Local Sports
Local teams take first place in annual 3-on-3 tournament
First place winners include “The 3 Basketeers” (left) and the “Girls Hoopsters” (right).
Basketball players from the BenGil area participated and conquered a couple of divisions in the 10th annual Macoupin County Anti-Meth Coalition 3-on-3 basketball tournament held last weekend.
Bringing home first place trophies in the 3-4th grade division was “The 3 Basketeers” comprised of Tenley Bussmann, Erika Gill, Rebecca Crays and Lauren Bertagnolli. Also first place winners of the BenGil area in the 5-6th grade division was the “Girls Hoopsters” made up of Emily Schoen, Addie Hayes, Jenna Clark and Regan Bussmann.
The area also had two teams finish with an honorable second place – teams “Back 2 Back” and “Girls Indians”. Team Back 2 Back included Anthony Kravanya, Frankie Barrett, Blake Zenner and Devin Stroh. The Girls Indians team with only three players was formed by Mikala Hayes, Grace Bertolino and Shelby Taylor.
The Coalition had 41 teams playing in this year’s tournament with levels ranging from 3rd-8th grades. The one day tournament raised over $4000 this year, $500 more compared to last year’s event, which includes sponsorships, donations, concessions and tournament fees.
The proceeds from the event are used for drug prevention and awareness programs, youth programs, and rehab support through an event for our youth. The Coalition prides themselves on spending 100% of raised money to sponsor the group’s poster program, mini grants, youth events, curriculums for schools and rehab support.
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Gillespie High School proudly celebrated its senior athletes on Wednesday, April 9, as they signed letters of intent to continue their academic and athletic pursuits at colleges and universities nearby.
The ceremony honored the dedication and achievements of these talented students, who will now take the next step in their educational and athletic journeys:
- Haylie Otten will attend the University of Health, Science, and Pharmacy in St. Louis, where she plans to major in nursing and continue her passion for soccer.
- Mia Brawner will join Lewis and Clark Community College to pursue a major in sonography while competing on the basketball court.
- Corinne Fellin has committed to Lincoln Land Community College, majoring in radiology and continuing her soccer career.
“We are incredibly proud of our seniors and their accomplishments both on the field and in the classroom,” said GHS Athletic Director Jeremy Smith. “Their dedication and hard work have truly paid off, and we look forward to seeing all they will achieve in the next chapter of their lives.”
This year’s signing day highlights the strong tradition of student-athlete success at Gillespie High School, where academics and athletics go hand in hand to prepare students for bright futures.
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Opened Play in 1926; One of Oldest H.S. Conferences in Illinois
By Tom Emery
The South Central Conference is gearing up for a special anniversary.
The 2025-26 season will mark the 100th year of competition for the South Central, one of the oldest high school sports conferences in the state of Illinois. Founded in 1926, the SCC has spawned countless star players and coaches, as well as a myriad of state-level highlights.
Carlinville is the only school to be a member of the South Central for its entire existence. Gillespie and Staunton have been members for all but three years, from 2009-12.
Other members through the decades include Hillsboro (1926-44, 1997-present), Litchfield (1926-34, 1980-present), Pana (1926-44, 1997-present), Greenville (1997-present), Southwestern (1970-present), Vandalia (1997-present), Roxana (1997-2021), East Alton-Wood River (1997-2012), Mt. Olive (1926-1980), Nokomis (1926-44, 1955-1985), Taylorville (1926-44), Shelbyville (1926-32), Benld (1935-61), Springfield Feitshans (1963-67), Virden (1966-85), North Greene (1980-85), Triad (1985-93), Alton Marquette (1997-2012), and North Mac (2022-present).
SCC schools have produced numerous team and individual state titlists, including the legendary Taylorville boys’ basketball team of 1943-44, which rolled to a 45-0 mark and a state championship under head coach Dolph Stanley, who led five schools to the IHSA state tournament in his sparkling career.
Other IHSA team championships from SCC members include the 1993 Staunton boys’ basketball team, the 1996 Carlinville boys’ track team, the 2006 Hillsboro girls’ basketball team, the 2011 Marquette girls’ soccer team, and the 2022 Vandalia boys golf team.
Student-athletes from SCC member schools have also collected a number of state track and field titles, including Kelsey Card, Tunde Ridley, Cassie Lamar, and Jack Denby (Carlinville), Marcus Sitko and Becky Coyne (Staunton), Jodi Ottersburg, Amber Lewis, and Matt Rush (Gillespie), Jamie Nurnberger (Southwestern), and many others, not to mention state-champion relay teams from various schools.
State runners-up from SCC members include Gillespie football (1976, 1990), Gillespie girls track (1996), Gillespie softball (1995), Carlinville football (1978, 1993, 2016), Carlinville boys track (1995, 2008), Carlinville girls cross country (1996), Carlinville girls track (2004, 2005), Litchfield baseball (1985), Marquette girls soccer (2009), Southwestern softball (2003, 2009), Staunton football (2013), and Vandalia boys wrestling (2007, 2017).
Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Ill. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
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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.
