9/30/11

BLUE RIDGE FOOTBALL UPDATE: The Knights trail LeRoy 21-12 at the end of the first quarter.

Blue Ridge Homecoming Parade: The Sports Thread's Photo Gallery

FARMER CITY, Ill. -- Voted as the Homecoming King and Queen by their fellow students at Blue Ridge High School, Kenny Dunn and Sam Stivers take their throne for the parade.

If you can think of a better throne than the backseat of a Ford Mustang GT, I would like to hear about it. 


Of course, football players and cheerleaders were not the only Blue Ridge athletes getting together for Homecoming.

In the photo below, volleyball player Kaitlyn Zelhart (in the white Drew Miller jersey) takes a photo with soccer players Michael Plunk (No. 24) and Josh Plunk (yellow).


Football players were on display during the parade. In the photo below are West Foulks (No. 63), Zach Norris (No. 20) and Jamie Potter (No. 57), among other players.


However, a few football players expanded their horizons at the parade, as Brett Roos and James Risler display their talents on the Blue Ridge band's drums.


Even the JFL players got in the act, as seen in the photo below.


Football players, however, were not the only athletes who rode in trucks during the parade, as the volleyball team...


...and soccer team hitched rides as well.


Before we get on to the floats, I would like to mention that this photo gallery was brought to you by Subway (even though they are not paying me any advertising money).

Subway. Sandwiches on the fly, because they're wearing a cape.


The Class of 2013 got a kick out of the game of soccer, as seen by their float in the photo below.


The Class of 2014 looks to spike the competition.


The Class of 2012 may have scored a touchdown, as their float turns the gridiron into a jousting arena.


The Class of 2015 shows that knights can joust on the golf course. Or sink a putt on one.


And now on to the Homecoming game, as the Blue Ridge faithful hopes players such as Trenor Hildreth (No. 47) and Justin Tharp (No. 12) carry the Knights to a victory over LeRoy as well as they are carried in the photo below.

Blue Ridge Sports Roundup -- September 29, 2011

Updated September 30, 2011, at 10:42 a.m. CST

Volleyball
BLUE RIDGE def. FIELDCREST 23-25, 25-20, 25-20

MINONK, Ill. -- Once again, Kaitlyn Zelhart spiked the Lady Knights of Blue Ridge over the top.

Kaitlyn Zelhart finished the match with 17 kills , three aces and 2.5 blocks as Blue Ridge won the final two sets to claim a Heart of Illinois Conference victory over Fieldcrest.

Emily Zelhart contributed with 22 assists, 22 digs and 13 service points. Jordan Wheeler had 16 digs and Gabby Pearl recorded 2.5 blocks.

Meanwhile, the junior varsity team lost to Fieldcrest 25-16, 25-18.

With the win, Blue Ridge's varsity team improves to 17-3 overall and 7-1 in the HOIC. The Lady Knights' next match will be at home on Monday, when they take on St. Thomas More.

After that is a match at Heyworth on Tuesday, which will be broadcast live on http://www.sportstownchicago.com/. With Thursday's win over LeRoy, the Lady Hornets are now 21-1 overall and 9-0 in the HOIC.

 Girls Golf
PRAIRIE CENTRAL 193, LEROY 197, TRI-VALLEY 230, BLUE RIDGE NS

FARMER CITY, Ill. -- For those who endured the rainy conditions at the Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament on Tuesday, the following sentences should seem familiar.

LeRoy's Molly Marcum medaled. Amber Tsevelekos finished fourth.

Marcum earned the title of medalist in the Blue Ridge Quad Meet at Woodlawn Country Club with a score of 39. Tsevelekos shot a 46.

However, Marcum's score was not enough to push LeRoy's team score under Prairie Central. Blue Ridge did not have a team score because the Lady Knights did not have enough entrants.

9/27/11

Kaitlyn Zelhart, Blue Ridge Volleyball Beats PBL after Marathon Third Set

BLUE RIDGE def. PAXTON-BUCKLEY-LODA 25-11, 20-25, 33-31

FARMER CITY, Ill. -- After the Lady Knights beat the Lady Panthers 25-11 in the first set, some might have thought the match would end up being a cakewalk.

However, Blue Ridge coach Evan Miles knew better.

PBL bounced back with a 25-20 win in the second set. What followed was a marathon third set that kept everyone on the edge of their seats throughout.

"They came to play in the second set," Miles said. "I knew it wasn’t going to be a cakewalk like the first set was. I knew that wasn’t what PBL had to offer, so we sort of dug ourselves a rut. We made a run, but it was too insurmountable. The third set went back-and forth, but we persevered and finished it."


In that third set, the Lady Panthers went ahead 13-11 before Kaitlyn Zelhart (pictured above) tapped the ball over the net for the side-out kill. She tied the set at 13-13 with a serve that PBL's Kailey Kleinert hit twice for a violation.

Kaitlyn Zelhart gave Blue Ridge the lead with a serve that Randee Newson could not return. The Lady Knights scored six of the next seven points.

Then the Lady Panthers came back and took a 21-20 lead. Catlyn Ekstrom tied the set at 20-20 with a serve that hit Jessica Schrock's feet, then gave PBL the lead with a serve that bounced off the net and over it.

From there, the Lady Panthers took a one-point lead on five different occasions, only to have Blue Ridge tie the set. Two match-saving spikes by Kaitlyn Zelhart tied the set at 24-24 and 25-25.


Then Schrock (pictured above) gave Blue Ridge the lead by hitting a ball that PBL returned with an erroneous hit. From there, the Lady Knights took two consecutive one-point leads.

The Lady Panthers took their final lead of the match at 31-30. From there, Blue Ridge scored three unanswered points to seal the match.

Kaitlyn Zelhart tied the set at 31-31 with a hit that Amanda Ypya returned with a bump into the crowd. Jordan Wheeler (pictured below) helped give the Lady Knights the lead with a diving dig that resulted in a point when PBL hit the ball out of bounds.


Kaitlyn Zelhart ended the grueling set, and the match, with a hit that forced Ekstrom to return the ball backwards.

In the first set, Blue Ridge scored the first eight points, including two consecutive on Emily Zelhart serves. The Lady Knights gained a 24-8 lead with a Wheeler serve that Ekstrom returned with a hit that landed out of bounds.

Blue Ridge got the 25th point of the first set when Kaylee Genzel failed to get the ball over the net on a serve.

In the second set, PBL gained 23-13 lead before the Lady Knights scored five consecutive points. The first of those points was scored with a Ypya serving error.

The score went to 23-18 when Kaitlyn Zelhart tapped the ball over the net and to the right spot on the floor. The kill was set up by a Wheeler dig.

However, the Lady Panthers got the 25th point of the second set when Emily Zelhart hit the net on a serve.


Kaitlyn Zelhart finished the match with 13 kills, five blocks, three aces and 10 points. Emily Zelhart (pictured above) had 21 assists, two aces and 12 points for the Lady Knights.

Wheeler contributed with 18 digs, three aces and six points.

"[The match] could have gone either way," Miles said. It was a good win over a [Class] 2A team. I think we had a much better energy and mindset going into this match than we did last night."

With the win, the Lady Knights improve to 16-3 heading into a Heart of Illinois Conference matchup at Fieldcrest on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Blue Ridge junior varsity team lost to PBL 25-22, 21-25, 15-11.

For the record...

The IHSA record for most points scored by a team in a set belongs to Lanark Eastland, who scored 54 points in a set against Woodstock Marian on November 8, 2003.

By scoring 33 points in the third set against Paxton-Buckley-Loda, the Lady Knights tied for ninth all-time with Crystal Lake Central, who scored 33 in a set against Woodstock Marian Central on October 14, 2006.

Blue Ridge Soccer Loses Heartbreaker to Monticello in Potential Regional Preview

MONTICELLO, Ill. -- After his team's 3-2 loss to Monticello, Blue Ridge coach Marty Price relayed the following message to the Knights: "This game's over. The season starts tomorrow."

"We just need to shake this game off and get it started again," Price said when asked about the meaning of the message.

In what was a potential preview of the Monticello Regional championship game, Blue Ridge had a 2-1 lead with less than eight minutes remaining.


Conner Builta (pictured below) gave the Knights that lead with a goal with more than 12 minutes remaining in the match. He rebounded a floating shot by J.J. Malone that hit the goalpost on the upper-left side.

Malone (pictured below) was credited with the assist on the goal. He also scored his 50th goal of the season in the first half; Builta recorded the assist.


Eli Smith scored to tie the match at 1-1, which was the score at halftime.

After Builta's goal, Monticello's Billy Nixon tied the match at 2-2 with 7:04 left. The goal was unassisted, as was each of the Sages' other goals.

Jacob Hanselman headed a shot into the net for the match-winning goal with 5:21 remaining in the match.


Monticello out-shot Blue Ridge 19-14. Josh Plunk (pictured above) finished the match with 11 saves and the Sages' Josh Schumacher recorded six saves.

With the loss, Blue Ridge sees its record fall to 16-2-2. The Knights will conclude their regular season with a road match at Georgetown-Ridge Farm on Monday and a meeting at South Park on Tuesday against Fisher.

Blue Ridge Golf: Amber Tsevelekos Finishes Fourth in Girls Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament; Boys Team Gets Fifth in HOIC Tourney

Girls

NORMAL, Ill. -- Amber Tsevelekos finished fourth among indivdual golfers at a rainy Weibring Golf Club by shooting a 91.

Melinda Wilson and Megan Tsevelekos shot a 107 and 119 for the Lady Knights, respectively. Blue Ridge did not have a team score for the HOIC Tournament because it only had three entrants.

LeRoy's Molly Marcum medaled at the tournament with a score of 78. Emily and Katie Spangler, both from Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley, finished in second and third, respectively, among individual golfers by shooting an 80 and an 87.

The Lady Falcons, with a combined score of 361, won the girls tournament.

Boys

NORMAL, Ill. -- Austin Maxwell was Blue Ridge's leading scorer, shooting an 89.

Will Duggins was second among the Knights with a score of 93. C.J. Bishop and Dylan Weidner each shot a 95 to contribute to Blue Ridge's final score of 372.

As a result, the Knights finished fifth out of 12 teams at Weibring Golf Club. 

El Paso-Gridley was the winner of the HOIC Tournament with a team score of 322. Kyle Colmone led the Titans by shooting a 78.

Tri-Valley's Austin Sproles medaled by shooting a 74. 

Mason Potts and Justin Jamison shot a 98 and a 107, respectively. Neither score contributed to Blue Ridge's final score.
BLUE RIDGE VOLLEYBALL def. PBL 25-11, 20-25, 33-31.
BLUE RIDGE VOLLEYBALL UPDATE: Paxton-Buckley-Loda won the second set 25-20.
BLUE RIDGE VOLLEYBALL UPDATE: The Lady Knights won the first set 25-11 against Paxton-Buckley-Loda.
BLUE RIDGE VOLLEYBALL UPDATE: The Lady Knights' junior varsity team lost to Paxton-Buckley-Loda 25-22, 21-25, 15-11.
BLUE RIDGE SOCCER UPDATE: The Knights had a 2-1 lead, but lost 3-2 to Momticello.
BLUE RIDGE SOCCER UPDATE: The Knights are tied 1-1 with Monticello at halftime.
BLUE RIDGE GIRLS GOLF UPDATE: Amber Tsevelekos shot a 91 to finish fourth among individual golfers at the HOIC Tournament.
BLUE RIDGE BOYS GOLF UPDATE: Austin Maxwell shot an 89 to lead the Knights to a fifth-place finish at the Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament.

Ozzie Guillen Released from Chicago White Sox, Will Manage the Florida Marlins?

Last night, Ozzie Guillen was released with his contract with the Chicago White Sox.

After a World Series title in 2005, a division title in 2008 and a barrage of swear words, Ozzieball will no longer be played on the South Side of Chicago.

However, he may have found a new home in South Beach. ESPNChicago.com that Guillen will accept a four-year offer to be the manager of the Florida Marlins.

As the Marlins' third-base coach, Guillen was a member of Florida's 2003 World Series championship team.

9/26/11

Blue Ridge Volleyball Bounces Back from Slow Start, Wins HOIC game over LeRoy

FARMER CITY, Ill. -- Whether it was the distractions of Homecoming Week or the five-day layoff after beating Deer Creek-Mackinaw and Tri-Valley in back-to-back nights, the Lady Knights got off to a slow start at home against LeRoy.

Blue Ridge trailed LeRoy, a team that entered the match with an 0-4 Heart of Illinois Conference record, in the first set 10-6. However, the Lady Knights recovered and beat the Panthers 25-22, 25-21.

"We played well enough to win tonight," Blue Ridge coach Evan Miles said. "We’ll have those sometimes, especially during Homecoming Week. I knew our girls will respond [after being down 10-6]; they showed their leadership. Knowing what’s at stake every in, day-in and day-out, that’s the biggest thing we’re trying to convey because don’t want another hiccup like we had at [El Paso-Gridley]."

After Blue Ridge's timeout, Emily Zelhart (pictured above) got the side-out kill to make the score 10-7 in the first set. After tying the score at 11-11, Blue Ridge scored two consecutive points via Chandler Morrow serves.

After LeRoy got a side-out point to make the score 13-12, Amber Blazek contributed to Blue Ridge's ensuing side-out when she went into the crowd to save the ball from landing.

The Panthers tied the first set at 22-22 after getting three consecutive points. Then Blazek (pictured below)got the side-out point to give the Lady Knights the lead.


Emily Zelhart got the next point for Blue Ridge with a spike that deflected off a LeRoy block attempt and onto the floor. Then the Lady Knights clinched the first set when a Panther player was called for an erroneous hit.

In the second set, Blue Ridge got the first point with a diagonal spike from Kaitlyn Zelhart that hit one of LeRoy's players in the face. The Lady Knights took the early 4-1 lead with a Blazek hit that bounced off the net and over it.


However, LeRoy took leads of 9-7 and 14-13. Then, after Blue Ridge got the side-out point on a Panther hitting error, Kaitlyn Zelhart (pictured above) gave her team a 15-14 lead with a hit that found the right spot in the middle of LeRoy's side of the court.

Kaitlyn Zelhart clinched the second set with her only block of the match. She also finished the match with eight kills, seven digs, one ace and five service points.

Blazek led Blue Ridge in aces (two) and service points (six). Emily Zelhart recorded 15 assists.


Morrow (pictured above) finished the match tied for the team lead in digs with seven.

With the win, the Lady Knights improve to 15-3 overall and 6-1 in the HOIC. They will host a non-conference match against Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Tuesday and play at Fieldcrest for a conference match on Thursday.

"Winning in conference is always a good thing," Miles said. "We’ve got some tough ones coming up. I’m confident our girls will play at a high level tomorrow and Thursday."

Meanwhile, Blue Ridge's junior varsity team beat LeRoy on Monday as well, winning 26-24, 25-20.

"It’s always nice when the JV sets the tone with a win," Miles said.

Blue Ridge Soccer Overcomes Wet Conditions in 5-0 Win over Heyworth

FARMER CITY, Ill. -- If Monday's match at South Park is any indication, the Knights will play in the regional final as they did last year.

In a preview of October 11's Monticello Regional semifinal game, Blue Ridge beat the Hornets (and the wet, windy and cold elements) 5-0.

"We came out a little flat today, but with the rain and the cold, it was no big deal,” Blue Ridge coach Marty Price said. “This is the first game we’ve played in the rain this year. It’s a lot different.”


Before the rain came, Ian Riggs (pictured above) got the scoring going with a corner kick from the left side that went into the net on the upper-right side.

Although the goal itself was unassisted, the corner kick was set up by a shot from J.J. Malone that Heyworth goalkeeper Wesley Anderson saved with his outstretched arms while diving to his right side.

That turned out to be the match-winning goal. J.J. Malone added an insurance score with less than four minutes remaining in the first half. Malone took a breakaway pass from Conner Builta and, after the Hornets deflected the ball away from him, recovered and took a shot that went into the net on the upper-left side.


Although Builta (pictured above) was not credited with the assist on that goal, he did get a goal of his own in the second half when he kicked a shot that deflected off Heyworth defenders and bounced into the net. The goal was credited as unassisted as well.

Malone scored the next two goals to record yet another hat trick. The first of those goals was scored when he kicked the ball to the right side, barely past Anderson.

The final goal of the game occurred when Malone received a pass from Lane Arteman that a Heyworth defender tried to intercept, but whiffed at instead. Malone (No. 5, pictured below) got a breakaway goal as a result, and Arteman was credited with the Knights' only assist of the match.


Blue Ridge finished the match with 24 shots on goal while the Hornets only got one shot on net. On that one shot, Josh Plunk was credited with his lone save of the match.

Meanwhile, Anderson recorded 11 saves in a losing effort.

With the win, the Knights improve to 16-1-2 and will play at Monticello on Tuesday. 
BLUE RIDGE VOLLEYBALL def. LEROY 25-22, 25-21.
BLUE RIDGE VOLLEYBALL UPDATE: The Lady Knights won the first set 25-22 over LeRoy.
BLUE RIDGE VOLLEYBALL UPDATE: The Lady Knights' junior varsity team beat LeRoy 26-24, 25-20.
BLUE RIDGE SOCCER UPDATE: J.J. Malone scored two second-half goals and Conner Builta added another as the Knights beat Heyworth 5-0.
BLUE RIDGE SOCCER UPDATE: Ian Riggs and J.J. Malone each scored a goal to give the Knights a 2-0 halftime lead over Heyworth.

Blue Ridge Soccer, Volleyball 2011 IHSA Postseason Schedule Information

SOCCER

The Illinois Class 1A state soccer tournament schedule has been posted on http://www.ihsa.org/.

Last year, Blue Ridge lost 1-0 to Warrensburg-Latham in the regional final. So far, the Knights are 15-1-2 in the 2011 season, a record that has earned them the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Monticello Regional.

The following shows the Knights' path through the state tournament (keep in mind that Blue Ridge still has regular-season matches scheduled against Heyworth and Monticello):

Monticello Regional

Match 1
October 11 -- Blue Ridge vs. Heyworth, 4:30 p.m.

Match 2
October 12 -- Monticello vs. Olympia, 4:30 p.m.

Regional final
October 15 -- Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2, 11 a.m.

 Glasford Illini Bluffs Sectional (all times TBA)

Match 1
October 18 -- Winner Monticello Regional vs. Winner Chillicothe Illinois Valley Central Regional.

Match 2
October 18 -- Winner Bloomington Central Catholic Regional vs. Winner Warrensburg-Latham Regional.

Sectional final
October 22 -- Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2.

Super-Sectional (site and time TBA)

October 25 -- Winner Glasford Illini Bluffs Sectional vs. Winner Gilman Iroquois West Sectional.

State Final Tournament (at the Corn Crib, Normal)

Match 1
October 28 -- Winner TBA Super-Sectional vs. Winner Naperville Super-Sectional, 5 p.m.

Match 2
October 28 -- Winner Chicago DePaul University Super-Sectional vs. O'Fallon Super-Sectional, 7 p.m.

Illinois Class 1A Third-place Match
October 29 -- Loser Match 1 vs. Loser Match 2, 5 p.m.

Illinois Class 1A Championship Match
October 29 -- Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2, 7 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL

The IHSA Web site has not released its schedule for the 2011 IHSA Class 1A state tournament, and will not do so until October 7 at about 4 p.m.

However, the site did reveal that (just like last year) Blue Ridge will host its own regional. The Lady Knights will be joined in that regional by the following teams: Cerro Gordo, Decatur Lutheran, DeLand-Weldon, Decatur Christian, Mount Pulaski and Niantic Sangamon Valley.

The winner of the Farmer City Blue Ridge Regional will move on to the Mount Pulaski Sectional. The winner of that sectional will play in the Danville Schlarman Super-Sectional.

The winner of that super-sectional will earn a trip to the state tournament, which will be played at Normal's Redbird Arena.

Blue Ridge Football Update -- September 26, 2011

Tonight's junior varsity game at Heyworth has been cancelled.

The Knights have also cancelled junior varsity football games against LeRoy, Deer Creek-Mackinaw and Fieldcrest.

Again, anyone in need of a football fix can find one at the Clintonia Eagle Theater in Clinton, Ill., where they will offer free admission to watch the Monday Night Football game on the big screen.

The Dallas Cowboys will host the Washington Redskins at 7:30 p.m. CST.

The Clintonia Eagle is located at the following address: 13 Kelli Ct., Clinton, IL 61727. 

9/24/11

Blue Ridge Football Loses Heartbreaking Overtime Game to Heyworth

 

HEYWORTH, Ill. -- The Knights' bid to spoil the Hornets' Homecoming fell a bit short.

In a battle of two winless teams, somebody had to to come out with a victory. And it was Sam Asmus who delivered the knockout punch for Heyworth, scoring a six-yard touchdown run in overtime to give the Hornets a 12-6 win over Blue Ridge.

Heyworth started the scoring early, capping a five-play drive with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Jeremy Maxwell to Trevor Crum from on its opening possession.

Blue Ridge tied the game at 6-6 with 17 seconds left in the second quarter with a three-yard touchdown run by Jon Berger.


Berger (No. 31, pictured above somewhere) also had a fumble recovery in the second quarter, and the Knights drove the ball on their ensuing possession to the red zone.

During the drive, they got a key fourth-down conversion when senior tailback Trenor Hildreth (No. 47, pictured below) took a handoff on fourth-and-3 and burst through the middle to the Heyworth 32-yard line.


However, Blue Ridge could not capitalize on the turnover. The Knights were called for a holding penalty on a Johnny Bruden option run, moving the ball back to the 24-yard line for a third-and-14.

Bruden threw an incomplete pass on third down. Then Blue Ridge turned the ball over on downs when Bruden ran out of bounds short of the first-down marker along the right sideline on fourth down.

Heyworth was called for a personal foul for hitting Bruden after he stepped out of bounds. However, the Hornets got the ball back anyway because it was determined to be a dead-ball penalty.


Bruden (No. 14, pictured above) finished the game leading the Knights with 70 yards rushing.

Blue Ridge also got a chance to score in overtime, as the Knights had the first possession. However, they came up empty handed after missing a field goal.

The Knights fell to a record of 0-5 overall and 0-4 in the Heart of Illinois Conference with the loss. They will play at home against LeRoy next Friday as part of their own Homecoming festivities.

9/23/11

BLUE RIDGE FOOTBALL UPDATE: The Knights trail Heyworth 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Blue Ridge Sports Roundup (September 22, 2011): Soccer, Boys Golf Teams Win Road Meets

Updated at 1:01 p.m. CST on September 23

Soccer
BLUE RIDGE 6, WATSEKA 0

WATSEKA, Ill. -- Five days after beating Watseka 6-0 en route to winning the Hoopeston Cornjerker Classic, the Knights overtook the Warriors in a regular-season match by the same score.

J.J. Malone delivered another scoring barrage to Watseka, picking up four goals. Conner Builta and Ian Riggs each scored a goal as well.

Builta was credited with two assists as well while Riggs had one assist.

Josh Plunk saved five shots to preserve the shutout.

With the win, Blue Ridge improved its record to 15-1-2. The Knights will kick off in Heyworth on Monday at 4:30 p.m. CST.

Boys Golf
BLUE RIDGE 179, RIDGEVIEW 182, FLANAGAN-CORNELL 229

SAYBROOK, Ill. -- Will Duggins and C.J. Bishop each shot a 42 to tie for meet medalist honors at Indian Springs Golf Course.

Austin Maxwell and Mason Potts also contributed to the Knights' final score. Maxwell and Potts scored a 47 each.

The Knights will tee off on Monday at 4:15 p.m. CST, when they will host a triangular meet at Woodlawn Country Club against Fisher and LeRoy.

Heart of Illinois Conference Volleyball Standings as of September 23 at 1 a.m. CST

Place, Team, HOIC Record
1, Heyworth, 6-0
2, Blue Ridge, 5-1
3, Deer Creek-Mackinaw, 5-1
4, El Paso-Gridley, 4-1
5, Tri-Valley, 4-2
6, Lexington, 4-2
7, Fisher, 3-2
8, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley, 2-4
9, Ridgeview, 1-4
10, Fieldcrest, 1-4
11, Tremont, 1-5
12, LeRoy, 0-4
13, Flanagan-Cornell, 0-5

9/22/11

Blue Ridge Girls Golf Update -- September 22, 2011

The Lady Knights had the following meets scheduled this week: Monday at home against Monticello, Tuesday at Tri-Valley and Wednesday at Mahomet-Seymour.

However, due to injury and eligibility issues, the Blue Ridge golf team was forced to cancel those outings this week.

The Lady Knights' next scheduled meet is Monday at Woodlawn Country Club against LeRoy at 4:15 p.m. CST.

Unrelated Side Note...

ESPN will air the film "Catching Hell," a movie about infamous Cubs fan Steve Bartman, on Tuesday at 7 p.m. CST.

9/21/11

Blue Ridge Volleyball Nets Second Big HOIC Win in 24 Hours at Tri-Valley

BLUE RIDGE def. TRI-VALLEY 26-24, 25-23

DOWNS, Ill. -- After his Lady Knights lost to El Paso-Gridley last Thursday, head coach Evan Miles told his players they could afford one hiccup in the Heart of Illinois Conference.

With previously-unbeaten Deer Creek-Mackinaw next on its schedule and a road match against Tri-Valley shortly afterwards, it looked like there could be more hiccups to come.

Blue Ridge took care of both opponents. Less than 24 hours after beating the Lady Chiefs in two close sets, the Lady Knights found some clutch magic once again in Downs.

"It’s gut-check time," Miles said. "Beating an undefeated team and coming here in a hostile, rivalry-type atmosphere at Tri-Valley on a rescheduled date and shortened time shows a lot of perseverance, so we control our own destiny. Things are looking positive."

In the first set, Blue Ridge found itself down 24-22. Then Jordan Wheeler hit a set-saving shot over the net with her outstretched left arm.

When Tri-Valley tried to return Wheeler's hit, but hit the ball out of bounds on their right side instead, the Lady Knights decreased their deficit to 24-23.

From there, it was Kaitlyn Zelhart's turn to serve. She tied the game for Blue Ridge with a serve.


Then, Kaitlyn Zelhart (pictured above) gave the Lady Knights a 25-24 lead when she served the ball and Tri-Valley's Lauren Sellers failed to return it. Blue Ridge got the set-winning point when the Lady Vikings were called for an improper hit.

For Blue Ridge fans at the match against Dee-Mack, the comeback should be a familiar sight. The Lady Chiefs were one point away from winning the second set when the Lady Knights rallied to win the set, and the match along with it.

“Our girls are very good with our backs against the wall," Miles said. "I wish we could play like that consistently throughout the match, but [they’re] the cardiac kids; they have a way to persevere, fight and scrap and finish things. That’s very positive.”

The second set against Tri-Valley was another back-and-forth affair.

The Lady Vikings had a 12-9 lead when Kara Neisen spiked the ball diagonally to the right side. Then Blue Ridge took a 15-14 lead when Stefanie Sanidas returned a Kaitlyn Zelhart serve out of bounds.


Wheeler (pictured above) increased the Lady Knights' lead to 17-14 with a diagonal tap from Blue Ridge's right side that barely made it over the net in the middle.

The Lady Knights led 19-16 when Wheeler and Gabby Pearl were at the net for a block. But Tri-Valley came right back, tying the second set at 21-21 with a Cassie Norman serve that barely landed in bounds on the Lady Vikings' right side.

With the score tied at 22-22, Neisen's service error gave the Lady Knights a 23-22 lead. Two Kaitlyn Zelhart spikes, both on which Tri-Valley committed some hitting errors, clinched the set and the match for Blue Ridge.

Kaitlyn Zelhart finished the match with nine kills, 13 digs and one block. Emily Zelhart (No. 12, pictured below) contributed with 12 assists.


Wheeler had three aces and 13 digs. Chandler Morrow collected nine digs.

With the win over the Lady Vikings, Blue Ridge is now 14-3 overall and sits alone at second place in the HOIC with a record of 5-1. The Lady Knights will be at home on Monday, when they take on LeRoy.

JV Score -- Tri-Valley won 25-19, 25-22.

Blue Ridge Softball Update: Jordan Wheeler, Melinda Wilson Make Verbal Commitments to Colleges

Jordan Wheeler -- Parkland College

Even though she has not played her senior season yet, Wheeler holds many Blue Ridge softball records.

Her ERA of 1.10 leads all Lady Knights, as well as her 665 strikeouts, 63 wins and 22 home runs.

And now, she already has her softball career beyond Blue Ridge planned out. Wheeler (pictured below with former softball coach Myron Schroeder, who broke the news to the Sports Thread) said she knew for a week and a half that she would go to Parkland.


"I really liked the coach, and [Parkland] has a good softball program," Wheeler said. "I felt like it was the best choice for me."

Wheeler's volleyball coach, Evan Miles, said he thinks Wheeler made a good choice.

"I know she was looking there; that was one of her last two or three choices," Miles said. "I think she’ll be comfortable being close to home and playing for a very good [softball] program. Myron [Schroeder and I] will be able to watch her, too.”

Melinda Wilson -- Lincoln Land Community College

Wilson already has some gaudy numbers heading into her senior season as well.

She is second among all-time Blue Ridge players in home runs with 15. Wilson is third in triples and RBIs with 11 and 106, respectively, and fourth in doubles with 24.
BLUE RIDGE VOLLEYBALL def. TRI-VALLEY 26-24, 25-23.
BLUE RIDGE VOLLEYBALL UPDATE: The Lady Knights won the first set 26-24 against Tri-Valley.
BLUE RIDGE JV VOLLEYBALL UPDATE: The Lady Knights lost the junior varsity game to Tri-Valley 25-19, 25-22.

NFL Acting Hypocritical with Memo Regarding Faking Injuries

After all the changes that are supposed to show that the NFL cares about the safety of its players, the league has decided to send a memo to the contrary.

Two days after speculation that the New York Giants' Deon Grant faked an injury in the Monday Night Football game against the St. Louis Rams, the NFL has sent a memo warning players and coaches about the act of faking an injury to stall the game.

The memo states that the consequences of this act could include suspension for players and coaches or the forfeiture of draft picks.

This message goes against the one that they sent by eliminating two-a-days in training camp and numerous rules installed to prevent concussion-based mental problems. Not to mention the kickoff being moved to the 35-yard line.

The point I want to come across is this: Where is the line?

There could be a point where the NFL could accuse a player of faking an injury when, on the contrary, he needed the game to be stopped because he was facing some serious health problems.

So I have a better solution: Eliminate the no-huddle offense.

That's right: Offenses should be required to allow the defense some time to rest.

The NFL has already changed some of its rules to enhance player safety. Why not go a step further?

2011 Heart of Illinois Conference Volleyball Standings -- As of September 21 at 2:15 A.M.

Ranking                     Team                   Conference Record
1.                      Heyworth                 5-0
T-2.                 Dee-Mack                    4-1
T-2.                      Tri-Valley                 4-1
T-2.                Blue Ridge                  4-1
T-2.                 Lexington               4-1
6.              El Paso-Gridley           3-1

Blue Ridge Volleyball Hands Dee-Mack Its First Loss of the Season

Last updated 3:04 p.m. CST Wednesday.

FARMER CITY, Ill. -- By protecting their home court, the Lady Knights have turned the Heart of Illinois Conference's title race into an interesting one.

Deer Creek-Mackinaw entered Blue Ridge High School with an undefeated record. With a 25-21, 26-24 victory, the Lady Knights sent the Lady Chiefs back home with a record of 10-1 overall and 4-1 in the HOIC.

Blue Ridge (13-3, 4-1) was led by Kaitlyn Zelhart, who recorded 10 kills, two blocks and one ace.

Jordan Wheeler contributed with 10 digs while Emily Zelhart had 13 assists, nine service points and one ace. Jessica Schrock was credited with seven service points and Amber Blazek scored one ace.

There will be no time for rest for the Lady Knights, who will travel to Downs on Wednesday for another conference test against Tri-Valley.

The Lady Vikings are 4-1 in the HOIC and 14-3 overall after beating Ridgeview on Tuesday.

Dee-Mack JV won 25-20, 25-14

J.J. Malone, Blue Ridge Soccer Unleashes Another Scoring Barrage at Mount Pulaski

MOUNT PULASKI, Ill. -- En route to leading the Knights to a 7-0 victory over Mount Pulaski, J.J. Malone picked up his routine hat trick.

With those three goals, Malone now has 42 this season. He also recorded an assist.

Conner Builta joined the scoring barrage, scoring two goals and an assist. Ian Riggs and Travys Nichols each scored a goal as well; Riggs was credited with two assists, Nichols with one.

With the win, Blue Ridge sees its record go up to 14-1-2. The Knights will take the field again on Thursday, when they travel to Watseka.

9/19/11

Monday Night Football/Chicago Bears Injury Updates

Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola is out with a dislocated elbow and Steven Jackson has just been ruled out with a quadriceps injury.

For the Giants, Osi Umenyiora is out with a knee injury. Hakeem Nicks and Justin Tuck will play with knee and neck injuries, respectively.

Bears' Injury Update

Offensive tackle Gabe Carimi is expected to miss four weeks with a dislocated knee.

Wide receiver Earl Bennett is a question mark for Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers as well.

Blue Ridge Football Update -- Monday, September 19, 2011

Due to injuries, the Knights have been forced to cancel tonight's junior varsity game against Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley.

For anyone in need of a football fix, the Clintonia Eagle in Clinton, Ill., is offering free admission to watch Monday Night Football on the big screen.

The St. Louis Rams will be at the Meadowlands to take on the New York Giants, as both teams look to avoid starting their 2011 season 0-2. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. CST.

9/18/11

Denver Broncos Wide Receiver (and Blue Ridge Athletic Director?) Eric Decker Making Noise in the NFL

In case you haven't noticed, Denver has a wide receiver that is performing a few headline plays.

Those plays are being performed by a man named Eric Decker.

First, he had a 90-yard punt return against the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football in Week 1.

Then, in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Decker caught five passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns to help lead the Broncos to a 24-22 win.

He caught a 25-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. Decker's 52-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter turned out to be the game winner for Denver.

This Eric Decker was drafted in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Minnesota. So I doubt that he serves double duty as the athletic director at Blue Ridge High School in Farmer City, Illinois.

But if you see a private jet in Farmer City departing for Denver, you know who the culprit is. ;)

NFL Week 2: New Orleans Saints 30, Chicago Bears 13

Jay Cutler faced pressure from the Saints' defense all day.

However, heading into the third quarter, he was not sacked. By the end of the game, Cutler was sacked six times.

The first sack, manufactured by New Orleans defensive end Turk McBride, proved to be costly.

With the Bears trailing 16-13, McBride forced a fumble on the sack. The pigskin was recovered by Jonathan Vilma in Chicago territory, leading to a four-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Robert Meachem.

In a game with two opportunistic defenses where neither team turned the ball over in the first half, one had to figure, heading into the third quarter, that the first turnover of the game would be the key play of the game.

Sure enough, the Saints scored 14 unanswered points following Cutler's fumble to seal the game. New Orleans turned the ball over when Charles Tillman forced and recovered a Mark Ingram fumble late in the fourth quarter.

But by then, the game was out of reach. For good measure, Junior Galette sacked Cutler on the Bears' first play after the Ingram fumble

Perhaps if Mike Martz had balanced the playcalling on offense, Cutler wouldn't have been pressured as much. Matt Forte had a 42-yard run that helped lead Chicago to the go-ahead touchdown in the first quarter.

On that touchdown, Cutler completed an eight-yard pass to Dane Sanzenbacher. Sanzenbacher was wide open in the end zone because Forte proved to be a legitimate run threat.

However, Martz went away from the run game. By the end of the game, Cutler completed 19-of-45 passes for 244 yards, whereas Forte ran the ball for 49 yards on only 10 carries.

Arguably, New Orleans was geared up for the pass as a result.

Hence the Saints' ability to get pressure on Cutler.

SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
C -- Dane Sanzenbacher 8-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick)
N -- John Kasay 31-yard field goal
Second Quarter
N -- Devery Henderson 79-yard pass from Drew Brees (Kasay kick)
N -- Kasay 29-yard field goal
N -- Kasay 53-yard field goal
C -- Gould 42-yard field goal
Third Quarter
C -- Gould 38-yard field goal
N -- Robert Meachem 4-yard pass from Brees (Kasay kick)
Fourth Quarter
N -- Darren Sproles 12-yard pass from Brees (Kasay kick)

Blue Ridge Soccer Wins Cornjerker Classic Championship with 2-0-2 Record; Girls Golf Team Participates in LeRoy Invitational

HOOPESTON, Ill. -- J.J. Malone scored a total of 10 goals to lead the Knights to a 6-0 victory over Watseka and an 8-0 win over Georgetown-Ridge Farm.

Malone recorded five goals in each game. With those goals, he is one away from reaching the milestone of 40 goals for the 2011 season.

The Knights finished the Hoopeston Cornjerker Classic with a record of 2-0-2, winning the tournament championship on a tiebreaker.

Conner Builta scored a hat trick for Blue Ridge against GRF. Malone, Ian Riggs and Josh McQuaid each had two assists in that game.

Builta also scored a goal and three assists against Watseka. Jon Jones recorded two assists while goalkeeper Josh Plunk saved one shot.
Blue Ridge's record improved to 13-1-2. The Knights will be back in action on Tuesday, when they will travel to Mount Pulaski.

For more information on prep sports in the Champaign area, click on the following link: http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/prep-sports/boys-golf/2011-09-17/saturdays-highlights-blaase-blazes.html.

Girls Golf

The Blue Ridge girls golf team finished 10th at the LeRoy Invitational Scramble with a score of 81.

Dunlap won the invite by shooting a 64.

For more information on golf in this invitational and other golf action in the Bloomington, Ill., area, visit the following link: http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/scoreboard/results/article_95fba8d2-e1b1-11e0-a9a4-001cc4c002e0.html.

For scores from Blue Ridge soccer's Friday games, scroll down the Sports Thread.

9/17/11

Blue Ridge Soccer Update -- Friday at the Cornjerker Classic

HOOPESTON, Ill. -- According to the Danville Commercial-News, the Knights ended a Friday game at the Hoopeston Cornjerker Classic in a 0-0 tie with Hoopeston Area.

Josh Plunk made two saves in that match for Blue Ridge. The Cornjerkers' Ben Brumett had four saves.

Earlier that day, Blue Ridge ended in a scoreless tie against Olympia as well. The Spartans' Dean Nafziger recorded six saves while Plunk saved three shots.

If Blue Ridge coaches/statisticians would like to report scores or stats to the Sports Thread, they can do so via e-mail to APRosten@AOL.com or via phone call, voicemail or text message at (217) 412-3697. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Blue Ridge Football: GCMS 55, Knights 8

If Blue Ridge coaches/statisticians would like to report scores or stats to the Sports Thread, they can do so via e-mail to APRosten@AOL.com or via phone call, voicemail or text message at (217) 412-3697.

GIBSON CITY, Ill. -- Any chance of Blue Ridge spoiling Gibson City-Melvin Sibley's homecoming quickly vanished on the opening kickoff.

On Blue Ridge's first attempt at the kickoff, the pigskin sailed out of bounds. The Falcons, as a result, made the Knights re-kick the ball.

Blue Ridge's re-kick was returned by Cole Lush 84 yards for the touchdown. From there, the Falcons dominated, taking a 35-0 halftime lead en route to their fourth victory of the season.

The Knights were, according to The Pantagraph, held to a total of 115 yards on offense. I have not seen any reports of who scored for Blue Ridge in this game.

According to a Facebook comment on WCIA's Friday Football Fever account by J.t. Hammitt, GCMS led 42-6 in the second half, then 48-8. Unless there was a typo, I would assume from that piece of information that the Knights scored a safety as well.

With the loss, Blue Ridge drops to 0-4 overall and 0-3 in the Heart of Illinois Conference. The Knights will make another attempt at their first victory of the season on Friday at Heyworth.

Last year, Blue Ridge beat Heyworth 18-6 for its only win of the season.

For those who were looking for Blue Ridge soccer scores from the Hoopeston Cornjerker Classic, I am afraid that I was unable to obtain any information for that. I apologize for the inconvenience.

9/16/11

Blue Ridge Volleyball Loses on Road to Titans; Soccer Wins on Another J.J. Malone Goal and Golf Teams Face EPG

Last updated Friday at 1:57 p.m. CST. 

Volleyball
EL PASO-GRIDLEY def. BLUE RIDGE 25-21, 25-19

EL PASO, Ill. -- The Lady Knights went to El Paso-Gridley High School with an undefeated conference record and returned to Farmer City with their third loss of the season.

Kaitlyn Zelhart recorded nine kills for Blue Ridge. Emily Zelhart contributed nine assists.

Jessica Schrock led the Lady Knights in aces with three. Jordan Wheeler had nine digs and Amber Blazek recorded six service points.

But it was not enough, as Titans sophomore Rebekah Ehresman led EPG (6-6, 2-1) with 13 service points, seven kills and 17 digs.

Meanwhile, the Blue Ridge junior varsity team fell to a record of 5-5 with a 25-16, 25-14 loss to the Titans. 

With the loss, the Lady Knights' varsity team fell to 12-3 overall and 3-1 in the Heart of Illinois Conference. They will host a big conference match on Tuesday against Deer Creek-Mackinaw, whose record is now 10-0 overall and 4-0 in the HOIC. 

Blue Ridge's match at Tri-Valley, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been moved to Wednesday, with the junior varsity game starting at 5 p.m.

For more information on this match and other prep volleyball action in the Bloomington, Ill., area, visit the following link:

Soccer
BLUE RIDGE 1, ST. THOMAS MORE 0

FARMER CITY, Ill. -- On Thursday, the Blue Ridge athletic boosters hosted Flood the Field at South Park.

J.J. Malone sent the flooded crowd of Knights fans home happy with a second-half goal. The score was assisted by Conner Builta.

Josh Plunk preserved the shutout for Blue Ridge by recording three saves.

With the win, the Knights improved to an 11-1 record. On Friday and Saturday, they will participate in the Hoopeston Cornjerker Classic.

The following is their itinerary of matches in the invitational:

Friday at 4 p.m. CST -- vs. Olympia

Friday at 6 p.m. CST -- vs. Hoopeston

Saturday at 9 a.m CST -- vs. Georgetown-Ridge Farm

Saturday at 11:30 a.m. CST -- vs. Watseka

The Blue Ridge junior varsity team beat St. Thomas More 1-0 as well. Dylan Grammer scored the goal for the Knights with an assist by Justin Jamison.

Coale Dolbert recorded three saves.

Boys Golf
EL PASO-GRIDLEY 158, BLUE RIDGE 194

FARMER CITY, Ill -- Austin Maxwell shot a 42 at the Woodlawn Country Club to lead Blue Ridge.

Maxwell's score was good enough to put him in fifth place among individual golfers. But it was not enough to carry the Knights to victory over the Titans in the dual meet.

Mason Potts scored a 43 to contribute to Blue Ridge's final score.

Blue Ridge's boys golf team will be back in action on Thursday, when the Knights will travel to Ridgeview.

Girls Golf

FARMER CITY, Ill. -- Amber Tsevelekos shot a season-best 43 to put herself in a three-way tie for first place among individual girls golfers at Woodlawn Country Club.

However, because the Lady Knights only had three entrants for their dual meet with El Paso-Gridley, the Titans won the dual meet.

Blue Ridge' girls golfers will tee off at the LeRoy Invitational on Saturday at 8 a.m. The Lady Knights' home meet against Monticello, originally scheduled for Monday, has been cancelled.

For more information on prep soccer and golf in the Champaign area, click on the following link:

If Blue Ridge coaches/statisticians would like to report scores or stats to the Sports Thread, they can do so via e-mail to APRosten@AOL.com or via phone call, voicemail or text message at (217) 412-3697. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

9/15/11

Brian Urlacher Returns to Halas Hall, According to Reports

The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Bears' Twitter account reported that Brian Urlacher, with a heavy heart in the wake of his mother's passing, returned to Halas Hall on Thursday.

Although his status for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints is not official, it appears that he will play.

For more information on the latest from Urlacher, click on the following link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-urlacher-back-with-bears-after-death-of-mother-20110915,0,6327425.story.

9/14/11

1998 NFC Championship Game in a Parallel Universe: What if Gary Anderson Split the Uprights?

The following post is merely a satirical prediction of how the alteration of a piece of NFL history impacted a parallel universe. As I mentioned in previous posts, this parallel universe in named after LeBron James, a man with multiple championship rings.

What Happened on Earth

With a 27-20 lead late in the fourth quarter of the 1998 NFC Championship Game, the Minnesota Vikings looked to be on their way to Super Bowl XXXIII.

All placekicker Gary Anderson had to do to seal the NFC title for the Vikings was make a 38-yard field goal. Prior to this field-goal attempt, Anderson split his previous 39 attempts through the uprights.

This time, however, the kick sailed wide left. From there, the Atlanta Falcons scored the tying touchdown and won 30-27 in overtime.

The Falcons would go on to lose the Super Bowl 34-19 to the Denver Broncos. The Broncos, who won the previous Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers, won a second consecutive AFC title by beating the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets in the playoffs.

The night prior to Super Bowl XXXIII, free safety Eugene Robinson was arrested for soliciting oral sex from an undercover police officer.

Ironically, Robinson accepted the Bart Starr Award for "high moral character" from Athletes in Action earlier that day. He would start in the Super Bowl, but according to Bob McGinn's The Ultimate Super Bowl Book, Robinson's arrest was a distraction.

"I think it was a huge mental distraction, if nothing else," Atlanta defensive coordinator Rich Brooks said, according to McGinn's book. "That, I think, took whatever advantage we had [in the Super Bowl] away from us."

What Happened on LeChamp James

In previous posts, I have mentioned that Cris Carter was a Super Bowl champion and that, as a result of Terrell Davis' absence, the Broncos did not get to Super Bowl XXXIII.

As you might have guessed, Carter's Super Bowl win came in the 1998 season. He would be named the game's Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXIII, catching three passes for three touchdowns to help Minnesota beat the Jets 27-24.

After all, all his does is catch touchdowns.

A fact that didn't sit well with rookie sensation Randy Moss.

Moss, who caught eight passes for 195 yards (as opposed to Carter's 58 yards) said during the postgame celebration that he would've liked to catch a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl.

"It's just not fair that I do all the work and that old a------ gets to do the touchdown dance," Moss said. "I don't care if they fine me for saying this. I'll pay the fine with straight cash, homey."

When Moss refused to apologize for his postgame rant or show up to the following season's training camp, the Vikings traded him to the Dallas Cowboys.

Moss was, reportedly, a little upset when the Cowboys passed up on him in the 1998 NFL Draft. When Moss showed up in Dallas, he let his feelings be known.

Afterwards, Michael Irvin had some inspirational words for him: "Man, shut up and smoke this crack pipe. It'll calm you down."

From there, Moss smoked his first crack pipe. Unfortunately, it would not be his last.

He would test positive for crack three times, which got him banned from the NFL. The third of those drug tests was taken prior to a 2002 preseason contest at Lambeau Field against the Packers.

After scoring a touchdown in that game, Moss celebrated by mooning (and by mooning, I mean actually taking off his pants and shaking his bare behind at) the crowd and shaking his genitals.

Luckily, the younger NFL fans did have at least one player they could see as a positive role model: Eugene Robinson.

For his 11 season as a Seattle Seahawk, in which he intercepted 42 passes and recorded 942 solo tackles, Robinson had his No. 41 jersey retired.

At the jersey retirement ceremony, Seahawks owner Paul Allen praised Robinson for not only his performance on the field, but his "high moral character" off it. 

Brian Urlacher's Mom Passes Away; His Status for Game against New Orleans Saints is Uncertain

The Chicago Bears have excused Brian Urlacher from practice this week so he can be with his family.

Urlacher's mom, Lavoyda, passed away at age 51, reportedly due to natural causes.

It is not known whether Urlacher will be in New Orleans on Sunday to play against the Saints. From a football standpoint, the Bears would like to have Urlacher in the middle linebacker position against Drew Brees and company.

Plus, it would be an inspirational sight to see Urlacher play well against New Orleans, just as Brett Favre did in 2003 against the Oakland Raiders after his father passed away.

But in times like these, it's important to keep things in perspective. And I send my condolences to Urlacher and his family.