Coal City Courant

Coaler comeback upends the Blue Devils

Published by admin on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 4:15pm

by shawn long
staff writer
    The Coal City basketball team downed Peotone 66-56, thanks to a third quarter rally that got the game back under wraps for Coal City after they trailed for most of the first half.
    The Coaler boys (11-6, 5-1) were down 31-21 at the half but were not counting themselves out.
    They got back in the game in the third, taking the lead over the Blue Devils with a 30-10 run.
    That run gave Coal City a 10-point lead and more importantly, the momentum.

Friddle makes history during Princeton Invite

Published by admin on Tue, 01/08/2019 - 5:02pm

by shawn long
staff writer
     Coal City competed in the Princeton wrestling Invite Saturday, placing fourth overall out of 35 teams.
    The Coalers were in the hunt throughout the finals, finishing with two firsts, two seconds and one fifth. It was enough to tally 147.50 points, one-half point behind third place Dixon (148), second place Orion (158) and team champions Dakota (170.50). Reed-Custer was 19th with 59 points while Wilmington ended 22nd with 54 points.

Injury plagued Lady Coaler basketball team falls to Lisle

Published by admin on Tue, 01/08/2019 - 5:00pm

by shawn long
staff writer
    The Lady Coalers tried to avoid a five-game skid Monday by keeping their game with Lisle close. But the visiting Lions pulled away in the end to defeat Coal City, 50-33.
    During the first half, Coal City (6-12, 2-5 conference) trailed Lisle by just three points.

Coalers edge Morris to bounce back

Published by admin on Mon, 12/31/2018 - 5:54pm

by shawn long
staff writer
    The Coal City cagers had to fight for this one and when the dust settled they were on top 37-36 over Morris.
    “Our third battle with Morris this season was a battle,” said head CC coach Keith Kiper. “We need to get back to our confident ways and play our style of basketball.”
    The Coalers were up by five at halftime and needed to keep up the hot pace to knock Morris off. They were unable to do so, letting up 14 points in the third quarter as the Redskins were able to sneak back into the lead.

Lady Coalers have tough Lisle Christmas Tourney

Published by admin on Mon, 12/31/2018 - 5:54pm

by shawn long
staff writer
    The ball didn’t bounce their way for the Coal City girls basketball team as they lost two games and failed to advance deeper into the bracket during Lisle Holiday Tournament.
    The 16-team tourney features some top-notch teams and the Lady Coalers got a taste of the competition, losing to Chicago Latin for openers before dropping one to Rockford Jefferson, 47-33.
    The Lady Coalers (6-9)  had one-point lead to start the third quarter.    But Rockford came out fired up in the fourth to go on a 14-9 run.

Coal City grapplers win Abe’s Rumble title

Published by admin on Mon, 12/31/2018 - 5:52pm

by shawn long
staff writer
    For the second time in three years Coal City wrestlers have brought home first place from the 55-team Abe’s Rumble held in Springfield. The Coalers won all nine of their dual team matches to win the premiere Class A tournament on Saturday.

Is it time to trade in your Roark trading card?

Published by admin on Mon, 12/31/2018 - 5:48pm

by shawn long
staff writer
    Now that former Washington Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark has been traded to the Cincinnati Reds, is that autographed Roark card worth more or less?
    Dean Bapes, a 15-year sports memorabilia collector who owns Dean’s Dugout in Plainfield, said there plenty of factors that determine its value.

Reed-Custer just too tall for Lady Coalers

Published by admin on Sat, 12/22/2018 - 5:37pm

by shawn long
staff writer
    The Coal City girls basketball team hosted the Reed-Custer Friday and they had their hands full. Coal City  could not keep up with the Lady Comets in the second half of this game, taking the 40-27 loss.
    “Defensively, I think we did just about all we could with them,” said CC coach Brad Schmitt. “They’re a little more athletic than we are in a couple areas and bigger than we are in a couple areas. Holding them to 40 I thought was a pretty good goal for us.”

Pullara hits season-high 40 points during Coaler win

Published by admin on Sat, 12/22/2018 - 5:35pm

by shawn long
staff writer
    Austin Pullara was five points shy of setting a new Coal  City record Friday night, pacing the Coalers to a 68-49 victory over Reed-Custer.
    Pullara, a 6’2” junior, was just four points shy of the Coal City single-game points record, set by Joel Micetich, who scored 44 points in a game.  

Conferences will be eliminated from football

Published by admin on Sat, 12/22/2018 - 5:33pm

by shawn long
staff writer
Just when the break up of the Interstate Eight Conference has been hashed out, now it looks like it wasn’t needed when it comes to football as the Illinois High School Association announces it is doing away with conferences.
High schools across the state voted 324 to 307 to move away from a conference system to a district system.
Football coaches from Coal City, Wilmington and Reed-Custer are still trying to figure out exactly what the new vote will mean.
The first thing that they need to do is wait.