High School Sports
Gillespie softball off to a slow start
Ally Clay applies the tag from catcher Mackenzie Kasarda.
After playing their first three games of the season, the Gillespie Miners softball team (0-3) is off to a slow start for the 2015 season after losing to Triad last night, Dupo on Tuesday and Edwardsville last week.
Michelle Smith returns for her 10th year in the head coach position alongside Joe Kelly as her first base coach while Joe Matesa and Alina Fields head the dugout for the Miners as volunteer coaches for this year’s season.
This year’s softball team is young with four freshman in the starting lineup. Sophomore Addison Bryant returns to toe the rubber for Gillespie with freshman Mackenzie Kasarda catching behind the plate. It’s a young duo leading the team’s defensive game, but the story is similar for the team’s offensive game as well.
[pullquote]Smith isn’t writing this year’s season off as a rebuilding year[/pullquote]Despite the first games of the season and the young ladies leading the team, Smith isn’t writing this year’s season off as a rebuilding year.
Gillespie 4, Triad 14
With the bigger schools on the top of Gillespie’s schedule, the Miners dropped their third straight on Wednesday against 3A Triad. The Knights came out flexing with their powerful lineup and took an early 5-0 lead following the first inning on four hits.
The five-run first inning was too tough to overcome for the Miners who recorded 11 hits in the contest and stranded eight base runners. Despite the rough first inning, Gillespie held Triad scoreless in the second and third innings before the Knights added two runs in the fourth inning gaining a 7-1 lead.
Following the fourth inning, Addison Bryant was replaced by Sydney Henrichs to pitch for Gillespie. Bryant (0-3) surrendered 7 earned runs on nine hits and struck out six during her four innings. Henrichs tossed 1.2 innings for the Miners before being short-gamed in the sixth. She gave up seven runs (5 earned) and five hits.
Mackenzie Kasarda led Gillespie with three singles and one RBI in the game last night with Rylee Sarti recording two RBIs. Gillespie showed some life in the fifth inning after scoring three runs on four hits cutting the deficit to 4-7, but Triad ended the game in the sixth after scoring seven runs on four hits.
Gillespie 1, Dupo 2
The Miners dropped their second game of the season Tuesday evening on their home field at Welfare Park after the Dupo Tigers squeezed out a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead, which they held until the end of the game.
Gillespie was shy at the plate with only four hits in the game and two of those coming in the first inning when the Miners tied Dupo 1-1. Bryant led the team off with a single in the bottom of the first inning and after a stolen base, Ally Clay knocked a single for the team scoring Bryant.
After Rylee Sarti’s single in the second and Dannis’ single in the third, Gillespie went hitless for the remainder of the game and only had one player get on base in the last four innings.
Bryant pitched all seven innings for the team and recorded eight strike-outs. She surrendered two earned runs in her second appearance, allowed nine hits and walked three.
Gillespie 0, Edwardsville 17
Gillespie started their season last week in Edwardsville and despite playing a full seven innings, the Miners collapsed and committed eight errors in the 0-17 loss.
The weather could be partially blamed for the team’s rough performance in their first outing. A steady wind rolled through Edwardsville’s complex and temperatures were in the 40’s during last week’s game, but Coach Smith didn’t accept either as an excuse. “Super disappointed,” Smith wrote after the game. “Let’s hope the rain stops and we play like we are capable.”
The Miners recorded only three hits from the plate with freshman Mackenzie Kasarda tallying two of them. Addison Bryant recorded the third hit for the team and tossed all seven innings for Gillespie allowing 17 hits and 17 runs (12 earned). Bryant struck out six and walked three.
Gillespie trailed Edwardsville 0-5 after the fifth inning, 0-7 after the sixth and then 0-17 to end the game after the Tiger scored 10 runs in the seventh inning.
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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.
