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 For the calendar year 2019, we witnessed the end of a great Lincoln
Community High School 2018-19 basketball season and in November the
beginning of the new 2019-20 season. In between, there were several
other interesting stories that show that Logan County is a county of
champion athletes.
From the Junior High School level with the highly celebrated West
Lincoln Broadwell athletes, to Mount Pulaski, Hartsburg and LCHS,
all the way to collegiate level sports at Lincoln College; this
community has a lot of stellar athletes that are bound to do well in
their respective futures.
To start, we’re going to pull out a couple of fun stories about one
of our beloved coaches, Coach Neil Alexander.
In February of 2019, Coach Alexander bagged his 827th career win in
basketball leading the Railers to victory against Wheaton
Warrenville South 49-37.
Then, on Saturday, February 16th, the coach was
recognized on senior night as he was presented the ball from that
game. It was a fun night that also supplied LDN with the 2019 Photo
of the Year. Credit Teena Lowery with keeping on her toes
post-event and snapping the special father-son moment.
Coach Alexander was celebrated by his team but also by his proud
father Elmer Alexander as the two met on Alexander Court in the Roy
S. Anderson gymnasium and the younger Alexander received a proud
smile and pat on the back from his dad.
Railers get the 60-49 win over Decatur
Eisenhower on Senior Night
Railers make Senior Night extra special
Railer Senior Night Basketball and
Cheer - Album
Railer Senior Night Band and Dance -
Album
Another fun story involving our Coach Alexander came just a couple
of weeks prior to this, when Alexander and the Railers faced off
with Nokomis. What made it more interesting was that the Nokomis’
Coach Steve Kimbro and Alexander played together as childhood
friends and graduated Nokomis. This was the first time that the two
coaches went head-to-head on the basketball court because until now,
they had been in different conferences. With the change to the
Apollo Conference for LCHS, it was just a matter of time until the
two long-time friends came face to face.
Lincoln gets the best of Nokomis in a coaching battle between
childhood friends
Railers win
63-38 as former Fillmore basketball buddies and now two of the
state's winningest coaches Neil Alexander and Steve Kimbro meet for
the first time in their coaching careers
Lincoln versus Nokomis
Part two: Catching up with the coaches
Sticking with the Railers for the time being, the basketball team
reaped the benefits of a stellar young player during the 2018-19
season that is going on to do great things with his basketball
career.
Jermaine Hamlin was in the spotlight more than a time or two during
the season including in the story about the January matchup against
Charleston.
Hamlin's seven dunks highlight Railers
62-39 win over Charleston
In June, Hamlin was in the spotlight again as a selection for the
IBCA All-Star Game.
Jermaine Hamlin represents Railsplitters at the IBCA All-Star Game
In August, it was announced that Hamlin had signed to play for the
Fighting Illini at the University of Illinois.
University of Illinois makes it official - Lincoln’s Jermaine Hamlin
will wear the Orange and Blue
Of course, we are proud of Hamlin and are following him now as he
plays for the Illini. Jeff Mayfield, author of Mayfield’s
Mutterings, an exclusive column written for Lincoln Daily News on
Illini sports action, has noted Hamlin’s freshman successes more
than a time or two in this, the 2019-20 season.
Mayfield's Mutterings
Illini Have No Trouble with North Carolina A & T, 95-64
Lincoln's Jermaine Hamlin performs well for the Illini
By Jeff Mayfield
Mayfield's Mutterings
Illini Roll Over Lindenwood, 117-65
Lincoln’s Jermaine Hamlin Tallies Career-high 8 points and 4
rebounds
By Jeff Mayfield
While Hamlin is definitely a shining star from Logan County, there
are others who have done remarkable things this calendar year.
In the 2018-19 Railer Season, Kaden Froebe was a noted key player on
the team and made the headlines in January when he scored 20 points
and seven rebounds in the game against the Morton Potters. LCHS won
that game 55-34.
Railers bury the Potters
Froebe's 20 points leads Lincoln past Morton 55-34
Down the road a few miles in Mount Pulaski, the girl’s basketball
team was also doing well, thanks in no small part to their shining
star – Skylar Hayes.
In January, Hayes became the Mount Pulaski Hilltoppers all-time
leading scorer in the history of the school.
At the home game against Argenta-Oreana, Hayes scored point number
2,213, beating by one point the previous school record held by
former Hilltopper on the boy’s team, Jeff Clements. When the score
was made the game was stopped and none other than Clements himself
came out to greet Hayes and present her with the scoring
basketball. It was a tearful and joyful night for the two athletes.
Mount Pulaski sweeps
Argenta-Oreana
Skylar Hayes becomes MPHS basketball All-Time Leading Scorer in
history
Hayes was also selected to play in the IBCA All-Star Game and
performed well.
Skylar Hayes shines in the IBCA All-Star Game
For the new 2019-20 season the Railsplitter Basketball Team is doing
well, taking the top spot at the Lincoln/Eaton Thanksgiving
Tournament and finishing’s third at the 2019 Prairie Farms Holiday
Classic.
Lincoln /Eaton Thanksgiving Tournament results
Railers take top spot
Three Railers named to All-tournament team
Railers win the 2019 Lincoln/Eaton Thanksgiving Tournament over
Danville 43-31
Hullinger leads with 15 points
Lincoln claims third at Collinsville
schooling Southeast 67-40
Over in Mount Pulaski, special recognition was given at the Bill
Rucks Thanksgiving Tournament to Pat Walsh, a long-time basketball
referee from Mount Pulaski. Walsh will be inducted into the IBCA
Hall of Fame at a special Hall of Fame Banquet at Redbird Arena this
coming May.
Walsh to be inducted into IBCA Hall of Fame
Mount Pulaski also is playing well on the court and brought in a
third place finish at the 2019 Decatur St. Teresa Christmas
Basketball Tournament.
Mount Pulaski takes third place at the 2019 Decatur St. Teresa
Christmas Basketball Tournament
Looking at football, the Railsplitters made some monumental
improvements in the 2019-20 season, winning more games than it has
in the last several years.
Meet the Railers 2019 Football Team
Meet the Railers Friday night preview -
slideshow
Railsplitters win a thriller 31-28 over
Collinsville
Railer season stats (pdf)
After Friday night hold over Railers
come to the table hungry for a win - slideshow
Railers rule the night with 31-28 win
over Collinsville - slideshow
Celebrate! - slideshow
Railsplitters defeat Mahomet-Seymour
13-6 in Apollo Conference matchup
Box score for Lincoln Community High
School vs. Mahomet-Seymour High
(hudl)
Lincoln defeats Mattoon 29-28 in overtime on Senior Night
RAILERS CELEBRATE SENIOR NIGHT WITH A WIN
Senior recognition - band, cheer,
dance, flag and tennis - slideshow
Senior recognition - football -
slideshow
Game opener - slideshow
First half- slideshow
Half time and Railer Nation - slideshow
The first half of the second half -
slideshow
21-21 as the clock runs out! -
slideshow
CELEBRATE!!! - slideshow
Railers demolish Bombers 41-7 in Week 9
Railer's box scores
from coach Silkowski [hudl]
In junior high sports, the 2018-19 year saw the Carroll Crusaders, a
co-op team made up of athletes from Carroll Catholic School, Zion
Lutheran School and Middletown School competing very well.
Carroll Boys Basketball wins Seventh Grade Logan County Tournament
Carroll Catholic Seventh Grade Boys to play for State Championship
Carroll Crusaders head to state - come show your support this
Thursday evening
Crusaders bring home 2nd place Seventh
Grade Class 1A State
Congratulations to the Crusaders!!
Carroll Catholic 2019 State Runner-Up
Boys Basketball 7th Grade Class 1A - slideshow
[to top of second column] |
In junior high girl’s volleyball, West Lincoln Broadwell dominated.
In January, WLB seventh graders won the Seventh Grade Logan County
Championship.
Also, WLB eighth graders won the Mount Pulaski Eighth Grade
Tournament that month.
WLB wins Seventh Grade Logan County Championship
WLB Lady Wolverines win Mount Pulaski Eighth Grade Volleyball
Tournament
In March, the seventh grade team won the Regional Championship.
West Lincoln-Broadwell Seventh Grade Volleyball wins Regional
Championship
West Lincoln-Broadwell headed to State
The eighth graders also won their regional.
West Lincoln-Broadwell Eighth Grade Volleyball wins Regional
Championship
West Lincoln-Broadwell advances to semifinals today
And the seventh graders won their state title.
West Lincoln-Broadwell brings home state championship
Scenes from the WLB Lady Wolverines match with the Hartem Lady Stags
- Album
Lady Wolverines make school history with state championship win -
Album
The eighth grade team did not win their state championship in the
2018-19 season, but Logan County was still quite proud of the girls
for all their fierce efforts, and also were celebrating that the
team that did win the state title was Hartsburg-Emden.
Hartem Volleyball wins eighth state championship in a row
Sticking with the eighth graders for a moment, the other big winner
in volleyball action was the Mount Pulaski Honeybears. For the
third year, the girls brought home the big trophy winning Class 2A
State Tournament.
Mount Pulaski Honeybears win Eighth Grade Class 2A State Tournament
- that's a three-peat!
Also noteworthy for a year-end review was the performance of the
Lincoln Junior High School Girls Volleyball team who won first place
in their eighth grade tournament.
LJHS Girls Volleyball: Trojans take First Place at Eighth Grade
Tournament
Fast forward to the other end of the calendar and in December, for
the 2019-20 season, WLB was back in the headlines with the girls
basketball teams from the seventh and eighth grades.
West Lincoln Broadwell Lady Wolverines raise the new banners ahead
of defeating Decatur Hope Academy 90-8
The Lady Wolverines are headed to State!
Seventh Grade Lady Wolverines headed to State!
WLB wins 8th Grade Regional Championship
WLB Seventh Grade girls continue march for State Championship
WLB Lady Wolverines 8th Grade headed to State
West Lincoln Broadwell wins the 7th Grade Class 1A State
Championship
West Lincoln Broadwell breezes through State Tournament to play for
title
West Lincoln Broadwell captures sixth state championship in three
years
The Mount Pulaski Honeybears were also on a roll this basketball
season.
Mount Pulaski Honeybears headed to State
Mount Pulaski advances in State Tournament to play for third
Mount Pulaski earns third place with a win over Cissna Park
The Lincoln Junior High School Cheerleading team made the news as
they competed and earned a third place finish at the ICCA State
competition.
LJHS Cheerleading Squad now competing in large division
Trojans take third place at ICCA
State with IESA State next weekend
In baseball the summer of 2019 saw some pretty good games from local
teams.
Lincoln Railsplitters claim Regional Championship over Morton
Kelly tosses perfect game as Mount Pulaski blanks Riverton 6-0
Hilltoppers clinch Regional Baseball Championship over Decatur St.
Teresa
Mount Pulaski edges Cissna Park 7-6 in sectional baseball action
Hilltoppers advance to the Danville Sectional Championship Saturday
at 10 a.m. versus Salt Fork
Lincoln College also had some memorable moments in 2019. As the
college transitions from a two-year institute to a four-year
university, that transition has an impact on the athletics at the
college. No longer part of the Junior College Athletic Association,
the teams are now competing in a collegiate association with
athletes that in some cases are in their third and fourth years of
their college athletic career.
Lincoln College held its own in those new competitions and began the
process of expanding its athletic opportunities for students.
Lincoln College Expands Athletic Opportunities
Adding Archery and Women’s
Wrestling
The college also pulled a rabbit out of the hat this year when at
the eleventh hour they were called on to host the United Hoops
Spring Championship Tournament. The annual tournament is normally
held in Peoria, but issues with the venue brought the need for a
change and LC’s Kirk Whiteman took up the challenge with gusto. In
the end, LC hosted a very successful tournament and could be in the
running to host again in future years.
United Hoops brings families to Lincoln
United Hoops Spring Championship Tournament comes to Lincoln - Album
And, record breaking was not something reserved just for the high
school and junior high athletes this year as Amazing Ashby set a new
Lincoln College Long Jump record with a reach of 19-feet and
three-quarter inches.
Ashby Sets LC Long Jump Record, Both Teams Take 2nd at MU Invite
Other LC accomplishments this year
LC Men’s Basketball Ranked in Hoops Report Preseason top 25
Roman Named A.I.I. Soccer Player of the Week
And, at the end of the school year the college hosted a new event,
an athletics awards ceremony. “I am very proud of how well our
team’s competed in their first season in the NAIA,” said Perdue. “I
felt the time was right to start some new traditions as we move into
four-year athletics, and having an awards ceremony is a good way to
celebrate that transition.”
Several LC athletes were recognized for their outstanding efforts
for the school year.
LC Athletic Department Hands Out End-of-Year Awards
Other great accomplishments this year were recognized in the LDN
sports section including some that were not necessarily tied to a
local school.
Tori Geriets, Mia Clark and Landen Heinzel participate in Elks Hoop
Shoot State Free Throw - Album
Welsh tournament brings visitors to Lincoln over the weekend
A slice of the action at...
Carroll Catholic and Chester-East
Lincoln schools - slideshow
Central School and Lincoln College -
slideshow
Lincoln Community High School and
Lincoln Junior High - slideshow
The Lincoln Park District and
Washington-Monroe School - slideshow
West Lincoln-Broadwell and Zion
Lutheran Schools - slideshow
Boy’s basketball talent glows at Lincoln's 2019 All-State Junior
High Classic
2019 All State Junior High Classic Boys
Basketball Tournament - slideshow
Local athletes participate in the State Special Olympics Summer
Games
Lincoln Youth Football recognizes coach of the year and volunteers
Junior Varsity wins pizza party for
their Push-up-a-thon
Lincoln College hosts second Annual All-State Junior High Classic
for girls
And finally, as we wrap up on the review of local sports in 2019,
here is a fun little piece from the Lincoln Youth Wrestling
program.
Local youth wrestling programs feature unusual baker’s dozen - 13
sets of brothers
Clearly, 2019 was a good year for local sports, and we know as we
look ahead to putting together a review for 2020 that we are going
to see some equally great accomplishments.
Congrats to all our athletes, their coaches, their supportive
parents and family and everyone else who plays a part in bringing
success to all our youngsters. You do not go un-noticed!
[N SMITH/LDN ARCHIVES] |
