CHS faces problems of experience, depth

 

The 2008-2009 season will be the first year that the Apollo Conference has had wrestling as a sport.  With five of the eight teams participating in wrestling—Paris, Newton and Salem do not have wrestling teams—the upcoming season is a source for excitement among the participants.

 

“[We] are anticipating some individual some individual success while building a program for the future,” said Charleston coach Scott Black.

 

The Trojans will be attempting to win a conference championship without the services of one of their most successful wrestlers of the past few years, Mick Wurtsbaugh, who transferred to Mattoon High School for his senior season.  Losing their lone sectional qualifier in Wurtsbaugh, Coach Black is expecting big contributions from the younger wrestlers on the team.

 

“I’m expecting a lot from our returning wrestlers this year,” Black said. “I believe any of our returning letterman could have an outstanding season.”

 

Depth may once again be a problem for the Trojans.  Last year there were depth problems and this upcoming year the team seems to be bothered by the same issue.  Coach Black said that there is depth within the lower and middle weight classes, but that the upper weight classes do not have many wrestlers. 

 

A lack of experience within their team is also something that the Trojans may have to work through during their season, as the team only consists of “four or five juniors and one senior,” according to Black, which includes returning lettermen such as Bernard Head, Aaron Laursen and Justin Kater.

 

“Winning a conference title would be wonderful,” said Coach Black. “We have some pretty stiff competition in the Apollo Conference.”

 

That competition includes Robinson High School, which will return three time sectional qualifier Chris Grimm at 112 pounds and two time sectional qualifiers Bennett Williams (140 pounds) and Mitch Thacker (152 pounds).

 

Robinson also faces the challenge of replacing lost wrestlers,

 

“We had four outstanding seniors last year,” said Coach Levi Damron. “With them gone, I expect the rest of our lineup to step up and take their place. We have 10 returning starters”

 

“Robinson consistently has a very strong team,” said Coach Black.

 

The addition of wrestling as a program in Olney High School is what has allowed the Apollo Conference to acknowledge wrestling as a sport this year. 

Trojan Girls Basketball Looks to Build on Historic Season

After posting a 20 win season, and a second place at the Charleston Holiday Tournament, morale is definitely high as the Charleston Girls Basketball team begins their season at Mattoon.

One of those in Trojan nation that is excited is Head Coach Jeff Miller, who produced the second 20 win season, in only his second, says that he’s excited about some of the talent that returns to the Trojan bench this season.

“In my opinion, we have the best player in the conference in Stephanie Harper” said Miller. “She’ll probably be an all state candidate, and a tough player to stop.”

Harper returns to a Charleston team that saw four players graduate from last year’s squad. Harper, a threat in the post was an all conference selection in 2007.

Other players returning include Haley Sparks and Holly Wholtman at the guard position. Both saw minutes at the varsity level and at the JV level as well. “Haley is going to be our point guard this season,” Said Miller. “But if she gets in foul trouble Holly can slide over and play the one spot if we need her to.”

One of the obstacles that the Trojans will have to overcome, is the schedule. Taking on cross-county rival Mattoon in the first game of the season, will be no easy task. But the Robinson Holiday tournament presents new difficulties. Charleston plays at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and then again at 8 p.m. no easy task.

Back to back games against the first and third place finishers from 2007 Salem and Effingham, respectively, will be a tough early season test for the Trojans. But a goal for the season will certainly to bring home the hardware as the host of the tough Charleston Holiday Tournament.

Charleston beat Effingham in the semi-finals last season on the backs of Kayla Blagg and Stephanie Harper, both of whom were named to the all tournament team.

Back to back games again against those tough teams in the Wildcats and Hearts kick start 2009 for the Lady Trojans. But Charleston will finish with three consecutive in front of the home fan’s at Baker Gym.

Every summer, there is one player who makes giant steps to make a difference at the varsity level, according to coach Miller, that player is April Lunt. A sophomore, Lunt will see immedaite minutes as a varsity member. “She’s done a tremendous job for us” Miller said. “She’s grown like 4 inches since her freshman year. She’s a great rebounder and has a great midrange jumper.”

How does Miller think his team will shake out this season?

“We’re not going to be as deep as we were last season, we’ve got a different team, a different style. But I can guarantee that we’re going to come out and play hard.

The Lady Trojans kick off their season at Mattoon on Tuesday, before opening the home schedule against Altamont on the 20th.

Small size hinders Trojans

Charleston girls’ swimming coach Todd Keating is proud of his team’s performance in the 2008 season.

The girls finished 12th of 18 in the IHSA sectionals on Nov. 10, left treading water as Champaign Central took first.

In the 200-yard medley, the Lady Trojans finished 9th with a time of 2:13.71. In the 200-yard relay, the team finished at 1:59.29. Sophomore Savannah Esarey led Charleston in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:17.31, leading senior Kerri Brachear, who finished at 2:25.43.

However, Keating doesn’t blame the girls’ performance for their low placement. Rather, Keating believes the team’s small size is the key behind their performance.

“Teams who win are large because their swimmers are better rested,” Keating said. “With other teams, individuals only swim one event.”

Competing against teams with rosters of about 14 members, Keating said, is hard for a team of six to keep up with.

Regardless, Keating said he is proud of the team’s performance, citing sectionals as “a personal best.”

“This year we had a well-balanced team,” Keating said. “Most of the time, we get a lot of freestyle and not enough strokes.”

With the girls’ season over, Charleston boys will dive in led by coach Courtney Kimbro.

In her second year of coaching the Trojans, Kimbro notices an interaction between swimmers that draws them together.

“We really have a good team connection,” Kimbro said. “We really seem to get along really well.”

Though the season doesn’t begin until Dec. 16 at Normal West with Lincoln, Kimbro is already looking forward to its beginning.

The Trojans had nine swimmers last season. This year, though the roster isn’t officially set, Kimbro hopes for a good turnout: Fourteen students showed up at the team’s rule meeting earlier this year.

More than anything, Kimbro is proud of her team.

“My advanced swimmers really did a nice job at sectionals and worked really hard throughout the season,” Kimbro said in regards to the 2007-08 season. “Same for my beginner swimmers – an incredible job, as far as how they did, the improvement that they had.”

Kimbro looks back fondly on last season, but still looks ahead to the 2008-09 schedule.

The team has only one home meet this season at Eastern Illinois’ Ray Padovan Pool.

The Trojans’ dependence on Eastern for a venue can be challenging at times, Kimbro said.

“The only problem with not having your own pool is that you really have to work around Eastern’s schedule,” Kimbro said. “It’s amazing, all the different things going on with Eastern’s pool.”

Kimbro cited practice time — 8 to 10 p.m. — as the team’s only weakness; within the team itself, she said there is no visible weakness.

Still, Kimbro and the Trojans are grateful for the opportunities given to them.

“It’s really wonderful that we have a swim program, so we are happy with whatever time we are allotted at Eastern and very happy that they are accepting and willing to give us time,” Kimbro said.

The support of fans is also something the Trojans are grateful for.

Kimbro said the meets are “more or less a family atmosphere.”

“The parents are wonderful,” Kimbro said. “I have my own family, and my own family considers the swim team and the boys and their families a part of our family. That would be one more benefit or strength of our program.”

Charleston junior varsity trying to get feel for new lineup

Standing at six foot, seven inches, Charleston’s junior varsity basketball team’s newest player could be making an impact on the JV and varsity teams quickly.

T.J. Bell, a freshman strong forward, is entering his third season of basketball at Charleston, according to coach Jim Wood. Already listed on Scout.com as a player scouts are watching, the team is working to develop him into one of the top perimeter players.

“He’s a perimeter player for us, and so we’re trying to develop that,” Wood said. “Ball handling on the perimeter, defending on the perimeter, and really just trying to get his game in tune with our system and what we do. He is a young kid still, so we kind of have to bring him along, but he has a lot of natural ability that we’re trying to develop.”

Wood added that he has a lot of natural basketball skills and athletic ability, so they are just trying to fine tune him to suit the team.

Trying to figure out of Bell will play JV or varsity is just one of the unknowns for Wood. He is also trying to figure out what other players are going to play varsity or JV, and what combinations are going to work best for the team.

“Well, we really haven’t decided who’s going to play only JV or only varsity or mix and match,” Wood said.

Wood added that while no positions were questionable with trying to find players to fill the spaces, they are trying to find the combination of players that are working well and a rotation that will work in games.

There are a total of 11 returning juniors and seniors for this year’s varsity and junior varsity. Along with them, there are a few extra sophomores and freshmen that played at the lower level last year that are joining the team.

“We’ve got a mix of young and older player,” Wood said. A couple of freshmen, mixed in with the sophomores and then some of the juniors and seniors that have been here for a couple of years now.”

Wood said that the mix of age groups is making team chemistry a bit tougher, but that the team is working pretty well together so far.

When the new lineup is finally decided for the team, Wood said that they will be running a motion offense. They also have set plays that will be used as well, but the plays also feed into their motion.

On defense, he said the team tries to mix it up.

“We’ll play a little bit of man and a little bit of zone, and we’ll press a little bit,” Wood said. “We mix it up and that tends to keep teams off balance a little bit and plays into our favor if we’re proficient at playing different types of defenses.”

With Apollo conference action starting right on Dec. 5, the team has to start looking towards the schedule and, what Wood calls the balanced Apollo conference. He said that it is hard to know what the junior varsity will come up against.

“There could be some freshman players playing JV, or they might have a heavy junior roster for JV,” he said. “So, it’s really tough to say. The Apollo’s usually fairly balanced, though.”

Charleston JV boys basketball schedule

The Charleston boys junior varsity basketball team will have 16 games this season, playing all teams twice except for Urbana and Mattoon.

Fri 12/05/08 Paris High School * 6:15PM

Tue 12/09/08 @ Newton High School * 6:15PM

Fri 12/12/08 Olney (East Richland)HS * 6:15PM

Fri 12/19/08 @ Salem High School * 6:15PM

Fri 01/09/09 Mt. Zion High School * 6:15PM

Tue 01/13/09 Robinson High School * 6:15PM

Fri 01/16/09 @ Paris High School * 6:15PM

Tue 01/27/09 Urbana High School 6:00PM

Fri 01/30/09 @ Effingham High School * 6:15PM

Tue 02/03/09 Salem High School * 6:15PM

Fri 02/06/09 Newton High School * 6:15PM

Tue 02/10/09 @ Mt. Zion High School * 6:15PM

Fri 02/13/09 @ Olney (East Richland)HS * 6:15PM

Tue 02/17/09 @ Robinson High School * 6:15PM

Fri 02/20/09 Effingham High School * 6:15PM

Tue 02/24/09 @ Mattoon High School 6:15PM

Boys’ swimming schedule

Tue. 12/16: @ Normal West with Lincoln – 5:30 p.m.

Sat. 12/20: @ Bloomington Tournament – 9:00 a.m.

Sat. 1/10: @ Centennial Charger Invitational – 1:00 p.m.

Tue. 1/13: @ Urbana with Centennial – 4:30 p.m.

Sat. 1/17: @ Springfield Southeast with Lincoln – 9:00 a.m.

Sat. 1/24: Danville Schlarmann and Urbana – 10:00 a.m.

Sat. 1/31: @ Danville with Normal and Schlarmann – 11:00 a.m.

Sat. 2/14: @ Jacksonville with Danville Schalarmann – 11:00 a.m.

Charleston Varsity Girls Basketball Schedule

The Charleston girls basketball teams look to build on last season in which they finished second in the Apollo Conference. The schedule for the Trojans starts off with a bang, going across the county to take on the Rival Mattoon Green Wave. In December, the schedule gets tough with back to back games against last season’s conference champion Salem, and third place finisher Effingham. Charleston made history last season by finishing second in the Charleston Holiday Tournament, which is quickly gaining a reputation for being one of the most talent-laden tournaments in the state. Once again In January, Salem and Effingham come calling on back to back weeks. And the Trojans will finish out their season against another Big 12 opponent, Decatur Eisenhower

Date Opponent Location Time

11/18/2008 Mattoon Away 7:45

11/18/2008 Altamont Home 7:45

11/22/2008 Robinson Thanksgiving Tournament TBA

11/28/2008 Robinson Thanksgiving Tournament TBA

11/29/2008 Robinson Thanksgiving Tournament TBA

12/1/2008 Mt. Zion Away 7:45

12/4/2008 Paris Home 7:45

12/8/2008 Robinson Away 7:45

12/11/2008 Olney (East Richland) Home 7:45

12/15/2008 Effingham Home 7:45

12/18/2008 Salem Away 7:45

12/22/2008 Newton Away 7:45

12/27/2008 Charleston Holiday Tournament TBA

12/28/2008 Charleston Holiday Tournament TBA

12/29/2008 Charleston Holiday Tournament TBA

1/8/2009 Mt. Zion Home 7:45

1/12/2009 Robinson Home 7:45

1/15/2009 Paris Away 7:45

1/20/2009 Mahomet-Seymour Home 7:45

1/26/2009 Olney (East Richland) Away 7:45

1/29/2009 Effingham Away 7:45

2/2/2009 Salem Home 7:45

2/5/2009 Newton Home 7:45

2/9/2009 Decatur Eisenhower Home 7:45