Five Comets earned postseason recognition on either the Vermilion Valley all-conference team or the Vermilion all-county team.

Senior Katelyn Young was a member of the 10-player first team on both honor squads.

Senior Aubrey Wells and junior Aaliyah Denius were members of the seven-player special mention list on both squads.

Addie Wright, who was selected to the 10-player honorable mention all-conference team, was elevated to the seven-player special mention all-county squad.

The other Oakwood player to earn recognition was sophomore Ashlynn Pinnick, an honorable mention all-county pick.

Denius and Pinnick were team scoring leaders in at least one game. Denius, Pinnick, Wells and Wright all had multiple games where they scored in double figures.

Young averaged a team-best 22.7 points per game for the 23-8 Comets.

The post Five Oakwood girls’ basketball players earn season honors first appeared on SJO Daily.

Oakwood’s girls’ basketball team learned a lesson that many programs, coaches and fans alike must accept this time of the year.

A season seldom ends the way those associated with a program would hope, unless it’s with a championship-game victory.

The Comets dropped a 50-47 decision to Tolono Unity on Thursday in the semifinals of the Maroa-Forsyth Class 2A Regional.

For a half, Oakwood was on fire. The Comets led 22-12 at the break and coach Stephanie Marsh said, “we played really solid, a good first half.”

With Aaliyah Denius excelling in her role as the chaser in Oakwood’s box-and-one defense – that was designed to slow down Unity’s all-time scoring leader, Elyce Knudsen – the Comets built a double-digit lead.

Knudsen was limited to one first-half field goal.

In the second half, Knudsen and Rocket teammate Maddie Reed took control. Knudsen scored all 15 of Unity’s third-quarter points, but Oakwood still carried a 39-27 lead into the last eight minutes.

“Overall, Aaliyah did a good job,” Marsh said. “They were setting more screens for her, and she is quick coming off the screens.”

Knudsen hit the final six of her game-high 27 points in the final stanza, but it took a three-point shooting spree by Reed, who drained four late three-point shots, to enable Unity to pull ahead. Reed finished with 19 points, 13 in the final frame.

Freshman Addie Wright led Oakwood with 15 points. Senior Katelyn Young added 12 points.

“I hated to see the season end,” Marsh said. “Addie was starting to figure it out.”

Young’s career-record school scoring mark concludes at 2,361 points.

“I’m excited to see her do bigger and better things next year at Murray State,” Marsh said.

The Comets (23-8) wound up winning 99 games during Young’s varsity career. Young and point guard Aubrey Wells are the lone seniors on this year’s team.

“We’ll still have a solid team next year,” Marsh said. “It’s a matter of figuring it all out.”

Denius, Wells and Karsen Rupp all scored six points against Unity (20-9), which returns to Maroa tonight to play Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin (27-5) in the championship game. The winner advances to next week’s Paris Sectional.

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Katelyn Young scored eight first-quarter points and Addie Wright had four in the opening frame on Thursday as the Comets opened up a double-digit lead at home en route to a 46-31 verdict over Salt Fork.

Young tallied a game-high 22 points, marking the 15th time in 20 games she has hit the 20-point plateau as a senior.

Aaliyah Denius contributed eight points while both Wright and Aubrey Wells ended with six points apiece.

The Comets led 18-7 after one quarter and 29-14 at halftime.

Oakwood (17-5) returns to action tonight against Armstrong-Potomac in the 8 p.m. game of the Vermilion County Tournament at Danville’s Palmer Arena.

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The Comets were outscored 11-4 in the third quarter at home on Thursday and suffered a 40-27 Vermilion Valley Conference loss to Milford.

The visiting Bearcats held a 19-15 halftime advantage.

Addie Wright led the Comets with eight points. Karsen Rupp scored six points and Aaliyah Denius made five points.

Oakwood scoring leader Kaitlyn Young (22.2-point per game average) was sidelined by the flu.

The Comets (15-5 overall) return to action on Monday at Hoopeston Area. The Comets are 5-2 in Vermilion Valley Conference action.

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The Comets reached the 10-win mark on Thursday, building a double-digit lead after one quarter at Georgetown en route to a 38-14 conquest of the Buffaloes.

Katelyn Young scored 13 points and Addie Wright notched 12 points for Oakwood. Aaliyah Denius added six points.

Oakwood, which has a three-game winning streak, carried a 33-8 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Comets (10-2) return to action tonight at home against Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin, weather permitting. Oakwood is 3-0 in Vermilion Valley Conference games.

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The Comets bounded back from a one-point loss to register their top defensive effort of the year on Monday, a 35-14 Vermilion Valley Conference win at Westville.

Westville is the third opponent to manage less than 20 points in a game against Oakwood.

Playing without the injured Katelyn Young, Oakwood held a 6-4 lead after one quarter and was ahead 15-8 at halftime before keeping the visiting Tigers scoreless in the third quarter.

Aaliyah Denius led Oakwood with 10 points, including six in the third stanza. Karsen Rupp totaled nine points and Mikayla Cox chipped in with six points.

Westville was limited to two second-half field goals.

Young returned to the lineup on Wednesday and tallied 11 of her game-high 31 points in the first quarter, helping the Comets to a 63-40 triumph over visiting Centennial.

The team point total was a season’s high for Oakwood.

Ashlynn Pinnick also registered her personal high against the Chargers, making 19 points. Denius scored six points and Addie Wright ended with five points.

After limiting Centennial to two second-quarter points, the Comets held a 32-13 halftime cushion.

Oakwood (9-2) returns to action tonight at Georgetown-Ridge Farm.

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The Comets (7-2) opened Vermilion Valley Conference play on Thursday with a win at Chrisman (62-19) before dropping a 41-40 decision at home on Saturday against St. Joseph-Ogden.

Against Chrisman, Oakwood built a 27-0 lead after one quarter and limited the Cardinals to three first-half baskets.

Katelyn Young scored 17 points and Ashlynn Pinnick had 10 points. Aaliyah Denius hit eight points and Kalie Tison contributed five points.

Against SJ-O, the Comets jumped into a 13-6 lead after one quarter, but fell behind at halftime, 24-23.

Young hit a team-high 22 points. Denius scored 11 and Addie Wright added three points.

Oakwood returns to action tonight at home against Westville.

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Oakwood Boys’ basketball

The Comets scored nearly half of their points from three-point range on Tuesday (24 of 50), but dropped a 60-50 decision to Judah Christian at Champaign.

Brevin Wells scored a team-high 14 points and hit three shots from three-point range. Kade Anderson also dropped in three three-pointers and added 11 points.

Josh Young finished with 10 points.

Judah led 32-23 at halftime and was only able to increase its margin by one point in the second half.

When the same teams played a week earlier in the Tri-County Tournament, Oakwood registered a 54-43 victory.

Oakwood (4-3) returns to action on Friday in its home-opener against Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond.

Oakwood Girls’ basketball

Aaliyah Denius scored eight first-quarter points and Katelyn Young scored six in the opening frame on Monday to lead the Comets past visiting Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond, 53-27.

Young went on to post her third 30-point game of the season. She had a game-high 30 points. Denius ended with 10 points and Ashlynn Pinnick chipped in with nine points.

Oakwood held the visitors to five second-half field goals.

The Comets (6-1) return to action tonight at Chrisman.

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The Oakwood Comets girls’ basketball team won all four games in last week’s Comet Classic to capture team honors in the eight-school event.

After knocking off Blue Ridge in the opener, 49-15, Oakwood followed up with a 49-21 triumph over Urbana University High and a 60-29 conquest of Rantoul that sent coach Stephanie Marsh’s team into Friday’s title game.

Katelyn Young scored 32 points against Uni and 34 against Rantoul. Addie Wright hit seven points in each of those games. Aaliyah Denius totaled nine points against the Eagles.

Against Uni, which has a 5-2 season record, Young netted 12 first-quarter points as the Comets jumped into a 16-6 lead. Uni managed just three second-half field goals.

Young followed up with 19 points in the first half versus Rantoul (1-5). She swished 10 points and Denius added six during a 23-9 third-quarter spurt. The Eagles connected on just five second-half baskets.

In the championship game, Oakwood (5-1 overall) edged Tri-County (4-1 overall), 60-59. The Comets led 15-9 after one quarter, but had to withstand a fourth quarter where the Titans sank 7-of-8 free throws and made three three-pointers.

Young scored seven of her team-high 23 points in the fourth stanza to keep the Comets in control.

Wright (16 points) and Ashlynn Pinnick (12 points) both reached their season’s high for scoring. Wright hit what proved to be the decisive basket in the final half-minute. Her shot gave the team a three-point lead.

After making 4-of-10 free throws in the first three quarters, the Comets drained 7-of-11 in the fourth quarter.

Oakwood returns to action tonight at home against Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond. It is the first of eight games for the team in an 18-day period. Six of those games will be played at home.

Young is averaging 26.1 points per game through six games.

Oakwood Boys’ basketball

Thanks to the perimeter prowess of Brevin Wells, Oakwood won the team title in the Tri-County Turkey Tournament.

Oakwood (4-2 overall) and Judah Christian completed the tournament with 4-1 records. By virtue of a 54-43 win against Judah, the Comets emerged as the team titlists.

In his last three tourney games, Wells drained 16 of his 18 field goals from three-point range, scoring 54 points in that span.

Oakwood started the week with a 50-38 win over the Paris junior varsity team, a game where it fell behind 14-6 in the first quarter before recovering and carrying a 23-16 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Josh Young, Isiah Ruch and Kade Anderson all scored 12 points.

On Tuesday, the Comets lost a non-tournament game to Watseka, 50-40.  Ruch led the way with 12 points. Jackson Powell had 10 points and Young netted nine.

Wells’ 12 points were tops for the Comets in a 66-35 win over Martinsville. Young added 10 points and Ruch collected nine.

Martinsville managed just four second-half baskets.

A 29-24 halftime lead ballooned to 51-30 entering the fourth quarter. Wells had seven points and Young six in the third quarter.

Against Judah, Oakwood trailed 8-2 after one period and 21-14 at halftime.

Wells and Powell each made seven third-quarter points and the Comets surged ahead, 38-35.

Judah managed just seven second-half field goals.

Wells and Powell each ended with 12 points.

In a 70-65 loss to Tri-County, Wells converted eight three-point shots en route to a 24-point effort.

Powell had 13 points and Ruch totaled 12.

Oakwood completed tournament play with a 64-55 win over Hutsonville/Palestine.

Wells tallied 18 points, Young had 17 and Elijah Harden chipped in with 10.

The Comets made 16 of 21 free throws. After the first quarter, Oakwood’s lead was 25-7.

Oakwood

Wrestling

Five Comet grapplers were recognized by The Illinois Best Weekly in the publication’s preseason Class 1A state rankings.

Junior Gage Reed was rated third at 113 pounds and senior Caide Borden was ranked fifth at 220 pounds. Reed was 35-10 last year and Borden was 26-9 a year ago.

Three teammates achieved honorable mention status: sophomore Joe Lashuay (132 pounds), junior Connor Hutson (138 pounds) and senior Caleb Lashuay (152 pounds).

Oakwood will open its season on Saturday at the Cumberland Duals.

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The Comets opened the season on Tuesday with a 58-35 triumph over Judah Christian in Champaign.

The Comets led 20-4 after one quarter and expanded their lead into a final 23-point margin.

Katelyn Young scored a game-high 26 points and was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Teammate Karsen Rupp had 11 points and the lone Oakwood three-pointer.

Aubrey Wells added eight points, Aaliyah Denius had six points, Ashlynn Pinnick had five and Addie Wright ended with two points.

Oakwood (1-0) will host its own McDonald’s Comet Classic and faces a first-round game at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday against Blue Ridge (1-0), which won its season-opener on Monday 76-1 over Decatur Christian.

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