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

SJO girls’ track and field ready for sectional meet on Friday evening

May 10, 2019

May 10, 2019

The first few weeks of a track and field season are sometimes about finding out what runners to slot into...

Altenbaumer, Brazelton spark 19-game win streak for SJO baseball

May 12, 2022

May 12, 2022

Successful seasons have become the norm for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team. This spring is no exception. The...

McCune accomplishes personal goal

May 14, 2021

May 14, 2021

At the beginning of his sophomore track season at University of Illinois-Springfield, St. Joseph-Ogden graduate Isiah McCune had a goal...

5 Question friday

August 26, 2022

August 26, 2022

Each Friday we will ask some SJO athletes five questions. Up first, junior football player Ethan McElroy. What made you...

SJO to discuss basketball in December

December 3, 2020

December 3, 2020

The St. Joseph-Ogden Board of Education decided to wait until December to make any final recommendation about basketball. The state...

SJO boys’ basketball can clinch Illini Prairie title tonight

February 13, 2024

February 13, 2024

Talk to enough coaches and players in the area and across the state and one common sentiment seems to pop...

It’s opening day for SJO softball

March 18, 2019

March 18, 2019

The expectations haven’t changed for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School softball team. Even with a new coach for the 2019...

Immke ties IHSA single-season home run record as SJO softball gears up for regional play

May 16, 2023

May 16, 2023

Some big home runs.Some big wins.Coincidence? Perhaps not. The St. Joseph-Ogden High School softball team has recovered from a slow...

Poe named male student-athlete of the month for August

September 20, 2019

September 20, 2019

Photo by Betty Lake Photography Eric Poe is a leader. St. Joseph-Ogden cross country head coach Jason Retz said Poe...

Taylor wins twice for Spartans at Rantoul meet

April 10, 2019

April 10, 2019

The first big outdoor invitational is the season is nearly here for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ track and...

Showdown at BHRA on tap for SJO boys’ basketball

December 16, 2024

December 16, 2024

The St. Joseph-Ogden and Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin boys’ basketball teams are familiar with each other. That’s because the two tradition-rich programs typically...

SJO cross-country teams eager to start season off and running

August 31, 2019

August 31, 2019

The end goal for every high school cross-country runner in Illinois is to end the season racing at Detweiller Park...

Crowe named student athlete of the month

January 30, 2019

January 30, 2019

St. Joseph-Ogden Senior Peyton Crowe loves science. She loves science so much she plans on majoring in it at Parkland...

Walsh giving back: Former SJO quarterback now an assistant with the Spartans

November 2, 2019

November 2, 2019

Dalton Walsh has grown up around St. Joseph-Ogden High School football. Quite literally. “I remember being a kid and always...

Athlete of the Month… Keegan McCarty

September 3, 2019

September 3, 2019

Every month in season coaches at St. Joseph-Ogden High School nominate athletes to be the student-athlete of the month. A...

Comments
Leave a Reply