A look at two side effects of the IHSA schedule shift
PEORIA — Imagine a 280-pound offensive tackle lumbering through a cross country event, or hammering a golf ball this fall.It would be glorious. And somewhere, it might happen.It's one of the unintended...
View ArticleCleve In The Eve: What PYHA is trying to do amid COVID-19 to get games played
PEORIA — The Peoria Youth Hockey Association is on a collision course with COVID-19 and state guidelines that will prevent kids from playing hockey this fall.Hockey has been placed in the "high risk"...
View ArticleA man for all seasons: A last chance for Elmwood senior amid COVID pandemic
PEORIA — Charlie Shissler is everyman in the high school sports world.The Elmwood High School senior is among that vast majority of high school athletes who won't play college sports after...
View ArticleSenior Salute: One last turn around the softball diamond
PEORIA — An opportunity to don her East Peoria uniform one final time was a no-brainer for Monique Hoosen.Hoosen is one of 29 senior players slated to play at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Senior Salute...
View ArticleIHSA: The fine print on fall sports guidelines
PEORIA — The Illinois High School Association has released the fine print in its fall sports guidelines for golf, swimming, tennis and cross country.It's a vast set of documents with procedural steps,...
View ArticleClosure for Notre Dame’s terrific team as Wales finishes 26th at...
PEORIA — Mikey Wales and his fellow members of the Notre Dame state champions went into the 2020 National High School Golf Invitational this week as prep teammates one last time, and came out as...
View ArticleReigning IHSA golf champ Walker won’t play at prep level in...
PEORIA — Weston Walker will go out as a champion in the IHSA golf world.The 16-year-old sophomore at Peoria Christian — who won the IHSA State Golf Class 1A championship last fall — has decided not to...
View ArticleIHSA, area ADs have answers: How does online-only school format impact sports...
PEORIA — Does an online-only learning format knock schools out of the lineup for IHSA sports this fall?"Absolutely not," said IHSA executive director Craig Anderson on Tuesday. "Schools are not...
View ArticleDunlap player tests positive for COVID-19 as summer workouts end
PEORIA — Dunlap High School football wrapped up its summer workouts last Thursday.Just in time.A few days later, on Monday, one of the players on the team reported he tested positive for COVID-19. He...
View ArticleHey, “You stole my trophy”
PEORIA — St. Joseph High School lost a basketball icon when Gene Pingatore died in late June of 2019.But the school, as it turned out, lost even more than the man whose hoops era was coined The Ping...
View ArticleEast Peoria native makes his run in 120th U.S. Amateur golf championship
PEORIA — David Perkins had a nice run in the 120th U.S. Amateur golf championship this week.It's the oldest championship event in the nation, and was staged this time at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in...
View ArticleIsiah Thomas and the case of the stolen NBA All-Star MVP trophy
PEORIA — St. Joseph High School lost a basketball icon when Gene Pingatore died in late June of 2019.But the school, as it turned out, lost even more than the man whose hoops era was coined The Ping...
View ArticleRuffin it: Retired Peoria High hoops coach a master of smoked meats
PEORIA — Dan Ruffin saw his Peoria High School team smoke a lot of opponents on the way to the IHSA Class 3A State boys basketball championship in 2011-12.Now Ruffin, 65, is smoke master for his...
View ArticlePekin cross country teams leave mark on new course
PEKIN -- The Pekin boys and girls cross country teams each ran away from East Peoria on Saturday.But that wasn't the story of the day.East Peoria was supposed to host the Mid-Illini Conference races on...
View ArticleGood news and bad news for Pekin girls golfers
PEKIN -- Lick Creek Golf Course wasn't so menacing Thursday.The ground was soft from rains and the Pekin girls golf team took advantage of the situation, shooting a season-low 207.But the Dragons...
View ArticleHeritage or caricature? What proposed legislation means for Native American...
Native American imagery and names are all but gone among high schools in central Illinois.The East Peoria Community High School's Raiders are the subject of dueling online petitions right now — one...
View ArticlePeoria area coaches weigh in on IHSA’s latest changes:...
PEORIA — The IHSA says it is game on -- make that more games on -- for high school teams sorting through the competition rules and regulations amid a pandemic.Change is good, albeit often in the...
View Article'Don’t force kids to choose': IHSA vs. clubs issue remains
PEORIA — Should athletes on high school teams be allowed to participate on independent club teams in the same sport simultaneously?The IHSA says no, under its current rules. Dual participation is...
View ArticleIt’s a Classic weekend for the Pekin boys golf team
PEKIN -- There's a sense of normalcy this weekend, at least for the Pekin boys golf team.The 35th annual Dragon Classic tournament is being held despite the COVID-19 pandemic.Each team is playing one...
View Article’He was the chosen one’: Mr. Everything from Spalding’s...
PEORIA — The man once dubbed "Mr. Everything" by the Journal Star is gone at age 70.Elias "Alvin" O'Neal died at 2:34 a.m. on Sept. 2 at Kris-Leigh Assisted Living in Severna Park, Md.The Peoria native...
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