The Villa Grove girls’ cross-country team was edged by Paxton-Buckley-Loda, 25-34, on Tuesday (Oct. 12) in a dual meet in Paxton.

Three Blue Devils were among the first seven finishers.

Emma Buesing ended third, with a 3-mile time of 24 minutes and 16 seconds. Scarlett Howard was fifth in 24:52 and Madison Logan was seventh in 25:20.

Other Villa Grove finishers were: Kyleigh Price (13^th in 26:16), Hailey Stutz (14^th in 26:32) and Jobeth Crafton (19^th in 28:04).

In the boys’ race, Villa Grove ended third, trailing Notre Dame De La Salette (19 points) and PBL (60 points. Villa Grove had 65 points.

VG’s Kurt Zimmerman was the meet runner-up, covering the course in 18:05.

Other team leaders were Chase White (19^th in 20:38), Caleb Wiessing (33^rd in 23:27), Andrew Fonner (34^th in 23:51), Austn Zoch (36^th in 23:55) and Blake Davis (37^th in 23:57).

The Blue Devils return to action on Tuesday (Oct. 19) at Tuscola.

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Junior Emma Buesing was the first Villa Grove finisher in the girls’ race. She ran 29^th with a 3-mile time of 24 minutes, 7.27 seconds.

Teammates trailing her were freshman Scarlett Howard (43^rd in 25:46.29), junior Madison Logan (45^th in 25:58.18), junior Kyleigh Price (48^th in 26:22.68) and senior Hailey Stutz (58^th in 27:25.14).

Marshall was the meet champion (25 points). Benton was the runner-up (57). Villa Grove had a team composite of 122.

Kurt Zimmerman was the front-runner for the Blue Devils in the boys’ race.

The freshman took 13^th in 17:36.86.

Other Villa Grove participants were freshman Chase White (68^th in 20:12.31), senior Caleb Wiessing (86^th in 21:21.00), sophomore Austin Zoch (100^th in 22:21.66), freshman Blake Davis (124^th in 24:59.81) and freshman Andrew Fonner (127^th in 26:38.26).

On Tuesday (Oct. 5), Zimmerman was the runner-up in a four-school meet at Sullivan.

His 3-mile time was 17:56.

White finished 13^th in 19:53. Other teammates in the chase were Wiessing (18^th in 20:54), Zoch (28^th in 23:49), Davis (29^th in 24:23) and Fonner (30^th in 24:53).

Cerro Gordo/Bement captured team accolades with 37 points. Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond was second (48 points), followed by Sullivan (56) and Villa Grove (69).

In the girls’ race, Villa Grove was the only school to field a full team and ended with a team composite of 15 points.

Buesing was the individual runner-up, clocking a 22:05.

Stutz was sixth in 24:05 and was followed by Howard (eighth in 24:12), Price (ninth in 24:26), Logan (10^th in 24:28) and Jobeth Crafton (12^th in 24:34).

The Blue Devils return to action on Tuesday (Oct. 12) at Paxton-Buckley-Loda.

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The Blue Devils placed second in the Saturday (Oct. 2) girls’ Lincoln Prairie Conference cross-country meet at Arthur.

Argenta-Oreana won the team crown with 27 points. Villa Grove was next with 41 points.

Junior Emma Buesing was the fifth-place finisher, completing the 3-mile course in 22 minutes, 29.87 seconds.

Rounding out the team’s lineup were: Scarlett Howard (14^th in 24:20.12), Madison Logan (15^th in 24:21.53), Kyleigh Price (19^th in 26:02.25) and Hailey Stutz (21^st in 26:51.38).

Villa Grove returns to action on Tuesday (Oct. 5) at Sullivan.

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The Blue Devils didn’t have enough runners to be scored as a team in the 44^th Tuscola Cross-Country Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 18) at Wimple Park.

Junior Emma Buesing led Villa Grove, placing 45^th in a field of 134 competitors. Her 3-mile time was 23 minutes, 7.41 seconds.

The team’s other runners were: Scarlett Howard (83^rd in 25:45.59), Kyleigh Price (84^th in 25:48.71) and Hailey Stutz (96^th in 26:39.53).

Villa Grove returns to action on Tuesday (Sept. 21) at Urbana Uni High.

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Three juniors set the pace on Saturday (Sept. 11) for the Villa Grove girls’ cross-country team in the Shelbyville Trails Invitational.

Emma Buesing placed 14^th in the 81-runner field. She toured the 3-mile layout in 22 minutes, 3.8 seconds. Madison Logan was 37^th in 24:17.1 and Kyleigh Price was 48^th in 25:21.8.

Other Blue Devil participants were Scarlett Howard (54^th in 25:48.9) and Hailey Stutz (64^th in 27:58.0).

The meet champion in the 10-school event was Marshall (29 points), followed by Effingham (62) and Shelbyville (71). Villa  Grove was seventh with 171 points.

Villa Grove returns to action on Tuesday (Sept. 14) at Tuscola.

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Three juniors represented Villa Grove in the Saturday (Sept. 4) Chrisman Cowchip Classic cross-country invitational.

The 26-school event was a flighted race where the No. 1 runners from each school ran only against each other, with other races held for the second through seventh runners from each school.

In the race for No. 2 runners, Emma Buesing registered the school’s top 3-mile time, 24 minutes, 33.3 seconds. She placed 12^th.

In the race for No. 3 runners, Madison Logan finished 16^th in 27:02.6.

In the race for No. 4 runners, Kyleigh Price placed 12^th in 27:40.3.

Villa Grove returns to action on Wednesday (Sept. 8) against Neoga at Mattoon’s Lake Land College.

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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.

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Heritage High School volleyball evened their season record (1-1) with a two-set sweep at Salt Fork on Thursday, 25-22, 25-23.

Olivia Sorensen handed out 17 assists. Bri Struck (seven kills) and Aliya Holloman (five kills) were the offensive catalysts. Struck and Anna Sanders each collected six digs.

Holloman served two aces and totaled two blocks. Bree Buck also had two blocks.

Heritage will return to action on Tuesday at Oakwood.

Villa Grove/Heritage Football

The Blue Devils suffered a 55-14 first-game loss at state-ranked Tuscola on Friday. Tuscola was tied for second in the first Class 1A state poll.

Kehm Shirley was the top VG/H ground-gainer, rushing for 106 yards on 15 carries. As a team, the Blue Devils had 181 yards rushing on 38 attempts.

Shirley scored one touchdown. Logan Nohren scored the second TD on a 3-yard pass from Blake Smith.

Smith was 5 for 15 passing for 60 yards. Carson Howard hauled in two of the receptions, totaling 24 yards.

The other VG/H points were on two conversion kicks by Zayzen Price.

Tuscola built a 34-0 lead before Shirley scored on a 10-yard run.

The Blue Devils return to action on Friday at home against Tri-County (0-1).

Girls’ cross-country

Villa Grove/Heritage finished 14th as a team in Saturday’s Saber Corn Classic, at St. Thomas More.

Teammates Kyleigh Price and Emma Buesing finished next to each other. Price was 57th with a 3-mile time of 24 minutes, 3.9 seconds. Buesing was 58th in 24:13.8.

Other team leaders were Kate Eisenmenger (74th in 27:14.3), Allison Kneer (75th in 27:18.1), Madison Logan (78th in 27:32.8) and Regan Blanton (84th in 30:12.5).

The team returns to action in Saturday’s Cowchip Classic, at Chrisman.

Boys’ cross-country

The Blue Devils didn’t have enough runners to be scored as a team, but had four individuals compete in Saturday’s Saber Corn Classic, at St. Thomas More.

Rowan Denmark-Collins was the VG/H leader with a 3-mile time of 19 minutes, 38.8 seconds.

The team’s other competitors were Kaleb Miller (104th in 23:10.1), Kylee Witte (109th in 24:01.6) and Fletcher Hannah (111th in 4:21.9).

VG/H is back in action on Saturday in Chrisman’s Cowchip Classic.

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