Wildcats

Local wrestlers ready for State

Published by admin on Tue, 02/13/2018 - 7:41pm

    Consider it an off-year for area wrestlers.
    One year ago the three area high schools qualified 21 wrestlers for the state individual tournament in Champaign. This year only five made the cut.
    Wilmington’s Jack Narine (106), along with Coal City’s Connor Huston (113), Alex Friddle (120), Ryan Wasielewski (145) and Daniel Jezik (160) will all be gunning for state medals starting Thursday when they compete in the state finals at the State Farm Center on the University of Illinois campus. Each hopes to make it to the Grand March which begins at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Jack Narine is sole Wildcat wrestler heading to state

Published by admin on Tue, 02/13/2018 - 7:38pm

    Wilmington’s varsity wrestling team may have only sent two to the Sectional Saturday, but they finished with a 50 percent conversion rate, as one wrestler will be heading to state.
    Jack Narine (106) punched his ticket for the state finals at the State Farm Center in Champaign, as he clinched a second place in the Olympia Sectional.
    He showed absolute resiliency to earn his spot, as Narine faced some tough competition, including a pair of close-scored matches.

Comets too hot to handle for the Wildcats

Published by admin on Tue, 02/13/2018 - 7:33pm

    Wilmington dominates in football; Reed-Custer in boys basketball.
    The varsity Wildcats put last Tuesday night’s 100-62 loss to Reed-Custer behind them as they enter their final week of the regular season.
    Wilmington scored double-digit points in each of the four frames, but Reed-Custer was on fire as they converted turnovers into points and drained three-pointers.
    The Comets’ were catapulted by Gavin Grace who was 6-for-9 from three-point range, and scored 25 of his team-leading 28 points in the first half.

Local wrestlers prepare for grind in loaded Sectional

Published by admin on Tue, 02/06/2018 - 6:36pm

    The road to Champaign won’t be easy for Wilmington, Reed-Custer and Coal City wrestlers as they head to a loaded Olympia Sectional this weekend.
    The Sectional boasts 30 state-ranked individuals, including four state-ranked teams, with three of them coming out of the Coal City Regional. Those teams include Coal City, Prairie Central, Clifton Central and Clinton.
    To put it in perspective, there are four areas for the Sectional, including Olympia, Oregon, Vandalia and Chicago Hope Academy.

Wildcats down Seneca for an Interstate 8 win

Published by admin on Tue, 02/06/2018 - 6:26pm

    The Wilmington varsity boys basketball team got over their conference drought Friday night, as they picked up their first I-8 win over a tough Seneca team, 53-41.
    The Wildcats got off to a fast start, and were able to ride that momentum, as they outpaced the Irish to  win.
    Wilmington secured 14 points in the first quarter, as Joey Flannery got the offense rolling with an eight-point frame. He would eventually lead the ‘Cats with a 21-point night, adding eight more pionts in the third quarter, three in the second and two in the fourth.

Lady ‘Cats drop two heading into Regional

Published by admin on Tue, 02/06/2018 - 6:23pm

    The Wilmington varsity girls basketball team finished their regular season Thursday night, as they hosted Seneca during senior night in a conference match-up.
    The Lady Wildcats fell to the Irish, 46-25.
    Seneca’s offense was relentless from the start, as they took a 20-4 lead by the end of one, and continued to stay ahead at half-time, 31-9.
    Wilmington just took too long to get their side of the offense moving, as they really didn’t come alive until the second half, recording eight points in both, the third and fourth quarters.

Advancing to state

Published by admin on Tue, 01/30/2018 - 5:42pm

It won’t be a breeze getting through Coal City Regional

Published by admin on Tue, 01/30/2018 - 5:40pm

    Saturday’s wrestling regional at Coal City will feature some of the best wrestlers in the state.
    In total, the tournament will include 17 state ranked individuals from 10 different teams, each vying to place among the top three finalists in order to advance to an even tougher Sectional in Olympia.
    Schools who will be there include Coal City, Reed-Custer, Wilmington,  Clifton Central, Dwight, Prairie Central, Grant Park, Herscher, Bishop McNamara and Peotone.

Lady Comets, Wildcats prepare for Regional

Published by admin on Tue, 01/30/2018 - 5:37pm

    The girls basketball playoffs begin next week and it looks like Wilmington and Reed-Custer will be in a tough regional.
    Both teams will compete in the Braidwood Regional, with the Lady Wildcats kicking things off on Monday, Feb. 5 against Beecher.
    Wilmington enters as the 11th seed, and squares off against Beecher (6th seed) at 7 p.m. in the Reed-Custer gym on Monday.
    The winner will face second-seed Paxton-Buckley-Loda in the semifinal on Tuesday.

Wildcats settle for 12th in I-8 tourney

Published by admin on Tue, 01/30/2018 - 5:32pm

    If you take away the two middle quarters, Wilmington’s varsity boys basketball team hung close with a tough Peotone team during their final game of the I-8 Conference Tournament.
    In fact, just one quarter in, the Wildcats held a three-point lead over the Blue Devils thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Jon Gholson to make it 15-12.
    In the second quarter there was a momentum swing as Wilmington struggled to make their baskets, getting outscored 10-6, as Peotone reclaimed the lead heading into half-time, 22-21.