Sports

Soccer

Strong start for BHS Soccer

The Beardstown Lady Tiger Soccer team is off to a strong start to the 2024 season.  Coach Francisco Hernandez and the girls traveled to Springfield last week for four games in the Lutheran Tournament.  

Beardstown dropped a tough one in the opener, losing to Athens 3 to 1 on Monday.  The Lady Tigers bounced right back in game two, beating host Springfield Lutheran 8 to 0 on Tuesday.  On Thursday, BHS won a real barnburner over Unity Christian of Decatur, sneaking away with a 1 to 0 victory.  The Lady Tigers wrapped up a 3-1 week to start the season with a convincing 7 to 0 win over Taylorville on Friday.

Pure joy! The AC-Central 7th grade volleyball team reacts after winning the final point of the Sectional Championship game to punch their ticket to the State Tournament. The Lady Knights post season run would take them all the way to Second Place in the state of Illinois in Class 1A.

Lady Knights are State runner up

The AC-Central seventh grade volleyball team’s postseason march took them all the way to the State Championship game.  Only a junior high sports juggernaut, West Lincoln-Broadwell, prevented the Lady Knights from becoming state champs.  A second-place finish in the state of Illinois in Class 1A is quite an accomplishment and the future is obviously bright for this group of young ladies.

Congratulations to the Triopia 8th grade volleyball team on their Regional Championship!

Lady Trojans fall in Sectional 

The Triopia Lady Trojan eighth grade volleyball team’s season ended one game short of the state tournament.  

Triopia faced off against Kinderhook-Western in the Our Saviors Sectional Championship game on Monday, March 11.  The Trojans lost 25-12, 25-16 to end their season at 16-9. Kinderhook moves on to the Class 1A State Tournament with a record of 19-3.

Beardstown Tigers

Tiger Wrestlers all get State win

All four Tiger wrestlers representing Beardstown in last weekend’s State Tournament action picked up at least one win.  None of the grapplers was able to bring home a medal but all four had very good weekends and great seasons. Beardstown sent two individuals to the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Fresh/Soph State Tournament and two individuals to the Illinois Elementary School Association State Tournament. Brothers Maddox and Alcantar Medrano qualified for the Tigers at the Fresh/Soph level and Jude Dawson and Kellen Brown competed in the junior high event.

Football

Girls Flag Football sanctioned by IHSA

Girls flag football is now an officially sanctioned sport by the Illinois High School Association.  The IHSA named it an official sport last month, starting with the 2024-2025 season, including October 11th and 12th inaugural state championship dates.  No host site has yet been announced but it will most likely be in the Chicago area since the majority of competing teams are from there according to the IHSA.

Numerous Tigers earn All-Conference

In their first year in the West Central Conference, the Beardstown Tigers were well represented on the winter sports’ All Conference Teams. A total of eleven Tigers received All Conference honors in girls’ basketball, boys’ basketball, and wrestling.  

Earning a First Team selection in girls’ basketball was sophomore Camila Salazar. Her sister, senior Delma Salazar, was named Honorable Mention.

Hint of Beardstown at State Tourneys

Although the Tigers were not directly represented at the recently completed IHSA State Basketball Tournaments, the road to glory did travel through Beardstown for three State Tourney teams.  

In the Class 1A State Tournament, as has happened many times in the past, a team that played in the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic had a chance to win the State Title. The Illini Bluffs Tigers lost in the championship game of the LTC to Abingdon-Avon. They would get sweet revenge in the Sectional Championship game at Bushnell, knocking off the Tornadoes 44-37 to advance to the final eight. In the Brimfield Super-Sectional, the Lady Tigers outlasted number one ranked Galena 47-41 to move on to Bloomington-Normal and the state finals.  A 60-48 win over Altamont in the semi-finals put them one win away from a State Championship. In the title game they would face off against defending champion Okawville and the Lady Rockets would prove to be too much, winning 48-36, ending Illini Bluffs season with a record of 32-5.

Congratulations to the AC Central 6th grade girls volleyball team on winning the Virginia Tournament held February 17th.

Congratulations A-C Lady Knights!

Congratulations to the AC Central 6th grade girls volleyball team on winning the Virginia Tournament held February 17th. - Congratulations to the AC Central 7th Grade girls volleyball team on their 1A Regional Championship victory over Springfield Calvary.

Congratulations to the Beardstown Tiger 6th grade basketball team and coaches for their 2nd Place finish in the Havana tournament.

Congrats Tigers!

Congratulations to the Beardstown Tiger 6th grade basketball team and coaches for their 2nd Place finish in the Havana tournament.