NEW YORK, NY – Several media sources are reporting there has been some type of explosion in mid town Manhattan near times square.
Please check this link throughout the day for updates.
Port Authority explosion reports prompt police response in New York City
December 11, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Steve’s Bracketology: The Eldoroado Holiday Tournament
December 10, 2017 By Leave a Comment
By Steve Dunford
Eldorado’s Duff-Kingston Gymnasium
The parings for the EHT will be coming out in the next couple of days. When I am asked by people in Franklin County, what is my favorite gym in Southern Illinois, Max Morris or Rich Herrin? I say neither. Duff-Kingston is my favorite gym.
It is on my bucket list one day to be at Eldorado for the 8:30 a.m. breakfast special all the way up to the 10:00 p.m. graveyard game. When I still lived at home, I would make the rounds across Southern Illinois. I would be at Eldorado at least one day for every game. I am sure my top seed will cause a little controversy right off the bat.
Harrisburg (#1 6-1) – Randy Smithpeters has been waiting for this club to become seniors for a long time. They might be as good as Pinckneyville.
Eldorado (#2 8-0) – It could be a rivalry game between the two heavyweights in Saline County for the championship. Eldorado barely got past West Frankfort on Tuesday. The Bulldogs gave the Redbirds a shellacking on Friday. Harrisburg has played a much tougher schedule so far.
Anna-Jonesboro (#3 6-1) – The Wildcats lost big at Nashville on Friday night. I had them as a three seed before them and still giving them the three
Carmi-White County (#4 5-2) – The Bulldogs are a veteran club. I know the pairings will probably be out before then, but I will be keeping an eye on their game with Benton on Tuesday to get a better read of the Bulldogs.
Union County KY (#5 3-2) – Thanks for all the information I received on Facebook. The Braves always seem to get in four games each year. If they were in Illinois, they would be a 3A school.
Fairfield (#6 4-4) – The Mules had a very good Thanksgiving tournament in Lawrence County. They have been upset prone over the last few years. Gallatin County has their number.
Hamilton County (#7 3-3) – I know Oakley Dial has graduated. The rest of the Foxes seems like they have been in high school for seven or eight years now. This is a team that could be in double digits in wins. Hamco is heading in the right direction after a long dry spell.
Herrin (#8 2-5) – It was a dilemma to me what to do with this group of SIRR-Ohio teams. I put the Tigers at the top of the heap.
Gallatin County ( #9 5-2) – The Hawks can slow it down against teams they are overmatched against and pull out a W. They have been giant slayers at the EHT in the past.
West Frankfort (#10 0-5) – The Redbirds playing Eldorado close bumped them up over Massac. They have a big weekend coming up against Benton and Goreville. Kevin Toney will have his troops well prepared. I am sure he has several yellow legal pads on each team in the tourney. It is on my bucket list to go with him when he scouts.
Massac County (#11 1-6) – Joe Hosman knows his way around the EHT. They have the potential to be a dangerous first round opponent for someone. I would not be one bit surprised if they play four games. Taking a beating from Sesser-Valier knocked them down a couple of notches.
Hardin County (#12 2-5) – Other than against Benton, they hung around with everyone at the Goreville tournament. The Cougars crossed the Ferry and picked up a nice win over Crittenden County KY last night. Rodney Lane’s bunch has the potential to make some noise in the post season. They play a brutal schedule.
Vienna (#13 4-3) – They are above .500 but their wins are over Century, Galatia, Carrier Mills and Z-R. They are pretty deep and could cause some matchup problems for teams in the field.
Edwards County (#14 2-5) – The Lions are in a rebuilding mode. They will most likely be two and out.
NCOE (#15 1-5) – The Fighting Cardinals are a totally different animal. Their goal is to put up 80 shots a game and half of them threes. If their press is broken, they have no problem to give up an uncontested layup. They shot close t0 50% behind the arc against Thompsonville earlier in the year and still got beat. They hung around with Carmi for a while on Tuesday night. On the other side of the coin New Athens beat them by 25 in the consolation championship of the Christopher Tournament.
Carrier Mills (#16 1-7) – No matter who they play, the Wildcats will struggle. They own a 25 point win over winless Dongola. I watched them against Thompsonville on You Tube this week. T’ville beat them by 30 with Pete Gordon subbing liberally in the first half. Coach Keil Peebles misses Will Gibbs bad, who is suiting up for Harrisburg now.
Cardinals reacquire Luke Gregreson
December 10, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Luke Gregerson #44 of the Houston Astros pitches during Game 6 of the 2017 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, October 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO – The Cardinals have reached an agreement with reliever Luke Gregerson, according to a report.
The right-handed reliever has reportedly agreed to a two-year contract worth $11 million dollars. The contract also features a vesting option.
Please click on the link below for the full story from KMOV-TV
http://www.kmov.com/story/37035257/report-cards-sign-reliever-gregerson
Local businesses band together to support ‘Shop with a Cop’
December 10, 2017 By Leave a Comment
BENTON – On Friday, Dec. 15 dozens of local children will get the chance to go Christmas shopping with some of Benton’s finest.
William McPherson – Gazette Photo
Lewis Barnhart, the Owner at S & S Mufflers & Tires stopped by Fred’s on Tuesday to make a monetary donation to the program. Barnhart and Fred’s manager Linda Sanders discussed how much it meant to them to see the community involvement in such a worthy project. Sanders shared several stories from past years of local children in need being helped by the generosity of Benton Police Officers.
Please click on the link below to read the full story from William McPherson of the Benton Gazette.
http://www.bentongazette.com/news/local-businesses-band-together-to-support-shop-with-a-cop/article_6e6c665e-db82-11e7-b642-237aa77439cf.html
Remembering the Aces: 1977-78 season brought optimism, then tragedy
December 10, 2017 By Leave a Comment
EVANSVILLE, IN – They would be in their 60s now, men of different career paths and life experiences, perhaps with families of their own.
Evansville Courier & Press archive photo
Photos of them in white and purple basketball uniforms with “ACES” stitched on the front might be in frames or in a box somewhere. They would be memories, conversation starters, neat things to show friends, children and grandchildren from time to time.
Tragically, the 1977-78 University of Evansville men’s basketball team and its head coach – himself a relatively young man — did not get to grow old.
Please click on the link below for the first of a three part series from John Martin of the Evansville Courier and Press
Hot-shooting SEMO tops Saluki Men’s Basketball, 75-69
December 10, 2017 By Leave a Comment
By Tom Weber – siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, IL — SEMO built a 22-point first-half lead and then held off a late rally by Southern Illinois to win, 75-69, on Saturday night in a non-conference matchup.
The Redhawks (6-4) won for the first time at SIU Arena since 1982 behind a lethal 3-point shooting attack. Six different players made treys and 12 of their 22 field goals came from long range. Leading the barrage was sophomore guard Denzel Mahone, who scored 18 points and connected on 3-of-4 shots from outside the arc.
The Salukis (4-4) were ice cold during the first half, missing eight-straight shots from long range during one stretch as SEMO sprinted to a 37-15 lead with 3:26 remaining. SIU finally came to life with a 10-2 run to end the half, culminating with a buzzer beater by Tyler Smithpeters just a few steps past midcourt.
“I came off the floor (at halftime), especially after Tyler (Smithpeters) three, I really felt we were still going to win the ballgame,” said SIU head coach Barry Hinson.
Southern’s comeback started when Hinson pulled 6-foot-10 center Kavion Pippen from the game and went with a five-guard lineup to better defend the perimeter.
“I thought when they went small and subbed Kavion Pippen out of the game, that was a win for our team,” said SEMO head coach Rick Ray.
The Salukis had no choice because Pippen couldn’t keep up with SEMO 6-foot-7 forwards Milos Vranes and Isaiah Gable, who combined to make five 3-pointers. The Redhawks lost both of their centers during the past week when Mark Laros came down with mono and Justin Carpenter sustained a concussion in practice.
“Ball-screen pick and pop — we wanted Kavion Pippen to have to guard the 3-point line,” said Ray, explaining his strategy to offset the loss of his post players. “We asked our guys to get two more defensive rebounds than they normally get.”
Hinson said it was the first time he’s ever played a five-guard lineup.
“We were caught off-guard by their starting lineup,” he said. “We felt like (playing five guards) was the only way we could get back in the game and it later proved that it was.”
As cold as the Salukis were in the first half, they suddenly found their range in the second. Led by Aaron Cook, who finished with 18 points off the bench, SIU made 9-of-15 treys in the final 20 minutes in a frantic bid to climb out of the deep first-half hole.
Several times, Southern cut the deficit to single digits, but SEMO always had an answer. The Salukis came as close as 59-54 on a dunk by Armon Fletcher with 5:52 remaining in the contest, but Mahoney countered with a triple, and SEMO eventually pushed the lead back to 14 points with two minutes left.
“We’ve only got four guys that have played Division I college basketball,” Ray said. “We need to be able to count on (Mahoney) and depend on him in crucial situations.”
SEMO won its fourth-straight game, but Ray said this victory was different than the others.
“I’ve been on my team that we hadn’t beaten a quality ball club to this point,” he said. “We had yet to beat a sound, disciplined team. Watching film on Southern Illinois I thought they were excellent defensively and they never beat themselves.”
There were bright spots in the loss for the Salukis. Sean Lloyd had 15 points and was 3-for-3 from downtown. Marcus Bartley had six assists in his second game back from injury. They outscored the Redhawks by eight points in the second half.
“The only thing I was disappointed with was we let our offense determine how hard we played defense in the first half, and that bothered me,” Hinson said. “This isn’t one of those games where I come in here and tell you that we played bad, I think you have to give SEMO a lot of credit.”
RLC’s Newbury and Berner receive Hot Rod Nights Scholarship
December 10, 2017 By Leave a Comment
By Reece Rutland
INA, IL – A pair of Rend Lake College students are the proud recipients of Hot Rod Nights Automotive Scholarships. The scholarships offered by the organization have helped several students pursue their passion for vehicles both inside and outside the classroom over the years.
The 2017 recipients are Tyler Newbury (Waltonville) and Dakota Berner (Christopher).
Tyler Newbury (Waltonville), left, and Dakota Berner (Christopher), right, are the 2017 Hod Rod Nights Automotive Scholarship recipiants. (Reece Rutland – Rend Lake College Public Information)
Newbury is a freshman who is currently working on a 1994 Chevy Camaro Z28.
“My dad grew up with a strong background in cars and building show cars. He did a little bit of drag racing as well. So, I grew up with that, and it’s brought me here,” Newbury said.
After graduating from RLC, he hopes to transfer to Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Automotive Program. He wants to eventually get a career in automotive design after he graduates.
Berner is also a freshman in the RLC Automotive Program. He is currently working on a 1976 Fiat X19. He too got his interest in cars from family.
“My grandpa and my dad work on cars all the time. I always found it interesting. I had a 1978 Bronco that I built and had a lot of fun with. That kept me interested,” he explained.
Berner is currently employed at Shelby and Sons Auto Salvage in West Frankfort. He plans on finishing his degree at RLC and staying on with the company, becoming a mechanic.
As for the scholarship, both men were thankful for the opportunity from Hot Rod Nights.
“I’m very appreciative,” Newbury said. “I’ve always gone to car shows. I like showing my work. It’s nice to have something like this that rewards students for helping out and being involved in the automotive community itself. We have a good community in Southern Illinois. There are car shows every weekend. It’s a good thing, especially the shows in DuQuoin and here at the college. That’s just a great thing to see.”
“This scholarship helps out a lot. Especially when you are working and trying to go to school,” Berner added.
Hot Rod Nights raised the funds for the scholarship via their 50/50 drawings throughout the season.
Steve’s Bracketology: The Sesser Valier Holiday Tournament
December 10, 2017 By Leave a Comment
By Steve Dunford
Panoramic view of Sesser-Valier high school gym last season.
Over the last week, I have been asked by a few people to share my thoughts on the seedings of the Sesser-Valier and Eldorado Holiday Tournaments. They will be released in the next few days.
I am not a coach, so I do not get a ballot to seed the teams. I am going to go 1-16 in case they seed the teams all the way through. In the past, both tournaments list 9-16 as unseeded.
I love to hear your thoughts. I hope this spurs some conversation. Franklin County teams are in bold.
Goreville (#1 4-2) – The Blackcats gave A-J all they wanted in their own tournament banged up. They are in the middle of a two week break, which could not come at a better time for Coach Todd Tripp. I have watched Goreville a few times this season on film. I will get to see them live, if the Lord is willing on Saturday night against West Frankfort.
Sesser-Valier (#2 2-4) – You might ask why I have seeded the hosts so high? I am going to pull a “Mo” on you by answering my own question. They hung around with every team at DuQuoin in their losses. A blowout win over Joe Hosman’s Massac County Patriots as DQ and leaving Chester with a 15 point win on Friday upped their seed a few notches. It is no disgrace getting beat by Okawville by 20.
Woodlawn (#3 3-3) – The Cardinals had a very good weekend, beating Odin by 20 and Christopher by 10. They just keep reloading and winning.
Christopher (#4 4-1) – The Bearcats slid a few notches after falling to Woodlawn. They were projected as my top seed going into the game with the Cardinals. If Young and Curry are on fire, they can be cutting the nets down two years in a row.
Chester (#5 5-2) – Like Christopher, they slid down a couple of notches, after the Devils beat them on their own floor over the weekend. A fifteen point loss to Murphysboro would not have hurt them one bit.
Odin (#6 5-3) – Eagle Coach Tyler Mitchell is no stranger to the SVHT. The Eagles dropped two in a row to the top dogs of the Midland Trail, Webber Township and Woodlawn.
Cobden (#7 6-4) – If I ever need an attorney, I want Appleknoker coach Rhett Barke representing me. I love to watch him coach. They about knocked off Meridian over the weekend.
Steeleville (#8 4-4) – Owen Gross is one of the better players in the tournament. Whether they go left or right, the Warriors seem to always play four games.
Johnston City (#9 2-5) – This is a homecoming for Indian coach Scott Burzynski. The coach can point to his #54 jersey hanging in the commons. I have not watched them play, but it seems that JC gets better every time out. They might make some noise.
Thompsonville (#10 3-4) – A fifteen point loss at Pope County probably cost them a top 8. If the team shows up that played in the second half against Webber Township, the Tigers can spring an upset and move right.
New Athens (#11 4-4) – The Yellow Jackets are solid. Jackson Heintz will be one of the better post players in the tournament. They waltzed through the consolation bracket of the Christopher Tournament.
Century (#12 3-4) – They had a decent Vienna Classic. A loss Egyptian caused their stock to plummet.
Galatia (#13 2-6) – A lot of people comment to me about T’ville and their big front line. Galatia equally is as deep on the inside. They lost their backcourt due to graduation. The Bearcats picked up a nice win over Crab Orchard Friday night.
Marissa-Coulterville (#14 4-4) The Meteors have a couple wins against private schools in the Metro East that are in the startup phases of their program. Steeleville beat them by 30. This is the reason for the low seed.
Waltonville (#15 2-6) Their wins are against winless Z-R and Sandoval. It is going to be a tough year for the Spartans.
Zeigler-Royalton (#16 0-6) It is no secret the Tornadoes are rebuilding. They came an eyelash from knocking off Woodlawn last year.
Sesser-Valier defeats Chester in BDC West matchup
December 9, 2017 By Leave a Comment
By Jim Muir
CHESTER — The Sesser-Valier Red Devils put together one of their best outings of the young season Friday night with a 62-48 Black Diamond Conference road victory over Chester.
S-V jumped out an 11-7 lead in the opening quarter and extended it to 28-19 at the intermission. Coach Shane Garner was pleased with the way his team got out of the gate to start the game.
“We moved the ball much better tonight and our scoring was much more balanced,” Garner said. “It was just a great team effort.”
Chester battled back and cut the deficit to 45-40 at the end of three quarters but the Red Devils turned up the defensive pressure in the fourth quarter, holding the Yellowjackets to only eight points in the final frame.
“I thought it was just a great defensive effort all the way around tonight,” Garner said. “Our kids really earned everything they got tonight. It was a really nice road win.”
Tyler Winchester led the balanced Red Devils scoring with 16 points, one of four S-V players in double figures. Preston Launius had his best offensive outing this season with 11 points and Seth Boles also contributed 11 points. Rounding out the scoring Peyton Rock added 10 points, Lukas Gunter and Addison Page added six each and Josh Gunter scored two points.
The Red Devils have a big week of basketball in front of them with a pair of BDC West matchups. On Tuesday the Red Devils will host Johnston City and then on Friday night S-V will be on the road to renew old acquaintances with Route 148 rival Christopher. The Red Devils will close out the pre-Christmas portion of the schedule on Dec. 19 in a BDC road game again Vienna.
Rangers move to 5-1 with Ohio Division win over Herrin
December 9, 2017 By Leave a Comment
By Jim Muir
BENTON — Cade Thomas scored 22 points and the Benton defense held Herrin to eight second half points as the Rangers opened SIRR Ohio Division play Friday night with a 47-27 victory over Herrin.
A large and enthusiastic crowd was on hand at Rich Herrin Gym for the home-opener and the first game in the tough Ohio Division. After both teams played to a 12-12 first quarter score, Benton began the second frame with back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers – two by Gehrig Wynn and one by Mason Morris to open up a nine point lead at 21-12. Benton led 26-19 at halftime.
“Overall I was pleased with the way we played,” said Benton Coach Ron Winemiller. “I thought Cade played well and the three 3-pointers in a row was a big turning point. I thought we settled in and really guarded them in the second half.”
The victory moved Benton to 5-1 on the season with a tough week of basketball in front of them. The Rangers are on the road for the next three games, traveling to Carmi-White County on Tuesday and then head back to Ohio Division play on Friday night with a road game against cross-county rival West Frankfort. Benton will close out the busy week by traveling to Nashville on Saturday night to face the always-tough Hornets.
“This is a very big week for us,” said Winemiller. “All three are tough places to play but if we can guard like we did tonight we are going to have a chance in most games we play.”
Along with Thomas’ 22 points, Wynn also double figures with 11 points, followed by sophomore Carson Lewis with seven points, Parker Williams with four points and Morris with three. Brandon Anthony led Herrin with 13 points.
Pairings were released this week for the Duster Thomas Hoops Classic in Pinckneyville. The tournament is a 12-team pool format with four pools with three teams in each pool. The tournament runs two days, Dec. 29 and Dec. 30. The Rangers are in Pool B with Greenville and Cissna Park. Benton will face Cissna Park on Dec. 29 at 3:30 p.m. in the Auxiliary Gym and then that night face Greeenville in an 8:30 p.m. contest at Duster Thomas Gymnasium. Game times for December 30 are determined by each team’s record on the opening day. Teams in Pool A are Pinckneyville, Jerseyville and Olney, Pool C is Wesclin, Carterville and Trico and Pool D is Jerseyville, Du Quoin and Elverado.
