The Taylorville Tornadoes fell to the Civic Memorial Eagles 53-35, taking second place in the 30th annual Holiday Taylorville Tournament.  The Tornadoes took an 11-2 lead, but the Eagles came storming back and at the end of the first quarter the score was tied 14-14.  Civic took a 28-26 lead at halftime, but a 19-5 run in the third quarter sealed the Tornadoes fate who fall to 4-1 on the season. 

Addison Tarr was again on the bench dealing with an injury.  She didn't play in the Mt. Zion game either. Taylorville Coach Hayden Eldred says that the girls are still gelling and learning from each other.  Civic wins the Tournament for the 6th time in 7 years.  Since joining the tournament Civic Memorial is 33-2 overall. 

 McKynlee Siempelkamp was once again named the Nicole Patrick, Country Financial, Player of the Game with 7 points and forcing multiple turnovers. This is her second award this season. 

Taylorville will head out to Effingham on December 3rd at 7 PM for their next game--an Apollo Conference matchup. 

The Taylorville Tornadoes improve to 4-0 on the season with a 57-47 Apollo Conference win over the Mt. Zion Braves.  Mt. Zion took an early 18-14 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Tornadoes stormed back tying up the game 27-27 at halftime.  The Tornadoes would have a great third quarter before pulling away in the fourth quarter. 

Kyleigh Heimsness was named the Nicole Patrick Country FInancial player of the game, with 20 points and at least half a dozen turnovers.  The Tornadoes were without Addison Tarr who is dealing with some injuries. Mazie Fleming also had a great game dropping 13 points. 

The Tornadoes will next be in action on Saturday evening at 8 PM as they take on Civic Memorial for what is expected to be the Tournament championship game. 

The Taylorville Tornado Boys Varsity Basketball squad traveled out to take on the East Peoria Raiders for opening night and took the loss 68-52. Taylorville Head Coach Ryan Brown was impressed with his team's play against a fast-paced and well-developed team in East Peoria. Brown feels this bodes well for the upcoming home game against Williamsville on Monday, December 5th at 7:00 p.m. at Taylorville High School. 

The WTIM Tornado Player of the Game Sponsored by Nicole Patrick, your Country Financial Agent in Taylorville, goes to senior, Drake Howard. Howard begins this year in full health and Head Coach Brown is happy to lean on Howard as a leader this year. 

Central A&M Lady Raiders - 29 vs. Argenta-Oreana Bombers - 31

Central A&M went down early after failing to score a basket early but came away winners of the first half putting up 20 points, the bulk of which came in the second quarter. Central A&M had a 20 to 14 lead at the half. The Lady Raiders however would only go on to score 9 points in the second half. The Bombers found themselves down just one point when they got a go-ahead three point basket from Gracie Manning with 10.3 seconds remaining. 

Central A&M got two cracks at the other end to win and were not able to convert on either, losing by a final score of 31 - 29.

Seitz Funeral Homes Player of the Game: #32 Lyndi Woods

The Lady Tornadoes basketball game against Mt. Zion on Friday has been rescheduled due to their appearance in the State Football Championship.  The Tornadoes will play Mt. Zion at 2:30 PM instead.  They were originally slated to play at 8 PM.  Pregame will start at 2:15 on 96.5 the chill.com. 

Friday's New Schedule:
2:30 PM - Taylorville vs. Mt. Zion
5:00 PM - Rochester vs. Jacksonville
6:30 PM - Civic Memorial vs. Hillsboro

The Taylorville Tornadoes held their end-of-the-year banquet recognizing the coaches, athletes, and staff that made this season a success. WTIM Broadcaster Leroy Kleimola and Nicole Patrick from Country Financial were on hand to give out the Player of the Game trophies and announce the Nicole Patrick Country Financial Player of the Year. 

• August 30th against Richland County Malique Pearse
• September 7th against Robinson, Liam Piatt
• September 13th against Columbia Clark Durbin
• September 20th against Mt. Zion Baron Odam
• September 27th against Mahomet Seymour Owen Mateer
• October 4th against Effingham Baron and Malique
• October 11th against Mattoon Cash Foraker
• October 18 against Charleston Owen Mateer
• November 2nd against Waterloo Owen Younker

The Player of the year is Baron Odam.  Odam said he was proud of himself and thanked his teammates and coaching staff for their support. 

The Taylorville Tornadoes improve to 3-0 on the season with a win over rival Rochester on Saturday night.  The Tornades won 43-30 thanks to a great defensive effort from multiple players.  Rochester hung with Taylorville for the first quarter, trading a few leads before the Tornadoes pulled away in the second quarter.  The second half was a defensive struggle as scoring was way down. 

Mazie Fleming was named the Nicole Patrick player of the game.  The Tornadoes will next be in action on Friday against Mt. Zion with pregame scheduled for 8 PM.  That could tentatively change, as Mt. Zion won their playoff game in football this evening. 

Listen to all the action on 96.5thechill.com. 

The Taylorville Tornadoes stormed out in front and never looked back winning 73-20 in an afternoon matinee against the Jacksonville Crimsons.  McKynlee Siempelkamp was named the Nicole Patrick Player of the Game with 7 points and forcing multiple turnovers.  The Taylorville Tornadoes will take on the Rochester Rockets around 8 PM tonight at Dolph Stanley Court in Taylorville on 96.5 The Chill.com. 

Gianna Tarr goes for 3 in a game against Jacksonville.  Picture courtesy TommyTV

The Taylorville Tornadoes overcame a slow start picking up a 63-31 win over the Hillsboro Hilltoppers in game 1 of the 30th Annual Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament.  Taylorville held a 29-16 lead at halftime before Addison Tarr took over pouring in nearly 30 points. Addison is the Nicole Patrick Player of the game.  

Other scores from day 1: Civic Memorial defeats Rochester 46-25, Mt. Zion defeats Jacksonville 49-13. 

Taylorville will play Jacksonville at 1 PM tomorrow and 8 pm tomorrow night against Rochester.  Hear all the action on 96.5thechill.com. 

The All-Apollo Teams were released by the Apollo Conference on Monday.  Congrats to Samantha Breckenridge, Brogan Anderson, Mazie Fleming, and Alayna Vincent of Taylorville.  See below for final standings and all of the players. 

Thursday marked an exciting moment for Taylorville High School as two of its standout athletes signed their college commitment letters, paving the way for their futures in collegiate sports. Mazie Fleming and Addison Tarr both made their college decisions official in front of family, friends, coaches, and teammates.

Mazie Fleming, a standout volleyball and basketball player for Taylorville, has committed to volleyball for the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS), where she'll continue her athletic career as a Prairie Star. Known for her strong presence on the volleyball court, Fleming has been an essential player for Taylorville, showcasing her skill, dedication, and leadership. Fleming says it almost came down to a last minute decision to pick UIS. 

Kim Peabody, Head Coach for the Taylorville volleyball team praised her Senior volleyball player and said she is going to miss her on the court but is excited to see her continue her college career. 

Addison Tarr, meanwhile, is set to join Southeast Missouri State University (SEMU). While her sport and position weren't mentioned in detail, her commitment to SEMU highlights her accomplishments and promise in athletics. Tarr's hard work overcoming injuries and her dedication to training and practice have earned her this opportunity to compete at the collegiate level.

Tarr says overcoming injuries has been the most difficult part of her journey but she's excited to play senior basketball and feels that she is even better now. 

Tarr says that after going to a camp at SEMU her mind was made up and she says that she wouldn't be here today without her huge support staff.

Both Fleming and Tarr's achievements reflect the strength of Taylorville's athletic programs, and their signings today were celebrated by all those who have supported them along the way. The two athletes look forward to joining their respective college programs and continuing to make Taylorville proud.

As heard on Groovy 97.3 WRAN...

Calhoun/Brussels - 38 - Central A&M - 7

Central A&M started things strong with an opening drive score on a 3 yard TD completion by Rhett McClain. This would be the last time the Raiders would score. The Warriors went on to put 38 points on the board unanswered for your final score. Central A&M moves to 5 -5 overall on the season after having gone 5 - 4 in the regular season schedule.

Four seniors received a heartfelt ending to their careers as the team celebrated them together for their years of service. 

Seitz Funeral Homes Player of the Game: #55 - Paul Brown , #60 - Gage McKinney, #61 - Landon McKinney, #72 - Drew Gerhold

The Taylorville Tornado Football season ended Saturday afternoon after the Waterloo Bulldogs surged back in the fourth quarter, winning in round one 33-30. Two interceptions in the fourth quarter, one a pick-six, gave the Bulldogs enough of a lead to hang on against an aggressive Taylorville offense. 

Two touchdowns from Owen Mateer, and one from Owen Yonker, had Taylorville with a lead with only 4 minutes left in the game. The consistency and power on both sides of the ball for Waterloo gave them the edge late. 

The Nicole Patrick Country Financial Player of the Game goes to Senior, Owen Younker. Younker finished the game with a kick-off return touchdown and a blocked PAT. 

Waterloo Moves on to play Cahokia in round two of the IHSA football playoffs. 

Central A&M Football led by Coach Weakly finished the regular season with a 5 - 4 record overall, going 4 - 4 in conference play. The Raiders find themselves in the 1A Playoffs First Round as a #15 seed. Central A&M will take on #2 seed Hardin (Calhoun) in Hardin, Illinois on Saturday, November 2nd at 1:30 p.m.

Hear postseason coverage on Groovy 97.3 WRAN starting at 1:15 p.m. this Saturday!

A short road trip for the Shelbyville Football Team tonight as they take on the 8-1 Pana Panthers at 7:00 p.m. for round one of the IHSA Playoffs in Pana. The Rams are coming off a 27-0 loss against 8-1 Eureka. The Rams head into the playoffs in 4th place in the Heart of Central Illinois Conference. Shelbyville is heading back to the playoffs after finishing last season in the state semifinals with a loss to Athens.

Hear the game on Crusin' 98.3 WSVZ with pregame starting around 6:45.