Ratchet up the intensity: Brown County takes control by wearing down Central with defense

Brown County's Michael Kassing, right, looks to pass over the top of the Camp Point Central defense during Monday's boys basketball game in Mt. Sterling, Ill. | Shane Hulsey photo

MT. STERLING, Ill. — Brown County boys basketball coach Jeff Bottorff feared a championship hangover. The Hornets entered Monday’s game against Camp Point Central fresh off of a Beardstown Tournament championship in which they defeated Winchester West Central — the reigning Class 1A state champion — in Saturday’s title game and won four games in…

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Countdown to tipoff: Hornets intent on raising some hell with their defensive pressure

Brown County boys basketball coach Jeff Bottorff looks to install an aggressive defensive style this season. | Shane Hulsey photo

Coverage of the Brown County boys basketball team brought to you by: MT. STERLING, Ill. — The “40 Minutes of Hell” play style made famous by Nolan Richardson’s men’s basketball teams at the University of Arkansas — which contributed to three Final Fours in six seasons and a 1994 national championship — is seeing a…

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Ticket punched: Hornets fight way back to playoffs as running game chews up victory over Wolves

Brown County running back Tyce Fullerton rushed for two touchdowns in the Hornets' 34-14 victory over Pleasant Hill on Friday night in Mt. Sterling, Ill., that secured a Class 1A playoff bid for the Hornets. | Shane Hulsey photo

MT. STERLING, Ill. — Tyce Fullerton couldn’t stomach missing the playoffs again. In 2023, it was out of his control. A torn ACL kept the Brown County running back and linebacker out for the final seven games of the season. The Hornets finished the campaign 3-6 and failed to reach the postseason for the first…

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All smiles: Henry homers twice, Hornets score early and often in win over Eagles

Brown County's Maverick Henry reacts to one of his two home runs as he rounds the bases during Friday's game against Liberty in Liberty, Ill. | Shane Hulsey photo

LIBERTY, Ill. — Maverick Henry couldn’t stop smiling as he rounded the bases following his three-run home run in the second inning of the Brown County baseball team’s 15-0 five-inning victory over Liberty on Friday. As Henry approached third base, Hornets coach Jared Hoots — with a smile on his face as well — told…

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