tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289147486886868782024-03-14T00:27:46.695-05:00Drew Rosten's Sports ThreadHi, my name is Andrew (or Drew) Rosten. My brother started this blog for me as a Christmas present. Consider it a gift that keeps on giving. I am currently the sports editor at the Ford County Record, and since taking that job in August 2012, I have won several Illinois Press Association awards. Before then, I was a part-time sports clerk at the Herald & Review in Decatur and part-time stringer for the Clinton Journal.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.comBlogger762125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-11131662240023546962012-04-05T13:15:00.000-05:002012-04-05T13:15:45.329-05:00Blue Ridge Softball 7, Fisher 2FISHER, Ill. -- Jordan Wheeler improved her pitching record to 6-2.<br />
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She also hit a two-run homer in the first inning. Melinda Wilson added a solo home run in the seventh inning.<br />
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Taylor Builta had two hits.<br />
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With the win, the Lady Knights increase their record to 7-3 overall and 2-0 in the Heart of Illinois Confrence. They will play at Villa Grove today.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-11557938233054105812012-04-05T13:08:00.000-05:002012-04-05T13:08:38.472-05:00Fisher 12, Blue Ridge Baseball 2FISHER, Ill. -- The Knights could not get in a sixth inning before the 10-run went into effect.<br />
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C.J. Bishop took the loss on the mound, decreasing his record to 0-3. He also doubled in the second inning. <br />
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Bishop would eventually make his way to home plate for Blue Ridge's first run of the game.<br />
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Tucker Johnson drove in the Knights' other run in the third inning, sending Will Duggins to home plate.<br />
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With the loss, Blue Ridge falls to 3-9 overall and 0-2 in the Heart of Illinois Conference. The Knights will host a game today against Clinton at 4:30 p.m.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-52509634985397651372012-04-04T01:37:00.003-05:002012-04-04T01:37:57.545-05:00Blue Ridge Sports Roundup: April 3, 2012<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Baseball</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>BLUE RIDGE 21, BUCKLEY CHRIST LUTHERAN 6</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">FARMER CITY, Ill. -- Will Duggins drove in five runs and had three hits to lead the Knights.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Tucker Johnson won his first decision for Blue Ridge after striking out eight batters.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The Knights improve to 3-8 with the win. They will travel to Fisher today for a 4:30 p.m. game as well.</div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Softball</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>MONTICELLO 3, BLUE RIDGE 2</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">FARMER CITY, Ill. -- Jordan Wheeler struck out 10 batters, but allowed nine hits in a nonconference loss to decrease her pitching record to 5-2.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">She also hit a solo home run in the first inning and finished the game with two hits. Melinda Wilson contributed three hits.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">With the loss, Blue Ridge falls to 6-3. The Lady Knights will travel to Fisher today for a 4:30 p.m. game.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>TRACK AT CLINTON MEET</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Boys team scores</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Tolono Unity 149; 2. Clinton 77.5; 3. LeRoy 43; 4. Colfax Ridgeview 36; 5. Argenta-Oreana 32.5; 6. Blue Ridge 29.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Girls team scores</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Clinton 132; 2. Tolono Unity 96; 3. Argenta-Oreana 58; 4. LeRoy 51; 5. Colfax Ridgeview 25.5; 6. Blue Ridge 6.5.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Individual results</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys 100 -- 7. Coale Dolbert, 12.26; 9. Justin Bailey, 12.39; 14. Wes Thompson, 12.74.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Girls 100 -- 9. Tia Morrow, 14.29.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys 200 -- 7. Josh McQuaid, 25.55; 9. Justin Bailey, 25.74.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Girls 200 -- 15. Tia Morrow, 30.83.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys 400 -- 15. Wes Foulks, 1:06.0; 17. Chris Ohlenkamp, 1:08.1; 18. Quintan Butson, 1:17.54.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Girls 400 -- 4. Korie Reynolds, 1:07.93.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys 800 -- 11. Chris Ohlenkamp, 2:47.02; 13. Quintan Butson, 2:50.84.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys 1,600 -- 10. J.D. Strum, 6:00.68; 12. David Hardin, 6:04.05.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys 300 hurdles -- 1. Coale Dolbert, 46.77; 10. Wayne Morrow, 57.41.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Girls 300 hurdles -- 7. T'Ann Crozier, 59.31.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys 4x100 relay -- 2. Justin Bailey, Coale Dolbert, Josh McQuaid, Joe Smith, 48.57.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys 4x200 relay -- 3. Justin Bailey, Joe Smith, Josh McQuaid, James Risler, 1:41.18.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Girls 4x200 relay -- 5. Bailey Clancy, Savannah Houtchins, Katie Meiss, T'Ann Crozier, 2:14.82.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys 4x400 relay -- 4. J.J. Malone, Wes Foulks, James Risler, Joe Smith, 4:00.66.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys 4x800 relay -- 5. Quintan Butson, Wes Foulks, Chris Ohlenkamp, J.D. Strum, 11:14.84.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys shot put -- 20. C.J. Phillips, 24-8 1/2.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Girls shot put -- 7. Korie Reynolds, 26-4.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys discus -- 5. J.D. Strum, 86-10.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Girls discus -- 9. Jeana Cheek, 55-5; 19. Jessica Phillips, 37-4; 20. Savannah Houtchins, 37-2; 21. Katie Phillips, 36-7.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys high jump -- T-1. Coale Dolbert, 5-10.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Girls high jump -- T-4. Bailey Clancy, 4-4.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Boys long jump -- 5. Joe Smith, 18-4 3/4; 6. James Risler, 18-4 1/2.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Girls long jump -- 4. Bailey Clancy 13-4; 5. Tia Morrow, 13-2 1/2; 7. Katrina Medernach, 10-6 1/2.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-30923245429278433532012-04-03T01:00:00.000-05:002012-04-03T01:00:41.298-05:00Blue Ridge Softball 9, LeRoy 5LEROY, Ill. -- Jordan Wheeler struck out 12 batters en route to allowing only one earned run on the mound.<br />
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Wheeler also hit two doubles and drove in a couple of runs at the plate.<br />
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With the win, the Lady Knights improve their record to 6-2. They will host Monticello today.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-41562875221857169972012-04-03T00:56:00.000-05:002012-04-03T00:56:22.885-05:00LeRoy 2, Blue Ridge Baseball 0LEROY, Ill. -- The Knights produced a total of four hits to fall to 2-8 on the season. <br />
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Clint O'Neal got two of those hits for Blue Ridge, finishing the game batting 2-for-2 at the plate.<br />
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The Knights will host Buckley Christ Lutheran today.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-23719545172034076702012-04-01T14:50:00.000-05:002012-04-01T14:50:45.779-05:00Farmer City Raceway Results: March 31, 2012FARMER CITY, Ill. -- Jimmy Mars was the winner of the Illini 100 while Gary Cook Jr. took the checkered flag in the Illini 50.<br />
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<div align="center"><strong>CRATE LM</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;">Feature -- 1. Kolby Vandenbergh, Ashland; 2. Chuck Barnes, East Peoria; 3. Russ Adams, Princeville; 4. Evan Fink, Glasford; 5. Brad Willis Jr.; 6. Nick Bauman, New Berlin; 7. Dick Taylor; 8. Logan Moody, Catlin; 9. Bryon Ray, Marquette Heights; 10. Brad Willis Sr., East Peoria; 11. Tim Provenzano; 12. Dustin Mounce, Flanagan.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>STREET STOCK</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;">Feature -- 1. Jesse Simmons; 2. Mike McKinney, Plainfield; 3. Jordan Smith, Villa Grove; 4. Don Hilleary, Pepineoe; 5. Jeff Semmons, Pontiac; 6. A.J. Wright, Danville; 7. Larry Russell, Decatur; 8. David Shain, Humboldt; 9. Jonathon Drake, Decatur; 10. Jeremiah Hoadley, Decatur; 11. Matt Maier, Thomasboro; 12. Caleb Wankel; 13. Dave Weaver III; 14. Eric Wilson, Downs; 15. Travis Thrasher, Clinton.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>HORNETS</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;">Feature -- 1. Joe Reed, Decatur; 2. Eric Wisher; 3. David Lauritson, Normal; 4. Peter Hayes, Romeoville; 5. Larry Hawk, Champaign; 6. Adam Webb, Decatur; 7. Josh Smith, Clinton; 8. Jeremy Reed, Decatur; 9. Jim Wilson, Towanda; 10. Damon Sandlia; 11. Josh Nimrick; 12. Brian Wilson, Colfax; 13. Joe McDannald; 14. Andrew Sharwarko, Henry.</div>Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-71102601971344571032012-03-31T23:54:00.000-05:002012-03-31T23:54:27.777-05:00Blue Ridge Softball 5, Argenta-Oreana 2OREANA, Ill. -- Jordan Wheeler stuck out 11 batters to lead the Lady Knights to a 5-2 win over the Bombers.<br />
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With the complete-game performance, Wheeler improved to 4-1 on the mound.<br />
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Blue Ridge produced three runs in the seventh inning to pull away. Melinda Wilson hit 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in two runs.<br />
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With the win, the Lady Knights increase their record to 5-2. They will travel to LeRoy for a 4:30 p.m. Game on Monday.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-16641502645548116312012-03-28T14:40:00.000-05:002012-03-28T14:40:10.290-05:00Monticello 9, Blue Ridge Baseball 1FARMER CITY, Ill. -- The Knights scored their only run in the sixth inning and produced three hits at the plate.<br />
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They also committed five errors in the field.<br />
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Clint O'Neal took the loss on the mound, striking out three batters and allowing five earned runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings of work.<br />
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With the loss, Blue Ridge falls to 2-7. The Knights will travel to LeRoy for a game on Monday.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-7341931435331691592012-03-28T14:31:00.000-05:002012-03-28T14:31:55.256-05:00Mahomet-Seymour 3, Blue Ridge Softball 1MAHOMET, Ill. -- Despite hitting two doubles, Jordan Wheeler took the loss on the mound for the Lady Knights.<br />
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With the defeat, Blue Ridge falls to 4-2. The team will play a doubleheader at Argenta-Oreana on Saturday.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-58513022403508526712012-03-28T14:20:00.000-05:002012-03-28T14:20:48.716-05:00Blue Ridge Track Performs at Clinton Outdoor Meet on TuesdayBoys 100 -- 8. Wes Thompson, 12.28; 11. Coale Dolbert, 12.35; 13. Justin Bailey, 12.52; 20. Wayne Morrow, 13.46.<br />
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Girls 100 -- 9. Tia Morrow, 14.39; 16. Katie Phillips, 16.32.<br />
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Boys 200 -- 10. Josh McQuaid, 25.15; 16. Wes Thompson, 26.32; 21. Wayne Morrow, 32.36.<br />
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Girls 200 -- 19. Tia Morrow, 32.54.<br />
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Boys 400 -- 16. Wayne Morrow, 1:09.29; 17. Wes Foulks, 1:09.86; 18. Chris Ohlenkamp, 1:10.36; 19. Quintan Butson, 1:12.42.<br />
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Boys 800 -- 1. J.J. Malone, 2:23.8; 16. Chris Ohlenkamp, 2:44.28; 17. Quintan Butson, 2:44.51.<br />
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Girls 800 -- 20. Kaitlyn Zelhart, 4:07.49.<br />
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Boys 1,600 -- 1. J.J. Malone, 4:58.82; 10. J.D. Strum 5:57.43; 14. David Hardin, 6:40.64.<br />
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Boys 3,200 -- 10. David Hardin, 13:36.64.<br />
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Boys 4x100 relay -- 5. 50.11.<br />
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Girls 4x100 relay -- 8. 1:00.95.<br />
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Boys 4x200 relay -- 6. 1:43.07.<br />
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Girls 4x200 relay -- 7. 2:16.61.<br />
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Boys 4x400 relay -- 6. 4:13.09.<br />
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Girls Discus -- 19. Jeana Cheek, 48-5; 22. Savannah Houtchins, 36-9; 23. Jessica Phillips, 36-5.<br />
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Boys high jump -- T-3. Coale Dolbert, 5-8.<br />
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Girls high jump -- 10. Bailey Clancy, 4-2.<br />
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Boys long jump -- T-5. James Risler, 17-5 1/2; 7. Joe Smith, 17-3; 16. Wayne Morrow, 14-2 1/2.<br />
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Girls long jump -- 10. Bailey Clancy, 12-5 1/4; 13. Katrina Medernach, 10-6.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-66801653543412918482012-03-27T02:33:00.000-05:002012-03-27T02:33:15.468-05:00Blue Ridge Baseball Beats Warrensburg-Latham in Extra InningsFARMER CITY, Ill. -- With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Ben Wells hit a game-winning RBI single to score Trever Jones.<br />
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The score gave the Knights a 4-3 win over the Cardinals.<br />
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Conner Builta improves his record to 2-0 on the pitcher's mound with a five-hit complete game. He struck out 16 Warrensburg-Latham batters.<br />
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With the win, Blue Ridge improves to 2-6. The Knights will play another home game today at 4:30 p.m. against Monticello.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-82487179392657703632012-03-25T01:43:00.000-05:002012-03-25T01:43:04.457-05:00Blue Ridge Sports Roundup: March 24, 2012<div align="center"><strong>Softball</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>Game 1 -- BLUE RIDGE 18, CERRO GORDO 0</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">FARMER CITY, Ill. -- Jordan Wheeler achieved perfection on the mound and dominance at the plate against the Broncos in the Lady Knights's five-inning win.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">She added a three-run homer to her perfect game.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Jamison Brandt and Kylee Beck each had two hits. Brandt scored four runs while Beck drove in four.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Game 2 -- BLUE RIDGE 15, CERRO GORDO 0</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">FARMER CITY, Ill. -- Jordan Wheeler hit a two-run dinger.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Melinda Wilson had a home run as well and drove in three runs. Liz Cordes had two RBIs and three runs on three hits.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Cheye Beres finished the game with two hits and batted in three runs. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">With the two wins over Cerro Gordo, Blue Ridge improves to 4-1. The Lady Knights will take the diamond on Tuesday, when they travel to Mahomet-Seymour for a 5 p.m. game.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Baseball</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Game 1 -- CERRO GORDO 7, BLUE RIDGE 2</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Game 2 -- CERRO GORDO 13, BLUE RIDGE 10</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">FARMER CITY, Ill. -- Conner Builta finished the doubleheader with three hits, two RBIs and two runs.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">With the losses, the Knights fall to 1-6 on the season. They will host Warrensburg-Latham on Monday at 4:30 p.m.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-88106305659451849082012-03-23T00:43:00.000-05:002012-03-23T00:43:42.757-05:00Blue Ridge Baseball 7, South Piatt 0FARMER CITY, Ill. -- Conner Builta led the Knights to their first victory of the season with a dominating performance on the mound.<br />
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Builta pitched a one-hit shutout in which he struck out 13 batters and walked four of them. He was productive at the plate as well, hitting 2-for-3 with a double and a stolen base.<br />
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Clint O'Neal and Jeremy Dubson each drove in two runs to boost Blue Ridge's offensive production.<br />
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The Knights (1-4) will host a doubleheader against Cerro Gordo on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-61135974845555692782012-03-22T01:39:00.047-05:002012-03-22T11:57:31.484-05:00Blue Ridge Sports Roundup -- March 21, 2012ARMSTRONG, Ill. -- The softball Lady Knights beat Armstrong-Potomac 14-0 in five innings.<br />
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Jordan Wheeler was one out away from a perfect game, but an error ended the chance. She settled for a one-hit shutout in which she struck out 12 batters. <br />
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Wheeler is now 2-0 on the season.<br />
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Cheye Beres led Blue Ridge at the plate, getting four RBIs on two hits. Melinda Wilson drove in two runs on a couple of hits while Kylie Beck went 2-for-2 wit three runs and two walks.<br />
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With the win, the Lady Knights are now 2-1. They will host a doubleheader against Cerro Gordo on Saturday at 11 a.m.<br />
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The baseball Knights, meanwhile, will host Bement today at 4:30 p.m. looking for their first win after losing to Armstrong-Potomac 7-2. <br />
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Quincy Crawford drove in Blue Ridge's only two runs, scoring Conner Builta and Ben Wells with a single in the seventh inning.<br />
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The Knights combined for only three hits.<br />
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With the loss, Blue Ridge falls to 0-4 on the season.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-86905556957412651692012-03-21T01:38:00.000-05:002012-03-21T01:38:47.434-05:00Argenta-Oreana 17, Blue Ridge Baseball 0ARGENTA -- Michael Cummins threw a perfect game for the Bombers.<br />
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With the loss, Blue Ridge falls to 0-3 on the season. The Knights travel to Armstrong today.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-58055803660786965342012-03-18T01:54:00.000-05:002012-03-18T01:54:22.596-05:00Blue Ridge Sports Roundup: March 17, 2012<div align="center"><strong>SOFTBALL</strong><br />
<strong>Game 1</strong><br />
<strong>Blue Ridge 3, Tolono Unity 1</strong><br />
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</div><div align="left">TOLONO, Ill. -- Jordan Wheeler struck out 10 batters while only allowing three hits and one walk.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Wheeler also had two hits and two RBIs at the plate.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Game 2</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Tolono Unity 6, Blue Ridge 5</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">TOLONO, Ill. -- Liz Cordes took the loss on the mound for the Lady Knights.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><strong>BASEBALL</strong></div><div align="center"><br />
<strong>Game 1</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>Hoopeston-Area 2, Blue Ridge 1</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">HOOPESTON, Ill. -- Conner Builta had a no-hitter going through six innings.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">With two outs in the seventh inning, however, Hoopeston-Area scored the tying run. The Cornjerkers tallied the winning run in the eighth inning, giving Will Duggins the loss on the mound.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Builta went 3-for-4 in the contest.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Game 2</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Hoopeston-Area 7, Blue Ridge 6</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">HOOPESTON, Ill. -- Jon Jones took the loss on the mound for the Knights.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-57783090333876013292012-02-25T02:16:00.000-06:002012-02-25T02:16:23.180-06:00LeRoy Regional Championship Game: Ridgeview 43, Blue Ridge Boys Basketball 36LEROY -- The clock struck midnight midway through the fourth quarter for the Cinderella Knights.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XHVt8EGvO3s/T0iW0RUdq2I/AAAAAAAAApE/vSmhJnkW4YU/s1600/Blue+Ridge+boys+LeRoy+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XHVt8EGvO3s/T0iW0RUdq2I/AAAAAAAAApE/vSmhJnkW4YU/s400/Blue+Ridge+boys+LeRoy+018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After entering the fourth quarter up by two points, Blue Ridge increased its lead to 36-30. <br />
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From there, however, the Knights could not score a single point. The Mustangs, meanwhile, went on a 13-0 run to win the game.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-igtq5nqIWOk/T0iXcGCJ0pI/AAAAAAAAApM/G9Wos-627QM/s1600/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-igtq5nqIWOk/T0iXcGCJ0pI/AAAAAAAAApM/G9Wos-627QM/s400/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+050.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Ridgeview's Trevor McIntosh hit a 3-pointer with 1:30 remaining to put his team up 37-36. <br />
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Michael Plunk led Blue Ridge with 14 points. Will Duggins contributed 12 points and six rebounds.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fu7fIYQNtCc/T0iYQ-EchEI/AAAAAAAAApc/juuMmdjUuo0/s1600/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fu7fIYQNtCc/T0iYQ-EchEI/AAAAAAAAApc/juuMmdjUuo0/s400/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+052.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
With the loss, Blue Ridge ends its season with a 10-20 record. Michael Plunk could not advance in the Three-Point Showdown.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-75381043058172203112012-02-22T23:30:00.000-06:002012-02-22T23:30:54.207-06:00Blue Ridge Boys Basketball Advanes to LeRoy Regional Championship Game with 44-31 Win over Lexington<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PAdxL6nSrUs/T0XIQ9hHzTI/AAAAAAAAAn0/sUyyOhNK9gE/s1600/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PAdxL6nSrUs/T0XIQ9hHzTI/AAAAAAAAAn0/sUyyOhNK9gE/s400/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">LEROY -- Unlike last year's regional championship team, this year's Knights went into the postseason with a losing regular-season record at 8-19.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With Wednesday's 44-31 upset victory over No. 2-seeded Lexington in the LeRoy Regional semifinals, No. 3 Blue Ridge achieved the only record that matters in the postseason: 2-0.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"We talked about how, last Friday in El Paso, we kind of got skunked, but I told them how every team is 0-0," Blue Ridge coach Kyle Watson said. "It doesn't matter what the records are once you go to the postseason, and now we're 2-0. Hopefully, we can keep our Cinderella run going."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GjxEgIj_tkM/T0XLSHiZ-RI/AAAAAAAAAoE/cHW_uyGIIO4/s1600/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GjxEgIj_tkM/T0XLSHiZ-RI/AAAAAAAAAoE/cHW_uyGIIO4/s400/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Knights advanced to their second consecutive regional championship game thanks to a defense that played one of the best games it played all year. Blue Ridge held the Minutemen to a total of eight points or less in each quarter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the first quarter, the Knights held Lexington to four points in the first 4:24 to race out ot a 11-4 lead. Michael Plunk scored seven points during that run to lead Blue Ridge offensively.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jfmmh1YPFyo/T0XLpNFNW8I/AAAAAAAAAoM/TW4_N3b52MM/s1600/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jfmmh1YPFyo/T0XLpNFNW8I/AAAAAAAAAoM/TW4_N3b52MM/s400/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+044.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Knights ended the first quarter with a 13-8 lead. Despite only scoring four points (all by Travys Nichols) in the second quarter, they went into halftime leading 17-16 by holding the Minutemen to eight points in that quarter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Defense wins championships," Watson said. "We've talked about that so many times before. We didn't play great defense at Gibson City on Thursday, we didn't very good defense in Monticello at Christmas time, and we didn't play good defense in [the] McLean County [Tournament]. We preach to our kids to keep working on our defense. This is the biggest tournament that's left. We kind of gave up 62 to Calvary the other night. We'd been working on our defense yesterday in practice and today in the walk-through, and we held a very athletically-talented Lexington team to 31 points."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8S42OndagJc/T0XMBCnAAgI/AAAAAAAAAoU/p_DGZe79a-U/s1600/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8S42OndagJc/T0XMBCnAAgI/AAAAAAAAAoU/p_DGZe79a-U/s400/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nichols also scored eight points in the third quarter to help Blue Ridge end the quarter with a 27-24 lead. He also contributed defensively, drawing two charging calls on Lexington that helped put the Knights in the bonus.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before Michael Plunk sank two free throws with 16.1 seconds left in the third quarter, Blue Ridge did not attempt a single free throw in the game, as Watson pointed out to a referee with 1:10 remaining in the quarter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NQAc-fiqtiY/T0XMaXno65I/AAAAAAAAAoc/X8gAf8_7j5s/s1600/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NQAc-fiqtiY/T0XMaXno65I/AAAAAAAAAoc/X8gAf8_7j5s/s400/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+053.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the fourth quarter, the Knights scored 11 of their 17 points on 11-of-16 shooting at the charity stripe, including an 8-for-10 effort from Michael Plunk.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Free throws win or lose games," Watson said. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-11TD77kVOmw/T0XMyIWgaTI/AAAAAAAAAok/eOKexY71U7w/s1600/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-11TD77kVOmw/T0XMyIWgaTI/AAAAAAAAAok/eOKexY71U7w/s400/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+048.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Michael Plunk led Blue Ridge offensively with 17 points while Nichols contributed 14 points. Tucker Johnson added eight points.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meanwhile, the Knights held the Minutemen to seven points in the fourth quarter. Taylor Schneider finished the game leading Lexington in scoring with seven points while Michael Baker tied with Jonny Meints with six points. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pqoHfbfNOo4/T0XNMiNstfI/AAAAAAAAAos/yCSS9FFPGfY/s1600/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pqoHfbfNOo4/T0XNMiNstfI/AAAAAAAAAos/yCSS9FFPGfY/s400/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"[There was] great defense not only by Will Duggins, who was chasing Baker all night, but great defense by Mark Plunk on Schneider," Watson said. "That's a great job by the kids. I can't be more proud of our kids right now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Watson also said one of his assistant coaches, Garie Brock, helped him devise a game plan that led to the Knights' stifling defense.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-55erhC27tS8/T0XNlEzOS2I/AAAAAAAAAo0/5MEUVBkE09k/s1600/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-55erhC27tS8/T0XNlEzOS2I/AAAAAAAAAo0/5MEUVBkE09k/s400/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Coach Brock went and scouted Lexington last Friday night," Watson said. "He ran the Lexington sets in practice yesterday. He had the scouting report tonight. He screamed out to our kids exactly what the offense is that they're running. It was a great job by my assistant coaches. This was a win by our staff. I can't be proud of not only my kids, but I can't be more proud of my coaching staff."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Blue Ridge will look for its second straight regional championship on Friday night. The Knights will face Ridgeview at 7:30 p.m.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"We kind of had the Cinderella slippers on long enough tonight to pull off an upset," Watson said. "They're the No. 1 seed, we're the No. 3 seed. We've just got to hope that our Cinderella slippers don't slip off and that we can make a little bit of a run here. We're playing our best basketball of the year, and this is the perfect time to play your best basketball of the year."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5p9jhCzt1JI/T0XN9HgXTbI/AAAAAAAAAo8/owYf5g7IALw/s1600/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5p9jhCzt1JI/T0XN9HgXTbI/AAAAAAAAAo8/owYf5g7IALw/s400/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ridgeview lost to Blue Ridge two weeks ago after beating the Knights last December in the Monticello Holiday Hoopla.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The No. 1-seeded Mustangs earned the trip to the regional title game with a 66-39 victory over LeRoy in the semifinals.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Hopefully, Ridgeview doesn't shoot the way they shot tonight, because they shot the lights out tonight," Watson said. "Man, did they shoot the lights out tonight. They beat us at Christmas time. We beat them two weeks ago on Friday night. I told our kids, 'It sure would be awful great to be playing them in two weeks,' and now we are." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>Sports Thread's in the Bonus</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Michael Plunk advanced to the final round of the Three-Point Showdown by making eight 3-pointers in the semifinals.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ISVkNLmr-dM/T0XK2_2bITI/AAAAAAAAAn8/sVzEzIERCDE/s1600/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ISVkNLmr-dM/T0XK2_2bITI/AAAAAAAAAn8/sVzEzIERCDE/s400/Blue+Ridge+vs.+Lexington+051.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He will shoot prior to the LeRoy Regional title game along with Schneider and Josh Jackson of Lexington and Normal Calvary Christian's Kyle Freeze.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jon Jones made four shots, but will not advance to Friday's regional final.</div>Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-84369475536262139532012-02-22T21:56:00.000-06:002012-02-22T21:56:42.925-06:00LeRoy Regional: Blue Ridge Boys Basketball 44, Lexington 31 (box score)<em>Blue Ridge (44)</em><br />
Mark Plunk 0 0-0 0, Jon Jones 0 1-2 1, Trenor Hildreth 0 0-0 0, Michael Plunk 3 10-12 17, Will Duggins 2 0-0 4, C.J. Bishop 0 0-0 0, Travys Nichols 7 0-0 14, Josh Plunk 0 0-0 0, Tucker Johnson 3 2-4 8, Clint O'Neal 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 13-18 44<br />
<em>Lexington (31)</em><br />
Taylor Schneider 2 3-4 7, Michael Baker 3 0-0 6, Chris Collins-Terry 2 0-0 4, Josh Jackson 1 0-0 3, Donavan Laible 0 0-0 0, Jonny Meints 2 2-4 6, Nick Barkes 2 0-0 5. Totals 12 5-8 31<br />
<em>Blue Ridge 13 4 10 17 -- 44</em><br />
<em>Lexington 8 8 8 7 -- 31</em><br />
3-pointers -- Blue Ridge (Mi. Plunk). Lexington 2 (Jackson, Barkes).<br />
(Blue Ridge -- 10-19; next: Friday vs. Ridgeview in LeRoy Regional championship game, 7:30 p.m.)Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-86611914971905402062012-02-22T21:07:00.001-06:002012-02-22T21:07:23.716-06:00BLUE RIDGE BOYS BKB UPDATE: The Knights advance to the regional title game with a 44-31 win over Lexington.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-75167331056003407642012-02-22T19:30:00.001-06:002012-02-22T19:30:15.992-06:00BLUE RIDGE BOYS BKB UPDATE: Michael Plunk made eight shots in the Three-Point Showdown to advance to Friday's final round.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-42943622311593988492012-02-22T19:28:00.001-06:002012-02-22T19:28:34.784-06:00LEROY BOYS BKB REGIONAL UPDATE: Ridgeview beat LeRoy 66-39 to advance to Friday's title game against the winner of Blue Ridge vs. Lexington.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-76944156110391102162012-02-21T00:55:00.000-06:002012-02-21T00:55:07.744-06:00Blue Ridge Boys Basketball Out-Shoots Normal Calvary Christian to 72-62 LeRoy Regional Quarterfinal Victory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k1KDZjpV-uU/T0M613rvsGI/AAAAAAAAAmk/GneOUnjJ4Rw/s1600/Blue+Ridge+boys+LeRoy+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k1KDZjpV-uU/T0M613rvsGI/AAAAAAAAAmk/GneOUnjJ4Rw/s400/Blue+Ridge+boys+LeRoy+045.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
LEROY -- In Monday's LeRoy Regional quarterfinal game, the Knights' post game matched up against NCC's sharp shooting.<br />
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Blue Ridge won the battle with a 72-62 shootout victory to advance to the regional semifinals.<br />
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"I'm a little disappointed [about] giving up 62 [points]," Blue Ridge coach Kyle Watson said, "but I'm really happy [with] scoring 72."<br />
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With the win, the Knights (9-19) will face Lexington in the LeRoy Regional on Wednesday at 8:10 p.m. The winner of that game will face either Ridgeview or LeRoy in the championship game Friday at 7:30 p.m.<br />
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Blue Ridge has a strong recent postseason history with the Mintuemen, having faced them in the regionals in each of the past two years.<br />
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Two years ago, Lexington beat the Knights in the quarterfinals of a regional they hosted. Last year, Blue Ridge returned the favor with a 73-71 victory in the semifinals of the Farmer City Blue Ridge Regional.<br />
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The Knights hosted a regular season game against the Minutemen on Jan. 10, which Lexington won 69-67.<br />
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"They're playing very good basketball right now," Watson said. "They're a senior-dominant team. They're obviously going to have fire in their eyes. They're the higher seed, so I guess we've got to hope that Cinderella's slippers fit for a week or two. We'll go out and play, go out and have fun, and what happens happens."<br />
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Tucker Johnson scored 13 points in the first quarter, including eight on Blue Ridge's opening 11-4 run. Thanks to the shooting touches of Calvary's Bryson Barth and Kyle Freeze, NCC came back and tied the game at 14-14 with 10.2 seconds left in the first quarter.<br />
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Johnson made two free throws (he sank 5-of-7 free throws, all in the opening quarter) with 2.5 seconds remaining in the quarter to give his team the 16-14 lead.<br />
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Barth made a 3-pointer, one of three he converted in the game, to give Calvary a 17-16 lead early in the second quarter before Johnson made a bucket while being fouled to give Blue Ridge a 18-17 advantage with 7:44 left in the quarter.<br />
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Barth finished with a game-high 29 points while Freeze had 14 points. Dustin Beernink contributed 12 points, nine of which were scored on three 3-point field goals.<br />
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<div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z5EVWP3IhcA/T0M8rSpbNoI/AAAAAAAAAnM/xvyKYbmy-W0/s1600/Blue+Ridge+boys+LeRoy+071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z5EVWP3IhcA/T0M8rSpbNoI/AAAAAAAAAnM/xvyKYbmy-W0/s400/Blue+Ridge+boys+LeRoy+071.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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As a team, NCC made nine 3-pointers, including eight from a combined effort of Barth, Freeze and Beernink. <br />
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"Barth is a great shooter," Watson said. "That Freeze kid has been very good scorer for them all year long. I told the coach after the game they played awfully hard."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9MIyuxFZJn0/T0M8SNoWnnI/AAAAAAAAAnE/B7FUoFi9DGo/s1600/Blue+Ridge+boys+LeRoy+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9MIyuxFZJn0/T0M8SNoWnnI/AAAAAAAAAnE/B7FUoFi9DGo/s400/Blue+Ridge+boys+LeRoy+003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Defensive adjustments, including the replacement of Will Duggins (who scored five points) for Mark Plunk for the task of guarding Barth, helped the Knights take control of the game in the second half. Barth was held to five points, all on free throws, in the fourth quarter.<br />
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"We played a lot better halfcourt defense in the second half," Watson said. "Mark's length really bothered him. Mark Plunk did a really nice job on him in the second half."<br />
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The Knights countered offensively with a solid post game. After scoring 17 points in the first half, Johnson added 10 more to finish with a team-high 27 points.<br />
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"Tucker's been very steady for us the second half of the season," Watson said.<br />
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After Michael Plunk made a 3-pointer to give Blue Ridge a 40-38 lead, Travys Nichols scored a couple of baskets in the paint to help increase the Knights' lead to 46-38 with 3:44 remaining in the third quarter.<br />
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Nichols was held scoreless in the first half, but scored eight points in the third and fourth quarters each to finish with 16 points. His free throws with 2:15 remaining in the third gave Blue Ridge a 50-41 lead.<br />
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"Travys, I had to get on him a little bit at halftime because, [as] I told him, he had as many points as I did at halftime, which is none," Watson said. "He ends up with 16 in the second half. I don't have to have 16 out of him in a half, but I can't have zero from him in a half, either." <br />
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Clint O'Neal came off the bench to score three points to give the Knights a total of 46 points in the post.<br />
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"We knew that we had a height advantage on them," Watson said. "In a zone offense, we want to attack the basket. We got into the double bonus in the first half, and anytime you get into the double bonus, everybody attacked the lane, and if you get fouled, you're going to shoot two free throws the whole rest of the way. There's going to be some nights where it's the guards' night, and there's some nights where it's the post's night. Tonight just happened to be one night where it was a post night."<br />
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Michael Plunk led Blue Ridge's perimeter production. He scored a total of 17 points, including three 3-point field goals.<br />
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"Our posts were doing so well that it made them suck inside, and that's what opened up our perimeter guys for some nice shots," Watson said. "I think we ran our zone offense probably the best we've run it all year. We had some nice pass fakes, which opened up some nice assists for layups from our guards." <br />
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<div align="center"><strong>Sports Thread's in the Bonus</strong></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left">Before the regional quarterfinal game, Michael Plunk and Beernink showed their ability to shoot from beyond the arc in the Three-Point Showdown.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">He made six 3-pointers to force an overtime shoot-off with Beernink. Michael Plunk won the shoot-off to advance to Wednesday's semifinal round, which will take place prior to the Blue Ridge/Lexington game.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5z4_hT3366U/T0M-S9jSMWI/AAAAAAAAAns/OnaC7An36_8/s1600/Blue+Ridge+boys+LeRoy+064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5z4_hT3366U/T0M-S9jSMWI/AAAAAAAAAns/OnaC7An36_8/s400/Blue+Ridge+boys+LeRoy+064.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">He will represent the Knights in the Three-Point Showdown alongside Jon Jones, who made seven 3-point shots in the quarterfinals.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div>Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-42562630543727519622012-02-20T22:06:00.000-06:002012-02-20T22:06:54.369-06:00LeRoy Regional: Blue Ridge Boys Basketball 72, Normal Calvary Christian 62 (box score)<em>Normal Calvary Christian (62)</em><br />
Bryson Barth 10 6-7 29, Nate Huddleston 2 2-2 7, Kole Walker 0 0-0 0, Connor Gentry 0 0-0 0, Dustin Beernink 3 3-5 12, Kyle Freeze 4 4-6 14, Diamante McCquicker 0 0-0 0, James McConnell 0 0-0 0, Emory Thomas 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 15-20 62<br />
<em>Blue Ridge (72)</em><br />
Mark Plunk 1 0-2 2, Dylan Grammer 0 0-0 0, Jon Jones 0 0-0 0, Trenor Hildreth 0 0-0 0, Michael Plunk 6 2-2 17, Will Duggins 2 1-4 5, C.J. Bishop 1 0-0 2, Travys Nichols 7 2-3 16, Josh Plunk 0 0-0 0, Tucker Johnson 11 5-7 27, Clint O'Neal 1 1-2 3, Daniel Gilbert 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 11-20 72<br />
<em>Normal Calvary Christian 14 16 16 16 -- 62</em><br />
<em>Blue Ridge 16 17 21 18 -- 72</em><br />
3-pointers -- Normal Calvary Christian 9 (Barth 3, Beernink 3, Freeze 2, Huddleston). Blue Ridge 3 (Mi. Plunk 3).<br />
(Blue Ridge -- 9-19; next: Wednesday vs. Lexington in LeRoy Regional semifinal, 8:10 p.m.)Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228914748688686878.post-27277255522205336212012-02-20T21:17:00.001-06:002012-02-20T21:17:21.927-06:00BLUE RIDGE BOY BKB UPDATE: The Knights will advance to the regional semifinals with a 72-62 win over Normal Calvary Christian.Drew Rostenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17868770915289375743noreply@blogger.com0