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 - -

Spartan softball notches first conference win

St. Joseph-Ogden's Zoey Witruk struck out nine batters in a complete game shutout performance over Illinois Valley Central in their first conference softball contest of the season. Scoring two runs at the top of the seventh inning, SJO defeated IVC, 4-0.

Spartans got two hits from junior Hannah Dukeman. Kaylee Ward was credited with 2 RBI to aid the Spartans to an undefeated 4-0 early season record.

IVC's Cassie Kirman had a pair of hits for the Ghosts.

Next up, the Spartans will face Bismarck-Henning at home on Wednesday, March 27.


Box Score
St. Joseph-Ogden . .   1 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 7 0
Illinois Valley Central   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0

Photos Today: Spartans fall in state basketball semifinal

Hannah Dukeman comes out to the floor during team introductions before the start of St. Joseph-Ogden's Class 2A state semifinal game against Teutopolis on Friday. The Spartans, in their first-ever final four appearance advanced to the third-place contest on Saturday after falling 50-31 to the Wooden Shoes. Dukeman, who finished the game with 5 points and 5 rebounds in loss, and her teammates kept Teutopolis on the heals most of the first half before too many missed shots from the field put the game out of reach. (Photo: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks)

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Maclayne Taylor takes a shot during first half action against the Wooden Shoes. In her 28 minutes on the floor the senior scored just 3 points and picked up 3 rebounds. See more photos from this game here: St. Joseph-Ogden vs Teutopolis state semifinal basketball game. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Payton Vallee tries to establish position under the basket for a rebound with Teutopolis' Claire Bushur. Vallee hauled in one offensive rebound and three on the defensive side of the court. She contributed 3 points to the final score and had one steal in the semifinal loss on Friday. (Photo: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks)

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Hoping to motivate his team to victory, senior Cole Zaccarelli cheers loudly for his SJO basketball team. (Photo: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks)

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Peyton Crowe dribbles down the baseline past Teutopolis' Olivia Niemerg. Crowe, who was named to IBCA's All-State Second Team and will play for the Parkland Cobras in the upcoming season, led the Spartans in scoring with 10 points and nine rebounds. (Photo: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks)

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Payton Jacob goes up for a shot, her only attempt in her four minutes on the floor, during second half action against Teutopolis. The ball failed to find the hoop in game were SJO made just 17% of their shots in the second half from the field. See more photos from this game here: St. Joseph-Ogden vs Teutopolis state semifinal basketball game. (Photo: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks)

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Spartans bring home hardware

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Ella Armstrong attacks the paint during the waning minutes of SJO's third place game against Hillsboro at the IHSA State Basketball Finals on Saturday. Fueled by a 28-point performance from senior teammate Bree Trimble, the Spartans will bring home the program's first state trophy after defeating the Hiltoppers, 68-53. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Second Time Almost A Charm

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Payton Vallee challenges Teutopolis' Lexie Niebrugge for the ball in the second half of their Class 2A state semifinal game on Friday evening. Despite an outstanding first half against the Wooden Shoes, the Spartans fell 50-31 and advanced to the division's third place game. SJO will face Hillsboro in Redbird Arena at 5:30pm on Saturday. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Transitions: Mervin Aden, 86, passes on

Mervin G. Aden, 86, of Savoy, passed away at 10:28 p.m. Friday, February 1, 2019, at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.

Visitation services will be held tomorrow from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the church at St. John Lutheran Church in Royal, with the Rev. Emil Blobaum officiating. Mervin will be laid to rest following the visitation at St. John Lutheran Cemetery in Royal.

Mervin was born on August 19, 1932, in St. Joseph, the son of Heye and Margaret (Roelfs) Aden.

He served his country from 1952-1954 in the U.S. Army and did a tour in the Korea. A graduate of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois, Mervin continued his education to earn a Master Degree from Bradley University.

He married Sonna Lou Wills in 1955. She preceded him in death in 1983.

After 34 years of loyal service he retired from Catepillar in Peoria in 1997.

He was a member of Toastmasters, the Illinois Farm Bureau and First English Lutheran Church in Peoria and also attended St. John Lutheran Church in Champaign. In addition living in Savoy, Mervin made Chillicothe, Ogden and Royal his home during his lifetime.

Mervin was active in farming all of his life and earned a pilot's license. In addition to flying, he enjoyed traveling, golf and read in his spare time.

He is survived by his children, Julie (Adrian Stone) Aden of Sunrise, Florida, and Kevin (Jennifer) Aden of Houston, Texas; three grandchildren, Heather (Chris) Lebow, Abigail (Stan) Henaman and Katie Aden; four great-grandchildren; a sister, Berniece Aden of Champaign; brothers, Ray (Loretta) Aden of St. Joseph and Herb (Nancy) Aden of Newman; and his companion, Ruth Ann Buckles of Champaign.

He was preceded in death by his parents; infant daughter, Jan Ellen Aden; and sister, Irene Osterbur.

Memorials may be made to St. John Lutheran Cemetery Fund and the Paralyzed Disabled Veterans.

Photos Today: Spartans pick up 20th win

SJO head coach Kevin Taylor was able to put every player on his varsity squad on the floor Monday night in his team's home conference game against Rantoul.

"It helps when someone get hot early like Peyton Crowe," he said. "Then we can spread the floor out."

The St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team picked up their 20th win of the season behind Crowe's 20-point game-high performance. Seven other SJO player also contributed offensively and everyone had a hand in smothering the Eagles shots in the 63-24 victory.

Here's seven photos from Monday's milestone win for the Spartans. Follow this link to see more photos from the game in the SJO vs Rantoul gallery.

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Ella Armstrong goes up for a shot in front of Rantoul's Myejoi Williams during in the second half. The Spartans defeated the visiting Eagles to pick up their 20th win of the season with a 63-24 win on Monday. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Maclayne Taylor dribbles the ball away from Rantoul's Emma Mihaly during first half action of their home game on Monday. Taylor finished the game with 7 points. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Spartan Ashlyn Lannert dribbles the ball down the court in their home game against Rantoul. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Keeping the ball away from Rantoul's Litzy Hernandez, St. Joseph-Ogden's Angela Palmer looks for an open teammate to pass the ball during second half action. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Maclayne Taylor guards Rantoul's Jada Mosley during their Illini Prairie Conference game. Taylor finished with 7 points on the night. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Spartan Payton Jacob wrestles the ball away from Rantoul's Myejoi Williams. Jacob came off the bench to finish the night with 8 points for SJO. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Hannah Dukeman makes a pass in their home game against Rantoul. The junior contributed 9 points in the SJO victory. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Click here to search for more photos 24/7 that are in the PhotoNews Media online archives. Follow this link to discover more photos from this game or order any photo from this page: SJO Girls vs Rantoul.

Walden named to WIU Dean's List

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Nick Walden, wearing #57, and members of the St. Joseph-Ogden football team run out to the field before the start of their state championship football game against Stillman Valley on November 29, 2013. Running along with Walden are Spartans Jacob Bowman, Logan DeWeese and Wesley Kibler. SJO battled to an heartbreaking 43-41 overtime finish at Huskie Stadium to finish runner-up in Class 3A. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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St. Joseph-Ogden alumni Nick Walden was one of 1,361 undergraduate students named to Western Illinois University's 2018 Fall Dean's List last week.

His junior year at SJO, Walden was a member of the state final football team in 2013 that narrowly lost to the Stillman Valley Cardinals. His team finished the season with 11 wins and 3 losses.

Undergraduate students at WIU must earn at least a 3.6 grade point average while taking a minimum of 12 hours of classes. Classes taken on a pass-fail basis, for student teaching hours and internships are not counted towards the GPA calculation.

Walden, a senior, is one of 1,153 student from Illinois and seven from Champaign County to earn the Dean's academic recognition.

Dance has a date at state

This week, the SJO Dance Team will undoubtedly be working harder than they have all season - happily, without a doubt - in preparation for their 10:33 performance at the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals on Friday. The squad will compete against 29 other teams that advanced to the state semifinals from their respective sectionals on Saturday.

However, the squad was just a snowball's throw away from not having the opportunity to even compete against the other top small school dance teams from around the state.

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Members of the SJO Dance Team perform during a home game earlier this month. The Spartans head to state after finishing 5th at last weekend's IHSA sectional in Mascoutah. See more SJO dancers in action. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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With a major winter event predicted to roll through central Illinois that would make highway travel precarious and possibly dangerous, the Dance Team was notified on Friday that they would not be traveling to the Illinois High School Association's Mascoutah sectional on the following day. SJO, like many other area schools using the same weather forecast as a guide, canceled all of their planned activities anticipating nasty conditions.

"The predicted weather forecast was not looking favorable for our area, on top of the fact that we had a 3 hour drive to our sectional," head coach Emily Williams explained. A SJO dance alumna herself, she has been the team's head coach for the past nine years. "Our administration made a decision that it would not be a safe trip for our dancers and their families. They also called off all other SJO activities for the weekend."

Williams said she and school administrators met with the disappointed athletes and parents on Friday afternoon explaining the decision. She pointed out that administrators from five other area schools also canceled their travel plans to the sectional competition.

However, on Saturday morning the expected 6-to-8 inch of snowfall failed to materialize. Williams and several parents contacted St. Joseph-Ogden superintendent Brian Brooks to see if they could make the trip.

"(Mr. Brooks) checked every radar possible and went out and drove several roads around Saint Joe," Williams said. "The decision was made by our administration that we could go as long as we could get a hold of IHSA and make sure it was okay with them."

Athletic director Justin Franzen was then able to square things away with the IHSA to make sure the squad could still compete. Soon after the dance team and loyal fans were on the road headed toward southern Illinois.

The team competed against 12 schools for one of the top six spots to punch their ticket to state finals at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington. The Spartans' performance was fifth best of the day.

With a final score of 85.13, SJO finished by behind the sectional champions Villa Grove (88.67), Civic Memorial (87.60), Unity (86.57) and St. Anthony (85.67). Clinton filled the last state-finalist slot with a score of 85.10.

This will be the third to trip to state for the program since the IHSA began hosting them in 2013. The Spartans made it to state in both 2014 and 2016.

Williams hopes to see plenty of St. Joseph-Ogden family and friends filling seats in the arena and cheering for her girls. A fan bus is being organized by the school. She expects details to be available on the school website by Wednesday.

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A SJO dance team member performs during the Spartans' home game against Villa Grove-Heritage earlier this month. The group hopes to see lots of fans at Grossinger Motors Arena cheering them on. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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"Our dancers would love to see as many people in maroon, white, and Columbia Blue on Friday as possible," Williams said. "We have a great group of girls who are much more like a family than a team. They have worked very hard and are elated to have earned the chance to compete in the IHSA State prelims on Friday."

For now until Friday, the SJO Dance Team will be working to perfect their routine and fixed deficiencies noted by last weekend's panel of judges.

We will be practicing everyday and will break down our hip hop routine, piece by piece," Williams said. "We will go over our scoresheets from Saturday’s sectional and see what the judges said we can improve on."

Members expected to compete at Friday's state semifinal include Erin Beyers, Kalli Ingram, Haley Griebat, Rachel Gherna, Kaitlyn Hess, Ava Mills, Sara Milioli, Samantha Naylor, Isabelle Brooks, Kylie Duckett, Tessa Smith, Bella Getty, Ella Besson and Alessa Anzelmo.

Game day gyros nachos

Using Greek gyros meat offers a unique, spicy tasting version of this popular bar appetizer and gameday snack. According to Wikipedia, Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya is credited with creating the dish in about 1943.

Gyros, originally made from lamb in Greece, is a delicious mixture of ground beef and lamb or lamb and chicken. The meat is high in calories and fat, and may not be idea if you're dieting. But, probably the three beers you have with this dish won't either.

A pan of takes about 15 minutes to make. Here's what you need to put together this awesome platter.

Ingredients

1 bag of Tortilla Chips
8 oz. of Cheese
1/2 to 1-lb Gyros Meat
2 Jalapenos Peppers
1 Large Tomato
1/2 Onion
1 Green Pepper
1/2 cup of Shredded Spinach
1 teaspoon of Olive Oil
Pinch of Black Pepper
Pinch of Salt

Directions 

1. Pre-heat oven to 300º.

2. Spread tortilla chips on a cookie sheet or in a baking pan. Line sheet or pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up later.

3. Chop/shred spinach in a small bowl, stir in olive oil and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Set aside for later.

4. Chop tomato, jalapenos, green pepper and onion. Mix all three vegetables into a single bowl.

5. Shred gyros meat and place a layer on top of the tortilla chips.

6. Next, add a generous layer of shredded cheese over the meat and chips.

7. Spread vegetables from the bowl on top of the pile.

8. Then, sprinkle a light layer of cheese over the vegetables.

9. Finally, sprinkle clumps of spinach evenly spaced around the pan or in the center of the pile of chips and veggies.

10. Put the pan in the oven and bake at 300º for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese has melted.

11. Remove from oven and serve with sour cream or salsa.

Expert tip

1. You can get Kronos Authentic Gyros slices in a 2-pound box at Sam's Club. There are two bags in each box. One bag makes two to three trays. Use a sharp knife to shred meat.

2. Add black or green olives; black beans or re-fried; or Pico de Gallo for a tasty alternative.

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Do you have a favorite recipe you would like to share with our readers? Contact our editor at editor@oursentinel.com.

#TBT: 14 years ago SJO baseball pounds Sages

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. Each week, 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.

SJO has had some pretty awesome baseball teams as of late. This week's Throwback Thursday, or #TBT, feature is from the Spartans' home baseball game against Monticello back on April 26, 2005. A few of these faces are still on the sidelines today as coaches, teachers and mentors.

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Nick Bialeschki makes a throw to first in their home game against Monticello. The Spartans hammered their way to 10-1 victory after seven innings over the Sages. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Ben Gorman lays down a bunt in their home game against Monticello. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Spartan Mark Gones takes a big jump off second base. See more photos from the game here: SJO host Monticello. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Nick Sibbing takes big swing a Monticello pitch while batting for the Spartans. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Zac Isaksen slaps head coach Brad hand after rounding third base after crushing the ball for a SJO home run. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Mason Blacker runs to first base after putting the ball in play. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Ben Gorman brings the heat unloading a pitch on at a waiting Monticello batter. See more photos from the game here: SJO host Monticello. (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.

173 students earn High Honor Roll honors at SJO

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Justyn Frisby moves the ball down the field during his team's home game against St. Thomas More on September 13, 2018. Frisby was one of 173 SJO students to be recognized for their scholastic achievement during the second quarter of this academic year. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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One hundred and seventy-three students received recognition for their exceptional scholastic achievement at St. Joseph-Ogden High School this week. Forty freshmen, 39 sophomores, 48 juniors and 46 seniors made the High Honors list after the second quarter this academic year.

Students recognized for high honors earned GPAs of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

Another 98 students from the combined four classes secured GPAs of 3.25 to 3.74 to be listed on this quarter's honor roll.

St. Joseph-Ogden High School was one of 22 Illinois school districts was named to the 9th Annual AP District Honor Roll. The District Honor Roll is awarded to school districts that increase the number of students and advanced placement classes in combination with student performance on AP Exams. More than 370 schools in the United States and Canada were named to this year's list.

 

High Honor Roll

Freshmen: Addison Allen, Kailyn Anderson, Madison Atwood, Abigail Behrens, Ella Besson, Brandie Bowlin, Mara Burkhalter, Kennedi Burnett, Angela Chahine, Braden Clampitt, Anastasia Conerty, Deanna Cummins, Benjamin Cunningham, Sidney Davis, Zander Dressen, Ashley Eldridge, Jared Emmert, Hannah Fox, Brennan Haake, Liam Hamer, Lauren Harper, Anthony Hoang, Claire Huffman, Payton Jacob, Alison Kearney, Ava Knap, Kelsey Martlage, Sophia McDade, Coby Miller, Conrad Miller, Elijah Mock, Nathaniel Nosler, Jessica Palmer, Emma Parkinson, Hope Rajlich, Taryn Sexton, Alyssa Shoviak, Luke Stegall, Rebecca Steinbach and Mackenzie Trame.

Sophomores: Isabelle Brooks, Crayton Burnett, Josh Buttjer, David Bytnar, Taylor Campbell, Kylie Duckett, Hanna Eastin, Emily Fisher, Dakota Franzen, Alex Frerichs, Emily Froman, Atleigh Hamilton, Emmy Houston, Lukas Hutcherson, Logan Ingram, Shelby Kofoot, Ethan Lane, Aiden Livesay, Alyssa Maddock, Tyson Madsen, Sophia Martlage, Flannery McCorkle, Garren Meeker, Abigail Moberg, Samantha Naylor, Alec Painter, Erin Patton, Aidan Roberts, Indira Robinson, Kayleigh Roedl, Mazie Ronk, Evan Schmitz, Max Shonkwiler, Tessa Smith, Payton Vallee, Nora Walden, Brayden Wendt, Rachel Wilson and Logan Wolfersberger.

Juniors: Lindsey Aden, Jenna Albrecht, Mallory Ames, Taylor Barnes, Katelyn Berry, Emily Bigger, Kaylee Blackburn, Ginny Bytnar, Payton Cain, Trevon Carr, Kristen Costa, Drew Coursey, Kathryn Cramer, Andrea Cunningham, Faith Dahman, Hannah Dukeman, Asjah Fonner, Jaiden Freeman, Bode Gebbink, Payton Grimsley, Lucas Grindley, Erica Guelfi, Emily Hardimon, Chance Izard, Cody Johnston, Lacey Kaiser, Danielle Kelso, Eliza Lewis, Nathan Maier, Sara Milioli, Ava Mills, Carson Mills, Allison Monk, Alivia Norem, Taddy Pettit, Eric Poe, Hannah Rajlich, Lexi Ribbe, Jenna Schaefer, Joshua Sexton, Rylee Stahl, Kenly Taylor, Stephanie Trame, Anna Tranel, Isabelle Vliet, Madie Warfel, Brayden Weaver and Samuel Wesley.

Seniors: Sullivan Alwes, Gage Atwood, Cassidy Bagby, Erin Beyers, Nicholas Boggs, Joel Branson, Brooke Butorac, Rebecca Campbell, Kayla Cañas, Daniel Carlson, Sarah Chahine, David Cummins, Emmy Daniels, Liam Davis, Abigail Dunham, Avery Edwards, Nathan Emmert, Emory Ericksen, Jasmine Febus, Michael Foreman, Emilie Fox, Adam Frerichs, Justyn Frisby, Rachel Gherna, Mikayla Harshbarger, Zachary Hill, Kalli Ingram, Kenny Lahners, Hannah Lewis, Nathan Logan, Caroline Moore, Eve Owens, Benjamin Reitmeier, Adam Rose, Madison Rubin, Abigail Schlueter, Elizabeth Schluter, Samantha Schmidt, Benjamin Setterdahl, Jacob Shaw, Kaitlin Shoviak, Grant Siegmund, Rylee Sjuts, Brianna Suits, Maclayne Taylor and Nathan Walden.

Honor Roll

Freshmen: Tyler Altenbaumer, Ella Armstrong, Alanna Bensyl, Andrew Beyers, Allison Burnett, Zella Fuqua, Hailey Gaines, Avian Gerdes, Alyssa Hamilton, Kailyn Ingram, KayLeigh Kamphaus, Olivia Klotz, Ashlyn Lannert, Jacey Lewis, Madelyn Mabry, Braden MeElroy, Ava Meyer, Jett Morris, Keaton Nolan, Jackson Place, Jonathan Poulter, JoLeena Reynolds, Kendra Riddle, Griffin Roesch, Grace Schmitz, Ethan Vanliew, Karsten Wayland and Taylor Wells.

Sophomores: Haven Atwood, Brady Buss, Raegan Crippen, Sarah Dow, Makayla Duckwitz, Jacob Dwyer, Nadirah Edwards, Bella Getty, Carter Huffman, Cailer Kellenberger, Spencer Lahners, Alyssa Lynch, Brandon Mattsey, Brianna Reifsteck, Jackson Rydell, Lauren Trankina and Mitchell Whitlock

Juniors: Kendall Ayers, Kolton Batty, Hailey Birt, Ross Booker, Erin Bridgewater, Brendan Cooperider, Bailey Dowling, Clayton Frederick, Tristan Fuqua, Ethan Hinrichs, Conner Hodge, Julia Kaiser, Keegan McCarty, Mason McLain, Nolan Peacock, Dyllan Price and Brodie Sullivan.

Seniors: Kaylee Blanchard, Makayla Buskirk, Ripley Campbell, Aiden Coon, Amanda Craddock, Ashtyn Cromwell, Peyton Crowe, Chloe Duckett, Cole Franzen, Katilyn Hess, Michelle Jervis, Jake Juday, Sally Manalo, Kyler Master, Keely McCorkle, Isiah McCune, Erinn Miller, Ryan Miller, Megan Mitchell, Joel Orcutt, Angela Palmer, Reid Patton, Raymond Plotner, Adam Porter, Kathryn Poulter, Joseph Rajlich, Annelise Rhoads, Libby Rowland, Clare Smith, Savannah Smith, Isabella Spisok, Dillon Uken, Jack Ward, Seth Wedig, Alyssa Whitlock and Cole Zaccarelli.

Spartans pick up win #19

The St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team hasn't been beaten this year. This calendar year that is. SJO cruised to their sixth consecutive win after they notch their 19 win of the season with a 70-48 victory over visiting Pontiac.

Senior Bree Trimble, who is averaging 16.4 points per game since the start of the new year, put 26 points on the scoreboard for the Spartans. After missing her first two free throws in the opening quarter, Trimble put her next seven shots from the line through the hoop.

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Bree Trimble lines up a shot in her team's non-conference home game against Oakwood on December 1. Trimble drained a game-high 16 points as the Spartans kept their unbeaten streak alive one more week with a 52-45 win over the visiting Comets. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Peyton Crowe, who scored her 1,000th career point on January 10, was 2-for-2 from the free throw line and finished the game with 14 points.

Freshman Ella Armstrong came off the bench to score 10 points and senior Maclayne Taylor chipped in 9 for her team.

Held to just 19 second half points by the Spartans, Pontiac's offense was led by sophomore Addison Masching with 9 points. Lindsey Hunt, Josie Noonan, Amanda Fox, and Camryn Feddern contributed 6 points a piece in the loss.

Spartan defense stifles Sages

Seniors Peyton Crowe and Bree Trimble could have defeated Monticello all by themselves. It would have made an interesting two-on-five challenge for the dynamite duo who combined for 34 first half points in St. Joseph-Ogden's 67-21 conference win over the Sages on Monday.

Trimble quickly accumulated a game-high 19 points and Crowe, who finished with 17 points, contributed 15 of her own in the first half.

There is no 'I' in team, but for the rest of season, St. Joseph-Ogden might want to look at a way to insert the word "We". Monday night's Illini Prairie Conference contest was a team effort.

It was the 12th game this season the SJO girls defensive play has held an opponent under 35 points. With the starters out, the Spartans did not allow a single score from Sages in the final quarter of the game.

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Maclayne Taylor dribbles the ball down the court during SJO's home game against Oakwood earlier in the season. Taylor scored 7 points in her team's Illini Prairie Conference win over Monticello. Eleven of the Spartans 12 players contributed offensively in the rout. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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As my former boss might say with his thick, rich, barely north of the boarder Texas accent: "Looky here. Funny thing is, you know, them two (Crowe and Trimble) could have taken the night off."

Yeah. Maybe.

Even with the pair sitting in their warm-ups, enjoying a generous marshmallow-laden hot chocolate and discussing plans for prom still months away, SJO would have still earned the W. Nine of the remaining ten players on the roster combined for 31 points.

In addition to the effort by SJO's leading two scorers, Payton Jacob came off the bench to score 8 points. Maclayne Taylor tallied 7 points in the first three quarters and Ella Armstrong chipped in 5 in the last quarter. Taylor Barnes and Hannah Dukeman made a pair of field goals a piece in the first half.

Angela Palmer, Katie Cramer, Alysa Lannert and Payton Vallee each scored a bucket in the rout for another 8 points.

Monticello was paced by Renni Fultz with 13 points. Olivia Swanson and Lizzy Stiverson were held to just 3 points each. Jayna Burger rounded out the Sages' effort with a single field goal in the first quarter.

The Lady Spartans are in action again this Saturday at home against Mattoon. They will follow the non-conference game with a home court showdown against Rantoul on Monday, January 21.

Ogden Village Board to transition to new accounting firm

In a split decision during their regular session on January 3, the Ogden Village Board voted to retain the services of Royal Accounting in St. Joseph to handle their accounting and bookkeeping functions effective in February.

The change comes after an independent audit questioned how some Village assets were classified in recent financial statements by the current vendor.

"I think the Village should seek other options," said Trustee James Haan, who said he was former Certified Public Account while reading a prepared statement to the board before the call to vote.

During his presentation he highlighted his concerns and his personal commitment to ensuring Ogden received the best services it can from its vendors. He then introduced Mary Schmitz, President of Royal Accounting, LLC, who gave a brief presentation and fielded questions from the trustees.

In the discussion following Schmitz presentation, Trustee Sue Esposito lobbied for the board to continue its relationship with Puzey & Wright since it was a business local. Trustee Kelly Cooper echoed Esposito's position and was not a proponent of using a vendor outside the local business community.

"I don't think our bookkeeping has been getting the quality that we should be getting," Trustee Haan responded. He told fellow board members that his purpose was "... to protect the people I was elected by to protect."

After considerable dialog about the possible annual savings in accounting fees, Schmitz's experience in public accounting and the advantages of moving to a direct deposit payroll process, the Board voted 4-2 to discontinue their relationship with Puzey & Wright and retain the services of Royal Accounting.

On a related agenda item, the board ratified a motion 5-1 to diversify the Village's investment of liquid assets. Instead of investing in a single certificate of deposit for $300,000, the trustees agreed to equally split $225,000 into three 12 month certificate of deposits earling 2.5%. The move would mitigate penalties and fees should the Village needed to access funds due to an unforeseen emergency.

The trustees also unanimously agreed to purchase a new handheld device for the public works department to read meters.

38 area students honored by Parkland College dean

Thirty-eight area students have been named to the Parkland College Dean’s List for their scholastic achievement in the fall of 2018.

Recipients named to the Dean's List must earn a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 grade scale for the semester to receive this honor. Student enrolled in fewer than 12 hours can make the Dean’s List by achieving a 3.5 cumulative GPA for 12 or more hours during the current academic year.

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Kohlten Johnson waits for a pitch from Beardstown during St. Joseph-Ogden's Class 2A supersectional title game in May 2016. Johnson, who helped the Spartans rolled to an 11-0 victory to make the baseball program's first-ever appearance in the state finals, was one of 38 area students from Parkland College named to the Fall 2018 Dean's List. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Honorees from Ogden, Royal and St. Joseph are:

Ogden: John M. Acklin, Cody A. Ayers, Bonnie G. Collins, Tanner E. Morris and Katelyn M. Smith.

Royal: Karlie B. Baker, Mickaela J. Fleming and Samantha J. Fleming.

St. Joseph: Benjamin D. Albrecht, Justin A. Beck, Lacey N. Berlatsky, Abigail C. Burnett, Austin R. Chilton, Paige B. Dalton, Dezarae R. Dowers, Mason A. Edwards, Carson D. Florey, Tenneal R. Frerichs, Justyn R. Fruhling, Chloe A. Graver, Kohlten D. Johnson, Riley S. Knott, Danielle C. Long, Rebecca L. Long, Alexis G. Manning, Brendan Z. Olauson, Adalyn J. Parke, Autumn M. Pecchenino, Austin M. Reitmeier, Sarah C. Sanders, Raegan J. Smith, Amanda M. Stevens, Macy R. Vallee, Jason M. Waldeck, Taura Ward, Hannah O. Watson, Sarah E. Wiseman and Tori R. Witruk

Crowe leads SJO over Unity

St. Joseph-Ogden scored 12 unanswered points in the first six minutes of the third quarter last week to notch another conference win last Monday. The Spartan girls team rolled 59-27 win over Unity after allowing just 10 points total in the second half of the game.

Peyton Crowe delivered a spectacular game-high 20-point performance in the win. The senior made all six of her free throw attempts and drilled a pair of shots from three-point range to overpower the Rockets.

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Peyton Crowe fires a shot after driving down the baseline past a Unity player. Crowe, who is closing in on scoring her 1000th point, finished the game with 20 points. See more photos from the game here.(PhotoNews Media Archive Photo/Photo by Clark Brooks)

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"She played well tonight and not just on scoring. She was hustling," said SJO head coach Kevin Taylor. "She took a charge and played good defense for us."

Once again the Spartans got off to a sluggish start.

Closing the first quarter with a one point lead, Taylor made a few adjustments and watched his team take command of the game in the second one.

"Our defense improved," he said. "Then we started scoring and getting better looks. We definitely picked it up on the second quarter."

Led by Bree Trimble, St. Joseph-Ogden put together a second quarter rally outscoring Unity, 18-8. She was the catalyst behind nine unanswered scores that allowed her team to pull away.

"I got on her early about not going up strong with the ball," Taylor said about Trimble's effort in the first quarter. "As always, she came through for us."

The senior finished with 13 points and missed just one of her eight free throws.

"We started out very slow. It was not a good quarter for us," Trimble said. "Every team that plays us, plays their best against us. We knew we had get out of rut and step up our game."

The Spartans also enjoyed a solid showing from Hannah Dukeman, who finished with 12 points. Maclayne Taylor added another 8 to the score. Both drained a three-point shot in both the 2nd and 3rd quarter to stretch the lead over their conference rivals.

Maclayne's improvement this season hasn't gone unnoticed by her teammates.

"She has grown throughout her four years here," Trimble pointed out without hesitation. "This season she can really handle the ball well Whenever we need a shot, she's there and makes it for us."

Ella Armstrong, Katie Cramer and Taylor Barnes rounded out SJO's scoring effort with a field goal apiece.

The Rockets were paced by Elyse Knudsen with 16 points and Rysa Stacy with 8.

The victory made it the fourth consecutive win for the 17-4 Lady Spartans since their loss to Bishop McNamara (Class 3A) at the State Farm Classic last month. Prior to that loss, the team's longest unbeaten streak was the 9-0 start to the season.

SJO's four losses this season have been at the hands of three Associated Press ranked 3A schools and 2A ranked Teutopolis.

Orcutt scores 21 in win over Villa Grove-Heritage

Midway into the third quarter of their home game against Villa Grove-Heritage on Tuesday, St. Joseph-Ogden's Keanen Swanson made a shot from the paint to help St. Joseph-Ogden build their largest lead of the non-conference contest.

When the dust settled after a mad flourish of turnovers and desperate scoring attempts by both teams in the final quarter of the game, the Spartans escaped with a 58-52 win over the Hawks.

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While Villa Grove-Heritage's Blake Smith plays defense, St. Joseph-Ogden's Keanen Swanson dribbles the ball in the second half during in their home game on Tuesday. Swanson finished the game with 5 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds. See more photos from the game here: Spartans vs Hawks varsity basketball gallery. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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The 10-point surplus mentioned above was subsequently erased when Hawks' Jake Eversole hit a field goal tying the score at 37-all with 45 seconds left on the clock in the third quarter.

One second, maybe two, before the buzzer sounded ending it, Joel Orcutt launched a ten-footer to give SJO a two-point lead.

And, Orcutt wasn't done.

He would go on to score four more times in the final quarter on his way to a game-high 21 points. Without fellow senior Jack Cook,the team's leading scorer, on the floor it was up to Orcutt to make buckets.

Cook was unable to play due to an unexpected illness that kept him out of school.

"I found more opportunities to score the ball. We had to get the points. We had to get balls in the hoop," said Orcutt, who also led both teams with 8 rebounds and took up the slack for the missing Cook. "I've got height. It was just easier to get the ball inside to me and score it from five feet instead of (shooting) three-pointers."

Villa Grove-Heritage would tie it up two more times in the last quarter. However, St. Joseph-Ogden never allowed the opportunity to relinquish the lead thanks to a strong defensive effort.

"We struggled tonight. Things got a little frantic out there," said Chance Izard, the Spartans' second leading scorer for the night. "We struggled to keep our composure, but we got the job done."

Izard was 4-for-5 from three point range and finished the night with 16 points. He did not miss either of the two free throws attempts he earned.

"I thought this game was important to bounce back from Saturday's loss to Pleasant Plains on our home court," Izard said. "Our biggest emphasis on this game was to bounce back and play with positive energy."

The Hawks were led with 15-point performances by Will Wilson and Jared Stevens. Evan Wilson, who was 6-for-6 from the free throw line, scored 10 points.

SJO (10-7) was to play Teutopolis at home on Friday evening and follow with a road game at Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Saturday. Both games were canceled due to the weather.

Both the JV and varsity squads are scheduled to play their next Illini Prairie Conference contest this week starting with St. Thomas More on Tuesday, January 15. After a few days of rest and practice, SJO will host the Olympia Spartans on Friday at the high school.

Photos Today: Boys basketball team gets back on track.

Joel Orcutt led the Spartans with 21 points to seal a 58-52 win over Villa Grove-Heritage at home on Tuesday. Here are seven photos from the game action while we work on the game story this week:

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Payton Cain goes after a loose ball with Villa Grove-Heritage's Jake Eversole during first half action on Tuesday, January 8. The Spartans fought off a tenacious opponent to win 58-52 over the visiting Hawks. (PhotoNews Media Photo by Clark Brooks)

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Joel Orcutt tries to keep control of the ball while dribbling into the paint. Orcutt went on to finish with 21 points and 8 rebounds for the Spartans. (PhotoNews Media Photo by Clark Brooks)

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Chance Izard makes a pass during first half action. With starter Jack Cook sidelined due to illness, Izard's 16 points and 2 steals were crucial in SJO's win on Tuesday. (PhotoNews Media Photo by Clark Brooks)

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SJO Dance Team member Erin Beyers performs during their halftime show at their basketball team's home game against Villa Grove-Heritage. (PhotoNews Media Photo by Clark Brooks)

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Payton Grimsley and Brayden Weaver share a quick conversation during a second half of SJO's home game against Villa Grove-Heritage. (PhotoNews Media Photo by Clark Brooks)

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A couple of fans react after a errant pass just misses them during first half action of SJO's varsity contest. (PhotoNews Media Photo by Clark Brooks)

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Keeping the ball away from Villa Grove-Heritage's Blake Smith, St. Joseph-Ogden's Jaden Miller makes a pass during second half action.

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Click here to search for more photos 24/7 that are in the PhotoNews Media online archives. Follow this link to discover more photos from this game or order any photo on this page: SJO boys basketball vs Villa Grove-Heritage.