High School Sports

Saturday's prep highlights

In baseball Arcola 1, Altamont 0. It’s getting harder to keep that zero in the loss column, but the Purple Riders (19-0) are doing it. Tanner Thomas and Brevyn Whisman combined for the shutout on the mound with 14 total strikeouts. Thomas came away with two of the team’s four hits offensively and scored the […]

Published

1 month ago

May 11, 2025

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In baseball

Arcola 1, Altamont 0. It’s getting harder to keep that zero in the loss column, but the Purple Riders (19-0) are doing it. Tanner Thomas and Brevyn Whisman combined for the shutout on the mound with 14 total strikeouts. Thomas came away with two of the team’s four hits offensively and scored the only run of the game.

Chillicothe IVC 1, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 0. Despite outhitting IVC 4-2, the Panthers (12-11) couldn’t scratch across a run. Tyler Cole had a great game on the mound, going the full seven innings and striking out five batters. Bryar Cosgrove, Kayden Vance and Connor Murphy all reached base two times.

Milford 10, Fisher 8. The Bunnies (3-20) tied the game at 8 in the top of the sixth inning, but the Bearcats (13-14) responded with two runs in the bottom half to secure the win. Caleb Clutteur‘s three hits led Milford, Beau Wright drove in three runs and Gage Vogel and Hixon Lafond each had two hits and two RBI. Jeremiah Todd led Fisher with two hits and two RBI.

St. Joseph-Ogden earns two close wins. A pair of four-run victories extended the Spartans’ (28-2) winning streak to 22 games. SJ-O first bested Reed-Custer 9-5, scoring all nine runs in the fifth and sixth innings and fending off a seventh-inning comeback effort. Will Haley had two hits, and Bryson Houchens and Jared Altenbaumer combined for five RBI. Game two was a 5-1 win over Galesburg. Parker Fitch pitched a gem while Logan Rosenthal and Trevor Ames each notched two hits.

Tri-West 4, Westville 1. Ben Johnson and Chance Quick each pitched three solid innings, and Matthew Darling logged a pair of hits at the plate, but the Tigers (21-3) couldn’t get enough going offensively to get the win.

Tuscola 2, St. Teresa 0. Jon Pettry played about as big a role as you possibly could in the Warriors’ (12-17) win, pitching a complete-game shutout while only allowing four hits and collecting one of the team’s two hits and RBI.

Unity splits doubleheader. The Rockets (15-11) got the day started with a 7-2 win over Centennial (11-15). Tyler Henry pitched a complete game with six strikeouts, and Ryan Cunningham came away with a hit and an RBI. Unity then took a 7-5 loss to Ottawa Marquette in which Tre Hoggard had two hits, including a home run.

In softball

Champaign Central 7, Peoria Notre Dame 1. Haley Helm did her thing in the circle, striking out 15 batters in a complete-game effort for the Maroons (21-1). She, Molly Kloeppel, Kaitlyn Helm and Maisie Bowers all doubled in the win.

Danville 12, Peoria Richwoods 1. Kendall Rannebarger was the driving force in the Vikings’ (10-11) win, driving in five runs with a home run and two doubles. Deana Linares pitched a solid game, striking out nine batters and only allowing three hits over five innings of work.

Iroquois West 9, Grant Park 3. Amelia Scharp, Leah Honeycutt and Jordyn Meents each notched two hits to lead the Raiders’ (9-13) offense. Kyla Dewitt got the job done in the circle, striking out six batters over seven innings.

LeRoy wins round robin. The Panthers (27-4) bested Prairie Central 8-2 and Morton 12-6, and the Hawks (14-16) also lost to Morton 13-5. LeRoy’s win over Prairie Central saw Laila Carr collect three hits and Khloe Builta go the distance in the circle with six strikeouts. Dixie Hogan had three hits for the Hawks. Win No. 2 on the day saw Emily Mennenga log three hits and score three runs while Jacey Hageman surrendered just one earned run in a complete-game effort.

Spartans split SJ-O Invite games. St. Joseph-Ogden (20-11) earned a 6-2 win over Pickneyville to highlight its event. Amelia Huckstadt tossed a complete game in the circle while Grace Osterbur collected three hits, including two triples, and three RBI. The Spartans came close to sweeping the day, ultimately losing 3-2 in their second game against Meridian. Emma McKinney had three hits, and Chayse Palmer added two.

Unity wins a pair. The Rockets (26-4) won both of their games in vastly different fashions. A 2-0 victory over Newton that went down to the wire gave the Eagles their first loss of the season. Lindy Bates pitched a complete game with five strikeouts and just three hits allowed while hitting a home run and a double at the plate. Kenley Harris also homered in the win. On the other hand, Unity bested St. Teresa 18-3 in four innings. Maegan Rothe, Korina Finical and Reese Frye each had two hits and combined for six RBI. Finical pitched all four innings with eight strikeouts.

In boys’ tennis

Highland 3, Uni High 1. In an abbreviated match, Kyle Fan earned the Illineks’ lone win, winning 6-1, 7-6 at No. 2 singles.

High School Sports

Area athletes kept the highlights coming in 2024

MARINETTE — As cliche as it is to say that time moves so quickly that you’ll miss it if you blink, the last year of high school sports certainly flew by. It seems like a short time ago that kids were showing up for their first day of practice for fall sports, but now with […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Area athletes kept the highlights coming in 2024

MARINETTE — As cliche as it is to say that time moves so quickly that you’ll miss it if you blink, the last year of high school sports certainly flew by.

It seems like a short time ago that kids were showing up for their first day of practice for fall sports, but now with school officially out for summer, the time is ripe to look back on all the milestones and accomplishments that local student-athletes achieved over the course of the 2024-25 school year.

High School Sports

Home for sale highlights progress made in restoring East Hills neighborhood

It was a celebratory day in the East Hills on Friday morning. Complaints about water damage and collapsing roofs are starting to turn into renovated homes. Rising Tide Partners has turned some of the abandoned properties into rentals, but on Friday, it cut the ribbon on the first for-sale home with the community. Dr. Patricia […]

Published

4 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Home for sale highlights progress made in restoring East Hills neighborhood

It was a celebratory day in the East Hills on Friday morning. Complaints about water damage and collapsing roofs are starting to turn into renovated homes.

Rising Tide Partners has turned some of the abandoned properties into rentals, but on Friday, it cut the ribbon on the first for-sale home with the community.

Dr. Patricia Saunders-Madison, the vice president of the HOA involved, heard the complaints from people in this neighborhood over the years.

“It was a good house in the middle – and two abandoned on each end – so a lot of the water coming through the roof was coming into their homes,” Saunders-Madison said.

In came Rising Tide Partners, and Kendall Pelling, its executive director.

“They needed that real estate capacity. They needed somebody who would come and take risks with them,” he said.

The first of those for-sale homes was revealed Friday. The house includes a renovated kitchen, a bathroom and even a deck.

“I’m happy that we’re here today,” Dr. Saunders-Madison said.

Pelling says 84 of the 167 properties in this HOA are abandoned.

“Now we control them and the community controls their destiny instead of an absentee investor controlling their destiny,” he said.

Rising Tide has turned some of these into rentals. He says they want to get them all to good owners and keep them at a low cost.

“A homebuyer can have a monthly mortgage payment of $650 to $700 a month,” Pelling said.

Part of the next steps include making lot improvements, like to sidewalks and the parking area. Pelling said those projects will be up for bidding this summer.

The hope is for the home that was renovated for sale to be available by the end of the summer as well.

Pelling also said that Rising Tide applied for a low-income housing tax credit from the state for funding to allow for continued renovations and help.

Dr. Saunders-Madison remembers how this place used to be. She also knows that the work is not over, but she and others are pleased with what’s become of it.

“We’re not there yet. We’re not there yet – but it’s coming, it’s coming along,” she said.

High School Sports

Rivalry matchups in Div. I softball, baseball highlight high school championship Saturday

Tom Wall’s intuition proved to be right. The Pinkerton Academy softball coach said he anticipated seeing Londonderry again after the Astros’ 6-0 NHIAA Division I regular-season loss to their rival. 1

Published

4 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Rivalry matchups in Div. I softball, baseball highlight high school championship Saturday

Tom Wall’s intuition proved to be right.

The Pinkerton Academy softball coach said he anticipated seeing Londonderry again after the Astros’ 6-0 NHIAA Division I regular-season loss to their rival.

High School Sports

Knecht becomes 6th Wolverine to be named Utah Gatorade Player of the Year

Story Links Gatorade Press Release CHICAGO — Utah Valley men’s soccer signee Lewis Knecht was named the Utah Boys Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year, the organization announced in a press release on Thursday. The award, which honors the top high school athletes for their successes on the field, in the classroom, and in the […]

Published

4 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Knecht becomes 6th Wolverine to be named Utah Gatorade Player of the Year

CHICAGO — Utah Valley men’s soccer signee Lewis Knecht was named the Utah Boys Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year, the organization announced in a press release on Thursday.

The award, which honors the top high school athletes for their successes on the field, in the classroom, and in the community, adds to the long list of honors Knecht has received in his high school career. Earlier this week, Knecht was also named the UHSAA Male Athlete of the Year — the top athlete in the state regardless of sport — and Utah’s Mr. Soccer for the second year in a row.

Knecht becomes the sixth Wolverine to be named Utah Gatorade Player of the Year, joining Lucas Cawley, Thomas Loomis, Aidan Dayton, Carter Johnson, and Trevor Walk.

Knecht, a member of the 2025 signing class that will be joining the Wolverines this fall, led American Fork HS to its second straight state championship last month, the team’s fourth in school history.

Knecht built upon a stellar junior campaign — during which he also won the Mr. Soccer award by scoring 20 goals and assisting on 17 more — by scoring 24 goals and adding 12 assists as a senior in 2025.

Knecht and the Wolverines will play the inaugural season at UCCU Stadium this fall.

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High School Sports

Butler vs Baber

SHAWNEE, Kan. — The Battle of the Billies highlighted the first day of the Top Gun Invitational, a series of elite youth softball tournaments taking place through Sunday across Johnson County. Former Royals All-Star Billy Butler’s USA Explosion 18U team from Idaho squared off against former Chiefs tight end Billy Baber’s BC Peppers Jeff Wallace […]

Published

8 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SHAWNEE, Kan. — The Battle of the Billies highlighted the first day of the Top Gun Invitational, a series of elite youth softball tournaments taking place through Sunday across Johnson County.

Former Royals All-Star Billy Butler’s USA Explosion 18U team from Idaho squared off against former Chiefs tight end Billy Baber’s BC Peppers Jeff Wallace squad at the Mid-America Sports Complex in the marquee opening-day matchup — at least from a friends-talking-lighthearted-smack perspective.

Billy Butler - Coach USA Explosion, former Royal — Billy Butler – Coach USA Explosion, former Royal

“There’s definitely a case of Yuengling on this,” Butler said.

Billy Baber - Coach BC Peppers, former Chief — Billy Baber – Coach BC Peppers, former Chief

“For sure, or two,” Baber added.

During eight seasons with the Royals, Butler slugged 127 home runs, 276 doubles and posted a .295/.359/.449 slash line, while Baber played in 29 games for the Chiefs during the Dick Vermeil era. Both found their way to softball as girl-dads.

“I have three of them — 16, 12, and 9 — just got the bug after I was done playing,” Butler said.

His oldest daughter, Kenley, plays up on the Explosion 18U squad, while Baber, who was picked in the baseball draft coming out of high school, but chose football, also has three daughters. His oldest, Riley, just finished her freshman season at Missouri State.

Jeremy McDowell - Top Gun Events — Jeremy McDowell – Top Gun Events

“That fire is still there,” Jeremy McDowell said.

McDowell owns Top Gun Events, whose invitational has become one of the summer softball circuit’s must-attend events.

“We’ve got 330 teams present from 31 different states,” he said. “About 290 of those 330 teams are hotel teams and probably about 100 of those teams flew into Kansas City, so it’s a very big event. Over 400 college coaches are present.”

The Top Gun Invitational started in 2013 with around 80 teams and has grown into one of the top handful of recruiting showcase tournaments, but McDowell still recognized a fun opportunity to pit Butler’s team against Baber’s bunch.

“I’ve known Billy and Billy for a while and, when this came, they both texted me and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to play each other,’” McDowell said. “I was like, ‘This is classic,’ so it’s worked out well. They’re really good friends.”

They enjoyed the chance to meet on the field — as coaches, anyway.

Slick-fielding Explosion first baseman Kaci Kiblen admitted that she didn’t know about Butler’s MLB exploits before joining his club.

Kaci Kiblen - USA Explosion — Kaci Kiblen – USA Explosion

“I didn’t,” she said, “but I heard from a friend, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is a really cool opportunity.’”

Visits to Kansas City, including trips to Kauffman Stadium for Royals games, reinforced the legend of Billy Butler.

“Oh, yeah, he’s a hometown hero, for sure,” Kiblen said. “It’s fun, because every time we go to the Royals game … they always put them on the big screen. It’s just a really good time.”

Butler and Baber were introduced by a mutual friend, former Chiefs linebacker Shawn Barber. They have remained friends, including an annual fantasy football league rivalry.

Baber said it’s “not even a question” who the better fantasy football player is.

“Oh, he has been of late,” Butler said before stressing “of late.”

“Big time,” Baber shot back. “Butler’s usually around the bottom.”

Apparently, Butler tends to favor Washington Commanders players, which hasn’t been a winning strategy in recent years.

Baber also won bragging rights Thursday as the Peppers prevailed 6-0.

The Top Gun Invitational continues through Sunday at fields across Johnson County.

KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.

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High School Sports

Big Red spring sports highlights

Coach Mike Deegan was thrilled so many alums attended the NCAA regional and super regional wins that sent the Big Red to their first Division III College World Series. “This was a program victory,” said Deegan, who has guided the Big Red to seven consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. “This is part of being really good […]

Published

9 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Coach Mike Deegan was thrilled so many alums attended the NCAA regional and super regional wins that sent the Big Red to their first Division III College World Series.

“This was a program victory,” said Deegan, who has guided the Big Red to seven consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. “This is part of being really good for a long time, and a lot of guys got to share in the moment.”

The Big Red, who won one game in the double-elimination World Series, finished the season with a 41-7 record. They broke a school record with 20 consecutive victories.

Deegan lauded the work of a deep pitching staff led by senior Nick Falter, a who went 12-0 with a 2.52 earned run average. Falter was named second-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association and D3baseball.com.

Junior Erik Sundgren, an ABCA first-team All-American, paced the offense with a team-high 17 home runs and 81 runs batted in. Senior Eric Colaco was an ABCA third teamer and sophomore Sam Larson was a D3baseball.com third-team selection.