High School Sports
Gillespie drops opening football game to Vandalia
Tate Wargo fends off a defender as he runs the ball for Gillespie in the first quarter. (More pictures here)
Despite getting off to a good start to begin the 2016 season in Vandalia, the first game for the Gillespie High School football team (0-1) ended with a 14-15 loss after Vandalia (1-0) outscored Gillespie 15-2 in the last 14 minutes of play Friday evening.
Gillespie’s defense was the highlight of the first half after forcing Vandalia to turn the ball over three of their four possessions while the fourth possession ended in a failed field goal attempt. Tate Wargo excited the Miners’ sideline with an early interception on defense, but Gillespie’s offense struggled to keep pace with the team’s defensive performance.
[pullquote]Tate Wargo excited the Miners’ sideline with an early interception on defense[/pullquote]Led by Daniel Dobrino as quarterback, Gillespie opted to punt in all three drives in the first quarter, but found the endzone in their first drive in the second quarter after Dobrino connected with Nick Wyatt for a 53-yard reception. The big gain through the air put the Miners six yards away from a touchdown. Dobrino later capped the drive with a quarterback keeper for a 1-yard run with 4:55 before halftime giving Gillespie a 6-0 lead.
After kicking off to start the second half, Gillespie had possession within three minutes after forcing Vandalia to punt on fourth down. The Miners would start their first drive in the second half on the 22-yard line and proceeded to march down the field recording two first downs and taking six minutes off of the game clock before Dobrino found Wargo open for a large reception setting the Miners up for a five-yard touchdown run later punched in by Wargo.
The failed two-point conversion put Gillespie ahead by two touchdowns, 12-0, with 3:17 remaining in the third quarter, but then it was all Vandalia from that point forward.
The Vandals answered Gillespie’s second touchdown with a 28-yard dagger for their first points of the game and after the successful 1-point kick, the Miners’ lead was trimmed to 12-7. Gillespie’s lead was nonexistent after a host of penalties on offense and defense set Vandalia up with first down and goal on the 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter.
[pullquote]Gillespie hosts Litchfield (0-1) in week two action on September 2[/pullquote]Vandalia punched in the 1-yard run and capped the drive with a 2-point conversion putting Gillespie behind by a field goal, 12-15. After the Miners were forced to punt on their first comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, Gillespie brought the score up to 14-15 after tackling Vandalia’s ball carrier in their own endzone for a safety.
Though the safety didn’t provide any spark to Gillespie’s offense as the offensive woes from the first half reappeared as Vandalia’s defense was able to sack Dobrino three times in Gillespie’s final two drives of the game.
Gillespie hosts Litchfield (0-1) in week two action on September 2. Litchfield is recovering from a 15-48 loss to Greenville suffered on their home turf last Friday.
South Central Conference scores
- Vandalia (1-0) over Gillespie (0-1): 15-14
- Pana (1-0) over Staunton (0-1): 49-0
- Carlinville (1-0) over Roxana (0-1): 54-0
- Hillsboro (1-0) over Southwestern (0-1): 42-0
- Greenville (1-0) over Litchfield (0-1): 48-15
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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.
