Arthur-Lovington wins by a point

The Arthur-Lovington Knights upset 2007 3A playoff team Fithian-Oakwood 20-19, punctuated with a last minute game-winning field goal by senior Dan Bolsen.

With a 7-7 tie at the half, the Knights went ahead on a Bolsen field goal to start the third quarter, and Fithian-Oakwood scored two touchdowns, but missed the extra point on each, and the Knights scored a touchdown on a touchdown run by Justin Schuring, and then Bolsen scored the field goal to win.

Below is a box score of the game. See Wednesday's News-Progress for an in-depth article, featuring interviews with Bolsen and coach Dale Schuring, stats and other details.

Arthur-Lovington 20
Fithian-Oakwood 19

Tuscola beats Redskins, 40-6

The Sullivan-Okaw Valley Redskins suffered a 40-0 loss to the Tuscola Warriors tonight.

Turnovers and a tough Warriors defense were the story of the one-sided loss for the Redskins, as they gave the ball up four times on fumbles. They had a hard time getting
anything on offense, too, not scoring in the entire game until Chance Typer caught a Tyler Frerichs pass in the corner of the end zone as time ran out at the end of the game.

The Redskins defense started strong, but were just worn out by the second half, when Tuscola's passing game began to take form.

Below is a quick box score of the game. Check Wednesday's News-Progress for complete stats, quotes from Lorton, and more details of the action.
Final = Tuscola 40, Sullivan 6

Tuscola	6	15	19	0
S-OV	0	0	0	6

Easily distracted

The Sullivan High School volleyball team served it up last night at their Meet The Redskins event. I sat in the bleachers, right next to the high school kids, who were really interested in the game.

OK, not really. There was a good crowd of them, 10-15 in all, but they weren't waving signs or wearing face paint. They actually weren't even looking at the game, and most of them didn't even have their bodies pointed towards the court.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, that's high school. It actually amazed me just how fast these high school kids could interact, but it even amazed me more that I had forgotten that I, too, had talked at that speed. I had sat in bleachers, too, and somehow demonstrated a two-minute scene from 'Tommy Boy' in only eight seconds, and explained, in detail, the funny way noise that guy next to me at the Amoco made while I was filling up my Slushee, and the funny walk he had as he left.

Apparently I had somehow forgotten my young, espastic self, but it all came back to me when I saw these kids. I graduated just 10 years ago, in 1998, and already this lust for story telling appears long gone. A sugar rush back then would mean cartwheels and backflips (Which surprised me, too, without any training), and now it means walking a little faster.

I do miss those days when when my mouth raced to tell a story that could top yours, or when I could hurry to tell what band I had just discovered, hoping it could express who I was. Now I can only rely on my job and car to do that, and my 1999 Ford Taurus is looking really dusty these days.

I looked at this cluster of students, which had them coming and going from it like bees from a hive, and then I looked across the gym at the adults. Simply put, it's relaxing to be an adult.

By the way, the kids didn't know what they were missing, the volleyball team looked excellent.

Now serving...

The Sullivan Lady Redskins volleyball team stepped onto the court in front of a crowd last night for the first time, in its Meet The Redskins open scrimmage.

The girls looked good, as the freshmen and JV teams appeared to be getting their volleys in pretty solidly, sending the ball back-and-forth across the net throughout their matches, and the varsity team showed why they are the varsity team.

Varsity hitters such as Emily Sanders and Stefanie Wolfe were pounding the ball, not leaving much of an opportunity for the other side to volley it back. Their serves were strong and their spikes were normally on the mark. They also seemed intense, along with the freshmen and JV teams, as everyone seemed very intent on playing well.

There was a good crowd, too, which you can also read about in my next blog.

Below are some pics from the event. Their first game will be at home Tuesday against Okaw Valley High School.

Baseball to implement instant replay?

Could someone please play that one back for me??

Did Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig really announce today that they are implementing instant replay into America's Pastime? SERIOUSLY??

I mean, I've seen commentary columns on Websites and in papers, skimmed headlines of players and coaches for and against the idea, and everything else that happens every time this idea is brought up (once every 3-4 years, on average), and I just disregarded them, the same thing I do every 3-4 years that this comes up.

Because it never happens. And it shouldn't ever happen.

Maybe my two cents are coming a little too late, after the decision had already been made and everyone has probably already made their arguments at their respective water coolers, but here goes nothing.

Let me start with the purist angle. Baseball is a classic sport, pridefully dubbed "America's Pastime," and with good reason. Why else do you think the most successful baseball stadiums are either classic themselves(Wrigley, Fenway), or throwbacks. All stadiums being built today are trying to look like they were built in 1915.

No other sport embraces its heritage and antique persona, not basketball, not football or hockey or auto racing or any of them - just baseball. But instant replay, a technology not available in 1915, totally throws that off course and destroys the classic sentiment.

From the realist angle, fans are going to hate it, and soon umpires will hate the fans. I mean even more than before. If there is any problem that people have with baseball, it's that it is too slow moving and boring. I don't agree with that and you may not, either, but we all have heard that argument. Well, here comes something to make it just a bit slower. And while instant replay works well for spectators of the fast-moving sport of football, it won't for the slower-moving sport of baseball. Football is a sport where there is so much action one play after another that if the fans think there was a missed call, they may become upset and yell a bit, but will forget about it after one or two more fast-moving sets of downs. But in baseball, if fans think there was a missed call, they will stew on it during the next pitch, and the following curveball, and ten fastballs later, and in the next inning, and it may just build and build until Wrigley Field is hardly noticeable under all the Old Style cups.

I'm not worried about coaches, I'm worried about fans. Fans will want to take ownership of this, and I expect we will see a lot of angry retaliation.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella said this in an AP story:
"I shouldn't say it's not going to work, but this could turn into a little bit of a fiasco initially."

Yes, it will.

Fan-adoring Detroit pitcher Kenny Rogers said it is "a slap in the face of umpires that have been here for a long time."

I do agree with Kenny on that one, and I also agree with him on this quote:
"That's part of the game. It's the beauty of the game. Mistakes are made."

Very well said.

Also quoting the AP story, "for now, video will be used only on so-called 'boundary calls,' such as determining whether fly balls went over the fence, whether potential home runs were fair or foul and whether there was fan interference on potential home runs."

The key words of that statement are "for now."

Further down in the AP article, Yankee pitcher Mike Mussina was quoted as saying it wouldn't be used nearly as much as in the NFL, but how does he know that? And when will that change? Because things often do.

Sullivan golfers off to good start

The Sullivan golf team is off to a solid start.

The team has compiled a 3-2 record after two meets, including a 43 from Andrew Righter on Windsor's par 36 course, and two 44s, on both Friday and Monday at Windsor, by Tyler Mossman.

For more information, see tomorrow's News-Progress.

Meeting the Redskins

Last night was a little tough for some of us outsiders.

The Sullivan-Okaw Valley Redskins held their Meet The Redskins open scrimmage at Sullivan's Victory Field, and there were many broken tackles and busted open runs, and though I wanted to cheer and get excited about this year's team, I wondered, or was that just a bad play by a Sullivan defender?

Parents were able to cheer their own kids on, but I was left a little confused.

But in all it looked good. The team looked as though it was having a lot of fun running its plays and standing on the sideline under the bright lights for the first time this year. And possibly at all, as there were several excited freshmen on the sidelines.

And SOV JFL president Mike Sweeney told me they looked a lot different, mainly because the high school playing field is, in fact, different.

As you can see in a picture below, several fans came out to sit in the stands, and several more lined up against the fence, most of them staying for all three scrimmages.

Also excited was coach Nate Lorton, getting to stand on the sidelines for the first time and yell to get his team pumped up, and also yell to get them to do things right.

All in all, it was a good time at Victory Field. Check out the pictures below:

Checking out the football programs

In just about an hour, I'm heading over to watch this year's newly-assembled Sullivan-Okaw Valley football team. And I'm sure a lot of you are, too.

They are scrimmaging in their annual Meet The Redskins season kickoff at 6 p.m. It should be a lot of fun and I'm just as excited as you are about this season getting started.

ALSO, at 7 p.m. Arthur-Lovington is holding its Red and Gold night, showcasing its football team. I'm also looking forward to see how Dale Schuring has shaped his team up. I'm imagining good things.

Check the blog tomorrow for some light coverage and pics of the events, and this Wednesday's News-Progress for more in-depth coverage and more pics!

Let them have their Olympics. And watch it, too.

Have you been watching the Olympics???

Of course, WHO HASN'T?

Is it just me, or are people talking more than normal about the Olympics this year? Water cooler talk has Brett Favre's new uniform rivaling against talk about "the age of that Chinese girl." People have also been as excited to talk about Michael Phelps' amazing trek for gold medals as they have been about Super Bowl commercials.

Ex. - "I stopped paying attention to the game after the first quarter, but did you see that Amtrak commercial? Yea, the one with the goldfish and volcano?? Hilarious!!!!"

It hasn't always been this way. Does anyone else remember NBC's Triplecast? The sudden leap in coverage offered to viewers in 1992's Summer Games? It was 100 hours of live coverage, but it came at a hefty cost (Up to $170, big money back then) and it totally flopped. If you don't remember it, or were eating Gerber back then, check here to read more about it.

NBC lost an atrocious $100 million on the deal. After that mess, they strapped on a Band-Aid, learning to never again put the Olympics on pay-per-view, and they healed, letting CBS take over a few years, and have since healed considerably after teaming with cable networks for coverage, and escalating coverage to unbelievable new heights. Thanks to teamwork from the network, cable channels and now streaming Internet video, this year's coverage is up to 3,600 hours of video, 1,400 on television and 2,200 on the Internet! Get this - that's 1,100 more hours than coverage of all the previous Summer Games combined since the start in 1964, when, for comparison's sake, NBC showed a total of 45 minutes of video per day.

But the Opening Ceremonies were also in color that year!

Anyways, it's worked for wised-up NBC, as they are receiving 30.5 million viewers for each night of coverage, up 5 million from last year.

The point of all this is, I'm starting to wonder, does this show a growing trend in sports coverage and even pop culture? I believe that in the past, people were more drawn to the team sports and the big Sportscenter personalities - Shaq, David Ortiz, Deion Sanders, etc. - and whoever had the shiniest, coolest looking jersies, but now, shifting to pop culture, we are shifting more to being interested in indivuals on the rise from obscurity.

Due to an amazing amount of interest, people are rising from obscurity via Youtube, Facebook, blogs American Idol, and now people are dying to know what Michael Phelps is listening to on his iPod. Phelps probably went from having 300 friends on Facebook to 3 million in a week.

And about the iPod, seriously, that was featured on Yahoo. I read it and he likes a little bit of everything! Amazing!

Maybe we are beginning to realize that celebrities are people, too, and Olympians are people that work exhaustingly at their job. And we respect that.

But, readership, what are your thoughts on this year's Olympics? Has it been overhyped? Is Michael Phelps awesome? Is He Klexin 16? Have you bought a jar of honey, too?

Get out of your cage and exercise!

Do you like running, jumping, swimming, biking and/or rollerblading? If you enjoy any or all of these, then you must enjoy exercising. And you and I(and so many others) have something big in common.

And as mentioned before, summer in the Moultrie County sports dept. slows down a bit, but that didn't mean things got too close to a trickle here at the sports desk. Rather, that's when the Shape Up Moultrie summer exercise series came in handy, a six-part piece about what we can do to keep ourselves in shape in the summer months and beyond. I hope you enjoyed it and gained some insight.

I also hope you never do any fad diets again. We all know fad diets when we start them - they're quick and easy. I hope you read this week's piece about nutrition, it was my favorite, as family M.D. Volney Willett spelt out how to eat healthy, and nutritionist Holly Harris slammed it home with some honest advice - it takes time to see a difference.

As my girlfriend told me, this has been great for me, because it's as though I've had my own personal trainer for the past six weeks. I've taken this stuff to heart, running regularly, including my first 5K a few weeks ago, Eating better(hello bananas!!!), biking(though, only twice. My girlfriend and I tried biking at 7:30 a.m. and haven't tried it again since), thinking about swimming(I've thought about it a lot!), and much more.

I hope you've felt the same. Please, tell me what you have thought of these. And if you haven't read them, tell me what you think about anything...whether it be what you're having for lunch, who your favorite character from Family Matters was, or what your favorite grade was in school. And if you have read them, you can answer those questions, too.

Training Day - Lovington Sullivan Soccer

Lovington-Sullivan soccer assistant coach Rick Boddy corrected me about a recent story covering the team's summer soccer camp - in soccer they're not knee pads, they're shin guards.

Ah, yes, I knew that, I told him. Why did I ever mix the two up? I played soccer as a youth for several years, totally enjoying it. Maybe because I, like many Americans, haven't get into the soccer game as much as some other people, especially Europeans, and terminology has failed me, and us, too? Maybe it's because we already have our country's sport, football, so why would we want to learn about another football, or futbol, as called by the countries that really do get into it.

I attended the Panthers' practice the other day and saw several kids that do get into it. These guys and gals had a great time just getting onto that field again and letting the drills and exhibition games roll.

It's not that I don't like soccer, I just haven't been very exposed to it, like many Americans(A theme is beginning to make itself clear). It's the fastest growing sport in the world for a reason, though, and I promise you soccer fans some strong coverage with accurate terminology this soccer season, because I'll go here! And you can, too! And, not to worry...I'll double check that accuracy, too, as it has been revealed that Wikipedia may not be the most accurate source.

Anyways, it'll be fun to stand on the sidelines during some Panthers' soccer games this season. They seemed to be a very upbeat group during practice, one that will more than likely be fun to watch even if they go down by a few goals. You can read more about the Panthers in a preview story printed in today's issue of the News-Progress, where coach Jeff Trower explains they never act defeated when down in a game, they just keep on persevering.

Below are a few pictures from Friday's practice:

Training Day - Arthur-Lovington Knights get on the field

Today I traveled beyond the fairgrounds at Arthur and found a football team.

The numbers may be a little small for Arthur-Lovington's football team, 27 have signed on, but their confidence is high. Senior Dan Bolsen was telling me how excited he was about getting back into the mix of things this postseason.

"Last year I was watching (the playoffs)from the sidelines, and I thought, we have to get back there," Bolsen told me. They won three and lost six last year after visiting the Elite Eight the year before and finishing 8-2 the year before.

Nevermind that the team is also fairly young - they only have three returning letter winner seniors - because each of those seniors understands the importance of leadership and teaching the younger players how to win. That's why all three of the letter-winning seniors I talked to appeared confident that they will have a successful season.

And also don't forget about coach Dale Schuring. He's a tough, but fair coach who knows what it takes to put together a winning baseball team, or any winning team.

Today they were running through different packages of plays, just allowing players to become acquainted with them. If any Arthur or Lovington students are interested in playing(Lovington especially, as they only have three representatives on the team), they can still join, although they can't play in the first game because the IHSA required at least two weeks of practice before entering a game.

I also took several photos of action on the field, check 'em out below. Also, there will be an in-depth article previewing their season in this week's News-Progress.

Asst. coach Jared Vanausdoll explains how to run a play.

Starting quarterback Dale Schuring(Just kidding) gets ready to set a play into motion.

The football team stretches, stretches, and runs in place.

Training Day - Sullivan Okaw Valley football

The Sullivan-Okaw Valley football team loves water. Or at least they did this afternoon.
After some exceptionally mild temps at Wednesday's practice, the temps were a little higher today, mid-80s, and the sun was a little brighter, as the team worked hard at drills, passing, running, defending, and just learning the basics.
Asst. coach Brent Weakly told me it was really hot. I, personally, didn't see it, but I was only standing still and holding a notepad and a small digital camera, while these players were sprinting, tackling and yelling with helmets on.
Coach Nate Lorton said during the team's fourth official practice(two on Wednesday and two on Thursday)that he was pleased with how much attention they were paying toward the little things.
But it was a good mixture of hard work and ease, as the team appears dedicated to working for coach Lorton, but they also seem to like him, which is good.
Check Wednesday's News-Progress for an in-depth story about how this year's team is looking, and check back here frequently for updates about the team.
I have also posted several pics of practice, so I hope you enjoy:

Lorton is excited about this year's freshman crop, too. But that's not them in the photo, that's his sons. He has four(!) children!


Here an S-OV coach is drilling receivers, giving them turns on offense and defense.

The fresh-soph team unites!

He's not looking for a hug, this S-OV lineman is running a drill, posting a block.

The defensive line pushes. Lorton told me he's very pleased with what he's seen of his D-line so far.

Lorton shows them how it's done.

Surprising facts about your Chicago Cubs

Hey Cubs fans, what's happening?

Consider this filler for the second All-Star break of the season, as the Cubs have been off yesterday for an off day and today due to a rainout, but also consider this the proclamation that you have been wanting to make/read for all your lives, or since 1984, for those of you over 28 years old...the Cubs are really, really, really, really good.

Really good. And not in a funny way.

After a quick slump following the All-Star break, when the Cubs came back to win three and lose six and all us Cubs fans said "uh-oh," the Cubs have regrouped and clubbed both of their foes, the Brew Crue and the Cards. They are now 45-17 at home(!!?!?), matched only by the Tampa Bay Rays(?!!?!?!?!?!?!!?!!), and they are improving on the road, winning their last five in a row.

So, things are looking better. Wait, no, things are looking incredible.

Credit Lou Piniella. The guy is a brilliant, blessed manager. I knew that when he took a good Mariners team and made them absolutely unbeatable. Now he is taking a stocked Cubs team, which they have been for a number of years now, but making them play like a team, not individuals.

Get this, Cubs fans. These are big signs that this is not your father's, grandfather's, or great-grandfather's Cubs team:
• Biggest indicator, hands down, the Cubs are NUMBER ONE in the Majors in walks. Right now they have drawn 462 walks. In 2006, ALL of 2006, they drew 395.
• Over the course of the season, the Cubs' potent offense is only second to the Rangers for the most runs scored, but have outscored opponents by 139 runs, and that's the most in the Majors.
• The Cubs have the best starting pitchers' ERA of any team.
• Jim Edmonds gets standing ovations from Cubs fans every other day.

That's just the tip of the iceburg. What do you think, is this a special Cubs team? I Sweet Lou going to take them to the Promised Land, or are they going to fizzle in the first round of the playoffs like the Mariners did?

Good times, bad times

Saturday was a great day for both myself and helmet and pad wearing young'ns. I got to watch some football, and they got to play. It was the Sullivan-Okaw Valley-hosted JFL Jamboree.

While students and teachers go crazy(in a good way) when school's out, I, as the News-Progress sports editor, become sad. Although I'm working to change things and expand our coverage during the summers, when high school lets out, so do varsity sports, which is our bread and butter here in the sports department. I have been left to watch the dust settle and see what's on the other side. Now, don't get me wrong, it's been a lot of fun this summer and I've always found ways to fill my day, but it has been dusty from time to time.

And as the wheels on the school buses are beginning to go round and round again, most kids are crying, and I am smiling. And so are several parents.

And Saturday was just what I was hoping for. The stands were filled, the players were nervous, and the parents were excited. And there was lots of food served, but I didn't buy any, only because I'm not on a very loose budget.

The spectacle was good. I stood on the sidelines and watched the seventh and eighth graders, Heavyweights, plug away at Arcola, and the team's defense looked especially good. People were getting tackled, and both me and the parents were smiling.

The JFL has more members than ever, and that is indicative of a good football program here in Moultrie County, right up to the high school varsity level. The Redskins' new coach, Nate Lorton, was also on the sidelines. He is especially interested in working on and the little things, making sure they are ironed out, and it may take a little while to really get the varsity program up to the level Nate is envisioning, but with a solid JFL program churning out quality, disciplined players, that will mean more resources for coach Lorton to work with and less time dedicated to the small stuff.

I watched Heavyweights coach Kris Wheeler work with his team, and it was obvious that he also stressed the small stuff. I am not sure yet of how streamlined things are, but I certainly imagine the S-OV JFL program wants to complement the varsity program.

Check out this week's News-Progress for an in-depth article about the Jamboree and the upcoming JFL season, or go to the program's Website, www.sovjfl.com, for more.

The pictures above and below are of the Heavyweights games against Arcola and Clinton, and they were provided by Jay Traber.

Fall-ing for football

Just when you thought summer couldn't get any more quiet, then you hear the sound of shoulder pads crunching in the distance.

The high school football season is just around the corner, and right before it is football practice. Football is a sport like no other, how that the season compliments the sport as much as the sport compliments the season. I believe everyone likes the long-forgotten feeling of the brisk fall air hitting us on an overcast night, and there are three noises that let you know it is here:

-The ring of a school bell.
-The sounds of birds squawking overhead as they fly south for the winter.
-The crunch of a shoulder pad.

And there is nothing better than when we stand there on a Friday night and just feel it hit us. The brisk air swirls around us as birds fly overhead, the high school band cranks out its fight song, and young Jimmy and ol' Terry fist dollars over the concession stand counter for nachos. And then the team runs on the field.

It really is a magical sports season, unlike no other. You likely already know that my favorite sport is baseball, and spring is a great time for the same reason, but it still doesn't hold up to football in the Fall.

Get ready for an exciting upcoming football season in Moultrie County. Arthur-Lovington coach Dale Schuring is up to his same tricks, carving out a disciplined football team, and Sullivan-Okaw Valley fans are eager to see their new coach, Nate Lorton, in action. Lorton is happy to be here in Sullivan and he tells me he and his family feel welcome, which is great. After working with him after a few training camps this summer, it is obvious to me that he is very much an X's and O's kind of guy, and stresses a lot on the little things, rather than the flashy, and that's what is going to help build a winning program.

I'm sure I'm not alone here, but I can't wait for this season to get started already.