ALAH Fall Sports Athletes Honored at Athletic Awards Night

These student athletes named to the various Lincoln Prairie All Conference teams Front row left to right, Noah Garrett, Football, Second Team Defensive Skill; Landon Waldrop, Football, Honorable Mention Running Back; Logan Beckmier, Cross Country; Lyle Adcock, Cross Country; Jacob Adcock, Cross Country; Charley Condill, Volleyball, First Team; Michaela Powell, Volleyball, First Team. Back row: Caleb Corum, Football, Second Team Offensive Line; Austin Abercrombie, Football, First Team Offensive Line and First Team, unanimous, Defensive Line; Kaden Feagin, Football, First Team unanimous for both Running Back and Defensive Back, and All Conference Offensive MVP; Jace Green, Cross Country; Kade Herschberger, Golf; and Aaron Seegmiller, Golf.
These athletes were selected by their respective coaches for the Knight Award. The criteria for this award varies for each sport and coach. The information for each is in the article about the Athletic Awards Night. From left to right: Maddix Stirrett, Football; Chance Lindstrom, Soccer; Max Allen, Football; Jace Green, Cross Country; Kade Herschberger, Golf and Cheyenne Chupp, Volleyball Soccer Award winners were Chilton Ingram, Offensive Player; Levi Ward, MVP; and Austin Stutzman, Defensive Player. Not pictured Carter Pratt, Most Improved These athletes were the recipients of the individual awards for the ALAH Football Knights: from left to right: Noah Garrett, Defensive MVP and The Good Soldier; Landon Waldrop, Most Improved; Kaden Feagin, Offensive MVP and Team MVP; Austin Abercrombie, Defensive MVP; Hunter Carnahan, Most Improved. The ALAH Volleyball award winners were: from left to right: Katheryn Perez, Team Spirit; Josie Hale, Sportsmanship; Delaney Gillis, Most Improved; Cheyenne Chupp, Knight Award; Charley Condill, Offensive MVP and Michaela Powell, Defensive MVP

By SALLY McCARTHY
Staff Writer

The Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond Fall Sport athletes from football, volleyball, soccer, cross country and golf teams were honored at the Athletic Awards Night held at ALAH High School on Friday, November 19.

ALAH Athletic Director Nathan Seal opened the evening by talking about being thankful for what was a more typical sports season and that “we were all here because of love – the love of sport, the golf team repeating as LPC champs, football making the playoffs, soccer scoring lots of goals to beat Mt. Pulaski, volleyball winning the LPC consolation championship and cross country’s regional, sectional repeats and then state runner up trophy. Even if you don’t love sports you love someone that is participating or just love to cheer for the Knights.”

Mr. Seal then thanked several people for making the fall sports seasons possible. They included Chris Danbury, athletic trainer; the high school faculty and school board; Mrs. Schrock, Mrs. Martinez, Mrs. Seegmiller in the office; Miller Transportation; Mrs. McGrath, Mrs. Creek and

Mr. Cheek in the Unit office; the local press – Arthur Graphic Clarion, Sullivan News Progress, Mattoon Journal Gazette, Champaign News Gazette, Decatur Herald & Review, WCIA and WAND tv; Doug Davis and Matt Schrock of the roundtable; custodial and maintenance staff; parents, coaches and the student athletes who represent their school, coaches and communities.

Mr. Seal then introduced Head Volleyball Coach Emily Crossman for her remarks on the season and presentation of the Volleyball Knights Award, which is given for each of the sports. Coach Crossman began with, “Are we glad to be playing in the fall? It was nice to have a regular season.” Volleyball had thirteen freshmen, one sophomore, eight juniors and four seniors. The fresh/soph team coached by Assistant Dana Tinkle saw incredible growth, the Jr. Varsity, coached by Assistant Coach Jessica Vanausdoll finished 11-7 and were a mix of new and veteran players, the Varsity finished 22-13, reaching their goal of a 20 win season, had many returnees and tremendous leadership. The teams were leaps and bounds better at the end. Coach Crossman said, “I’m the worst loser in the history of losers, but was so proud of the way the girls ended the season with the hard fought three set match loss to Monticello at Regional. I walked out of that gym with my head held high!”

Coach Crossman then presented the Volleyball Knight Award which she based on dedication, hard work and putting the team above self. This person has a true love of the Knights and the game. The Volleyball Knight Award goes to Cheyenne Chupp.

Next sport up was football and Coach Ryan Jefferson, who echoed Coach Crossman’s statement of loving being back in the fall. He stated perseverance was the theme of their season and there was adversity along the way with quarantines and injuries. Starting 0-3 and still believing in making the post season was expressed in the post-game huddle after that third loss. “We reset after game 3, the players didn’t quit, pushed through and didn’t give up that belief.” Football, unlike most sports that are in the post season automatically, has to win at least five games to qualify and the Knights did just that to make it into the post season.

Coach Jefferson presented two Football Knight Awards based on the characteristics of heart, faith and class. Winners were Max Allen, a good listener, learner and focused and Maddix Stirrett who was a willing learner and gave great effort.

Cross Country Coach Lyle Dorjahn spoke next and began by saying he thought they could repeat the success of last year so they upped their schedule and competed each week with state ranked teams and top individuals. He mentioned the girls’ team stating that Emma Edwards, the one returnee from last year set a goal of making it to Sectional which she did by running her best time of the season at Regional. Emma Jones, junior and the “Freshmen Fillies who all ran their personal bests at Regional, their last race of the season.

Coach Dorjahn then talked about the boys’ team that won their third Regional in a row, their second Sectional in a row and finished second in the State Meet. All runners PRed at the State Meet and we were the only team with four runners under 16 minutes. “I’m pretty proud of what we have done.”

Coach Dorjahn gave the Cross Country Knight Award to Jace Green who took charge and ran some extra practices like a coach and if a practice didn’t go well, he called out the ones that needed it. He is an outstanding student and community leader.

Pat Lindstrom, Head Soccer Coach was up next. He talked about how he and his Assistant Greg Thorne had a mix of first timers and seasoned veterans. The first games were played while still learning skills but they made a good showing at games. The team showed courage and commitment paired with school and personal pride. “The last game was the most enjoyable and the nicest game.”

Coach Lindstrom’s Soccer Knight Award criteria were pride, commitment, leadership, showing up early and staying late to improve themselves and their teammates. The Soccer Knight Award went to Chance Lindstrom.

The last sport on the evening’s agenda was golf and Coach Brad McGill spoke on the, as he likes to call them, the ALAH/Arcola co-op, that had eleven golfers, seven of which were from ALAH and those seven were seven of the top eight on the team. They finished 18-1 in matches, won their third Lincoln Prairie Conference title in a row, had three All Conference selections, and Braden Kauffman and Aaron Seegmiller qualified for Sectional. “They have a bright future and I’m looking forward to next season, it almost makes wearing purple tolerable.”

Coach McGill then presented the Golf Knight Award by saying, “golf is a gentleman’s game, honor and character mean a lot, which fits the winner. He is a leader in the classroom, school community, and is a great kid!” The Knights Golf Award winner is Kade Herschberger.

Mr. Seal then introduced the Lincoln Prairie Conference All Conference selections for Volleyball – First Team – Charley Condill and Michaela Powell; Football – Honorable Mention – Landon Waldrop, Offense, Running Back; Second Team – Caleb Corum, Offensive Line; Noah Garrett, Defensive Skill, Linebacker; First Team – Austin Abercrombie Offensive Line, Defensive Line, unanimous; Kaden Feagin, Running Back and Defensive, both unanimous; Cross Country – Logan Beckmier, Jace Green, Jacob Adcock and Lyle Adcock; and Golf – Aaron Seegmiller, Kade Herschberger and Braden Kauffman.

Each team then went to designated areas in the school to present their individual team awards. Those are listed with the pictures of the recipients.