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Top 25 Sports Stories this Year on RiverBender.com

25. Edwardsville Football Coach Confident After Scrimmage With Triad
	August 26 2024 2:25 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,622 EDWARDSVILLE - The football teams of Triad and Edwardsville High Schools squared off in a modified controlled scrimmage in Week Zero of the new IHSA football season Friday night at Tiger Stadium,......

24. Crawford Makes IBCA First Team In 3A – Flowers, Oller Named To Third Team In 1A, Gilman An Honorable Mention
	March 4 2024 9:28 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,636 ALTON – The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association announced the rest of its All-State teams for Class 1A, 2A, and 3A over the weekend. A few area girls were announced to the 4A All-State......

23. First-Ever State Tournament Third-Place Game A "Celebration" For Edwardsville Baseball
	June 8 2024 8:25 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,645 JOLIET, Ill. - It was an unfamiliar situation for the Edwardsville Tigers baseball program Saturday afternoon. It was a fondly-remembered destination at Duly Health and Care Field in Downtown......

22. Chambers Leaves Legacy of Growth and Gratitude at Collinsville High
	February 26 2024 8:17 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,657 GRANITE CITY - Zach Chambers, a senior center for the Collinsville High boys basketball team, scored 11 points in what turned out to be his final varsity game, the Kahoks' 58-56 heartbreaking loss......

21. Jan. 17 Associated Press Girls Basketball Rankings - Alton Improves One Spot, CM Drops Down To. No. 9
	January 17 2024 7:11 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,690 ALTON - The Associated Press updated its Illinois high school girls basketball rankings as of Jan. 17, 2024. Alton gained its spot back at No. 2 in Class 4A while O'Fallon dropped a couple spots dow......

20. Dazzler Dance Company of East Alton DDC All-Stars Compete In National Dance Team Championships
	February 7 2024 1:01 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,721 EAST ALTON - Dazzler Dance Company of East Alton, recently took their DDC All-Stars to Orlando, Fla., to compete in the UDA National Dance Team Championships. The coaches are Katie Pluhar and her assistant......

19. Sea Of Green: Fans Show Their Devotion Once Again At Packed Lady Hawk Invite Championship
	January 29 2024 4:08 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,756 CARROLLTON - There is something special about small towns and sports, especially in Greene and Calhoun counties. On Saturday night, there was an epic matchup between the Carrollton High Hawks girls'......

18. EHS Grad Kate Martin Comes Through In Clutch, Scores 11 Points, Hits Big Baskets In Fourth As Iowa Holds Off UConn
	April 6 2024 10:59 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,799 CLEVELAND - Iowa's star and Edwardsville grad Kate Martin helped pick up the slack on Friday night, hitting key baskets in the pivotal fourth quarter in scoring 11 points to help Iowa defeat Connecticut......

17. Battlehawks Announce Schedule – UFL Also Says Championship Game Will Be Held In St. Louis
	February 5 2024 1:54 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,827 ST. LOUIS – A little over a month since the announcement of the new United Football League , teams all across the league are beginning to release their schedules. That includes the returning......

16. Swansea's and 2023 Alton River Dragons Pitcher Evan Gray Makes MLB Draft History
	July 16 2024 3:49 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,894 SWANSEA - A Swansea native and Belleville East High School grad Evan Gray earned congratulations on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, as he became the first Alton River Dragons player to be selected in the Major......

15. Veteran Coach Has Wealth Of Experience As He Takes Over Granite City Football Program
	August 18 2024 10:14 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 6,902 GRANITE CITY - Longtime coach Steve Roustio is the new head football coach at Granite City High School, and is looking to revive the Warriors after the team suffered through a nightmare 0-9 season.......

14. Alton River Dragons Launch Search for New GM After Martz Exit
	August 1 2024 10:43 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,005 ALTON - The Alton River Dragons completed their fourth season in the Prospect League on Wednesday. The team will now begin a search for a new general manager following the departure of Dallas Martz,......

13. Griffin, Couch State Champions; Champlin Second At IHSA Wrestling State Tournament: Local Athletes Shine At State Farm Center
	February 18 2024 9:07 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,050 CHAMPAIGN-URBANA - Civic Memorial's Bryce Griffin and Triad's Colby Crouch won the Class 2A state championships in their weight classes, while Drake Champlin of East Alton-Wood River finished second......

12. St. Mary's Catholic School Boys Make History, Prepare To Play In State Semifinals
	February 6 2024 2:59 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,055 ALTON - St. Mary's Catholic School's eighth-grade boys team is headed for the Southern Illinois Junior High School Athletic Association (SIJHSAA) state semifinals. The boys are 24-0 heading into a matchu......

11. AP Boys Basketball Updated Rankings - Collinsville Jumps Up To No. 2 In 4A, Breese Central Sits Atop 2A
	January 4 2024 9:39 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,069 ALTON - The Associated Press updated its Illinois high school boys basketball ranking Wednesday afternoon. Collinsville (16-0) just cracked the top 10 in the initial rankings released on Dec. 13.......

10. Alton High Grad Bryan Hudson's Stellar Relief Performance Earns Him First MLB Victory
	April 22 2024 12:07 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,200 ST. LOUIS - Reliever Bryan Hudson, an Alton High School grad, notched his first Major League Baseball win on Sunday, April 21, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Hudson, 26, was a 2015 Alton High graduate. H......

9. Jackson Musch Is Swimmer For Sunset Hills Boys Team, Always Looks To Improve, Uses Swimming As Aid In Other Sports
	July 7 2024 8:07 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,229 EDWARDSVILLE - Jackson Musch is one of the key 13-14 age group swimmers for the boys team at Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsvile, and he, along with many of his teammates, enjoyed success at th......

8. Local Gymnast Talia Omotola Shines, Takes Home State Gold
	April 17 2024 11:54 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,316 EDWARDSVILLE - Talia Omotola, an eighth-grader at Lincoln Middle School in Edwardsville, is attracting significant attention in the gymnastic ranks. She recently competed in the State Gymnastics Championship......

7. Alton Wins Highland Tourney For Second Year Straight - Proctor Once Again Named Tournament MVP
	January 20 2024 5:01 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,365 HIGHLAND – For the second year straight, the Lady Redbirds are Highland Tournament champions. A season ago Alton beat Okawville 54-38 in the final. This year, in the tournament’s 37th......

6. Emotions Run High As Lady Redbirds Beat O'Fallon In Sectional Semifinal, Avenging Last Season's Loss
	February 20 2024 9:33 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,389 BELLEVILLE – The Lady Redbirds were willing to do anything to make sure history didn’t repeat itself. “We were devastated last year,” an emotional Deserea Howard said regarding......

5. Kahoks Dispatch Shorthanded East Side In Fight For SWC Lead
	February 2 2024 10:28 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,604 COLLINSVILLE – Friday night’s contest between the hosting Collinsville Kahoks and East St. Louis Flyers had a lot riding on it. Collinsville came into the game 6-2 in the Southwestern......

4. Former Edwardsville Baseball Stars Eye MLB Draft Breakthrough
	July 15 2024 5:04 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,630 EDWARDSVILLE - Former Edwardsville baseball players, Jack Cooper, Drake Westcott, Hayden Moore, and Blake Burris are under consideration by Major League Baseball teams for selection in next week’s......

3. EAWR World Proud Of Jayden Ulrich's Quest To Be The Best At The University Of Louisville
	April 16 2024 11:54 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,645 LOUISVILLE, KY. - East Alton-Wood River head boys and girls track and field coach Russ Colona on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, reported that the Oilers' legendary shot put and discus thrower Jayden Ulrich......

2. "Positive Visualization Is A Key" - EHS Grad Kate Martin Plays Key To Iowa's Move To Final Four
	April 2 2024 11:51 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,732 IOWA CITY, Iowa - Edwardsville High School grad Kate Martin has made quite a name for herself in the legendary University of Iowa women’s team annals over her illustrious career. She gets another......

1. Adult Beginner to Champion: Taylor Unger's Inspiring Skate Story
	April 1 2024 2:26 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,847 TROY - Troy’s Taylor Unger is a story that would inspire any skater - young or old. The 31-year-old skating star didn’t begin her quest on ice until she was age 27. Over the course of thos......

0. Max Waltenberger's Solo Homer Secures Edwardsville's Tight 1-0 Victory
	March 16 2024 9:18 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 7,985 EDWARDSVILLE - In the completion of a suspended game from Thursday night, Max Waltenberger hit a third-inning solo homer for what turned out to be the only run of the game as Edwardsville took a 1-0......

-1. Five Local Wrestlers Secure Top Six Finish at IHSA State Tournament
	February 16 2024 2:30 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 8,012 CHAMPAIGN-URBANA - Five Riverbender.com area wrestlers won their first round and quarterfinal matches, guaranteeing them no worse that a sixth-place finish, while other wrestlers split their first two......

-2. Dallas Martz Named General Manager at Ballparks National
	September 5 2024 9:52 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 8,263 LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — Dallas Martz has announced his acceptance of the position of General Manager at Ballparks National, marking a significant milestone in his career. Martz, who has served......

-3. Darin Kimble, Ex-NHL Player, Is New SIUE Ice Hockey Club Head Coach
	June 20 2024 4:32 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 8,342 EDWARDSVILLE - The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Club Ice Hockey team is thrilled to announce the appointment of Darin Kimble as their new head ice hockey coach. Kimble brings a wealth of......

-4. Alton Snaps Nine-Game Losing Streak To Edwardsville – Elliot’s Late Game Heroics Sees Redbirds Win In OT
	January 11 2024 9:58 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 8,351 ALTON – February 21, 2020. The last time Alton had beaten Edwardsville in a boys basketball game. A nine-game streak snapped Thursday night at Alton High School. After being down by 11 points......

-5. St. Louis City SC Makes Handful Of Off-Season Moves - Ready For An Improved 2024
	January 1 2024 4:07 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 8,847 ST. LOUIS - It’s been over two months since St. Louis City SC was eliminated from the MLS Playoffs at the hands of their geographical rivals Sporting Kansas City. During those MLS Playoffs,......

-6. Kate Martin Officially Lands Spot On Las Vegas Aces Roster, Set To Make Her WNBA Debut Tuesday Against Los Angeles Sparks
	May 14 2024 8:21 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 8,855 LAS VEGAS - It's official - Edwardsville native Kate Martin has made the roster of the Women's National Basketball Association defending champions Las Vegas Aces, and is set to make her debut on......

-7. Three-Peat Upended - Tigers Fall To Providence Catholic In State Semifinals
	June 7 2024 10:38 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 8,966 JOLIET, Ill. - “Everything doesn’t always work out perfect,” Edwardsville baseball head coach Tim Funkhouser said after a 2-1 loss to Providence Catholic in the state semifinals......

-8. Alton's Sam Ottwell Takes Lead In SWC Boys, Tigers' Johnson Leads Girls Tourney
	September 4 2024 4:54 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 9,137 BOYS GOLF SOUTHWESTERN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND AT STONEWOLF GOLF CLUB, FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS OTTWELL SHOOTS 65, TAKES INDIVIDUAL LEAD, TIGERS LEAD TEAM STANDINGS AFTER FIRST ROUND......

-9. Highland Girls Tournament To Showcase Some Of State's Best Including Three Defending State Champs
	January 11 2024 10:16 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 9,367 HIGHLAND - The annual mid-season Highland girls basketball tournament always brings the best out of the teams that participate. That's because the teams that participate are some of the best in the......

-10. Calhoun Warriors Girls Volleyball Team Dominates Home Opener Against Routt
	September 6 2024 5:08 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 9,782 CALHOUN – In a thrilling home opener on Wednesday, the Calhoun Warriors girls' volleyball team delivered a commanding performance against Routt, winning both the junior varsity and varsity matches.......

-11. Historic Win: Alton Defeats Normal Community For Program's First Sectional Title
	February 22 2024 11:06 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 10,001 NORMAL, Ill. – “It feels good making history,” Alton’s Jarius Powers said Thursday night. She’s no stranger to making history, and the Lady Redbirds aren’t very......

-12. Granite City High School to Host 51st Annual Robinson/Lang Cross Country Invitational
	September 5 2024 3:02 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 11,238 GRANITE CITY — Granite City High School will host the 51st Annual Granite City Robinson/Lang Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at Wilson Park in Granite City. The event,......

-13. Alton Boys Soccer Team Shows Vast Improvement Under Coach Nasello, Big Games Coming Ahead
	September 6 2024 10:29 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 11,583 EDWARDSVILLE - The last time a boys soccer team at Alton High School finished above break-even was 2017, when the Redbirds went 10-9-2. Before that, in 2014, Alton finished at 11-7-3. However,......

-14. Jerseyville St. Francis/Holy Ghost Golf Team Wins IESA Sectionals
	September 5 2024 7:32 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 12,376 JERSEYVILLE – The St. Francis/Holy Ghost junior high golf team headed north to Lincoln to take part in the IESA Sectional tournament at Lincoln Elks Golf Course. Led by Adam Robinson’s......

-15. Absher, Elite Force Athletes - Elliott-Barnes, Borkowski, Johnson, Advance To New Balance Nationals
	March 8 2024 2:12 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 16,050 ALTON - Ebony Absher, of Elite Force Athletics in Alton, which trains track and field athletes, has some under her direction who have qualified for a large national competition - the New Balance Nationals......

-16. Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, Play It Again Sports Roundup: Birds Trip Explorers In Girls Volleyball, Maroons Fall In Football To Ft. Zumwalt West
	September 6 2024 4:20 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 18,016 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 PLAY IT AGAIN SPORTS ROUNDUP GIRLS VOLLEYBALL PIASA SOUTHWESTERN 25-25, MARQUETTE CATHOLIC 23-19: Southwestern took a straight-set win over visiting Marquette......

-17. Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, Boys Soccer Roundup: Belleville West Tops Collinsville, Triad Defeats Granite City
	September 6 2024 10:48 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 19,055 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 BOYS SOCCER ROUNDUP BELLEVILLE WEST 3, COLLINSVILLE 1: Sam Gebhart had a brace (two goals), while Braden Missey scored from the spot to guide Belleville West to a boys soccer......

-18. Viva Kate Martin! Former EHS Basketball Star Drafted 18th By WNBA Champs Las Vegas Aces
	April 16 2024 10:47 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 26,724 BROOKLYN, N.Y. - When it comes to Kate Martin, there are three words to describe where she'll be going to play professionally at: Vegas, baby, Vegas. Martin, a 2018 graduate of Edwardsville High School,......

-19. Tigers Have Home Opener, Redbirds, Shells, Warriors Seek Redemption, More Home Openers Set For Week Two Football Schedule
	September 6 2024 4:31 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 35,854 EDWARDSVILLE - The week two football schedule has Alton, Roxana, and Granite City, among other schools, seeking redemption for week one losses, while Edwardsville, coming off a thrilling win in wee......

-20. Big Second Quarter Powers Visiting Clinton To Win Over Marquette Explorers
	September 7 2024 7:16 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 48,236 ALTON - Looking to bounce off a week one loss at local rival Civic Memorial, the Explorers of Marquette Catholic hosted the Clinton Maroons in high school football action on Friday evening. Clear......

-21. Dramatic Defensive Plays Propel Eagles to 21-8 Win
	September 6 2024 10:02 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 50,715 BETHALTO — In a game dominated by defense, the Civic Memorial Eagles triumphed over the East Alton-Wood River Oilers with a 21-8 victory on Friday night in Bethalto. The game began with......

-22. Fourth Quarter Safety, Special Teams Plays Make Difference, Lawrence Central Takes 22-21 Win Over Tigers
	September 7 2024 7:21 AM \| 0 comments \| reads 59,429 EDWARDSVILLE - A blocked punt that went out of the end zone resulted in a safety with approximately five minutes left in regulation, and Hunter Lading missed a 26-yard field goal with 2:11 left,......

-23. Calhoun Stuns Defending State Champs With Last-Second Touchdown
	September 6 2024 11:47 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 124,139 HARDIN – It was the rematch. The date circled on the calendar for every Calhoun football player, coach, and fan. The defending IHSA Class 1A state champs Camp Point Central visited Hardin Frida......

-24. High School Football Week 2 Scoreboard
	September 6 2024 10:09 PM \| 0 comments \| reads 131,915 Non-Conference Althoff Catholic 61, St. Teresa 0 Quincy, 42, Alton 13 Nokomis 49, Argenta-Oreana 0 Belleville East 28, Pekin 21 Breese Central 49, Mater Dei 13 Calhoun 14, Camp Point Central......

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