State Volleyball |
Lady Blackhawks head to the championship match at state volleyball

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Katelyn Winters celebrates with her team center court after the Lady Blackhawks punched their ticket into the Class 1A state title game at the IHSA Girls Volleyball State Finals on Friday morning. Stockton will face Calhoun in the championship contest starting at 9 AM at CEFCU Arena.

NORMAL - In a thrilling three-set battle, Stockton rallied from a first-set deficit to defeat the Hartsburg-Emden 2-1 in the IHSA Girls Volleyball State Finals semifinal at CEFCU Arena.

The Stags, led by Alayna Briggs, took the opening set 25-12. However, the Lady Blackhawks responded with a dominant performance in the second and third sets, winning 25-20 and 25-21, respectively. Briggs tallied 20 kills, 1 ace, and 7 digs.

"We know that wasn't our game. In the second and third set the girls came alive and they were able to get the job done," said Stockton head coach Maddie Pontius said about lopsided loss in the first set. She attributed the drubbing to first-set jitters, something that first-time teams experience on the floor at CEFCU. "This was their first trip. They should be nervous. I'm just glad they were able to bounce back."

Madie Mammoser led Stockton's offense with 17 kills and 11 digs, while Kacy Wright contributed 19 assists, 10 digs, and 6 kills. Taylor Haas added 10 kills, and Katelyn Winters had 6 kills and 8 digs.

Lady Blackhawk senior Mattie Mammoser the first set loss lit a fire.

"I think we just kind of woke up. The first set was like a warm-up set. Then everything started going right," said Mammoser, who led Stockton's offensive effort with 17 kills.

For Hartsburg-Emden, Cambelle Hopkins had 8 kills and 11 digs, while A Briggs added 4 kills and 4 aces. Sadie Williams led the defense with 10 digs, and Celia Cross distributed 35 assists.

This is the first state final appearance for the Lady Blackhawks, who will face Calhoun in Saturday's championship match.

"It is an amazing feeling," said Pontius. "It is the first trip in school history. It is an incredible feeling. These girls have put in so much hardwork and effort. Just their focus to win and determination to win is amazing."

Calhoun defeated Cissna Park in straight sets in the other semifinal. The Stags, who have won one state title and three runner-up trophies, will play for third place.

KEYWORDS: IHSA Girls Volleyball State Finals, Stockton Lady Blackhawks, Hartsburg-Emden Stags, State Championship Match, State Volleyball

Stockton Lady Blackhawks advance to Class 1A volleyball title game

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Stockton's Taylor Hess and Anna Blair celebrate their team's semifinal victory over small school powerhouse Hartsburg-Emden at the IHSA Volleyball State Finals on Friday. The Lady Blackhawks advanced to the title game against the Calhoun Warriors after winning, 12-25, 25-20, 25-21.

KEYWORDS: Hartsburg-Emden Volleyball, IHSA State Volleyball, State Championship, Stockton Volleyball

Hartsburg-Emden falls in three in state semifinal match, Stags to play for third

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

NORMAL - Hartsburg-Emden's Ellie Klokkenga concentrates on passing the ball to the front row during set three of their Class 1A semifinal game against Stockton at the CEFCU Arena on Friday. The Stags came out on fire winning the first set 25-12. Later, the Lady Blackhawks adjusted their offensive strategy to rally back, winning the next two sets 25-20, 25-21. Klokkenga and the Stags advance to the third place game with the loser of the second semifinal between Calhon and Cissna Park on Saturday at 9 am.

KEYWORDS: Hartsburg-Emden Volleyball, IHSA State Volleyball, State Championship, Stockton Volleyball

State Volleyball |
Calhoun sweeps Cissna Park to reach state volleyball championship match

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Kate Zipprich along with teammates Joy Hurley and Stella Gress celebrates Calhoun's semifinal victory over Cissna Park. The Warriors advance to Saturday's 1A title match in their program's first appearance in the volleyball state tournament.

NORMAL — The Calhoun Warriors wasted no time securing their spot in the Class 1A state volleyball championship, dispatching the Cissna Park Timberwolves in just 47 minutes during the IHSA Girls Volleyball State Finals at CEFCU Arena on Friday. The Warriors swept the semifinal match 25-16, 25-23, advancing to face Stockton for the state title.

Calhoun (38-2) controlled the match from the first whistle, seizing an early 5-0 lead in the opening set before Cissna Park (35-4) could get on the board with a kill from Sophie Duis. Powered by a balanced offensive attack and sharp defensive execution, the Warriors extended their lead to 17-7 after a powerful strike by Kate Zipprich. The Timberwolves struggled to recover, as Calhoun maintained their grip to close the set 25-16.

"It's been a remarkable season," Cissna Park head coach Josh Landon said after the game. "The grit and determination these girls have had all season long speaks for itself in terms of the deficits we have been able to overcome all year. I really felt like we put ourselves in a good situation despite losing that first set."

Regrouping for the second set, Cissna Park showed the resilience over and over again that Landon highlighted.

The Timberwolves traded points with Calhoun in a tightly contested battle featuring six ties in the first 14 points. Midway through the set, Cissna Park surged to a four-point lead, but the Warriors responded. With setter Lacy Pohlman orchestrating a crucial five-point run, Calhoun regained momentum, turning a 17-14 deficit into a 19-17 lead. From there, the Warriors maintained their composure to secure the two-set sweep.

"The handful of teams we played at the end of the season were outside dominate," Landon said. "They (Calhoun) possessed a middle attack we hadn't seen in several weeks. I'm not going to say that's the reason we weren't able to be successful today. We talked about defending that but you can talk all you want about defending a certain aspect of their game, but then it is a matter of executing it.

"We did that at times, and at times, we did not."

Zipprich paced Calhoun with 9 kills, while Joy Hurley added 8 and Abby Johnes contributed 6. Pohlman registered 24 assists, and Josie Hoagland led the defensive charge with 9 digs. Annie Wilson added 7 digs in a strong supporting effort.

For Cissna Park (35-4), Addison Lucht led all scorers with 12 kills and 6 digs. Duis and Josie Neukomm each contributed 6 kills, while Mady Marcott and Ella Schluter combined for 24 assists. Defensively, Kendyl Neukomm tallied 9 digs to anchor the Timberwolves’ back row.

Lucht, a junior who leads the team in kills with 351 heading into the state semifinal, said the loss, while disappointing, shouldn't ruin the team's championship weekend.

"There are hundreds of teams that wish they were in our shoes right now. I think we should take a step back and realize what a successful season we've had," she explained. The goal now being to come out with "a fresh mind and win the third place trophy."

Calhoun will meet Stockton, another first-time finalist, in the championship match on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

"This is what we have been working for. It's kind of a dream come true," Zipprich said beaming ear-to-ear. "All these girls are like my best friends. To be here with them, it can't get much better than this."

Hurley is confident in her team outlok against the Lady Blackhawks. Her conviction is backed by 240 kills, 43 aces and 196 digs in addition to the stats she racked up against the Timberwolves.

"We will get out there and do what we know how to do," she said confidently. "We set a goal at the beginning of the season and we are going to make it happen."

Meanwhile, Cissna Park looks to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish when they face Hartsburg-Emden in the third-place match at 9 a.m.

KEYWORDS: IHSA Girls Volleyball State Finals, Calhoun Warriors, Cissna Park Timberwolves

Calhoun volleyball team advances to Class 1A championship game

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

NORMAL - Above: Players from the Calhoun volleyball team celebrate their semifinal win over Cissna Park on Friday after their Class 1A state semifinal match at CEFCU Arena. The Warriors advance to the title game on Saturday agains Stockton after defeating the Timberwolves, 25-16, 25-23. Below: Sophomores Gabby Hurley and Lilly Pelletier (left) share their excitement learning their team will play for the state title in 24 hours.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

KEYWORDS: Hardin-Calhoun Volleyball, IHSA State Volleyball, State Championship, Cissna Park Volleyball

New bill proposed to eliminate Native American imagery and names in Illinois schools K-12

URBANA - Redskins, Indians, and Raiders might become school nicknames of the past. State Representative Maurice West (D-Rockford) submitted House Bill 5617 in February, which requires elementary and secondary schools to alter mascots, logos, or names with Native American tribes or feature Native American culture. The bill also requires Native American history taught in all Illinois elementary and high schools.

Area schools like Judah Christian, University-High, Tuscola, and Mt. Zion, would need to adopt a new logo, buy new uniforms, and retire the sale of banned gear. Schools will also be required to remove Native American imagery and logos during the next renovation or update of athletics facilities, according to the bill.

Some of the other Illinois high schools that would be affected include: Pittsfield (Saukees), Lake Forest (Scouts), Thornwood (Thunderbirds), Stockton (Blackhawks), West Aurora (Blackhawks), Bremen (Braves), Annawan (Braves), Deer Creek Mackinaw (Chiefs), Cahokia (Comanches), Morrisonville (Mohawks), Sullivan (Redskins), Casey-Westfield (Warriors), Crete-Monee (Warriors), Granite City (Warriors), Warren (Warriors), Watseka (Indians), Winnebago (Indians), Maine West (Warriors), Chicago Westinghouse (Warriors), Waubonsie Valley (Warriors), Altamont (Indians), Brimfield (Indians), Chicago Calumet (Indians), DuQuoin (Indians), Carlyle (Indians), Dakota (Indians), Lewistown (Indians), Johnston City (Indians), Pawnee (Indians), Pecatonica (Indians), Payson-Seymour (Indians), Meredosia (Indians), Minooka (Indians), Mascoutah (Indians), Marengo (Indians), Momence (Indians), Neoga (Indians), Pontiac (Indians), Sandwich (Indians), Hononegah (Indians), and Wayne City (Indians).

It is not the first time Illinois lawmakers have broached the issue. In Feb 2020, West filed HB4783, a similar bill, which died in the House in 2021. In addition to leading the effort to remove racist school mascots from Illinois schools, he was also the lead sponsor of legislation last year requiring Illinois schools to teach Native American history.

West filed the bill in February, and it was assigned to the Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools committee. Five additional representatives, including Laura Faver Dias, Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar, Michelle Mussman, Elizabeth "Lisa" Hernandez, and Anne Stava-Murray, have added their names to co-sponsor the proposed law.

If signed by the Governor, schools would have to change their mascot and nicknames by Sept. 1, 2027. The bill would also prohibit schools from selling items with banned mascots and remove banned logos from school property. At this time the bill is still in committee.

Nokomis superintendent Scott Doerr told WirePoints, "If at this time we had to make a change, especially in a short amount of time that this bill might go into effect, we're talking about maybe $100,000 for signage change, uniforms and gym floors and all the mats and things that we have."

In April of last year, the state of New York passed a law that bans the use of Native American-themed logos and mascots unless they are approved by a recognized Native American tribe. Schools that fail to obtain permission from a tribe to use such logos or imagery must change their branding by August 2024.

In Washington state, schools have been required to get permission from the nearest federally recognized tribe to use a Native American mascot since 2021. Districts that refused jeopardized receiving state funds.

Some Illinois students and school districts have already taken a proactive approach. Change is difficult and there has been pushback.

In 2019, students at Hononegah High School started a petition to change their nickname from the Indians and Lady Indians. A counter-petition was quickly started and collected more 13,000 names to keep the imagery and name. It has been four years since the initiative started, and the school's mascot tradition continues.

Minooka underwent a similar challenge to change their name from the Indians in 2020 as well. Like Honnegah, the bid failed.

There have been some successful transitions. Over a decade ago back in 2012, Aptakisic Junior High School in Buffalo Grove changed its mascot from the Indians to the Eagles.

In 2022, the Morris school board approved a measure to drop the name "Redskins" by August of 2025. Their IHSA directory page no longer list a nickname.

Unity's Eastin wins state wrestling title

Unity's Hunter Eastin is declared winner after his 5-2 win over St. Thomas More's Brody Cuppernell. See more championship match photos below.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

CHAMPAIGN - Unity's 190-pounder Hunter Eastin finished the season with 47-6 record and the Class 1A state title last Saturday. He was one of three medalists from Unity's six state finalists.

The junior went 4-0 at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals, beating Frankfort's Conner Henson (39-12) in the first round with first period pin and pinned Lena-Winslow-Stockton's Jeremiah Luke in third period. Down 1-2 at the end of the first period in his next match against Kaden Tidwell, Eastin rallied back to secured a spot in the Saturday finals with his win over the Vandalian with a 37-11 record via an 8-3 decision.

In championship match against St. Thomas More's Brody Cuppernell (35-4), Eastin trailed in the third period 1-0. On the command to start the final period, Eastin tied up the score with an escape. A minute later, he scored on a takedown and a near-fall three second later, going up 5-1. With two seconds left on the clock, Cuppernell was awarded one point for another escape, ending the match at 5-2.