November 29, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Wells, defense shine as balanced SJO girls’ basketball team wins regional title

The high school girls’ basketball season has taken St. Joseph-Ogden High School all across the state of Illinois.

With plenty of wins to follow for the Spartans during the past three months.

The latest road trip — and most important one of the season — SJO will take will see the program travel north on Interstate 57 on Tuesday. With a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.

SJO (23-7) will face Prairie Central (24-8) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday in a Class 2A Peotone Sectional semifinal game. If the Spartans can beat the Hawks — they already own a 69-48 win against Prairie Central back on Jan. 10 in St. Joseph — then SJO will advance to play either Fieldcrest (31-2) or Paxton-Buckley-Loda (12-17) at 7 p.m. on Thursday in a sectional championship game in Peotone.

The latest game to transpire for SJO is taking place after another superb performance by the Spartans allowed them to celebrate a 2A regional championship this past Friday night. SJO easily defeated Kankakee Bishop McNamara 51-17 on Bishop McNamara’s home court, sealing the 18th regional title in program history and fourth in the last five seasons.

Defense propelled the Spartans past the Fighting Irish, with SJO holding Bishop McNamara scoreless in the first quarter to take an 11-0 lead. The Spartans’ offense picked up production in the second quarter, taking a convincing 33-7 lead into halftime and then holding a 49-15 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Balanced offense once again paced the Spartans in their regional title win.
Taylor Wells scored a game-high 10 points for SJO, with Payton Jacob not far behind with nine points. Ella Armstrong and Peyton Jones each supplied eight points, while Addison Frick tallied seven points and Ashlyn Lannert chipped in five points.
Alyssa Hamilton and Alison Kearney also got in on the offensive fun, each scoring two points apiece.

Banner
Related Posts

Jones named SJO student-athlete of the month

November 18, 2020

November 18, 2020

Helene Jones likes a challenge. Jones, the October St. Joseph-Ogden student-athlete of the month, enjoys math because it challenges her....

SJO softball wins Mattoon Tournament, but fall twice in conference play

April 16, 2019

April 16, 2019

Coaches always are eager to see how their teams respond after losses. For St. Joseph-Ogden High School softball coach Larry...

SJO boys’ basketball starts 2024 with win

January 6, 2024

January 6, 2024

Tanner Jacob has filled the role this season.Same for Coy Taylor. Tanner Siems. Logan Smith. And Luke Landrus. More often...

SJO graduate Crowe thriving at Parkland as Cobras vie for national championship

April 23, 2021

April 23, 2021

Peyton Crowe knows a thing or two about championships. Crowe was a part of the 2018-19 St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball...

SJO Softball letter and award winners

June 7, 2022

June 7, 2022

Kennedy Hudson, Sr.Jacey Lewis, Sr.Jessica Palmer, Sr.Taylor Wells, Sr.Alyssa Acton, Jr.Shayne Immke, Jr.Peyton Jones, Jr.Ava Northen, Jr.Kat Short, Jr.Halle Brazelton,...

Dukeman shines in classroom and in athletics

March 7, 2019

March 7, 2019

School comes easy for St. Joseph-Ogden High School junior Hannah Dukeman. Dukeman, who plays softball for SJO in addition to...

SJO baseball off to superb start

April 7, 2022

April 7, 2022

High-scoring wins. Dominant pitching performances. Balanced hitting up and down the lineup. These are just some of the staples the...

Blackburn soars on Friday nights

September 6, 2019

September 6, 2019

Kaylee Blackburn isn’t afraid of heights. In fact, the St. Joseph-Ogden High School cheerleader is known as a high-flyer. Blackburn,...

Jacob, Smith help SJO boys’ basketball stay unbeaten

December 15, 2023

December 15, 2023

It doesn’t seem to matter the team. Or the location. All the St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball team is doing through...

‘This team loves to compete’ SJO girls’ track and field continuing to train from home during pandemic as they wait for season to start

March 30, 2020

March 30, 2020

Fresh off tying for third place in Class 1A a season ago, needless to say the St. Joseph-Ogden High School...

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...

23-24 IPC WRESTLING ALL CONFERENCE TEAMS

February 23, 2024

February 23, 2024

The Illinois Prairie Conference has announced its conference wrestling teams. 1st Team: (U: means Unanimous)  PLAYER NAME GRADE WEIGHT CLASS...

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...

Armstrong, Lannert key three-game win streak for SJO girls’ basketball

December 6, 2021

December 6, 2021

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team ventured away from its home gymnasium for the first time last week....

SJO dances through adversity and earns date at state

January 22, 2019

January 22, 2019

On Friday afternoon, the St. Joseph-Ogden dance team thought its season was finished. Not because of how they performed. But...

Comments
Leave a Reply