka, was also responsible for five of the team's 11 steals in that game. Over the first five games this season, the senior has tallied 93 points for an average of 18.6 per game. He put up a career-high 25 points in SJO's 74-39 win over Schlarman Academy.

From the free throw line Izard drained 10 of 16 attempts. After a lukewarm 4-and-9 start over the first three games this season, he has not missed a free throw in his last two outings, making all six attempts.

Payton Cain also received well-deserved recognition from coaches.

The senior guard finished the tournament with 42 point over four days. Not a frequent visitor to the charity stripe, Cain was 2-for-4 on free throws.

Members of this year's Toyota of Danville all-tournament team are listed below.

2019 All-Tournament Team:
Emmanuel Garcia Camilo, Notre Dame de La Salette
Jamal Taylor, Schlarman Academy
Conner Curry, Watseka
Cale Steinbaugh, Georgetown-Ridge Farm
Ian Rogers, Cissna Park
Payton Cain, St. Joseph-Ogden

All-Tournament Team MVP:
Chance Izard, St. Joseph-Ogden

Payton Vallee's free throw beats Comets, Armstrong leads scoring effort

With the scored tied at 40-all and just four seconds left in regular time, Payton Vallee hit a game winning free throw to give the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team a one point victory over their host Oakwood on Saturday.

Trailing 13-6 after one quarter against the Comets, the Spartans roared back scoring 18 points in the second frame courtesy of 10 unanswered points.

Ella Armstrong's five points along with four from Taylor Wells and a total of nine from the combined efforts of Ashlyn Lannert, Katie Cramer, Taylor Barnes, Abby Behrens and Vallee, erased the early game deficit to put SJO up, 24-23.

Both teams produced an identical number of points in third and fourth quarters of their non-conference matchup.

In the last quarter, the Spartans never trailed on the scoreboard. The Comets tied the contest three times and did not allowed SJO more than a three point advantage in the final eight minutes.

Katelyn Young's final free throw opened the door wide for a possible overtime win for the Comets. Vallee, who finished with just two points, slammed that door shut when she hit the second of her two free throws - and the most important one of the night - with little time on the clock for Oakwood to respond.

Young, who hit eight of her 11 free throws, led the Comets with a game-high 22 points. Aaliyah Denius added another 11 in Oakwood's second loss of the season. The Comets are now 7-2 heading into their next game against Westville on Monday.

While Vallee's clutch shot won the game, the Spartans' win would not have been possible if wasn't for Armstrong's varsity career-high 13 points.

In her best outing playing for the maroon and Columbia blue, the sophomore was 2-for-2 from the free throw line and hit a trey in each of the last two quarters of the game.

Behrens finished with seven points for SJO and teammate Barnes, a senior, contributed six first half points to round out St. Joseph-Ogden's top three scorers on Saturday.

The Spartans, now at 7-1 for the season, are back on the bus Monday where they hope to pick up win number eight at Mahomet-Seymour in another early season non-conference game.

The Bulldogs, who are 4-3 heading into contest with the Spartans, already have one loss against a Illini Prairie team. Prairie Central, powered by senior Elly Haberkorn's 21 points, prevailed in the 48-40 opening loss for Mahomet-Seymour.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	6	18	6	11	- 41
Oakwood	13	10	6	11	- 40

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 2, Payton Jacob 4, Taylor Wells 5, Katie Cramer 2, Abby Behrens 7, Taylor Barnes 6, Payton Vallee 2 and Ella Armstrong 13.

Oakwood: Katelyn Young 22, Ashlynn Pinnick 2, Addie Wright 3, Aubrey Wells 2 and Aaliyah Denius 11.

SJO defeats Cissna Park, 9 photos from the game

Spartan Jordan Kelly goes up for a shot on a fast break. The St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team went on to defeat Cissna Park 65-49 in there Toyota of Danville Classic game on Friday. Kelly, who missed on this lay up, finished with six points from two second quarter three-pointers. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Left: Chance Izard takes the ball up on a fast break in the second half. Izard finished the game with a game-high 18 points. Above: Drew Coursey tries to put the ball back up in SJO's Toyota of Danville Classic game on his way to a season high 10 points. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Fans talk during a timeout in the first quarter. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Lukas Hutcherson and Conner Hodge celebrate a big play in the second half for the Spartans. Hutcherson finished the night with nine points. Hodge snagged five of SJO's 34 rebounds. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Left: Chance Izard takes a shot in the first half of his team's game against Cissna Park. Right: Drew Coursey reacts to a foul call drawn by teammate Ty Pence. Pence, a freshman, finished his third varsity outing with 14 points and 12 rebounds. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

SJO's Maroon Platoon members sport their Christmas sweaters while cheering on the boys basketball team on Friday. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

SJO cheerleaders perform a stunt during a timeout in the second half. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Spartans beat Cissna Park at Toyota of Danville Classic

Spartan Ty Pence floats above the paint on a second half shot against Cissna Park during their Toyota of Danville Classic game on Friday. Pence notched his first varsity double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds to help the Spartans defeat last season's Class 1A state runner-up Timberwolves, 65-49. SJO moves to 3-0 on the season. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

---

With the lightning fast Chance Izard on the floor and 48% shooting from the field, St. Joseph-Ogden fought to a 64-49 win over Cissna Park in Game 9 of the Toyota of Danville Classic on Friday night.

Izard finished the nightcap with 18 points. The senior guard and emerging team leader had a pair of steals and two rebounds for his team.

The Spartans also received double-digit scoring from Ty Pence and Drew Coursey.

Pence notched the Spartans' only double-double 14 points and 12 boards.

In best game so far this season, Coursey made 71% of the shots he took to finish the night with 10 points in the paint.

"I thought we played really, really well together tonight," said Spartan head coach Kiel Duval. "We did some good things - effort stuff that we were asking them to do in practice - it carried over to the game."

Cissna Park senior Penn Stoller was 4-for-4 from the free throw line racking up 13 team-high points for the Timberwolves. Ian Rogers, a junior, added another 11 and sophomore Malaki Verkler had 10 points.

Ladies win again! SJO knocks off Vikings, 52-45

It took the Danville girls basketball team two quarters to match the Spartans' first quarter scoring output in their non-conference game on Thursday. By the time the game reached the halftime intermission, St. Joseph-Ogden built an impressive 16 point lead and never looked back on their way to a 52-45 victory over the Vikings.

Spartan forward Payton Vallee boxes out Paris' Kelsie Crampton in her team's first home game of the season. In SJO's road game at Danville on Thursday she tied for a team-high finish of ten points with teammate Payton Jacob. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

The Paytons, Jacob and Vallee, led another balanced SJO offensive attack with 10 points each. Vallee was 2-for-2 from the free throw line and Jacob nailed four of her six shots from charity stripe.

Ella Armstrong came off the bench to add seven points while Ashlyn Lannert and Taylor Wells contributed six apiece leading the 10 out of 13 players who lit up the Spartans' side of the scoreboard.

Making eight of her nine free throw attempts, junior Erin Houpt lead the Vikings' offense with a game-high 25 points. Senior Miracle Payne and Tharija Rose, a sophomore, both had six points to round out Danville's top three scorers.

Improving to 6-1 on the season, the Spartans move on to another non-conference game today at 4:30p at Oakwood High School. SJO has one more road game, Mahomet-Seymour on Monday, before enjoying four straight home games heading into the Christmas break.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	13	16	7	16	- 52
Danville	8	5	19	13	- 45

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 6, Payton Jacob 10, Taylor Wells 6, Atleigh Hamilton 2, Katie Cramer 2, Abby Behrens 3, Taylor Barnes 4, Alyssa Hamilton 2, Payton Vallee 2 and Ella Armstrong 10.

Danville: Erin Houpt 25, Tharija Rose 6, Nau'tika Conaway 1, Aanija Reed 1, Zytara Boyd 2, Miracle Payne 6 and Destiny Davis 4.

Varsity basketball picks up second win

To pick up their second win of season St. Joseph-Ogden had time on their side during their second game of pool play at 2nd Annual Toyota of Danville Classic.

In the comfy confines of their home court, the Spartans held Norte Dame de LaSalatte to just five points for nearly a nine minute in a stretch to win 48-36 on Wednesday.

Spartans' Payton Cain goes up for a shot against LaSalette during his team's second game at the Toyota of Danville Classic on Wednesday. Cain finished the contest with a team-high 10 points. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Payton Cain led SJO in scoring with ten points. The senior, who also booked a team-high seven rebounds, wasn't satisfied.

"We've got a lot of work to do on our offense," Cain said. While it is only the second game of the season for the Spartans, he made it clear that team needs to solidify their identity to be successful. "We've got to find our dignity."

With 31 seconds left in the second quarter, LaSalette's Steven Deister hit a free throw to take a small nibble out of St. Joseph-Ogden's 21-14 lead. For nearly the next 10 minutes the Lions mustered just five points as the Spartans widen the scoring gap by 20 points at 39-19 with just 6:51 to the final buzzer.

Thanks to a strong defensive effort, SJO followed up a 6-0 run at the start the second frame with 12 unanswered points before the Lions' Joseph McCall hit two free throws to put the score at 39-21.

"On the defensive end we've done a great job getting stops," said Cain, who had 10 steals and used them to tack points on the scoreboard for the host team. "If we stop teams, our offensive will come up and finish out the game strong."

Once again, and it looks to be a regular theme this season, the Spartans enjoyed a nice balance of scoring from starters and the bench. All four classes did their part to secure the win.

Frosh starter Ty Pence was the second leading scorer with eight points. He went 4-for-4 from the free throw line - all of them in the second quarter - and had four rebounds.

Spectators react as SJO's Drew Coursey rolls across the floor after diving for a loose ball during first half action. Coursey, who played linebacker during the football season, was unfazed and quickly picked up by teammates moments later. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Andrew Beyers came off the bench to score five points against the Lions. The sophomore shot 50% from the line making his first one in the first half of the game and missing his second half attempt.

Junior Lukas Hutcherson rotated into the fray during the fourth quarter to finish with a trey for the Spartans while Cain and the class of 2020, who combined for 22 more points, did the heavy lifting.

LaSalette's offensive effort was bouyed by David Carlisle. The senior was the only player with double figures, thanks to three three-pointers, capping the evening with 14 points. He was responsible for five of his team's 24 boards.

The Lions' senior was aided by Joseph McCall with eight points. Joseph Martin and Thomas Brauner added another five points apiece.

"They were pretty tough," said Spartans' Drew Coursey. While the three-sport athlete's stats were meager with three points and a rebound, his aggressive presence on the floor created turnover opportunities. "They were physical dudes. They played hard."

Tonight, St. Joseph-Ogden squares off against last year's Classic champions Cissna Park tonight at 8pm. SJO goes into the contest with the hopes of continuing their unblemished record and avenging the 66-37 loss to the Timberwolves, who were also the Class 1A state runner-up back in March.

Here is tonight's Toyota of Danville Classic schedule:

Game 7: La Salette vs. Schlarman, 5 p.m.
Game 8: Georgetown-Ridge Farm vs. Watseka, 6:30 p.m.
Game 9: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Cissna Park, 8 p.m.

SJO boys open season with resounding basketball victory

If you missed the St. Joseph-Ogden boys basketball team's season opener at the Toyota of Danville Classic last night, then you missed one heck of a teaser for has the markings of an exciting year of SJO basketball.

Chance Izard goes up for a shot in the Spartans' Toyota of Danville Classic basketball on Tuesday. Izard finished with 19 points. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Entering his second season at the helm, Duval started four seniors and freshman. All five were familiar names over the PA during this year's football season.

Conner Hodge and Drew Course took to the floor as forwards. Chance Izard and Payton Cain started in the guard slots and 6-4 freshman Ty Pence got the season's first touch on the ball at center.

Almost two minutes past scoreless before Izard made a lay up with 6:10 left in the first quarter to give the Spartans the first lead of the game.

It was a relatively unproductive first quarter for both teams that ended at 7-4. Midway through the second one however, the Spartans shed most of their first-game jitters and started an 11 point run on GRF. Skipping second and third gear, jumping right into fourth, St. Joseph-Ogden continued the offense onslaught on their way to a 64-37 win over Georgetown-Ridge Farm on their home court.

"They've got some quickness. That's why we are trying to use our transition game and push the basketball," said head coach Kiel Duval. "Even our bigs can run. We don't have a slow guy on the team."

Leading the team with eight points at the half, Izard added another 11 to finish the night with a game-high 19 points.

"He did what we expect him to do," Duval said. "The things we're pushing Chance to do, push the basketball, move without the basketball ... he did a lot of those things. We've continually pushed him every day in practice."

Izard did not want to take full credit for his performance that puts his team with on the floor tonight in their second tournament game against La Salette at 8 pm with a 1-0 record.

"I've got to give a lot of credit to my teammates. They did a great job of keeping the pressure off me," he said. "We struggled at rebounding in the beginning. But, we picked it up in the second half and that created a lot of opportunities for me to get some buckets in."

Jordan Kelly, who was shot 50% from the free throw line, also drained a few buckets. The senior came off the bench to start his senior season with 12 points, all lighting up the scoreboard in the second half.

Leading by as much as 28 points in the fourth quarter, Duval rotated players in and out liberally.

Luke Renfew goes after a loose ball after instigating a turnover. The senior was essential player on defense. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

There are fifteen players on the Spartans roster this season. Ten of them contributed to their win over the Buffaloes.

Cain finished with eight points, Pence added seven in varsity debut and Luke Renfew chipped drain six in the opening half. Renfew's offensive put back in the first frame handed SJO a 5-4 lead from which the team never looked back.

One of four underclassmen on the roster, Pence said he tense before the start of the game.

"The hard part was adapting to the speed of the game," Pence said. "Before the game I was really nervous. The guys helped me out and helped me get into the flow of the game."

The Georgetown-Ridge Farm offense was led by Kaden Mingee with 15 points and ten points from Cale Steinbaugh.

The Buffaloes look to pick up a win over Schlarman in the second of three games on tap at St. Joseph-Ogden High School tonight.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	7	14	22	22	- 65
Georgetown-Ridge Farm	4	7	11	15	- 37

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Conner Hodge 2, Lukas Hutcherson 3, Payton Cain 8, Jordan Kelly 12, Chance Izard 19, Andrew Beyers 2, Ty Pence 7, Luke Renfrew 6, Braydon Rupert 2 and Hayden Brazelton 4.

Georgetown-Ridge Farm: Hayden Stal 2, Cale Steinbaugh 10, Kaden Mingee 15, Gavan Shelton 3, Jeremiah Smith 4 and Justice Arthur 1.

Seventeen named Illinois state scholars at SJO

Seventeen St. Joseph-Ogden seniors were named to this year's State Scholar Program by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC).

Senior Kenly Taylor holds a game ball and the Spartans' 2019 state third place trophy at Redbird Arena after the awards ceremony for Class 2A at the IHSA Volleyball State Finals. Taylor and four teammates from the final four team were named State Scholars this past week. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Illinois students attain state scholar recognition by maintaining an outstanding level of academic performance during high school. In order to be considered, they must be ranked in the top one-half of their class by the end of their third semester prior to graduation. Finally, the student's ACT or SAT score must reach be in the 95th percentile or higher. Only students attending approved Illinois public high schools are considered for this honorary recognition and it is awarded upon successful graduation from the accredited school.

This year's recipients are: Lindsey Aden, Mallory Ames, Katelyn Berry, Emily Bigger, Ginny Bytnar, Andrea Cunningham, Faith Dahman, Hannah Dukeman, Erica Guelfi, Ava Mills, Eric Poe, Hannah Rajlich, Jenna Schaefer, Kenly Taylor, Stephanie Trame, Isabelle Vliet, Zoey Witruk.

Created by state lawmakers in 1957, the Deerfield, Illinois, based commission's main goal is to make post-secondary education accessible and affordable for resident high school students in Illinois through grants, scholarships and available loan programs.

The Spartans girls once again prevail in OT

Popping in four three-pointers tonight, Katie Cramer matched her season-high total of 14 points to help St. Joseph-Ogden survive their second overtime thriller this season with a non-conference win over visiting Tuscola.

Taylor Barnes also contributed a pair of treys in the second quarter and Payton Jacob dialed in a long distance field goal in the extra period to lift the Spartans to a 5-1 record.

SJO trailed by one point at the half 20-19 and stormed ahead in the third quarter nearly outscoring the Warriors 2-1 to go up, 35-29.

Warriors' Ella Boyer, who was quiet the first three quarters, lit up the score board with eight points for the night to help tie the score at 42-all.

Under pressure, Jacob and Cramer, one of just four seniors on the state runner-up team from the previous season, both drilled one shot each from beyond the arc in the OT session. Barnes and junior Atleigh Hamilton knocked down two free throws between the two of them to end the contest with Tuscola looking at a four-point deficit.

The Warriors were paced by junior Marissa Russo, who matched Cramer's 14-point performance. Brynn Tabeling also finished with double figures for Tuscola with 12 points.

In addition to Cramer's 14, Barnes finished with nine points for the Spartans. Abby Behrens, a talented sophomore, came off the bench to contribute eight points. Jacob, another sophomore and starter, chipped in seven points.

SJO's next three games are on the road starting Thursday at Danville, then to Oakwood on Saturday and concluding on Monday at Mahomet-Seymour for another non-conference matchup.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	7	12	16	7	8	- 50
Tuscola	11	9	9	13	4	- 46

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 2, Payton Jacob 7, Atleigh Hamilton 6, Katie Cramer 14, Abby Behrens 8, Taylor Barnes 9 and Payton Vallee 4.

Tuscola: Brynn Tabeling 12, Hope Dietrich 2, Ella Boyer 8, Abbey Jacob 5, Klemitzki 5 and Marissa Russo 14.

Opening loss will strenghten the Spartans, SJO falls 64-44 at home to Paris

Senior Katie Cramer brings the ball down the court during first half action in her team's home opener against Paris. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

After grinding out four consecutive wins to start the season and bring home the GCMS/Bunnies Tipoff title last week, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team suffered their first loss of the season. Outmatched, the Spartans fell 65-44 on their home court to the visiting Paris.

The Tigers came out feisty and visibly hungry for the win on Tuesday. The coaching staff had did their homework on the SJO squad. Paris head coach Dave Tingley had his team press the Spartans player from end to end on the floor forcing plethora of turnovers from the opening tip.

The defensive pressure was too much to handle for SJO. The Spartans mustered just five first quarter points and trailed midway into the second by 20 points until Taylor Wells found a basket after the relentless Tigers ran up the score with 11 unanswered points.

Payton Jacob drilled the next two shots to narrow St. Joseph-Ogden's deficit to 14 points. From that point forward, Kevin Taylor's team, though at a slight disadvantage without the veteran leadership of Hannah Dukeman on the floor, played competitive second half.

"We knew they would be after us the whole game and press us," said Taylor, now in his third season at the helm of the Lady Spartans. "There was never a time to let up against Paris."

While it wasn't enough to come out on top, the Spartans enjoyed scoring contributions from nine players.

Starter Taylor Barnes led the way with a team-high nine points. Sophomore starter Payton Jacob had six points. Alyssa Hamilton and Ashlyn Lannert came off the bench to score six apiece as well.

"We're young. We just didn't handle it the best way we could early on," Taylor said. "I hope the girls learn from it as we move on through the season."

Paris had four players finish with double figures against the Spartans.

Senior Karrington Krabel drained a game-high 16 points for the Tigers. Sarah Isaf and Jenna Gates, also senior members of the squad, scored 12 and 10 points, respectively. Sophomore Katelyn Littleton was 2-for-2 from the free throw line and had a pair of threes in her 10 point finish.

While it was an ugly loss, Taylor is confident that his team will become stronger because of it.

"It's a learning process. We're not set up to win a regional title," Taylor said. "I'm not satisfied with this game."

Nor should he be. After major second half adjustments and the shell shock wore off, SJO played a respectable second half barely outscored by the Tigers, 34-28. Starting two seniors, two sophomores and a junior there is some chemistry that needs to come together and much work to be done before the postseason.

"I saw some things that they improved on (tonight) and we'll work on more in practice as we move forward," he added.

St. Joseph-Ogden, now at 4-1 for the season, hosts Tuscola for a non-conference game on Monday before embarking on a three-game road campaign starting next week. Playing a game every other day, SJO starts with a trip to Danville on December 7, then plays a little closer to home on December 9 against Oakwood and finishes up tour at Mahomet-Seymour on December 11.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	5	11	15	13	- 44
Paris	16	15	20	14	- 65

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 6, Payton Jacob 6, Taylor Wells 5, Katie Cramer 4, Abby Behrens 3, Taylor Barnes 9, Alyssa Hamilton 6 and Payton Vallee 2.

Paris: Karrington Krabel 16, Sarah Isaf 12, Jenna Gates 10, Katelyn Littleton 10, Kendra Young 6, Madyson Rigdon 6, Deming Hawkins 3, and Kelsie Crampton 2.

First loss of the season for SJO girls

St. Joseph-Ogden's Taylor Barnes dribbles the ball into the paint during her team's home opener against Paris. The Spartans (4-1) suffered their first loss of the season with their 65-46 non-conference loss to the Lady Tigers. Barnes led the SJO scoring effort with nine points. Ashlyn Lannert, Payton Jacob and Alyssa Hamilton each contributed six points apiece. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Photo Gallery |Volleyball places third at state

NORMAL - Eight days ago, the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team defeated Rockford Lutheran after three sets 25-11, 25-20, 25-23 to place third at this year's Class 2A state tournament. Below are ten memorable photographs from more the 500 (not all of them as awesome as these moments ) from the Spartans' final match of the season on Saturday, November 16.

SJO played 41 matches this season and won 36 of them. Their last four were grueling, emotional three-setters. Their season began with a marathon opening match and loss to eventual state champions St. Teresa, and ended with a three-set, 129-point match against the Lady Crusaders at Redbird Arena.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden's Lacey Kaiser go up for a block on a kill attempt by Rockford Lutheran's Kylie Wilhelmi in the first set. Kaiser was credited with a pair of blocks, seven digs and four kills in the match. Bigger contributed five digs and had 29 of the team's 32 assists.

---

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Kenly Taylor celebrates a point for the Spartans during the first set. Her nine digs along with her defensive efforts in the back row were crucial in SJO ending their season with a victory.

---

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Payton Vallee tips the ball over a Rockford Lutheran blocker. Vallee, a junior for the Spartans, finished the match with four kills and three digs.

---

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

With teammate Payton Vallee looking on and Lacey Kaiser ready to dig a possible block, senior Katelyn Berry takes a huge swing at the ball in set two against the Lady Crusaders. Berry chalked up six kills and six digs in the Spartans' win.

---

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Stretching out as far as can go, Lacey Kaiser dives for a tipped ball in the second set.

---

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Spartans Lindsey Aden and Kennedi Burnett share a smile after Burnett's kill puts SJO up 13-7 in the final set. Burnett, a sophomore, delivered at team-high 14 kills.

---

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

After winning the final set to take the match, two games to one, members of the SJO volleyball team led by seniors Jenna Albrecht and Katelyn Berry sing the school fight song with the student fan section.

---

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Senior Jenna Albrecht flashes a huge smile as she waves to family members and SJO fans at Redbird Arena after receiving her bronze medal during the Class 2A awards ceremony.

---

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

(Left to right) Lacey Kaiser, Lindsey Aden and Jenna Albrecht along with the rest of the volleyball team celebrate with the schools newest piece of state hardware.

---

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Linda Berry photographs her daughter Katelyn and other members of the Spartan volleyball team with the school's new state third place trophy during the awards ceremony at the IHSA Volleyball State Finals.

Oyster stuffing for Thanksgiving, it's not too popular around here

Stuffing, infused with turkey drippings and a healthy dose of butter, is one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

My grams would make two batches for our family dinner, one batched baked inside the turkey and the other on one of the burners of her gas stove. Ripping up pieces of toasted bread and leaving out overnight, even as she aged, was her preferred method of preparation. If it was in a box, can or package, it wasn't good enough for my grandmother and especially so for the family's Thanksgiving meals.

Occasionally observing the holiday at the homes of others many years ago, a few families made their dressing/stuffing with oysters.

Curious as to how popular this variation was with our readers, I created a poll a little more than a week ago asking, "Do you put oysters in your stuffing?"

Six days and 171 votes later, we learned that 86% of those who responded said "no" to adding chunks of the shellfish when they make their version of the holiday dish.

The majority of the stuffing I've tried - my grandmother's included - were made with traditional ingredients such as onions, celery, spices, butter, broth, and bread. For the record, I'm not a fan of oyster stuffing/dressing or recipes that use mushrooms. However, the thought of using dried fruit and nuts, cranberries or bits of bacon does sound delicious.

Do you have a unique, delicious recipe you would like to share? We would love to hear it and share it with our readers. Email us at editor@oursentinel.com and we may feature it in The Sentinel next week.

Spartans Tipoff champs after OT win over PBL

They did it. For the third consecutive year, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team has brought home the Lady Falcon/Bunnies Tipoff Classic title.

They did it after defeating Paxton-Buckley-Loda 45-43 in their first overtime game of the season.

They did it with scoring contributions from eight different members of the team, not one reaching double-digits on Friday.

Senior Katie Cramer led the Spartans' offense with nine points. Alyssa Hamilton totaled two threes and a bucket in overtime to finish with eight points. Taylor Barnes, who sank six of her ten free throw attempts, and Ashlyn Lannert chipped in six points apiece.

Tied at the end of regulation time at 38-all, Lannert, Hamilton and Payton Vallee scored two points each in the final period. Barnes hit one of her two free throws during the OT session to help the Spartans outscore the Panthers seven to five.

Lannert, a sophomore, and Cramer also received all-tournament team recognition.

Mackenzie Bruns led the PBL (2-2) scoring effort with a game-high 17 points and was 7-for7 from the free throw line. Brooke Walder helped out with eight points.

Mirroring last year's state final run, SJO's record improved to 4-0 on the season. The Spartans will host their first home game of the season on Tuesday evening with a non-conference match against Paris.

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden	9	13	9	7	7	- 45
Paxton-Buckley-Loda	10	10	10	8	5	- 43

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 6, Payton Jacob 7, Taylor Wells 5, Katie Cramer 9, Abby Behrens 2, Taylor Barnes 6, Alyssa Hamilton 8 and Payton Vallee 2.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda: Brooke Walder 8, Baylee Cosgrove 3, Lorena Arnett 5, Mackenzie Bruns 17, Kirra Lantz 3 and Makenna Ecker 7.

SJO girls advance to Lady Falcon/Bunnies Tipoff Classic title game

Tonight, St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team will play for their first tournament championship trophy of the season.

The shot at the Lady Falcon/Bunnies Tipoff Classic title comes on the heels of a fourth quarter surge by the Spartans. Clawing past Villa Grove/Heritage's offensive duo of Aliya Holloman (20 points) and Kyleigh Block (17 points), SJO secured their third win of the season, 46-43.

On the wrong end of a 19-15 score at the half, the Spartans dug in and drained five three-pointers in the third quarter. The Blue Devils countered with 16 points of their own, eight courtesy of Block, six from Holloman and a bucket from Samantha Campbell.

Holding VG-H to just eight points in final quarter, SJO matched that number and then added a few more.

Katie Cramer, still hot from three-point range, hit two more shots and drilled a pair of free throws. The senior finished the night with 14 points and was 2-for-2 from the line.

With the help of a clutch free throw from Payton Vallee, Taylor Barnes' third three-pointer of the game and a bucket from Payton Jacob, the Spartans prevailed improving to 3-0 on the season.

In all, St. Joseph-Ogden tallied a total of ten three-point shots from Jacob (1), Barnes (3), Cramer (4) and sophomore Abby Behrens with two.

You will want to saddle up early to help pack the gym tonight for what will surely be a barnburner at Fisher. The championship game, scheduled to start at 7pm, pits the Spartans against Paxton-Buckley-Loda, who knocked off tournament co-hosts GCMS 56-38 to reach the final.

A three-peat in the making, the Spartans have won the tournament the title past two seasons. The Panthers have the offense to keep that from happening tonight.

PBL had three players with double-digit scoring against the Lady Falcons. Mackenzie Bruns delivered 13 points, Hannah Schwarz added 12 and Baylee Cosgrove's hit 10 to lead the Panthers' offensive scoring.

Box Score

Team 1	5	10	15	16	- 46
Team 2	2	17	16	8	- 43

Scoring

St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 3, Payton Jacob 7, Katie Cramer 14, Abby Behrens 6, Taylor Barnes 13 and Payton Vallee 3.

Villa Grove-Heritage: Kyleigh Block 17, Samantha Campbell 2, Aliya Holloman 20 and Jordyn Ray 4.

30 players receive SJO varsity football letters

Nineteen seniors earned varsity football letters this fall. Six juniors, four sophomores and one freshmen player were also recognized for their contributions during the 2019 season.

Brayden Weaver received this year's Most-Valuable-Player award.

Weaver appeared in varsity games during his football career with the Spartans. During that time he carried the ball 94 times for 540 yards. His longest run was a 52 yard jaunt in SJO's 38-14 win over Unity.

Brayden carries the ball for the Spartans during their home game against Bloomington Central Catholic. This year's MVP, the senior ran for 104 yards against the Saints. On defense he was credited with three tackles in the 18-7 conference win. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

---

Suffering a season-ending injury in the eight game of the season, his offensive stats boast 266 yards on 49 carries and four touchdowns.

A two-way player, Weaver was credited with 76 tackles, 49 of which were solo, at middle linebacker this season. He was also awarded the program's Defensive Award.

Drew Coursey and Jordan Kelly shared the team's Most-Improved-Player award.

Wearing #2 this season, Kelly, a 5-foot-10 wide receiver and strong safety, finished his only season of varsity football with 18 tackles and one interception.

Jordan Kelly, one of this year's two Most-Improved-Players, runs a pass route against visiting St. Thomas More. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Coursey, who earned his stripes in his first season of varsity football this year, led SJO in sacks with three. The outside linebacker had 26 stops, including four solo tackles and seven total in the Spartans' 33-13 road loss to the Hawks of Prairie Central.

The Special Teams Award went to senior Payton Cain. Like Coursey and Kelly, this was his first and only varsity football season. The senior returned 16 kickoffs. Averaging 31.1 yards per return, he amassed 498 yards this season.

In SJO's home game against Pontiac on September 27, he ran one of his two punt returns back 66 yards - a career best - and another one for 19 yards.

Towering 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Blake Dable bagged the SJO Lineman Award.

In the five games he played on defense, Dable was credited with 15 tackles and two sacks, one against Unity and the other against Rantoul in week 2. On offense, Dable was key to opening up holes for the backfield and a solid wall protecting quarterback Crayton Burnett this season.

Sophomore Hayden Brazelton received the Scout Team Award.

Senior varsity lettermen: Ross Booker, Payton Cain, Trevon Carr, Max Chatterton, Brendan Cooperider, Drew Coursey, Blake Dable, Tristan Fuqua, Conner Hodge, Chance Izard, Jordan Kelly, Chayce Livingston, Jaden Miller, Blake Primmer, Luke Renfrew, Jarrett Stevenson, Brodie Sullivan, Brayden Weaver, and Sam Wesley.

Junior varsity lettermen: Crayton Burnett, Brady Buss, John Michael Ehmen, Zach Martinie, Xander Rieches and Max Shonkwiler.

Sophomore varsity lettermen: Coby Miller, Jett Morris, Keaton Nolan, and Ethan Vanliew.

Freshman varsity lettermen: Ty Pence

Throwback Thursday: Spartans place at 2012 Unity Invitational

St. Joseph-Ogden's Austin Upton attempts to pin Joliet Catholic's Michael Gruben during their 170-pound championship bracket semifinal at the Unity Invitational on December 15, 2012. Upton won the match by fall at 3:03 and went on to win the title for his weight class. Two months later, the senior finished the 2012-13 season with a record of 45 wins and three losses and well-deserved fourth-place state medal. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks) St. Joseph-Ogden's Jacob Bowman sticks St. Thomas More's Alexandro Griffin during their 220-pound match. Bowman defeated Griffin in the first period by fall at 1:51. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks) St. Thomas More's Collin Kelley tries to escape a hold by St. Joseph-Ogden's David Trewyn during their 126-pound match action at the 43rd installment of the Unity Invitational. Later Terwyn, who finished in 6th place, prevailed with a 15-8 victory. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks) Freshman grappler Wesley Kibler (left) tries to fight off a single-leg takedown by Peotone's Tom Ruffino during their 195-pound match. Ruffino defeated Kibler 9-5 in their semifinal bout on Saturday afternoon. Despite missing the cut for the 2013 state finals, when his prep career ended in 2016, Kibler was the proud owner of one IHSA state title (2015), a runner-up silver medal (2016) and a fourth-place state medal from his efforts his sophomore season in 2014. He finished the 2012 Unity Invite in third place. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks) SJO's Jacob Bowman shoots in on Rochester's Nick Siciliano during their 220-pound consolation quarterfinal match. Bowman, finished 6th after pinning Siciliano in the first period at 1:05. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)