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Football team falls in first loss of season to Pana

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Ethan Blevins picks up a first down for Gillespie as he carries the ball on a rushing attempt.

Ethan Blevins picks up a first down for Gillespie as he carries the ball on a rushing attempt.

The Gillespie High School football team drops to 2-1 on the season after a 12-35 loss on the road last Friday evening in Pana.

Sloppy field conditions and questionable calls cannot entirely be held accountable for the loss as the team’s offense committed three interceptions, two turnovers on downs and forced to punt the ball away on fourth down on four separate occasions.

With the victory, Pana takes first place in the South Central Conference with a 3-0 record. Gillespie and Hillsboro, who were the other two teams with a perfect 2-0 record after week two, both fall to 2-1 on the season. Hillsboro lost 34-7 to Roxana (1-2) Friday evening.

First Half

Pana’s defense swarmed Gillespie’s offense in the first half and successfully held the Miners scoreless through two quarters of play. The Miners tallied six offensive drives in the first half and picked up only six first downs throughout the 24 minutes of play.

Corey McCalister (#2) makes the tackle for Gillespie with assistance from his teammate, Josh Balzraine (#6).

Corey McCalister (#2) makes the tackle for Gillespie with assistance from Josh Balzraine (#6).

Gillespie was in scoring distance once in both quarters, but came up short both times because of an interception – the first time in the first quarter nearly 15 years away from the end zone and the second time in the second quarter nearly 17 yards away from the end zone.

Pana didn’t do much better after a handful of bad snaps in the first half, but they were able to take an early 0-7 lead nine minutes through the first quarter after a 2-yard rushing touchdown and successful extra point.

Second Half

After trailing just 0-7 at halftime, Gillespie was behind 0-21 by the end of the third quarter and didn’t score their first touchdown until the fourth quarter. Pana took a 0-13 lead in the opening drive of the second half off a 13-yard touchdown run and later extended their lead 0-21 on a 7-yard touchdown run and successful fake extra point attempt for a two-point conversion with nearly five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

The Miners were unsuccessful on both of their drives in the third quarter after the first drive amounted to fourth down and 27 yards to go and their second drive ended with a turnover on downs 12 yards away from the end zone.

Gillespie cut the deficit in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter after Bryce McKinney recovered a fumble and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown, bringing the score to 6-21, but Pana wasn’t done scoring yet. The Panthers extended their lead 6-28 after returning an interception and later 6-35 after intercepting the ball again on Gillespie’s next drive and scoring off a 60-yard passing play.

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Logan Redmon brought the Miners in double-digit scoring figures with a 41-yard rushing touchdown on the team’s last drive of the game with 1:51 remaining.

Around the South Central Conference

In other conference action last Friday:

  • Litchfield (1-2) beat Piasa (1-2), 15-14, for their first win of the season
  • Carlinville (2-1) spanked Greenville (1-2), 56-26
  • Vandalia (2-1) shut out Staunton (0-3), 43-0
  • Roxana (1-2) gave Hillsboro (2-1) their first loss of the season, 34-7

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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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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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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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