Posts Tagged ‘Western’
Second-half dominance defensively carries Saukees to tourney-opening victory
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Junior guard Hayden Gratton and his Pittsfield basketball teammates want to instill fear in their opponents with their defense. “We want them to be really scared,” Gratton said. “Get them going fast and turn the ball over.” The Saukees did exactly that on Monday. Pittsfield’s full-court, high-pressure defense forced 15 Western turnovers…
Read MoreWestern eighth grade volleyball team finishes second at state tournament
KANKAKEE, Ill. — The Western eighth grade girls volleyball team pushed the powerhouse Pontiac St. Mary’s squad further than anyone. Still, St. Mary’s continued its reign. Western rallied for a 28-26 victory in the second set of Saturday’s Illinois Elementary School Association Class 8-1A state championship match, but St. Mary’s finished off back-to-back titles with…
Read MoreEighth grade volleyball teams from Western and Unity are heading to IESA state tournaments
KINDERHOOK, Ill. — The Western eighth grade girls volleyball team is headed to the Illinois Elementary School Association state tournament. So are the Unity eighth graders. Western won its Class 8-1A sectional championship, beating Concord Triopia 25-12, 25-16 on Tuesday night at Jacksonville Routt High School. Western (19-3) will face Royal Prairieview Odgen (20-3) at…
Read MoreStrong second half carries Mustangs to championship of MVIT
MENDON, Ill. — The halftime adjustments Unity boys basketball coach Keith Carothers made worked perfectly. The Mustangs trailed Bushnell-Prairie City 27-24 at halftime of Friday night’s championship game of the Mississippi Valley Invitational Tournament before taking the lead with a 17-point third quarter and holding the Spartans to a single point in the fourth quarter.…
Read MoreWestern seventh grade girls basketball team finishes as Class 1A state runner-up
ASSUMPTION, Ill. — It took the best defensive team in the state to derail the Western seventh-grade girls basketball team’s state championship dreams. Washington St. Patrick, which didn’t allow more than 13 points in any postseason game, clamped down defensively on the Wildcats in a 22-6 victory Thursday night in the IESA Class 1A state…
Read MoreWestern, Nauvoo-Colusa seventh grade girls basketball teams to play for state titles
QUINCY — A pair of area seventh grade girls basketball teams will play for Illinois Elementary School Association state championships this week. Western advanced to the Class 1A title game with a pair of victories Saturday at Assumption Central A&M Middle School, while Nauvoo-Colusa advanced in Class 2A by winning twice at Riverton High School.…
Read MoreRaiders nearly post first-quarter shutout, start taxing weekend by overwhelming Wildcats
BARRY, Ill. — As the minutes dwindled and the lead grew Thursday night, Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach Kevin Meyer could sense a growing challenge among his players. The Raiders wanted to pitch a first-quarter shutout. For nearly seven minutes, they did. QND raced to a 23-0 lead before Mason Smith ended Western’s scoring…
Read MoreMoorman, Hornets keep magical season moving forward with regional championship
MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — As usual, Taryn Moorman was in complete control. That should not have come as a surprise, considering what she had already accomplished during her junior season as the ace of the Brown County softball team. “Taryn throws strikes,” Brown County coach David Woodruff said. “She also works quickly and never gets…
Read MoreNo dunk, no worries: Sheffield, Raiders create chaos with defense against Wildcats
QUINCY — Braden Sheffield set his sights on the rim. Unfortunately, the Quincy Notre Dame junior guard never got the chance to get his hands on it. “Some things aren’t meant to be,” he said with a wry smile. Teaming with the Raiders’ Alex Connoyer and Jackson Stratton to create chaos each time the Western…
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