The Villa Grove/Heritage boys’ basketball season ended in Wednesday’s semifinal round with a 56-40 loss to the host Spartans.

After three lead changes in the early minutes, SJ-O shot ahead 5-4 as part of a 16-0 run. The Hawks were unable to recapture the lead although they pulled within six points (42-36) in the game’s final seven minutes before SJ-O went on a 14-4 run to end the game.

Jake Eversole nailed a team-high 16 points. Logan Nohren added 11 points.

On Tuesday, the Hawks picked a great time to earn their first overtime win of the season.

VG/H used the extra four minutes to power past Tolono Unity 67-63 and secure a spot in the Class 2A regional semifinals.

Eversole led the way for the Hawks, hitting the 30-point mark for the second game in a row. His 30 points included four three-point baskets.

Nohren added 16 points to the VG/H cause and Blake Smith contributed 12 points.

Unity led 15-6 after one quarter and 27-22 at halftime. VG/H took a 40-36 lead into the final period. The teams ended in a 55-55 deadlock after regulation.

Until Tuesday, VG/H was 0-2 for the season in overtime games.

VG/H ends the season with a 21-11 overall record. SJ-O snapped the team’s season-best five-game winning streak in the regionals.

For the season, Eversole was the team’s top scorer in 17 of the 23 games in which he played, including the final nine.

Nohren led – or shared – the team lead in scoring in nine games. Both Eversole and Nohren hit the 30-point mark in two games.

Blake Smith was the scoring leader in five games, Issac Mahoe in two games and Ierik Sorenson in one game.

Eversole (40), Smith (22), Mahoe (17) and Sam Reno (16) were the team’s top three-point marksmen.

Coach Corey White didn’t know what to expect coming into a season where four starters from the previous year’s 20-win team had to be replaced and one of those candidates – Ezra Ely – never played basketball this season following a football injury that sidelined him throughout most of the winter.

“For the first month, we were trying to see the best combination,” White said. “By mid-January we figured it out and took off from there (winning nine of 11 games before Wednesday).”

For the majority of the season, four juniors and senior Sorenson were in the starting lineup.

“We’ll have a nice nucleus back,” White said. “It’s great to have back-to-back 20-win seasons and we hope to make it three in a row next year.

“We’ll keep building and try to get to the point where we can play for a regional championship and win one.”

In addition to the underclassmen who played prominent roles this season, Ely is expected to return next year along with junior Nick Coffin, who suffered a season-ending injury in December.

In addition to Sorenson, Reno and Anthony Arbuckle were the other seniors who were a part of the Hawks’ regular rotation this season.

The post VGH boys’ basketball ends another 20-win season, looks forward to next season first appeared on SJO Daily.

Heritage Volleyball

Bri Struck and Bree Buck were the catalysts on Thursday as Heritage dispatched visiting Cerro Gordo 25-16, 27-25 in a Lincoln Prairie Conference match.

Struck piled up seven kills, six digs and five aces. Buck’s stat line included six kills, four digs and three blocks.

Olivia Sorensen handed out 14 assists. Anna Sanders contributed seven digs and Malani Smithenry finished with four digs.

Heritage (11-3 overall, 3-1 conference) plays at Chrisman tonight.

Villa Grove Volleyball

Madison Burwell delivered six kills and teammate Kyleigh Block had three kills and three aces on Thursday as the Blue Devils (7-6) topped visiting Sangamon Valley 25-14, 26-24.

VGH Football

Blake Smith accounted for five touchdowns on Friday – three on passes and two on quarterback runs – as Villa Grove/Heritage reached the .500 mark with a 54-14 win over Sangamon Valley in Niantic.

VG/H (2-2) led 27-6 after the first quarter and 40-6 at halftime.

Shirley opened the scoring with a 1-yard TD scamper.

He completed 4 of 4 passes for 73 yards and hooked up with Carson Howard twice for TDs, covering 24 and 32 yards. Lerik Sorenson also had a 15-yard TD reception.

Kehm Shirley, who rushed for a team-high 106 yards, scored one TD.  As a team, VG/H rolled up 310 yards o the ground.

Ezra Ely scored one TD and converted six extra-point placements. The Blue Devils’ other TD was by Luke Zimmerman on a 31-yard run.

Villa Grove/Heritage returns to action at home on Friday against Cerro Gordo/Bement (2-2)

VGH Golf

Zach Buesing shot a 39 on Thursday at Tri-City Country Club to lead the Blue Devils in a three-school meet. VG/H did not have enough players to post a team score.

VGH Boys’ cross-country

The Blue Devils placed 19th in Saturday’s 42nd Tuscola Invitational at Wimple Park.

The team-leader, with a 3-mile time of 18:52.88, was freshman Rowan Denmark-Collins.

All five of the VG/H participants are freshmen or sophomores.

Teammates following Denmark-Collins were sophomore Kylee Witte (129th in 22:04.37), sophomore Kaleb Miller (144th in 23:45.5), freshman Fletcher Hannah (158th in 26:17.88) and sophomore Konner Pearman (160th in 26:28.04).

Meet champion Urbana Uni High had a team s core of 26. VG/H’s point total was 497.

The team returns to action on Tuesday against Urbana Uni High at the UI Arboretum.

VGH Girls’ cross-country

Kyleigh Price was the Villa Grove/Heritage leader in Saturday’s 42nd-annual Tuscola Invitational at Wimple Park.

Her 3-mile time was 24 minutes, 31.95 seconds.

Other top teammates were Emma Buesing (80th in 24:41.01), Madison Logan (106th in 27:21.80) and Kate Eisenmenger (114th in 29:07.47).

Price, Buesing and Logan are all freshmen. Eisenmenger is a junior.

The Blue Devils did not have enough runners to be scored as a team. The meet champion was Unity with 32 points.

VG/H returns to action on Tuesday at the UI Arboretum against Urbana Uni High.

The post Buck and Struck lead Hawks past Cerro Gordo, Burwell and Block lead Blue devils past Sangamon Valley first appeared on SJO Daily.