GALESBURG — It was a back-and-forth battle for about three and a half quarters for Galesburg High School’s girls basketball team Tuesday night at John Thiel Gymnasium.
But the Silver Streaks pulled away and handed the Panthers of Washington a 43-33 defeat in non-conference action.
“I’m very happy with the way we played,” Galesburg coach Evan Massey said. “I thought we were solid defensively, and Ki (Kilgore) did what Ki does in the first half. I thought Alexis (Edgerson) and Antonia (Kisler) stepped up and scored points. A key for us was our three post players – Joz Kilgore, Syriah Boyd and Antonia – were all able to defend inside and outside, and they were able to rebound.”
The Streaks moved to 6-0 overall with the victory, and Massey, who is in his 46th season, is two wins away from 1,000 in his career.
The three time Hall of Famer says that achievement isn’t in the back of his mind. Like always, Massey is more concerned about what his squad accomplishes.
And Galesburg has been able to overcome adversity in the early part of the 2023-24 season, according to Kilgore, who last winter was selected to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association’s all-state second team in Class 3A. Kilgore averaged 22.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game in 2022-23, and she also was named the MVP of the Western Big 6.
Kilgore led GHS with a game-high 22 points against Washington. Edgerson chipped in 11 points, and Kisler added nine points for the Streaks, who held a 20-18 edge against the Panthers (4-1) at the half. Heading into the fourth quarter, Galesburg was up 32-29. The Streaks outscored the Panthers 11-4 in the final eight minutes.
“I feel like we handled their pressure really well,” Kilgore said. “We stayed composed. We didn’t let them speed us up, and we worked really well together as a team.”
What happened in 2022-23?
Last winter, Galesburg went 26-8 overall, finished in second place in the WB6 with a 9-6 record and grabbed its second straight regional crown — 26th overall. The 2022-23 season ended with a 63-34 loss to Peoria Central in Class 3A sectional semifinal action.
GALESBURG — Ask any coach on any level, and they’re never satisfied.
There’s always room to improve — even when things are going the right way.
Knox College football coach Aaron Willits just concluded his third season in charge of the Prairie Fire, and the 2008 Knox grad, who took the gridiron as a running back, saw some good things from his student-athletes but observed some bad, as well.
With a 3-7 overall and 3-6 record in Midwest Conference play, Knox had more struggles than success in the 2023 season.
“You have to look at the record. This is America, there are winners and losers, right. There’s a record for a reason. Yes, it is easy to point to the record but there are a lot of things that go into that,” Willits said Wednesday night in-between individual player meetings. “Am I satisfied, no absolutely not. I want the record to reflect a growth in the right direction but I’m also realistic in nature. You can’t become so attached to the record – especially in a growing program.
“Success is not a linear trajectory that is guaranteed. There’s so many dynamics to it. Yes, the record matters, and it’s the representation of the work that was done, and it’s not where we want it to be as a program,” Willits added. “There are many contributing factors and evaluations that have to continue or be a part of where that sits and where it can go in the future.”
The Prairie Fire went 3-6 overall and had the same mark in MWC action in 2021. Knox added two more victories to its win total last fall, and the Prairie Fire ended 2022 with a 5-5 overall record and went 4-5 in league play.
Willits breaks out the microscope
During his chats with each of his players, Willits is asking them all for feedback, and he isn’t ignoring what they say. Every aspect of the program will be put under the microscope, if you will.
“You evaluate the who is going to be here to move things forward and then you start on the bigger picture – the how, the why, the when and the what,” Willits said. “Now is the time to talk about program philosophy, chemistry, and those types of things. The assessment process starts now. In every end of the year meeting there is a closure and then there is a transition to 2024.
“In the evaluation, we start to identify where the work will begin. You have to step back and look at everything and get the perspective of it. Let’s identify and work for a solution as well,” Willits added. “I want to look back and see what we need to do to continue to move forward. Yeah, there was growth, peaks and valleys and ups and downs this season. There are different points in the year where some of those challenges presented themselves but obviously as you connect the dots not all the math adds up so you have to identify some of those circumstances and problems.”
Recruiting process will begin shortly
Willits and his coaching staff won’t hit the recruiting trail until 2024 rolls around, and they’ll be focused on figuring out who will join the team next August and look ahead some into the future, too.
“We’ve got a significant number of individuals that have applied and been accepted. That is an ongoing process that is going to continue to accelerate,” Willits said. “Recruiting for the class of 2024 really starts after the first of the year. We’re not working two years out but as we cross into the new year initial feelers will start to go out on the class of 2025.
“Right now, where we are at with the recruiting side of things, I’m happy with the interest,” Willits added. “I would like to see a record number of players come in and join our program to push our roster size to places it hasn’t been in a really, really long time.”
What happened in the Turkey Bowl?
For the 24th straight time, Knox was defeated by Monmouth in the Turkey Bowl. Last Saturday afternoon, the Prairie Fire were upended 42-7 by the Fighting Scots at April Zorn Memorial Stadium.
Monmouth scored once in the first quarter and once in the second quarter to take a 14-0 lead into halftime.
Fifth-year senior quarterback Kaile Williams put Knox on the board early in the second half when he rushed for a 57-yard touchdown to cut the Fighting Scots’ lead to a score.
In the third quarter, Monmouth scored three touchdowns to take a commanding lead. The Fighting Scots scored once more in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Williams had 23 carries for 90 rushing yards and the aforementioned touchdown. Freshman running back Izayiah Hawes added 66 yards receiving and 49 yards rushing for Knox.
Senior Kolton Krutsinger led the Prairie Fire’s defense with nine tackles. Two of his tackles were for a loss, including a sack. Senior Jon Sarich added eight tackles, and he had 3.5 tackles for a loss, including 1.5 sacks.
“We played some really good football and then we played some not great football against Monmouth. Some of that is from an execution standpoint and some of that is an experience standpoint and some of that is quicksand – you get sucked in – and some of that is a confidence standpoint,” Willits said. “We fought at the end of the year, and we did get better. The record is is not a final resting place in the growth of our program.”
Four members of the Prairie Fire named All-MWC
On Tuesday, the MWC announced who made its all-conference squads, and Knox had four players earn the honor.
“As you look at the all-conference recognitions and that process, four guys were selected in that group and any time you look at an all-conference selection the more team wins you have the more opportunities that you’re going to have guys on that team,” Willits said. “Since I’ve been here, this is the most guys that we’ve had.”
Williams made the first team as a running back. He led the league in rushing with 1,082 rushing yards, and Williams added 10 rushing touchdowns. He also completed 58 of 141 passes for 717 yards and two touchdowns.
“With what we do, it’s always been an interesting dynamic when you have impactful quarterback play but it comes on the ground and how that is viewed,” Willits said of his starting QB’s selection as a running back. “I’m appreciative of the conference and the respect from the coaches to recognize that’s a significant contributor for us.
“I think it is a unique circumstance but it’s evaluated by the conference coaches, and they’ve given a respect to his skill set,” Willits added. “Kaile crossing over 1,000 yards presents very uniquely and that starts up front with the line of scrimmage.”
Prairie Fire senior offensive lineman Creed Justice, Sarich, a senior defensive lineman, and freshman punter Jonathan Walker were named to the All-MWC second team.
Justice blocked for Williams and a running crew that finished first in the league in rushing offense per game (220.5 yards per game).
“Creed’s all-conference nod is for his skill set up front. He was previously at guard and is now at tackle. He opens up a lot of holes,” Willits said. “He’s a guy that has a lot of experience and the plan is will be returning for a fifth year. Next year, that will be a guy that has played in 40 games. I’m proud of him and the work that he continues to put out there.”
Sarich finished second in sacks (10) and third in tackles for a loss (20.5) in the conference.
“Jon Sarich didn’t get the nod last year, and he was right up there in the Top 2 or 3 in sacks,” Willits said. “He’s absolutely deserving of that award. I’m very proud of Jon continuing to fight and get after it this year. I think he continued to grow as the year progressed.”
Walker led the MWC in average yards per punt (39.6) and had eight punts of 50 yards or more.
“Special teams, we had ups and downs but the average yardage for Jonathan as a punter is right up there at the top of the conference,” Willits said. “We know that we’ve got to execute better, but Jonathan has the opportunity to flip the field, and I think that’s where that recognition comes from is the boom of the leg.”
Knox’s 2023 Schedule
Joint Practice: Sat., Aug. 19 at University of Dubuque
“There are a lot of guys that have had a tremendous impact on our program, especially the seniors,” Willits said. “Growing a program you may not see the plant but the seeds are being planted for sustained success in the future.”
MONMOUTH — Monmouth College’s football team was four points away from a first round game in the NCAA Division III Football Championship.
Instead, the Fighting Scots will partake in the second annual Cousin’s Subs Lakefront Bowl, and they’ll do so at 11 a.m. Saturday on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College at Raabe Stadium in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
Monmouth beat Concordia-Wisconsin 42-20 in last year’s Lakefront Bowl. This time around, the Fighting Scots (8-2, 8-1) will face the Green Knights of St. Norbert (7-3, 6-2).
After winning the 134th Turkey Bowl 42-7 over the Prairie Fire of Knox, the Fighting Scots finished the regular season with an 8-1 mark in Midwest Conference play. The record is identical to that of Illinois College, who beat Monmouth 20-17 in September to win the tiebreaker for the MWC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs. As the second-place MWC team, the Fighting Scots received the bid to the Cousin’s Subs Lakefront Bowl.
“It is a great reward for a great season,” Monmouth coach Chad Braun said in a press release. “We want the NCAA playoffs and came up three points short of that but this is a great consolation prize for us and we couldn’t ask for a better matchup that renewing a great rivalry with St. Norbert.”
The Green Knights earned the bowl invitation by finishing in a tie for second place in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, which was won by Aurora University. St. Norbert took the tie-breaker with a head-to-head win over Concordia-Wisconsin 13-7 in overtime.
The Green Knights’ losses this season are to Eureka (21-17) and Aurora (37-9) in conference action and to UW Stevens Point (31-28) in non-conference. St. Norbert beat Ripon 23-7 in 2023 season opener for the only common opponent, as the Fighting Scots beat the Redhawks 45-3 last month.
The Green Knights played in the MWC from 1983-2019. Either St. Norbert or Monmouth won the MWC every year from 1999 to 2020 except for 2002 and 2014. The Fighting Scots and Green Knights have met 34 times since 1975 with St. Norbert holding a 24-11 edge. Monmouth won four of the last five match-ups including the 2017 and 2019 MWC Championship games. Both of those games came down to the final play with the Fighting Scots winning 9-6 in overtime in 2017 and 10-7 with a frantic comeback in 2019. The Green Knights won the 2018 MWC Championship Game 10-7 and the 2015 MWC Championship Game 16-7.
“We have the upmost respect for St. Norbert College and I think there will be tremendous interest from both sides with the history and tradition of these two programs and the games we have played in the past,” Braun said. “We had a great experience at the bowl game last year, and we know what to expect this year and are looking forward to it.”
16 Scots receive All-MWC honors
Monmouth had a league-high 16 players receive All-Conference honors, including 11 on the first team.
Fighting Scots sophomore Anthony Cikauskas was selected as the MWC Football Defensive Line MVP. In MWC play, Cikauskas led in the league in sacks with 15 (13 solo) and forced fumbles with four, while tying for second in tackles for loss with a total of 21.5 (18 solo).
For the second season in a row, Monmouth fifth-year senior Derek Brown was named the MWC Football Offensive Line MVP. Behind Brown, the Fighting Scots put up the league’s second-ranked scoring offense. In league play, Monmouth racked up 4,429 yards of offense, including 1,979 rushing yards and 2,450 passing, and scored 53 touchdowns. Brown also recorded his first career reception and score in the Fighting Scots’ final regular season game.
Other Monmouth players who received All-MWC recognition include: James Conner (OL, first team), Coby McMillan (OL, first team), Tevin Baker (DL, first team), Jeremiah Glenn Louis Charles (LB, first team), Jackson Bergren (WR, first team), Nate Thornton (WR, first team), Nick Harris (DB, first team), Michael Lord (DB, first team), Carter Boyer (QB, first team), Tyrek Tripp (OL, second team), Caleb Endicott (LB, second team), McKade Brooks (RB, second team), Tanner Tomaschke (LB, second team), and Dylan Bone (TE, second team).
Monmouth’s 2023 schedule
Week 1: Wartburg 62, Monmouth 35
Week 2: Monmouth 39, University of Chicago 6
Week 3: Monmouth 70, Lawrence 13
Week 4: Bye
Week 5: Illinois College 20, Monmouth 17
Week 6: Monmouth 69, Grinnell 6
Week 7: Monmouth 43, Cornell 6
Week 8: Monmouth 59, Beloit 3
Week 9: Monmouth 45, Ripon 3
Week 10: Monmouth 16, Lake Forest 14
Week 11: Monmouth 42, Knox 7 (Turkey Bowl)
Postseason
Week 12: Monmouth vs. St. Norbert (Cousin’s Subs Lakefront Bowl), 11 a.m. Saturday at Raabe Stadium in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
GALESBURG — After two weeks of practice, Galesburg High School’s girls basketball team is about to open the 2023-24 season.
The Silver Streaks will do so at 7 p.m. Tuesday versus the Redbirds of Metamora at John Thiel Gym.
“We have a really interesting mix because we’ve got six seniors and four of them started last year for us. Both Ki (Kilgore) and Alexis (Edgerson) have been on the varsity as regulars the last two years,” said Evan Massey, who is entering his 46th season as Galesburg’s coach and with a 992-390 career record is eight wins away from 1,000. “We’ve got four freshmen with us, so we’ve got some very inexperienced players and some very experienced players.
“I’m very happy because I know coming into the season the seniors have been very committed. They’ve worked very hard,” Massey added. “It’s a really fun group to work with.”
In the early going, the Streaks will work out the kinks.
“This time of year offensively you just have to work and work to be able to execute what you want to do. The tendency is that you can run things but then not execute it,” Massey said. “You’ve got to get to the point where you’re executing.
“Defensively, I think we’ll have to figure out how to defend big kids inside and that’s a process.”
Like always, the Streaks’ schedule is full of squads that will provide challenges.
“We’ve got a very competitive schedule. Right out of the chute, we don’t have any games where you can take a breathe. We’re going to have challenges that way,” Massey said. “Conference is going to be up and down challenging.
“It’s a year that we can be very good but it might not show in wins and losses,” he added. “I hope it shows in wins and losses but we’re going to be playing a lot of good teams.”
What happened in 2022-23?
Last winter, Galesburg went 26-8 overall, finished in second place in the Western Big 6 with a 9-6 record and grabbed its second straight regional crown — 26th overall. The 2022-23 season ended with a 63-34 loss to Peoria Central in Class 3A sectional semifinal action.
Kilgore was selected to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association’s all-state second team in Class 3A, and she also was named the MVP of the WB6. She averaged 22.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game in 2022-23.
GALESBURG — Galesburg High School’s Kiarra “Ki” Kilgore announced on social media in August where she’d continue her basketball career.
The senior made it official Thursday afternoon inside John Thiel Gym, and Kilgore did so in front members of her family, her teammates and some of her classmates.
After Silver Streaks girls basketball coach Evan Massey introduced Kilgore, it didn’t take long before the ink was dry on her National Letter of Intent for Missouri S&T, an NCAA Division II school in Rolla, Missouri.
And Massey was happy for his player.
“It’s very exciting to see someone that has worked as hard as Ki has both in the classroom and in basketball get rewarded with a scholarship,” Massey said. “That’s really neat.”
The recruiting process was stressful for Kilgore, and she lost count on how many colleges were interested in her playing for them. She is jazzed that weight has been lifted off her shoulders.
“I’m glad it’s finally official. I can come into my senior year and not have to worry about the whole recruiting process,” Kilgore said. “The coaching staff at S&T is amazing. I really enjoy the campus, and it’s not too far away from home.”
As a junior, Kilgore was selected to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association’s all-state second team in Class 3A, and she also was named the MVP of the Western Big 6. She averaged 22.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game in 2022-23, and Kilgore has netted 1,422 points so far in her high school career, which ranks sixth in the Streaks’ record book. Sarah Larson holds the top spot with 1,906 points.
Kilgore plans to major in biological sciences at S&T, and she knows there’s still skills to hone on the hardwood before she plays for the Miners.
“I want to improve my mid-range and shoot better off the dribble,” Kilgore said.
Since the third grade, Kilgore has been donning a Heart of Illinois uniform each summer. Playing travel basketball has helped her grow as a player.
“Typically with us, she was bigger than everyone else and taller than anyone else, so she ended up in the post,” Riley Gardner, HOI’s 17U coach and the director of the hoops program, said of Kilgore. “She’s worked extremely hard to get herself out of the post and to be a huge scoring threat. She can handle the ball and attack the basket. She’s a hard hard worker and great teammate.
“You can’t say enough about her or her family,” Gardner added. “She’s super humble. What I love about her is she’s always giving credit to her teammates. I’m super excited for her and happy for her. I can’t wait to see her play at Missouri S&T.”
Kilgore also played volleyball for Galesburg, and the sport helped her in basketball.
“Volleyball is a completely different sport,” Kilgore said. “Three people have to touch the ball. It’s not like in basketball where one person can take it all the way down and score. Volleyball helped me be a better team player.”
Facts about the Miners
The official colors for the Miners are silver, gold and green. Missouri S&T is guided by Kira Carter and the 2023-24 season is her fourth at the helm of the Miners.
Carter, an Indianapolis native, began her collegiate playing career at Oakland University and appeared in 28 games in her freshman season before transferring to Wabash Valley College. She earned first-team all-conference and all-region honors during the 2009-10 season at Wabash Valley and then went on to finish her collegiate career at Coastal Carolina University.
At Coastal Carolina, she played in 55 games over two seasons and averaged 5.6 points and dished out 79 assists during that span. Carter went on to play professionally for a season with BK Lokomotiva Karlovy Vary in the first division Czech Republic League.
In the 2024 WSJ/College Pulse Best Colleges in the United States rankings, Missouri S&T claimed the top spot in the “Show Me State” and secured the 18th position among the nation’s public universities. The evaluation encompasses various metrics, emphasizing the institutions’ effectiveness in shaping their students’ career paths.
The WSJ/College Pulse ranking is one of several other rankings and studies which have recognized S&T in recent years. They include:
Last March, The New York Times released an online tool identifying Missouri S&T among the nation’s top 10 “high value institutions.”
S&T achieved the sixth position nationwide for best value, and the top spot in Missouri, according to SmartAsset’s rankings.
According to The Princeton Review, S&T is placed third in the nation for career placement and holds the 24th position among public universities for return on investment.
Money rated S&T as the fifth-best choice for engineering majors in the United States and recognized it as one of the top universities nationwide.
ONEIDA — The Cougars of ROWVA/Williamsfield know what’s at stake, but they’re still relaxed.
Grant Gullstrand’s bunch is set to face Chicago Hope Academy in the Class 1A quarterfinals 1 p.m. Saturday at Bill Adams Field.
A victory for the Cougars (9-2) puts them in the semifinals, and a defeat will end their season. The latter is not on the minds of Gullstrand’s guys.
Once the pigskin is booted to open the contest, it’s just another battle. That’s what Gullstrand preached after Thursday night’s practice, and he’ll have R/W ready to go.
“The kids are focused. They’re loose,” Gullstrand said. “They’re excited to be here and for the opportunity on Saturday.”
The 10-1 Eagles won’t just throw in the white towel. Hope will provide a challenge, but Gullstrand isn’t battling any nerves, and neither are his student-athletes.
“We’ve played two really good football programs in Sterling Newman and Stark County to get here, and now we’re playing a team that is really talented,” Gullstrand said. “They have some good size and some good speed, but at the end of the day it’s just another football game, so that’s how we have to treat it.
“They’re really really big on the offensive line. They’ve got some fast skill players on offense. They like to throw the ball deep. Obviously, that stresses anybody when the ball is deep. I think they have one receiver that is going to go to NIU. Their quarterback is a scrambler. They’re dynamic and explosive on offense,” Gullstrand added. “We just have to do what we’ve been doing lately. When the ball is in the air, we have the opportunity to go get it. We’ve forced quite a few turnovers in the playoffs.”
R/W tied a Class 1A playoff record with five interceptions in last week’s 36-8 second round win over Stark County.
While the Eagles are lively, so are the Cougars. R/W will look to gallop against Hope.
“I think we’re going to be able to rely on our run game. We’ve got some big guys up front. We’ve got two really good running backs (Bryan Bertlshofer and Spencer Brown), and we’ve got some guys who are starting to spell them in Preston Schroeder and Jack Cordle. Our offensive line is doing a good job. Our tight ends are good blockers,” Gullstrand said. “I think we’re going to be able to run it, and we’ll still be able to throw it. We want to come out and establish a good run game on Saturday.”
Cougars’ 2023 schedule
Regular season
Week 1: R/W 29, Havana 20
Week 2: R/W 47, LVC (Lewistown, Valley, Cuba) 8
Week 3: R/W 38, United 18
Week 4: R/W 55, Princeville 40
Week 5: R/W 35, South Fulton 18
Week 6: Stark County 24, R/W 14
Week 7: R/W 45, Rushville-Industry 16
Week 8: Annawan/Wethersfield 28, R/W 6
Week 9: R/W 43, Abingdon-Avon 23
Postseason
Week 10 (first round): R/W 28, Newman Central Catholic 14
Week 11 (second round): R/W 36, Stark County 8
Week 12 (quarterfinals): Chicago Hope Academy 1 p.m. Saturday at R/W at Bill Adams Field in Oneida
R/W’s roster
#2 Dawson Traphagan RB/LB
#3 Dalton Hertz RB/DB
#4 Nathan Courtright WR/DB
#6 Keegan Gerlach WR/DB
#7 Daniel Skala TE/LB
#8 Brock Davis TE/LB
#9 Preston Schroeder QB/DB
#10 Drake DeJaynes QB/DB
#11 Lewis Sams RB/DB
#12 Riley Danner QB/DB
#14 Jack Godsil WR/LB
#20 Spencer Brown RB/LB
#22 Devonte Noel WR/DB
#23 Edwin Foster TE/LB
#24 Bryan Bertlshofer RB/LB
#30 Brady Rickey RB/LB
#32 Jack Cordle RB/DB
#34 Kole Miller RB/LB
#40 Connor Wilson TE/LB
#45 Drake Powell TE/LB
#50 Carter Smith OL/LB
#52 Noah Soper OL/LB
#53 Max Main OL/DL
#54 Taylor Foster OL/DL
#56 Gage Aldred OL/LB
#58 Christian Doubet OL/DL
#61 Jacob Wheeler OL/DL
#62 Mathew Dennison OL/DL
#64 Cayden Sanders OL/DL
#66 Henry Powers OL/DL
#67 Tristan Loomis OL/DL
#68 Chad Rickey OL/LB
#69 Luke Nelson OL/DL
#70 Ayden Sanders OL/DL
#72 Matt Little OL/DL
#73 Jaxson Strom OL/DL
#76 Harlan Mitchell OL/DL
#80 Talan Hull TE/LB
Head coach: Grant Gullstrand
Assistant coaches: Jason Lydic, James Sams, Jordan Danner, Kaevahn Pendleton, Tucker Sams
Departing thought…
“I like our shot. I like how physical we are. I like how loose our kids are,” Gullstrand said. “They’re excited to be playing still. It’s not a drag to come out here to practice. They’re enjoying it. I think they’re locked in and ready to go.”
The 134th edition of the contest is at noon on Saturday at Monmouth’s April Zorn Memorial Stadium.
“Really special rivalry. The proximity makes it really special,” Fighting Scots coach Chad Braun said. “Not many rivalries are that close in proximity to each other.”
Prairie Fire coach Aaron Willits, a 2008 Knox grad and former running back, also enjoys the match-up.
“The rivalry is great. It’s one of the longest in all of college football,” Willits said. “Having that surround the game is always fun and exciting.”
Knox heads into the affair with a 3-6 overall record, and 3-5 mark in Midwest Conference play. The Prairie Fire have nothing to lose but pride in their 2023 season finale.
“We’ve got a good challenge in front of us, as this has been for a well number of years here,” Willits said. “They’re a well-coached football team that plays very very fast, and that’s one of the things we’ve talked about all week is ‘play fast.’ They do what they do, and they do it well.
“A big priority for us is to come out and play fast and cut it loose,” Willits added. “The last opportunity that we have in front of us is the last opportunity for this football team to play to our potential, and our best football. As a unit, we don’t believe that we’ve played 100% to our potential as a team collectively this year.”
Monmouth is 7-2 overall and 7-1 in league play. A win over the Prairie Fire assures that the Fighting Scots will share the MWC title for the second straight season.
“We are really excited about the opportunity to repeat as conference champions,” Braun said. “We really want to play in the NCAA playoffs, and it looks like once again we are going to come up just short of our goal.”
What happened in Week 10?
KNOX
On its senior day, Knox picked up a 48-28 win over Lawrence last Saturday afternoon at the Knosher Bowl.
The Vikings scored first on a 69-yard pass just over three minutes into the game. The Prairie Fire responded when senior running back Owen Beaver scored from five yards out. Freshman Chris McMillan converted the extra point for Knox.
Lawrence added a touchdown with 2:39 left in the first quarter to take a 14-7 lead. Fifth-year senior quarterback Kaile Williams added a score for the Prairie Fire with 22 seconds left in the quarter, but a missed extra point left Knox down 14-13.
The Vikings scored again early in the second quarter to go up by two scores. The Prairie Fire scored twice in the last five minutes of the quarter to take a 27-21 lead into halftime.
Williams added two rushing touchdowns in the third quarter to put Knox up 41-21 lead. The Prairie Fire added one more TD midway through the fourth quarter when Williams added his fifth score of the day.
With just under four minutes to play, Lawrence scored its final touchdown.
To go along with his handful of touchdowns, Williams finished with 258 yards rushing and 94 passing yards for Knox. Freshman running back Izayiah Hawes added 94 yards rushing, and Beaver rushed for 62 yards and two scores.
Senior linebacker Kolton Krutsinger led the Prairie Fire’s defense with six tackles, including a sack. Senior end Jon Sarich added five tackles, including two sacks and another tackle for a loss. Sophomore linebacker Manuel Espitia added a sack and freshman corner Colin Finnigsmier and junior safety Isaac Mora each nabbed an interception.
“Any time you win, it should develop a sense of confidence and pride,” Willits said. “We started off a little bit slow but came out in the second half and really focused on what we needed to do. We created some turnovers and made some explosive plays on both sides of the ball that gave us a good lead and left us in a good situation.
“I was excited for the guys to pick up their third win,” Willits added. “To see their smiles after the fact is what this is about. It’s about putting them in situations where they can be excited and happy after games.”
MONMOUTH
Monmouth had a wild ending last Saturday, as Tevin Baker blocked a field goal attempt in the final 30 seconds for a 16-14 home win over Lake Forest.
The Fighting Scots forced the Foresters to go 3-and-out on the first possession and started on their own 31. Nate Wrublik scored on a 1-yard run, and Alec Hesson made the extra point for a 7-0 Monmouth lead.
The teams traded punts and the Fighting Scots got the ball back with 3:14 to play in the quarter when Galesburg native Rockyen Spinks intercepted a pass and returned it to the LFC 26. Carter Boyer converted a 4th-and-14 with a 19-yard pass to Jackson Bergren and then hit Nick Obsaint for seven yards down to the LFC 4. On the second play of the second quarter, Hesson nailed a 21-yard-field goal for a 10-0 lead.
With 40 seconds left in the second quarter, Boyer connected with Nathan Thornton for a 12-yard touchdown pass but the extra point was missed for a 16-0 Monmouth lead.
Lake Forest got on the scoreboard with 2:06 left in the third quarter on a 71-yard pass play. With 8:17 left, a 23 yard TD scamper from the Foresters’ A.J. Jackson with 8:17 left and an extra point meant Lake Forest only trailed by two points.
Leading 16-14, the Fighting Scots went 3-and-out and the Foresters returned the punt to their own 41. On 3rd-and-1 from the 50, Spinks picked off his second pass of the game to give Monmouth the ball on its own 5-yard-line with 4:40 to play.
Lake Forest blocked a punt with 29 seconds left and returned the ball to the 14-yard line. With no timeouts left, the Foresters lined up for a go-ahead 32-yard field goal. Baker broke through to block the kick to preserve the victory, as Boyer took a knee to end the game.
Week 11: Sat., Nov. 11 at Monmouth (Turkey Bowl), Noon
Monmouth’s 2023 schedule
Week 1: Wartburg 62, Monmouth 35
Week 2: Monmouth 39, University of Chicago 6
Week 3: Monmouth 70, Lawrence 13
Week 4: Bye
Week 5: Illinois College 20, Monmouth 17
Week 6: Monmouth 69, Grinnell 6
Week 7: Monmouth 43, Cornell 6
Week 8: Monmouth 59, Beloit 3
Week 9: Monmouth 45, Ripon 3
Week 10: Monmouth 16, Lake Forest 14
Week 11: Sat., Nov. 11 vs. Knox (Turkey Bowl), Noon
MWC standings
Illinois College 7-1 in MWC, 8-1 overall
Monmouth College 7-1 in MWC, 7-2 overall
Lake Forest 6-2 in MWC, 7-2 overall
Cornell College 5-3 in MWC, 5-4 overall
University of Chicago 5-3 in MWC, 5-4 overall
Ripon College 4-4 in MWC, 4-5 overall
Knox College 3-5 in MWC, 3-6 overall
Grinnell College 2-6 in MWC, 2-7 overall
Beloit College 1-7 in MWC 2-7 overall
Lawrence University 0-8 in MWC, 0-9 overall
Departing thought…
“Always room to improve. We have made steady improvement on the defensive side of the ball,” Braun said. “Each week is a new week so you have to continue to work and get better.
“I feel like we are playing really well on both sides of the ball. We have been really explosive on offense from the beginning of the year,” Braun added. “We are hitting on all cylinders when we are running it and throwing it well. It really helps having a fifth year quarterback.”
GALESBURG — The prospective members of Galesburg High School’s boys basketball team rolled out of their beds bright and early Monday to attend their first practice in the 2023-24 season.
It’s a long standing tradition for the Silver Streaks.
A key word Galesburg coach Chad Thompson, who is entering his third season, preached to the Streaks inside their locker room after Monday night’s practice, their second of the day, was accountability.
And Thompson, overall, liked what he saw on Day 1, but there’s plenty of room to grow.
“I feel very encouraged after our first day,” Thompson said. “We really liked this group coming into the summer. We like the culture that they’ve built together as friends, as guys that push each other. It’s going to be a group that’s very diverse in terms of age. We have a lot of youth, but there’s also names that people have heard forever like Ian Dominique Jr, Gino (Williams), and even Jackson (Crock-Sibbing), and Leslie (Kelley) coming back as sophomores. There’s a lot of new guys, too.
“Over the summer, they really bonded together to make a good nucleus for our program, as we rebuild what we want Galesburg Basketball to be,” Thompson added. “It was a very exciting first day.”
The Streaks went 4-10 in Western Big 6 Conference play and 10-23 overall last winter, and Thompson wasn’t satisfied with the win-loss total. He is focusing on a few areas to improve upon last season’s performance.
“Two things. Individually, we had guys who had to get better, and as a team, we had to reflect back on what did we not do well, which by our record shows we did quite a few things not great,” Thompson said. “I think we have the guys that we need right now to continue to rebuild what we need to. We need to have way better guard play this year. We need to lower the turnover margin, and I think with more ball-friendly guards this year we will.
“We’re really looking to take care of the ball better this year,” Thompson added. “At the same time, we have a team that is full of shooters. We’re going to be able to shoot the ball in some way one through five. Almost every single night that we’re on the court, we have a shooter at every position. We’re really going to look to spread the floor, and drive the ball hard.”
In other words, Galesburg will play a different style on offense, and the Streaks will on defense, too. Personnel is the leading factor in the switches.
“We’ve got to improve defensively, and the defensive philosophy is different this year,” Thompson said. “We don’t have that big huge guy in the middle like we’ve had the last two years. We have to get a little scrappier with our defense this year.
“We have to take advantage of what we have, which is speed and quickness. We have to use it.”
Streaks’ 2023-24 schedule
Fri., Nov. 10 Meet the Streaks, 7:30 p.m. Wed., Nov. 22 vs. Limestone, 7:30 p.m. Fri., Nov. 24 vs. TBA, Galesburg Turkey Tourney Sat., Nov. 25 vs. TBA, Galesburg Turkey Tourney Fri., Dec. 1 at Rock Island, 7 p.m. Sat., Dec. 2 at Dixon, 6 p.m. Tue., Dec. 5 vs. Quincy, 7 p.m. Fri., Dec. 8 vs. United Township, 7 p.m. Tue., Dec. 12 vs. Burlington (Iowa), 7:30 p.m. Fri., Dec. 15 vs. Moline, 7 p.m. Sat., Dec. 16 vs. TBA, Iowa/Illinois Shootout at Augie Wed., Dec. 20 at Danville, 6:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 27 vs. TBA, at Taylorville Holiday Tournament Thu., Dec. 28 vs. TBA, at Taylorville Holiday Tournament Fri., Dec. 29 vs. TBA, at Taylorville Holiday Tournament Fri., Jan. 5 at Sterling, 7 p.m. Tue., Jan. 9 at Geneseo, 7 p.m. Fri., Jan. 12 at Rock Island Alleman, 7 p.m. Sat., Jan. 13 vs. TBA, Galesburg MLK Tourney Tue., Jan. 16 at Limestone, 7 p.m. Fri., Jan. 19 vs. Rock Island, 7 p.m. Tue., Jan. 23 at Quincy, 7 p.m. Fri., Jan. 26 at United Township, 7 p.m. Sat., Jan. 27 vs. TBA, Peoria Manual Shootout Fri., Feb. 2 at Moline, 7 p.m. Tue., Feb. 6 vs. Sterling, 7 p.m. Fri., Feb. 9 vs. Geneseo, 7 p.m. Tue., Feb. 13 vs. Rock Island Alleman, 7 p.m.
GALESBURG — Despite being in this situation last fall, Galesburg High School’s Dominic “Dom” Cantarini is battling some nerves.
And that’s because the senior is getting ready to compete in the Illinois High School Association’s Class 2A cross country state meet for the second year in a row. He’ll log three miles Saturday morning.
In 2022, Cantarini finished in 101st place at the state meet, which is held at Peoria’s Detweiller Park, with a time of 17:03.94. This time around, he hopes to shave some time off. Cantarini has his sights set on the GHS school record, which is 14:52. However, he’d be happy breaking the tape in 15:31 or less.
Cantarini’s personal best is 15:31.9, and he set that mark at the end of September in the Peoria High School Invite, held at Detweiller. Cantarini has competed there twice this season, and he knows what the key is to be successful at Detweiller.
“I need to make sure I get out decently fast because it’s going to be a fast race,” Cantarini said. “The conditions are supposed to be pretty good so the goal is to get out fast.
“The back triangle is the hard part. There’s no spectators. There’s no nothing. It’s 800-meters of you trying to push with other people, and it’s the time to make a move,” Cantarini added. “The second mile is going to be the hardest and the biggest factor I think to the race, because it could make or break you.”
What’s led to Cantarini’s success in cross country?
“It started after my sophomore cross country season, I felt I could have done a lot better so I started training a lot harder,” Cantarini said. “Going into the track season, I broke five minutes for the first time in the mile which was a pretty big improvement and that paved the way for me. I knew I could probably go to state in cross country if I tired and worked hard.”
Chad Thompson, who is in his second year as the Silver Streaks’ boys cross country coach, echoes Cantarini’s assessment.
“He’s got a great work ethic. He set reachable goals that were within grasp but at the same time they were big goals that he had to really work for,” Thompson said. “Dating all the way back to last winter, he had a great plan of how he wanted to take care of his body moving into his track season, and he had a great year in track.
“He did a great job this summer preparing his body for what it was going to take this cross country season to be back at state and have a great year,” Thompson added. “The mental toughness that Dom carries and his determination to succeed in a very mentally and physically grueling sport has been impressive to see the last two years.”
“He starts races strong, and he’s got to be able to maintain and separate himself from the group and just give his all out best,” Thompson said of Cantarini. “HIs last two races at Detweiller have been fantastic. He’s one of the Top 20 runners we’ve had at Detweiller.
“We’re just looking for him to go out and run like crazy because this is the last one in his high school career.”
GALESBURG — There’s only a pair of games left on the slate for Knox College’s football team this season.
With a current mark of 2-6 overall and 2-5 in Midwest Conference action, the Prairie Fire won’t finish out with a winning record.
Knox can, however, close 2023 on a positive note.
Up next for the Prairie Fire is their last home contest, and they’ll face the Vikings of Lawrence University (0-8, 0-7 MWC) at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Knosher Bowl.
Knox isn’t taking winless Lawrence lightly by any means. Prairie Fire coach Aaron Willits and company are focused on themselves, and if Knox sticks to its game plan then hopefully victory No. 3 occurs.
“We have to have a realistic perspective of who we are. We’ve had our ups and downs this year, too. It’s the same thing we talk about all the time in this program. We’ve got to go out and prepare to be the best version of ourselves,” Willits said after Wednesday night’s practice. “We’ve got to make sure we reach that potential.
“They’re looking at us the same way we’re looking at them,” Willits added about the Vikings. “We have to make sure we do our jobs the way we’ve been coaching them to do them.”
Food drive for FISH
As part of the 9th annual MWC Canned Food Challenge, fans of Knox and Lawrence are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items Saturday. All proceeds will be donated to the FISH food pantry in Galesburg.
Giving back to the community is something Willits takes great pride in.
“Creating a connection with Galesburg is always huge whether that is the food drive through the Midwest Conference or whether it’s the Blessings in a Backpack stuff that we do and making sure we are taking care of the kids in this community or whether it is the other things that we do,” Willits said. “There’s such a connection that goes back to the start of this college and the start of this town between Galesburg and Knox.
“This whole experience, yes it’s the football, the X’s and O’s and being on the field but the way that I’ve recruited this program and the way I will continue to do so is on that holistic experience that Knox talks about on a regular basis,” Willits added. “These guys are student-athletes that are learning to engage in the world around them because eventually the next step for them is to go out to a community and into a profession and be a leader. I want to make sure that we present all those different aspects to them on a regular basis.”
What happened in Week 9?
The Prairie Fire fell to the Rams of Cornell 28-21 in a Homecoming matchup for Knox last Saturday afternoon.
The Prairie Fire took a lead early when fifth-year senior quarterback Kaile Williams rushed for a 45-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the game. Williams added another score in the last two minutes of the first quarter for a 14-0 Knox lead.
The Rams responded with a touchdown to open the second quarter and then scored again with 31 seconds before halftime to tie the contest up at 14-all.
Cornell added a score halfway through the third quarter to take a 20-14 lead. The Prairie Fire took a 21-20 lead two minutes later with a touchdown from freshman running back Izayiah Hawes, but the Rams turned around with a touchdown pass on the very next play to retake the lead. Cornell converted a two-point conversion and held on for the win.
Hawes led Knox with 81 rushing yards and a score. He also reeled in two catches for 19 yards. Williams added 76 rushing yards and the two scores, and he also completed 8-of-15 passes for 73 yards.
Senior Kolton Krutsinger led the Prairie Fire’s defense with two tackles for a loss. Junior Nikko Deligiannis, a Galesburg native, had an interception late in the game to prevent Cornell from scoring.
“It was a tough one. I’m sad for the guys,” Willits said. “You do this job to put smiles on their faces. They put in so much time. They put in so much effort. They fight. They scratch, and they claw and you want to see them have those smiles.
“We came up short, but I’m very proud of their effort,” Willits added. “We just have to go back to work and keep doing the things that we need to do to grow our program.”
By the numbers
Williams has completed 46 of 119 passes for 511 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and he’s been picked off six times. Williams also has 137 rushes for 720 yards and four TDs.
Senior Hunter Anderson has 66 carries for 228 yards and two TDs for the Prairie Fire. Hawes has 68 rushes for 280 yards and has broken the plane twice. Sophomore Kierre Turner has 24 carries for 145 yards and a TD.
Senior Evan Laws has five grabs for 38 yards and a TD. Knox sophomore wideout Niko Powe has 19 receptions for 220 yards and a touchdown.
Senior Jon Sarich leads the Prairie Fire’s defense with 49 tackles (35 solo).
The Prairie Fire are averaging 11.5 points per outing while opponents are putting up an average of 34.25 points per game.
Week 10: Sat., Nov. 4 vs. Lawrence (Senior Day), 1 p.m.
Week 11: Sat., Nov. 11 at Monmouth (Turkey Bowl), Noon
MWC standings
Lake Forest 6-1 in MWC, 7-1 overall
Illinois College 6-1 in MWC, 7-1 overall
Monmouth College 6-1 in MWC, 6-2 overall
Cornell College 5-2 in MWC, 5-3 overall
University of Chicago 4-3 in MWC, 4-4 overall
Ripon College 3-4 in MWC, 3-5 overall
Grinnell College 2-5 in MWC, 2-6 overall
Knox College 2-5 in MWC, 2-6 overall
Beloit College 1-6 in MWC 2-6 overall
Lawrence University 0-7 in MWC, 0-8 overall
Departing thought…
“The key to Lawrence is getting our eyes right. Obviously, it is a team that has had its fare share of struggles, so you get a lot of different things,” Willits said. “You get different formations. You get different motions. You get different RPO type looks.
“On the offensive side, we’ve prepared to really see about five different base front defenses with about five different coverages,” Willits added. “They’ve kind of showed everything, so we have to understand our base rules, do our job and have our eyes right.”