The Tornadoes were kept in check as they struggled to match up to the heavy defensive pressure from the Glenwood Titans as Taylorville fell 52-31 at Triad High School.  Wyatt Younker was named the WTIM Nicole Patrick Country Financial Player of the Game.  Taylorville finished their season 14-17.  Hart Media Group wants to give a big shout out to Seniors Malique Pearse and Landon Bowsher for their dedication this season and wish them the best moving forward. Glenwood will face Triad in the next round on Friday at 7 PM in Troy. Thank you to Coach Ryan Brown and the players for their support for us all season long and congratulations on a great season.  

The Taylorville girls basketball team's season is over after a 71-51 loss away to MacArthur in their 3A regional final.  The result means another successive season in which the Tornadoes bow out at this stage. 

 

From their opening possessions, Taylorville fell for the MacArthur press.  They conceded the game's first seven points and scored just one field goal in the entire first quarter.  They pulled to within three in the second, but the Generals caught fire and pulled well ahead.  They continued in similar fashion in the third quarter, building solid momentum which their raucous supporters helped boost.  Taylorville was hampered further by Grace Rogers's fouling out not quite halfway through the third quarter. 

 

McKynlee Siempelkamp earned the title of Chill Nicole Patrick Country Financial Player of the Game.  She scored 12 points, including her side's only four-point play of the season, and was perfect from the line.  Baileigh Jackson and Peyton DeMichael called time on their high school careers with 14 and 6 points, respectively.  MacArthur's Lexi Meyer soared above the rest with 22 points. 

 

The result sees Taylorville's final record read 10-22. 

Announcing your future plans is always exciting, and just like every high school senior, picking where you go to school is extremely important.  For athletes, picking that next step can even feel more daunting.  There are so many decisions that go into where you want to go and what you want to do, but for Taylorville senior Brogan Anderson, it was Parkland College. Anderson says that she is excited to get started.

 

 

While Anderson expressed sadness that she was graduating and moving on she says she is looking forward to the future that Taylorville volleyball will have. 

 

    
Anderson thanked her parents for their support along the way. 

 

 

Find out more information about Parkland College by visiting their website. 

 

 

 

Boody native and U.S. Olympic rugby standout Lauren Doyle has been named to the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

 

Doyle, a graduate of Eastern Illinois University, has represented the United States on the world’s biggest stages as a member of the USA Rugby women’s national team.

 

She grew up in Boody and was a multi-sport athlete at Meridian High School, competing in volleyball, basketball, soccer, and track before eventually finding her path in rugby.

 

Doyle is a three-time Olympian and Olympic medalist. Most recently, she helped the U.S. women’s rugby team earn a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. She also competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics, where the team finished sixth, and the 2016 Summer Olympics, where the U.S. placed fifth.

 

In addition to her Olympic success, Doyle has competed in multiple Rugby World Cups, finishing fourth with the U.S. women’s team in both 2018 and 2022.

 

From her beginnings in a small central Illinois community to the Olympic podium, Doyle’s career has been marked by perseverance, versatility, and sustained excellence at the international level.

 

Her induction into the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame recognizes not only her athletic achievements, but her impact representing Illinois and the United States on the global stage.
 

The Taylorville boys basketball team could not send the seniors away on a high, losing to Jacksonville 65-40 on Senior Night.  Landon Bowsher and Malique Pearse were honored before the game. 

 

The teams enjoyed a back-and-forth first quarter which ended tied at 11.  The Crimsons turned up the pressure in the second quarter, forcing turnovers and taking advantage of second-chance opportunities to go ahead 34-24 at the break.  The remainder of the game proceeded similarly, as only Maddex Havera and Blake Ladage could supply the Tornadoes' second-half field goals. 

 

Ladage led all players with 22 points and was dominant on the front-court baseline, earning him the title of WTIM Nicole Patrick Country Financial Player of the Game.  For Jacksonville, Wyatt Moore put up 15 points, all from threes.  Greyson Prevett also had 15, with Latrell Hemphill at 14.

 

Taylorville drops to 14-15 overall, and the loss ends a four-game winning run.  Their final regular season game is away to Mt. Zion on Friday.  Jacksonville is up to 21-8 and on an eight-game winning run.  That was their last game of the regular season; the Crimsons turn their attention to a playoff game away to Jersey - whom they comfortably beat just before tonight - next Wednesday.

Wyatt Younker was having a fantastic day on defense.  He was forcing turnovers, clearing lanes, even pulled down a couple rebounds. However, a left wing 3 pointer with 4.2 seconds left, secured a huge 51-49 win over the Effingham Flaming Hearts on Tuesday evening at the Dolph. The Tornadoes jumped out to a 15-9 lead in the first quarter, and would maintain that 6 point lead pretty much through the rest of the second and third quarter leading as much as ten points before trailing by 5 in the fourth quarter.  

 

Brock Brown sunk two quick 3s and the Tornadoes also got contributions from Wyatt Younker and Maddex Havera and Malique Pearse. Jenner Pals of Effingham dropped 7 and Jake Niebrugge added 2 as Taylorville lead 15-9.  In the second quarter, Taylorville and Effingham would adjust and the Tornadoes would hold a slight 10-7 run in the 2nd as defense was king.  Taylorville took a 25-16 lead into the locker room as a balanced attack led to points from Maddyx Owens, Younker, Blake Ladage, and Brock Brown. 

 

Brock Brown was the only Tornado to score in the third quarter as he dropped 10, but Effingham got 16 points from Cannon Bockhorn and Jenner Pals. and Effingham cut the defecit to 3 as Taylorville lead going into the 4th 35-32. In the fourth quarter Effingham tied it up again on 3's from Bockhorn and Pals, but Taylorville wouldn't let up.  Effingham even led by 5 leading 48-43 with 1:02 left.  Taylorville's Brock Brown kicked out a left wing pass to Blake Ladage who hit a huge 3 to cut the defecit to 2, 48-46.  With 43 seconds left, a scrum on the floor led to Taylorville thinking they had possession on a jump ball, but Effingham had called time out and hung on to possession. 

 

Taylorville was able to steal it though on the inbounds and led to an open Blake Ladage easy jumper under the basket as the Effingham defense wasn't set and Taylorville tied up the game at 48.  Pearse fouled Jake Niebrugge with 23 seconds left in an attempt to get the ball back.  Niebrugge made 1/2 free throws and Effingham once again led 49-48. With 9 seconds left, Malique tried to get the ball over to Maddyx Owens but the ball was knocked out of bounds.  On the play in Owens lobbed the ball over to Wyatt Younker who got a 3 point shot off over the outstretched hand over Dagg Thompson and it hit nothing but net giving Taylorville the win, or so the Tornadoes thought.  

After discussion, the referees added 0.9 seconds left on the clock but on the ensuing play, Blake Ladage picked off the inbounds pass, and the Tornadoes indeed hung on for a 51-49 victory. Taylorville went 9/13 from the free throw line, 12/31 from the field, and 6/18 from beyond the arc. Effingham went 8/13 from the free throw line, 10/26 from the field, and 7/15 from beyond the arc. 

 

Taylorville improves to 14-14 and Effingham falls to 10-20 on the season.  Wyatt Younker was named the WTIM Nicole Patrick Country Financial Agent player of the game. 

 

                          1              2              3           4          F

Effingham      9                7             16        17         49

Taylorville      15             10            10        16         51

The Taylorville girls basketball team's season remains alive after a 68-46 win against Lanphier in Decatur in the regional semifinal stage of the IHSA playoffs.  The Tornadoes will face regional host MacArthur in the final on Friday. 

 

The Tornadoes had one of their better starts to a game in the season, scoring 11 unanswered from the tip.  The Lions attemped to claw back, and a strong second-quarter run brought them to within two.  Taylorville responded with important makes at the end of the quarter to go into the changing room up 32-26. 

 

The purple-and-gold continued the momentum into the third quarter as McKynlee Siempelkamp, Baileigh Jackson, and Julie Wayman each put up multiple baskets.  Nora Thomas came alive in the fourth with nine points, the same number she had in the first three periods. 

 

For the second straight game, Baileigh Jackson earned the title of Chill Nicole Patrick Country Financial Player of the Game.  She and Thomas each finished with 18 points, with Grace Rogers and Siempelkamp at 21 and 11, respectively.  Alayah Jarrett put up 21 points for Lanphier.

 

With the win, Taylorville is now 10-21 and faces MacArthur on the latter's home court in the regional final.  Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday.  Lanphier ends the season 11-18.

Following a special vote by member schools, the Illinois High School Association has approved changes impacting the start of the 2026 high school football season.

 

The IHSA announced February 13 that schools voted 290 to 245, with 67 abstentions, to approve a special by-law proposal addressing both the first practice date and the number of required practices before the first game. About 75 percent of IHSA member schools participated in the vote, which concluded at midnight February 12.

 

As a result, the first official practice date for the 2026 football season will move up to Wednesday, August 5. In addition, players will now be required to complete 12 days of on-field practice, excluding Sundays, before they are eligible to compete in their first contest. Each practice must include at least one-and-a-half hours of on-field activity per player.

 

The vote follows a December decision by IHSA schools to expand the football playoffs by one week, a move that had reduced the required number of preseason practices to nine. After further discussions with sports medicine experts and safety advisors, the IHSA Board of Directors initiated the special vote to revisit those requirements.

 

IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said the decision prioritizes player safety while providing clarity for schools preparing for the season.

 

Anderson added that the association is open to future schedule changes for 2027, but with the 2026 season less than six months away, officials believe the approved changes strike the right balance between safety and preparation.
 

Brock Brown dropped 31, Taylorville didn't allow a fourth quarter field goal until about 48 seconds left in the fourth and the Tornadoes cruised to victory over the Mattoon Green Wave in an Apollo Conference matchup, 68-56 that saw several lead changes, a ton of 3 pointers, and a very physical basketball game. 

 

Brown got the scoring for Taylorville early with a three pouring in 11 points in the first quarter, but it felt like for every point that Taylorville scored, Mattoon answered with points of their own. Taylorville also got contributions from Wyatt Younker with a three, and Blake Ladage added four. Mattoon countered with 5 points from Max Wetzel and Jayvien Middleton, and three from Theren Gent and Tyler Haacke.  The Tornadoes led 19-18 at the end of the first. 

 

More of the same in the second quarter, as the Tornadoes continued their torrid pace two more from beyond the arc (Maddyx Owens and Maddex Havera).  For Mattoon, it was Lincoln Hayes with 7 and contributions from Tyler Haacke, Chandler Rice, and Gent.  Taylorville took a 36-33 lead at halftime.  The first half saw 6 three pointers from both sides and a super competitive game going into the locker room as Taylorville outscored Mattoon 17-15. 

 

Taylorville changed their defense going into the third, and Mattoon struggled to adjust against the halfcourt trap. Taylorville and Mattoon settled in and the Green Wave controlled most of the third quarter as Hayes added in 7, and contributions from Rice, Gent, and Haacke. Taylorville got nine points from Brown, Pearse, Ladage, and Owens. With about 2:45 left in the game, Mattoon's leading scorer Lincoln Hayes was seen in a heavy discussion with what appeared to be his coach.  Hayes left the game and never returned.  Taylorville trailed 47-45 heading in to the fourth. 

 

Mattoon was held in check for the fourth quarter, as Taylorville rained buckets with Brock Brown adding 12 in the 4th alone including a huge slam dunk that got Purple Reign fired up.  it was his second slam dunk of the game and Taylorville got contributions from Younker and Havera as well.  Mattoon didn't score a field goal until 48 seconds left in regulation when Jayvien Middleton added in a 2 foot runner.  Rice also got a field goal, but Mattoon looked to be a very different team in the fourth without their leading scorer and Taylorville cruised to a 68-56 victory.  Brock Brown was named the WTIM Nicole Patrick Country Financial Player of the game. 

 

                          1             2          3           4         F

Mattoon          18          15       14           9        56

Taylorville       19          17         9          23       68

It was a special night on the mat for Taylorville Junior High wrestling, as the program recognized its eighth-grade wrestlers and backed it up with strong performances.

 

Eighth graders Annabella Blue, Laiyken Coady, Braylon Smithson, and Ian Sneed were honored prior to competition, and their improvement throughout the season was evident. The team wrestled with confidence and composure, showing growth in every match.

Ian, Braylon, Laiyken, Annabella

 

Taylorville competed well against Porta, winning six of the ten matches, with two of the losses coming by close decisions. The Tornadoes followed that up with a hard-fought matchup against a tough Auburn squad, picking up three wins in eight matches. The eighth graders helped lead the way, but the entire team went out and competed from start to finish.

 

With regionals approaching, Taylorville Junior High is excited about the progress being made and the momentum building as the season continues.

The Taylorville girls basketball team lost their final regular season game at home to Effingham 67-37.  The team honored seniors Peyton DeMichael and Baileigh Jackson before the game. 

 

Effingham came into the game as the conference champion-elect.  They wasted hardly any time to take command, with baskets from such players as Alyssa Martin, Tessa Raddatz, and Averie Wolfe.  Raddatz continued her dominance into the second quarter with three threes.  Both teams aimed to move the ball quickly up court, but Effingham saw better success and brought an effective full-court press on Taylorville. 

 

Jackson scored six points, which along with her effective defense earned her the title of Chill Nicole Patrick Country Financial Player of the Game.  Her fellow honoree DeMichael topped out Taylorville scorers with nine.  For the away side, Wolfe, Martin, and Raddatz finished with 17, 13, and 12 points, respectively.  The pair also hit double-digits in the reverse fixture. 

 

The result sends Taylorville into the regional semifinals with a 9-21 overall record and a 5-5 conference record.  In a matchup revealed last Friday, they will travel to MacArthur High School - the site of an earlier match for them - for a rematch with Lanphier.  It's scheduled for Tuesday, February 17 at 6 p.m., and live commentary will be available on 96.5 The Chill.

 

Effingham jumps to 26-3 overall and 10-0 in the conference.  They host Richland County tomorrow before turning their attention to the playoffs.  The Hearts will face either Pana or Palestine. 

The Taylorville girls basketball team let a steady lead slip away in Pana, losing 66-62 to the Panthers.  The result means Pana wins back the Traveling Trophy after three straight Tornado wins in the matchup. 

 

Pana reached their foul limit in the first three quarters as Taylorville showed some improvement at the line. Two threes from McKynlee Siempelkamp in the first half helped her side gain a formidable advantage. 

 

In the second half, Taylorville's shooting from the field went cold as the opposite happened to Pana.  Joey Laker hit four threes in the second half, as part of eleven such scores across the game.

 

A handful of missed free throws by the Panthers presented Taylorville with a sliver of hope.  In the final minute, the Tornadoes regained possession on a fast-break.  While down three, Siempelkamp took a two-point shot and was fouled as the shot failed to score.  She made the first free throw and missed the second, but her side could not secure the rebound as Pana was able to hold on. 

 

Siempelkamp finished with 14 points and as the Chill Nicole Patrick Country Financial Player of the Game.  Julie Wayman contributed 11 points, with 10 each coming from Nora Thomas and Grace Rogers.  Laker bested everyone with 25 points, while Brooke Cox put up 22. 

 

Taylorville now is at 9-20 overall ahead of their regular season finale at home to Effingham.  The game is set for Tuesday, with coverage on 96.5 The Chill.  Pana improves to 11-14 and hosts North Mac in the first of four games in successive days to finish their regular season.  

Taylorville jumped out to a 9-0 lead and didn’t allow a field goal until 4:34 in the second quarter as the Tornadoes defeated the Pana Panthers 57-42.  What started off with a trip to the Christian County Coal Mining Museum, ended with taking the trophy home for Taylorville as they took an early 15-8 lead courtesy of Blake Ladage who dropped 8 points, Malique Pearse who dropped 3 and Brock Brown who added 4.  The Pana Panthers would see 8 free throws (6 from Easton Malisia and 2 from Cash Lynch). 

Pana would finally get a field goal at the 4:34 mark on a second chance layup from Cash Lynch and Easton Malisia would follow up with a 3 to cut the deficit to 15-13 but Taylorville would get points from Maddex Havera, Blake Ladage, and Brock Brown as the Tornadoes extended their lead 24-20 to head into the locker room.  

 

Coming into the third quarter, the Tornadoes changed up their defense slightly and Brock Brown came to life, as he added 8 points including a three point play, Wyatt Younker, playing in relief of Pearse who got into foul trouble early, also contributed four points.  Malisia added two 3 pointers but Taylorville extended their lead 40-29 going into the fourth outscoring the Panthers 16-9. 

 

In the fourth quarter, Taylorville continued their assault as Ladage added in 7, Pearse contributed 5, and Brown had 3.  Pana saw multiple point contributions from Cash Lynch, Tucker Beyers, Micah Meadows, Malisia and Jax Cjaikowski.  Taylorville ultimately hung onto the lead and pulled away with a 17-13 run to give the Tornadoes a 57-42 win and the Coal Miners Trophy for yet another year.  

 

Blake Ladage was named the WTIM Nicole Patrick Country Financial Player of the Game. 

 

Leading point scorers: Taylorville Blake Ladage 21, Brock Brown 17, Malique Pearse 8, Maddex

Havera 5.  Pana: Easton Malisia 20, Cash Lynch 13, Jax Cjaikowski 3.  

 

Taylorville 5/8 from the free throw line, Pana 16/20 FTs.  

 

                     1 QT         2QT         3QT        4QT        F
Taylorville    15                9        16              17        57
Pana              8               12         9               13        42    
 

 

 

The Taylorville girls basketball team has now won successive games for the first time since the Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament after beating Mattoon 73-57 on Friday night.  Like the previous occasion, they achieved the run entirely at home.

 

Taylorville led wire-to-wire, though Mattoon did reduce the deficit to a single score multiple times in the first half.  Grace Rogers went on a run late in the second quarter to give her side a ten-point lead heading into the dressing rooms.  She continued it into the third quarter as, in addition, her side forced Mattoon beyond their foul limit each quarter.

 

The away side also ran into individual foul trouble.  Belle Powers fouled out as three of her teammates came within one foul of the same outcome. 

 

Rogers finished with 16 points and the title of Chill Nicole Patrick Country Financial Player of the Game.  Baileigh Jackson also had 16, while McKynlee Siempelkamp tacked on 12.  Hope Kietzman contributed just four points but managed several steals - especially in the first half - and assists.

 

For Mattoon, Kennedy Smith scored 23 points, which included seven three-point scores.  Ava Larson added 19 points.

 

Taylorville improves to 9-19 overall and 5-4 in the Apollo Conference.  A heavy dose of Christian County pride is on the line when the Tornadoes clash with Pana tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.  You can listen to live commentary as always on 96.5 The Chill.  Mattoon drops to 4-22 overall and 1-8 in the conference and hosts Sullivan in its next match. 

It wasn't the prettiest win, but Coach Ryan Brown says that the dub is more important than whether the team looks pretty, and Taylorville picked up an Apollo Conference win over the Charleston Trojans to sweep the season series 50-33, in an early game on Tuesday evening. 

 

A very defensive first quarter, resulted in several turnovers and a lot of misses as Taylorville took a 9-5 lead at the end of the first. Patrick Curtin, Maddyx Owens and Wyatt Younker got the start in relief of Malique Pearse who missed Tuesday night's game.  Coach Ryan Brown said he was thrilled with Wyatt Younker's effort this evening, saying that he was confident and played well. Brock Brown battled with Charleston's leading scorer Tyler Oakley, who recently broke the school record for points scored.  Brown kept Oakley to 3 and he would finish the game with 11. 

 

In the second quarter, the Tornadoes extended their lead outscoring the Trojans 14-8 and heading into the locker room with a 23-13 lead. The Tornadoes were able to extend that lead thanks to play from Maddex Havera, Younker, and Brown.  At halftime, Taylorville was 5/8 from the free throw line, 6/19 from the field, and 2/5 from beyond the arc.  Charleston was 1/2 from the line, 3/8 from the field, and 2/8 from the 3 point line. 

 

Taylorville continued in the third with a 15-9 lead putting the game away, including a 12-11 4th quarter.  From the Tornadoes, Maddyx Owens would finish with 8, Wyatt Younker would finish with 9, Maddex Havera would finish with 8, Blake Ladage would finish with 5, Patrick Curtin with 5 and Brock Brown with 15.  For Charleston, Tyler Oakley would finish with 11, Hudson Meister with 5, Rohen Walters, Russell Applegate and Quinn Taylor would combine for 14. 

 

Overall Taylorville went 12/17 from the free throw line, 13/35 from the field, and 4/12 from beyond the 3 point line.  Charleston went 5/8 from the free throw line, 5/18 for 2, and 6/18 from the arc.
Coach Brown talked about the win.

 

Taylorville improves to   11-14 on the season.  They will take on Pana on Saturday. 

 

The Taylorville girls basketball team breezed past Charleston 50-30 on Tuesday night.  The Tornadoes led wire-to-wire to snap a seven-game home losing run. 

 

Charleston fought back from early possession struggles to pull the game to within three in the first quarter.  That's when Taylorville began to connect and did not look back.  In addition, they more and more effectively shut down the Trojans, limiting them to three points in the third quarter. 

 

Both teams had trouble taking care of the ball, but Charleston especially, including in their own half.  Peyton DeMichael forced several of the turnovers, especially in the early stages.  The Tornadoes did not shoot well from the free-throw line, going 6-18.

 

Baileigh Jackson earned the title of Chill Nicole Patrick Country Financial Player of the Game with 21 points.  Grace Rogers added 13.  For Charleston, the 20 points from Sadie Phillips and 10 from McKaylee Patton accounted for all of their scoring. 

 

Taylorville is now at 8-19 overall and 4-4 in the conference.  They next face Mattoon on Friday at home, with commentary on 96.5 The Chill.  Charleston drops to 4-21 overall and 0-8 in the Apollo Conference, with a trip to Robinson next. 

Volunteer registration is now open for the Memorial Health Championship presented by LRS, a PGA TOUR-sanctioned golf tournament held at Panther Creek Country Club.

 

Tournament officials announced that COUNTRY Financial will once again serve as the official sponsor of the volunteer program. Organizers are looking to recruit more than 500 volunteers to fill over 20 different committees for this year’s tournament, which runs June 22 through June 28.

 

As the presenting sponsor, COUNTRY Financial will support volunteers who help with a wide range of roles throughout tournament week. Officials say opportunities are available for everyone, from first-time volunteers and golf newcomers to longtime fans and returning volunteers.

 

JR Earley, District Leader with COUNTRY Financial, says supporting community events like the Memorial Health Championship aligns with the company’s mission and its continued support of professional golf in Central Illinois.

 

Volunteers receive several perks, including branded apparel, meals while working, access to the COUNTRY Financial Volunteer Headquarters, weeklong credentials, behind-the-ropes access, and the chance to play the championship course during the volunteer golf outing. A limited number of junior volunteer positions are also available, allowing students to earn service hours. Early registrants will be eligible for incentive programs launching in March.

 

Tournament Director Kate Peters says volunteers play a vital role in tournament operations and help generate meaningful economic and charitable impact for the region.

 

More information and volunteer registration details can be found at memorialhealthchampionship.com. Questions can be directed to Emily Canham at 217-670-2910.

Professional tennis is returning to Decatur this summer.

The Illinois Women’s Pro Tennis Championships will be held June 8th through the 14th at the Fairview Tennis Complex, with the Robison Family once again serving as presenting sponsor.

 

The USTA Pro Circuit event will feature around 70 players from more than 20 countries, competing for a 30-thousand-dollar prize purse and valuable WTA world ranking points.

 

Tournament organizers say the event continues Decatur’s long tradition of hosting professional tennis and hope it will inspire young players in the community.

 

The Decatur Community Tennis Foundation is organizing the tournament. More information is available at illinoisprotennis dot com.

The Taylorville Tornado boys basketball team has been going through the gauntlet as of late, facing off against some of the top boys teams in the state and that continued with matchups against Mahomet and Lincoln on Friday and Saturday. 

On Friday, the Tornadoes started off the night against a tough Mahomet-Seymour Bulldog team that had yet to lose in the Apollo Conference.  Jackson Bohm, who had been kept in check with only 13 points against Taylorville the last time these two teams met up, went off and drained 32 points against the Tornadoes.  Taylorville did not have an answer for his attack. Nearly everyone else on the Bulldog team was kept in check, as Paxson O'Malley was the next closest scorer with 10, but the Tornadoes tried to do everything to slow him down, and when they did he found open guys who burned Taylorville. 

Taylorville trailed 22-19 at the end of the first quarter, in big part due to Blake Ladage and Brock Brown who scored 13 of the 19 points.  Bohm had 15 of the 22 from Mahomet. In the second quarter, Bohm continued pouring it on as he added 8 points which is all Taylorville could muster in that quarter as they were outscored 14-8 and Taylorville trailed by 9, 36-27 at the half. 

 

In the third quarter, Taylorville kept pace with the Bulldogs but the damage had already been done as the Tornadoes were outscored 20-15 with Brock Brown adding a couple of 3s and Jackson Bohm getting his 7 points. Mahomet's Parker Henry also got 7 points. Taylorville trailed into the fourth 56-42.  

The Tornadoes staged a mini comeback in the fourth quarter getting contributions from Brown, Brody McDowell, Kolton Reiss, and Wyatt Younker, but it was too little too late as the Tornadoes would lose a tough road matchup 69-60. 

Brock Brown was named the WTIM Nicole Patrick Country Financial Agent Player of the game for his hard work both on defense and on offense.

 

Taylorville again faced a tough battle on Saturday afternoon against a very good Lincoln Railers team.  The Railers took an early lead and never looked back as Brock Brown continued with his hot hand with six points in the first quarter, but Lincoln's Karson Komnick and Brody Tungate would drop 15 points and Tate Aue would add a couple of 3s as Lincoln dominated the first quarter 24-10.  

 

Heading into the second quarter, Lincoln continued their heavy domination outscoring Taylorville 16-7 as the Tornadoes could only muster one three pointer from Maddex Havera.  The team did go 4/8 from the line but that was the only scoring the Tornadoes could put together. LIncoln headed into the locker room with a 40-17 lead. 

In the third quarter, at about the 6:48 mark, Preston Short received a technical foul.  It is unclear as to why the foul occurred, but Short had been tripped up a little earlier in the third quarter. Less than a few moments later, it was Malique Pearse's turn to get a technical foul after he got caught up trying to guard Karson Komnick.  Pearse seemed frustrated at the foul call and was then ejected from the game and received another technical foul during Komnick's free throws. Taylorville would be outscored 19-12. with only Blake Ladage and Maddex Havera getting field goals. Taylorville would head into the fourth 59-29. 

 

In the fourth quarter, Taylorville got one three from Wyatt Younker but that would be it as they were outscored 14-3 in the fourth in the running clock.  Taylorville would give up 25 to Karson Komnick, and 17 to Brody Tungate.  Taylorville would get 11 from Maddex Havera and 9 from Brock Brown.  Blake Ladage would also add 7.  

 

Maddex Havera was named the WTIM NIcole Patrick Country FInancial Player of the game. 

 

Taylorville is next in action on Tuesday against Charleston.