Illini West Charger Boys Basketball November 28th win over Abington-Avon

Illini West 40 vs Abingdon- Avon 30

Colby Robertson   16 points

Reece Shoup          13 points

Ethan Carlisle           4 points

Haydon Ronkin         2 points

Stephen Sparks         2 points

Les Robertson           3 points

Sandburg’s Bentley Named Region 4 Player of the Week for Nov. 20-26

 Carl Sandburg College women’s basketball sophomore Elly Bentley has been named the Region 4 Division II Player of the Week for Nov. 20-26 after matching her career high in scoring and helping the Chargers to their fifth straight win.

Bentley took home the honor after dropping 32 points in Sandburg’s 72-69 come-from-behind victory over Elgin on Nov. 21. The sophomore guard out of Limestone High School finished 10 of 28 from the field and 12 of 17 at the free-throw line as the Chargers rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 4:30.

Bentley added five assists, four rebounds and two steals in the win. Her point total matched the career-best 32 she put up in a victory last season at Southeastern Iowa.

Bentley has five outings this season of at least 20 points, and she’s averaging 22.3 points through seven games, which ranks third in Region 4. She’s helped the Chargers open the season with a 6-1 record ahead of a 5:30 p.m. contest Tuesday at home against Marian Ancilla.

November 22 Boys Basketball Illini West vs West Prairie

Illini West  59 wins over  West Prairie 33

Illini West

Colin Curfman  3 points

Colby Robertson  15 points

Ethan Carlisle         8 points

Haydon Rankin       6 points

Stephen Sparks      1 point

Reece Shoup           14 points

Brenan Grotts            8 Points

Wes Robertson          3 points

West Prairie

Hilton       5 points

Whitman  3 points

Coplan    10 points

C. Cordell   2 points

Clark            2 points

B. Cordell     2 points

C. Hunt         4 points

DeCounter    3 points

Boys Basketball November 21st Illini West vs West Hancock 

Illini West Drops to West Hancock

Illini West

Colin Curfman    6 points

Colby Robertson  19 points

Haydon Ronkin       9 points

Stephen Sparks      6 points

Reece Shoup           7 points

Wes Robertson       4 points

West Hancock

Forman                       6 points

N.  Hurt                        9 points

G. Grouthaus               6 points

Scott                             8 points

Barnes                           5 points

Knowles                        10 points

Shaw                               2  points

Siegfried                         12 points

4 Sandburg Volleyball Freshmen Voted to All-Arrowhead Conference Team

 A quartet of freshmen from the Carl Sandburg College volleyball team were voted to the All-Arrowhead Conference team after helping lead the Chargers to a second straight league title this fall.

Grace Vyhnanek, Madeline Mooney, Natalie Burden and Ayla Cannon were selected to the team by Arrowhead coaches as the Chargers shared the conference title with Sauk Valley at 9-1. Sandburg’s four selections tied Sauk Valley for the most by any school. Additionally, Chargers coach Todd Winkler shared Coach of the Year honors with Sauk Valley’s Jay Howell.

Vyhnanek, a setter from West Prairie High School, had 317 assists in 10 Arrowhead matches and played in all 33 sets against conference foes. She also had 42 kills, 51 digs and served four aces. Vyhnanek also was voted to the All-Region 4 team this season and finished 14th in the country with 1,179 assists.

The Chargers’ libero, Mooney led the team with 215 digs in 33 Arrowhead sets. The Metamora High School product also had 10 aces in league play. Mooney recorded at least 16 digs in each conference match, including 29 in a win Sept. 28 at Highland.

Burden, an outside hitter from New London, Iowa, had a team-best 96 kills while playing in all 33 Arrowhead sets. She finished with a .263 hitting percentage against conference opponents, tied for third on the team with 63 digs and was second with 115 points. Burden’s 14 kills Sept. 6 against Sauk Valley were her second-most in any match this season.

Cannon, a middle hitter from Burlington, Iowa, had team-highs of 123.5 points, 41 blocks and a .335 hitting percentage against conference opponents. Cannon’s 86 kills in league play were second on the team to Burden, and 28 of her blocks were solo efforts.

2023 ALL-ARROWHEAD CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Most Valuable Player: Lacey Eissens (freshman, Sauk Valley)
Grace Vyhnanek (freshman, Sandburg)

Madeline Mooney (freshman, Sandburg)
Maya Gartin (sophomores, Sauk Valley)
Mary Zettle (sophomore, Highland)
Natalie Burden (freshman, Sandburg)
Ayla Cannon (freshman, Sandburg)
Ava Wright (freshman, Sauk Valley)
Ella Sibert (freshman, Illinois Valley)
Katie Bates (sophomore, Illinois Valley)
Maggie Drew (sophomore, Highland)
Cadence Stonitsch (sophomore, Sauk Valley)

Coaches of the Year: Todd Winkler (Sandburg), Jay Howell (Sauk Valley)

2023 ARROWHEAD CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL STANDINGS
Sandburg         9-1
Sauk Valley      9-1
Illinois Valley   6-4
Highland          4-6
Black Hawk      2-8
Kishwaukee     0-10

Sandburg Men’s Soccer Puts 6 Players on All-Region 4 Team

 Carl Sandburg College was well represented on the All-Region 4 Division II men’s soccer team, placing three players each on the first team and second team.

Felipe Augusto Da Silva, Saul Etienne and Gabriel Barros Lima were first-team selections, while Rodrigo De la Fuente, Felipe Endo Dos Santos and Matteo Rissato Prado were second-team picks. They helped the Chargers to a 12-3-2 overall record, the No. 2 seed in the Region 4 tournament and an appearance in the region semifinals.

A sophomore center back, Da Silva was also nominated for All-America consideration while being voted all-region for the second year in a row. He started 15 contests for the Chargers and scored four goals on nine shots. His header in the 85th minute against Moraine Valley helped secure Sandburg’s 2-0 win in the quarterfinals of the Region 4 tournament.

Etienne, a sophomore forward, added all-region honors to his postseason accolades after being voted First-Team All-Arrowhead Conference earlier this month. He led Sandburg with eight goals, 22 points, 30 shots, 22 shots on goal and four game-winning goals this season.

Lima, a freshman defender, played in all 17 matches for Sandburg this fall, including 16 starts. He scored one goal and led the Chargers with seven assists. He was an integral part of a Sandburg defense that surrendered just 18 goals on the season and didn’t concede in eight matches.

De la Fuente appeared in 16 contests for the Chargers and finished second on the team to Etienne with seven goals and 15 points. The freshman forward converted both of his penalty kicks and tallied three game-winners, including the lone goal in Sandburg’s victory Sept. 6 at Illinois Central.

A sophomore center back, Dos Santos started all 17 matches for Sandburg. He scored two goals on the season and added an assist. His second-half goal at Rock Valley stood as the only score in the Chargers’ Sept. 17 road victory.

Prado, a sophomore center midfielder, appeared in all 17 matches and started 14 times for the Chargers. He tallied one goal, four assists and was second on the team with 25 shots.

2023 ALL-REGION 4 DIVISION II MEN’S SOCCER TEAM

First Team
Magloire Makila (F, Prairie State)
Leo Dutra (M, Prairie State)
Agbokou Geoffroy (F, Prairie State)
Felipe Augusto Da Silva (CB, Sandburg)
Saul Etienne (F, Sandburg)
Gabriel Barros Lima (D, Sandburg)
Bachir Bouamama (M, Morton)
Jean Leonardo (F, Morton)
Tyler Marconi (F, Illinois Valley)
Tyrese Baijnath (W, Illinois Valley)
Khori Miles, (F, Kishwaukee)
Bryan Cuevas-Tapia (CM, Rock Valley)
Yamir Gallegos (M, Moraine Valley)
Paul Urban (C, Triton)
Colin Hart (GK, Illinois Valley)

Second Team
Bruno Guiggiari (M, Prairie State)
Igor Mrvalgevic (F, Prairie State)
Thiago Souza (M, Prairie State)
Rodrigo De la Fuente (F, Sandburg)
Felipe Endo Dos Santos (CB, Sandburg)
Matteo Rissato Prado (CM, Sandburg)
Diego Rodriguez (M, Morton)
Matteo Vennin (D, Morton)
Francisco Pereira (D, Illinois Valley)
Liam Clarkson (D, Illinois Valley)
Ayman Farah (F, Kishwaukee)
Victor Ibarra (CM, Rock Valley)
Pedro Guzman (M, Moraine Valley)
Pablo Mancha (F, Triton)
Daniel Avila (F, Waubonsee)
Alejandro Torres (F, Black Hawk)
Sam Negus (GK, DuPage)

Honorable Mention
Eric Anderson (CM, Waubonsee)
Jamie Essam (M, Black Hawk)
Gabe Voung (F, Madison)
Malachi Daniel (F, Kankakee)
Lucas Visser (GK, Oakton)
Frank Antonio (M, South Suburban)
Aaron Ruiz-Lopez (F, Bryant & Stratton)
John Kraft (CB, Elgin)
Ramiro Gonzalez (CM, Milwaukee Tech)
Shani Mabruk (F, Daley)
David Aquino (F, McHenry County)

Girls  Basketball Illini West  Chargers  Win over  South Fulton 

Illini West 42 South Fulton 23

 Reagan Reed  25 points

Allison Icenogle   4 points

Kennedy Gunning 4 points

Madiso Quesenberry 4 points

Elly Krieg        3 points

Allison Hunter 2 points 

 November 20th  2023 Illini West Chargers Girls  Top  A- Town 

Illini West  62 vs A Town  36

Reagan Reed       23  points

Natalie  Wibbell    10 points

Allison Icenogle      8  points

Kennedy Gunning    6 points

Olivia Johnson         4 points

Madison Qusenberry   3 points

Corin Robinson             2 points

Allison Hunter               2 points

Ella Shutwell                  2 points

Addison Cook                2 points

November 20th 2023     Illini West Charger Boys Basketball  Drop to Illini Bluffs

Illini West  28 vs Illini Bluffs 53

Colby Robertson      12 points

Eathan Carlisle            7 points

Haydon  Rankin           4 points

Reece Shoup                2 points 

Khile Stonger                2 points

Steephen Sparks          1 points

 November 17th   Illini West Charger Girls Basketball     drop to Illini Bluffs   

Illini West 32 Illini Bluffs 42

Allison Icenogle  16 points
Reagan Reed 13  points

Elly Krieg      2  points

Addison Cook 1 points
Record 1-2

November 18th Illini West Charger Girls Basketball  fall to  Rock Island  Alleman

Illini west 30 Alleman 38

Reagan Reed with 16 points

Junior Reagan Reed and Senior Allison Icenogle both made the All tournament team   

Monday, November 20

Depart

6:00PM Girls Junior Varsity Basketball Abingdon-Avon High School Home
6:00 PM Boys Varsity Basketball

Illini Bluffs High School
Spartan Tip Off Classic

4:00 PM Away
7:30PM Girls Varsity Basketball Abingdon-Avon High School Home
Tuesday, November 21

Depart

06:00 PM Coed Varsity Wrestling Macomb 4:15 PM Away
6:00 PM Boys Varsity Basketball West Hancock
Spartan Tip Off Classic

4:15 PM Away
6:00 PM Girls Junior Varsity Basketball South Fulton Athletics 4:30 PM Away
7:30 PM Girls Varsity Basketball South Fulton Athletics 4:30 PM Away
Wednesday, November 22

Depart

6:00 PM Boys Varsity Basketball West Prairie HS
Spartan Tip Off Classic

4:15 PM Away

Thursday, November 23

Depart

No events scheduled
Friday, November 24

Depart

4:00 PM Boys Varsity Basketball Macomb Jr/Sr HS
Spartan Tip Off Classic

2:30 PM Away

Saturday, November 25

Depart

9:00AM Girls Freshman Basketball

OPEN Freshman Jamboree
(Monmouth Roseville and West
Hancock)

Home

7:00 PM Boys Varsity Basketball

Bushnell-Prairie City
Spartan Tip Off Classic

5:15 PM Away

Illini West Girls Basketball  November 13th 2023

Chargers fall to Havana 46-39

Allison Icenogle 15  points

 Reagan Reed   13 points

Elly Krieg  6 poiints 

Addison Cook   2 points

Olivia Johnson   2 points 

Allison Hunter  1 point 

Sandburg Women’s Hoops Set for 2nd Season Under Fernetti

The Carl Sandburg women’s basketball team looks to take another step forward in their second season under head coach Kellen Fernetti. The Chargers finished 12-20 last season but return several key pieces going into 2023-24.

The Chargers kick off their season at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 8 against Marshalltown in John Lewis Gym. Sandburg’s season opener will also serve as the fall semester Paint the House Red Night. All fans are encouraged to wear red, and the first 100 fans in attendance will receive a free bag of popcorn. There will also be Chargers giveaway items throughout the evening.

KEY RETURNERS

Elly Bentley (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone)

• Led the team with 18 points per game last season and appeared in all 32 contests for the Chargers.
• All-Region 4 and All-Arrowhead Conference selection as a freshman. 
• Fernetti: “Elly is a leader for our team and sets the tone for us with how she competes.  Elly not only can score the basketball at a high level, but she sets up others for success as well.”

Gracie Sims (Rock Island, Ill./Rock Island)

• Appeared in all 32 games for the Chargers last season as she averaged 3 points and 4 rebounds per game.
• Fernetti: “Gracie is a key piece to our defense. She is, more often than not, matched up on the other team’s best offensive player.”

Savannah Dominique (Galliano, La./South Lafourche)

• Was second on the team in field goal percentage last season, shooting 48.1 percent. She also averaged 3 rebounds per game. 
• Fernetti: “Savannah played her best basketball in the final third of last season and has picked up where she left off from that stretch of games.”

KEY NEWCOMERS

Brook Pieper (Abingdon, Ill./Abingdon-Avon)

• 6-foot, 1-inch forward
• Fernetti: “Brook comes in with many accolades from her highly successful career for the Tornadoes. She has a great feel for the game and is a skilled forward.”

Capre Ferguson (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg)

• 5-7 guard 
• Fernetti: “Capre begins her Charger career coming from the successful Galesburg High School program. She is a guard that can play multiple positions for us.”

Camille Kruse (West Point, Iowa/Fort Madison)

• 5-8 guard
• Fernetti: “Camille is Fort Madison’s all-time leading scorer. Along with her scoring ability, she is a versatile player that can fill up the stat sheet in many categories.”

COMEBACK FOR KELCI

Guard Kelci Shelton, a Monmouth-Roseville High School product, will return to the court after spending a year away from the game. The 5-6 guard started her career at Black Hawk during the 2021-22 season and joined Sandburg in the spring semester last season as a redshirt.

STAYING CLOSE TO HOME
Ten of the 12 players on the Chargers’ roster are from within an hour of Galesburg. Six of those 10 are from high schools in Sandburg’s district: Pieper (Abingdon-Avon), Ferguson (Galesburg), Shelton (Monmouth-Roseville), Elliot Lewis (Knoxville), Lauren Powell (West Prairie) and Armani Revis (Galesburg).

WHAT ARE YOUR SEASON EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS SEASON?

Fernetti: “Our expectations for the season are to see if we can build off our season from last year. We know it will be very challenging with our schedule and the opponents that we play. There will not be a night off on our schedule, and we will need to be ready to play each game.”

GAMES TO WATCH

• Jan. 4 vs. Highland

• Jan. 11 at Black Hawk

• Jan. 30 at Highland

• Feb. 6 vs. Black Hawk

THIS WILL BE A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IF …

Fernetti: “This will be a successful season if we defend and rebound. We believe we have a good mix of returners and newcomers to the team. Defending and rebounding will be a huge factor to see if we can achieve our goals.”

Sandburg Men’s Soccer’s Etienne Voted 1st-Team All-Conference

Nov. 2, 2023

GALESBURG — Carl Sandburg College men’s soccer sophomore Saul Etienne has been voted First-Team All-Arrowhead Conference by the league’s coaches.

Etienne, a striker, scored in each of the Chargers’ three conference matches and collected four total goals as Sandburg went 2-0-1 to tie Kishwaukee for the league crown.

Etienne had two goals on two shots in the Chargers’ 4-4 draw with Kishwaukee on Sept. 13. He added single tallies in victories Oct. 10 at Black Hawk and Oct. 14 against Illinois Valley. His goals in those two wins proved to be game winners.

Overall this season, Etienne led Sandburg with eight goals, 22 points, 30 shots, 22 shots on goal and four game-winning goals.

2023 ALL-ARROWHEAD CONFERENCE TEAM

First Team

Khori Miles (sophomore forward, Kishwaukee)
Saul Etienne (sophomore striker, Sandburg)
Ayman Farah (freshman midfielder, Kishwaukee)
Alejandro Torres (sophomore striker, Black Hawk)
Colin Hart (sophomore goalkeeper, Illinois Valley)
Second Team
Tyler Marconi (sophomore forward, Illinois Valley)
Guillermo Garcia (freshman central midfielder, Kishwaukee)
Francisco Pereira (sophomore defender, Illinois Valley)
Jamie Essam (freshman central midfielder, Black Hawk)
Tyrese Baijnath (sophomore midfielder, Illinois Valley)

Illini West vs. Pleasant Plains Volleyball Scores and Stats (Pleasant Plains Sectional Championship)

Illini West falls to Pleasant Plains at Pleasant Plains for the Sectional Championship in 2: 14-25, 16-25

eading stats for IW:

Kills- 

Josie Bryan with 11, Madalyn Boyer and Reagan Reed with 2

Assists- 

Corin Robinson with 6, Reagan Reed with 4

Digs-

Corin Robinson with 13, Kaelyn Ferrill with 10, Reagan Reed with 8

Service Points-

Madalyn Boyer with 4 and 1 ace, Kennedy Artman with 3

Blocks-

Audra Carroll with 2, Reagan Reed and Madalyn Boyer with 1

Chargers finish their season 34-5 with the most wins in school history, 3/3 tournament championships, a Regional Championship (3rd only in IW history), and the first ever Sweet 16 appearance. It has been a wonderful and memorable year with this group of girls and I cannot wait to see the success they have in other areas of their life. We graduate Allison Hunter, Kaelyn Ferrill, and Josie Bryan. They have set the bar high for our future classes to come. Thank you girls for 4 years of dedication, commitment, and sacrifice to help build this program to where it is now. 

Chargers Have Plenty of Hometown Flavor for 2023-24 Season

A pair of hometown transfers highlight the roster for the Carl Sandburg College men’s basketball team entering the 2023-24 season.

The Chargers will kick off their new campaign at 6 p.m. Nov. 2 against St Ambrose JV at John Lewis Gym. The Chargers are led by Ryan Twaddle, who is entering his 17th season as head coach.

KEY RETURNERS

Tyrese Grose (Granite City, Ill./Granite City)

• Finished third on the team in scoring last season at 8.3 points per game.
• Also finished third on the team in field goal percentage, shooting 45 percent.

Roee Dinnar (Tel Aviv, Israel/Ein Harod)

• Fourth on the team last season in 3-point percentage, shooting 30.8 percent from distance.
• Averaged 7.8 points per game as a freshman, also good for fourth on the team.

KEY NEWCOMERS

Jeremiah Babers (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg)

• A 6-foot, 1-inch guard who transferred from North Iowa Area
• Averaged 6.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4 assists per game as a freshman for the Trojans.

Koen Derry (Galesburg, Ill. / Galesburg)

• A 6-7 forward, Derry also transferred to Sandburg after playing last season at NIACC.
• Averaged 6.7 points per game while also shooting 54 percent from the field as a freshman.

SHOPPING LOCAL
Babers and Derry aren’t the only area products on the Chargers’ roster. Of Sandburg’s 16 players, 13 hail from within 90 minutes of Galesburg. The Chargers also have nine players who come from high schools within Sandburg’s district: Babers (Galesburg), Derry (Galesburg), Carter Clary (Galesburg), David Hise (Knoxville), Adam Kohl (Williamsfield), Brandin Lewis (Galesburg), Easten Schisler (Abingdon-Avon), Aidan Wagner (Galesburg) and Abel Wilson (United).

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS SEASON?

Twaddle: “I expect this to be an exciting team to watch this year. We have some great depth, so the kids are pushing each other daily to get better.”

GAMES TO WATCH:

The Chargers host the Sandburg Classic on Nov. 10-11. Black Hawk, Oakton and Lake County will come to Galesburg for the two-day event. Says Twaddle: “It should be a great two days of highly competitive basketball with two games each day.”

THIS WILL BE A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IF …

Twaddle: “This will be a successful season if we have a team-first and winning-first mentality. We need to have a team-first focus and not such a self-centered focus.”