Once again the V.F.W. will be engraving bricks for our Veterans Memorial Wall. The cost of the bricks are $100 each. You may pick up an application at the VFW Post located at 610 E. 4th St. Applications need to be in by September 30, 2023 to give us ample time to get them engraved before Veterans Day. If you have any questions please call Doug Taylor at 217-781-0017 and leave a message.Doug Taylor, Memorial Wall Committee
The Beardstown Tiger Middle School softball team is advancing to the IESA Softball State Tournament.
The Tigers won the Regional Championship with a 4 to 1 victory over Pikeland and captured the Sectional Title with a 3 to 0 win over Havana last Saturday. They will be the opening game of the Class 2A State Tournament, playing against Princeton Logan at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 22 at Champions Field in Normal. There will be a student fan bus going to the game with enough interest. For information and for ticket purchase information go to the Beardstown CUSD # 15 Facebook page.
On August 11, 2014, Actor/Comedian Robin Williams, age 63, was found dead in his California home. The cause of death was determined to be suicide. Linkin Park’s lead vocalist Chester Bennington was found dead on July 20, 2017 at his Palos Verdes, California, home from what was believed to be an apparent suicide. He was only 41. Anthony Bourdain, a celebrity chef and travel television personality, committed suicide at the age of 61 in 2018. All three of these celebrity deaths came as a devastating shock to the world, because how could these men who seemed to be on top of their game choose to leave this world behind? All the families seem to say the same thing every time. That if only they saw the signs leading up to the events, and been able to intervene and prevent it from ever occurring. But as the surviving party that’s all you feel like you can do in your grief is think about how you could have stopped it. If only you saw the signs. But the signs can be hard to see.
On Thursday, September 14, the Beardstown Middle School and High School cross country teams hosted their only home meet of the year.
Eighth graders and Seniors were recognized between the middle school and high school races. Seniors Emma Ford-DeWitt, Ashley Gil, and Karim Gomez and eighth graders, Oscar Cortes, Jack DeWitt, Lucy Harrison, Liam Hymes and Jared Montoya were recognized.
Coach Jacki Kelly commented, “the three seniors will be missed next year, but best of luck to all the athletes as they finish out their cross-country seasons.”
After blasting eighteen hits and scoring eighteen runs in an opening round win in the IESA Class 2A baseball regionals, the Virginia-Triopia-Meredosia middle school baseball team’s bats fell relatively silent in a semi-final loss to Athens. The Redbirds scored three runs in the first two innings but did not score again and the Warriors pulled away for a 13 to 3 win to end the season for VTM. In the opening round game, the Redbirds put Illini Central away early, exploding for fifteen runs in the bottom of the first and cruising to an 18 to 3 win. They added three in the bottom of the third to end it early. Graycen Embley, Natha Ayres, Cosmo Browning, Charlie Roegge, Avery Neathery and Nate Strubbe, all banged out two hits in the win. Ryker Howe, Ben Meyer, Chase VanMeter, Austin Thurman, Parker Kinstle and Carson Nergenah, all chipped in with one base knock.
The PORTA-AC Lady Bluejay Volleyball team won twice at home to push their season mark to 7-3.
Against a solid New Berlin Pretzel team, the Lady Jays snuck away with a straight set victory by scores of 25-21, 25-22. PORTA-AC had an easier time with Springfield Lutheran, winning 25-18, 25-13. In that one, Mikaela Clary had five kills, four aces and five digs to lead the way. Karlie Hoke added three kills and seven aces, Carson Arthalony had three kills and two blocks, Cassie Cox had four kills and one block. Jayce Privia had nine digs, Chloe Maltby had seven digs and Caitlyn DeFreezer had 11 assists for the winners.
It was a rough week for the BHS Varsity Volleyball team as they lost all three matches in straight sets to fall to 3-11 on the season. At home last Monday against a very good Illini West team, the Tigers lost 25-11, 25-14. Shelby Goodrich, Ashley Salazar and Gracy Hamlin all had a kill, Goodrich, Hamlin, and Brandy Mendoza each had an ace, Mendoza had a block, Alora Logan, Mendoza, and Mia Playan all had three digs and Vanessa Nunez had three digs and three assists.
In a tale of two halves, the BHS Tigers did just enough in the second half to survive a valiant comeback attempt by the Routt Rockets and pull out a wild 46 to 44 home win last Friday night. The Tigers built a 30-6 lead in the second quarter and led 30-14 at the half but failed to cover two onside kicks and gave up three touchdowns in the first three minutes of the third quarter to fall behind 38-30. BHS still trailed 44-38 going into the fourth quarter. With 10:20 left in the game, however, Tiger QB Ethan Heller willed his way to a 34-yard touchdown run, breaking several tackles along the way and followed it up with the 2-point conversion run to give the orange and black a 46-44 lead. Although the scoring ended there, the excitement did not.
On a rainy Monday, the PORTA-AC Central Golf Team headed west to play at Plum Creek Golf Course against the host West Central Cougars and the Brown County Hornets. PORTA-AC came home with two wins that evening after shooting a team score of 167. Brown County finished 2nd with a 181, and the Cougars followed up with 191. The medalist was Rioth Wort from Brown County with an even par 36. The Bluejays were led by Trace Donnan’s 38. He was followed by Keagan Dale at 41, Brody Pettit with a 42, and Brady Kinney with a 46. Griffin McClure posted a 47 and Brody Landon fired a 48. According to Coach Neil Gurnsey “the conditions were very tough today. It rained on the boys all afternoon and that can take a toll on players. I was very proud of them and how they held their composure on the course.”
The opening game at the newly renovated BHS Varsity Soccer field at the Beardstown Park District could not have worked out much better for the Tigers. A great crowd fit comfortably into the spacious new bleachers, they could readily see the score and time remaining on the brand-new scoreboard and were able to get refreshments nearby at the newly opened concession stand. Only the bathrooms remain to be finished at the freshly upgraded, JBS financed facility.