High School Sports
Gillespie baseball surges to good start behind returning players
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Last season, the Gillespie High School baseball team finished as regional champions. The team has the same goal this season.
The Miners (4-1) have kicked off their season in the right direction winning four of their first five games. The team is averaging 8.2 runs scored per game while giving up just 2.8. Gillespie has wins over Jerseyville (3-2), Riverton (13-7), Bunker Hill (14-0) and Nokomis (11-0) with their only loss coming from Beardstown (0-5).
Leading the way at the plate has been Blake Middleton who has racked up nine RBIs on seven hits in the team’s first five games. Owen Carter has also been a threat for the Miners after tallying six RBIs on seven hits. Eli Fox has seven hits from the batter’s box as well.
Pitching has been equally divided thus far with Jeremy Smith’s team displaying a deep rotation. Four different pitchers have recorded the team’s first four victories. Brock Werner, Eli Fox, Tate Wargo and Blake Middleton all won their first outing and have a 1-0 record from the mound.
Gillespie 14, Bunker Hill 0
Gillespie had a good start this week outscoring their opponents 25-0 in their two games this week. The team started their week off by sweeping Bunker Hill 14-0 in a five-inning short game on Monday.
The Miners got started late in the game scoring their first run in the third before ending the third inning with five runs and following up with nine runs in the fourth inning. The team combined for 13 RBIs on 10 hits with Middleton leading the charge with two hits and two RBIs.
Carter, Derrick Engelke and Josh Balzraine equally contributed with two RBIs a piece.
Wargo kept Bunker Hill off the scoreboard in his first outing during his five innings of work. While pitching a shutout, he held Bunker Hill to three hits and struck out eight.
Gillespie 11, Nokomis 0
The team’s second win of the week was another five-inning short game Wednesday afternoon on their home field as they welcomed Nokomis. Carter led Gillespie with a perfect 3-for-3 appearance from the batter’s box after knocking a double and two singles against Nokomis’ pitchers.
Middleton racked up three RBIs in the contest while Brock Werner tallied two. The Miners took an early 3-0 lead after the second inning and then put the Redskins out of reach in the third inning adding six runs to the score for a 9-0 lead.
Gillespie secured the 10-run mercy rule, which goes in affect in the fifth inning, in the fourth inning after scoring two runs on two hits making the score 11-0.
Eli Fox kept Nokomis scoreless in his five innings of work. Fox surrendered only two hits in the contest while walking four and striking out five.
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In a decisive finish that underscored his rising dominance in Illinois Class 1A cross country, senior Chaz Oberkfell of Gillespie High School claimed the state title with a time of 14:31.10 at the IHSA State Cross Country Championships held at Detweiller Park on Saturday, November 8.
Finishing just behind Oberkfell, sophomore Evan Knobloch of Toulon (Stark County) crossed the line in 14:46.25, placing second. Rounding out the top five were senior Blake McLeese of Tuscola (14:46.45), senior Luca Bryja of Elgin (Harvest Christian Academy) with 14:48.38, and senior Elijah Teefey of Pleasant Plains at 14:49.02.
This victory marks Oberkfell’s second IHSA Class 1A state championship. He also won the state crown as a junior in 2024 with a time of 14:31.87. In his sophomore year, he finished 21st with a 15:21.43 season-best time.
Looking ahead, Oberkfell is set to compete in the New Balance NXR Midwest Regional Championships on Sunday, November 16, at the LaVerne Gibson Course in Indiana. The meet serves as a critical stepping stone toward the national championships, and Oberkfell will look to carry his state momentum into the regional stage.
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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.
