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Football

Sterling’s Ryan earns MVP honors in Western Big 6

Sterling senior Kael Ryan was named the Western Big 6 MVP, as the league released its all-conference football team earlier this week.

Ryan was one of six Golden Warriors to earn a spot on the first-team, as he was named to the first-team defense. Other first-teamers on defense were junior Kendrick Muhammad and seniors JP Schilling and AJ Kested. Senior Antonio Tablante and junior Lucas Austin were first-team offense picks.

Ryan was Sterling’s only second- team selection, on offense.

Warriors senior Christian Beasley was an honorable mention pick on both offense and defense, and Kested was named honorable mention on offense.

Locals litter Three Rivers East all-conference football team

The Newman Comets placed 15 players on the TRAC East all-conference football team, while Bureau Valley had three honorees.

Bureau Valley senior Ayize Martin was a unanimous pick as a first-team defensive lineman, while Newman senior Hayden Witt was also a first-team defensive lineman, and Comets senior Dylan Garland was the first-team punter.

Witt and fellow Newman senior Adam Morgan were second-team selections on the offensive line, while Comet classmates Hunter Luyando and Nolan Britt were named second-team running backs, and JJ Castle was a second-team quarterback. Luyando was a second-team defensive lineman, senior Gabe Padilla and sophomore Daniel Kelly were second-team linebackers, and senior Brady Grennan was a second-team defensive back.

Newman junior Christopher Accardi (offensive line), senior Ayden Batten (offensive end), senior Jaesen Johns (offensive end), junior Caleb Donna (defensive line), senior Blayke Holbrook (linebacker), senior Carter Rude (defensive back) and Britt (defensive back) were all honorable mention picks.

BV’s Martin was a second-team defensive lineman, and junior Connor Scott was a second-team linebacker. Junior Jon Dybek was an honorable mention offensive lineman.

Locals earn all-conference honors for Three Rivers West football

Erie-Prophetstown senior Jase Grunder was a unanimous selection on both offense and defense to lead the local contingent on the TRAC West all-conference team.

Grunder (running back & linebacker) was joined on the first team by Panthers senior Clay Hockaday (defensive line), while senior Hunter Bruketta (linebacker) was a second-team pick. E-P junior Michael Collins (defensive line) was an honorable mention pick.

Morrison junior Chase Newman was voted as a first-team defensive back and a second-team running back, while junior Sebastian Carreno was the second-team center, and freshman Brady Anderson was a second-team running back. Junior Carson Strating (linebacker) and senior Danny Mouw (defensive back) were also second-teamers, and Strating was an honorable mention running back. Senior Logan Baker (offensive line) and sophomore Donny Reavy (defgensive line) were also honorable mention selections.

NUIC honors several locals with all-conference football nods

Local teams were well-represented on the NUIC all-conference football team, as 11 Fulton players, 10 Forreston players, and six Eastland-Pearl City players were honored.

Fulton senior offensive lineman Braiden Damhoff, senior end Ethan Price, and junior tight end Baylen Damhoff were all unanimous selections, and were joined on the first team offense by senior quarterback Brayden Dykstra. Senior linebacker Conner Sheridan and senior edge rusher Joel Ford were unanimous picks on defense, and were joined on the first team by senior lineman Zane Pannell and senior defensive back Ryan Eads. Senior kicker Endi Qunaj was also a unanimous selection.

Also for the Steamers, senior Lukas Schroeder was a second-team pick at running back and an honorable mention selection at punter, Braiden Damhoff was a second-teamer on the defensive line, Pannell was honorable mention pick at center, and Ben Fosdick was named honorable mention at defensive back.

Forreston senior Johnny Kobler was a unanimous selection at both running back and defensive line, while senior Casey DeVries was a unanimous choice at offensive lineman and a second-team pick at defensive line. Senior Kyler Ganz was a first-teamer at tight end and a second-teamer and linebacker, junior Kaleb Sanders was first-team at edge rusher and honorable mention at running back, senior Quinten Frederick was a first-team linebacker, and junior Micah Nelson was a first-team defensive back.

Also for the Cardinals, Drew Dieterman was a second-team selection at center, while seniors Ethan Bocker and Alex Milnes were both named honorable mention on the offensive line, and junior Zac Shuman was a honorable mention defensive lineman.

EPC junior Ethan Petta was a first-team end and honorable mention defensive back, while junior Brady Sweitzer was a first-team utility player. Senior Carsen Heeren was a second-team quarterback and honorable mention defensive back, senior Maddux Hayden was a second-team linebacker, senior Tanner Purdue was ah honorable mention center, and freshman Will Birchen was an honorable mention linebacker for the Wildcatz.

Durand-Pecatonica senior running back AJ Mulcahy was named the league’s offensive MVP, while Lena-Winslow senior linebacker Gunar Lobdell was the defensive MVP. Mulcahy (RB/DB), Lobdell (RB/LB), Le-Win senior lineman Henry Engel, and Le-Win junior RB/DL Gage Dunker joined Kobler as unanimous picks on both sides of the ball.

Locals honored by Illinois 8-Man Football Association

Eight area players were named to the I8FA all-state team, and several more earned all-division honors.

Amboy TE/DE Brennan Blaine, AFC QB Carson Rueff, Polo RB/LB Avery Grenoble and QB/LB Brock Soltow, and Milledgeville QB/LB Connor Nye, G/DE Eric Ebersole, WR/DB Kacen Johnson, and RB/LB Kolton Wilk all earned spots on the all-state team.

Rueff was also a first-team quarterback on the North 1 all-division first team. Also for AFC, Lane Koning was a first-team wide receiver and an honorable mention defensive back, Auden Polk was a second-team running back, Zane Murphy was a second-team receiver and defensive back, Jordan Harris was a second-team inside linebacker and kicker, and Logan Mershon was an honorable mention running back.

On the North 2 all-division team, several of the locals on the all-state team were unanimous first-team picks: Milledgeville’s Nye (QB & defensive utility), Johnson (WR & DB) and Ebersole (G), Polo’s Soltow (offensive utility & OLB) and Grenoble (RB), and Amboy’s Blaine (TE). The Clippers’ Ian Sundberg was a unanimous first-team guard.

Other local first-teamers were Milledgeville’s Wilk (RB) and Bryce McKenna (ILB), Polo’s Delo Fernandez (DT), and Amboy’s Trey Payne (C) and Landon Montovan (DT). Blaine and Ebersole were also first-team defensive ends.

Second-team honorees were Amboy’s Landon Whelchel (RB & ILB), Quinn Leffelman (DE) and Eddie Jones (DB), Polo’s Waylon Harris (G) and Cayden Webster (DE), and Milledgeville’s Konnor Johnson (offensive utility), Bruce Raymond (DT), Micah Toms-Smith (OLB) and Wilk (defensive utility).

Honorable mention selections were Amboy’s Tucker Lindenmeyer (QB), Leffelman (RB) and Austin Heath (DT), and Milledgeville’s Cayden Akers (G).

Volleyball

Sterling volleyball trio named all-conference

The Golden Warriors had three players earn spots on the Western Big 6 all-conference volleyball team, released earlier this week.

Sophomore setter Delali Amankwa was a second-team selection, while hitters Kathryn Rowzee and Katie Dittmar earned honorable mention nods.

Moline senior libero Megan DePoorter was named the league MVP.

Dozen locals named to all-BNC volleyball squad

Rock Falls had a trio of first-team selections on the Big Northern all-conference volleyball team, while Dixon also had a first-teamer among the 12 locals named to the squad.

Rock Falls juniors Denali Stonitsch and Claire Bickett and senior Emily Lego, and Dixon senior libero Natalie Davidson were all first-team picks.

Rock Falls juniors Nicolette Udell and Carli Kobbeman, Dixon senior Joey Brumbly, and Oregon seniors Ava Wight and Sophie Stender were second-team selections.

Dixon senior Sydney Hargrave, Oregon senior Liz Mois, and Rock Falls senior Cadence Williamson were named honorable mention.

Pair of Comets named unanimous all-conference in Three Rivers East

Newman senior Katie Grennan and junior Kennedy Rowzee were unanimous first-team selections to the TRAC East all-conference volleyball team, and junior teammate Jess Johns was also a first-teamer.

Bureau Valley juniors Kate Salisbury and Ella Thacker were also first-team picks, while Princeton’s Olivia Gartin was the other unanimous honoree.

Newman juniors Addison Foster and Sam Ackman were second-team selections, as was BV junior Emma Stabler, and Storm freshman Keely Lawson was an honorable mention pick.

Quartet of locals named to all-Three Rivers West volleyball team

Erie-Prophetstown junior Kennedy Buck was named to the first team of the TRAC West all-conference volleyball team, while two of her teammates and a Morrison player were also honored.

E-P senior Aylah Jones was a second-teamer, and sophomore Jamie Neumiller was an honorable mention selection. Morrison junior Jordan Eads was also named honorable mention.

NUIC names all-conference volleyball squad

Forreston’s Jaiden Schneiderman was named league MVP, and Fulton also had a pair of unanimous selections on the NUIC South all-conference volleyball team.

Steamers Brooklyn Brennan and Resse Germann were voted all-conference by all of the league’s coaches, as was Schneiderman.

Eastland’s Trixie Carroll and Jenica Stoner, Forreston’s Alaina Miller, Milledgeville’s Lily Smith, and Polo’s Lindee Poper were also named to the first team.

Second-team selections were Amboy’s Tyrah Vaessen, Eastland’s Quinc Haverland, Forreston’s Madyson Schoonhoven and Brooke Boettner, Fulton’s Annaka Hackett and Miraya Pessman, and Milledgeville’s Lydia Faulkner.

AFC’s Taylor Jahn was an honorable mention pick, as were Amboy’s Courtney Ortgiesen, Forreston’s Rylee Broshous and Jenna Greenfield, Fulton’s Ava Bowen and Reese Dykstra, Milledgeville’s Emma Foster, and Polo’s Teah Almasy.

Sauk volleyballers earn postseason awards

The Sauk Valley volleyball team had a few individuals who earned postseason honors.

Jaelyn Fitzgerald and Nicole Boelens were named to the all-Region IV team, while Boelens, Tiana Tichler and Gabby Jones earned spots on the Arrowhead all-conference squad. Tichler and Fitzgerald were also Region IV all-tournament selections.

Boys soccer

Sterling’s Pena earns first-team honors in Western Big 6

Sterling senior senior forward Fabricio Pena was named to the first team of the Western Big 6 all-conference soccer squad, the league announced recently.

Golden Warriors junior midfielders Daniel Bermudez and Jadon Jones, and junior defender Carter Chance were honorable mention selections.

Locals named to Big Northern all-conference soccer team

Oregon sophomore goalkeeper Gavin Morrow and senior teammates Jacob Vegliando (midfielder), Grant Stender (defender) and Ryan Harkness (defender), as well as Dixon senior midfielder Walker Tilton, were all named all-BNC first-teamers, the league announced.

Oregon seniors Ethan Shafer and Miley Smith, and Dixon’s Quade Richards and Damien Beck were named honorable mention.