Area Distributors Area Athlete of the Week: Illini West’s Caydee Kirkham

Illini West senior point guard Caydee Kirkham was named the MVP of the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic. Submitted photo

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — Caydee Kirkham saved her best for last. The three efforts preceding her championship game performance at the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic weren’t too shabby either. The senior point guard on the Illini West girls basketball team nearly put together a triple double in a 66-51 victory over top-seeded Unity in the title…

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Area Distributors Area Athlete of the Week: Monroe City’s Joshua Talton

Monroe City's Joshua Talton throws down a dunk during a game against Palmyra in the 97 annual Monroe City Tournament last week in Monroe City, Mo. Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

MONROE CITY, Mo. — Joshua Talton made sure the title stayed in Title Town. A 6-foot senior guard on the Monroe City boys basketball team, Talton scored the first nine points in last Saturday’s championship game of the 97th annual Monroe City Tournament, propelling the top-seeded Panthers to a 77-36 victory over Highland and their…

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Area Distributors Area Athlete of the Week: Central’s Breyhar Wiskirchen

Central junior guard Breyhar Wiskirchen scored 22 points in last Friday's 57-53 victory at state-ranked Liberty. Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — A position change is allowing Breyhar Wiskirchen the comfort to carry the Central boys basketball team to success, just like he did last Friday night. The junior guard scored 22 points, including 15 in the second half, as the Panthers went on the road and upset state-ranked Liberty 57-53. The Panthers…

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Area Distributors Area Athlete of the Week: Hannibal quarterback Courtland Watson

Hannibal quarterback Courtland Watson, right, hands off to Aneyas Williams during the Pirates' Class 4 state quarterfinal game West Plains last Friday night at Porter Stadium. Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

HANNIBAL, Mo. — The records keep falling as the Hannibal football team keeps winning. By the time this season is done, Courtland Watson will own every significant passing record in Pirates’ history. In last Friday night’s 35-26 victory over West Plains in the Class 4 state quarterfinals at Porter Stadium, the senior quarterback completed 16…

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Area Distributors Area Athlete of the Week: Liberty golfer Blake Arnold

Liberty's Blake Arnold, left, shot a 2-over 74 to take medalist honors at the Mercer County Invitational. Photo courtesy Steph Arnold

LIBERTY, Ill. — Blake Arnold has flirted with the top of the leaderboard at several invitationals the past couple of prep golf seasons, emerging as one of the best Class 1A golfers in the region. He reaffirmed that last weekend at the Mercer County Invitational at Valley View Club in Cambridge, Ill. Arnold posted a…

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Area Distributors Area Player of the Week: Unity-Payson’s Cecil Hunt

Unity-Payson senior running back Cecil Hunt poses with a couple of young fans following last Friday's 58-0 victory over North Greene. Photo courtesy Jessica Ross

Cecil Hunt carried the ball just six times last Friday night in the Unity-Payson football team’s 58-0 whitewashing of North Greene, but those were six carries to remember. The senior running back ripped off a 93-yard touchdown run with a little less than four minutes remaining in the first quarter. With 16 seconds remaining in…

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