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Articles written by Dan Stevens


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  • Beautiful Bikini Bottom Day

    Dan Stevens|Mar 20, 2024

    OK, I admit it, having raised two daughters who loved Spongebob Squarepants, I was NOT, in any way shape or form, looking forward to sitting through Lena-Winslow's musical production of the cartoon show. But, I am very happy to report, that not only was I pleasantly surprised by what the Panther theater department pulled off, but there were some things that were truly exceptional. You have to start with the costuming, and it was strong. While most of the characters were decked in brightly...

  • Point To Ponder

    Dan Stevens|Mar 20, 2024

    Ever feel like you’re a burden to your team? Normally, my evenings are spent covering a sporting event throughout the region. But that all changes in the Spring when Softball and Baseball tend to end before seven o’clock at night, so I actually get to see my wife and spend some time at home. And with bad weather canceling games … we actually had time to go out and “do” something – an activity which is normally relegated to the Summer months when school is not in session. Anyway, one...

  • Voices All Area Boy's Team

    Dan Stevens|Mar 20, 2024

    The coaches have released their all-conference selections, so once again it is time for us to reveal our picks for the Voices All Area Team. We apologize to players such as Cooper Hoffman of Pecatonica, and Connor Glasgow of Galena – because our "area" is only made up of the nine school districts we cover. So, while we thought there were some amazing players throughout the region – we only choose from the school districts in our primary circulation area. With that being said, let's get right...

  • Wasted Money

    Dan Stevens|Mar 13, 2024

    Freeport City Council members are paid $3800 a year to represent their respective ward, and with that in mind – some of them are lucky they don't get arrested for grand theft. Exhibit 1A – Larry Sanders in Ward 5. Now, for the past two months the Council has been dealing with how they are going to set up a plan to pay for road repairs and infrastructure – we know, we've been covering it. And after months of maps, and homework where the council members selected the worst roads in their...

  • Voices All Area Girls Team

    Dan Stevens|Mar 13, 2024

    The coaches have released their all-conference selections, so once again it is time for us to reveal our picks for the Voices All Area Team. We apologize to players such as Elaina Rager of Pecatonica, and Gracie Furlong of Galena – because our "area" is only made up of the nine school districts we cover. So, while we thought there were some amazing players throughout the region – we only choose from the school districts in our primary circulation area. With that being said, let's get right...

  • Point To Ponder

    Dan Stevens|Mar 13, 2024

    By the time you read this, my wife and I will be in Arizona for Spring Training Baseball. I’ve never been to Spring Training, so when our daughter Caitlin asked because they were going to go out – it was more than tempting. My wife has also never seen the Grand Canyon in person, so that is on the schedule as well – and all of us will be staying at an Air-B-n-B – another thing I’ve never done, so it will be a trip of firsts. But the big attraction for me, aside from warm weather and the...

  • NCAA Tournament Challenge Time

    Dan Stevens|Mar 13, 2024

    On page 11 of this week's issue you will find our annual NCAA Tournament Challenge contest. Simply tear out the page and fill in the teams when the NCAA Tournament field is announced this Sunday on television. Complete it, and drop it off at one of the locations listed for your chance to win – it's that easy. But I am also pleased to announce our annual NCAA Tournament Party which will take place on Tuesday, March 26th at the Pearl City Park District Building. For those who don't know where...

  • Cougars Turnover Another Win

    Dan Stevens|Mar 6, 2024

    At halftime, the sectional semi-final between the Eastland Cougars and South Beloit Sobos was locked up at 21-21. But behind a smothering second half defensive performance Eastland held the powerful Sobos to a grand total of only 14 second half points to punch their ticket to the Sectional finals 50-35. The key was the third quarter, which didn't start right away because the referees were late. But once they got there, the Cougars put South Beloit on lock-down. Parker Krogman opened the half,...

  • Does Aquin Have A Future?

    Dan Stevens|Mar 6, 2024

    When word of the vote by the NUIC to deny the Girls Basketball co-op between Orangeville and Aquin first came out – like so many other people I heard from, my initial reaction was one of anger. Why would it be voted down? How could ANY school that participates in any form of co-op vote against another school trying to do the same thing? How could they vote to approve Boys Basketball and deny the girls? Was this private school hatred, or maybe even a Title IX violation? But like many things in...

  • Pecatonica Prevails

    Dan Stevens|Mar 6, 2024

    Fans who made it into the packed River Ridge Brad Albrecht gymnasium to witness the Sectional championship between the top ranked Pecatonica Indians and Eastland Cougars were treated to two very different contests – one in each half. "We missed a few easy shots early and I think that got us out of sync," said Eastland head coach Tyler Zumdahl. "We lost some of our intensity on defense." Eastland was just plain 'off' in the first half, and if not for the magnificent play of senior Trevor Jansse...

  • Coach Benson Steps Down

    Dan Stevens|Mar 6, 2024

    After 21 years coaching varsity basketball for the Lena-Winslow Panthers, head coach Kyle Benson is stepping back in order to devote more time to his family. Benson has been the Boys Varsity Basketball coach for the last 12 years – compiling a record of 219-132, with two Regional crowns. Before that, he was the Girls Varsity coach for nine years, where he captured his first Regional title. And while he still plans to be manning the sideline for the Varsity football team as their offensive...

  • Point To Ponder

    Dan Stevens|Mar 6, 2024

    I lost my man card last week … again. My wife and I make for an interesting pairing – in fact, you could almost say that quite often our roles are reversed. When we go out to dinner, and order a Diet Coke with fried shrimp, and a ribeye steak with a beer – the runner bringing us the food almost always gets it backwards – handing me the steak and beer, and my wife the shrimp and pop. Well, when it comes to doing odd jobs around the house, which is usually a “guy” thing – she takes...

  • Calm Down

    Dan Stevens|Feb 28, 2024

    The River Ridge Wildcats came in with an excellent game plan, and attacked the Lena-Winslow 1-3-1 zone effectively in the first half. With a high low combination of Joe Winter and Seth Nicholas working the inside, the Wildcats got some easy baskets when they were patient and got the ball inside to their big men. Meanwhile, the Panthers were struggling to get anything going. While the first quarter was close in spite of shooting 0 for 5 from the outside, repeated turnovers in the second quarter l...

  • On A Different Level

    Dan Stevens|Feb 28, 2024

    Throughout the entire Girl's Basketball season, the Galena Pirates had been ranked #1 in 1A ... and for a reason. On Tuesday, at the Lena-Winslow Sectional, the Pirates flexed some muscles early in the second half to make what had been a major contest, into a controlled win against an Aquin team that was good ... really good ... just not good enough. Throughout the first half, it was anybody's ballgame as both teams played solid defense – forcing some turnovers – while struggling against...

  • Clock Strikes Midnight On Cinderella Cats

    Dan Stevens|Feb 28, 2024

    Neither team was supposed to be there, but for different reasons. Rockford Lutheran is a 2A school, but due to the convoluted IHSA rules, failure to win at the 2A level allows them to drop down into the 1A tournament – much to the chagrin of teams like Orangeville, who deserved far better to end their season. And then you had the RR/SM Wildcats. A team that had struggled mightily during the season – losing at home to Stockton at one point, and getting run off their own floor by the Eastland...

  • A Lengthy Problem

    Dan Stevens|Feb 28, 2024

    The Lena-Winslow 1-3-1 zone defense has given several teams fits this season, but in the Regional semi-final at East Dubuque Wednesday night the opponent was none other than the Scales Mound Hornets. The state ranked, been to the state finals for two years in a row, Hornets, put up one hell of a fight, before seeing their magical post season run come finally to an end 52-51. Early on, Scales Mound was picking the zone apart with sharp passes into the interior where a dump pass to the block...

  • Size Matters

    Dan Stevens|Feb 28, 2024

    With 5:00 to play in the second quarter, the South Beloit Sobos threw a pass down low to their star big man, Ross Robertson, who had sealed off Jaylen Rakowska on the block and put up the inside layup. As Cobryn Lynch went to in-bounds the ball he looked at Rakowska who simply said, "He's 6'8", what am I supposed to do?" Lena-Winslow played their hearts out against the Sobos, and fought back from a 39-31 deficit to claim the lead at 40-39 with 4:05 left in the game. But every time the Sobos had...

  • We're Not A Pawn

    Dan Stevens|Feb 28, 2024

    The sad truth about being one of the only true medias left in our region is that people often try to manipulate me into writing a story to promote their personal cause – which quite often, is factually inaccurate. Normally, when the needed research is done, we find the flaw and don’t fall for the attempt, but on occasion we have been played (Can you say “Ron Fluegel?”). The latest attempt was emailed in by Jody Coss in regard to the Walnut Acres Nursing Home, and … well … here’s...

  • Point To Ponder

    Dan Stevens|Feb 28, 2024

    The NCAA is getting close to announcing their tournament field, and the weather has been downright balmy to the point where my thoughts have already turned to the baseball season. And while I know my beloved Cubs fell into the toilet at the end of the season when they looked like a lock to make the post season, I have to admit … I’m looking forward to this year. I admit it, I’ve got baseball on the brain – Major League Baseball. I even joined an ESPN Fantasy Baseball league and am...

  • Comets Give Cougars A Scare

    Dan Stevens|Feb 21, 2024

    It wasn't supposed to be that close, but there again, Eastland wasn't supposed to turn the ball over more than 40 times in the game either. But the Cougars found themselves trailing to a fast and slappy Sterling Newman squad twice in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. With 2:05 to play, the Cougars were down one 37-36 and needed an answer – they found it in the form of senior guard Lily Mullen who drove in and made a running short floater to give the lead back to Eastland at 38-37. But...

  • Wildcat Press Pops Polo

    Dan Stevens|Feb 21, 2024

    The RR/SM Wildcats have used a full court press all season to help propel their offense. And Monday night in Mount Carroll, Polo was the latest team to witness first hand how the constant pressure never lets up – just always hustling, waiting for you to make a mistake which allows them to go on a defensive mini-run. The first strike hit at the 3:12 mark of the first period with the score 3-2 in Polo's favor. Laiken Haas hit a free throw to tie it, then a quick steal got the ball to Gwen...

  • Total Team Effort

    Dan Stevens|Feb 21, 2024

    Twice before the Lena-Winslow Panthers had charged out to an 8-0 lead against the Pecatonica Indians, only to see the Indians charge back and claim the win. So, when once again Lena-Winslow opened the game with a quick 8-0 run, there was more than a few Rolaids being consumed as Pecatonica followed the same script. Elaina Rager is a star, anybody trying to deny that knows nothing about basketball, and with her team trailing 8-0, she put them on her back – tying the game at 13-13 on a three...

  • A Bulldog Run Away

    Dan Stevens|Feb 21, 2024

    Aquin had little trouble in blowing past the host Dakota Indians in the Regional semi-finals. To be fair, Dakota is incredibly young, with only one senior on the roster, while the Bulldogs start four of them. The end result, was a game that was over early. Aquin held a quick 8-0 lead before Dakota was even able to take a shot. The score climbed to 15-0 before Dakota finally scored. And if not for a last second floater at the end of the first quarter by Dakota's Finley Banks, it would have been...

  • Someone Has To Lose

    Dan Stevens|Feb 21, 2024

    The beauty of the IHSA post season is the excitement of winning a championship and battling for a chance to play at State. But the very painful element of the post season is that at some point ... every team but one is going to lose. The Aquin Bulldogs and Lena-Winslow Panthers are both very class acts – strong coaching of some excellent kids both on and off the court. So, when they squared off in the championship of the Dakota Regional ... someone was going to be heartbroken, but it took a...

  • Confident Cats Overcome Cougars

    Dan Stevens|Feb 21, 2024

    Wildcat fans were nervous. After all their RR/SM squad had just played the entire second quarter and only scored two points on a pair of free throws by Laiken Haas. They had not scored a single basket. In fact, they had turned the ball over more times than they actually shot the ball. "Well, they had picked up their defensive intensity and it was giving us some problems," said head coach David Wiegel. "But we were still playing well, I honestly wasn't concerned. I don't want to sound arrogant,...

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