Saving your best for last is an often overused cliche.
RANTOUL — J.W. Eater coach Ryan Birch called Danville Northridge’s starting pitcher “lights out.”
Fisher results
RANTOUL — When Rantoul resident Wilbur “Bill” Wallis started throwing Frisbees with his brother back in the late ‘60s, he noticed on the back of the Frisbee the words, “Invent games.”
At Rantoul, Prairie Central snagged the top five individual positions in a nine-hole Illini Prairie Conference dual with Rantoul/Paxton-Buckley-Loda at Brookhill Golf Course as the Hawks defeated the Eagles 156-191.
RANTOUL — Cissna Park’s boys varsity golf team team defeated a combined Fisher team 220-225 last Wednesday at Willow Pond Golf Course in nine-hole varsity dual competition.
PAXTON — At Paxton, the new-look PBL Invite was run Saturday in five separate races of two teams each because of COVID-19 related restrictions.
CHRISMAN — Armstrong-Potomac finished 17th with 443 points in the Chrisman Cow Chip Classic held Sept. 5.
HOOPESTON — At Hoopeston. A closely contested nine-hole quadrangular at Hubbard Trail Country Club went in favor of Rantoul/Paxton-Buckley-Loda, which staved off Westville, Hoopeston Area and Fisher by a 210-212-215-229 margin on Aug. 24.
RANTOUL — Mye’Joi Williams is not one to brag about her accomplishments either on the track or in the classroom.
CHAMPAIGN — Tim Sinclair’s perspective on his work as a public address announcer has shifted considerably in the last two years.
One big question: What will it mean if there is no postseason high school sports this season?
RANTOUL — Cross country coaches use different techniques to keep things fresh for their high school charges. Nick Cole used a scavenger hunt one day last week for the Rantoul Township High School runners.
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing high schools around Illinois to take unprecedented steps in order to conduct as normal a 2020-21 athletics schedule as possible.
ROYAL — Jesse Remington has no Plan B if a pro baseball career doesn’t work out. He doesn’t want one.
BUCKLEY — Tim Dillman has seen what Hayden Cargo and Nolan Roseman are capable of on a baseball diamond. And the Royal Giants’ manager has just one question after the latest of those experiences.
RANTOUL — Like many activities, the fourth annual student-athlete exemplar banquet for the 2019-20 school year at Rantoul Township High School had to be canceled due to the coronavirus.
RANTOUL — The Second Annual Back 2 School 5K Run and Walk and 1K Kids Fun Run are set for Saturday, Aug. 15, in Rantoul.
BUCKLEY — For the second year in a row, it will be the Royal Giants versus the Buckley Dutchmasters for the championship of the Eastern Illinois Baseball League postseason tournament.
ROYAL — To the victors go the awards.
BUCKLEY — Royal’s Giants finished the abbreviated regular season in Eastern Illinois Baseball League play Sunday with a sweep of the Paxton Swedes.
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ROYAL — Royal’s Eastern Illinois Baseball League team entered the weekend leading the league with a 4-0 record. Several players with Rantoul connections have played a big part in the Giants’ success.
FISHER — Fisher head football coach Jake Palmer is especially looking forward to his team’s home opener this season.
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RANTOUL — Rantoul head football coach Tom Hess said the Eagles, who are scheduled to open the 2020 season Aug. 28 at home against Prairie Central, have about 50 players who have been working out this summer.
RANTOUL — Sports awards were announced for the 2019—20 school year at St. Malachy School.
ARMSTRONG — Boys and girls athletes at Armstrong Township High School have been getting back in shape in recent weeks, prepping for the seasons they hope will happen.
CHAMPAIGN — The prospects of high school sports taking place in the fall improved during an IHSA visit to tout Champaign- Urbana’s winning bid for the boys’ basketball state finals.
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RANTOUL — No matter that Major League Baseball owners and players can’t come to an agreement to begin the season. Rantoul Youth League players and organizers are saying, “Play ball!”
Fisher head boys basketball coach John Fisher said he hasn’t had to tell one athlete to stay focused as they have been allowed to return to school for workouts during the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
Eastern Illinois Baseball League games will begin next month with four teams.
A chat with a high school athlete preparing for a fall sports season amid the coronavirus pandemic. Today, Rantoul football player COLIN WILKERSON, who will be a senior next season.
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‘I’m just excited that I have the opportunity’
JAKE PALMER‘s last two seasons running Fisher football have been some of the Bunnies’ best ever, resulting in a pair of 8-3 records and two postseason victories. He chatted with us heading into his fifth year on the sideline:
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GIFFORD — Three members of the Eastern Illinois Baseball League, including Gifford-Flatville, will not play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Three of the Sangamon Valley Conference’s longest-standing members will join the Vermilion Valley Conference when the 2021-22 school year commences.
RANTOUL — Tom Wilks guided three boys golfers out of a 2019 Class 2A regional and helped one of them to a state appearance. The Willow Pond Golf Course general manager talks about his upcoming fourth season leading the Eagles:
ARMSTRONG — Wade Rogers had visions of this day when he was a youngster watching Armstrong Township High School basketball.
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RANTOUL — Don’t tell Deon Mennenga you can’t go home again. Mennenga has.
RANTOUL — Youth league baseball and softball won’t be played in Rantoul this summer — at least the start of the season.
RANTOUL — Rantoul’s American Legion baseball program has canceled the 2020 season.
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FISHER — Jake Palmer didn’t quite exactly know what to do the first time he tried to press the new Fisher logo that he was holding in his hands onto a black football helmet.
FISHER — John Fisher and Ross Harden are receiving an opportunity to show they have the chops to coach basketball at the high school level.
Luke Zech:
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What for some time seemed inevitable is now official.IHSA officials on Tuesday canceled all spring sports state series, following the organization's April Board of Directors meeting via video conference.The decision comes on the heels of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker last Friday putting an…
The lights at the football fields at Rantoul and Fisher high schools were lit up Friday night as schools across the state stand together through the difficult time the COVID-19 pandemic has brought.
A month ago, when March Madness got canceled, I thought that it couldn’t get any worse. I was wrong, and now this has turned into my worst nightmare.
I have never wanted to answer the question, What is life like with out sports? But unfortunately I and every other sports fan has had to over the last four weeks.
RANTOUL — Just like almost every sporting event in the country, the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation’s state tournament was canceled last month.
PAXTON — Thirty-one years.
RANTOUL — My old high school track and cross country coach, Wesclin’s Keith Hall, used to tell the team, “if in your mind, you can conceive it and in your heart you can believe it, then you can achieve it”.
