We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
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The River Ridge Wildcats are a solid basketball team. Yes, they are still without George Winter, but in spite of that they claimed third place at the Forreston Tournament over a very good Oregon squad. But one lesson that sports always teaches, is that you can rarely win a game just by showing up ... you need to perform. Maybe it was a left over sugar rush from holiday sweets. Maybe the lack of good snow on the ground didn't have them in basketball mode yet. Or maybe they were given some spiked...
Both Stockton and Warren are seeing the upward side of rebuilding programs as they hover around the 500 mark on the season. So, the opening conference match up between the two schools that co-op in softball had the makings of a good one ... and they didn't disappoint. For Warren, Addy Bohnsack is where the conversation starts. The senior guard was a major force Friday night – scoring 26 points from all over the floor. She could hit threes, score off the dribble, but got a lot of points inside w...
Fans who spent all day Saturday at the Eastland Shoot Out were supposed to see four games, but as it turned out – they ended up seeing five as two different games took place in the night-cap contest between the host Cougars and the Aquin Lady Bulldogs. Throughout the first half, Eastland had their way with the Bulldogs as they were executing their inside-out offense almost to perfection. It began by getting the ball to Olivia Klinefelter in the paint – where Aquin had no answer for the jun...
If you know nothing about fantasy football, you might want to skip this week’s column. But for those who do … I got a good one. First, some background. I play in a fantasy league with my wife in a family league made up primarily of members of my daughter, Caitlin’s husband’s (Jake) and his family. Jake is the commissioner, and I took great pride in beating him in week one because he is a “loud” Packer fan, while I bleed purple. Anyway, the way Yahoo sports runs the leagues, whoever you pick fi...
As the calendar turned over to 2024, we once again look back at the stories that stood out from the year that was – 2023. #10 – Queen Of Hearts For years, the biggest possible life changing windfall people thought about was the Power Ball or Mega Millions, but the new fund raiser that made a lucky few a whole lot of money – not to mention a ton of money for the non-profits who sponsored them – was the Queen of Hearts raffle. How big has it gotten? Well, the one at Little John's Tap surpass...
Prior to their non-conference basketball game against the Eastland Cougars, Whitney Sullivan could be seen with her head down, hanging over. Garbage can near the end of the Bronco bench. "Yeah, Whitney was sick, Laney was sick, I think everyone on the team had a bit of the flu bug in one way or another," said head coach Jay Doyle. "I told Whitney if she was going to be sick to do it in the locker room. Not out in front of everybody." And while Whitney did admit to losing her lunch twice back in...
Nobody was quite sure heading into the non-conference battle between Lena-Winslow and Erie-Prophetstown exactly what would take place. E/P was winless on the young season, with a very young team, while the Panthers had been hot and cold in their four games. They looked like world beaters against some opponents, and like they needed to learn basketball basics in others. But by halftime, the outcome of the game had already been determined as the size, strength and speed of the Lena-Winslow...
No offense intended to the teams Eastland has beaten so far this season, but ... most of them are in rebuild mode. When it came to squaring off against teams in the upper half of the area rankings, Eastland had fallen to Galena, Aquin, Orangeville and Lena-Winslow. So, when they made the trip out to take on the RRSM Wildcats, it was their last chance before Christmas to prove they belonged in the conversation of area powers. Bottom line, they do. Behind a strong game from Olivia Klinefelter,...
Head coach Jay Doyle does not give compliments to his team, and he'd be the first one to admit it. But following what was nearly a flawless first half of basketball against the Morrison Fillies in the championship game of the Pearl City Tournament, he made an exception. "I have to admit it, I was really proud of them," Doyle said. "That was the way I had envisioned us playing. Everyone contributed, our passing was great, our defense controlled the game, I told them this was the best basketball...
I don’t know about you, but one of the things I like the most about Christmas is truly surprising people. As a kid, I was excellent at finding out what I was going to get before Christmas morning. So, now, as an adult, I take great pride in giving the gifts people might want, but convincing them that I’m not. The best example of this – I’m not sure if I ever told this story, so if I did … sorry. But, back when our daughters were living with us, there was one Christmas when they all wanted ne...
Thanksgiving is now over, so that means that it is once again time for the Christmas Spirit to fill us with a sense of the Holidays. But exactly what is this Christmas Spirit anyway? Why is it that some people long for the chance to walk the streets in sub-zero weather singing carols, while others dread the prospect of hauling decorations down from the attic and making the obligatory trip to see the relatives? In order to see where you rank, and how you look at the Holiday season, we offer you...
With the Holiday season now upon us, the theaters and television stations have begun to release this year's set of Christmas Movies. But which ones are the best? Which ones do you have to see each year? Everybody has their own personal favorites, so I took it upon myself to compose this list of my best, and worst, holiday movies. The Classic Favorites: (They may be old, but they're excellent!) It's A Wonderful Life - I can still remember the first time I saw it as a kid - thinking my parents...
While the Speech season opened throughout Illinois back in November, most area teams don’t begin competition until December due to football and participation in other Fall activities. And while some kicked off at the DeKalb Corn Classic on December 2nd, the bigger competition for Northwest Illinois was held December 9th at the Rochelle Invitational. The larger schools dominated the overall team scores, with the only thing worthy of note being that Freeport – a traditional power – was not in th...
With the tradition of football success, the Lena-Winslow basketball fan has to wait for the Panthers to start their season as both athletes and coaches are busy completing a playoff run while most other schools open their season. So, while Monday was the first time the Panthers stepped out onto the floor as they paid a visit to Durand, for the fans who went to watch – it was well worth it. The Panthers were rusty, and it was obvious that this was their first game – one look at their final free t...
It was expected to be a major showdown between two undefeated NUIC North teams. Aquion had the London sisters, while Orangeville had Sullivan and Cahoon. And while the first half lived up to expectations as it was still anybody's ballgame at 24-22, Whitney Sullivan and the Orangeville Broncos completely took over in the third quarter to run away with a dominant 53-34 victory. "It was the emotionally uplifting halftime speech from coach," said his daughter Nadalee Doyle. "It brought tears to our...
The crowd was something you would normally not see until the post season rolled around, but every big basketball fan and local media was on hand in Pecatonica to watch the undefeated Indians play host to the undefeated Scales Mound Hornets in an early season show down of who had bragging rights. And while the first half fully lived up to the billing as the two powerhouses traded blows and baskets back and forth, what was a narrow 33-30 Pecatonica advantage quickly got out of hand in the third...
First they dominated a strong RR/SM team on the road. Then they followed that up with a third quarter shut out of Aquin to blow past the Bulldogs on their home floor. And Thursday night they played host to the twin towers of Lena-Winslow, and ran them off the floor 46-25. Yeah, the Orangeville Broncos are pretty good. "They didn't do anything we weren't ready for," said Panther head coach Dennis Huttenlocher. "But their guards have quick hands, and with Whitney (Sullivan) sitting in the middle...
If you’re anything like my wife and I, you get angry when Halloween hasn’t even arrived yet, and there are already Christmas ads on television. Apparently, in our modern world, November no longer exists as advertisers and retail stores throughout the country quickly change from ghosts and goblins decorating their store to Santa Claus and the Grinch. Admittedly, that aggravation, I admit exists, but I can deal with it. The problem is, that it has spawned several attacks on the Christmas hol...
Everyone knew the Eastland Cougars would be young, but talented this season. The bigger question was how would Aquin star, Adam Awender fit in? That answer was delivered Monday night in Lanark as the Cougars ran past Dakota in a 46-36 non-conference basketball game. From the very beginning, the speed and quickness of the Cougars was evident as they took off early against Dakota – making steals and converting in transition for the quick 8-3 lead. Adam Awender has provided the true point guard tha...
Put together a team that is just now opening its season, against one with limited scorers who then got injured, and points proved to be hard to come by in the non-conference battle between Stockton and Orangeville. The Blackhawks were opening their season – with only two players back with any varsity experience – and in the first quarter it showed. After an early 2-2 tie, the Blackhawks were shut out the rest of the first period – going 0 for 8 from behind the three point line as they tried...
For much of the Girls Basketball early season, we are finding out where teams stand. Quite often, it is a battle between the haves and have nots, but every once in a while – you see two powerhouses square off. Such was the case Friday night as the Orangeville Broncos paid a visit to Elizabeth to take on the RR/SM Wildcats. Early on, you could tell there were jitters. The Wildcats turned the ball over in their first two possessions, but the Broncos got a three point bomb from Laney Cahoon – and t...
There were few expectations when sitting down to cover the Stephenson County Board Thursday night. The meeting was the big fight over ARPS funds – the extra millions of dollars the County had been given that needed to be distributed. And while the vast majority of the money was already "claimed," there was still a million dollars sitting in the Highway Fund that everyone had their eyes on. And, with no other major business to attend to, the "fun" was expected to start right out of the gate. T...
I think my wife is losing it. While we both love my cousin and his wife dearly, sharing your home with anyone – especially for long periods of time – can be trying. And while I have no problem releasing whatever tension might be there with a good old fashioned cussing out of my cousin, my wife would never do that. So, her frustrations need to find some other way of letting themselves … out. Now, replacing the Christmas Tree we always used to have in the front room with the “Leg Lamp” from the...
I was sitting in the corner of the Scales Mound gym, waiting for the next game to start, while listening to Terry spout off about something I had little interest in, when all of a sudden, I see Corey Stuckey walking right over towards me. We almost recognized each other at the same instant … “Holy cow, Stevens, I haven’t seen you in forever.” Corey was there because his nephew was Austin Stuckey, a starter for the Dakota basketball team – and a solid player – so Corey had brought his son – w...
At some point, it had to end. Panther football fans have been spoiled by the most incredible run ever in Illinois 1A football – 32 straight wins – 19 straight playoff wins – 3 straight state championships in a row ... but on Friday in Bloomington, the amazing run of the Lena-Winslow Panthers came to an end at the hands of the same Camp Point Central team they had beaten the year before for their third consecutive state title. "Last year, when we played them, we were young and inexp...
