Throwback Thursday: SJO shuts out Lions

The Sentinel, courtesy of PhotoNews Media, has more than 250,000 images from more than a decade and half of sport coverage at St. Joseph-Ogden High School at our fingertips. As space and time allows, we will publish great action photos, memorable moments and treasured images from the massive collection of images of Spartan athletes online and in your weekly paper.

This week's Throwback Thursday treat is from SJO's home football playoff game against Marshall back on November 5, 2005. The Spartans, who defeated the Lions on their home turf (or what little there was that day) a year earlier, posted a 41-0 shutout advancing to face the Unity Rockets on the road the following Saturday.

If you like what you see here, visit archive galley with more than 80 photos from the IHSA postseason game here: St. Joseph-Ogden versus Marshall. As always, you can search for specific players and additional games 24/7 using the search tool at the top of each gallery page.

Spartan quarterback Billy Gallo celebrates a TD in the first quarter after scoring the first of his two touchdowns against the Lions. St. Joseph-Ogden beat visiting Marshall for a second straight year in the playoffs with a 41-0 victory Saturday afternoon. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Ryan Barnes, one the team's most explosive players in school history, runs the ball 68 yards on a kick off return back for a touchdown against the Marshall. Unfortunately the TD was nullified due to a holding call on a SJO blocker. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Quarterback Isaiah Olson pivots to hand off the ball during fourth-quarter action for the Spartans. A year and some 14 days later, Olson would go on to set an IHSA state football title game record in Class 3A for the most individual passing yards that still stands as of today. In that game, the senior threw for 276 yards and completed 20 of his 29 yard pass attempts including three touchdowns. His performance also put him in a three-way tie for the most passing TDs in a 3A title game. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Elizabeth Ward, a member of the SJO Dance Team, performs during halftime show during the Week 2 playoff game. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Spartans' Brodyee Hallowell, who went to become a state-qualifier in wrestling, and Decoda Burris [3] break up a pass play to Lions' Kyle Johnson [11]. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Lineman Jesse Grice is all smiles while leaving the field after the Spartans hammered visiting Marshall and head into a quarterfinal showdown against longtime rival Unity. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Can't wait until next week for more photos from the archives? Search for your favorite athlete by name, sport or date of the event in the PhotoNews Media online photo archives.

Emmert, Mabry earn academic honors at EIU

Abigail Emmett and Samantha Mabry were two of more than 700 undergraduate students named to Eastern Illinois University’s Fall 2018 Deans' List.

Emmert, a music education major with a focus on teaching and 2016 graduate from St. Joseph-Ogden High School, served as a student ambassador for the EIU music department, held the role as principal chair flute of Concert Band and performs with several bands as a student-musician.

A drum major the SJO Marching Band, she also earned the same title and responsibilities with the Panther Marching Band. In May of last year she was awarded the Errett & Mazie Warner Presidential Award and the Helen J. Krehbiel Music Scholarship.

Mabry, who was a four-year veteran cross country and track athlete in high school, is an English major at EIU.

She finished her prep career as a member of last spring's state championship track team. The 2018 SJO alum is continuing her athletic career with the Panthers. A red-shirt freshman in cross country this past fall, she is listed as a middle distance specialist on the university's track & field roster.

The Deans’ List at EIU recognizes undergraduates with a declared major whose academic performance has been excellent. Eastern Illinois University students who achieve a GPA of 3.80 to 4.00 (on a 4.00 scale) while completing a minimum of 12 graded semester hours, excluding credit/no credit grades, are honored each semester.

Five SJO alumni earn Dean's List honors at ISU

Five St. Joseph-Ogden graduates earned academic recognition for their efforts at Illinois State University in the fall of 2018.

ISU students must complete at least 12 or more semester hours to be eligible for recognition. The Dean's List for individual colleges, which include the Colleges of Applied Science and Technology, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Fine Arts, and Mennonite College of Nursing, will recognize those students whose grade point average places them among the top ten percent of those students majoring within the College based on their semester GPA. Students whose major does not place them in one of the six colleges that offer degrees and whose semester grade point average is within the top ten percent of the University are identified on a separate list at the institution.

Courses completed after the official end of the semester and courses taken with a Credit/No Credit option are not tabulated in the final GPA.

Area honorees include:

Ogden: Katie Kurtz

St. Joseph: Brandon Burnett, Makenzie Pence, Hanna Richter and Nathan Schuele.

Note: Area students who have chosen to restrict access to directory and/or address information will not appear on the list below.

Spartans defeat Westville in non-conference game

Keegan McCarty, Adam Frerichs and Drew Coursey delivered a pair of RBI each to lead the St. Joseph-Ogden baseball team in a 9-4 victory over Westville on Thursday, March 29. The win improves the Spartans' record to a modest 6 wins with 4 losses.

Replaced by Caleb Johnson, frosh hurler Joe Acton faced seven batters before being retired after two innings. Johnson battled ferociously during his tenure on the hill, however a sloppy defensive effort from the guys behind him allowed the Tigers to quickly tally three runs in the top of fourth frame.

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Drew Coursey throws a pitch in the top of the seventh inning in SJO's home game against Westville. The Spartans unleash a 4-run rally in the bottom of the fifth inning to win, 9-4. Coursey struck out two of the 11 batters he faced to earn the win on the mound. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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"I thought we were pretty sloppy today," Spartan head coach Josh Haley said focusing on the errors in that inning. "We didn't run the bases very good and was over-swinging at the plate. As far as what we need to do to get better we didn't do very well today."

SJO answered Westville's rally meekly with a go-ahead run in the bottom the frame to break the 4-all tie.

Haley then dialed Drew Coursey's number to climb the hill.

Bringing the heat with laser intensity on every pitch, Coursey effectively shut down Westville's offensive momentum for a scoreless fifth inning.

The junior struck out two of the ll batters he faced on his way to earn the win.

Following Coursey's lead, the Spartans refocused their efforts posting a four-run rally in the bottom of the inning to sealed the victory.

"We had three pitchers that did a nice job throwing strikes," Haley said. "At the end of the day, they took care of business in the win column."

McCarty, who led the Spartans with 3 hits, was all business for the Spartans. He scored twice and junior Sam Wesley added three runs of own on a pair of hits.

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The Tigers were led by junior Cyrus Doughtery, who hit a solo home run and finished the game with two hits. Dalton Rolinitis was credited with two hits, one a home run and three RBI.

"With our schedule there are no days off," Haley added. "You gotta take care of business in the small areas and that's where I thought we were a little sloppy."

Even after a less than stellar day, Haley's confidence in the SJO pitching corps and this season legion of talented players is unflappable.

"We have four arms that can give us a chance to win every time they are out there. We just have to try and continue to get better."


Box Score
Westville  1 0 0 3 0 0 0 4 7 1
SJO . . . . 3 0 1 1 4 0 X 9 8 1

Spartan dynamic duo blast BHRA

Lighting fast swings thundered in St. Joseph earlier today producing a magnificent storm of Spartan home runs against Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin. SJO batters homered seven times in the 18-8 five inning affair.

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Kennedy Hudson takes a swing at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley pitch in the Spartans' home season opener. Nine days later, the freshman slugger pounds a home run in SJO's home game against Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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The junior dynamic duo of Hannah Dukeman and Bailey Dowling hit two home runs apiece in the slaughter. Dukeman enjoyed a five RBI day, four courtesy of her base clearing grand slam.

Both were one away from joining 63 other players in the IHSA all-time records who have hit three or more home runs in a single softball game.

Home run hitting today was not limited to just the junior class. Freshman Kennedy Hudson as well as sophomore Kaylee Ward made sure the underclassmen were representing in the slugfest with one home run each. Meanwhile Savannah Smith stepped up to pummel a long ball for the senior class.

Raegan Crippen had four hits as the Spartans notch their fifth win to continue their undefeated season.

SJO is scheduled to play their next home game on March 8 against Illini Prairie Central foe Rantoul after a five-plus game road campaign against Maroa-Forsyth, Tri-Valley, Lincoln, Villa Grove and a run for the tournament title at the annual Rantoul Invitational.

Ashtyn Cromwell earned the four-inning win for the Spartans adding four strikeouts to her season total.


Box Score
Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin   0 5   0 3 0 - -   8 - -
St. Joseph-Ogden . . . . . . . . . . .      1 4 10 1 2 - - 18 - -