Local Sports
Four Gillespie players featured in Carlinville Rotary All-Star Basketball game on March 26
The top 59 boys’ and girls’ basketball seniors from South Central Illinois will be playing in the 19th Annual Carlinville Rotary Club All-Star Basketball Classic, presented by Prairie Farms Diary and CNB Bank & Trust on Sunday, March 26th at Carlinville High School.
A total of 20 high schools will be represented in the event that includes 30 girls and 29 boys.
Players on the girls’ West squad are Kendal Conway and Shelby Seiler of Auburn; Mae Bandelow, Caroline Peters, Edin Copelin and Brooklyn Hermes of South County; Emily Schoen and Jenna Clark of Gillespie; Kylie Kinser of Greenfield/Northwestern; Paige Henson, Ella Stumpf, Sophie Pohlman and Lauren Walker of Carrollton; Haris Legendre of Staunton and Olivia Thoroman of North Mac. Blaine Hartwick of Carrollton will coach the West All-Star team.
Players on the girls’ East team are Morgan Langheim of Pawnee; Anna Forbes of Vandalia; Charlee Stearns and Lilly Funneman of Greenville; Layne Ruppert and Alex Frailey of Hillsboro; Avery Pope of Lincolnwood; Audrey Sabol, Hailey Engelman, Natalie Engelman and Emma Sneddon of Nokomis; Gianna Pop of Kincaid/Edinburg; Anna Beyers, Chloe Ashcraft and Aryn Alde of Pana. Nokomis coach Brandon Engelman will coach the East All-Stars.
The West boys’ squad includes Nathan Barth, Jackson Kern and Kellen Davis of Auburn; Thad Bergschneider of South County; Kam Link and Bryan Jubelt of Gillespie; Ryenn Hart of Carlinville; Grant Burch of Bunker Hill; Kaiden Brecken and Bobby Heath of Carrollton; Hank Bouillon, Lane Gage and Collin Robinson of Southwestern; Reese Scott of North Greene and Mick Downs of North Mac. Southwestern’s Jason Darr will coach the West All-Stars.
Representing the boys’ East team are Clayton Bishop of Litchfield; Cody Ellis of Pawnee; Reid Well and Preston Nestrick of Vandalia; Landen Moss of Greenville; Will Christian of Hillsboro; Braden Whalen and Zake Guzman of Lincolnwood; Elijah Aumann, Ryan Eisenbarth and Nolan Himes of Nokomis; Arjan Epperson of Mulberry Grove; Devon Peebles and Max Lynch of Pana. Dan DeWerff of Nokomis will coach the East All-Star team.
Each game will be played in four 10-minute quarters. The CNB Bank & Trust 3-Point Shootout for the girls will begin at 3 pm., followed by the girls’ All-Star game at 3:30 pm. The CNB Bank & Trust 3-Point Shootout for the boys will be held between games, starting at 5:30 pm., with the boys’ All-Star game to follow at 6:00 pm.
The Prairie Farms Dairy Slam Dunk contest will be held at halftime of the boys’ game. At halftime of each game, the Carlinville Rotary Club will present the “Coach of the Year” awards. An MVP award will also be given following each game.
The East defeated the West 140-90 last year, but the West leads the all-time series 12-6 in the boys’ event. The first boys’ game was played in 2003. In the girls’ game last year, the East held off the West 69-61 and extend their lead in the all-time series to 12-5. The first girls’ game was played in 2004.
All proceeds from the day’s events will go to the Carlinville Rotary Club to help with community projects throughout the year. Admission to the Carlinville Rotary All-Star Basketball Classic is $7 with children 6 and under admitted free. The Carlinville Rotary Club will provide concessions with a variety of food and drinks.
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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 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 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.
