Photo Gallery: Three-game win streak, SJO clobbers BCC for Homecoming

Ready to enjoy another Homecoming tradtion, cheerleaders Alexis Taylor and Emily Jeffries share a pregame smile before the start of the St. Joseph-Ogden's homecoming game against Central Catholic. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Ethan Vanliew slaps hands of fans as he runs down the tunnel during team introduction for the Spartans. Vanliew would intercept a Bloomington Central Catholic pass in their end zone and run the ball back for a one-hundred yard pick six in the second quarter. He also caught three passes for 25 yards in St. Joseph-Ogden 33-0 shutout on Friday. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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St. Joseph-Ogden head football coach Shawn Skinner shares a big smile with assistant coach Nick Bialeschki before the opening kickoff between his Spartans and visiting Saints from Central Catholic. About two and half hours later, Skinner had an even better reason to smile with the homecoming win in the books and the program record improving to 3-3 on the season. "Defense was phenomenal from the very beginning," said Skinner, who pointed to the tenacity of his defensive backs and their attention to detail. SJO picked off two passes, one that was returned 100 yards for a TD in the second quarter. "We had a good scouting report, but our kids had to execute it and they were fabulous."

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Spartan lineman Conrad Miller and linebacker Alex Funk bring down a Saints' ball carrier during first quarter action. In their best performance of the season, the SJO defense held BCC scoreless and just 144 yards in total offense. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Evan Ingram hurls a pass to an open receiver in the first quarter. The senior signal caller completed eight of 17 passes for 63 yards against the Saints.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Seniors Conrad Miller (77) and Keaton Nolan (8) explode off the line while playing defense in the second quarter for the Spartans. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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A game official signals touchdown while Spartans Peyton Sarver, Keaton Nolan and Ramsey Primmer celebrate the score in the west end zone after teammate Ethan Vanliew ran an interception back 100 yards for a TD in the second quarter. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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St. Joseph-Ogden defensive back Ramsey Primmer breaks up a pass play to Central Catholic receiver Nick Mardis during the second quarter.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Spartans' Jett Morris fights off Central Catholic lineman Michael Mier while battling in the trench during second quarter action. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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St. Joseph-Ogden student fans in the Maroon Platoon section catch comemorative footballs tossed into the stand by cheerleaders. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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SJO cheerleaders perform a stunt for during their portion of the halftime show. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Baritone saxophone player Wyatt Loghry and members of the Spartan marching band perform their competition piece during Friday night's halftime show. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Eri Shimada performs with the St. Joseph-Ogden High School Marching Band during halftime.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Coby Miller carries the ball through the Saints defensive line during the second half. The senior tallied up 178 yards in game six of the season on 20 carries. He also caught one pass for three yards in the Homecoming game. Miller and the Spartans play at home again in two weeks against Rantoul and will celebrate senior night at the last regular season home contest of the season. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Sophomore Braxton Waller looks to pick up a downfield block while playing on the the offensive line in the second half of the game.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Spartan linemen Mitchell Wright and Austin Cotter move with the flow of the play while playing on the defensive line during the fourth quarter. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Junior Alex Funk takes a well-earned drink on the sidelines in the fourth quarter of the game. Funk was a key figure on defense and finished the game with 5 receiving yards and 20 rushing yards. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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SJO players and student fans sing the school fight song together after the school's big homecoming football victory. St. Joseph-Ogden, improving to 3-3 on the season, needs just three more wins to quarantee a berth in this year's IHSA playoffs. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Looking for photos of a specific player from either team? Email us at photos@oursentinel.com with the athlete's name and jersey number for details.

A great night to be a Spartan - SJO defeats BCC, 33-0

Lineman Spencer Fitch lets out a joyous roar as he runs to waiting teammates and fans to sing the school fight song after he and the St. Joseph-Ogden shutout visiting Bloomington Central Catholic, 33-0. Extending their win streak to three games and moving to a 3-3 record with the Homecoming game victory on Friday, the Spartans travel to Pontiac looking for win #4 next Friday. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Spartans advance to IHSA golf sectional

Danville - SJO junior Jacob Kern shot 16 over Par and nine strokes behind regional champion Will Ross from Monticello to advance to Monday's sectional tournament at Balmoral Woods. Fellow junior McGwire Atwood, who finished in 12th place on the Par 72 course at Turtle Run, will also represent St. Joseph-Ogden at the Beecher sectional meet as the pair will try to qualify for the following weekend's IHSA Golf State Final.

Kern finished in a three-way tie with Judah Christian's Grant Hendershot and Monticello's Tanner Buehnerkemper, each with 85 strokes. Atwood's day ended with an 89.

The Spartans, who finished with 377 points on Wednesday, missed advancing to sectionals as a team by just one stroke behind St. Thomas More with 376.

Also representing St. Joseph-Ogden in Danville was Logan Smith, who shot a 96 and finished in 21st place, Jack Robertson in 37th with 107 strokes, and Connor Hale 52nd with a 117.

New optometry location in St. Joseph hosts open house next week

Chittick Eye Care will host a Grand Opening at its new St. Joseph location on Friday, October 8 from 11a until 2p.

Located at 226 East Lincoln, the office will offer quality optometry services to area residents including eye exams and medical treatment for eye problems. Chittick Eye Care operates eight other offices in downstate Illinois and plans to open its tenth unit in Arcola in 2022. Opening in 1959, sister operations can be founds in Danville, Hoopeston, Watseka, Rantoul, Savoy, Villa Grove, Paris and Lincoln.

Doctors Jim Lohrberg and George Rix will use state-of-the-art technology to serve area patients and also focus on building long-term relationships with patients to support their overall eye health. Lohrberg, an optometrist who has practiced for more than twenty years in Danville and Springfield, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. Rix, who graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 2010, is a native Illinoisian and joined Chittick Eye Care in 2018.

"Our goal is to provide small communities with a hometown eye doctor," says Dr. Shawn Mallady, Owner of Chittick Eye Care, in a release announcing the upcoming event. "We are thrilled to bring top-notch personnel, high-tech services, and world-class fashion to all the towns we serve - which now includes St. Joe."

Visitors who stop in to see the new business in downtown St. Joseph can register to win a TaoTao scooter as well as prizes from other local merchants. There will be a live radio broadcast during the event and the first 75 attendees will receive a boxed lunch from SCRATCH. For more information, call 217-442-2631 or visit their website at www.chittickeyecare.com.

Pfizer COVID-19 booster available starting next week

Today, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) announced that Covid-19 Pfizer booster shots will be available beginning next week.

Eligible individuals who want to upgrade their body's ability to fight off Coronavirus infection can receive a booster vaccination at a community clinic or participating pharmacy.

The Pfizer booster will be available to residents 65 years of age or older, folks between the ages 50 and 64 with underlying health conditions, healthcare workers, and first responders who have completed their 1st and 2nd doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Individuals must also have received their second Pfizer dose six or months ago.

According to a release issued today, "... the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many of the people who are now eligible to receive a booster shot received their initial vaccine early in the vaccination program and will benefit from additional protection. With the Delta variant’s dominance as the circulating strain and cases of COVID-19 increasing significantly across the United States, a booster shot will help strengthen protection against severe disease in those populations who are at high risk for exposure to COVID-19 or the complications from severe disease. Additional information can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html."

Community clinics will be held at the iHotel and Conference Center, located at 1900 S. 1st Street in Champaign October 5-7 from 9a until 4pm. No appointment is needed.

Booster shots will also be available at the Kohl’s Plaza at 1901 N. Market Street in Champaign. The Pfizer booster will be available to all eligible individuals at this location. Booster appointments can be scheduled through MyCarle and at carle.org/covid-19 for October 5th – 7th, 12th – 14th and 19th – 21st from 10:00a – 5:30p.

Appointments are also available at local pharmacies. Visit www.vaccinefinder.org for locations, times and availability.

Ahmari wins Spartan Classic girls' title, Rockets take home team honors

St. Joseph - University High Kate Ahmari turned in the top time in the women's race at the 2021 Spartan Classic on Saturday. The junior's time of 17:25.70 helped the Illinek cross country team finish 5th in the overall team standings. The sub-18 minute time was a new PR for Ahmari and ranks as the 19th fastest time in the state this season.

Unity's Malia Fairbanks runs her first lap around the course during the 2019 IHSA Cross Country State Finals. Fairbanks finished 13th overall at Saturday's Spartan Classic in St. Joseph.

It was an Illini Prairie Conference sweep of the top three places in the team standings. Unity, who had six runners finish in the top 20, won the girls' title with a score of 56 points off the efforts of the first five. Monticello finished second with 66 points and host St. Joseph-Ogden rounded out the top three places with 87 points.

It was a day of outstanding running performances for Unity on the three-mile course. Erica Woodard led the Unity squad finishing in 5th place. She was followed by Olivia Shike (18:38.04), Malia Fairbanks (18:41.58), and senior Harper Hancock (18:44.42) who finished 14th overall. Caelyn Kleparski's 17th place finish at 19:02.25 cemented the Rockets' dominant performance on Saturday.

Shike, Harper, and Kleparski turned in career-best times. Meanwhile, Woodard's time of 18:03.62, along with Fairbanks, and Reagan Stringer who clocked in at 18th place (19:02.27), gave season-best performances.

St. Joseph-Ogden enjoyed notable performances from freshman Savanna Franzen and senior Ava Knap. Franzen finished in third place with a time of 17:57.82 and Knap, who followed her over the finish line five seconds later, stopped the clock at 18:02.03 in fourth-place. Both times were personal records for each runner.

Spartan Kailyn Ingram, who PR'd at 19:48.7 last week at the Richard Spring Invitational in Peoria, shaved off another 48 seconds off her three-mile time to 19:00.26.

Top 20 Spartan Classic Times

1. Kate Ahmari 17:25.70 Urbana University
2. Mabry Bruhn 17:29.41 Monticello
3. Savanna Franzen 17:57.82 SJO
4. Ava Knap 18:02.03 SJO
5. Erica Woodard 18:03.62 Unity
6. Hadessah Austin 18:18.98 Seeger
7. Estella Miller 18:26.80 Monticello
8. Sylvia Miller 18:32.69 Monticello
9. Aleigha Garrison 18:34.61 Champaign (Judah Christian)
10. Trixie Johnson 18:37.24 Paxton-Buckley-Loda
11. Olivia Shike 18:38.04 Unity
12. Jennifer Romero 18:40.84 Seeger
13. Malia Fairbanks 18:41.58 Unity
14. Harper Hancock 18:44.42 Unity
15. Nellie Melick 18:49.39 El Paso-Gridley
16. Kailyn Ingram 19:00.26 SJO
17. Caelyn Kleparski 19:02.25 Unity
18. Reagen Stringer 19:02.27 Unity
19. Macie Russell 19:02.37 Oakwood
20. Rachel Koon 19:05.64 Monticello

Unity tournament champions!

Photo: PhotoNews Media Archive

Emma Bleecher waits for a serve during Unity's road game against St. Joseph-Ogden on September 21. The senior collected 41 kills, 34 digs and 11 aces over five matches to help the Rockets win this season's Lady Warrior Classic title at Reed-Custer High School on Saturday.

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The Unity volleyball team dropped just one set on their way to winning the Lady Warrior Classic volleyball tournament title on Saturday. Winning all five matches, the Rockets now boast a 20-0 record.

Cissna Park was the only team that challenged this season's so far undefeated squad during tournament play. After dropping the first set 25-10, the Timberwolves adjusted their offense and won the second set 25-15. Tightening up their play, Unity won the tie-break set, 15-10.

The Rockets defeated Morris in two sets, 25-20, 25-21, and cruised by Dwight 25-5, 25-13. They also went 2-0 against Putnam County (25-13, 25-13) and Maroa-Forsyth (25-15, 25-10).

Emma Bleecher notched 41 kills, 34 digs and served up 11 aces for Unity during the five tournament contests. Payton Kaiser led the team in blocks with seven. She also added 17 kills and eight digs to her season stats.

Three-sport standout Taylor Henry amassed 46 digs and Macie Knudsen added another 22 along with her 20 tournament kills. Setter Maddie Reed tallied up 57 assists and another 20 digs for the Rockets.

Unity's two matches are on the road week. Bleecher and the Rockets travel to St. Teresa tomorrow to take on the Bulldogs and then head to Monticello on Tuesday for an Illini Prairie Conference battle.

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Friday night football, St. Joseph-Ogden 60 - Olympia 36

The St. Joseph-Ogden football team picked up their second win of the season after defeating Olympia on the road 60-36 picked up their second win of the season after scoring nine touchdowns in their Week 5 road game against Olympia.

Keaton Nolan ran for 193 yards and tacked on another 55 on pass plays. The senior scored three times including on a 5-yard run, a 15-yard run, and on a 16-yard pass play. SJO gobbled up 281 yards on the ground and finished with another 182 passing yards.

Senior quarterback Evan Ingram completed 14 of 15 passes, five which resulted in touchdowns. In addition to Nolan's TD pass, Griffin Roesch scored on a 36-yard play, Tyler Burch hauled in a 26-yarder and Coby Miller scored twice on passes from seven and two yards out.

SJO improves to 3-2 on the season after a rough start and will face Bloomington Central Catholic, who fell 41-13 to Unity a 20-minute drive to the east, at home next Friday.

Tips to make cleaning your home easier this fall

(Family Features) - Cooler fall temperatures are on the way and it mean you're likely to spend more time indoors.

Whether you are entertaining guests or want to spend less time cleaning while working from home, taking time to spruce up inside and out can make your home more comfortable and inviting. With the peace of mind that your home is tidy, clean and prepared for the fall and winter in the months ahead, you'll enjoy the comforts of being home even more.

Here are five hacks to make your time indoors more comfortable.

Tidy Outdoor Spaces
Before stashing your lawn care equipment, give your home and landscape some end-of-season attention. Use a power washer to clean lawn furniture and store it away from the elements or use covers to protect it. Clean out gutters and remove debris from flower beds to encourage proper drainage.

Check for Repair Projects
Give your home a thorough inspection to identify any problems that need attention before cold weather sets in. Look for concerns like loose shutters or siding, cracked or loose shingles, cracks and gaps around doors and windows that may allow moisture or cold air to creep in. Severe weather and cycles of freezing and thawing can exacerbate these problems, so it's best to make repairs before they result in major damage.

Eliminate Dirt and Dust
Moving indoors, take time to remove any dirt and grime that has accumulated. Wash textiles like curtains and rugs. Wipe down kitchen and bathroom surfaces with an antibacterial solution. Dust other parts of the house, including blinds, windowsills, baseboards and other hard-to-reach places.

When it comes to vacuuming, make sure to keep floors clean and free of outside dirt all season long with an all-around cleaner that can vacuum and mop simultaneously, like the DEEBOT OZMO T8 AIVI. It provides convenient, efficient, hands-free cleaning you can control via smart home devices. With a built-in HD camera, the AI-powered robot identifies common household obstacles and intelligently determines how to clean around them, while also providing on-demand home monitoring. Complete with laser mapping and navigation technology to scan and map your floors for faster cleaning and fewer missed spots, it is also compatible with an optional, automatic emptying station that allows for up to 30 days of fully maintenance-free cleaning.

Promote Air Quality
In addition to keeping floors clean and allergens under control, there are other steps you can take to promote better air quality while you're spending more time indoors. Scheduling service for your furnace can help ensure it's in good condition before cold weather hits. This is also a good time to replace your air filter and consider a duct cleaning. Take time to clean ceiling fans and reverse the blades so the air circulates but fans don't create a chilling effect.

Swap Seasonal Essentials
A new season brings change, whether it's simply swapping out your wardrobe or gearing up for a busy season of school activities and sports. Make time to put away out-of-season clothes and other necessities to make room for the things you'll need for the autumn months. Keep only the things you need and store the rest to help keep clutter under control.

Find more tips for efficient fall home maintenance and cleaning at ecovacs.com.

Queens Of The Road: Women motorcyclists inspire new updated riding wear design

(NAPSI) — The number of female motorcycle riders are on the rise. In growing numbers, millennial women riders all across the country are driving a demand for better riding gear. These motorcycling enthusiasts are leaving their days as passengers in the dust, ushering in a new era of biker style.

According to a recent national survey by the Motorcycle Industry Council in 2018, women represent almost 20 percent of motorcycle owners, a marked increase from the 8 percent reported just 10 years ago.

With this demographic change, protective riding gear and accessories—and especially helmets, jackets and riding boots—are getting a second look by major brands. More and more, as motorcycle-savvy brands pick up on the trend, they’re creating riding gear designed for the anatomy and unique fit needs of the female rider.

Wolverine Worldwide, the manufacturer of Harley-Davidson© footwear and performance riding boots and shoes, has seen an impressive sales surge in women-specific riding boots in recent years.

"From 2016 to 2018 we saw women’s riding boot sales jump by 40 percent," said Jenna Ludeman, Wolverine’s marketing manager for the Harley-Davidson© product line. "It’s clear to us that women are getting out to ride on their own and their adventures require riding footwear that provides performance, protection and a comfortable fit designed just for them."

Recent materials innovations and the advances in performance technologies have created this next generation of performance riding footwear. Today’s riding styles incorporate materials that help to keep feet cooler in direct sunlight, dryer in rain and snow and, in some cases, better protected from impact.

For those looking for a style that transitions well from the open road to the city streets, women riders now have options including riding sneakers like the new Harley-Davidson© women’s Mackey, a waterproof riding sneaker featuring XRD® Impact Protection, a lightweight and flexible open-cell foam material that provides extreme impact protection.

For women riders looking for a more traditional riding style, the Harley-Davidson Brinser engineer boot is also rich with modern performance features. Waterproof full-grain leather helps in the wet conditions and a cooling mesh lining and TFL COOL SYSTEM® technology act to reflect the sun’s rays and ultimately keep the inside of the boot up to 54° cooler than traditional leather.

"Today’s female riders are connecting with the sense of adventure and community that motorcycling naturally brings," said Ludeman. "And we’re interested in connecting the rider to a better riding product for a better riding experience."

Guest Commentary: Is God mad at you?

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

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We all may have some issues with the past. Past problems, past mistakes, past sins, past decisions and past ignorance.

We live and we learn if we are fortunate enough to live. Sadly, too many obituaries are of young adults who were barely starting life. Some young adults don't think that much about the past because so much of life is in front of them – they hope. Most of us believe life is in front of us. It’s difficult to imagine not existing, but as we all know, life ends.

If you live long enough you’ll make enough mistakes that will embarrass you, worry you, frighten you or simply make you wonder if God is mad enough to assign you to an everlasting hell. Usually, the pain or aggravation of life’s past problems, valleys, hurts and pain is enough hell for all of us. If hell is any worse than the weight of life’s regrets, sorrows and foul-ups then it surely is more than a terrible place.

People who live long lives typically remember fifty years ago like it’s today. Throughout all of life, sadly, what we often are weighted down by are our transgressions or mistakes. Often it may not be some egregious sin but simply something we wish we could do one more time because we know if we could try again we could do it better. Unfortunately we don’t get a second chance.

We have one opportunity to raise our children. We have one span of time to be good to our parents. We have one brief work career that we both work hard and do well or fiddle diddle away. Hind sight is always 20/20 but at the time we can’t stop long enough to see what we are doing.

Most of the time our lives are filled with good deeds, lots of good events and lots of good memorable occasions that we should dwell more upon. We forget most of these but the bad stuff always rises to the top. Bad stuff is like bad news. Bad news travels fast. Good news may or may not get around. The bad stuff is typically what climbs its way to the top of our minds and camps there to torment us.

The work of the Devil is surely to imprison us if possible. The work of Jesus is to set us free. I heard a parable about Jesus seeing the Devil with a cage. Inside the cage the Devil had a man.

Jesus said, “Old Devil, what are you going to do with that man?”

The Devil replied, “Hurt him, torture him and make his life hell.”

Jesus then asked, “Old Devil, what would you take to set that man free?”

With a hiss of hate the Devil looked at Jesus with a sinister stare and said, “Every ounce of your blood.”

Keep in mind this day that Jesus has paid the price for your freedom. Don’t worry about it anymore.

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Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.

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This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Sentinel. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.

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Photo Gallery: Spartans hand STM first conference loss

Left: Will Childers heads the ball toward waiting Spartan teammates. Right: Spencer Wilson inserts himself between two St. Thomas More players to get control of the ball during first half play. Wilson later scored the only goal the game to give the Spartan program this first victory over the Sabers in more than five seasons.

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Photos from PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Left: Owen Baltzell boots the ball down the field during last half of the first half against the Sabers. Right: Brennan Haake, a senior who will be honored at SJO's home match on Saturday, plays defense in the first half.

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Left: SJO defensive specialist Jared Emmert follows an STM player across the field. Emmert, a senior and four-year veteran on the team, will be honored at Saturday's Senior Day. Right: Spartan Garrett Siems passes the ball during first half action against the Sabers.

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Left: Spartans' Collin Thomey heads the ball away from a pair of Sabers' players. Right: Will Childers cuts off St. Thomas More player's path down the field toward SJO's goal.

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Left: Goalkeeper Hunter Ketchum keeps a watchful eye on the action to his left. Ketchum made six saves to give the Spartans the shutout. Right: A STM player pushes the ball to the middle of box hoping to take a shot on the SJO goal in the second half.

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Oh, YEAH!

Junior Carter Mabry lets out an celebratory yell as he walks back to the bench after the game. Mabry and the Spartan program will honor two seniors on Saturday before the opening kick against Georgetown-Ridge Farm.

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Looking for photos of a specific player from either team? Email us at photos@oursentinel.com with the athlete's name and jersey number for details.

Wilson's 2nd half goal seals Spartan soccer victory

After the game clock showed 0:00 on the scoreboard, St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Bill DeJarnette told his players: "This was a big win!"

The scoreboard also showed the Spartans had beat visiting St. Thomas More, a feat that had not been accomplished in nearly half a decade, 1-0.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Logan Mills applauds Spencer Wilson who receives a well-deserved celebratory pat on the back from another teammate, Collin Thomey, after Wilson's second half goal against St. Thomas More. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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"It felt good," said Spencer, who scored the game's lone goal on a pass from senior Jared Emmert with less than eight and half minutes to play in the game. "It was my time to score."

The sophomore's strike also handed the Sabers their third loss of the season and their first loss to SJO as members together in the Illini Prairie Conference.

Goalkeeper Hunter Ketchum tallied six saves for the 9-6-1 Spartans.

SJO has three more matches for the remainder of the month of September starting at 9a tomorrow against Georgetown-Ridge Farm tomorrow morning. Tuesday the team will travel to Bloomington looking to also upset Central Catholic once again and two days later will host Rantoul Township on the SJO Soccer Field starting at 4:30p.

Prep Sports Notebook: Urbana falls in Thursday tennis, SJO wins

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Madigan, Poungingal pick up victories

Eisla Madigan and Matika Pounginjai were the only two Urbana players to post wins in the singles competition in the Tigers dual match against Danville. After five singles and a pair of doubles matches, UHS fell 5-2 to the Vikings at the Danville Tennis Center on Thursday.

Madigan defeated Vikings' Lexi Foley 8-2 at #4 singles and Pounginjai won by default on the #5 court.

The Tigers return to competition next Thursday, September 30, to host Mahomet-Seymour at Blair Park.

Match Results:

Singles:
No. 1 - Lexi Ellis, DANVILLE def. Myra Stevens, URBANA, 8-0
No. 2 - Ava Towne, DANVILLE def. Hannah Null, URBANA, 8-0
No. 3 - Hannah Schroeder, DANVILLE def. Alisa Tangmunarunkit, URBANA, 4-8
No. 4 - Eisla Madigan, URBANA def. Lexi Foley, DANVILLE, 8-2
No. 5 - Matika Pounginjai, URBANA def. N/A, 2-0

Doubles:
No. 1 - Lexi Ellis/Lexi Foley, DANVILLE def. Hannah Null/Eisla Madigan, URBANA, 6-3 , 6-4
No. 2 - Ava Towne/Hannah Schroeder, DANVILLE def. Matika Pounginjai/Alisa Tangmunarunkit, URBANA, 6-0 , 6-0

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Spartan win road match at GCMS

Abbey Dow and Claire Huffman won their matches on the singles courts to give St. Joseph-Ogden a 2-0 lead to start the team's final road match of the season. Double duos Abby Behrens & Hope Rajlich and Katie McDermott & Emma Rydell brought home wins to give the Spartans a 4-1 victory on Thursday.

SJO will play their final three regular-season contests at home starting next Wednesday when they host St. Teresa. The team will then close out the year with back to matches with Maroa-Forsyth on October 11 and Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley in the finale on Tuesday, October 12.

Match Results:

Singles:
No. 1 - Abbey Dow, SJO def. Katie Steidinger, Gibson-City Melvin Sibley High School (GCMS), 8-7
No. 2 - Claire Huffman, SJO def. Audrey Iverson, Gibson-City Melvin Sibley High School (GCMS), 8-0

Doubles:
No. 1 - London Hixson/Lexi Darbutt, GCMS def. Jacey Lewis/Kelsey Martlage, SJO, 8-7
No. 2 - Abby Behrens/Hope Rajlich, SJO def. Syda Schlickman/McKenna Crowley, GCMS, 8-0
No. 3 - Katie McDermott/Emma Rydell, SJO def. Emily Hood/Kadence Crowley, GCMS, 8-3

Prep Sports Notebook for September 23

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Unity continues to roll

The Unity volleyball team picked up win number 15 after a 2-0 win over visiting Paxton-Buckley-Loda. Emma Bleecher had eight kills and seven digs while teammate Payton Kaiser added another six kills and four digs in the 25-22, 25-15 conference victory.

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Chemla score four goals

Teo Chemla scored his first of four goals for University High within the first minute of his team's 8-1 road win against Judah Christian. The junior found the net again 10 minutes later to give the Illineks a 3-0 lead. Later, in a two-minute span, he added goals #3 and #4 starting at the 39-minute mark.

Noah La Nave produced a hat trick on passes from Arya Thirodira, Chemla, and Benji Chang.

Senior Ryland Graham, on an assist from Lawrence Zhao, scored the team's final goal of the match in the second half.

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Roesch pounds nine kills

Shaking off Tuesday's conference loss to Unity, the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team bounced back to beat Pontiac on the road 25-16, 25-12.

Addie Roesch put away nine kills and Kennedi Burnett added another six to the stat book. Becca Steinbach was credited with 23 assists. Senior Hannah Fox led defensively with 10 digs.

The Spartans are back on the court on Monday at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley for another non-conference test.

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Hoopeston Area knocked off Oakwood-Salt Fork for a 3-1 conference win. The Cornjerkers improved to 9-0 in conference play and 13-4-1 overall.

After OSF's Carlie Thompson scored the first, and his team's only goal on an assist from Saul Carrillo, Hoopeston's Kayden Wallace, Ben Brown, and Isias Diaz scored one goal each.

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Unity soccer shutout

The Rockets dropped their Illini Prairie Conference match against Rantoul, 7-0. The Rockets, still looking for their first win this season, will play their next two contest away.

The two-match road campaign starts with a trip to Illinois Valley Central on Saturday for another conference match against the Grey Ghost. Then on Monday, the team plays at Fisher.

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Sweet victory: SJO picks up dramatic win over STM

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Will Childers celebrates his team's 1-0 victory over visiting St. Thomas More Thursday afternoon. The Spartans improve to 9-6-1 on the season on a second half goal from Spencer Wilson. Up next, SJO hosts Georgetown-Ridge Farm at home at 9am on Saturday. The program will also recognize this season's senior athletes.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Rockets disrupt Spartan system with their own in 2-0 conference win

(St. Joseph) - With bragging rights and a conference loss on the line, Unity's road match in the St. Joseph-Ogden High School Main Gym had all ambiance and weight of a state semifinal match. There were two vocal student cheering sections, almost 300 fans, and two teams both loaded with athletic talent ready to clash. In the end, the Rockets broke a five-season losing streak, systematically defeating the Spartans, 2-0.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Maddie Reed sets the ball behind her during the second set action against the Spartans. Reed collected 19 assists and seven digs for the Rockets. Tucking away their second conference win of the season, Unity improved to 14-0 with the win over SJO.

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Trading salvos in the first set, SJO (10-4) and the Rockets (14-0) held the scoring deficit at any given time to just points until the score reached 11-all. Suddenly, there was a shift in the offensive momentum that had Unity surged ahead on the scoreboard courtesy of a five-point run to go up 16-11 over the St. Joseph-Ogden. Unable to hold serve or shift the flow of the game in their favor thanks to their opponents' scrappy defensive play, the Spartans were outscored 9-2 from that point on en route to a 25-13 finish.

"We struggled on defense. They did a nice job mixing up their offense, keeping us on our heels all night long," said SJO head coach Abby McDonald. "We were never in system from the beginning. Our defense wasn't there tonight. Defense wins ball games and it was a real struggle for us."

While SJO struggled on defense, the Rockets excelled at it on Tuesday evening.

"We changed up our defense to defend against their outsides better," explained Unity's new head coach, Erika Yerry. "We know they have some pretty good hitters on the outside so we focused on blocking line and moving our defenders behind it so we could dig a few more balls and be in system."

The second set started much like the first with teams trading points until the score was tied at 7-all. The Spartans quickly added two more points forcing Yerry to call a timeout at 10-7. Soon, down by five, the Rockets started to methodically claw their way back into the set.

Yerry credited her team's success to playing tough defensively and serving tough.

"Our main goal was to get them out of system. So as long as we kept digging and serving them to be out of system then we had a chance to score a point," Yerry said. "My libero, Taylor Henry, did a good job of adjusting her defensive position and Katie Moore did a great job of block (the) line."

Down 21-19, Unity closed out the second set with six consecutive points for the 25-21 victory.

"We've got to clean up our serve receive. Our first ball contact was difficult for us tonight," McDonald pointed out. "Our setter was working as hard as she could. We just struggled in lots of areas of the game. I think the biggest part is just or mental game right now has to be stronger."

While it may have been a tough loss to swallow against their cross-county rivals, the Spartans were in a similar position with four losses at the end of September in 2019. The program did not lose another match until the state semifinal, setting up a Class 2A third-place finish.

"We've got to have leadership when we need it and not just when things are going good. It's got to be there when things are rough. These are all learning moments for us," McDonald said looking at the competition that still lies ahead. "Hopefully we can use this to make us better. We always say 'What comes in October'. Hopefully, this match is one they can look back on and learned something from."

Spartans unable to tarnish unbeaten Rockets

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden's Shayne Immke leaps above the net to try and block a kill attempt by Unity's Macie Knudsen. Immke and the Spartans fell on their home court after two sets, 25-13, 25-21.

"We struggled on defense. They did a nice job mixing up their offense getting us on our heels all night long," said SJO head coach Abby McDonald. "We were never in system from the beginning. Our defense wasn't there tonight."

"Defense wins ball games and it was a real struggle for us."

SJO falls to 10-4 on the season while the Rockets record continues on unblemished at 14-0.

Rockets improve to 14-0, shock Spartans with road win

Unity remains undefeated

(Left to right) Unity's Macie Knudsen, Gracie Renfrow, Maddie Reed and Katey Moore celebrate the team's 2-0 win over host St. Joseph-Ogden. The Rockets remain undefeated at 14-0 under new head coach Erika Yerry after beating the Spartans, 25-13, 25-21. More photos coming soon. Here is a recap from this exciting match.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Critical health history; now is a good time to discuss family health

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(StatePoint Media) - Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a rare disease that can be passed down from generation to generation within families. This condition causes numerous cysts to grow in the kidneys, resulting in the kidneys enlarging and losing function over time. Additionally, nearly 50 percent of affected patients over age 60 will experience kidney failure or end stage renal disease (ESRD). The most common form of PKD is Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) which, according to the National Kidney Foundation, accounts for nearly 90 percent of all PKD cases.

ADPKD affects an estimated 140,000 Americans. While relatively rare, it is the most common inherited kidney disease and the fourth leading overall cause of end-stage kidney disease or kidney failure. As a progressive condition, ADPKD may eventually lead to kidney failure requiring some form of renal replacement therapy, such as dialysis or kidney transplant.

"Although seemingly rare, ADPKD is quite prevalent and affects many families generation after generation. In fact, children of parents with ADPKD have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the disease, and spontaneous mutations can occur in new generations as well," says Meyeon Park, MD, MAS, director of the UCSF Polycystic Kidney Disease Center of Excellence and nephrologist, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. "This emphasizes the importance of people with a family history of PKD discussing the condition with their relatives, as well as the importance of speaking with a doctor who specializes in kidney care as early as possible."

Diagnosing ADPKD

ADPKD is typically diagnosed by an ultrasound of the kidneys; however, a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan may also be conducted. Genetic testing may sometimes be used for people who have received an inconclusive imaging result, have no family history of the condition, who may be considering testing to determine if they can pass the gene on to their children, and for diagnosis of possible kidney donors.

Using the latest technologies, physicians can now identify ADPKD patients at risk for rapid progression of kidney function decline as well as estimate how quickly someone with ADPKD is likely to progress to kidney failure based on the size of his or her kidneys. Although disease progression can be highly variable, even among family members, it’s important to confirm diagnosis early as patients with rapidly progressing ADPKD reach end stage renal disease at a younger age.

Disease Management Strategies

Early diagnosis and treatment are critical for ADPKD patients, since this disease progressively gets worse over time and cannot be reversed. While signs and symptoms often develop between ages of 30 and 40, individuals with a history of kidney diseases – and especially if ADPKD runs in the family – shouldn’t delay speaking with a kidney specialist, also known as a nephrologist. By acting early, individuals may be able to take steps to help protect kidney function and properly manage the disease, as well as any related complications such as high blood pressure, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, infected or bleeding cysts, abdominal bloating or discomfort and chronic pain.

"Take advantage of educational resources, such as www.ADPKDQuestions.com, to better understand the disease, available disease management strategies and recommended lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy diet and staying physically active," continues Dr. Park, MD, MAS, director of the UCSF Polycystic Kidney Disease Center of Excellence and nephrologist, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. "Being an empowered patient early on will help foster informed conversations about ADPKD with both relatives and health care providers, and may ultimately help to delay disease progression."