The Comets defeated Georgetown-Ridge Farm 47-6, with Clouse providing 97 rushing years and four touchdowns. 

While many of Oakwood’s losses have come by slim margins, Clouse has put together performances that have kept the Comets in the game. He rushed for a team-high 169 yards with 32 carries, including one touchdown in a 29-27 overtime loss to Hoopeston Area/Armstrong-Potomac. 

Clouse also rushed for 236 yards with 31 carries, including a 71-yard opening touchdown in a 42-12 loss to Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin and 77 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown in a 33-32 loss to Iroquois West.

When the Comets needed someone to fill in the defensive gaps, Clouse also stepped into a linebacker position. He register seven tackles against Westville. 

The post Athlete of the Week: Gaven Clouse first appeared on SJO Daily.

Oakwood senior Gaven Clouse had a memorable final home game on Friday (Oct. 15).

Clouse scored touchdowns on four of his eight rushing attempts, leading the Comets to a Senior Night victory over Georgetown-Ridge Farm, 47-6.

The home finale also marked the official naming of the field as Marty McFarland Field in recognition of the winningest Oakwood football coach in school history.

“He created a lot of the culture that we still have at Oakwood,” Comets’ coach Al Craig said. “It was good to see where that culture came from.”

Clouse rushed for 97 yards. He scored two first-period touchdowns and a 66-yard run by Dalton Hobick lifted the Comets into a 20-0 lead after one quarter.

Austin McDaniel converted two extra-point kicks in the first frame.

‘We opened the game up and gave the team some confidence,” Craig said. “It was a pretty good team effort.

“In the rain, you need everyone to do that. Our defense was on point, not allowing them to do a whole lot.”

Clouse added his other two TDs in the second quarter. Oakwood headed into the lockerroom with a 32-0 lead and created a running clock in the third period when a 10-yard scoring scamper by Griffin Trees and Hobick’s two-point conversion gave Oakwood a 40-0 advantage.

Trees rushed for 77 yards on three carries.

The team’s final TD was courtesy of the defense. Noah Phillips returned an interception 20 yards for a fourth-quarter TD.

McDaniel had a team-high seven tackles.

The 47 points scored against the Buffaloes were a team-high and the six points allowed were a team-low for the season.

“We started clicking in Week 6 and  have played  pretty well,” Craig said. “We’ve lost some tough games (two consecutive two-point setbacks before the G-RF game).”

Oakwood (2-6) closes its season on Friday (Oct. 22) with a game at Salt Fork (5-3).

“It’s a natural rivalry because we co-op with them in some sports,” Craig said. “It’s always the last game and it always means something.”

For Salt Fork, a sixth win would guarantee a berth in the postseason playoffs. For Oakwood, it’s a chance to close the season with back-to-back wins for the first time this year.

The post Comets defeat Georgetown-Ridge Farm on Senior Night first appeared on SJO Daily.

Oakwood High School endured yet another close football loss on Friday (Oct. 8) when visiting Hoopeston Area/Armstrong-Potomac pulled out a 29-27 triumph in overtime.

The loss was the third of the season for Oakwood by two points, or less.

“It’s like we’re living in ‘Groundhog Day,’” Oakwood coach Al Craig said. “It has been tough.”

The Cornjerkers had the ball first in the extra session. They scored a TD and converted a two-point extra-point attempt.

Oakwood senior Gaven Clouse, who rushed for a team-high 169 yards on 32 carries, scampered 10 yards for a TD, but the Comets’ two-point attempt in overtime was thwarted.

Oakwood scored first, in the second period, on a 4-yard run by Griffin Trees, followed by a placekick from Austin McDaniel.

The Cornjerkers scored twice before halftime and expanded their lead to 21-7 before Oakwood started its comeback.

Craig was pleased by the way his squad responded to the early deficit.

“When you’re behind 21-7 and the playoffs are not on the line, you worry what the kids will do,” Craig said. “They came back and gave us a chance to win.”

Clouse scored a third-quarter TD. Dalton Hobick ran 32 yards for a fourth-period score and added the equalizer on a two-point conversion that sent the game into overtime, tied 21-21.

For the game, Hobick rushed for 61 yards.

Trees led the Comets’ defensive effort with seven tackles.

Oakwood (1-6) returns to action on Friday (Oct. 15) in its home-finale and Senior Night game against Georgetown-Ridge Farm (0-7), a team that Craig said “is making improvements every week.”

Due to COVID-19 concerns, the dedication of the Oakwood football field to former coach Marty McFarland was postponed last week and rescheduled for halftime of the upcoming game against Georgetown-Ridge Farm.

Seven Oakwood seniors will be recognized on Friday in a pre-game ceremony.

They are: Gaven Clouse, Xander Draper, Connor Matson, Auston McDaniel, Devin Sanders, Griffin Trees and Josh Young.

“They are a great bunch of kids who love football and work hard,” Craig said. “They definitely will be missed.

“They have been through some great times and this year, some tough times, but they have handled it in stride.”

The post Comets continue to improve, despite record first appeared on SJO Daily.

Oakwood came up short on Friday (Oct. 1) in a historic high school football game in Vermilion County.

The Comets dropped a 14-12 decision at Westville in the first game played in Vermilion County on artificial turf. For Westville, it was the first home game since October, 2019. The school’s athletic complex was recently refurbished.

“The field is great, the atmosphere is fantastic and the game lived up to the hype,” Oakwood coach Al Craig said. “We came out on the short end, but we tell them to just keep battling.”

The Comets pulled within 7-6 in the second quarter when Dalton Hobick – who returned from an injury that had sidelined him the previous two games – hooked up with Josh Young on an 85-yard scoring play.

Westville moved its lead to 14-6 at halftime and was scoreless the last two periods.

“As a whole, our defense played well,” Oakwood coach Al Craig said. “Our kids played hard and stuck to the game plan.”

The game was the second since the Comets’ staff shifted Gaven Clouse and Austin McDaniel into the linebacker positions.

The lone second-half TD on a 3-yard run by Hobick in the third quarter.

Hobick completed 9 of 17 passes for 185 yards. Young had four of the receptions and turned them into gains of 125 yards.

Defensively, Griffin Trees had a team-high eight tackles, followed by Clouse with seven tackles.

Oakwood (1-5) returns to action on Friday (Oct. 8) against Hoopeston Area in a game that will mark the formal dedication of the Comets home site as Marty McFarland Field.

“Marty put in a lot of time and is very deserving of this honor,” Craig said.

Besides the two-point setback at Westville, Oakwood also suffered a one-point loss to Iroquois West.

The post Comets end up short at Westville first appeared on SJO Daily.

The Oakwood Comets scored the game’s first and last touchdowns on Saturday (Sept. 25) in their homecoming game.

Gaven Clouse, who rushed for a team-high 236 yards on 31 carries, opened the scoring in the first quarter, exploding for a 71-yard scoring burst.

He also added the two-point conversion.

Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin scored the next 42 points and emerged with a 42-14 triumph.

“We played well, but they played even better,” Oakwood coach Al Craig said. “We had the lead early and a chance to put them down.”

After the Comets’ first score, Young intercepted a pass, but Oakwood was unable to take advantage.

On the first B-H/R-A scoring down, the Blue Devils needed to convert a third-and-18 play.

Also before halftime, Oakwood moved inside the B-H/R-A 30-yard line, but came up empty.

“We’d get inside the 30, but couldn’t push it in,” Craig said. “We’d have a good drive and then have a false start or somehow find a way to lose yards.”

 Austin McDaniel hauled in a 6-yard scoring strike from Josh Young in the final quarter to complete the scoring in a Vermilion Valley Conference contest.

Clouse had a season’s high for rushing yardage.

“Gaven puts in the time to get those yards,” Craig said. “It was nice to see the offensive line open holes for him.”

Young was 3-for-6, throwing for 27 yards. He has filled in the past two games for the injured Dalton Hobick, who is hoping to play this week.

Oakwood (1-4) returns to action on Friday (Oct. 1) at Westville (4-1). The game will be the first one played on Westville’s turf field at its all-new athletic complex west of the high school.

It will be the Tigers’ first home football game since 2019.

“Westville is a very physical team and it’s always a war when we play them,” Craig said.

The post Clouse leads Comets in homecoming game against BHRA first appeared on SJO Daily.

The Comets dropped a heartbreaking 33-32 loss in overtime to unbeaten Iroquois West in their home-opener on Friday (Sept. 3).

Iroquois West nailed a 42-yard field goal with 16 seconds to play in regulation to force the extra session.

Dalton Hobick scored his second touchdown for Oakwood in OT, but the Comets were unable to make the two-point conversion.

The Raiders scored on a pass play and then nailed the extra-point placement to salvage the one-point triumph.

“It was a heck of a high school game, but we came up short,” Oakwood coach Al Craig said. “Iroquois West made big plays when they needed them most.”

Hobick completed 10 of 13 passes for 159 yards. He fired second-half scoring strikes of 6 and 28 yards to Josh Young, who caught seven passes for 109 yards.

Gaven Clouse was the top Oakwood rusher, gaining 77 yards on 12 carries. Clouse scored a fourth-quarter TD on a 17-yard run.

Hobick’s 48-yard scoring romp in the second quarter was the team’s longest scoring play. It also accounted for Oakwood’s only points before halftime.

“We got better as the game went on,” Craig said. “Basically it was Week 1 for us (because 16 players sat out the opener due to COVID-19 tracing).

“We only had two starters play the week before and one of them was out of position.

“We hoped to get momentum going in the second half, and we broke out and built an 11-point lead. I was impressed with how they battled and handled adversity. We missed two weeks of practice and our conditioning was not the best.”

The Comets scored five TDs, but only made one conversion try, a run by Hobick in the second half.

Austin McDaniel led Oakwood defensively with 10 tackles.

Oakwood (0-2) returns to action on Friday (Sept. 10) against Clifton Central.

The post Comets show promise in first home game first appeared on SJO Daily.

Oakwood’s football team became playoff-eligible on Friday as it raced past Georgetown-Ridge Farm 34-20 in its homecoming game at Fithian.

Oakwood is 5-1 overall and faces the other 5-1 team from the Vermilion Valley Conference on Friday when it plays host to Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin. Neither team has lost this fall in VVC games.

Gaven Clouse led the Comets with two touchdowns and 169 rushing yards on 16 attempts. He scored two touchdowns and added one two-point conversion.

Quarterback Rhett Harrison connected on 7 of 8 passes for 113 yards. He tossed two TD passes and ran for one TD.

Elijah Harden hauled in two scoring strikes from Harrison, covering 5 and 19 yards respectively. The 5-yard reception accounted for the only points of the first period.

Harden is the ninth different Comet to score a touchdown this season.

Joe Lashuay converted two extra-point kicks.

Defensively, the Oakwood leaders were Blaine McCord with 11 tackles and Caide Borden with 10 stops.

“We played pretty well against a good Georgetown team,” Oakwood coach Al Craig said. “It’s always a really physical game every time you play those guys, so it is good to get a win.

“We are starting to play well offensively and we are starting to get healthy for the stretch run of the season.”

Oakwood Girls’ cross-country

Grace Davis placed ninth for Oakwood/Salt Fork in Saturday’s Oakwood Invitational at Kickapoo State Park.

Her 3-mile time was 21 minutes, 39 seconds.

The team champion was St. Thomas More. Oakwood/SF did not have enough runners to be scored as a team.

The other Comet finishers were Allie Morris (12th in 23:11) and Cassie Fugate (19th in 25:33).

Oakwood/Salt Fork returns to action on Tuesday at Kickapoo against Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin.

Oakwood Boys’ cross-country

Ethan Brewer was the top Oakwood/Salt Fork finisher in Saturday’s Oakwood Invitational at Kickapoo State Farm.

Brewer covered the 3-mile course in 20 minutes, 43 seconds and ended in 41st place.

Teammate Bryce Tucker was 63rd in 24:01.

The Comets return to action on Tuesday at Kickapoo against Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin.

Oakwood Volleyball

Milford dealt the Comets their first Vermilion Valley Conference setback on Thursday, handling the visiting Comets 25-18, 25-16.

Oakwood is 6-1 in VVC matches and 12-10 overall.

Oakwood returns to action tonight at home against Judah Christian.

Oakwood Boys’ Golf

Logen Hoshauer tied for sixth and Reed Sperry finished 10th on Thursday to earn all-league honors in the annual Vermilion Valley Conference Golf Tournament at Harrison Park.

Hoshauer fired an 89. Sperry carded a 94. Both are juniors.

In the team race, the Comets combined for a 405 and placed fourth. The meet champion was Schlarman Academy (357).

Travis Goodner, Kyle McFarland and Seth Halls were the team’s other competitors at the VVC meet.

Oakwood returns to action today in a 15-school Class 1A regional it will host at Harrison Park.

Oakwood Girls’ Golf

Senior Joie Sollers fired a 106 on Thursday, placing third individually and winning all-conference honors in the Vermilion Valley Conference meet at Harrison Park.

Milford took team honors in the tournament.

Oakwood returns to action on Thursday in a 16-school Class 1A regional hosted by St. Thomas More, which will be held at Lincolnshire Fields Country Club.

Oakwood Soccer

Reef Pacot’s second-half goal cut into Oakwood/Salt Fork’s deficit on Saturday, but visiting Judah Christian added four more goals thereafter to produce a 6-1 non-conference win.

Pacot’s goal was assisted by Brady Tevebaugh.

Aaron Dean recorded 11 saves.

Oakwood was shut out on Thursday at Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin, 7-0, in a Vermilion Valley Conference game.

The Comets (5-12-1) return to action today at St. Thomas More, in Champaign.

The post Comets became playoff-eligible, Hoshauer, Sperry and Soellers named All-Conference first appeared on SJO Daily.

Oakwood Football

Five players scored touchdowns on Friday as Oakwood celebrated homecoming with a 54-12 football victory over Hoopeston Area.

Jack Carey, Gaven Clouse and Blaine McCord all scored two TDs.

McCord rushed for a game-high 122 yards on 13 carries. Clouse rushed for 64 yards and also hauled in a 12-yard scoring pass from Rhett Harrison. Carey rushed for 59 yards on eight attempts.

Harrison completed 3 of 9 passes for 47 yards and scored the game’s first TD on a 1-yard keeper.

Josh Young scored the Comets’ other touchdown on a 20-yard pass from Harrison.

Joe Lashuay converted six extra-point place kicks.

The Comets forced five turnovers. Leading the defense were McCord (nine tackles) and Caide Borden (eight tackles).

Oakwood (3-1 wit three consecutive wins) returns to action on Friday against Iroquois West in Gilman.

Oakwood Golf

Oakwood (10-5) dropped a 169-202 decision to Danville on Thursday at Turtle Run.

Oakwood’s top scorers for the day were Logen Hoshauer, Reed Sperry, Travis Goodner and Kyle McFarland.

The Comets return to action today at Harrison Park against Bismarck-Henning/Rossvville-Alvin and Westville.

Oakwood Volleyball

Katelyn Young had six kills, Aaliyah Denius had five kills and Addie Wright added four on Thursday as Oakwood improved to 3-0 in Vermilion Valley Conference matches with a 25-25, 25-17 sweep at Georgetown-Ridge Farm.

Karsen Rupp had nine assists. Young added eight assists to go with two blocks.

The Comets (8-9 overall) return to action on Tuesday at home against Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin.

Oakwood Soccer

Brady Tevebaugh and Reef Pacot hit first-half goals to boost the Comet into a 2-0 lead on Thursday in a match where they beat Georgetown-Ridge Farm 3-1.

Tevebaugh’s goal was assisted by Carlie Thompson. Pacot was aided by Sam Howie.

The only scoring of the second half was a goal by Joe Lashuay, who was assisted by Tevebaugh.

Goalkeeper Chris Winkler had three assists.

O/SF (4-8-1) returns to action on Tuesday at Arthur/Lovington. The Comets are 2-2 in Vermilion Valley Conference matches.

The post Comets victorious in Homecoming game, Volleyball improves to 3-0 in conference, Soccer wins first appeared on SJO Daily.

Oakwood piled up 64 first-half points on Friday and blitzed Oblong/Palestine/Hutsonville 84-0 in a non-conference football road game.

The Comets (2-1) reached the end zone on an interception, a fumble recovery and return, a kickoff return as well as on passing and running plays.

Eight squad members were part of the scoring either via touchdowns or conversions.

Colby Smiley, who rushed for 92 yards, scored four TDs. One of his scores was after an interception. Smiley finished with 26 points, also adding one two-point conversion.

Gaven Clouse, who rushed for 74 yards, added three TDs. One of his was on a 90-yard kickoff return.

Jack Carey scored two TDs, one on a 78-yard pass from Rhett Harrison. Carey also converted an extra-point kick and had a pair of two-point conversions.

Blaine McCord, who rushed for a game-high 124 yards, added one TD as well as three two-point conversions.

Harrison, who completed 3 of 4 passes for 141 yards, had one two-point conversion.

Bryce Harrison rambled 38 yards to the end zone after recovering a fumble.

The team’s other points came on a two-point conversion by Josh Young and an extra-point kick by Caide Borden.

Oakwood returns to action on Friday at home against Hoopeston Area/Armstrong-Potomac (0-3).

Oakwood Volleyball

Katelyn Young was named to the all-tournament team after Oakwood placed 12th in Mahomet-Seymour’s Bulldog Invitational on Saturday.

The Comets (6-9 overall) were 1-4 in the tournament. In pool play, Oakwood lost to M-S 25-10, 25-12 and Williamsville 25-13, 25-2 before upending the Pleasant Plains JV team 25-20, 20-25, 15-13.

In the consolation semifinals, Rantoul handed Oakwood a 25-15, 25-15 setback before Springfield Southeast won the 11th-place match 25-19, 23-25, 15-13.

Young posted seven kills against Rantoul, six assists against Williamsville and five kills against M-S.

Aaliyah Denius had six kills against Rantoul. Karsen Rupp had six assists against Williamsville.

On Thursday, the Comets opened Vermilion Valley Conference action with a 25-17, 8-25, 25-21 victory at Chrisman.

Alyssa Romito had seven kills. Denius and Young each supplied six kills.

Denius and Maria Adams each served two aces. Young handed out 12 assists and Rupp had eight.

Oakwood returns to action on Tuesday at home against Westville.

Through 15 matches, Young has a team-high 92 kills, Rupp leads with 78 assists and Denius is tops with 18 blocks and 10 service aces.

Oakwood Soccer

For the second time this season, the Oakwood/Salt Fork squad battled St. Joseph-Ogden to a 0-0 tie through regulation.

However, Friday’s match in the Hoopeston Area Cornjerker Classic was settled on penalty kicks rather than with a draw and the Comets suffered a 3-2 loss on PKs.

It was one of two tournament matches the team lost on PKs. Oakwood/SF fought Iroquois West to a 1-1 draw, but fell in PKs, 1-0.

In the team’s other tourney match, eventual champion Monticello blanked the Comets 5-0. It was the sixth match this season where the Comets (3-7-1) were held scoreless.

On Thursday, in a non-tournament match at home, Hoopeston Area shut out Oakwood/Salt Fork 5-0.

O/SF returns to action on Tuesday at the Oakwood Grade School against Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin.

Oakwood Golf

For the sixth time this season, Logen Hoshauer posted the best score for Oakwood. On Thursday at Danville’s Harrison Park, he earned medalist honors by three strokes, with a 39.

Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin was the meet winner with a 175. Oakwood (202) was next, followed by Judah Christian (227).

The Comets return to action today at Danville  Country Club against Schlarman Academy and Judah Christian.

The post Big night for Oakwood Football, Young named to All-Tournament team, Hoshauer medals first appeared on SJO Daily.