Fundraising dinner, girls basketball celebration Thursday at CJHS

January 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment

STAFF REPORT

The 14-4 West Frankfort 8th grade girls basketball team will be celebrated with a ceremony Thursday before their home game against rival Benton. The games start at 5:30 p.m. at the Central Junior High School gymnasium.

Before the game, there will be a Fazoli’s spaghetti dinner in the school cafeteria.

The meal will be served from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and includes pasta with meat sauce, a small salad, a drink and two breadsticks. The cost is $7 for adults and $5 for children.

Take-out meals will also be available.

Filed Under: Benton News, Franklin Co. News, Junior High Sports, More Featured Articles, West Frankfort Junior High Sports, West Frankfort News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Redbirds eliminated from EHT

January 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

By BRUCE A. FASOL

The West Frankfort Redbirds gave fourth seeded Union County, Kentucky all they wanted, before the Braves pulled away for a victory. The game was played as the first game of the Monday morning session of the Eldorado Holiday Tournament. With the loss, the Redbirds were eliminated from the EHT. However, they continue to show improvement and are arguably a better team than when the tournament began.

Quarter number one saw the Redbirds take a 7-6 lead after the first period. The fortunes of the Union County team changed in the second quarter. four of their five starters scored in the quarter. Three of those players had two field goals. That balanced scoring made the Braves difficult for the slower Redbirds to guard. Transition buckets after turnovers also plagued West Frankfort. Still, at intermission it was anyone’s game with Union county taking a 26-19 lead into the locker room.

Both teams replicated cold shooting and ball handling problems in the third quarter. West Frankfort scored 5 points in the quarter and Union county just 6 points. And, the third quarter ended with the game still in doubt, 32-24 with the Kentucky team leading.In the fourth quarter, Stan Helmsley ordered his team to spread the floor and work for good shots, while winding down the clock. The plan worked to perfection, as especially Jahad Flemming was the resilient of passes that led to lay-ups. Flemming had 8 of his game high 19 points in the fourth quarter. He was top scorer for the fourth seeded club.

The loss eliminated West Frankfort from the tournament. scoring for the Redbirds: Korolenko 12, Koehl 7, Easley 5,Fort 3,Maller/Williams/Keller 2 points.

The Redbirds were outrebounded 26-22 in the game.

The ‘birds fall to 3-8 for the season. The next regular season game is at home friday when the Redbirds welcome in EHT tournament champion Harrisburg in an Ohio Division game, at Max Morris Gym.

Filed Under: High School Sports, West Frankfort High School Sports Tagged With: , , , ,

Holiday tourneys continue on last day of 2012

December 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

STAFF REPORT

As the third front bringing snow into the area this holiday week moves in, holiday basketball tournament action – most delayed by the blizzard on Christmas night – resumes for the most part after a Sunday break.

Here’s an updated look on how local teams are faring:

BENTON RANGERS (Boys)

The Rangers finished 11th in a 12-team field at the Duster Thomas Hoops Classic in Pinckneyville. The Jerseyville Panthers took the tourney’s title.

CHRISTOPHER BEARCATS (Boys)

Christopher advanced to the Semi-Finals in the Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament with wins over Vienna and Waltonville. The Bearcats dropped their semi-final game Saturday to Goreville.


SESSER-VALIER RED DEVILS (Boys)

Sesser-Valier dropped the first game of their hosted tournament to New Athens and entered the consolation bracket. Now, after wins over Elverado and Cobden, the Red Devils face Zeigler-Royalton for the consolation bracket title at 9 a.m. on Monday.

WEST FRANKFORT REDBIRDS (Boys)

At the Eldorado Holiday Tournament, the Redbirds beat the Fairfield Mules on Friday and then were beaten Saturday by the top-seeded Harrisburg Bulldogs. West Frankfort plays Union County, Kentucky, in the consolation bracket of the tourney at 8:30 a.m. on Monday.

ZEIGLER-ROYALTON TORNADOES (Boys)

Zeigler-Royalton lost to Waltonville in the first round of the Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament. After consolation-bracket wins over Vienna and Century, the Tornadoes face tournament host Sesser-Valier Monday morning at 9 a.m. for the consolation bracket title.

BENTON RANGERETTES (Girls)

The Rangerettes won four of their five match-ups in the Benton Rangerettes Classic, dropping their last game to Goreville, who went unbeaten in the six-team round robin. Rangerettes Cali Carney, Makala Carney and Morgan Corn were named to the all-tournament team.

Filed Under: Benton High School Sports, Christopher High School Sports, Featured, High School Sports, Sesser-Valier High School Sports, West Frankfort High School Sports, Zeigler-Royalton High School Sports Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Redbirds fall to top-seeded Bulldogs

December 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

West Frankfort Senior Trenton Easley shoots under heavy guard from the Harrisburg Bulldogs at the Eldorado Holiday Tournament on Saturday.

By BRUCE A. FASOL

The Harrisburg Bulldogs may well win the 2012 Eldorado Holiday Tournament, but or a brief moment, at least one team threatened to block their path. Playing aggressive basketball in their quarterfinal match-up, the upstart West Frankfort Redbirds led 15-13 after one quarter Saturday afternoon.

The Redbirds came out of the locker room with nothing left to lose except take it to the #1 seeded Bulldogs.

The Redbirds got to the bracket match-up with a thrilling last second 3-point shot by Braxston Koehl the day prior. In the first quarter against Harrisburg, the Redbirds were patient and used skillful passing to build the lead.

The first points of the second quarter came on a 3-point shot by Tyler Smithpeters, giving Harrisburg a 16-15 lead. Whatever Coach Randy Smithpeters said to his ballclub between quarters ignited a fire inside his team.

Harrisburg exploded for a 31-9 second quarter advantage to re-establish their credibility.

By the half, the Redbirds found themselves hopelessly out of reach, 44-24.  In that decisive frame, Smithpeters had three swishes beyond the arc as part of his 12 point second frame total.  By the end of the third quarter the score was 66-36. That 30 point advantage involved the continuous clock at Duff-Kingston Gym.  The final score was Harrisburg 72-41 win. It was similar to the first day’s first round win over Hardin County for Harrisburg.

Game high scorer was Tyler Smithpeters, who burned the nets for 30 points. The Redbirds were led by 14 points from sophomore Christian Dunning. Trenton Easley also scored in double figures for the ‘Birds with 10 points. Other Redbird scorers included: Maller and Koehl with 4 apiece, 3 points for Sisk, 2 for Keller, and a single point for Korolenko.

Harrisburg had a huge rebounding advantage in the game, 33-21. WF turned the ball over 16 times, Harrisburg 15 times.

With the loss the Redbirds drop to 3-7 for the season. They continue in the Eldorado Holiday Tournament with an 8:30 a.m. game Monday morning. In the breakfast meeting, they will play Union County, Kentucky. Union County dropped a 46-44 game to Massac County on Saturday, in which the Braves had three consecutive misses under the basket as the game ended.

Filed Under: High School Sports, West Frankfort High School Sports Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Redbirds win EHT thriller

December 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Sophomore Braxston Koehl puts up the winning shot in the West Frankfort Redbirds 55-52 defeat of the Fairfield Mules on Friday in Eldorado.

By BRUCE A. FASOL

The ability to dig out of things comes in handy these days. The West Frankfort Redbirds proved themselves adept at digging out of a huge hole Friday morning. Sophomore Braxston Koehl’s desperation 3-point  heave with no time remaining gave the West Frankfort Redbirds a 55-52 win  over the Fairfield Mules. The game was the opening game for the Redbirds in the 2012  Eldorado Holiday Tournament.

It was all Fairfield in the first half. The Mules took advantage of an anemic West Frankfort offense in building an 11-point first quarter lead. By half-time, the Mules led 27-16.

Senior Trenton Easley prepares for a fourth quarter drive toward the basket.

But, by the end of the third quarter the “Birds had cut the double digit lead to 37-35 and had momentum on their side entering the final eight minutes of regulation. Zack Fort was 3 of 3 behind the arc and added a field goal as well with an 11-point third quarter outburst to lead the comeback.

In the final quarter, both teams had leads and chances to put the game away. The final two minutes were hectic for both teams. Koehl’s 3-point shot tied the game at 8 with 2:12 left to play. Senior Trenton Easley’s acrobatic reverse lay-up gave the Redbirds a 52-50 lead with 1:44 left.

Redbird cheerleaders pump up the crowd in between the first and second quarters of Friday’s game.

After mistakes by both teams, Fairfield added a bucket with 3.8 seconds remaining that seemed to send the game into overtime.

However, the Redbirds inbounded the ball, putting it into the hands of Koehl. He crossed the half-line and let go of a shot between the half-line and the three-point arc. It went through the net as time expired to cap off the comeback win.

Koehl was mobbed by teammates and cheered by West Frankfort fans sitting directly behind the winning goal. at Duff Kingston Gymnasium.

The team mobs Braxston Koehl after his game-winning shot.

Scoring for West Frankfort: Fort 15, Easley, 14.Koehl, 11, Keller 6, Dunning , Korolenko 4.The Redbirds were out-rebounded 31-26 by Fairfield. Dan Dewerff’s club was 12 of 21 from the free-throw line. West Frankfort was called for 16 turnovers on the game.

With the win, the Redbirds go to 3-6 on the season. Their next opponent is the Harrisburg Bulldogs. The top seeded Bulldogs easily dispatched Hardin County 74-32. The two Ohio Division members meet at 3:15 Saturday afternoon in a second round winners bracket game.
Filed Under: High School Sports, West Frankfort High School Sports Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Redbirds begin holiday tournament play in Eldorado

December 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By BRUCE A. FASOL

The West Frankfort Redbirds begin play at 11:30 a.m. Friday in the Eldorado Holiday Tournament. The tournament was delayed one day by the blizzard. The schedule stays the same as it was bracketed, just that play days will be today, Saturday, and the tournament will conclude on New Year’s Eve.

In the first round, the Redbirds will play Fairfield. The Mules are the 8th seeded team in the tournament.

Like Dan Dewerff’s Redbirds, the Mules have a sub .500 record going into play. The game is viewed as a toss up by most observers. The Redbirds own one of their two wins on this floor, having beaten host Eldorado earlier in the season in a regular season match-up.

The winner of this game has a 3 p.m. appointment Saturday with probably top-seeded Harrisburg. The loser of the Harrisburg/Hardin County game will play the loser of the Redbird game in the consolation bracket on Saturday morning at 8:30am.

The Redbird game can be heard online at  www.wfschools.org.
Filed Under: High School Sports, West Frankfort High School Sports Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Holiday hoops action kicks off this morning as region digs out from Christmas blizzard

December 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

STAFF REPORT

A blizzard may have delayed holiday week basketball in Southern Illinois this year, but it couldn’t stop it. Many of the regions’ girls’ and boys’ basketball tournaments that traditionally start on the day after Christmas will begin today, Dec. 27. Here’s a look at each Franklin County team’s schedule for the first day of games:

BENTON RANGERS (Boys)

The Rangers are playing in Pool C at the Duster Thomas Hoops Classic at Pinckneyville Community High School. They face Jerseyville at 10:30 a.m. Friday in Thomas Gym, and Teutopolis at 8:30 p.m. Friday in the Auxiliary Gym. Games on Saturday will depend on where they place in the pool Friday.

CHRISTOPHER BEARCATS (Boys)

The Bearcats play Vienna today (Thursday) at 1:30 p.m. in the Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament. Play will continue Friday, Saturday and Monday.

SESSER-VALIER RED DEVILS (Boys)

Sesser-Valier plays New Athens at 8 p.m. today in the holiday tournament they are hosting at Sesser-Valier High School. Play continues Friday, Saturday and Monday.

WEST FRANKFORT REDBIRDS (Boys)

The Redbirds will play in the Eldorado Holiday Tournament, which runs Friday, Saturday and Monday. They face Fairfield at 10:30 a.m. on Friday.

ZEIGLER-ROYALTON TORNADOES (Boys)

The Z-R boys play Waltonville today (Thursday) at 10:30 a.m. in the Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament. Play will continue Friday, Saturday and Monday.

BENTON RANGERETTES (Girls)

Benton’s girls are playing in the tournament they host, the Benton Rangerette Christmas Classic 2012. The Rangerettes play Anna-Jonesboro at 11 a.m. today, Trico at 12:30 p.m. Friday and Goreville at 7 p.m. Saturday.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Benton High School Sports, Christopher High School Sports, Featured, High School Sports, Sesser-Valier High School Sports, West Frankfort High School Sports, Zeigler-Royalton High School Sports Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Rangerettes knock off Harrisburg 58-46 in key Ohio Division match up

December 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Jim Muir

The Benton Rangerettes picked up a key Southern Illinois River to River Ohio Division victory last night defeating Harrisburg 58-46.

The Rangerettes, leading only 20-18 at halftime, opened the third quarter with a stifling three-quarter court press and forced five consecutive turnovers that they converted to eight quick points to build a 10 point lead.

“We ended the second quarter kind of struggling offensively and decided to throw the press at them and see if we could generate some offense from our defense,” said Benton coach Andy Sloan. “Harrisburg has good guards so I was surprised that our press hurt them like it did. It was the turning point in the game.”

Benton, playing perhaps its best overall game of the season, jumped out to a quick 12-7 first quarter lead behind five points from Cali Carney. Harrisburg received a big lift off its bench in the first half as Kelsey Hobbs and Devan Jones combined for 10 of the Lady Bulldogs 18 first half points. Hobbs hit a pair of three-pointers in the second quarter when Harrisburg outscored the Rangerettes 11-8 to claw back to within two – 20-18 – at the halftime intermission.

During a frantic two minute stretch to begin the third quarter Benton got four points from Morgan Corn, four from Sami Minor and two from Evelyn Mendez to put the game out of reach. After scoring 20 points in the first half Benton outscored Harrisburg 25-10 in the decisive third frame to take a 45-28 lead.

Harrisburg, on some key outside shooting by Lindsey Murray and Ashley Ferrell, cut the margin to 10 points at the midway point of the fourth quarter but the Rangerettes hit some clutch free throws down the stretch to secure the win and improve to 9-4 overall. The victory also pulls the Rangerettes even with Harrisburg in the tough Ohio Division of the SIRR where it has turned into a four-team battle. Benton and Harrisburg both are 3-2 in conference play and every team including front runners Herrin and Massac County all have at least one loss. Benton still has games at home against Massac County and Herrin. Last night’s loss drops Harrisburg to 11-3 overall.

Benton was led in scoring by Cali Carney, who turned in her best overall performance of the season narrowly missing a triple-double. Carney tallied 16 points, 16 rebounds and eight steals in the victory and was followed closely by Morgan Corn who had 13 points to go with 9 rebounds. Also scoring in double figures for Benton was Evelyn Mendez with 10 points. Minor turned in a steady game and scored nine points, followed by Mikala Carney with six and Marcela Mendez and Katie Sandusky with two points each.

The Rangerettes are idle until they host the annual Rangerettes Christmas Classic that will be held on Dec. 27, 28 and 29. The round robin affair will feature unbeaten Goreville along with Hamilton County, Trico, Carterville and Anna-Jonesboro.

Pairing for the Rangerettes Christmas Classic are:

Dec. 27

Session 1

11:00 a.m. – Benton vs. AJ

12:30 p.m. – Hamilton County vs. Trico

2 :00 p.m. – Carterville vs. Goreville

Session 2

5:30 p.m. – Trico vs. AJ

7:00 p.m. – Goreville vs. Hamilton County

8:30 p.m. – Benton vs. Carterville

Dec. 28

Session 1

11:00 a.m. – Goreville vs. AJ

12:30 p.m. – Benton vs. Trico

2:00 p.m. – Carterville vs. Hamilton County

Session 2

5:30 p.m. – Trico vs. Goreville

7:00 p.m. – AJ vs. Carterville

8:30 p.m. – Benton vs. Hamilton County

Dec. 29

4:00 p.m. – Carterville vs. Trico

5:30 p.m. – Hamilton County vs. AJ

7:00 p.m. – Benton vs. Goreville

Filed Under: Benton High School Sports, Franklin Co. News, High School Sports, Uncategorized

Zeigler-Royalton Tornadoes defeat Trico in overtime

December 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By RANDALL RISLEY

ZEIGLER – Zeigler-Royalton used a tenacious team defense, clutch scoring and outstanding free-throw shooting to defeat Trico 64-61 in overtime Tuesday night.

“Our kids battled the entire game and gained confidence as the game went on,” said Zeigler Royalton coach Matt Morgan. “Their willingness to make a commitment on the defensive end, our ability to knock down free-throws, and our crowd’s energy were the difference in the game.”

The Tornadoes were led in scoring by Nick McPhail with 19 points and Boris Moskoff with 16.

McPhail had five field goals and was nine of eleven from the free throw line in addition to six assists and five steals.

Moskoff had three field goals and was an outstanding ten of ten from the charity stripe. Boris also added a team high seven rebounds.

Brandon Jones contributed eight points and six rebounds against the taller Pioneers, Jeffery Pedigo ran the offense, Jeremy Weddle added a clutch three pointer and Brandon Stubblefield and Bailey Schmipf
provided scoring and intense defense.

The Tornadoes are 10-3 on the season and 2-1 in Black Diamond Conference play.

Next up for Z-R will be #3 seed Waltonville in the first round of the Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament.

“It’s a big win for our team and we are going to enjoy it, but at the same time we know we have to get back to the gym and get to work to prepare for the Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament next week,” Morgan said.

Filed Under: High School Sports, Zeigler-Royalton High School Sports Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Benton students collect items for food pantry

December 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

STAFF REPORT

The Benton High School Fellowship of Christian Students/Fellowship of Christian Athletes club recently collected food items for the Benton Ministerial Alliance food pantry.

The students had read that the food pantry was running low this fall and wanted to do something to help. It was completely their idea.

Items were donated by Benton High School students and faculty in their classrooms at the school.

In addition, items were collected at the gate at the home football playoff game against Robinson this year. Ultimately, several hundred items were collected and donated.

Filed Under: Benton High School Sports, Benton News, Featured, Franklin Co. News, High School Sports Tagged With: , , , , ,
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