On the WebResults

for ourblog question— Who will be thebest team in the areathis year? — andcomments from ourbloggers. To readmore, go to www.hrpreps.com/blog.

SportsHerald&Review

BSIDELINES

www.herald-review.com

Friday, August 28, 2009

Fitzgerald, Wildcatswant to build on

nine-win season/B6

Compiled from H&R staff and news service reports

And the games begin ...Coverage fromMount Zion-Lincoln,A&M-Unity/Saturday

Questions or comments regarding this section? Contact Sports Editor Mike Albright at 421-7909

Speak up

Vote online at:

www.herald-review.com/sports

Today’s question:

Who will win this year’s Arch

Rivalry football game — Illinois or

Missouri?

Gillispie arrested on DIU chargeFormer Kentucky basketball

coach Billy Gillispie has pleaded

not guilty to driving under the influ-

ence of alcohol following his arrest

early Thursday in central Kentucky.

Gillispie wore an orange jumpsuit

and said few words during his video

arraignment, a copy

of which was

obtained by The

Associated Press.

The judge told

Gillispie she was

suspending his right

to drive in Kentucky

because he refused to take blood

and breath tests.

Lawrenceburg police officer

Michael Corley clocked Gillispie

doing 63 mph in a 45 mph zone

along a highway in Lawrenceburg

about 30 miles from Lexington and

pulled up behind Gillispie at a red

light. When the light turned green,

Gillispie’s car stayed motionless for

one or two minutes before continu-

ing down the road, Corley wrote in

his report.

“Billy had a strong fruity smell

coming from his person (possibly

wine) and had red, glassy eyes and

slow, slurred speech,” Corley wrote.

Ex-Illini takes chance with UFLFormer Illini Simeon Rice is mak-

ing a comeback with the new Unit-

ed Football League.

The New York Sentinels

announced Thursday

that they had signed

the 35-year-old

defensive end. Rice

last played in the

NFL in 2007, when

he was released by both the Denver

Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.

He had 122 sacks in 12 seasons,

earning three Pro Bowl selections

during his stints with the Arizona

Cardinals and Tampa Bay Bucca-

neers. Drafted third overall in 1996,

Rice won a Super Bowl with the

Bucs after the 2002 season.

Tebow likely wouldn’t do thisA minor league baseball team has

changed a Tim Tebow promotion

after receiving a cease and desist

e-mail from the University of Florida.

Fort Myers Miracle fans expected

“What Would Tim Tebow Do?” night

Wednesday, but the theme was

changed to “What Would T.T. Do?”

The Naples Daily News reported

that senior associate athletic direc-

tor Jamie McCloskey told the team

NCAA rules prohibit the names or

pictures of its athletes in commer-

cial promotions.

A ceremonial jump-pass started

Wednesday’s game against the

St. Lucie Mets. Fans received prom-

ise rings and watched a character

called “T.T.” try to walk on water.

Bolt ready for a new event?Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt

says he wants to try a new event —

the long jump.

The world-record holder in the

100 and 200 meters

says he thinks he

could be a good long

jumper some day.

Bolt says he has

been “messing

around” with the

long jump since high

school and would like to compete in

the event before he retires.

While he’s willing to try a new event,

he says he has no plans to run the 400.

Who is the best

football team in

the Okaw Valley

this year?

Maroa-Forsyth . . . . . . . . . . . 41%

St. Teresa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18%

Tolono Unity . . . . . . . . . . . . 10%

Central A&M . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9%

Meridian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9%

Tuscola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8%

Someone else . . . . . . . . . . . . 4%

hrpreps FOOTBALL WEEK 1 PREVIEW

Herald & Review/Lisa Morrison

Central A&M junior Collin Townsend led the school’s JV team to an undefeated season last year, and nowhe’s starting at quarterback for a Raiders squad eager to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

Playoffs? No talk yetBy JUSTIN CONNH&R Staff Writer

Central A&M’s poten-tial to return to theplayoffs for the first

time since 2006 is the talk ofMoweaqua and Assumption.

But that talk stops once youstep inside the Raiders’ lock-er room.

“When we talked to the kidsthis year, we didn’t talk play-offs,” said Central A&M coachMark Ramsey, entering his26th year coaching football inMoweaqua. “We just said,‘Let’s play 48 minutes everygame and see where we’re at.’

“We’re not going to talkplayoffs. We’re just going toprepare each week and playhard. That’s been our motto.”

That the Raiders aren’ttalking about the playoffs wasconfirmed by junior quarter-back Collin Townsend. Andlooking at last year, it’s easyto see why Ramsey hasresorted to “one-game-at-a-time” mode before the seasonhas even started.

After winning four of itsfirst five games last year, itseemed imminent that theRaiders would make the Class1A playoffs and go on one oftheir signature runs.

But a 27-21 loss to Tuscola,eventually a Class 1A quarter-finalist, began a downwardspiral. Once aiming for a pos-sible first-round home gamein the playoffs, a 34-22 loss toWarrensburg-Latham the nextweek suddenly put A&M’splayoff hopes in jeopardy. TheRaiders finished with blowoutlosses to Maroa-Forsyth andarchrival Meridian, ending

their season on the outsidelooking in.

“We’ve came up short inmaking the playoffs the lasttwo years, and that’s been alittle frustrating,” Ramseysaid. “Last year, we got tofour wins and it just didn’thappen. We saw a lot ofopportunities slip away.

“But this is a new seasonand the kids are ready tostart fresh,” Ramsey said.

When A&M takes the fieldfor its season opener againstTolono Unity, it will be a freshstart for the Raiders in a lotof ways. A&M’s entire start-ing backfield from last year isgone, replaced by a groupthat includes several playersoff the Raiders’ undefeatedJV team from last season.

One of those players isTownsend, who will start atquarterback.

“He understands his role asquarterback is a leadershipposition and he’s stepped up

1. Maroa-Forsyth(91 points)

“It will be reallytough to stop any-thing they do. Theyhave good leadershipand are on a roll forthe last few years.”— Forloveofthegame

2. MacArthur(89 points)

“Going to be excel-lent, even better thanmost people think.”— illini

3. St. Teresa(45 points)

“ ‘Rebuilding’ is aword that CoachDavis has never spo-ken. The Bulldogs willturn a lot of headsthis year, this I canpromise.” — Touch-

down Bulldogs

4. Mount Zion(44 points)

“I am still absolute-ly amazed how quick-ly that program hasadjusted to coachSmith’s scheme.”— John Sheary O.D.

5. Central A&M(31 points)

“A team that haspaid their dues thepast few years. I think(they) are bound tomake a run this yearand get back to goodol’ Moweaqua foot-ball.” — Matt

Utterman

Since Central A&Mwas formed, coachMark Ramsey hashad his share ofsuccess, but the pastfew years have beena tough ride for theRaiders:

Year Record1992 13-1*1993 10-21994 9-31995 13-1*1996 12-2*1997 14-0^1998 10-11999 4-52000 12-12001 13-1*2002 9-32003 5-52004 4-52005 8-32006 5-52007 3-62008 4-5

* — state runner-up

^ — state champion

A&M just focusing on winning game for now

A&M/B4

‘What we’recapable of is

showing in practice,but now we have toshow it in games.’Collin Townsend, Central A&M QB

Wave hastough taskin opener Under new coach,Mattoon hits roadto face Generals

By SCOTT RICHEYH&R Staff Writer

MATTOON — There areeasier ways to start a foot-ball season than to go onthe road to face a team thatfinished last season with a9-3 record and earned a tripto the Class 5A quarterfinals.

But that’s exactly thechallenge Mattoon faceswhen the Green Wavetravels to Decatur to playClass 5A sixth-rankedMacArthur at 7 tonight.

Mattoon is starting thisseason following last year’s2-7 record and is doing sowith a new coach in TroyJohnson. MacArthur recentlywas in thesamepositionMattoonis nowfacedwith. TheGeneralsfollowedup fiveconsecu-tive losingseasonswith a 2-7record inDerekSpates’first year as head coach in2007 before the drastic turn-around last season.

“We can call things andthey can fly around and doit because they’ve beendoing it since they weresophomores,” Spates saidabout having a veteranteam. “They know what ittakes to win in this confer-ence. They’ve just gottensmarter, more competitive.”

Mattoon’s biggest chal-lenge rests in stoppingMacArthur’s offense. TheGenerals beat Mattoon 49-6in last year’s season openerin Mattoon. While four play-ers who scored in that gamefor MacArthur are no longeraround, the ones who remainare just as dangerous.

Seniors Robert Smith(quarterback), KiestonGreene (wide receiver) andLaDarion Shelby (runningback) all found the endzone against Mattoon lastyear. Smith not only rushedfor a 66-yard touchdown butconnected with Greene for a37-yard score as well.

“He catches the ballwell,” Spates said aboutGreene. “A lot of highschool guys like to use theirbody to catch the ball.Kieston always seems to usehis hands. He brings somefire to the team. Being astarter in three varsitysports, he’s a competitor.”

Johnson won’t begame-planning againstMacArthur’s competitive

WAVE/B4

n Week 1preview

Capsules forthe big gamesin the area;week-by-weekschedule.

hrpreps/B4-5

Gillispie

Bolt

Unlikely homer downs CardsKeppinger helpsAstros avoid sweep

ST. LOUIS (AP) — One bigswing from Jeff Keppinger,hardly a long-ball threat,eased theHoustonAstros’ frus-trations aftergetting workedover by St.Louis Cardi-nals pitchers.

Keppinger hit a tiebreak-ing homer with two out inthe ninth inning, and Hous-ton rallied to beat the Cardi-nals 4-3 on Thursday, avoid-ing a three-game sweep.

Keppinger’s shot to left ona 2-2 pitch from Kyle McClel-lan (4-3) was his fourth ofthe season and first sinceJune 19. He has only 17homers in 1,116 career at-bats, so he was runningwhen the drive barelycleared the wall.

“It was kind of nice to seethe outcome,” Keppingersaid. “You ever look up atthe scoreboard and see mytotals?”

Jose Valverde (2-2)pitched two scoreless inningsfor the Astros, who scoredall four runs with two outsand won for only the fifthtime in their past 19 roadgames. They avoided a

UNLIKELY/B3

Keppinger

Rams’backup QB throws TDCINCINNATI (AP) — The last thing that

the St. Louis Rams wanted to see was KyleBoller’s helmet tumbling across the field.

Boller played better Thursday night in hissecond game filling in for Marc Bulger, com-pleting a flurry of short passes during a24-21 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Healso had one moment of bravado that madethe Rams shudder.

He refused to duck.Boller got his helmet knocked off on a hit

by linebacker Keith Rivers at the end of an8-yard scramble, waiting too long to start hisslide. Unfazed, Boller got to his feet, foundhis helmet and completed his next two pass-es, including a 3-yard shovel pass to runningback Samkon Gado for a touchdown.

“I could have slid a little earlier,” said Associated Press

Kyle Boller threw a 3-yard shovel TD passThursday in the Rams’ 24-21 victory.BOLLER/B6

Boller better in win

“ ”B4 PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW FRIDAY AUGUST 28, 2009 DECATUR, ILLINOIS www.hrpreps.com

Log on.Get schooled.Sound off.www.hrpreps.comwww.hrpreps.com

Every week we've got:- Game coverage- Photo galleries- Pick 'em contest

Play the weekly preps pickem contest fora chance to win a hrpreps.com T-Shirt!www.hrpreps.com/pickem

Follow @hrpreps forscores during the games www.hrpreps.com/pickem

- Video of game footage and recaps - and blogs and video by the prep experts

A&MContinued from B1in that role,” Ramsey said.“The kids, no matter whatclass they’re in, have gaineda respect for him and howhard he works.”

Townsend will be joined inthe backfield by a group ofrunning backs, including sen-ior fullbacks Kyle Wisemanand Conner Bridgman, andjunior tailbacks Evan Hayes

and Matt Davis.While no one in that group

has significant varsity experi-ence, they’ll run behind a linethat includes senior returnersRyan Workman, CoreyRichardson, Kline Renfro andBret Merrell.

“In practices, those guyshave been making holes forour backs, and our runningbacks have been hitting thoseholes for nice gains,”Townsend said. “What we’recapable of is showing in prac-

tice, but now we have to showit in games.”

The first chance to do thatwill be today at Moweaquaagainst a Tolono Unity teamthat will be going for its 16thstraight playoff appearance.

“They’re always going to besolid,” Ramsey said. “We’vehad a good camp, and theteam’s chemistry is reallygood. Beating them will be atough task, but we’re not look-ing for any moral victories.”

jconn@herald-review.com|421-7971

By the numbers On the radio today

Week 1 Preview Capsules

Mattoon at MacArthurLAST MEETING: MacArthur won

49-6 in 2008.NEXT WEEK: Danville at Mattoon;

Champaign Centennial atMacArthur.

OF NOTE: MacArthur got last yearstarted in a big way when RobertSmith ripped off a 66-yard runearly, and the Generals went on toopen with a big victory over Mat-toon. It established the Generalsas a legitimate threat, and theykept it up en route to a 9-3 season.Now the bull’s-eye will be onMacArthur’s back as it starts theyear ranked No. 6 in Class 5A.Michael Heller had a nice debut atquarterback last year for Mattoonand went on to lead the GreenWave in rushing (524 yards) andpassing, completing 54 of 166attempts for 1,028 yards. He’ll begiven every opportunity by newcoach Troy Johnson to make plays.“Obviously, Michael Heller is apretty good athlete and throws theball well. Not only will you see himat quarterback, but you may seehim at slot receiver. He’s going totouch the ball a bunch. Obviously,at quarterback he will be gettingtouches there, but we will try andfree him up.”

St. Teresa at Warrensburg-LathamLAST MEETING: St. Teresa won

50-0 in 2006.NEXT WEEK: Warrensburg-Lath-

am at Sullivan; Tuscola at St. Tere-sa.

OF NOTE: The teams haven’t metin the two years since the OkawValley went to two divisions, sothey both are ready to get back at iteven though the series has beenlopsided lately. St. Teresa has wonthe five meetings by an average of41-3. But both sidelines will be fullof young, inexperienced playerswho know little of those games andcan start over. St. Teresa has justthree starters back on offense andtwo on defense. Several sopho-mores will have to step in for theBulldogs, including quarterbackDaniel Queen. Warrensburg will beopening the season with a newbackfield that will want to keep theCardinals on track. They finallybroke through to the playoffs lastyear, but if they are to do thatagain, they’ll need to pick up acouple wins now before getting intothe tough Okaw Blue division.

Clinton at Maroa-ForsythLAST MEETING: Maroa-Forsyth

won 42-0 in 2006.NEXT WEEK: Central A&M at Clin-

ton; Maroa-Forsyth at Monticello.OF NOTE: Another year, another

bunch of highly touted players atMaroa with a state ranking on theline each week. And the Trojansare starting to like being in thisposition. And again it’s warranted,with so many returning startersfrom a team that took Casey-West-field to the wire it the 2A playoffquarterfinals. Justin Barnes is inhis third season of running theoffense and is really getting thehang of it. He accounted for 2,670yards last year. Dalton Coventry,getting Division I looks, will keepthe defense stingy. Looking for allkinds of answers will be coachJohn Hayden, who comes to Clin-ton after a stint at South Piatt. Hay-den will have to figure out how toslow Maroa while being new to theOkaw and looking to see what he’sgot. Returning players DavidAlwood (DB), Aaron Ennis (QB),Nick Wheat (OL/DL) and JoshShride (LB) give him a startingpoint.

Eisenhower atChampaign Centennial

LAST MEETING: Champaign Cen-tennial won 42-12 in 2008.

NEXT WEEK: Normal West atEisenhower; Champaign Centenni-al at MacArthur.

OF NOTE: Eisenhower returns afew experienced players and abunch of younger players whohave won at the lower levels.They’re hoping that translates intosuccess on the varsity level thisseason. The last time the Pantherswon a season opener was in 2004when they took Centennial 14-7.QB Zach Shugart will try to get thepower-I offense moving. Centennialwas going to be hit by losses any-way, but then stud running backRayvonte Rice decided to concen-trate on basketball and quarter-back Mike Locksley took off forNew Mexico when his father tookthe football job there. But the cup-board won’t be completely bare.Back is junior Shaquille Traylor,who has star potential at runningback.

Monticello at MeridianLAST MEETING: Monticello won

20-15 in 2006.NEXT WEEK: Maroa-Forsyth at

Monticello; Meridian at Shelbyville.OF NOTE: New Monticello coach

Cullen Welter gets a heckuva intro-duction to the Okaw Valley Confer-ence, as the non-conference por-tion starts with Meridian, Maroa-Forsyth and Central A&M — threeteams expected to compete forplayoff berths and maybe a lotmore. Cullen has the pedigree andsome cornerstones to get thingsturned around. He took Aledo tostate title games in 1998, 2001,2002, 2005 and 2006. Strong-armed Ben Palla will line up behinda line that returns four starters.Meridian will come into the seasonas it did a year ago — with peoplenot sure just how good the Hawkscan be. And there could be enoughplayers back to make a similar runif a few youngsters can answer thecall. Senior quarterback CoryBurns gets the ball with the abilityto also make things happen withhis feet.

Lincoln at Mount ZionLAST MEETING: Mount Zion won

33-28 in 2008.NEXT WEEK: Springfield Sacred

Heart-Griffin at Lincoln; Mount Zionat Paris.

OF NOTE: In one of the moreentertaining games last year,Mount Zion needed a 26-0 secondhalf to knock off the Railers. It’sbeen that way recently in a seriesthat resumed in 2004. All MountZion has to do this fall is replacetwo-way standounts Jake Jones,Eric Walters (1,730 yards rushing)and Matthew Smith. But coachDave Smith is confident the pieceswill fall into place, led by juniorJacob Smith and senior Krys Gray.Ben Brackney had a big game forLincoln in last year’s opener withMount Zion, but he has decided tonot play this year. So, at quarter-back will be Stephen Duncan,6-foot, 150-pound junior. Duncanwon’t have to be the main offensiveweapon right away. Running backJace Camp returns. He ran 94times for 509 yards (5.4 ypc) as ajunior. Giving the offense time toget in rhythm should be a defensethat returns seven starters.

Herald & Review photos/Lisa Morrison

Senior split end Tim Bridgman readies himself in a Central A&M practice. The Raiders are hoping to getback into the playoffs this year behind quarterback Collin Townsend, above right.

WAVEContinued from B1spirit, but he will have tofind a way to stop the Gen-erals’ athletes.

“They are very athletic,”Johnson said of MacArthur.“Obviously they’re gettingsome publicity, and afterlast year and what theyhave coming back, theyshould be. They’re going tomake plays. Any time youput athletes on the field,they’re going to make plays.The key is to make surethey’re just big plays, butnot big plays for touch-downs.”

Out to stop that explosiveoffense is the Green Wavedefense. Johnson said defen-sive containment has been afocus during practice lead-ing up to the MacArthurgame. That containment willbe key with Smith operatingas a dual-threat quarterbackwho can beat defenses withhis arm and legs.

“Robert is a special indi-vidual,” Spates said. “He’sbeen a four-year starter onboth sides of the ball. Whenyou’ve got a guy like thatwho can come in whenthings break down and be asteadying force in the hud-dle, it’s a luxury as acoach.”

Key to containing Smithcould be Mattoon’s rotationat linebacker. Several of theGreen Wave’s players willplay both offense anddefense, and Johnson saidhe likes to have at leastthree inside linebackersand three outside lineback-ers so there is enoughdepth to give a player abreather when needed.Vince Anello, MichaelHeller, Desmond McDonald,Jake Gates and NicThomas (all listed as prob-able starting linebackers)will most likely be pullingdouble duty againstMacArthur. Anello, Mac-Donald and Gates are allrunning backs, Heller is thestarting quarterback andThomas starts at one of theoffensive guard positions.

“The key is keeping himin check, inside,” Johnsonsaid. “Making him come up

inside and making sure wetackle him. You can’t misstackles on cats like thatbecause when you do theiroff to the races. It’s been afocal point, but it’s one ofthose things where you’vejust got to get it done.”

Even with some focus onhow to stop MacArthur’soffense based off of scoutingreports and running thescout team offense duringpractice, Johnson said theteam’s primary focus is stillon itself.

“We’re not necessarilyworrying about what they’redoing,” Johnson said. “Ourfocus is us making surewe’re in the right spots. Idon’t care what playsMacArthur runs. We run afundamentally sounddefense. We just need tomake sure we align andwe’re on the right keyswhether it’s againstMacArthur or against us.”

Mattoon is in the processof learning a new defenseand offense, and some of thespecial teams play also isnew in Johnson’s first yearas coach.

“What we do, especiallyoffensively, is not easy,”Johnson said. “We don’thave it all in, but the kidshave done a great job of try-ing to learn it and pick it up.The kids that went to 7-on-7during the summer are waymore advanced than thekids that didn’t. I thinkthey’re focused and tryingto do the right stuff. They’vebeen working hard in prac-tice, and really that’s all Ican ask.”

Part of that new offensemight include a change inquarterback if MacArthur’sdefense is able to shut downHeller, who also provides anoffensive spark with hislegs in addition to his arm.That change could seeHeller shift to a differentposition.

“Don’t count out Shaw-nesy Carlen,” Johnson said.“If I’m struggling gettingMichael Heller the ball, orgetting him out in space, Iwill not hesitate to put(Carlen) in at quarterbackand get Michael the ballsomeway, somehow out inspace.”

Top area teams accordingto Maxpreps.com

’03-’07 NatlAvg rank

1. St. Teresa 25.7 10672. Maroa-Forsyth 23.0 14503. Tuscola 20.0 20014. Casey-Westfield 16.9 26125. Taylorville 11.4 40386. Mount Zion 9.3 46507. Effingham 7.5 52038. MacArthur 7.3 52699. Arthur-Lovington 5.8 575010. Charleston 5.6 5809

(Numbers are maxpreps.com

dynasty index for the years

2003-2007 and ranking of all U.S.

schools playing football)

Most playoff appearancesduring the past 10 years

Tuscola 10Casey-Westfield 9St. Teresa 9Taylorville 8Cerro Gordo 8Arthur-Lovington 7Mount Zion 7Newton 7Nokomis 7Central A&M 6Maroa-Forsyth 6Mattoon 6Argenta-Oreana 6

Top win percentage duringpast 10 years

1. Tuscola 102-19 .8432. St. Teresa 90-21 .8113. Casey-West. 90-25 .7834. Newton 78-29 .7295. Arthur-Loving. 69-35 .6636. Cerro Gordo 70-36 .6607. Mount Zion 69-36 .6578. Maroa-Forsyth 70-38 .6489. Central A&M 71-39 .64510. Mattoon 68-43 .613

Area teams who have playedin a state title game

1974 St. Teresa (Class 2A, 1)

1975 St. Teresa (Class 2A, 1)

1977 Arcola (Class 1A, 2)

1978 Arcola (Class 1A, 1)

1979 St. Teresa (Class 2A, 1)

1980 Atwood-Hammond (Class 1A, 1)

1981 Maroa-Forsyth (Class 1A, 2)

1982 Casey (Class 2A, 2)

1983 Maroa-Forsyth (Class 1A, 2)

1985 Arcola (Class 1A, 1)

Casey-Westfield (Class 2A, 1)

1986 Macon (Class 1A, 2)

St. Teresa (Class 2A, 2)

1988 Arcola (Class 1A, 1)

1991 Arcola (Class 1A, 2)

Robinson (Class 3A, 2)

1992 Central A&M (Class 2A, 2)

1995 Arcola (Class 1A, 2)

Central A&M (Class 2A, 2)

1996 Central A&M (Class 2A, 2)

1997 Central A&M (Class 2A, 1)

1999 Meridian (Class 2A, 2)

2001 Central A&M (Class 2A, 2)

2005 Newton (Class 4A, 2)

2006 Tuscola (Class 1A, 1)

Maroa-Forsyth (Class 2A, 1)

2007 Tuscola (Class 1A, 2)

2008 Casey-Westfield (Class 2A, 2)

St. Teresa at Warrensburg WSOY (1340 AM), WDKR (107.3 FM)

Mattoon at MacArthur WDZ (1050 AM), WMCI (101.3 FM)

Monticello at Meridian WXFM (99.3 FM)

The kids, no matterwhat class they’rein, have gained arespect for him andhow hard he works.— Mark Ramsey, Central A&M coach,

on Collin Townsend

FRIDAY AUGUST 28, 2009 DECATUR, ILLINOIS PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW B5www.hrpreps.com

Buy the Sunday Herald & Reviewfor only $1.25 at participatingCircle K stores for a limited time.Enjoy award winning local news coverage, communityannouncements, life section, sports, classifieds and up to $100 in ad savings.

ON SALENOW!

ON SALENOW!

Enter the weekly drawing to wina $50 CASH card from Circle K!See the entry form in the Sunday Herald & Review for complete rules.

ANDAND$50 CASH card

Call 421-6990 to subscribe

Drop off your completed entry form at one of these locations:501 N. MAIN1141 E. WOOD ST.2760 N. OAKLAND AVENUE3002 N. WATER ST.

1685 S. BALTIMORE AVE.3798 N. WOODFORD205 W. 1ST DR.1315 KOESTER RD., FORSYTH*Sale ends September 7, 2009

Herald & Review

Circle K

Circle K

WWee’’rree BBaannkkiinnggOOnn YYoouu!!

33779955 NN.. WWooooddffoorrdd,, DDeeccaattuurr,, IILL887777--66880099

445500 EE.. MMaaiinn,, WWaarrrreennssbbuurrgg,, IILL667722--33559966

Member FDIC

AAppoollllooMount Zion at ParisOlney at Charleston (Sat.)Robinson at NewtonSalem at Effingham

BBiigg 1122Bloomington vs. Normal at Illinois State U.Champaign Centennial at MacArthurDanville at MattoonNormal West at EisenhowerUrbana at Champaign Central

CCeennttrraall SSttaattee EEiigghhttChatham Glenwood at Springfield SoutheastJacksonville at Springfield Springfield Lanphier at TaylorvilleSpringfield Sacred Heart-Griffin at Lincoln

LLiittttllee IIlllliinniiAlbion Edwards County at PalestineBridgeport Red Hill at Casey-WestfieldLawrenceville at CumberlandOblong at Flora

PPrraaiirriiee SSttaatteeGillespie at StauntonMount Olive at PawneeNokomis at Kincaid South ForkVirden at Girard

SSaannggaammooAthens at Pleasant PlainsAuburn at New Berlin Petersburg PORTA at Sangamon ValleyRiverton at Williamsville

SSoouutthh CCeennttrraallGreenville at Piasa SouthwesternHillsboro at RoxanaVandalia at CarlinvilleEast Alton-Wood River at Litchfield

NNoonn--ccoonnffeerreenncceeArgenta-Oreana at Tolono UnityBismarck-Henning at Villa GroveCentral A&M at ClintonCerro Gordo at FarmingtonChicago Academy at Martinsville (Sat.)Georgetown-Ridge Farm at Arthur-Lovington Heyworth at Tri-County Meridian at ShelbyvilleMaroa-Forsyth at MonticelloMarshall at Mahomet-SeymourMilford at East CentralOrion at Arcola (Sat.)Pana at Alton Marquette (Sat.)South Piatt at Salt Fork Tuscola at St. TeresaWarrensburg-Latham at Sullivan

BBiigg 1122Champaign Central at Normal WestDanville at Bloomington Eisenhower at Champaign CentennialMattoon at MacArthurNormal at Urbana

LLiittttllee IIlllliinniiCasey-Westfield at MarshallFlora at LawrencevillePalestine at OblongCumberland at Bridgeport Red Hill

SSoouutthh CCeennttrraallCarlinville at Alton MarquetteLitchfield at GreenvillePana at RoxanaPiasa Southwestern at HillsboroVandalia at East Alton-Wood River

NNoonn--ccoonnffeerreenncceeArthur-Lovington at Fithian OakwoodBreese Mater Dei at EffinghamCentralia at SalemCharleston at TaylorvilleChatham Glenwood at Troy TriadClinton at Maroa-ForsythCollinsville at SpringfieldFlanagan at Tri-CountyGirard at AuburnHoopeston vs. East Central at ShilohJerseyville at JacksonvilleKincaid South Fork at Petersburg PORTALincoln at Mount ZionMartinsville at Milford Monticello at MeridianNew Berlin at VirdenNewton at Albion Edwards CountyOlney at DupoPawnee at Athens Pleasant Plains at Mount OliveRobinson at St. Joseph-OgdenSangamon Valley at NokomisSalt Fork at ArcolaShelbyville at TuscolaSouth Piatt at Cerro Gordo Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin at Lombard

Montini (Sat.)Springfield Southeast at Peoria (Sat.)St. Teresa at Warrensburg-LathamStaunton at RivertonSullivan at Argenta-OreanaTolono Unity at Central A&MVilla Grove at Georgetown-Ridge FarmWashington at Springfield Lanphier (Sat.)Williamsville at Gillespie

Tolono Unity at Central A&M

This game will give a

peek into the pecking

order of both sides of the

Okaw Valley Conference.

Raiders coach Mark

Ramsey doesn't want

moral victories. But win or

lose, a good performance

against a perennial Class

3A power will bode well for

the rest of the season as

A&M tries to get back to

the playoffs for the first

time since 2006. The

Raiders' last meeting with

Unity was in 2000, when

the Rockets won 44-20 in

the Class 2A semifinals.

Honorable mentionMattoon at MacArthurCasey-Westfield at MarshallSt. Teresa at Warrensburg-

LathamLincoln at Mount ZionMonticello at Meridian

Tuscola at St. Teresa

Another fun Okaw Blue-

Black matchup. St. Tere-

sa’s inexperienced offen-

sive line will get an early

test against a vicious Tus-

cola defense. A Tuscola

win could put the Warriors

on the fast track to a long

Class 1A playoff run. Like

Unity/A&M, this is the first

matchup between these

teams since the confer-

ence expanded two years

ago. Their last meeting

was a 41-0 St. Teresa win

in the second round of the

1995 Class 2A playoffs.

Honorable mentionChampaign Centennial at

MacArthurSpringfield Sacred Heart-

Griffin at LincolnBridgeport Red Hill at

Casey-WestfieldVandalia at CarlinvilleMaroa-Forsyth at Monticello

Advertise on

Herald&ReviewOnline

Call 421-7928

Week-by-week schedule and best games of the week

Week 1 — Aug. 28

Week 2 — Sept. 4

AAppoollllooCharleston at Mount ZionEffingham at ParisNewton at Olney Salem at Robinson

BBiigg 1122Bloomington at UrbanaChampaign Centennial at Danville Eisenhower at Champaign Central MacArthur at Normal WestMattoon at Normal

CCeennttrraall SSttaattee EEiigghhttChatham Glenwood at JacksonvilleSpringfield at Springfield SoutheastSpringfield Sacred Heart-Griffin at Springfield

Lanphier Taylorville at Lincoln

LLiittttllee IIlllliinniiAlbion Edwards County at OblongFlora at Casey-WestfieldPalestine at Bridgeport Red HillCumberland at Marshall

LLiittttllee OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyyArcola vs. Arthur-Lovington at LovingtonEast Central at South Piatt Cerro Gordo at MartinsvilleTri-County at Villa Grove

PPrraaiirriiee SSttaatteeGirard at StauntonMount Olive at NokomisPawnee at Kincaid South ForkVirden at Gillespie

SSaannggaammooAthens at RivertonAuburn at Petersburg PORTANew Berlin at Sangamon ValleyPleasant Plains at Williamsville

SSoouutthh CCeennttrraallAlton Marquette at HillsboroGreenville at CarlinvillePiasa Southwestern at LitchfieldRoxana at VandaliaEast Alton-Wood River at Pana

NNoonn--ccoonnffeerreenncceeClinton at Argenta-OreanaMonticello at Central A&MShelbyville at Maroa-ForsythSt. Teresa at MeridianSullivan at TuscolaTolono Unity at Warrensburg-Latham

Charleston at Mount Zion

Both teams will have

plenty to play for in a

matchup of the two teams

expected to battle for the

top spot in the Apollo Con-

ference. In last year’s

game, Charleston took a

14-0 lead, but Mount Zion

stormed back to claim a

28-21 overtime win. The

Braves went on to go

undefeated in the regular

season and carry a nine-

game conference winning

streak into the season.

Charleston ended up 4-5,

missing the playoffs by a

game.

Honorable mentionEffingham at ParisArcola vs. Arthur-Lovington

at LovingtonCerro Gordo at MartinsvilleSt. Teresa at MeridianMonticello at Central A&M

Week 3 — Sept. 11

AAppoollllooMount Zion at SalemNewton at EffinghamOlney at Robinson (Sat.)Paris at Charleston

BBiigg 1122Champaign Central at Bloomington MacArthur at Eisenhower (Sat.)Normal West at DanvilleNormal at Champaign CentennialUrbana at Mattoon

CCeennttrraall SSttaattee EEiigghhttLincoln at Springfield SoutheastSpringfield Lanphier at JacksonvilleSpringfield Sacred Heart-Griffin at Chatham

GlenwoodTaylorville at Springfield (Sat.)

LLiittttllee IIlllliinniiBridgeport Red Hill at FloraCasey-Westfield at CumberlandLawrenceville at PalestineMarshall at Albion Edwards County

LLiittttllee OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyySouth Piatt at Tri-CountyCerro Gordo at ArcolaMartinsville at Arthur-LovingtonVilla Grove vs. East Central at Shiloh

PPrraaiirriiee SSttaatteeGirard at GillespieKincaid South Fork at VirdenNokomis at PawneeStaunton at Mount Olive

SSaannggaammooNew Berlin at Petersburg PORTASangamon Valley at AthensRiverton at Pleasant PlainsWilliamsville at Auburn

SSoouutthh CCeennttrraallAlton Marquette at VandaliaCarlinville at PanaHillsboro at GreenvilleLitchfield at RoxanaPiasa Southwestern at East Alton- Wood River

NNoonn--ccoonnffeerreenncceeArgenta-Oreana at MonticelloCentral A&M at ShelbyvilleMaroa-Forsyth at St. TeresaMeridian at SullivanTuscola at Tolono UnityWarrensburg-Latham at Clinton

Maroa-Forsyth at St. Teresa

Besides being the

hottest rivarly going, these

two teams haven’t been

beaten by another Okaw

team other than each

other since the Trojans’

loss to Shelbyville in 2004.

Since the Okaw split into

two divisions in 2007, this

game has decided the

“true” conference champi-

on. Expect a close one. St.

Teresa won last year’s

game by seven points, and

Maroa won the year before

by one. In eight meetings

since 2003, each team

has four wins.

Honorable mentionMount Zion at SalemNewton at Effingham MacArthur at Eisenhower

(Sat.)Cerro Gordo at ArcolaTuscola at Tolono Unity

Week 4 — Sept. 18

AAppoollllooCharleston at SalemEffingham at RobinsonNewton at Mount ZionOlney at Paris

BBiigg 1122Bloomington at Normal WestChampaign Centennial at MattoonDanville at Champaign Central Eisenhower at UrbanaNormal at MacArthur

CCeennttrraall SSttaattee EEiigghhttLincoln at JacksonvilleSpringfield Lanphier at Springfield SE (Sat.)Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin at SpringfieldTaylorville at Chatham Glenwood

LLiittttllee IIlllliinniiAlbion Edwards County at CumberlandLawrenceville at Bridgeport Red HillOblong at Casey-WestfieldPalestine at Marshall

LLiittttllee OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyyArcola at Villa GroveEast Central at Arthur-Lovington Martinsville at South PiattTri-County at Cerro Gordo

OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyy BBllaacckkClinton at St. TeresaMonticello at Tolono UnityShelbyville at Sullivan

OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyy BBlluueeArgenta-Oreana at MeridianMaroa-Forsyth at TuscolaWarrensburg-Latham at Central A&M

PPrraaiirriiee SSttaatteeMount Olive at Kincaid South ForkNokomis at GirardPawnee at GillespieVirden at Staunton

SSaannggaammooAthens at WilliamsvilleAuburn at Sangamon ValleyPleasant Plains at Petersburg PORTA (Sat.)Riverton at New Berlin (Sat.)

SSoouutthh CCeennttrraallEast Alton-Wood River at Alton Marquette

(Sat.)Hillsboro at CarlinvilleLitchfield at Pana Piasa Southwestern at VandaliaRoxana at Greenville

NNoonn--ccoonnffeerreenncceeFarmer City Blue Ridge at Flora (Sat.)

Normal at MacArthur

The Ironmen handed

the Generals their worst

loss of last season (48-21)

and broke their six-game

winning streak to start the

year. MacArthur learned

from the humbling loss

and went on to record a

run to the quarterfinals.

But it still stung, and the

Generals know if they’re

going to make a legitimate

run at the Big 12 title,

they’ll have to knock off

the top dog. MacArthur

hasn’t beaten Normal

since 1995.

Honorable mentionEffingham at RobinsonNewton at Mount ZionMonticello at Tolono UnityMaroa-Forsyth at TuscolaWarrensburg-Latham at

Central A&M

Week 7 — Oct. 9

AAppoollllooEffingham at CharlestonMount Zion at Olney Newton at SalemParis at Robinson

BBiigg 1122Bloomington at EisenhowerChampaign Central at Champaign CentennialDanville at NormalMacArthur at UrbanaNormal West at Mattoon

CCeennttrraall SSttaattee EEiigghhttChatham Glenwood at Springfield LanphierJacksonville at Springfield SHG (Sat.)Springfield at LincolnSpringfield Southeast at Taylorville

LLiittttllee IIlllliinniiBridgeport Red Hill at OblongCasey-Westfield at Albion Edwards CountyFlora at PalestineMarshall at Lawrenceville

LLiittttllee OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyyArthur-Lovington vs. Tri-County at OaklandSouth Piatt at ArcolaEast Central at MartinsvilleVilla Grove at Cerro Gordo

OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyy BBllaacckkMonticello at ShelbyvilleSullivan at St. TeresaTolono Unity vs. Clinton at Clinton

OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyy BBlluueeCentral A&M at Maroa-ForsythTuscola at MeridianWarrensburg-Latham at Argenta-Oreana

PPrraaiirriiee SSttaatteeGirard at Mount OliveKincaid South Fork at GillespiePawnee at VirdenStaunton at Nokomis

SSaannggaammooNew Berlin at Athens Sangamon Valley at RivertonPleasant Plains at AuburnWilliamsville at Petersburg PORTA

SSoouutthh CCeennttrraallAlton Marquette at RoxanaGreenville at East Alton- Wood RiverLitchfield at HillsboroPana at VandaliaPiasa Southwestern at Carlinville

NNoonn--ccoonnffeerreenncceeCumberland at Fisher

Villa Grove at Cerro Gordo

This game could poten-

tially decide the Little

Okaw Valley Conference

title. Until the Blue Devils

lost 20-8 to Pawnee in the

second round of the play-

offs last season, Cerro

Gordo had given them

their best game — an

18-16 Villa Grove win that

snapped a stretch of six

games in which the Blue

Devils had scored at least

45 points. VIlla Grove has

big numbers at the varsity

level, but the Broncos

return more experienced

players.

Honorable mentionMount Zion at Olney Central A&M at Maroa-

ForsythEffingham at CharlestonTuscola at Meridian

Week 8 — Oct. 16

BBiigg 1122Champaign Centennial at Normal WestMacArthur at BloomingtonMattoon at EisenhowerNormal at Champaign Central Urbana at Danville

LLiittttllee IIlllliinniiAlbion Edwards County at FloraBridgeport Red Hill at MarshallLawrenceville at Casey-WestfieldOblong at Cumberland

LLiittttllee OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyyArthur-Lovington at Villa GroveCerro Gordo at South Piatt Martinsville at ArcolaTri-County vs. East Central at Broadlands

OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyy BBllaacckkClinton at SullivanSt. Teresa at MonticelloShelbyville at Tolono Unity

OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyy BBlluueeArgenta-Oreana at TuscolaMeridian at Central A&MMaroa-Forsyth at Warrensburg-Latham

SSoouutthh CCeennttrraallAlton Marquette at Piasa SouthwesternCarlinville at LitchfieldHillsboro at PanaVandalia at GreenvilleEast Alton- Wood River at Roxana

NNoonn--ccoonnffeerreenncceeAthens at GirardAuburn at PawneeBenton at Anna-JonesboroBreese Mater Dei at NewtonCahokia at Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin Effingham at TaylorvilleGillespie at Sangamon ValleyHighland at CharlestonJacksonville at Centralia (Sat.)Mount Carmel at RobinsonMount Olive at New BerlinMount Zion at Bethalto Civic MemorialNokomis at WilliamsvilleOlney at Metropolis Massac CountyParis at Trenton Wesclin (Sat.)Peoria Woodruff at Springfield SoutheastPetersburg PORTA at StauntonQuincy at Chatham GlenwoodRiverton at Kincaid South Fork Salem at MascoutahSpringfield at WashingtonSpringfield Lanphier at Peoria Notre Dame

(Thurs.)Waterloo at Lincoln

MacArthur at Bloomington

Bloomington’s 23-13 win

ruined the Generals’

chance at a share of the

Big 12 title last year, and

that will serve as big-time

motivation for MacArthur.

Plus, there’s a good

chance the game could

again have conference

championship implica-

tions. MacArthur hasn’t

beaten Bloomington since

1994.

Honorable mentionMattoon at EisenhowerArthur-Lovington at Villa

GroveCerro Gordo at South Piatt Meridian at Central A&MEffingham at Taylorville

Week 9 — Oct. 23

AAppoollllooCharleston at NewtonEffingham at OlneyRobinson at Mount ZionSalem at Paris

BBiigg 1122Bloomington at MattoonChampaign Central at MacArthurDanville at EisenhowerNormal West at NormalUrbana at Champaign Centennial

CCeennttrraall SSttaattee EEiigghhttChatham Glenwood at LincolnJacksonville at TaylorvilleSpringfield at Springfield LanphierSpringfield Southeast at Springfield Sacred

Heart-Griffin (Sat.)LLiittttllee IIlllliinnii

Albion Edwards County at Bridgeport Red HillFlora at MarshallOblong at LawrencevillePalestine at Cumberland

LLiittttllee OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyyArthur-Lovington at Cerro GordoSouth Piatt at Villa GroveEast Central at ArcolaTri-County at Martinsville

OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyy BBllaacckkMonticello at ClintonShelbyville at St. TeresaTolono Unity at Sullivan

OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyy BBlluueeMaroa-Forsyth at MeridianCentral A&M at Argenta-OreanaWarrensburg-Latham at Tuscola

PPrraaiirriiee SSttaatteeGillespie at Mount Olive (Sat.)Kincaid South Fork at GirardPawnee at StauntonVirden at Nokomis

SSaannggaammooAuburn at RivertonPetersburg PORTA at Athens Pleasant Plains at Sangamon ValleyWilliamsville at New Berlin

SSoouutthh CCeennttrraallGreenville at Alton MarquettePana at Piasa SouthwesternRoxana at CarlinvilleVandalia at LitchfieldEast Alton- Wood River at Hillsboro

Robinson at Mount Zion

This will be Tim Nolen’s

first trip to Mount Zion as

Robinson’s coach after

spending 14 years on the

Braves’ sideline. Nolen won

83 games and made eight

trips to the playoffs at Mount

Zion, but the Braves didn’t

exactly miss him last sea-

son. Dave Smith stepped in

and led them to a 10-1

record, using a distinctly dif-

ferent style. Nolen hopes his

homecoming goes better

than his first game against

his former team — a 47-14

shellacking at Robinson.

Honorable mentionCharleston at NewtonChampaign Central at

MacArthurArthur-Lovington at Cerro

GordoMaroa-Forsyth at MeridianCentral A&M at Argenta-

Oreana

Week 5 — Sept. 25

AAppoollllooMount Zion at EffinghamParis at NewtonRobinson at CharlestonSalem at Olney

BBiigg 1122Champaign Centennial at Bloomington Eisenhower at Normal MacArthur at Danville Mattoon at. Champaign CentralUrbana at Normal West

CCeennttrraall SSttaattee EEiigghhttLincoln at Springfield Lanphier (Sat.)Springfield at Chatham GlenwoodSpringfield Southeast at JacksonvilleTaylorville at Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin

LLiittttllee IIlllliinniiCasey-Westfield at PalestineLawrenceville at Albion Edwards CountyMarshall at OblongCumberland at Flora

LLiittttllee OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyyArcola at Tri-CountyArthur-Lovington at South PiattCerro Gordo vs. East Central at BroadlandsVilla Grove at Martinsville

OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyy BBllaacckkClinton at ShelbyvilleSt. Teresa at Tolono UnitySullivan at Monticello

OOkkaaww VVaalllleeyy BBlluueeArgenta-Oreana at Maroa-ForsythMeridian at Warrensburg-LathamTuscola at Central A&M

PPrraaiirriiee SSttaatteeGillespie at NokomisGirard at Pawnee (Sat.)Mount Olive at VirdenStaunton at Kincaid South Fork

SSaannggaammooAthens at Auburn (Sat.)New Berlin at Pleasant PlainsSangamon Valley at WilliamsvillePetersburg PORTA at Riverton

SSoouutthh CCeennttrraallAlton Marquette at LitchfieldCarlinville at East Alton- Wood RiverGreenville at Pana Roxana at Piasa SouthwesternVandalia at Hillsboro

Taylorville atSpringfield Sacred Heart-Griffin

For a lot of years, Tay-

lorville had been one of

Griffin’s tougher games.

The defending state

champs will give the Tor-

nadoes a feel for where

they stand under new

coach Jeb Odam. But Tay-

lorville will be measuring

itself against a team with

49 straight wins in the

Central State Eight in what

is always a highly charged

atmosphere.

Honorable mentionMount Zion at EffinghamSt. Teresa at Tolono (UnityMeridian at Warrensburg-

LathamTuscola at Central A&MGreenville at Pana

Week 6 — Oct. 2