Benton’s Austin Wills pulls up over S-V’s Jamie Lance (Benton Gazette-Ian McMahon photo)
RANGERS WIN CROSS COUNTY BATTLE
January 21, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Herrin sweeps field at West Frankfort Mid-Winter Classic
January 21, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Girls All Tournament team for the Mid Winter Classic from left to right; Hannah Grotauge -Herrin; Hannah Garascia – S-V-W; Jaylin Haley – S-V-W; Cali Wright WF; Makalya Smothers; Herrin and MVP Morgan Griffith- WF
Protesters, police clash in Washington as Trump assumes presidency
January 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
A police officer tries to tackle a protester demonstrating against U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the inauguration in Washington, DC, U.S., January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Adrees Latif – RTSWIPE
Jim Muir to receive Distinguished Media Service Award from the IHSA at BIT tonight
January 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Jim Muir with former Christopher Bearcat and later University of Illinois standout, TJ Wheeler before a NJCAA tournament game in Danville for Rend Lake College who were National Champs that year. TJ’s father Tom, has been Muir’s long time color man. (Tom Wheeler photo form the Buckner Garage)
(Click on the link to read the press release from the IHSA on September 8th.) Jim, who has spent over 25 years as voice of the Benton Rangers, will be presented with this award tonight from the Illinois High School Association. After spending twenty years in the coal mines, he changed careers to be a journalist and publicist. He covered news and sports, wrote OpEd pieces, and was an investigative reporter for the Benton Evening News and Southern Illinoisan. He was the publisher of Southern Illinois Sports Connection magazine for five years. The presentation will be before the Benton/Sesser-Valier game at the Benton Invitational Tournament tonight at 6:45. He is a graduate of Sesser-Valier High School and currently lives in Sesser. He is a former long time resident of Benton. He will be stepping down from the booth this year, he was elected as Franklin County Circuit Clerk in November. Benton is currently 14-1 on the season and was sixth in the last AP Class 3A poll. Muir wanted to come back and be “the voice” of this special group. Anything I am about to say is unsolicited, and it is the express opinion of me. Jim is in high regard among all coaches, players, and members of the media that I talk to. He is one of the most humble and gracious individuals I have ever met. This is the second time he has taken a chance on someone who was and still is so poor in the English language, that took his ACT four times to try to get the score to a 25 to be come an Illinois State Scholar and to avoid remedial English at RLC. I wish I could be there, but I will be six miles to the south waiting for the Redbirds and Eldorado Eagles to tip it up in Max Morris gym. It is a well deserved award. I apologize for the huge run on paragraph. It would break the link if I broke this up.
Pumped for Trump in Pomona: Man sees new president as the one to get things done
January 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Charles Mason a Trump supporter since the beginning believes he can turn America around. (Byron Hetzler Southern Illinoisan photo)
Dick Durbin scolds members of the Democratic party for ditching innaguration
January 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Inauguration Day 2017: Chaos and pomp greet Trump’s ascension
January 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Donald Trump’s address to be ‘optimistic,’ ‘visionary,’ ‘philosophical,’ his spokesman says
January 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
President-elect Donald Trump salutes as he arrives with his wife Melania Trump at a pre-Inaugural “Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration” at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Watching is daughter Ivanka, second from left. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Unseasonably mild today and tomorrow…..rain sunday
January 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Even though cloudy today, highs will be in the upper 50’s today. Highs will be in the 60’s tomorrow with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon into the overnight hours.
There is a 50% chance of rain on Sunday and Sunday night. There are no advisories or a hazardous weather outlook today for Franklin County.
Here is a link to the seven day forecatst:
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?map.x=176&map.y=89&site=pah&zmx=1&zmy=1#.WIImu9QrJxA
Redbirds 2-0 in the MWC and .500 on the season-upset Carterville
January 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
WEST FRANKFORT- (Steve Dunford-franklincounty-news.com) I have a nose for games going OT. I was smelling it about the four minute mark. I was smelling double overtime down the stretch.
Kyle Hammers (23) slashes through the lane, as Andrew Sturgill (33) gets ready to set a pic, Keegan Thrash (35) has the ball at the top of the key for WF
Teams need a signature win to go on a roll. It happened Wednesday night at Max Morris Gym as the West Frankfort Redbirds picked up that win, as they pulled out a 52-50 win over the Carterville Lions Wednesday night.
The Redbirds handled Carterville’s full court press in the first half. Like against Christopher, Austin Glodich was on fire in the first half as he had 12 of his 18 points in the first half. The Redbird went to the locker room with a 27-21 lead.
Carterville came out of the locker room in a full court man to man and played it in the entire second half. The Redbirds had immediate trouble with it. The Lions took the lead around the five minute mark of the third quarter and it was a see saw battle the rest of the night.
The only coach in Southern Illinois that compares to coaching with the intensity that Carterville Coach Shane Hawkins does, is Cobden Coach Rhett Barke, who is a Carbondale attorney. I would want him as my lawyer. I love that style of coaching
Shane Hawkins coaches like he played in high school at Pinckneville, in college at SIU, and now as a coach. I asked him about going to the full court man to man in the second half he said “We just could not keep the intensity we had coming out the second half.” We had a couple tough losses this week.” The Lions fell to now 20-1 and state ranked in class 2A Eldorado 60-53 Monday night in a game that was closer than the final score. The rest of the conversation was about Christoper tomorrow night.
The Redbirds played more zone that I have ever witnessed a Kevin Toney coached team play. It was effective as big man Luke Ford, who coach Toney called a “full grown man” last night had only four points and was limited to three rebounds on the night.
The Redbirds shared the basketball very well on the night. I had them with fourteen assists with Andrew Sturgill and Kyle Hammers had four each.
Scotty Clinton came in and gave the Redbirds some key minutes in late in the third quarter when the Redbirds were in foul trouble.
The other beast in the post for Carterville Taylor Heil. I watched him play in junior high during my time living in Sesser. He tied Gloodich leading all scorers for 18. Brendan Beasley had 14 on the night. Both will be on my all tournament team ballot.
Along with Glodich’s 18, Noah Allen was Noah Allen on both ends off the floor had 16 on the night for the Redbirds.
The Redbirds improve to 8-8 on the year and will play either Marion or have a rematch in the with the Herrin Tigers. If they pull the task and upset Eldorado tonight they will play in the championship against whoever wins the Marion/Herrin game.
Carterville falls to 0-2 in the tournament and 10-8 on the season. They play another Franklin county team, the Christopher Bearcats at 5:30 p.m. tonight.
BOX SCORE:
WEST FRANKFORT (52) Glodich 8 0 2-4 18; Allen 5 1 3-4 16; Thrash 3 0 0-0 6; Hammers 1 1 0-0 5; Wolfe 3 0 1-5 4; Clinton 1 0 0-0 2 Sturgill 0 0 1-2 1; Clark 0 0 0-0 0
CARTERVILLE (50) Heil 8 0 2-3 18; Beasley 3 2 2-2 14; Jackson 1 1 0-0 5; Johnson 2 0 0-0 4 Ford 2 0 0-2 4; Moore 0 0 3-4 3; Valerius 1 0 0-0 2
SCORE BY QUARTERS
WEST FRANKFORT 15 12 12 6 7 – 52
CARTERVILLE 10 11 14 10 5 – 50
