Click here to see the photo gallery and order individual pictures: https://sjodaily.smugmug.com/2020-Oakwood-Softball/.

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fred@mahometnews.com

Area high schools are in the process of preparing their athletes to return to competition.

The IHSA permitted limited participation last week, allowing districts to conduct conditioning, agility and strength training exercises in small groups.

Oakwood chose to wait until this week in order to get its plan in place.

“We are taking a cautious approach for right now,” Oakwood football coach Al Craig said. “We are making sure all the ducks are in a row before we start.

“We have been meeting with the athletes once a week on Zoom and going over things we would have normally gone over. It has gone well.”

Craig fears the repercussions of doing too much too soon.

“I am just concerned with health and safety,” he said. “I don’t ever want our student-athletes or coaches in danger.

 “I’m also worried that too much at the beginning gets everything closed down again, then we lose August. We don’t want that. Nobody wants that.”

St. Joseph-Ogden and Villa Grove/Heritage began the process of restarting workouts last week.

Throughout the area, slow steps are the norm.

“Right now, they are student-athletes who we haven’t seen for multiple weeks,” SJ-O football coach Shawn Skinner said. “We are working on getting them in shape.

“Their core, legs and lungs are what we want to ensure are getting ready as we progress at this time.”

SJ-O athletes are at the school in shifts, taking advantage of the weight room.

“We have eight groups and those groups have six to eight kids,” Skinner said. “We have some groups going at 7 a.m., another set at 11 a.m. and another round at 5 p.m.

“Prior to working out, we have to check the kids in with a series of questions and we record their temperatures. We will do that every time we work out, at least during this stage of our return-to-play plan.

“We have essentially created small weight rooms outside on and around our track and sports fields. The workouts incorporate speed improvement, flexibility, strength and conditioning.”

The workout takes about an hour and the athletes remain with the same group every day. Sixty-five Spartan football prospects, from freshmen through seniors, worked out last week.

Skinner said his program is not far behind where he originally expected to be by mid-June.

“Our summer plan was to always be in the weight room three days a week, so from that standpoint we are moving forward with that plan,” Skinner said. “We have lost only about two weeks of summer workouts, so we are trying to stay positive from that standpoint.”

He said the school’s staff is doing everything possible to not put anyone at risk.

“Obviously we want everyone to be as safe and healthy as can be,” Skinner said, “so we’re being cognizant of spacing and what we touch; wiping down and cleaning equipment after every athlete uses that.

“For the athletes, we want to avoid over-taxing them early. Some of them have been working out at home, but several of them have not. It’s not a race to get back in shape in one week.

“This will be a process and we have to ensure we avoid injuries, especially soft tissue injuries, as that could linger all season.”

Unless athletes were working out on their own, most had been away from regimented practices for more than 80 days. Skinner didn’t know what level of conditioning and fitness to expect from his returnees.

“I was really concerned with what shape we would be in,” he said. “Honestly, it’s better than I thought. It’s not good, but it’s not bad either.”

Villa Grove/Heritage football coach Heath Wilson has about 50 potential football players working out.

“At this point, I am just excited,” Wilson said. “Excited to get to start working with the players and coaches.

“A lot of our players are out of shape due to the stay-at-home order, so it’s time to do the work and get ready for the season.”

The staff at VG/Heritage is adhering to recommendations.

“First and foremost, we are making sure we understand and implement the guidelines appropriately,” Wilson said. “The safety of these athletes is very important. We have worked quickly to survey our players, break them into groups and get them in the weight room. 

“With seven coaches, we are able to divide and conquer. We have six groups that are working out three days a week. During this phase, we are focused on lifting and conditioning.”

The emphasis is not the same for coaches in cross-country and soccer as it is in football.

“The great thing about our sport, although it’s better to be together, it can be done solo,” SJ-O cross-country coach Jason Retz said. “Every athlete has the same ability to improve.

“We are simply going to control what we can control and enjoy each day as it comes.”

Retz expects a turnout between 40 and 50, including both the boys’ and girls’ programs.

“We meet once a week and have four groups right now,” Retz said. “They already have their own schedules they are working off, so we get together and they get it done.”

Bill DeJarnette is returning to the SJ-O soccer program he helped to implement. He has about 15 potential players thus far and they are divided into two groups.

“We plan to continue to add (groups) as we expand our recruitment,” DeJarnette said. “The workouts will vary within cycles.

“Cycle examples are Plyo, Long Slow, Intervals, fast twitch, strength and visualization, with constant evaluation of strengths and weaknesses so we can tune the workouts to address issues as needed.”

Conditioning is generally not an activity that teen-agers look forward to. This month could be an exception.

“We are excited to be back together, even if only for conditioning,” Villa Grove coach Jeanine Block said. “The girls are excited to see one another and are anxious for the next phase.”

Oakwood volleyball coach Lynn Anderson said the starting point is to make clear that the guidelines in place must be followed.

“My main concern is getting the players to understand we have regulations we have to follow,” Anderson said. “That is foreign to them, in a sense, especially with the sport.”

Block said she tries to keep things fresh and not repeat the same routine.

“Kids get bored without sport-specific activities,” Block said. “We are doing our best to make the workouts ‘competitive,’ but these girls are anxious to play volleyball.”

The unexpected break, which was mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic, took away from the ongoing changes around the SJ-O facilities.

“Prior to the virus shutting everything down, we were having a very good offseason,” Skinner said. “We had really built up some momentum in our weight room.

“Casey Hug, our athletic trainer, has assisted us in changing our strength and conditioning program and you could really see the kids’ bodies starting to change.”

A booster support group was helping to implement other additions and improvements,

“Our SJO Fan Club had purchased new equipment and Mr. Hug had updated our weight room,” Skinner said. “If we had returned from Spring Break, it would have been an entirely new facility for our kids.

“I can’t wait to get to use it in the manner we really want to soon. We hope that happens in early July as we enter the next stage in the return-to-play.”

The coaches have mixed feelings about what is in store in the weeks and months ahead.

“We will plan and work with the assumption that the fall season is a go,” DeJarnette said. “Even if not, there are no downsides to working together as a team every opportunity you get.”

Added Retz: “The opportunity to help student-athletes grow will continue to happen regardless of what the season looks like.

“Our goal is to help make better people. That will happen regardless if we get to race against other schools or not.”

Craig sees many issues that need to be resolved before games can again take place. He isn’t convinced that everything can fall into place.

“I would love to say I’m really confident, but I’m not,” Craig said. “I would say I’m somewhere between pessimist and optimist.

“I just need to see the logistics of games and locker room usage before I can become really confident.”

Block said now is the time to plan for the possibilities of what a new-normal may look like.

“I can see us playing, with precautions and possibly no fans,” she said. “We are looking at options to live stream games in case the parents/fans are not allowed to attend games.”

Anderson, too, wonders what athletic competition will look like once the games resume.

“My concern is whether we can just relax and play eventually,” Anderson said. “If we have to wear masks, wipe down balls, not touch each other, etc.

“Where is the consistency of just playing, when we have to worry with everything else? Hopefully, it won’t come to that. How confident about whether we have a season or not depends on the day and who I listen to.”

Skinner said this is a time of many questions, but few answers.

“Obviously, the threat of the virus is going to remain and it’s not going to change anytime soon,” he said. “What do we do if one of our players or coaches gets it? What will that look like? Also, how do we advance the workouts in the best/safest way; safe from a physical and spacial standpoint, but also an emotional and mental standpoint?

“These are real concerns that we need to be aware of and observe. We have a tendency as Midwesterners to have a blue color, tough-it-out, mentality. I think that we need to really reflect on that.

“If you’re feeling sick, if you have a sore throat, cough, etc., then maybe stay home a day or two. That goes against our mentality, but maybe we need to take a step back and realize it’s OK to miss a day of work, school, practice, if that means in the long run you’re healthier for it.”

He realizes that is easier said than done.

“That would require a huge change in our perception, and I am probably as guilty of this attitude as anyone,” Skinner said. “But it may be time to acknowledge we can take better care of ourselves and in the process take better care of those around us.”

Like others, Skinner knows it’s merely speculation as to whether there will be a season and – if so – when it would start and how it will look different from previous years.

“What we know is that at this time there is a strong desire and intention for there to be a return to school in August and with that a fall-sport season,” he said. “I’m working with that in mind.

“That’s all I can do at this point. If/when that changes, we will adjust.”

Retz said in one respect this year will be like all others:  There will be a need to deal with the unexpected.

“Each year brings different challenges and it will be fun to take these on one day at a time,” Retz said. “Distance running takes time.

“We’ll deal with any bump in the road there may be, but those bumps only help us learn and grow.”

The key word, Wilson said, is optimism.

“I have to stay positive and say there will be a season,” Wilson said. “I can’t imagine a fall without football.”

If the green light is given for competition, Anderson knows one fact for certain.

“We will be ready to play,” she said. “All athletes just want to get started, which might be a positive out of this whole deal.

“They will not take for granted anymore that things just always happen how they want it to. They know their lives can change that quickly now.”

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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.

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Senior Jayden Cox and junior Brevin Wells will represent Oakwood High School in the Class 2A division of the IHSA state three-point shooting contest.

The event will take place on Thursday at the Peoria Civic Center.

They qualified on Friday by placing among the top four at the Pontiac Sectional.

Wells led the Comets with 71 three-pointers during the regular season. The three-point baskets accounted for two-thirds of the field goals Wells made during the regular season.

Cox and Wells are two of 32 qualifiers for the Class 2A state finals.

During the regular season, Cox nailed 24 three-point baskets.

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fred@mahometnews.com

Jack Carey is one of those athletes who is at home on a football field, regardless of where he is positioned.

He might be a running back, a slot or a receiver on offense. On defense, he might be in the secondary or even an outside linebacker.

He is, Oakwood coach Al Craig said, someone who lives up to his name.

“He was our Jack of all trades,” Craig said.

Versatile athletes are valuable athletes. They are not locked into one position, but capable of playing many, which affords them multiple opportunities to be on the field.

As a senior at Oakwood, Carey averaged 8.2 yards per carry and scored touchdowns on six of his 51 attempts. He was the Comets’ No. 1 receiver, gaining 294 yards on receptions and turning four of his six catches into touchdowns.

Defensively, he tied for the team-lead in interceptions with five.

This from a person who started high school as a 5-foot-5, 100-pound freshman.

He is now 5-11, 165 and ready to embark on a collegiate career with the Rockford University football team.

“I grew a lot when I got into high school, which of course helped tremendously,” Carey said. “I got much stronger and much faster, which is what led to me being much better at football.”

Despite his success for Oakwood’s Class 2A playoff entry – an 8-3 team which advanced into the second round – Carey anticipated that the end of the high school season would also mark the end of his competitive career on the gridiron.

“I thought after my senior year, football would be over and it was just sad to think about never stepping on a field to play football again,” Carey said.

“I know it’s very hard to get into a college to play any sport and being from a small town, the idea just didn’t seem realistic.”

Until it did.

“I thought about competing in college when I started getting emails by the end of the season from schools saying they were interested,” Carey said. “Having this opportunity is a dream come true.”

Carey was motivated not only by coaches, but he also drew inspiration from other players, “whether they be on my team or the team I am playing against, mainly because even if it’s not possible, I want to be the best on the field.”

That attitude of determination is one Craig has seen since Carey has been on the scene at Oakwood.

“He was a hard worker,” Craig said. “Between his junior and senior seasons, he put on about 20 pounds of muscle and just lived in the weight room that off-season.”

Developing a strong work ethic was necessary for Carey’s survival in the sport in his early years when he found himself at a size disadvantage.

“Football was definitely a sport that had to grow on me because I wasn’t very physical when I was young, so I got tossed around a lot,” Carey said, “but eventually, I stepped up, the frustration passed and I got better. 

“When I started playing football (as an 8-year-old), I wasn’t very good or very physical, so it took some work, but through good coaching and motivation I started to learn the ropes and become much better.”

As he began to flourish in the sport, his enjoyment increased.

“Football is undoubtedly my favorite sport,” said Carey, who tried his hand at several other athletic endeavors, including baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, track and wrestling.

“Just everything about it drives me to be the best I can for my team. I feel like I’ve always been best at contact sports because of my physicality.”

Among the coaches who have been instrumental in Carey’s development were Bruce and Brett Harrison, Brady Leeman, Al Craig, Cameron Lee, “and a few others,” Carey said.

“I’ve been surrounded by some very good coaches in my time and they’ve helped me because without them I wouldn’t have the football IQ that I have now and I wouldn’t know certain techniques that I know now,” he added.

Craig sees Carey as someone who can continue to make an impact, even when he reaches college.

“Jack was a really heady player for us. He knew several positions on the field which made him very versatile,” Craig said.

“I see Jack filling that same role at Rockford. I could see him playing offense as a slot receiver or receiving back.

“I could also see him on defense as a defensive back. Rockford got a really good player that will be able to fill needs at the next level.”

Carey’s college decision, he said, came down to two finalists and two different paths.

“I was only really looking at Eastern Illinois University and Rockford,” he said. “At EIU, I would just be going to school and Rockford would be for both school and football.”

Though he had hoped to play football, his choice was made for other factors.

“When I visited, it just seemed like the school for me,” Carey said. “I don’t really know how to explain it other than it just felt right.”

He plans to enter a pre-med curriculum.

Carey didn’t find the recruiting experience to be difficult.

“The recruiting process was very easy actually and I wouldn’t say I didn’t like anything,” he said. “I just found it intimidating meeting some of the older football players because I thought it was going to be a cliche of having to meet their standards, but it wasn’t like that at all. They were easy-going, easy to talk to and just nice people.”

Carey said his family was instrumental, not only during the recruiting process, but also for instilling confidence throughout his career.

“My parents (Jon and Jo Carey) and my siblings (Dylan Kasey and Shauna Carey) were just so great through the whole process from when I was young to now,” Jack Carey said. “They’ve always stood behind me and it means so much.

“It’s great having them there because they pick you up when you fall down and feel like you can’t get back up. They motivate you because you want them to be proud, so you do everything you can to make them proud.”

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Young will also be invited to play in the annual IBCA all-star game at the end of the school year.

Young broke Oakwood’s all-time scoring record – for girls or boys – by amassing 2,361 points in her four-year career, including 658 points as a senior.

She was the Comets’ top scorer in 28 of the 29 games she played as a senior for the 23-8 squad. For the season, she averaged 22.7 points per game.

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fred@mahometnews.com

The Comets more than held their own in the first half on Wednesday against unbeaten and state-ranked Bismarck-Henning in a semifinal game of the St. Joseph-Ogden Class 2A boys’ basketball regional tournament.

Oakwood held the lead at halftime 28-25 before falling 62-52.

Josh Young led the Comets with 14 points. Jayden Cox added 10 points. Jackson Powell scored nine points and teammates Elijah Harden and Dalton Hobick finished with seven points apiece.

B-H/R-A (31-0) used a 22-14 third-quarter spurt to take a five-point lead into the final period.

Oakwood hit 7 of 8 free throws.

On Monday, for the third time in four games this season, the Comets topped Vermilion County rival Georgetown-Ridge Farm on the basketball court.

Oakwood prevailed 59-50 in a first-round game of the SJ-O regional.

Young hit a team-high 13 points and was one of four squad members to score in double figures. Cox and Harden each tallied 11 points. Brevin Wells finished with 10 points.

Young was the team’s top scorer in 11 of the final 14 games this season.

G-RF led 14-12 after one quarter, but Oakwood had regained the lead, 30-26, at halftime.

The Comets hit 20 of 29 free throws. G-RF made 7 of 16 free throw attempts.

Oakwood ends with a 17-15 season record.

Young was the team’s top scorer this season in 15 games. Wells set the pace in 13 games. Isiah Ruch led in five games, Powell in three with Kade Anderson and Harden leading in one apiece.

Wells knocked down 71 three-point shots this season, accounting for two-thirds of his 107 field goals. Powell drained 41 three-pointers and Cox netted 24.

Oakwood’s top single-game point totals were 24 by Wells, 23 by Harden and 23 by Young.

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The Comets fell behind by 15 points at halftime on Friday at Schlarman Academy, and suffered a 67-59 Vermilion Valley Conference setback.

For the first time this season, Oakwood had five double-figure scorers in the same game.

Brevin Wells and Josh Young each netted 12 points. Jaydon Cox hit for 11 points while Elijah Harden and Jackson Powell tallied 10 points apiece.

Schlarman led 17-11 after one quarter and 36-21 at halftime.

Oakwood (16-14) returns to action Monday in the fourth meeting with rival Georgetown-Ridge Farm in the 7 p.m. first-round Class 2A regional game at St. Joseph.

Oakwood leads in the season series 2-1.

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Gage Reed truly earned a first for the Oakwood/Salt Fork program.

Until Saturday, the Comets had a total of 12 individual state placers in wrestling, but no Oakwood athlete had ever earned more than one medal.

Reed became the first while also becoming a state champion.

The junior dominated his final two matches – not allowing a point in either– and took top honors in Class 1A at 113 pounds with a 3-0 championship-match decision over Tolono Unity’s Tavius Hosley at the UI State Farm Center.

Reed placed fifth in the same weight class as a sophomore, losing a one-point decision in the semifinals.

He ends his junior season with a 43-3 record.

Head coach Mike Glosser pinpointed one key difference in his standout.

“He really turned the corner on his mindset,” Glosser said. “This year, he believed he was one of the best wrestlers in the state.”

His game plan was similar for virtually all opponents.

“Non-stop offense,” Reed said. “Stay aggressive on offense.

“Offense. Offense. Offense.”

Wrestling is a sport that requires discipline, commitment and patience.

As great as the season ended – and perhaps the reason the season ended so well – a mid-season meet provided a critical learning opportunity for Reed.

The date was Jan. 7, and it was the first meet of the new calendar year. The Comets went to Unity and also faced Mount Zion that night.

Reed wasn’t in the lineup. He didn’t make weight.

Even though Oakwood/Salt Fork was forfeiting the next weight class (120 pounds), coach Mike Glosser had no inclination of allowing Reed to bump up and fill that spot in the lineup.

“He has to know it’s unacceptable (to not make weight),” Glosser said. “Wrestling is a sport of discipline and character.”

It was a tough night for Reed as he sat on the sidelines.

“Sitting out, watching my team get beat, was one of the hardest feelings,” Reed said.

It may have also been the best thing for him.

“I knew, ‘OK, it’s time to get my act together.’” Reed said. “There were times I was undisciplined (eating). I’m glad Coach reacted the way he did.

“If I didn’t have that, it could have haunted me in regionals or sectionals.”

From then on, Reed was unstoppable while reaching the highest pinnacle possible.

“He got on a mission, a little bit,” Glosser said. “He was more fanatical with his nutrition and his weight was great.

“It was a good lesson for him and he grew up from it.”

By keeping his weight under control, Reed didn’t need to expend energy before weigh-ins to drop a few extra ounces.

It showed.

“He had lots of energy in his matches,” Glosser said.

The only time Reed didn’t know what to do on the mat came when the final buzzer sounded in his 113-pound state championship match.

“I had so many emotions,” Reed said. “It was the greatest feeling.

“I didn’t know whether to jump up and down, scream or put my hands in the air.”

Showing restraint, Reed did none of the above.

“I try to stay as humble as I can,” Reed said. “I hate it when people celebrate against me. I did not do any of those things.”

Once he left the mat, however, Reed let loose.

“I don’t think I’ve ever jumped so high,” he said, recalling his leap into Glosser’s outstretched arms.

Twenty-four hours after achieving a state title, the celebration had barely slowed down.

“It’s still non-stop happiness,” he said. “Me and my family have been celebrating like there’s no tomorrow.”

Reed was treated to a homecoming parade on Sunday in Oakwood.

“I didn’t think so many people would show up,” Reed said. “That was awesome. I never expected to get something like that.”

Even the coach – who tries to be calm and maintain an even demeanor – got caught up in the moment.

“It was a pretty cool experience,” Glosser said. “A lot of people showed up for him. The town lined the streets.”

It’s a good thing Reed doesn’t need to weigh in today. His celebration involved stops at a couple of restaurants.

“I had a good breakfast (on Sunday) at Hank’s Café,” Reed said. “I haven’t been to Hank’s since wrestling started.”

His plate included an omelet with gravy and hash browns.

For lunch, he joined family and friends at another local favorite, the Little Nugget.

“I had a 12-ounce steak and fries,” Reed said. “I’m going to have to go and run tomorrow.”

Reed came through a tough bracket at state. Among his wins during the three-day tournament were over athletes who placed fourth and fifth.

The state crown is the second for an Oakwood wrestler. The first title was captured by Charles Lomax in 1974 at 119 pounds.

This year marked the third time in the last five years under Glosser that the Comets have had an individual in the championship bout. In that five-year span, the program has produced six state medal-winners.

The other Comets who recently reached the Grand March and then competed for a state title – Cody Ayers and Mason Ajster – paved the way for what happened early Saturday evening with Reed’s breakthrough in the finals, Glosser said.

“It got kids to believe anybody can do this no matter where you’re from,” Glosser said.

The ripple effect from Reed’s championship weekend came quickly for Glosser.

“It kick-starts it,” Glosser said. “I’ve had kids texting me already wanting to know when the next practice is. They’re saying, ‘I want greatness like Gage.’

“I hope this is a turning point, not just for Gage, but the kids around him. They’re talking about taking it seriously all 12 months and not just for four or five.

“They are hungry for more. I can see the look in their eyes.”

For the second year in a row, the Oakwood/Salt Fork cooperative program had two state-placers.

Freshman Reef Pacot (42-7 season record) ended sixth at 106 pounds. He was decisioned 4-3 by Riverdale’s Collin Altensey in the medal round.

Pacot lost by a point in overtime in Friday’s semifinal round and then dropped a 6-3 decision in Saturday’s first match.

The program’s third state-qualifier – 132-pound Joe Lashuay – also won a match at state, but fell short of earning a medal.

Lashuay’s win was 8-4 over Nazareth’s Josh Fowler. He was ousted in the wrestlebacks by Sandwich’s Braulio Flores, 4-3. For the season, Lashuay was 28-8.

From Glosser’s perspective, he will remember more about Reed’s season than where he stood on the podium for the awards’ presentation.

“He never stopped having fun,” Glosser said.

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Two Oakwood/Salt Fork underclassmen have advanced into the semifinal round of the IHSA Class 1A wrestling state tournament at the UI State Farm Center.

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