Soccer Aces Blank Mt. Vernon, 7-0; Season Finale Today At 4:30

The MCHS Soccer Aces hosted the Mt Vernon Rams Wednesday night, with the varsity squad winning 7-0, and JV winning 3-2. Levi Beesley started off the scoring, finishing on an assist from Jarrett West in the 22nd minute. Rayce Loudermilk then scored 3 quick goals within the next 10 minutes for a hat trick in the 1st half. His 1st goal was unassisted, the 2nd was on an assist from Ethan Belt and the 3rd was on an assist from Beesley. Britton Heinrich started off the 2nd half by scoring on an assist from Loudermilk in the 45th minute, then adding a goal 10 minutes later on an assist from Eli Bertram. Heinrich got the 2nd hat trick of the game by scoring his 3rd goal of the 2nd half, unassisted, in the 61st minute of play for the final score of 7-0. The Aces took 22 shots, 13 on frame, created 9 additional scoring chances & had 21 interceptions. Tye Kanipe and Robert King both took turns in goal for the shutout. Kanipe had 1 save. Mt Vernon took 2 shots, 1 on frame.

The JV match was a bit more back and forth, but Aces were able to prevail 3-2. Aiden Garwood scored the first goal to give the Aces the 1-0 lead. Mt Vernon responded with a goal to tie the match up, with the Aces regaining the lead when Shade Loudermilk and a Rams player went for a ball in the box, which ended up bouncing in off the opposing player due to Loudermilk's hustle. The Rams again tied the match up, until King scored the game winning goal with just a few minutes remaining, putting in a header, assisted by Bertram and Beesley.

This was our 3rd match in as many days so you just never know how much the guys will have in the tank in these situations, but they came out and played with energy tonight. We might have had the most interceptions we've had in a match yet this season, which is often a good indication of how aggressively we're playing defensively. On offense we did a good job of possessing the ball and moving it around the field to open up some opportunities for ourselves. Mt Vernon kept bringing a lot of players back and packing the box a bit, so that gave us some trouble for a bit in the first 20 minutes or so, but once that first goal went in, the flood gates kind of opened and we started finishing at a better rate. We have to turn right around and play another match tomorrow night, our 4th in 4 days, so hopefully we're able to maintain the same energy level we had tonight against a good Marion squad. It's a lot to ask of any team, but if we still have some fuel in the tank, this should be a good game.

The win brings the Aces record to 8-2 (3-0) on the season. JV ends the season 2-2-1. The final match of the season, against the Marion Wildcats, will be at home at 4:30 pm on Thursday April 15th.

Aces Soccer Win At Newton, 4-3

From Coach Ed Berberich: The MCHS soccer Aces traveled to Newton, for a rematch of their 1st game of the season, coming away with a hard-fought 4-3 win. The Aces struck first, scoring in the 10th minute when Rayce Loudermilk finished an assist from Ethan Belt. Newton would respond with a goal of their own 4 minutes later to tie it up. The Aces regained the lead in the 21st minute on an unassisted goal from Belt. Loudermilk added to the lead on an assist from Aiden Garwood in the 30th minute, putting the score at 3-1 Aces at the half. The Eagles got it back to within 1 when, 6 minutes into the 2nd half, they scored on a corner kick. Loudermilk then gave the Aces a lift, and a small cushion, when he achieved a hat trick on a chipped shot over the Eagles goalkeeper in the 53rd minute of play, assisted by Garwood. Newton again clawed back into the game, scoring with 13 minutes left to make the score 4-3, after which the Aces held on defensively to take home the win. The Aces took 15 shots in the match with 9 on frame, had 9 chances created, and 10 interceptions. Tye Kanipe had 7 saves in goal. The Eagles took 16 shots on goal with 8 being on frame.

This was a tough match the whole way through. We did a better job with playing with intensity in this one than we had in our most recent match, against Harrisburg, so we were happy to see that. When we come out and play with aggression, we're going to give ourselves a good chance in any game. We gave up a little too much space in the midfield area, and struggled with handling some of the long balls Newton sent over the top, but otherwise did fairly well against a good team. They were fast on the counter-attack and were able to put some pressure on us in that regard. That style of play can give us some trouble at times because we want to be aggressive in attack and get players upfield for the numbers advantage up high. A team that's good on the counter, as Newton is, can take advantage of that at times. That said, we held up just enough and finished enough of our opportunities to be able to get a good win tonight. We won't get much time to enjoy it, or to rest up, as we have to turn around and play our 3rd match in as many days against Mt Vernon on Wednesday. This one took a bit out of us, but hopefully we'll have enough of our legs left to put in a good showing Wednesday.

The win puts the Aces record at 7-2 (3-0) on the season.

West Berwick Hosts Jr. High Invite

West Berwick Golf Club, MCHS Girls Golf Coach Karin Kelsey and the Lady Aces golf team hosted the first annual West  Berwick Jr.  High Golf Invite . Six area schools participated. 

With this being the  first year that Jr High Schools  can play in a state series tournament it was a excellent opportunity for the participants to prepare for their upcoming  tournaments at the state level. Regional for boys will be played April 27th at Benton and State for both boys and girls will be held at Rend Lake ion May 11. 

Today’s results are; 

 

7th-8th Grade Boys

Medalist Reese Glover, 42; Olney

2nd Mason Hart, 44; McLeansboro

3rd Kollin Kelsey, 46; Allendale

4th Ayden Nealis, 49; Olney

5th Avery Gardner 56; Fairfield

 

7th - 8th Grade Girls

Medalist Emily Gottman, 44; St. Mary’s 

2nd Mylie Kennard, 45; Mt. Carmel

3rd Elyse Swanson, 53; Mt. Carmel

 

6th Grade Girls (5holes)

Medalist Kourtney Hall, 28; St. Mary’s 

2nd Ella Turner, 35; St. Mary’s 

3rd Bayley Andrews 38; St. Mary’s 

Lady Aces Storm Back To Beat Newton On Armstrong's Walk-Off Hit

From Coach Kyle Buss:

The Lady Aces beat the Newton Lady Eagles 10-9 with a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the 7th by Maleah Armstrong. 

The Aces trailed 9-6 in the bottom of the 6th inning when Stormie Devine tied the game with a 3 run homerun. 

After Faith Fuller shut down the Eagles in the top of the 7th, Carli Merrit led off the 7th with a walk. Then Olivia Stinson had a perfect bunt. With runners on second and third, Maleah Armstrong hit a base hit to right field to win the game! 

“All around great team win. Everybody in the lineup either had a hit, a run, or an RBI. Our lineup is as deep as it has ever been. With our firepower we never feel like we are out of the game. The girls stayed locked in the entire game and never doubted their ability to score enough runs to win it. Faith Fuller did an excellent job in the circle and showed how much she has grown as a pitcher since her sophomore year. As a sophomore, I’m not sure if she finishes the game the way she did today. But she stepped up for her team and had a huge shutdown inning in the Top of the 7th. 

I couldn’t be more excited about this team. We have a number of girls who can contribute. Not all of them could get in tonight but there’s so many girls that are going to contribute on this year’s team and that’s very exciting as a coach.” 

-Coach Kyle Buss

The JV also got the win 10-1 in 3 innings. The Lady Aces next game will be in Carmi on Monday, April 19th at 4:30. 

Unofficial Stats From Mt. Carmel 41, Flora 6

    April 10, 2021

Flora High School

Partly Sunny-60 Degrees

 

Mt. Carmel 41 vs Flora 6

 

I.                  Mt. Carmel Statistics

 

A.  Rushing = 20 carries - 240 Total Yards

1.   Zeke Hadra           8 carries            214 yards (4 TD)

2.   Cole Broster         6 carries              -9 yards

3.   Beau Stipp            1 carry                  19 yards

4.   Caleb Norrick      1 carry                  3 yards

5.   Asher Kight           1 carry                  8 yards

6.   Andrew Gillihan 1 carry                    8 yards

7.   Shain Weir            1 carry                   3 yards

8.   Kota Mounts        1 carry                  -6 yards

 

B.  Receiving = 6 catches - 171 Total Yards

1.   Beau Stipp            2 catches      146 yards (2 TD)

2.   Zeke Hadra           2 catches          16 yards

3.   Blayne Sisson      1 catch                 5 yards

4.   Zach Allen             1 catch                 4 yards

 

C.   Passing = 6-10= 171 Total Yards

1.    Cole Broster        5 completions = 170 yards (2 TD)

2.    Kota Mounts       1 completion = 1 yard

 

D. First Downs  - 14

E.   Punts – 2 (30 yard Avg)

F.    Penalties – 6 for 50 yards

G. Fumbles – 3 (2 lost)

 

II.               Flora Statistics

 

A.  Rushing = 36 carries – 81 Total Yards

1.   Drew Howe           13 carries             57 yards

2.   Jake Helm                 9 carries              2 yards

3.   Hayden Gibson.      5 carries            13 yards

4.   Beau Propes              5 carries           16 yards (1 TD)

5.   John Mc Gee             3 carries.            1 yard               

6.   Malachi Toliv34       1 carries            -8 yards

 

B.  Receiving = 7 catches – 72 Total Yards

1.   Drew Howe               2 catches          39 yards

2.   Cole Young                2 catches          26 yards

3.   Beau Propes             1 catch                 7 yards

4.   Jacob Hawkins         1 catch                 1 yard

5.   John McGee              1 catch               -1 yard

 

C.   Passing = 7-17 = 72 Total Yards

1.   Jace Helm                   7 completions = 72 yards

 

D. First Downs – 10

E.   Punts – 5 (31 yard avg)

F.    Penalties – 2 for 20 yards

G. Fumbles – 3 (0 lost)

 

Scoring

 

          First Quarter

          9:19           MC   15 yard run by Hadra (kick good by Loudermilk)

Mt. Carmel 7 Flora 0

 

5:52           MC   81 yard pass from Broster to Stipp

(Kick good by Loudermilk)                         Mt. Carmel 14 Flora 0

 

1:56           MC 20 yard run by Hadra (Kick Failed)

                                                                             Mt. Carmel 20 Flora 0

 

          Second Quarter

3:22           MC  85 yard run by Hadra (kick good by Loudermilk)                                                                                       Mt. Carmel 27 Flora 0

 

          Third Quarter

7:23           MC  65 yard pass from Broster to Stipp (kick good by Loudermilk)                                                     Mt. Carmel 34 Flora 0

 

4:05           MC  54 yard run by Hadra (Kick good by Loudermilk)

                                                                             Mt. Carmel 41 Flora 0

 

          Fourth Quarter

          8:00           Flora  5 yard run by P:ropes (pass failed)

                                                                                      Mt. Carmel 41 Flora 6

 

 

 

Yellow Jackets Receive Championship Banners

Yellow Jackets Basketball, a co-op of Allendale School and St. Mary's School, recently received their banners to hang in the gym to recognize the SIJHSAA Regional Championship the team won during the 2021 season.

(L-R): Alex McGinnis, Karson Ash, Mark Vaupel, Chase Gher, Kollin Kelsey, Brendan Bowser, Cameron Kolb

(L-R): Alex McGinnis, Karson Ash, Mark Vaupel, Chase Gher, Kollin Kelsey, Brendan Bowser, Cameron Kolb

(L-R) Brady Porter, Reed Stinson, Will Freeland, Elliott Acree, Kasen Dulgar

(L-R) Brady Porter, Reed Stinson, Will Freeland, Elliott Acree, Kasen Dulgar

Aces Finish Tied For 2nd In Final AP Boys Basketball Poll

Class 2A

School W-L Pts Prv

1. Rockford Lutheran (9) 16-0 99 1

t-2. Mt. Carmel (1) 16-2 79 3

t-2 Breese Central 15-0 79 4

4. Corliss (1) 11-2 75 2

5. Elmhurst Timothy Christian 14-2 68 5

6. Nashville 14-1 56 T6

7. Macomb 14-0 41 8

8. Fieldcrest 12-1 34 10

9. Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield) 11-5 26 9

10. Breese Mater Dei 12-2 10 NR

Others receiving votes: Clark 8. Fairfield 8. Massac County 6. Teutopolis 5. Carterville 4. Hillsboro 3. Deer Creek-Mackinaw 1. Eureka 1. Chicago King 1. Pinckneyville 1.

Photo courtesy: FlashMac Photography

Photo courtesy: FlashMac Photography

Two Shutout Wins Propel Soccer Aces To 3-0 Record

From Coach Ed Berberich: The Mt Carmel Aces soccer team recently played 2 matches, winning both to start their season at 3-0. They first traveled to Effingham on Tuesday 3/16, beating the host Bulldogs 7-0, then came home to play host to the Harrisburg Bulldogs on Monday evening, winning that one 10-0.

Against St Anthony, Rayce Loudermilk started the scoring for the Aces in the 5th minute, getting his goal on an assist from Conner Adams. Ethan Belt scored unassisted 1 minute later, followed 3 minutes later by Britton Heinrich scoring on an assist from Brady Decker for a quick 3-0 Aces lead within the first 8 minutes of the match. Heinrich scored again in the 20th minute assisted by Eli Bertram, with Rayce Loudermilk also getting another goal 5 minutes later, unassisted. Belt got his 2nd goal of the match in the 39th minute, assisted by Levi Beesley, and Jack Deisher completed the scoring when he finished off an assist from Aiden Garwood for the 7-0 final. Tye Kanipe was in goal for the entire match to get the shut-out, collecting 1 save. For the game, the Aces took 29 shots, with 19 being on frame, created 12 additional scoring chances and intercepted 7 passes. St Anthony took 2 shots, 1 on frame.

The Harrisburg match started off in similar fashion, with the Aces scoring 4 goals in the first 10 minutes. Bertram scored in the first minute, assisted by Heinrich, with Heinrich scoring 1 minute later unassisted. Belt scored in the 4th minute, assisted by Heinrich, with Henrich getting another unassisted goal in the 10th minute for the quick 4-0 lead. Alternating scoring goals, Belt again scored in the 14th minute, unassisted. Shade Loudermilk got in on the scoring with a goal in the 24th minute, assisted by Heinrich. Heinrich then scored his 3rd goal of the match, collecting the hat trick, assisted by Garwood. Deisher scored just a couple minutes into the 2nd half, assisted by Decker, on a rebound of a penalty kick taken by Decker. Garwood would score 2 minutes later on an assist from Luke Hipsher. Rayce Loudermilk would complete the scoring for the match, getting the Aces' 10th goal in the 51st minute, unassisted. For the match the Aces took 30 shots, with 21 being on frame, created 7 additional scoring chances and had 7 interceptions. Kanipe was again in goal for the duration. Harrisburg was unable to get a shot off in the match.

With the weather we've had so far we've gotten very little outdoor practice time under our belts, so the guys are doing pretty good when factoring that in. We're having to replace a lot from last year but the returning guys who've stepped up into new roles, and some of the Freshman who have jumped right in, are performing well for us all without having had much time to get acclimated to their new situations. Each game, we've gotten a little better with our passing accuracy and our passing decisions, looking to move the ball all over the field and use Tye in the back to help shut down attacks and keep possession. On that last point this was our best game so far at using Tye to keep, or win, possession. That's an easier thing to do when we're not under a lot of pressure like tonight of course, but the mindset has to be there regardless, and we displayed much more of that as compared to the first couple matches. We still need to work a bit on our build up play in attack but that's been coming along in each game. We also need to work on keeping our shape in attack, as that'll be key against better teams that can take advantage of a team that's out of shape. The other big thing to work on is our defensive shape in the back, and our pressuring of the ball as a team higher up the field with the midfielders and forwards working together to force turnovers. As I said though, considering the extreme lack of practice time, I'm pretty pleased with where we're at in those areas, they're just some things we hope to be able to work on soon. They're also things that just take some practice time to get down, so it comes naturally in the matches. The lack of a state series is really disappointing because I feel we have a team that is already good but has the chance to really develop as the season goes along, with the all the new faces learning as we go.

The Aces' record now stands at 3-0 (1-0) on the season with the remaining matches this week scheduled for Wednesday 3/24 at Centralia, followed by a home match, and Senior Night, against Olney on 3/25 at 4:30 pm.

Stats From Mt. Carmel 20, Paris 7

        March 20, 2021

Riverview Stadium-Mt. Carmel

Sunny-60 Degrees

 Mt. Carmel vs Paris

 

I.                  Mt. Carmel Statistics

 

A.  Rushing = 41 carries - 271 Total Yards

1.   Zeke Hadra           23 carries         202 yards

2.   Blayne Sisson      1 carry                27 yards

3.   Beau Stipp            1 carry                16 yards

4.   Cole Broster         14 carries           14 yards

5.   Dirk Kight              1 carry               12 yards

6.   Zach Allen             1 carry                 0 yards

 

B.  Receiving = 4 catches - 92 Total Yards

1.   Beau Stipp            1 catch              63 yards

2.   Noah Martin        1 catch              17 yards

3.   Zeke Hadra           1 catch              10 yards

4.   Blayne Sisson      1 catch                2 yards

 

C.   Passing = 4-6 = 92 Total Yards

1.    Cole Broster        4 completions = 92 yards       

 

D. First Downs  - 15

E.   Punts – 2 (32 yard avg)

F.    Penalties – 10 for 75 yards

G. Fumbles – 3 (2 lost)

II.               Paris Statistics

 

A.  Rushing = 26 carries – 37 Total Yards

1.   Perry                  16 carries         27 yards

2.   Hutchings           4 carries           13 yards

3.   Mohler                4 carries          4 yards

4.   Kohlmeyer         1 carry            2 yards

5.   Phillips                1 carry            1 yard

 

B.  Receiving = 12 catches – 114 Total Yards

1.   King                    3 catches           22 yards

2.   Sullivan             3 catches           31 yards

3.   Phillips              2 catches           44 yards

4.   Mohler              2 catches           0 yards

5.   Kindred             1 catch               11 yards

6.   Hutchings         1 catch              6 yards    

 

C.   Passing = 12-19 = 114 Total Yards

1.   Perry                  12 completions = 114 Yards

 

D. First Downs – 10

E.   Punts – 6 (38 yard avg)

F.    Penalties – 6 for 40 yards

G. Fumbles – 0

 

Scoring

 

          First Quarter

          9:18 MC   (53 yard run by Hadra) (kick failed)) Mt. Carmel 6 Paris 0

          0:41 MC  (16 yard run by Stipp) (kick good by Loudermilk) Mt. Carmel 13 Paris 0

          Third Quarter

3:36 MC  (63 yard pass from Broster to Stipp (kick good by Loudermilk)     Mt. Carmel 20 Paris 0

           Fourth Quarter

          6:18 Paris (2 yard run by Perry (kick good by King)    MC 20 Paris 7

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Christy McPherson

Photo Credit: Christy McPherson

Yellow Jackets Capture 2nd Straight Regional Title By Blasting St. Joe, 52-12

From Coach Bob Bowser: On Monday, March 15th, Yellow Jackets Basketball hosted St. Joe for the SIJHSAA Class S Region 15 Regional Championship game. The Yellow Jackets came out on fire and held the lead after one quarter of play, 20-2. With all players getting on the floor in the second quarter, the Yellow Jackets extended the lead to 34-5 at halftime. Things slowed down in the second half, but the Yellow Jackets kept their intensity on defense and led after three quarters 42-7. In the fourth quarter, the Yellow Jackets were able to bring it home and keep the trophy for the second year in Yellow Jackets Country with the final score of 52-12. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was: Reed Stinson with 16 points, Elliott Acree with 13 points, Kollin Kelsey with 10 points, Brendan Bowser with 4 points, Kasen Dulgar with 2 points, Brady Porter with 2 points, Alex McGinnis with 2 points, Mark Vaupel with 2 points, and Chase Gher with 1 point. Every Yellow Jacket player dressed for the game scored!! The Yellow Jackets finish the season 6-4 overall and Back-to-Back Regional Champs. In fact, this is the second year of the boys basketball co-op and each year has finished as Regional Champions. Congratulations to all of the boys, as they had to fight through this season playing with a mask on, missing two weeks of the season for snowmageddon, and not having much time to practice before or during the season. They played 10 games in this year of the pandemic, which is 10 more than we thought we would get. Great season, great memories, GO YELLOW JACKETS!!

160615073_3044091589152083_3492592347051536783_n.jpg

Jackets Advance To Regional Championship Game With Win Over Geff

On Wednesday, March 10th, Yellow Jackets Basketball hosted Geff in the semi-final of the SIJHSAA Class S Regional.  The Yellow Jackets are the 1-seed and Geff was the 4-seed.  In the first quarter, the Yellow Jackets played some awesome defense and held the lead after 7-minutes of play, 8-0.  The second quarter was a different story.  Geff showed why they are a good ballclub and stormed back, but the Yellow Jackets still led at halftime 16-14.  In the third quarter, the two teams traded buckets and the Yellow Jackets were still on top, 24-22 with 7 minutes to go.  In the fourth quarter, the Yellow Jackets built the lead and held on to win the game 33-26.  I can't say enough about the great defense the guys played.  Just six days ago that same Geff team scored 49 points on us.  The boys had a solid week of practice and really wanted to play in the Regional Championship game.  Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was:  Brendan Bowser with 10 points, Elliott Acree with 9 points, Reed Stinson with 8 points, Kollin Kelsey with 5 points, and Chase Gher with 1 point.  Free throws are still a problem for us, as the team was 5-16 on the night.  The Yellow Jackets A-team now moves to 5-4 on the season.

Next up: Yellow Jackets will host either St. Joe or West Salem for the Regional Championship on Monday, March 15th at 6 pm. GO JACKETS!!

Aces Soccer Kick Off 2021 Season with 4-1 Win Over Newton

Aces soccer recap from Coach Ed Berberich:

The soccer Aces were finally able to kick off their 20-21 season with a home match against the Newton Eagles, falling behind early but eventually fighting back for the 4-1 victory. The Eagles scored the season's first goal on a corner kick 10 minutes into the match. The Aces responded with a goal from Britton Heinrich to tie it at 1-1. Levi Beesley gave the Aces the lead shortly after, scoring a goal on a rebound with Heinrich assisting, making the score 2-1 at the half. In the 2nd half Jarrett West scored on a free kick from about 30 yards out to give the Aces a 3-1 lead. Ethan Belt completed the scoring for the match, finishing with an assist from Rayce Loudermilk. Goalkeeper Tye Kanipe had 3 saves while minding the net.

It's been a long time coming but we were finally able to get out there and it felt good to be playing again. That would've been true regardless of the result, but of course we're happy to get the win. We looked a bit rusty, which was to be expected, but the guys are good enough to play through some of those issues and as the game went on we started to look a little more like the team I expect to see. Mid-way through the 2nd half or so, we started passing the ball better and using Tye to keep possession and to help shut down Newton's attacks. The good news is that as much as we still need to work on, we were able to get the result we wanted. We have a lot of returning talent on this team, but at the same time we have a lot of talent to replace from last year, so it was good to see some new players step up & perform well along with the expected strong performance of the returning players. Conner Adams and Ivan Holt in particular, were thrown out there a lot in this one and performed very well in what are basically new positions for them. Our success this year will depend in large part on whether or not we continue to get some new players to step up. If we work at it, I feel we have a team that should get better and better as the season goes along, as the new players learn what we want and as we continue to build chemistry.

IHSA March Board of Directors Meeting: Spring Sport Guidelines & Postseason Reviewed, IDPH Raises Spectator Limits For Outdoor Sports

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting, which included both virtual and in-person attendance, on Monday, March 8, 2021, where the Board took action on three items.

ACTION
1. The Board approved a recommendation to approve guidance for IHSA sports that include Baseball, Boys Gymnastics, Boys Tennis, Football, Boys & Girls Lacrosse, Boys & Girls Soccer, Softball, Boys & Girls Track & Field, Boys & Girls Volleyball, and Boys & Girls Water Polo. The sport-by-sport mitigation guidelines follow all IDPH All-Sports Policy Guidelines and will be posted online and shared with coaches and school personnel later this week.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“We are eager to inform our coaches of the mitigation guidance so they can better prepare for their upcoming seasons and we plan to get detailed information out to them soon. However, this decision came with some trepidation from the IHSA Board of Directors. There are several instances where the current IDPH mitigations give us pause. The Board wants to move forward for the overall good of IHSA student-athletes, however, they ask that we remain diligent in our staff efforts to have IDPH reconsider certain mitigation guidelines. The IHSA has been a national leader in risk mitigation throughout our 100-plus year history and have adapted our scope to include safety against COVID-19. It is imperative that the expertise from our Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and staff must be heeded.”

2. The Board approved a recommendation to approve dates and parameters for an IHSA State Series in traditional spring sports that include Badminton, Baseball, Softball, Bass Fishing, BoyS Gymnastics, Boys Tennis, Boys Volleyball, Girls Soccer, Journalism, Boys & Girls Lacrosse, Boys & Girls Track & Field, and Boys & Girls Water Polo. All tournaments are currently expected to conduct all rounds of competition, including a State Final. Boys Volleyball and Boys & Girls Lacrosse cannot conduct State Finals under current IDPH mitigations, however, the Board approved plans to host State Finals in both sports in hopes that mitigation changes will allow for it by that time. State Final qualifiers in some individual sports may be modified to better meet gathering mitigations. The State Series guidelines will be posted online and shared with coaches and school personnel later this week.

3. The Board approved a recommendation to form a partnership with Teall Properties Group (TPG) to aid in securing corporate partnerships for the Association.


APPEALS & ELIGIBILITY RULINGS
1. The Board overturned the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Aledo (Mercer County). The student was initially ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-laws 3.030 and 3.040 and is now eligible immediately.


DISCUSSION ITEMS
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the March 8, 2021, agenda:
1. The Board heard a report from the Executive Director on a March 8 update from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to its All-Sports Policy. IHSA schools located in Regions that are in Phase 4 can increase spectators from 50 persons to 20% venue capacity in outdoor sports. This increase in spectator attendance is applicable for outdoor sports only.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“We have been adamant in our discussions with IDPH that we believe we can safely and responsibly expand spectator guidelines without risking the general public to greater exposure to COVID-19 . This felt like a commonsense change, especially as we evaluated collegiate and pro sport spectator guidelines in the state, and are happy for the student-athletes who will be participating in IHSA outdoor sports this spring and summer, as well as for their families and friends.”

2. The Board heard a report from the Executive Director on the first meeting of the IHSA Financial Ad Hoc Committee, which is charged with planning the IHSA’s financial plan for the future as the Association recovers from the economic impact of the pandemic.

3. The Board discussed the timeline for the 2021-22 membership renewal notice. The IHSA Financial Ad Hoc Committee will meet again on March 11 and will recommend a membership fee plan for the 2021-22 school year for the Board to review and vote on at its April meeting.

4. The Board heard discussed a request from Aurora (Christian) related to the multiplier, but took no action.

5. The IHSA Executive Director informed the Board that Champaign (Academy High School) has met all membership qualifications and is now an IHSA member school.

Jackets Wrap Up Regular Season With Sweep At Clay City

On Friday, March 5th, Yellow Jackets basketball traveled to Clay City to finish the regular season.  In the B-game, the Yellow Jackets jumped out on top in the first quarter 16-2.  The second quarter was not a good one for the B-team, but they still held a slim lead at 23-19.  The second half was better though, as the Yellow Jackets led  32-22 after three quarters and finished the game on top by the final score of 39-28.  Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was:  Brady Porter with 17 points, Elliott Acree with 7 points, Brendan Bowser with 6 points, Cameron Kolb with 6 points, Tim Harness with 2 points, and Kasen Dulgar with 1 point.  The B-team finishes the regular season with a 4-2 record.

In the A-game, the Yellow Jackets got out to a fast start, leading 16-3 after one quarter.  Not as much scoring in the second quarter, but the Yellow Jackets stretched the halftime lead to 25-7.  The Yellow Jackets stayed hot in the 3rd quarter, extending the lead to 40-15.  The final score saw the Yellow Jackets on top 42-21.  Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was:  Reed Stinson with 12 points, Elliott Acree with 12 points, Kollin Kelsey with 8 points, Brendan Bowser with 6 points, Chase Gher with 2 points, and Alex McGinnis with 2 points.  The A-team completes the regular season with a 4-4 record.  

Next up: SIJHSAA Regional. Semi-final game on Wednesday, March 10th at home against Geff at 6 pm.

Yellow Jackets Split At Geff

On Thursday, March 4th, Yellow Jackets basketball traveled to Geff for two games. In the B-game, the Yellow Jackets jumped out on top in the first quarter 11-4 and never looked back. At halftime it was 21-4 and after three quarters the Yellow Jackets led 27-10. The Yellow Jackets won the game 32-12. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was: Kasen Dulgar with 11 points, Brady Porter with 9 points, Cameron Kolb with 4 points, Tim Harness with 4 points, Elliott Acree with 2 points, and Brendan Bowser with 2 points. The B-team is now 3-2 on the season.

In the A-game, Geff came out and set the tone in the first quarter, leading 16-9. The lead extended at halftime, with Geff on top 28-17. In the third quarter, the Yellow Jackets came to life and fought their way back to get within 34-28. That would be as close as the Yellow Jackets would get, as the final score showed Geff winning 49-38. Rebounding, rebounding, and rebounding were the top three culprits in the loss at Geff. Geff was the taller team and had way too many second, third, and fourth opportunities. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was: Elliott Acree with 11 points, Kollin Kelsey with 9 points, Chase Gher with 9 points, Reed Stinson with 5 points, Brendan Bowser with 2 points, and Mark Vaupel with 2 points. The A-team is now 3-4 on the season.

Next up: Friday night at Clay City. B-team game begins at 6 pm.

Single Game Reds Tickets Go On Sale March 17th

The Cincinnati Reds are excited to announce a limited number of single game tickets for the 2021 season at Great American Ball Park will go on sale Wednesday, March 17 at 9 a.m. exclusively at reds.com. This public on sale excludes Opening Day.

The ticket windows at Great American Ball Park will open the following day on Thursday, March 18 at 9 a.m.

Tickets purchased for the 2021 season will be issued digitally via the MLB Ballpark app to allow contactless entry, including those purchased at the ticket windows.

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Jackets Win Two Of Three Over West Salem

On Monday, March 1st, Yellow Jackets basketball hosted West Salem in junior high boys basketball. In the A-game, the Yellow Jackets jumped out to an 18-0 lead after one quarter and never looked back. At halftime it was 31-9 and 36-15 after three quarters of play. In the fourth quarter, West Salem made a run at it, but the Yellow Jackets prevailed 39-29. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was: Elliott Acree with 11 points, Reed Stinson with 10 points, Kollin Kelsey with 7 points, Chase Gher with 5 points, Brendan Bowser with 2 points, Mark Vaupel with 2 points, and Will Freeland with 2 points. The A-team is now 3-3 on the season.

In the B-game, the both teams played to a draw at 8-8 in the first quarter. At halftime, West Salem led 14-12 and 20-19 after three quarters of play. In the fourth quarter, Brady Porter's scoring brought the Yellow Jackets to a tie with seconds remaining in the game and Kasen Dulgar made one freethrow to seal the victory for the Yellow Jackets. Final score was 25-24 in favor of the Yellow Jackets. Will Freeland led the team in scoring with 7 points, Elliott Acree had 5 points, Brady Porter had 5 points, Brendan Bowser had 5 points, and Kasen Dulgar had 3 points. The B-team is now 2-2 on the season.

In the C-game, West Salem won 19-10. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was: Tim Harness with 8 points and Aubren Hockgeiger with 2 points. The C-team finished their snow-shortened season 0-2.

Next up: Yellow Jackets travel to Geff for a 6 pm start on Thursday, March 4th.