By FRED KRONER
fred@sjodaily.com
St. Joseph-Ogden’s volleyball team produced a signature win on Thursday in Champaign.
The Spartans (13-2) stunned defending state champion St. Thomas More, but only after recovering from a 24-21 third-set deficit.
SJ-O lost the opening set 25-22, but bounced back to capture the win with 25-21, 26-24 triumphs.
The match was the season-opener for each team in Illini Prairie Conference action.
The Spartans are ranked second this week among News-Gazette area teams.
Oakwood’s volleyball team (13-6) stayed unbeaten after five Vermilion Valley Conference matches with Thursday’s 25-23, 25-18 sweep over Salt Fork.
Paiton Frerichs had 11 kills and Kerrigan Shafer landed seven kills for the Comets. The duo teamed up for five blocks.
McKenzie Doan handed out 10 assists.
Kylie Neuman and Reagen Morman each served two aces.
Oakwood is ranked sixth among News-Gazette area teams.
Heritage (15-3), ranked 10th by The News-Gazette, won three matches at Saturday’s Arcola Invitational before falling to Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond in the finals, 25-18, 20-25, 15-8.
For the tournament, Gracyn Allen registered 30 kills and 28 digs. Other major contributors were Olivia Sorensen, with 81 assists and 24 digs, and Aliya Holloman with 29 digs and 23 kills.
To reach the championship match, Heritage handled Arcola 25-13, 25-22, Sullivan 25-20, 25-9 and Marshall 25-20 25-17 without losing a set, raising its winning streak to nine matches in a row.
On Thursday, Heritage hammered Toledo Cumberland 25-11, 25-16 behind 11 digs and eight kills from Allen.
Soccer
Zac Seely scored two first-half goals, helping St. Joseph-Ogden (3-8-1) build a 3-0 lead in what evolved into a 4-1 victory over Georgetown-Ridge Farm on Saturday.
Jordan Kelly had the other first-half goal for the Spartans.
Cailer Kellenburger, who had one assist, netted the team’s final goal. The other assist was by Luke Cohen.
SJ-O goalkeeper Joel Branson had one save.
Dawson Rogers’ hat trick propelled Oakwood (5-8) to a 4-1 victory over Schlarman Academy on Thursday. The Comets are 3-2 in VVC matches.
Football
In a showdown between two Illini Prairie Conference teams with 4-0 season records, Pontiac upended visiting St. Joseph-Ogden 42-20 on Friday.
Area rushing leader Dwight Colvin gained 146 yards on 24 carries. The senior scored two touchdowns.
Colvin needs 127 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. Against the Indians, teammate Brayden Weaver churned out 38 yards on six carries.
Quarterback Keanen Swanson completed 8 of 17 passes for 109 yards. Aiden Meyer hauled in three of the completions for 46 yards.
SJ-O (4-1) returns to action on Friday with its homecoming game at 7 p.m. against Prairie Central (4-1).
Oakwood (2-3) used an explosive offense to garner a win for the second consecutive week, celebrating homecoming with a 57-8 over visiting Iroquois West.
The Comets scored eight touchdowns and they averaged 43 yards per score.
Colby Smiley scored three of the touchdowns on runs of 63, 56 and 44 yards and totaled 236 rushing yards on eight carries.
Rhett Harrison passed for 137 yards, all to Quentin White, who scored TDs on receptions of 33 and 82 yards.
Cody Hansbraugh opened the game’s scoring with a 34-yard first-period run.
Nick Grubb’s 5-yard second-quarter scoring jaunt was the team’s shortest scoring play.
Oakwood led 14-0 after one quarter.
The Comets play at Georgetown-Ridge Farm (2-3) on Friday.
Villa Grove/Heritage dropped to 2-3 after a 48-12 loss to Cumberland in Toledo.
VG/H will play host to Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin (5-0) on Friday.
Cross-country
St. Joseph-Ogden’s girls’ team placed second in its own 24-school Spartan Classic on Saturday.
Meet champion Unity had 62 points. SJ-O (106) was the runner-up.
The Spartans’ individual leader was Cassidy Bagby (fifth in 18 minutes, 11.21 seconds for 3 miles).
The team’s next five runners finished within 64 seconds of one another.
Hannah Rajlich was 20th in 18:50.31, Hanna Eastin was 27th in 19:03.97, Ally Monk was 29th in 19:15.35, Jillian Plotner was 30th in 19:23.74 and Hope Rajlich was 38th in 19:54.97.
The Spartans boys team placed 13th among 26 scored teams at the Spartan Classic.
Isiah McCune was the team’s top placer, covering the distance in 15:48.96 for 11th place.
Eric Poe was 57th in 17:03.57, Charlie Mabry was 82nd in 17:34.19, Luke Stegall was 90th in 17:30.25, Elijah Mock was 95th in 17:40.24 and Braden Clampitt was 126th in 18:18.84.
The Oakwood/Salt Fork boys didn’t have enough runners to be scored as a team at the Spartan Classic.
Leading the way were Cameron Helka (31st in 16:27.86) and Andy Hohn (51st in 16:56.29).
The Oakwood/Salt Fork girls ended in 24th place. The team-leader was Carlee Richardson (94th in 22:06.63).
Boys’ golf
Oakwood golfers swept the top two spots in a 180-202 victory over Salt Fork on Thursday at Danville’s Harrison Park.
Medalist was Ryan Hicks with a 41. He was followed by Logen Hoshauer (42).
Other team scores were: Cade Lawhorn (47) and Reed Sperry (49).
Villa Grove/Heritage placed second in the Little Okaw Valley Conference meet on Saturday at Oak Glen Golf course in Oblong.
Meet champion Blue Ridge had a composite of 357. VG/H ended at 367.
Payton Grimsley finished the regular season with St. Joseph-Ogden’s best nine-hole average, 43.1.
Other team leaders were Joey Acton (51.6), Adam Rose (52.3) and Tyler Moore (53.9).
