May 5, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Orcutt named Student Athlete of the Month

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Joel Orcutt isn’t just a standout basketball player.
He is also an artist.


“I enjoy doing art a lot,” he said. “I take pride in my work.”


Orcutt, who was named SJO’s male Student Athlete of the Month for January, had 18 points against Prairie Central on Jan. 25 and 12 points against Monticello on Tuesday night, and was nominated by SJO boys’ basketball coach Kiel Duval for the honor.


Duval said Orcutt has been the most consistent player for the Spartans for the past month.


“He’s getting better every day,” Duval said.


Orcutt was honored to be nominated.


“It feels good knowing that my hard work and performance is being noticed,” he said.


Orcutt said balancing athletics and academics is a tough concept, but one he thrives at.


“The most difficult part is keeping up with grades and still performing well,” Orcutt said. “And being an athlete almost year-round.”


Orcutt, who is going to attend St. Ambrose University to play football and plans on majoring in either biology or business, said he loves playing sports at SJO.


“The best part is the bonds that you create between you and your teammates,” he said. “Also, just playing the sports that I love at the school that I love is awesome.”

Banner
Related Posts

Spartans fall to T-Town

February 23, 2019

February 23, 2019

NORMAL— All basketball teams have an off-night shooting occasionally. It’s just too bad that the St. Joseph-Ogden Spartans picked the...

Sjuts saving the best for last

May 9, 2019

May 9, 2019

Rylee Sjuts is starting her final month as a track athlete for St. Joseph-Ogden High School. If the past is...

Pence looks to the future with scholarship offers

July 6, 2021

July 6, 2021

By Jim Cotter Growing up in the shadows of the University of Illinois, it was always a dream for Ty...

Ingram shines, but SJO football still seeking first win

September 17, 2021

September 17, 2021

Six wins are needed to automatically qualify a high school football team into the playoffs in Illinois. For St. Joseph-Ogden...

Student section brings the enthusiasm versus Olympia

March 10, 2021

March 10, 2021

Over the past year, students at St. Joseph-Ogden High School have endured many different changes in their lives during the...

Vogelsang resigns as SJO soccer coach; superintendent expresses frustration over ‘unfortunate’ situation

December 20, 2019

December 20, 2019

St. Joseph-Ogden High School will need a new soccer coach for the 2020 season. Dan Vogelsang has resigned from the...

Harper sparks SJO soccer to another win

September 25, 2024

September 25, 2024

The St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ soccer team has proven this season it can find the back of theopponent’s net. Frequently. The...

SJO girls’ basketball wins long-awaited season opener

February 8, 2021

February 8, 2021

The last time St. Joseph-Ogden hosted a girls’ basketball game before Thursday night, it had a good ending for the...

On the call: Sjuts delivers in PA role for Spartans

September 20, 2019

September 20, 2019

Even if you don’t know his name, chances are you know his voice. For nearly 20 years Keith Sjuts has...

SJO girls’ basketball embarks upon IHSA postseason play

February 13, 2023

February 13, 2023

Throw the records out the window.Take it one game at a time.Survive and advance.Pick any well-used cliche, and it’s applicable...

Franzen, Knap pace SJO girls’ cross-country at Spartan Classic

October 1, 2021

October 1, 2021

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ cross-country team had a strong showing at the Spartan Classic this past Saturday. SJO...

Armstrong leads balanced offense in win against Pontiac

February 25, 2021

February 25, 2021

Recovering from a tough home loss with a road win is always a good sign.Especially with multiple road games on...

Weaver, SJO football is a way of life

August 30, 2019

August 30, 2019

With the 2019 St. Joseph-Ogden football season ready to kickoff on Friday evening, we are beginning a new feature called...

5 questions with SJO football team captain Owen Birt

November 5, 2022

November 5, 2022

Why is being a team captain important to you?Being a team captain is important to me because it is important...

Plotner’s dedication to cross country pays off

October 4, 2019

October 4, 2019

Jillian Plotner works hard every day to be the best she possibly can be. St. Joseph-Ogden Cross Country Head coach...

Comments
Leave a Reply