Village Voices - We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks

The Eastland Cougars and Fulton Steamers locked up for their first conference battle, but added a lot of extra "schtick" by also making it their "Pink Out" night to battle cancer. So, with almost...

There are several factors that can determine the outcome of a volleyball game. Service errors vs aces, how clean a team plays in avoiding unforced errors, and the biggie – who controls the net with...

The Dakota Indians knew they had a tall task ahead of them. Not only were they on the road at Lena-Winslow, but they were also without some starters who were nursing injuries. To their credit, head...

Anybody who wasn't at the game between Fulton and Stockton at John O'Boyle Field Friday night who saw the final 40-16 score, would think that Fulton buried the Blackhawks and out-classed them. They...

Weekend Volleyball Tournaments allow teams to get a lot of work in to perfect their game - while also providing a chance to measure up and possibly bring home some hardware at the same time. There wer...

I had it all planned. My wife was leaving with my cousins’ wife for a shopping excursion at an art fair up in Wisconsin over the weekend, and my cousin was scheduled to work Saturday. So, while I kn...

Most people understand how an aggressive hit can result in a "kill" and also a point for a volleyball team. So, being able to get the ball into "system" where a good set can be made to allow that spik...

Throughout most of the school year, the Lady Hornets of Scales Mound and Lady Wildcats of River Ridge are on the same team as they co-op in both basketball and softball. So, the one, and only sport...

When Galena and River Ridge square off in volleyball, people who follow the sport know that it's the battle among the top two contenders in the NUIC West. But there is also an added twist to the...

Yes, the Lena-Winslow Panthers are an incredibly powerful and polished team, but seeing them blow out opponents repeatedly is not what most fans would consider entertaining. But the back and forth...

The Stockton Blackhawks put up a good fight in the first quarter of their battle with Lena-Winslow. But when the Panthers blocked a Stockton punt and returned it for a touchdown early in the second...

There are only a few things you could always count on: death, taxes, and in volleyball - Eastland always beat Milledgeville. The two schools who co-op in girls track together, could never call their...

The Scales Mound Hornets have had a hard time starting matches this season. in fact, head coach Keri Werner even complained about how they had gone to three games in every single match all year....

It’s True, I confess, I am a Sneaky Pete. Now, I realize that most – if not all of you – have no idea what it is I’m talking about, so let me explain. You see, while growing up in Northwest In...

Ever since the days of Rose Black and Kristy Pierce, the volleyball showdown in the region was almost always between the Lena-Winslow Panthers and Eastland Cougars. Last Tuesday night in Lena, that...

An unforced error in volleyball is sometimes unavoidable. A pass is shanked, a ball comes right at your head without enough time to adjust your hands, or your jersey brushes the net just enough to...

It was supposed to be a big reunion match, where former Aquin assistant coach Maddie Pontius brought her Stockton team to Freeport to challenge her former mentor, Robyn Stovall of Aquin. But instead,...

Officially, Lena-Winslow fullback, Gage Dunker, is listed at 6'0" tall and weighing 211 pounds. But anybody who watched him run roughshod against the Fulton Steamers Friday night, would swear those...

While it is the advantage of hosting a tournament that you get to put together the pools in which teams compete, the very best tournaments – like the Forreston Basketball Tourney – does not play...

1. Lena-Winslow 7 – 1 Panthers fell to 2A Kingston, but so did everybody else, so with no head to head comparison ... 2. Fulton 3 - 0 Fulton just keeps on rolling. Have some big matches coming with...

In last week's story regarding the potential sales tax increase in Freeport, I tried to make the point that instead of constantly looking to raise taxes, maybe the City Council should look at ways in...

I’ve told you about my dog, Bucky. He’s incredibly smart, but is definitely my wife’s dog. I can be gone for ten days, but when I finally come home, he will lift his head off of his bed, see who...

1. Lena-Winslow 2 – 0 Blowing out West carroll is one thing, but dominating Fulton on their home field? Panthers are legit. 2. Forreston 2 – 0 Dakota gave them a game, so props to the INdians,...

Pearl City and Warren officially opened the IHSA Volleyball season with a non-conference battle in Pearl City between two rebuilding programs. And while it was obvious that this was the first game...

The Oregon Hawks are a traditional 2A Volleyball power, while the Eastland Cougars were coming off of a rebuilding year. But if you watched them play each other Tuesday night, and there were no names...