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[OCT. 23, 2001]   Havana defeated Illini Central 15-5, 2-15, 15-10.

[OCT. 22, 2001]   Mount Zion Sectional championship game

[OCT. 22, 2001]   Lincoln College lost its Region 24 tournament match to Lewis & Clark at Godfrey Saturday to end a frustrating season. The final official LC record was 1-16 after they learned earlier that the Lynx would have to forfeit seven wins for using an ineligible player.

Coach Mark Howard said of the 2-1 setback, "We played hard, and I was extremely proud of the kids. We had just 17 players and two of those were injured, so we were really short-handed. It has been a real frustrating season with all that has gone on, but these kids battled and never gave up."

Steve Gorton assisted John Lusicic with a first-half goal with 14 minutes gone to give the Lynx a lead, but that was the final scoring for Lincoln College.   Gorton set a new school record on the goal, with his 21st assist of the season.

Lewis & Clark tied the score with 10 minutes left in the first half and scored the winning goal 15 minutes into the second half.

The Lynx were forced to forfeit the seven games when it was determined that a player transferring to Lincoln College did not have enough credits to be eligible.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

[OCT. 22, 2001]   Once you start reading stories to kids, you invariably come across my wife’s all-time favorite, Cinderella. The story goes that a young maiden’s cruel stepmother and stepsisters leave her at home to do all of the housework while they attend the ball put on by the handsome prince. But just while you’re crying your eyes out, Cinderella’s fairy godmother arrives on the scene, and before you can say, "Let’s go to a major bowl," a pumpkin becomes a beautiful carriage, a few mice become stallions pulling the coach, and Cinderella has a beautiful gown and is on her way to Pasadena. … OK, maybe Orlando or Tampa (who cares? As long as it’s somewhere warm. [I don’t write ’em, I just read ’em!]).

On Saturday afternoon the Illinois Fighting Illini lived out all of Cinderella’s emotions and then some on their way to an improbable 42-35 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers. The trip to the royal palace all started out quite innocently. The Badgers won the toss and deferred. Therefore Illinois marched right down the field. After former CS8 player Peter Chritofilakos’ 32-yard field goal, Illinois led 3-0. At that point, the whole royal story was looking pretty good. However, Bucky Badger took issue with it, Wisconsin quarterback Brooks Bolinger marched his troops on a long drive, and it was 3-7. And as easy as the Badgers made their drive appear, it looked like the Illini were staying home from the dance with ol’ Cinderella herself.

But then Illinois came alive. Touchdowns by Aaron Moorehead and Rocky Harvey around a record five field goals by two different kickers were making the slipper appear like it would fit. After long-kicker John Gockman booted a 43-yard field goal with not much time elapsed in the third quarter, the Illini had taken a 25-7 lead. However, the witching hour was looming on the horizon, unbenounced to a capacity crowd of 70,094, who were ecstatic about the possibility of not only beating Wisconsin for the first time in a decade but perhaps disposing of them along with the wicked stepfamily!

Wisconsin second-string QB Jim Sorgi replaced starter Bolinger, who left the game with an announced groin injury. Sorgi almost pulled off yet another amazing Badger comeback as he tried to rewrite the famous fairy tale. Sorgi directed a scoring drive that ended on a two-yard scamper by splendid scat back Anthony Davis. I, along with the rest of the royal kingdom, saw more of that guy than I cared to. Davis finished the day by carrying the ball 24 times and gaining 116 yards and two touchdowns. If I were a friend of Bucky’s, I’d tell him to give that ball to Davis a lot more! Then Sorgi found All-World receiver Lee Evans sandwiched around yet another Illini field goal, and that made the score 28-21. The royal clock was ticking toward the impending doom.

Next, Illini QB Kurt Kittner fired an uncharacteristic INT, and Davis took it to the house on a 17-yard sprint to tie the game at 28. The big grandfather clock began to chime. When Christian Morton somehow fumbled the kickoff seconds later, Cinderella and the Illini appeared headed for the house before the jig was up. Sorgi connected with Evans once again, and the carriage and the Illini turned into a pumpkin at around the same time that Wisconsin was enjoying a 35-28 lead. It doesn’t hurt when you score 21 points within the span of less than 90 seconds when you’re on the road.

As quick as lightning can strike I immediately felt what it must be like to be a Cubs fan when things go awry (I STILL think the Cubs were the best team in the division this year, but I’m only a semiprofessional sports writer)! I guess you could say that I was in disbelief. No, I think stunned may be more like it. No, I was actually mad … or rather angry. Forget the fact that Illinois has not had a home sellout win since 1991. Or just forget that the Illini haven’t beaten a Big Ten team with a winning record at home since 1991 either — only a span of 20 games!

Unlike reactions to Cinderella’s predicament, I didn’t feel sorry for the Illini. I felt that they had inflicted their own pain. Apparently they didn’t feel sorry for themselves either. Unlike past seasons when we would fold up like a cheap department store tent, this team did something I’ve been waiting to see from an Illinois team for years. They drew a line in the dirt and made a stand and a statement. I’m not sure how that fits into the famed fairy tale, but I’m sure there’s some way to twist the story out of context to make it fit here. And even though I was so miserable I was packing up to leave, Illinois dug deep into its playbook and found a 50-yard kickoff reverse somewhere near the back cover. It may have been the same route that Cinderella used to get home. By the way, that is a little-known fact submitted here only for you loyal LDN readers!

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Illinois did complete the drive when Kittner hooked up with Brian Hodges, and the Illini were helping the prince fit the glass slipper as they were back in business at 35-all. The Illini defense, which for the most part played pretty well on the day, was especially good in the fourth quarter, when they had to be. Putting some unrelenting pressure on Sorgi, they held the Badgers, but the Illini had already proven that this was a different team and a different year. They knew that they were closing in on the right house and the right person to make the slipper fit. And they simply went back to work.

And if you ever want to watch a sensational catch, grab the highlight reel of the pass Kittner threw to "the Franchise," Brandon Lloyd. Kittner said later that he thought Lloyd jumped approximately 10 feet in the air to haul that pass down. But isn’t that what fairy tales are fashioned from? Whatever it was, it was incredible. I’m still asking, "Did his foot REALLY come down inbounds?" And I was sitting in that end zone along with the unflappable LDN cameraman Tom Seggelke.

By now the prince had recognized Cinderella, but there was still that bit of making sure that the slipper fit. So after the Illinois defense proved themselves again to an appreciative throng by holding the Badgers, the evil step-cheesers weren’t ready to ride off into the sunset just yet. In fact, the Wisconsin punter pinned the Illini with their backs against the wall, booming a punt into the wind that stopped at the Illinois 7-yard line. There were still a few minutes left, and the Badgers had a full complement of timeouts remaining, hoping to prove that good endings only show up in real fairy tales.

The Illini decided that, unlike Cinderella, they would enjoy every last minute and second in making the slipper fit. Their resolve was so potent that they unleashed a drive reminiscent of the Mike White and John Mackovich days. And as the Badgers ate up their timeouts, the Illini were turning crucial third-down plays into first downs. Kittner displayed his toughness by scrambling for one.

But the one that will always stay with me was the pass that he appeared to have overthrown to Lloyd. All Lloyd did was to lay out, completely sprawled, reach out beyond human reach and snag the misguided aerial with one of the most sensational receptions that this sophomoric reporter has ever had the pleasure to witness. As a matter of fact, it’s why I’ve always enjoyed going to the games in person, just like when my dad took me to games when I was a little kid. While there’s a part of me that doesn’t care whether my son enjoys it like I do (actually I’m hoping that he likes math and sciences and hopes to become an archaeologist or an astronaut), how could you not want your son to see a game like this one?

Illinois finally showed the Wisconsin sidelines that the glass shoe did indeed fit, and they didn’t even have to run a final play. They walked into the sunset and into the arms of a delirious crowd with a hard-fought 42-35 victory that I will admit seemed as impossible to me as a plain orange and blue pumpkin becoming a golden carriage. Impossible? That’s one of the reasons I like fairy tales so much.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[OCT. 20, 2001]   

[OCT. 20, 2001]   

LCHS plays Rochester in the Mount Zion Sectional championship today at 1:30 p.m.

Senior perfect

By Rick Hobler

[OCT. 17, 2001]   Tina Cook, Kelli Gleason and Darcy White said their regular season goodbyes at their home gym last night. And what a statement they made!

The senior core of this excellent Lady Railer volleyball team accounted for 11 service points in Game 1 and six more in Game 2, including six aces. Add to that the tireless setting skills of Gleason and the passing, blocking and hitting skills of Cook and White, and no one has any doubt what these seniors mean to this team. Last night, just like many other nights this season, these fine senior women led their team to a dominating 15-0, 15-6 victory over the Southeast Spartans in CS8 conference play.

As with all great performances, an encore is desired and one is assured. The seniors will return home for their encore performance in the regional final on Saturday, Oct. 27. They will face the winner of the Rantoul-Charleston Regional semifinal contest. Railer fans would love to see a repeat of last night’s match.

Coach Charissa Howe pulled out her "secret" serving weapon last night to help win Game 1. That weapon was none other than Tina Cook. Tina, who is generally known for her lethal left-handed kills and her blocking ability, usually rotates out when it comes her turn to serve. But not on Senior Night. Much to the surprise and delight of many Railer fans, Tina walked to the service line with volleyball in hand. When she was finished, she had knocked down four points for the Lady Railers. Three of them were aces. The Railers held a 7-0 lead and never let up. Fellow senior Kelli Gleason added three more service points along the way. Senior Darcy White finished off the Spartans, serving the last four points, one of which was an ace. The Lady Railer shutout was complete.

But the senior trio was not alone, as usual. Teammates Michelle and Kari McFadden did some powerful hitting to finish points off for the team. Christina Xamis, Samantha Conrady and Kari McFadden provided the other service points as the Railers dominated all aspects of Game 1.

In Game 2 of the match, the Railers were having too much fun to get another shutout, but the end result was the still the same. After the intermission, the Spartans came out firing, determined not to be embarrassed a second time. The Railers found themselves down 1-4 as the match began. Then came Tina Cook. Tina, once again, stayed in the lineup and did her newfound service magic. Her first serve was an ace, and the two that followed needed only the hand of Kari McFadden to bring the Railers into a tie with Southeast. It was no contest after that. Southeast managed to get the next point and led 5-4, but that would be about it. The Lady Railers scored the next nine unanswered points to all but finish the match.

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The most dominating force in that 9-point run was the beautifully placed serving of Missy Aper. With Missy serving and her team doing the rest at the net, the Railers moved from a 4-5 deficit to a commanding 11-5 lead. Kari McFadden added two more service points after that, and then the seniors finished matters. A kill by Darcy White brought the Spartan scoring to an end. Kelli Gleason got service point 14 with an ace and Darcy White got the 15^th point with some blocking help from Missy Aper. Match over.

The Lady Railer JV team and the freshman team also won their matches last night. The JV team won in a three-game match by scores of 15-7, 7-15 and 15-3. The freshman team finished off Southeast in two games, 15-4, 15-6.

All in all it was a dominating performance by the Lady Railers on Senior Night. But a perfect Senior Night will not suffice for these seniors or this team. The post-match talk I heard was mostly about their final conference match on Thursday against Springfield and the state playoffs. The road to Redbird Arena begins on this same floor in a little over a week.

If this team continues to play as a team and plays as it did last night, I’m confident it can beat anyone it may meet. I see some travels in their future.

To be successful in Lincoln, Charleston, East Peoria and Normal, the Lady Railers will need to fine-tune their game skills and their will to win. Without either of those, no one wins in the postseason. Every point will have to be played as if it is match point. No opponent can be overlooked. None can be overrated. Fans must be present all along the way to spur them on. Mix in a good dose of laughter from time to time, and the Lady Railers should be set.

Will the Lady Railers will themselves back to Redbird Arena? I already have my tickets secured. Stay tuned! GO, RAILERS!

[Rick Hobler]

[OCT. 18, 2001]   

•  I say, tip the hat to Railer football coach John Oaks. While they haven’t had the success that everyone would like to see, good programs are not produced overnight. How long did it take the LCHS volleyball team to become an annual power? And do you realize that the Railer hoops squad has been a dominant team for several decades? Take away a few breakdowns and a few bad bounces, and you’re not only looking at a couple of wins but you’re looking at a competitive team. Here’s hoping that coach Oaks and his staff will stay around a few years and build the program to a competitive level. If Taylorville can do it, so can Lincoln!

•  If you missed the fifth volleyball scuffle between LC and LCC Tuesday night, you missed a fan’s smorgasbord. The match went the full five games and looked like it was headed for several additional minutes of play. While I’m sure coach Crawford was not exactly thrilled with the performance of his team, some credit must go to coach Tippett and the Lady Lynx. They seemed to out-hustle the Angels all night and seemed to want the game a little more. It could be passed off by saying that LCC was looking ahead to this weekend’s regional matches in Chicago. Whatever the case, the LDN is going on record now as saying that both of these clubs have the potential to be very dangerous during the playoffs. Look for both to pull off their share of surprises.

•  We’re also wishing good luck to the before-mentioned Lady Railer volleyball squad. Coach Howe seems to have them primed for another long postseason run. Wouldn’t you like to see that really BIG trophy-plaque sitting in the glass case in good ol’ Roy S. Anderson gym?…

[Jeff Mayfield]

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