High School Sports
Gillespie Miners drop homecoming game to Cavies
Quarterback Daniel Dobrino hands the ball off to Tate Wargo.
The Gillespie football team (2-4) had a hard time holding back the Carlinville Cavaliers’ offensive game last week when the two teams met on Friday night for Gillespie’s Homecoming. Carlinville scored three touchdowns before halftime and then two touchdowns after halftime to give the Miners their fourth loss on the season, 0-35.
The Cavies started the game with possession after Gillespie deferred the winning coin toss. Both Carlinville and Gillespie stalled on their first drive, but Gillespie handed Carlinville great field position to start their second drive after a dropped punt set the Cavies up 11 yards away from the end zone.
It took Carlinville two plays before a 7-yard touchdown run put them ahead 7-0 with 6:30 left in the first quarter. Both teams’ defense stopped each other in the next three drives and it wasn’t until the 3-minute mark in the second quarter before another touchdown would be scored.
Carlinville’s second touchdown with 2:57 remaining in the first half came from a 69-yard touchdown run and put Gillespie behind 0-14. The deficit grew even more in Carlinville’s next drive after the Cavies covered 58 offensive yards in a minute’s play. A 50-yard pass put Carlinville in the red zone and the Cavies quickly cashed in before halftime on a quick running play making the halftime score 0-21 in favor of Carlinville.
The second half imitated the first half.
Both teams held each other to a stalemate in the third quarter after five offensive drives amounted to a handful of turnovers by each team, but the stalemate ended quickly in the fourth quarter after Carlinville connected on a 12-yard pass to open in the fourth quarter. After the successful conversion, the Cavies led 28-0.
Gillespie’s offensive woes continued in the fourth quarter after the team fumbled the ball away on their first drive setting Carlinville up 34 yards away from the end zone. Less than 30 seconds later, Carlinville was in the end zone again – this time off a 30-yard touchdown run. The successful conversion put Gillespie behind five touchdowns, 0-35.
Carlinville’s fifth touchdown of the game capped the scoring in the match-up. Both teams had three opportunities to put more points on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, but Carlinville tossed an interception, punted it away on fourth down and then took a knee in their final possession. In Gillespie’s final drives, the team punted the ball away, fumbled it and then turned it over on downs.
The loss extends Gillespie’s losing streak to four games after the team opened their season with a pair of wins over Vandalia and Litchfield. The Miners travel to Roxana (4-2) this week to face the Shells who are coming off a 38-27 win over Litchfield.
Around the South Central Conference
- Pana (6-0) toppled Greenville (2-4), 56-8
- Southwestern (3-3) blanked Staunton (0-6), 45-0
- Vandalia (3-3) beat Hillsboro (4-2), 35-28
- Roxana (4-2) edged Litchfield (3-3), 38-27
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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.
