Playing high school sports can be difficult for any athlete. It is much different from middle school for a number of reasons. Athletes are stronger, coaches are better and add to the fact homework, travel and even after school jobs.
Many players on the Charleston junior varsity soccer team have added another obstacle. Not playing the sport before joining the team in high school.
The Charleston junior varsity girl’s soccer team had 17 first half shots Tuesday against Monticello, but it was a single tap in the second half which made the difference.
The Lady Trojans won 1-0 behind a breakaway goal by sophomore midfielder Alyssa Finley. The ball was played forward to Findley and with a one-on-one with Sage goalkeeper Rachel White, Findley guided the ball to the right post.
By Frank Benik
Much like an old western showdown, rivals Charleston and Mattoon high school will play this Saturday for the third time this season in the second Annual Lady Trojans Spring Classic. The teams’ two previous meetings have ended in a 3-0 win for the Trojans, and a 1-1 tie. The tie, which was the most recent game, snapped the Trojans eight-game win streak.
Saturday’s game is set for high noon. How fitting. Read the rest of this entry »
Of the 159 seniors graduating at the end of this school year, ten have either received scholarships or intend on playing college sports. The athletes come from a variety of sports including basketball, volleyball, soccer, football and baseball.
One of the main reasons for the Charleston Lady Trojans success on the basketball court this season was because of their three varsity starters. Brittany O’Dell, Holly Wohltman and Haley Sparks, led the Lady Trojans to a school record 25 wins. While O’Dell will be playing soccer for Eastern Illinois University next year, Wohltman and Sparks will continue playing basketball. Read the rest of this entry »
Some of the past jerseys purchased by the Charleston Trojan Booster Club
donation given towards the lights at the CHS soccer and softball fields
By: Claire Dau
For the past few weeks, the Charleston School Board has cut hundreds of dollars out of their budget. Everyweek, the students, staff, and teachers are waiting to hear if it was their class, sport, or department that was cut. The Trojan Booster Club does everything in their power to help prevent a sports team from getting cut; but they can not do it alone. Read the rest of this entry »
Baseball, like other sports, is open to having unique events occur during a game, but the Trojans and the MacArthur Generals put that theory to test.
The Trojans (14-7) pounded the Generals 13-5 at home with 16 hits to go with the 13 runs.
Joey Miller (6-1) picked up the win in two innings of work as the Trojans sent six pitchers to the mound during the game.
“I thought we played well as a team,” said Charleston coach Derrick Landrus. “They were really good competition. We didn’t make any errors and if we keep it up we will be tough to beat. I think we hit decent, they made some mistakes and we made them pay for it early. We didn’t do anything in the middle, but got hot in the latter innings. We took advantage of their mistakes.”
Charleston Freshman Kelsie Abolt clears 9ft to win the pole vault at Olney Relays
By: Claire Dau
Pole vault is one of the only events that end in a miss. No matter how high a person vaults, they will always attempt to clear the bar higher and higher until they fail.
For all of the past pole vaulters at Charleston High School the highest clearable height is 9 feet, 9.75 inches, achieved by former Lady Trojan, Cassie Hughes in who was a state qualifier for the Trojans in 2001 and 2002.
Charleston Freshman Kelsie Abolt hopes to extend that height sometime in the next few years. By already vaulting 9 feet, 6 inches, as a freshman Abolt has plenty of time to accomplish that feat. Read the rest of this entry »
Charleston is sick and tired of not winning meets in 2010.
Friday that could change.
With the Charleston Lady Trojans track and field team only having two meets left before conference, it is time for the athletes to buckle down and focus at this crucial point in their season. At their last meet the Lady Trojans track and field team finished fourth out of five teams at the Olney Tiger Relays. Coach Chad Miller said he enjoyed the Olney meet, and that with conference only a couple of weeks away, the Lady Trojans need to buckle down. “Hopefully we have good showing in our next meet (Urbana Invitational), we have been short on girls all year as you know, and it would mean a lot to them if we came out strong. Read the rest of this entry »
With only one extra base hit, the Trojans put up 12 runs against the Cumberland Pirates today in a 12-2 victory.
After scoring one run in the third inning off an triple from leadoff hitter Calvin Bertrand, Charleston exploded for seven runs in the fourth. The Trojans used plate discipline drawing four walks and a hit by pitch. ”Their starter just appeared to run out of gas,” said Charleston coach Wade Hennig, talking about Cumberland’s starting pitcher, Butler. ”We focused on being patient at the plate and it paid off for us.” Nick Wilson would add another run with a sacrifice fly to right field, giving the Trojans an 8 to 2 lead.
Stolen bases were a big part of Charleston’s success against Cumberland, constantly putting runners in scoring position for Trojan hitter. Out of the five Trojan stolen bases, four of those runners ended up scoring. Coach Hennig focused on getting good jumps on Cumberland’s pitchers and used his teams speed to an advantage. ”Our running game was one of the keys to the game because it led to majority of our runs,” said Hennig.
Trojans celebrate a home run during their last home game against Danville
By Dion Martorano
With a high of 69 degrees and no clouds in the sky, the weather forecast looks to be set for a great day of baseball in Charleston.
The Trojans will send junior Joey Miller (5-1) to the mound to start the game against MacArthur, and it is expected that Cam Phipps (5-2) will follow Miller in the pitching order.
Trojans coach Derrick Landrus said he hopes to get at least two innings apiece out of Miller and Phipps.
In the Trojans last game they played against Olney last Saturday they came away with a win in 10 innings and got scoreless pitching from Miller (7 innings) and Phipps (3 innings), Landrus said.
