The PORTA-AC Central Bluejays lost three times last week to fall below .500 on the year at 12-14. They fell at home to New Berlin and on the road at Riverton in Sangamo Conference games to fall to 1-4 in conference play. On Saturday the Bluejays had to match up with 3A Rantoul in a Sangamo-Illini Prairie inter-conference shootout and lost 51 to 40 to the Eagles.
The beat goes on for the PORTA/A-C Central Lady Bluejays as they won their only game last week to improve to 23-1 on the year. The boys’ team meanwhile split a pair of home games to remain over .500 on the season at 11-9.
PORTA-A-C Central went 3-1 in the 101st Winchester Invitational Tournament to secure a Fifth-Place finish. After their opening round win over North Greene, the Bluejays faced off against eventual tourney champion West Central and fell 69 to 46. A 43 to 35 win over Triopia followed. PORTA-AC won the 5th Place game over Hardin Calhoun by a score of 54 to 47.
The PORTA-AC Central Bluejays have won their last two games including an opening round win in the 101st Winchester Invitational Tournament. Prior to last week, the Jays had dropped three out of four games. They lost 53 to 33 in the first game of the Williamsville Holiday Tournament, then knocked off Roanoke Benson 54 to 40 in round two before their tourney ended at the hands of Tremont 66 to 58. A 46 to 29 loss to highly ranked Illini Bluffs followed before the Jays would right the ship.
PORTA-AC Central’s boys varsity basketball team had a rough go of it last week, losing both games on the schedule.
On Tuesday, the Bluejays fell to Cass County rival Beardstown at home in a closely contested game, 53 to 45. The very next day the Jays had to travel to Franklin and take on South County, falling 45 to 30 to the Vipers.
It was a quiet week for the PORTA-AC Central boys’ basketball team with just one game on the docket.
The Jays welcomed the Havana Ducks to Ashland last Friday then sent them home on the wrong end of a 55 to 32 score, outscoring them in every quarter.
There is little doubt that new PORTA-AC boys’ basketball coach Steven Price would have loved to win the Championship at the Saukee Turkey Tournament but he’s surely proud of his team after the Bluejays came away with a 3-1 record and the Sportsmanship Award. Only a frustrating loss to the host Saukees in game three kept the Jays from going unbeaten and hoisting the first-place trophy.
With last year’s head mentor, Colin Arthalony, deciding to ride out on the coattails of his departing senior son (and who can blame him) and all stater Gavin, the PORTA-AC Central boys’ basketball will enter a new era. Steven Price, a 2017 Buffalo Tri-City graduate, will take over as head coach, comfortable in the fact that a winning environment is already in place at PORTA-AC, stating “if you have a culture, you can do some great things and I’m lucky I don’t really have to reinvent the culture,” Price said. “I just hope to add to it.”
Three PORTA-AC Central Bluejay senior athletes signed their name on the dotted line to compete at the college level last Wednesday as part of National Signing Day.
Jayce Privia signed with McKendree University to play basketball. The Bearcats are a Division II school located in Lebanon. Trace Donnan inked with Augustana and will play golf. The Vikings are a Division III school located in Rock Island. Finally, Haven Gronewold signed to run cross country and track and field with Stetson University. The Hatters are Division I and are located in Deland, Florida.
The PORTA-AC Central Lady Bluejay volleyball team continues to play excellent volleyball, winning tournaments over back-to-back weekends at Beardstown and Waverly. Counting a win the week before the Beardstown Tourney and two wins between the tourneys, the Lady Bluejays are riding a ten-game win streak and sit at 24-6 on the season.