Anastasia Conerty and Erica Guelfi were both awarded “Best of Day” for their performances in their respective categories.

The St. Joseph-Ogden Music Department also thanks Laurie Geeseman for being an outstanding accompanist throughout the event.

Josh Sexton – Euphonium Solo
Evan Schmitz – Trombone Solo
Samantha Gonzales – Flute Solo
Erica Guelfi (201 Cornet Trumpet or Flugelhorn) – Performance Room: 7 – High Brass – Accompanied by Laurie Geeseman – 1 student(s)
Tyson Madsen – Trumpet Solo
Erica Guelfi – Piccolo Trumpet Solo (Best of Day in her performance room)
Emmy Houston – Vocal Solo
Izzy Sexton – Vocal Solo
Anastasia Conerty – Vocal Solo (Best of Day in her performance room)
Samantha Gonzales – Piccolo Solo
Josh Sexton – Vocal Solo
Lauren Harper  – Vocal Solo

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St. Joseph-Ogden won the first half, but Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin captured the second half and the victory in Friday’s Class 2A boys’ basketball regional championship game at the Spartans’ sold-out gymnasium.

B-H/R-A improved to 32-0 with a 38-28 triumph. The game attracted an estimated 1,500 spectators.

Ty Pence scored 14 points and Chance Izard had 11 to lead the Spartans. The team’s other three points were scored by Payton Grimsley.

The Spartans held a 19-14 halftime lead, but managed just eight points thereafter.

Drew Coursey cleared six rebounds in the season-finale. Jordan Kelly handled five rebounds. Payton Cain had three assists.

SJ-O ends the season with a 23-9 record.

The deep and balanced Spartans had seven squad members lead – or share the team-lead – in rebounding this season.

Cain led the way in 10 games, followed by Coursey (nine games) and Conner Hodge (eight games). Pence led in seven games.

Kelly led in rebounding twice and teammates Andrew Beyers and Grimsley each led once.

Pence had the top single-game performance, with 12 rebounds.

Izard was the scoring leader in 17 games, followed by Pence (10), Cain (seven) and Hodge (one).

Izard registered a 36-point game, followed by Pence with a 28-point performance.

Izard ended the year with 83 three-pointers. Pence totaled 57 and Kelly had 14.

Izard posted the highest scoring average for the team this season (16.2 points per game), followed by Pence (12.8) and Cain (9.0).

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Being part of the St. Joseph-Ogden cheerleading program has been exactly what senior Tia Pruitt needed growing up.

“I could not imagine not being a part of a cheer squad,” Pruitt said.

Pruitt began cheering with the St. Joseph-Ogden Youth Football program in kindergarten.

Since then, she has soaked up all the information her coaches have been able to provide.

“They have taught me everything I know and always encourage me to be the best I can be,” Pruitt said. “My mom (Jennifer Pruitt) has always pushed me to be the best I can be and is always there to cheer me up and cheer me on when I feel down.”

During her final year as a Spartan, Pruitt has worked to pass on what she’s learned while also continuing to improve her own skills.

Pruitt focused on refining her tumbling skills while helping the younger team members by answering their questions and making them feel welcome on the squad.

For Pruitt, it’s been all about giving back.

“My Spartan family is so kind and supportive,” she said. “I grew up in the program and that makes me feel like I have a family instead of a cheer squad. I’ve known almost all of my teammates my entire life.”

Pruitt hopes that tonight is not the last time she will take the court.

The St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball team hosts state-ranked and unbeaten Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin in the Class 2A regional finals at 7 p.m. tonight. No matter what the outcome of the game is, Pruitt has one mission:

“A smile and great spirit to pump up the crowd and cheer on our team,” she said.

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The clinic will be staffed by a team of four doctors and assisted by certified optical and technical staff. In addition to routine eyecare, the St. Joseph Chittick Family Eye Care office will have the advanced technology necessary to diagnosis and manage a wide array of eye diseases including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic eye disease. 

The addition of the clinic is in line with owner and optometrist Dr. Shawn Mallady’s mission to provide accessible and quality eyecare to underserved communities. 

“It has always been my goal to provide small communities with a hometown eye doctor,” Mallady said. “We strive to be the experts for your eyecare and eyewear needs. The support and welcome we have already received from the St. Joseph community has been fantastic and we look forward to becoming an active part of the community.” 

Chittick Family Eye Care also has offices in Danville, Hoopeston, Paris, Rantoul, Savoy and Villa Grove. 

Reserve your appointment now by calling 217-442-2631 or on www.chittickeyecare.com. Chittick Family Eye Care will be joined by the Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration on April 1st from 4pm-7pm. All are welcome. 

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St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball took a double-digit lead in the first quarter of Wednesday’s Class 2A regional semifinal game in their gym and then had to hang on in the final period to collect a victory.

SJ-O opened up a 17-4 first-quarter lead and never lost the lead again despite Villa Grove/Heritage pulling within a 42-36 margin in the game’s last seven minutes.

The Spartans ended the game on a 14-4 run to capture a 56-40 triumph.

SJ-O (23-8) will take on state-ranked Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin (31-0) in Friday’s 7 p.m. regional championship game.

Freshman Ty Pence led the Spartans to the postseason win with 19 points and seven rebounds.

Jordan Kelly chipped in with 12 points. Payton Cain and Payton Grimsley each ended with eight points.

Other top rebounders for SJ-O were Grimsley with six and Kelly with five. Izard contributed four assists and two steals.

On Tuesday, the Spartans scored 20 of the 22 first-quarter points – after opening the game on a 9-0 run – and overpowered Westville 70-22 in a Class 2A regional tournament quarterfinal game in St. Joseph.

Chance Izard tallied a game-high 17 points for SJ-O and for the season has made a team-best 80 three-pointers.

Lukas Hutcherson hit a season-high 10 points and became the seventh squad member to post a double-digit scoring performance this season.

Three other Spartans finished with nine points apiece:  Dade Allinger, Cain and Pence.

Senior Brayden Weaver, who was injured in football and only returned to action in basketball on Senior Night, scored his first two points of the season.

Conner Hodge cleared a team-high seven rebounds. Cain and Drew Coursey handled six boards apiece.

Coursey added two assists as did Kelly.

Friday’s winner will earn a berth in the Pontiac Sectional and will face either Pontiac or Coal City at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

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Junior A.J. Wagner won one match in the Class 1A state finals, but fell short of earning a medal.

Wagner rebounded from an opening-round 4-0 loss to fifth-ranked Michael DiBenedetto, from IC Catholic, to turn back Mount Carmel’s Cade Keepes 5-1 in his first wrestleback bout.

He then suffered a season-ending 5-0 decision to Mercer County’s Broctyn King, who went on to place sixth. Wagner ended the season with a 42-10 record.

Spartan teammate Isaiah Immke dropped both of his state bouts. He lost 12-4 to Robinson’s Jeff Hermann and 7-5 to Putnam County’s Connor Booker.

Immke ended his junior year with a 20-9 record.

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The Spartans lost a lead that was one point at halftime and grew to four in the third period on Friday at Bloomington Central Catholic and wound up dropping a 62-53 decision.

The loss was the first for SJ-O in Illini Prairie Conference games.

SJ-O led 22-21 at halftime and didn’t relinquish the lead until the final two minutes of the third quarter when BCC shot into a 31-30 lead.

Payton Cain scored 16 points to lead the Spartans. Ty Pence chipped in with 14 points to go with 11 rebounds. Chance Izard added 13 points and two assists.

Cain finished with six rebounds and three steals.

SJ-O (21-8) returns to action on Tuesday in the 6 p.m. Class 2A regional tournament game against Westville on the Spartans’ court.

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Neither of the Spartans’ state-qualifiers was ranked (by IWCOA.net) among the top six for the IHSA Class 1A state tournament, which begins on Thursday at the UI State Farm Center.

At 113 pounds, A.J. Wagner (41-8) has more wins than any of the other 15 candidates in his weight class. In the first round, Wagner will take on fifth-ranked Michael DiBenedetto, from IC Catholic.

At 145 pounds, Isaiah Immke will start with Robinson’s Jeff Hermann. The winner will likely draw third-ranked Alex Carrillo, from Nazareth Academy, in the second round.

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The Spartans couldn’t hold onto an early lead and dropped a 61-45 non-conference decision on Monday at Teutopolis.

SJ-O led 14-13 after one quarter, but trailed 26-21 at halftime.

Chance Izard led the Spartans with 20 points, including three baskets from three-point range. Izard has a team-high 75 three-pointers as a senior.

Jordan Kelly hit six points and Ty Pence added five points.

The loss snapped an 11-game Spartan winning streak.

SJ-O (21-7) returns to action on Friday at Bloomington Central Catholic when it tries to complete an undefeated run through the Illini Prairie Conference.

SJ-O is 9-0 in IPC contests.

SJ-O will host its own Class 2A regional next week. The Spartans will open on Tuesday in the 6 p.m. game against Westville.

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Unbeaten and top-ranked Paris ended the girls’ basketball season for St. Joseph-Ogden on Monday with a 62-35 win in a Class 2A sectional semifinal game at Paris.

The Tigers scored all 62 of their points in the first three quarters. Paris led 18-13 after one quarter and 39-21 at halftime and had doubled the score (62-31) after three quarters.

Katie Cramer drained three three-point shots and made a team-high 11 points for SJ-O. Payton Jacob contributed 10 points.

Cramer netted a team-high 46 three-pointers for the season.

SJ-O ended the season with a 21-11 overall record.

Ten different squad members led the Spartans in scoring in at least one game this season.

Cramer was the leader in 11 games. She was followed by Ashlyn Lannert (six games), Payton Jacob (five games), Ella Armstrong (four games), Taylor Barnes (three games), Payton Vallee (three games), Atleigh Hamilton (two games), Taylor Wells (two games), Abby Behrens (one game) and Alyssa Hamilton (one game).

The team’s top individual scoring performances were by Jacob (19 points), Barnes (18 points) and Armstrong (17 points).

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