Benton Rangerettes notch season-opening win

November 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 By Jim Muir

The Benton Rangerettes picked up a hard-fought 58-53 victory over Vienna Tuesday night in second round play at the Marion Lady Wildcats Invitational.

First year coach Andy Sloan said he was pleased with the overall performance in the season opener.

“I think there was a lot of nerves out there tonight from the girls and myself,” said Sloan following his first win. “At times it wasn’t pretty but I thought we worked hard and showed some character to come back and get the win after we gave up the lead.”

The game was also a typical early season match up with turnovers and fouls at a premium for both squads. In all both teams combined to shoot 72 free throws in the game with Benton hitting 32-43 (74 percent) and Vienna connecting on 18-29 (62 percent).

The game was a virtual roller-coaster with Vienna, the defending champ in the tournament, jumping out to a an early lead only to have Benton roar back and take a 16-14 lead at the first quarter break. The first quarter Benton surge was keyed by junior Sami Minor who came off the bench with five points in the initial stanza.

Benton upped the lead to nine points in the second quarter and took a 26-19 lead into the halftime intermission. But it was all Vienna in the third quarter as they outscored Benton 22-14 to erase the halftime deficit and take a 41-40 lead into the fourth quarter. The Vienna rally was orchestrated by the play of junior Miranda Chance and senior Carley Childress who combined to score 20 of the 22 third quarter points.

“Vienna is a good team and they are well coached,” said Sloan. “We told the girls at halftime that they would come back and they did. But, we kept our composure down the stretch and it was a nice win for us.”

While Childress and Chance combined for 44 of the 53 Vienna points the Rangerettes had a balanced attack led by Morgan Corn with 12 points and Makala Carney with 10. Also near double figures for the Rangerettes was Rowdee Sanders and Evelyn Mendez with nine points each and Sami Minor and Cali Carney with eight each. Freshmen Marcela Mendez added two points in her first varsity game.

“We’ve got to have balanced scoring if we are going to be successful,” said Sloan. “We don’t have that one girl that can come out and get 25 every night so I’m happy with the scoring attack we had tonight.”

The Marion girl’s tournament has been a six-team affair for many years but Eldorado dropped out this year and a replacement couldn’t be found so this year’s event is a five-team round-robin with each team getting one night off. In action on Monday Marion defeated Vienna 52-46 and knocked off Carterville by a scored of 60-55. The Rangerettes had the bye on Monday night. Following the Benton win on Tuesday Carterville pulled off the win against the host Lady Wildcats in the nightcap with a 41-31 victory. After two nights of play Benton and Herrin are both 1-0 with Marion and Carterville at 1-1 and Vienna is 0-2.

The tournament will be idle on Wednesday night with action resuming on Thursday with Vienna and Carterville meeting in the 6 p.m contest and Benton and Herrin facing off in the 7:30 p.m match up.  With Benton and Herrin both at 1-0 the winner of that game on Thursday will be the only team left in the tournament with an unblemished record heading into weekend play.  On Friday night it will be Carterville and Benton meeting at 6 p.m followed by Herrin and Marion at 7:30 p.m.

The tournament will conclude on Saturday with Vienna and Herrin meeting at 11 a.m and Benton meeting Marion in the finale at 12:30 p.m.

All the Benton games will be broadcast on WQRL.

Benton 16 10 14 18 — 58

Vienna 14 5 22 12 — 53

BENTON (58): C. Carney 2 6-10 10, Minor 3 2-4 8, Sanders 1 7-8 9, M. Carney 3 2-4 8, Corn 1 10-12 12,, E. Mendez 2 5-5 9, M. Mendez 1 0-0 2. Totals: 13 32-43 58.

VIENNA (53): Ross 1 2-2 4, Keeling 1 0-2 2, Chance 5 9-10 20, Edwards 1 0-0 2, Childress 8 6-11 24, McKibben 0 1-4 1,. Totals: 16 18-29 53.

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Benton High School Sports, Benton News, Franklin Co. News, High School Sports, Uncategorized

FCA Daily Devotion – Hope

November 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Romans 5:3-5

How does one maintain a good attitude in the midst of difficult times?  How does one’s character affect these situations?  The character of a person, the true nature of his or her heart, is a continual source of either hope or despair.

The Apostle Paul continues his letter to his friends in Rome with these words in Romans 5 and verses 3 through 5, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

Hope is a confident expectation of good, based on the promises of God.  That comes from a changed character that was born of persevering through suffering.  Character has taught you to be confident and to have proper expectations.  Paul says that character produces hope and that hope doesn’t disappoint because He has put an every day reminder of His love in our hearts.  The Spirit of God is alive in us to remind us of His love and promises.  That’s what real hope looks like.

Let hope spring from your character today and prepare you for a great day of competition.

Bible Reading Plan:
John 10:22-42
I John 2:24-29
Job 12
Ezekiel 33-34

(Roger Lipe is an acclaimed author/writer and also serves as the executive director of the southern Illinois chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and chaplain for SIU Football. Follow Roger at www.sifca.org and http://sportchaplainsportmentor.blogspot.com/.)

Filed Under: High School Sports, Junior High Sports Tagged With: , , , ,

Early’s 27 points lead Saluki Men’s Basketball past New Orleans

November 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Tom Weber
SIUSalukis.com

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Perhaps the scheduled burial of Saluki Basketball is premature.

Picked to finish last in the Missouri Valley Conference this season, Southern Illinois opened its regular season with a dominating 72-55 win at New Orleans on Monday night, christening the Barry Hinson era with a road victory.

 

Jeff Early

Jeff Early scored a career-high 27 points, and the Salukis (1-0) demonstrated superior speed and athleticism in an entertaining, if sometimes ragged, up-tempo game.

With little in the way of front-court size, SIU’s formula for success this year — at least until Dantiel Daniels returns from injury — will be to utilize its quickness as much as possible. Southern swiped the ball on defense 13 times and scored 27 points off of turnovers, including 18 points in transition.

A full-court battle played into the hands of the explosive Early, who slashed and dashed to the basket, surpassing his previous career-best of 18 points. He added a career-high 12 rebounds to boot.

Playing the power forward position, the 6-foot-1 Early was a force on both ends of the court, diving for loose balls, taking four charges and holding UNO leading scorer Lovell Cook to nine points.

“I can’t remember a player dominating a game single-handedly as much as Jeff did tonight,” Hinson said. “Everyone has been wanting to know about that hybrid (forward) spot. How can Jeff Early play in that spot and be effective? Tonight, you saw how he can be effective.”

The Salukis took control from the opening tip, scoring the first 11 points and leading 26-6 after a breakaway dunk by Early at the 11:28 mark.

The Privateers (1-1), a program that was nearly washed away by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, is back on its feet and playing a mostly Division I schedule this season. Yet they had no answer for Southern’s quickness. They committed 27 turnovers and were harassed into shooting 35 percent from the field.

SIU led by 16 at halftime and by as many as 24 in the second half. UNO came as close as 13 points on four occasions in the final 10 minutes, but never seriously threatened a comeback.

In addition to Early’s career night, Wyoming transfer Desmar Jackson scored 17 points in his first game in nearly two years. Forward Antonio Bryer, making his first career start, made all four of his field goal attempts and finished with a career-best eight points.

To be sure, SIU has areas for improvement. Its 28 turnovers were the most since committing 29 at Tulsa on Jan. 2, 1999. Southern was also 1-of-8 from the 3-point line and committed 25 personal fouls.

None of those stats could overcome the good feeling generated by a victory that snapped a seven-game losing streak and eight-game road losing streak dating back to last season.

“The best moment was walking into the locker room and seeing the faces of the kids,” Hinson said. “This program has taken a lot of bump, and we’re going to take some bumps this year, but to go on the road and win by the margin we did tonight, and to basically dominate every category statistically, I’m really proud of our guys.”

“I think I’ll resign right now as the only undefeated coach in school history,” Hinson joked.

Filed Under: High School Sports, Junior High Sports, More Featured Articles Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

FCA Daily Devotion – Wisdom

November 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Proverbs 3:13-14
Do you have some precious metals at home in your jewelry box?  How valuable are your rings, watches or necklaces?  What could be worth more than silver, gold, or platinum?
In Proverbs chapter 3 and verses 13 and 14, Solomon (a very rich guy) tells about something with surpassing value, “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.”
We would feel blessed if we had pounds of gold necklaces around our necks and looked like Mr. T.  Solomon says a person is really blessed if he finds wisdom and gains understanding.  To be blessed is to be contentedly happy with life.  Silver and gold can’t buy that.
Wisdom is something to be found.  It won’t sneak up on you.  It takes pursuit and tenacity to find.  Understanding is a commodity to be gained, like strength gained in the weight room.  The exciting thing is that wisdom and understanding pay greater dividends and yield more benefits than silver and gold could ever do.
In preparing for today’s competition, seek wisdom from every source available and gain understanding with every passing moment of the event.  In the end, you’ll be blessed with the greatest returns possible in athletic competition.
Bible Reading Plan:
John 10:11-21
I John 2:18-23
Job 11
(Roger Lipe is an acclaimed author/writer and also serves as the executive director of the southern Illinois chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and chaplain for SIU Football. Follow Roger at www.sifca.org and http://sportchaplainsportmentor.blogspot.com/.)
Filed Under: Franklin Co. News, High School Sports, Uncategorized

Honoring ‘Doc’

November 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Jim Muir

For more than 50 years William “Doc” Harvey worked as a veterinarian in Thompsonville, sometimes being paid and sometimes not, but always doing his job without fanfare.  And during that same five-plus decades Harvey was a pillar of the small Franklin County community, serving on the school board, the village board while carrying the label as the Thompsonville Tigers most loyal fan.

Leon McClerren, president of the Thompsonville school board, presents a plaque to Ruthy Harvey, widow of Dr. William Harvey during Blue-White Night at Thompsonville High School.

On Saturday night community and school leaders paused to offer a collective ‘thank-you’ to Harvey, who passed away last May at the age of 82.

During a ceremony at the high school’s annual Blue-White Night it was officially announced that the gymnasium at the high school will be named the William “Doc” Harvey Gymnasium.  During the ceremony that was held between the annual Alumni Game and a scrimmage of this year’s Tigers’ team, school board president Leon McClerren presented a plaque to Harvey’s widow Ruthy.  A replica of the same plaque will be displayed in the gym lobby near the entrance.  The lettering spelling out the gym’s new name was mounted on the outside of the gym last week.

Ruthy was at a loss for words when asked what her late husband would think of the dedication in his honor.

“I don’t know what to say,” she said immediately following the ceremony.  “If he was here he would know just what to say and it would probably be funny.”

Harvey graduated from Thompsonville High School in 1945 where he participated in multiple sports.  Following high school he went to college, served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War as a medic, and then went back to college to become a veterinarian.  He then returned to Thompsonville and ran his practice almost right up to the time that he passed away last May.

McClerren, who served with Harvey on the school board, said the recognition was well-deserved.

“Doc was a pillar of this community forever,” said McClerren.  “He gave so much back to the community is so many ways.  He did what he did, not to be recognized, but to make Thompsonville a better place to live, work and attend school.  He took care of people’s pets and if they could pay it was fine and if they couldn’t pay it was fine.  And he did it all without fanfare, he really cared about Thompsonville.”

Chris Grant, who serves as superintendent at Thompsonville, said once the board started entertaining ideas about naming the gymnasium the choice was obvious and unanimous.

“Except for his time at college and in the Air Force Dr. Harvey spent his entire life here in Thompsonville,” said Grant.  “And the entire time he was here he served the community in a variety of ways.”

John Robinson, assistant principal at Thompsonville, provided a story that he believed summed up the Harvey’s commitment to Thompsonville and the various sports’ programs. Robinson pointed out that Bill and Ruthy, who were the school’s unofficial No. 1 fans, did not have children but were both always present at sporting events – even on the road.

“A few years back we were playing a basketball game down at Pope County and it was a bad night, cold and wet,” Robinson said. “And I look up and Bill and Ruth are at the game.  They had no other reason to be there except to support the school and the athletes.  That says a lot about the kind of people they are and their support for all-things Thompsonville.”

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Featured, Franklin Co. News, High School Sports, Thompsonville High School Sports, Thompsonville News, Uncategorized

FCA Daily Devotion – Perseverance

November 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
James 1:12
 
Have you ever met someone who seems to glow with enthusiasm and zest for life?  Have you ever talked with that person and asked from where that glow comes?  In the Bible we are given a good idea about the source of life that comes with a crown.
In the apostle James’ letter at chapter 1 and verse 12 he writes, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been proven he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”  Most of us have experienced some kind of trial.  Trials like sitting too many minutes on the bench, the death of a friend or family member, watching our parents’ marriage crumble, or battling with cancer just to stay alive.
James says that when we persevere under trial we will receive something called the crown of life and it will make us blessed.  To be blessed is to be contentedly happy, that would be nice, huh?
What might the crown of life look like?  Have you ever seen anyone who has been through the fires of life and has come out the other side with grace and enthusiasm for life?  You probably know someone who wears the crown of life every day.  That same crown has been promised to us if we persevere under our trials.
Let’s press on, through the hard times, through feeling unappreciated and under utilized, through broken relationships and physical pains.  There is a crown waiting for us at the finish line.  Press on toward the crown and toward being blessed of the Lord.
Bible Reading Plan:
John 10:1-10
I John 2:12-17
Ezekiel 29-30
Roger Lipe is an acclaimed author/writer and also serves as the executive director of the southern Illinois chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and chaplain for SIU Football. Follow Roger at www.sifca.org and http://sportchaplainsportmentor.blogspot.com/.
Filed Under: High School Sports, Junior High Sports, Living Tagged With: , ,

FCA Daily Devotion – Endurance

November 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Hebrews 12:1
How would you characterize your season of competition, more like a sprint or a marathon?  Which one requires more perseverance, the ten second race or the two hour race?  Those answers are obvious, but the keys to such perseverance and endurance are a little more elusive.
The letter to the Hebrews mentions such values in chapter 12 and verse 1, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
I have a friend who is an 8 time winner of the Boston Marathon, in a wheelchair!  Jean Driscoll knows what endurance is.  To win that race requires going 26.2 miles in a wheelchair, in just over 1 and ½ hours.  That’s fast and fast for a long time.  That’s what endurance looks like.
Your course is set before you this season, it’s called a schedule.  We can all see it, but can we all finish it with endurance?  We certainly can if we’ll heed the instructions from the earlier parts of the verse.  We must keep our predecessors in mind for inspiration and encouragement.  We must lay aside those things which weigh us down and ensnare our lives.  Lastly, we must compete every day with the end of the season in mind.  Let’s compete for a championship and approach every day of practice and each competition like champions.
Bible Reading Plan:
John 9:26-41
Job 9:21-35
Ezekiel 27-28
Roger Lipe is an acclaimed author/writer and also serves as the executive director of the southern Illinois chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and chaplain for SIU Football. Follow Roger at www.sifca.org and http://sportchaplainsportmentor.blogspot.com/.
Filed Under: High School Sports, Junior High Sports, Living Tagged With: , ,

FCA Daily Devotion – Hindrances

November 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Hebrews 12:1
What is the single greatest hindrance to you as you compete?  Is it a lack of concentration?  Maybe it’s a physical limitation?  Could it be a nagging fear of failure?  How can these things be overcome?  Let’s consider an idea from the Bible.
The writer of Hebrews had certainly seen the competitions of his day and he writes with reference to them in chapter 12 and verse 1, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
The writer would have seen the athletes of the ancient world strip off all their clothes in order to compete unencumbered by the robes common to Greek culture.  That’s what he means when he says to lay aside every weight.  He encourages us to lay aside the things which weigh us down as we compete.
For us, it’s not usually clothes that weigh us down.  More often it’s a bad habit, a foolish attitude, a selfish lifestyle or an unhealthy relationship that hinders us as we compete.  The solution to the hindrance is still the same, lay it aside.
You wouldn’t dream of competing in a wet, heavy overcoat.  So why be weighed down by other things which are equally detrimental to your personal and corporate goals?  Lay it aside!  You and your team will be better because of your good choices.  Let that kind of selfless attitude characterize today’s competition.
Bible Reading Plan:
John 9:1-12
I John 1:1-4
Job 8
Ezekiel 22-23
Filed Under: Franklin Co. News, High School Sports, Junior High Sports, Living, Uncategorized

BMS Rangerettes move to 5-0 with win over West Frankfort

November 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Shane Dyel

The Benton Middle School Rangerettes move to 5-0 on the season with a victory over cross-county rival West Frankfort Lady Redbirds 60-37.

The Rangerettes outscored the Lady Redbirds 36-15 over the 2nd and 3rd quarters after trailing by one at the end of the first quarter.

Coach Mark Dyel called the win “a total team victory.”

‘’We dominated the boards and played aggressive defense,” Dyel said.

Makayla Abney, one of four Benton players in double figures, led the Rangerettes in scoring with 19 points. Joining her in double figures was Ally Gischer with 12 points, Cristen Shaw with 10 points, Alexis Abney also with 10 points. Rounding out the scoring for the Rangerettes was Kenedee Kindrick with 6 points, Sydney Browning 2, and Kaylee Pedigo with one.

“We did a nice job distributing the ball tonight,” Dyel said.  “We had 19 assist on 28 baskets.”

Benton’s 7th grade team won a nail biter 23-22 in overtime.

‘’The girls really played hard,” said Coach Danielle Clyden. “It was really good to get our first win of the year.”

The Rangerettes return to action Tuesday night versus Marion at Benton High Consolidated High School.

Filed Under: Benton Junior High Sports, High School Sports, Junior High Sports, Uncategorized

Coach Joe’s New Role

November 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Zeigler-Royalton has a brand new golf coach, and he’s a familiar face at ZR. Joe Hargraves has made himself a permanent part of the Zeigler-Royalton school district. He went to high school here during his senior year and has been working here as a janitor for the past nineteen years. This year he became Coach Joe Hargraves and the newest Golf coach at ZRHS.

Coach Joe is a busy man at the school. Not only does he drive the bus in the morning and work around the district all school day, he now has taken on his duty as coach. He has never had time for extra jobs, such as coaching. This year when the job as the ZRC Golf coach came open, he decided to share his love for the game with the kids and applied for the job. Coach Joe has been golfing since 1997, which gives him fifteen years under his belt, and now he is “on the verge of excellence.” Coach Joe’s favorite golf course is Franklin County Country Club. He likes the course because it is well-kept and hard to play. The green is nice, the people are friendly, and the golf team plays there almost free. “It’s the nicest course in Southern Illinois.”

Coach Joe was an athlete while he was in high school. Although there wasn’t golf, he still participated in other school sports, basketball, track, and baseball. Coach Joe didn’t come to Z-R until his senior year because he went to Wayne City High School the other three years. During his freshman year at Wayne City, he played baseball, basketball, and track. He never got around to playing sports his sophomore through senior years because he found himself enjoying his favorite past time, fishing.

When Coach Joe was asked if he was a good student he said, “No, if I was I wouldn’t be a janitor.” Other than being a janitor, Coach Joe has held down other jobs too. He worked in construction and in the oil fields in Fairfield. He worked for Allen Industries and then came to Z-R. When Coach Joe is not working, he enjoys golfing, fishing, and carpenter work. His favorite part of his job is being around the kids at school. “There’s not a bad side to my job.”

Filed Under: Franklin Co. News, Royalton News, Uncategorized, Zeigler News, Zeigler-Royalton High School Sports
« Previous Page
Next Page »
Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News