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Baseball team concludes season with annual banquet

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The members of the high school baseball in attendance for the annual banquet. (Photo/Jeremy Smith)

The members of the high school baseball in attendance for the annual banquet. (Photo/Jeremy Smith)

The Gillespie High School baseball team celebrated their season with their annual banquet on Tuesday evening with less than half of the team in attendance. Despite the low turnout, the coaches honored eight players in attendance with a varsity letter.

This year’s team finished the season 13-15 and 3-6 in the conference, according to head coach Jeremy Smith who also said the team celebrated the end of the season with a meal, dessert and awards.

The Miners fought through adversity throughout the season

“Although their record didn’t show it,” Smith defended in his press release, “The Miners fought through adversity throughout the season.” He continued by clarifying that 10 games were lost by three runs or less.

Smith said the team battled throughout the season and played tough against really good teams like Southwestern, who Gillespie lost to 2-3, and Pleasant Plains, who beat the Miners 1-0.

“I feel like we lose some seniors who were the core for the last couple of years, but we have returning letterman and some underclassmen that will provide the talent and depth for a successful future,” Smith added.

Tate Wargo led the team in the batter’s box with best average (.416) with 89 at-bats, the most doubles (11) and shared the honor of the lowest number of strikeouts (7) with Eli Fox who posted a .349 season average and smacked 9 doubles and 13 single baggers. Blake Middleton carried the team with the most RBI’s (30) and homeruns (2) while Bryce McKinney posted the most triples (2).

Underclassman Rylee Bernot threw the most innings for Gillespie this season with 59.2 innings pitched in 14 appearances and had the lowest earned run average (1.877) surrendering only 16 earned runs over the course of the season. Bernot had eight starts, struck out 44 batters and walked only 10 batters.

Smith thanked the CUSD 7 administration, specifically Supt. Joe Tieman, principal Lori Emmons and athletic director Mike Bertaganolli; his assistant coach, Tim Wargo; volunteer assistants, Adam Tallman and Dan Smith; and the numerous announcers, concession stand workers and parents for working behind the scenes to ensure everything ran smoothly.

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AWARDS

  • Varsity letters: Rylee Bernot, Gavin Brown, Ryan Griffith, Tate Wargo, Trevor Fredericks, Nick Wyatt, Nick Jarman, Dylan Roberts, Daniel Dobrino, Josh Balzraine, Owen Carter, Blake Middleton, Eli Fox and Bryce McKinney.
  • Team awards: Eli Fox (defensive award), Bryce McKinney (Miner award) and Tate Wargo (offensive award and 2016 team MVP).
  • Contributions to the junior varsity team: Joey Carter, Foli Seferi, Ryan Reid, Adam Boeck, Trent Segarra, Trae Hall, Blake Hammann, Drake Ruckman, Nick Spencer, Blaine Fritz, Gavin Call, Richard Roach, and Brian Sellers. (Smith pointed out that Sellers was a senior who hadn’t played since junior high and commended Sellers’ attitude while playing JV and being a senior)

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High School Sports

Gillespie Dominates the Court against Southwestern, 41-25

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On December 16, Gillespie played against Southwestern and dominated on the court. They secured an impressive 41-25 win.

Gillespie’s Amari Vickery played a crucial role in their offense in the first period, contributing 5 out of their 10 points. Sloane Brawner demonstrated range from behind the three-point line, extending their lead as they moved into the second period. Southwestern was able to muster up 7 points against Gillespie.

The defense really held strong in the second period of the game. It was a low-scoring affair, with only a total of 11 points scored by both teams. Gillespie managed to score 8 points, while Southwestern scored 3. Darr from Southwestern scored their only 3 points by shooting from beyond the arc. Vickery contributed 6 points for Gillespie, while Sadie Sholtis added two more to the scoreboard. Gillespie held the lead going into halftime with a score of 18 to 10.

After halftime, Gillespie’s Mia Brawner came out refreshed and had a strong offensive performance, scoring 9 out of Gillespie’s 11 points in the third period, while Maggie Heyen contributed the other two points. Southwestern managed to put up 8 points in an attempt to set the stage for a comeback against Gillespie. After three periods of play, Southwestern trailed behind with a score of 29 to 18.

Gillespie secured their victory during the fourth period by outscoring Southwestern 12 to 7. Vickery continued to impress with her offensive performance, contributing 6 points to extend their lead. Brawner also added 4 more points to her total for the game, while S. Brawner contributed an additional 2 points. Despite Stormer from Southwestern successfully scoring from behind the three-point line, it wasn’t enough to give them the lead.

Vickery and Brawner were the key players for Gillespie’s offense. Vickery scored a total of 17 points, while Brawner contributed 15 points to the team’s total.

Gillespie took home another win with a final score of 41 to 25.

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High School Sports

Gillespie emerged victorious over Auburn, 71-65

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Gillespie stepped onto the court against Auburn on December 9th and came out on top, clinching a hard-fought 71-65 win.

Gillespie started off hot, racing to an early lead in the first period. By the end of the period, the scoreboard read 17-15 in their favor. Auburn’s relentless defense sent Gillespie to the free throw line a total of five times in the opening period. Gillespie capitalized on those opportunities, converting 5-of-10 attempts as a team.

The star of the show, however, was Amari Vickery, who shone brightly from the charity stripe, sinking an impressive 4-of-6 free throws. Vickery’s impact didn’t stop there – managing to find the net for an additional goal during the period, further cementing her status as a dominant force in Gillespie’s offense. Mia Brawner and Sadie Sholtis proved to be a dynamic duo, combining for 8 points to bolster Gillespie’s scoring efforts in the first period.

Auburn attempted to make a comeback during the second period, besting Gillespie 16 to 15. Addison Whatley was the driving force behind Auburn’s offense, pouring in 8 of their 16 points. Maggie Heyen, Delaney Taylor, and Sloane Brawner were the forces behind Gillespie’s offensive surge in the second period. Heyen poured in 7 points, while Taylor and S. Brawner demonstrated their shooting range from beyond the arc.

Gillespie clung to their narrow one-point lead as the teams headed into the second half of the nail-biter.

Gillespie’s M. Brawner took over the second half, pouring in 15 points to overwhelm Auburn. Vickery’s offensive onslaught kept on rolling, as she added 9 more points to Gillespie’s tally. Heyen, Sholtis, Taylor, and S. Brawner all contributed to their winning effort.

When the final buzzer sounded, Gillespie emerged victorious, 71-65.

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High School Sports

Gillespie overpowers Pawnee for the win

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Gillespie overpowered Pawnee in their December 7th showdown, emerging with a 48-37 win.

To start off the game, offense on both sides was lacking, with both teams struggling to score. Pawnee held a narrow 7-6 lead.  Despite the low-scoring affair, Gillespie’s Delaney Taylor and Maggie Heyen each earned a trip to the free throw line, converting 2-of-4 attempts collectively. Amari Vickery also managed to get a shot to fall for Gillespie. Taylor added another basket outside of her free throw makes to help Gillespie’s efforts.

Gillespie’s defense shone brightly in the second period, as they outscored Pawnee, 10-4. The scoring was spread across multiple players, with Amari Vickery, Lainey Edwards, Mia Brawner, and Heyen each finding the net during the stretch. To cap off the impressive team effort, Gillespie’s Sadie Sholtis stepped up and sank both of her free throw attempts.

Pawnee’s Manshelt and Brunner held their only points during the second period.

In the second half of the game, Gillespie’s offense really took off, racking up an impressive 32 points. Vickery and M. Brawner showcased their shooting skills, each sinking shots from long range. Vickery contributed 9 points during this period, while M. Brawner added 6. Kaia Vickery, along with Taylor, Sholtis, and Heyen, also made significant contributions to the scoring in the latter half. Meanwhile, Pawnee managed to put up 26 points during the same stretch.

Pawnee battled fiercely against Gillespie but ultimately fell behind, ending the game with a score of 48 to 37.

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