Local Sports
Area teams to compete in T. Todt Shootout vs Cancer tourney on Dec. 10
HILLSBORO – Several area high school basketball teams will participate in a sixteen-team shootout to honor the legacy of a beloved area broadcaster.
The fourth annual T. Todt Shootout vs. Cancer event will be held Saturday, Dec. 10 at Hillsboro High School, and will feature five boys’ and three girls’ games. Tickets are good all day and are $5 for adults, with $2 for children.
First held in 2018, the event celebrates the life of Terry Todt, the longtime sports director at WSMI Radio, who died in May 2019 after a long battle with a debilitating form of appendix-based cancer. He was survived by his wife, Brenda, and their two children.
A wildly popular figure among coaches, players, and fans, Todt was a familiar voice to many with his enthusiastic love of high school sports and support of area youth. He was a member of several Halls of Fame, including the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and the Illinois Softball Coaches Association.
The shootout is organized by Tim Mize, one of Todt’s co-workers at WSMI. All eight games will be broadcast on WSMI 106.1-FM and online at wsmiradio.com.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the Montgomery County Cancer Association, an organization that supports cancer victims and their families, and was highly important to Todt.
“The T. Todt Shootout vs. Cancer celebrates Terry’s love for high school hoops, and it’s become a really special event for everyone involved,” said Mize. “It’s a way to celebrate what Terry meant to all of us.”
The shootout begins at 9:30 a.m. with a girls game between Gillespie and Lincolnwood, followed by a boys game between Staunton and Edinburg at 11 a.m.
arlinville teams will play in the next two games, starting with a boys’ matchup against Arcola at 12:30 and a girls’ game against Nokomis at 2 p.m. The Nokomis boys then play North Mac at 3:30 p.m.
Evening games include a Hillsboro doubleheader as the Hilltopper boys take on East Alton-Wood River at 5 p.m., with a girls’ game against Litchfield at 6:30. A boys’ game between Lincolnwood and Litchfield at 8 p.m. will conclude the schedule.
Special raffles will be held throughout the day, with prizes including a puck signed by St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn and a replica of the championship ring from the Blues’ Stanley Cup season in 2019. Other prize drawings include four tickets to the Illinois men’s basketball home game against Minnesota on February 7 and four tickets to a St. Louis Cardinals home game.
For more information on the event or to make a donation, call Mize at 217-324-5921.
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Opened Play in 1926; One of Oldest H.S. Conferences in Illinois
By Tom Emery
The South Central Conference is gearing up for a special anniversary.
The 2025-26 season will mark the 100th year of competition for the South Central, one of the oldest high school sports conferences in the state of Illinois. Founded in 1926, the SCC has spawned countless star players and coaches, as well as a myriad of state-level highlights.
Carlinville is the only school to be a member of the South Central for its entire existence. Gillespie and Staunton have been members for all but three years, from 2009-12.
Other members through the decades include Hillsboro (1926-44, 1997-present), Litchfield (1926-34, 1980-present), Pana (1926-44, 1997-present), Greenville (1997-present), Southwestern (1970-present), Vandalia (1997-present), Roxana (1997-2021), East Alton-Wood River (1997-2012), Mt. Olive (1926-1980), Nokomis (1926-44, 1955-1985), Taylorville (1926-44), Shelbyville (1926-32), Benld (1935-61), Springfield Feitshans (1963-67), Virden (1966-85), North Greene (1980-85), Triad (1985-93), Alton Marquette (1997-2012), and North Mac (2022-present).
SCC schools have produced numerous team and individual state titlists, including the legendary Taylorville boys’ basketball team of 1943-44, which rolled to a 45-0 mark and a state championship under head coach Dolph Stanley, who led five schools to the IHSA state tournament in his sparkling career.
Other IHSA team championships from SCC members include the 1993 Staunton boys’ basketball team, the 1996 Carlinville boys’ track team, the 2006 Hillsboro girls’ basketball team, the 2011 Marquette girls’ soccer team, and the 2022 Vandalia boys golf team.
Student-athletes from SCC member schools have also collected a number of state track and field titles, including Kelsey Card, Tunde Ridley, Cassie Lamar, and Jack Denby (Carlinville), Marcus Sitko and Becky Coyne (Staunton), Jodi Ottersburg, Amber Lewis, and Matt Rush (Gillespie), Jamie Nurnberger (Southwestern), and many others, not to mention state-champion relay teams from various schools.
State runners-up from SCC members include Gillespie football (1976, 1990), Gillespie girls track (1996), Gillespie softball (1995), Carlinville football (1978, 1993, 2016), Carlinville boys track (1995, 2008), Carlinville girls cross country (1996), Carlinville girls track (2004, 2005), Litchfield baseball (1985), Marquette girls soccer (2009), Southwestern softball (2003, 2009), Staunton football (2013), and Vandalia boys wrestling (2007, 2017).
Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Ill. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
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In a nail-biting showdown that will be remembered for years to come, the Gillespie Miners girls basketball team captured the South Central Conference title with a hard-fought 55-52 victory over the Pana Panthers on Thursday night, February 13. This marks Gillespie’s first conference championship since their back-to-back titles in 2001-02, when they shared the honors with Southwestern both finishing with a 9-1 conference record.
The game held at Pana High School was anything but straightforward. After a tumultuous 13-minute delay due to injuries and a technical foul controversy, the Miners rallied their spirits to secure the win. Amari Vickery led the charge with a stellar performance, scoring 21 points, while Mia Brawner added 11, Maggie Heyen contributed 10, Delaney Taylor posted 5, Sadie Sholtis scored 4, and Lainey Edwards and Corrine Fellin each had 2 points.
From the opening tip, it was clear that Pana was not going to roll over easily. The Panthers held leads at the end of the first two quarters, 15-14 and 28-26, showcasing their tenacity. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Pana had edged ahead 44-42, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
However, the game took a chaotic turn in the fourth quarter when a collision between Vickery and teammate Sloane Brawner resulted in both players going down with injuries. Sloane was not able to return the game but Vickery did. The Miners also lost both Delaney Taylor and Sadie Sholtis to fouls and Gillespie was assessed a technical foul under controversial circumstances which tied the game at 49. But Heyen carried the weight through the fourth quarter recording 6 of her 10 points in the final quarter of play.
Despite the setbacks, the Miners displayed remarkable teamwork resilience under the leadership of Nikki and Matt Brawner. With the SCC championship secured and the regular season concluded with a 22-8 overall record and 9-0 conference record, the Miners now shift their focus to the upcoming regional which is being hosted in Gillespie.
Gillespie hosts Alton Marquette on Monday, Feb. 17 for the regional semi-finals after Alton Marquette knocked East-Alton Wood River, 36-29, to face the Miners. The winner advances to the regional championship that will be played on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in Gillespie versus the winner of Staunton/Roxana.
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CARLINVILLE, ILL. – Blackburn College will host a Coaches vs. Cancer event on Saturday, February 1, 2025, when the Beavers face off against Greenville University. The Women’s Basketball game will begin at 1:00 PM, followed by the Men’s Basketball game at 3:00 PM at M.C. Court in historic Dawes Gymnasium.
This is the ninth year the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) has participated in a conference-wide initiative to raise money for cancer research. The event will include opportunities for attendees to recognize loved ones and members of the community impacted by cancer. Before the games, individuals can fill out “Today, I Honor…” signs, allowing them to personally acknowledge those whose lives have been touched by cancer. These signs will be displayed throughout the event, creating a powerful visual of collective support and remembrance. In addition, a moment of silence will be observed before the start of each game to honor individuals and families affected by this disease.
The Coaches vs. Cancer initiative, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, leverages the power of sports to raise awareness and funds in the fight against cancer. Community members, alumni, and fans are encouraged to attend the games and participate in this meaningful day.
For more information about Blackburn College Athletics, please visit blackburnbeavers.com.
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Illinois Farm Bureau to host ‘Rules for the Road’ trucking seminar in Carlinville on March 20
Zion Lutheran School to host open house on March 18 for preschool and kindergarten programs
