Coal City Courant

Ponio hopes to be a go-to guy at Beloit College

Published by admin on Tue, 01/26/2021 - 2:42pm

by shawn long
Sports writer
Coal City senior Riley Ponio won’t be retiring his bat anytime soon as he just committed to play baseball for Beloit College in Wisconsin.
Riley said it was between Joliet Junior College and Beloit but was sold on Beloit upon his first college visit.
“I was first going to go the JUCO route,” said Ponio. “But when I took my visit up to Beloit, they made it feel so much like home up there. The campus was beautiful. It really felt like a place where I could spend the next four years.”

Coaler wrestlers would conquer during dream team meet

Published by admin on Tue, 01/19/2021 - 3:21pm

by shawn long
Sports writer
If a wrestling match of dream team opponents was held between Coal City, Wilmington and Reed-Custer, it would have to be held in a venue bigger than the Coal City High School gym. Odds are fans from all three schools would result in an overflowing crowd.
But in this case, the stage for a dream team wrestling match is hypothetical as we pair many of the best wrestlers from all three schools on paper.

Coalers start practices Monday but Wildcats, Comets will have to wait

Published by admin on Tue, 01/19/2021 - 3:19pm

by shawn long
Sports writer
The good news for Coal City High School is that their cheerleading, boys and girls basketball teams can start practicing on Monday.
The bad news is Wilmington and Reed-Custer still have to wait.
On Monday, Region 2 which includes Grundy County, dropped to Tier 1 mitigations while Reed-Custer and Wilmington, in Region 7, remain under tier 3 restrictions.
According to CCHS Athletic Director Dan Hutchings and Principal Chris Spencer, they’ll be moving forward on Monday.

Coalers place near top during ‘Ultimate Track Meet’

Published by admin on Tue, 01/12/2021 - 1:35pm

by shawn long
Sports writer
For weeks The Coal City Courant has been publishing dream team articles that brought up the question: What if those athletes were pitted against one another in competition?
That question became a reality when Wilmington track coaches Larry Readman and Todd Lockwood came up with the idea of the ‘Ultimate Track Meet’.
Lockwood, the organizer, broke the chart down into the 14 different track-and-field events boys and girls. He then predicted the winners based on the school record holder in the event.

Student athletes hoping for answers this week

Published by admin on Tue, 01/12/2021 - 1:28pm

by shawn long
Sports writer
Coal City athletes and coaches are still at a standstill after the Illinois High School Assocation met with Deputy Gov. Jesse Ruiz, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Elementary School Association during a virtual meeting last week.
Athletic directors and high school students across the state were looking for a little more insight as to if and when state officials will give the okay to play sports.

Johnson getting her kicks with Oxford City soccer

Published by admin on Tue, 01/05/2021 - 2:49pm

by shawn long
Sports writer
Former Lady Coaler standout Alisha Johnson is excelling overseas as she just completed her first full club season on the Oxford City Club Soccer team in Oxford City, England.
“It’s exciting to play for on a completely different side of the universe,” said Johnson. “They live and breathe futbol over there.”

Soccer dream team features top Lady Coalers

Published by admin on Tue, 01/05/2021 - 2:46pm

by shawn long
Sports Writer
The Coal City girls soccer program is the youngest program in the district with 13 years in existence when it was started by coach Mike Kostbade.
Kostbade coached from 2006-17, leading the Coalers to two regional titles (2012, 2013).
With input from readers and past players we’ve created a roster of Lady Coalers who would make up a potenial dream team.
Alisha Johnson
Johnson was a four-year starter at wing for Kostbade who leads the Coalers all-time in career goals scored..

Coalers still successful in 2020 despite being locked down

Published by admin on Tue, 12/29/2020 - 12:59pm

by shawn long
Sports Writer
Sports in 2020 at Coal City High School were unforeseeable for most of the year with athletes wondering if they would even get to play their sport.
The year started well as the Coalers were able to finish winter sports seasons on a high note, including having the boys basketball team earn a regional championship and the wrestling team capturing second at state.
Regional champions

Coaler golf coaches score hole-in-one with dream team picks

Published by admin on Tue, 12/22/2020 - 2:59pm

by shawn long
Sports writer
The Coal City golf program is entering its 33rd year thanks, in part, to Pat Halloran who took the coaching position back 1987.
Halloran coached for six years at Coal City, leading the team to state in two consecutive seasons, something no team after it has ever done. He held a 60-27 record in that time (1987-1993). That team alone could be a dream team.
Those two consecutive title runs happened four years into the program after getting through the first three years when it seemed players trying out were mostly inexperienced.

IESA far short of funds to continue

Published by admin on Tue, 12/22/2020 - 2:56pm

by shawn long
Sports writer
It’s been two weeks since the Illinois Elementary School Association appealed to the public to support a ‘Go Fund Me’ page to keep the organization operational. If the IESA doesn’t get financial help by April, it will be forced to close.
As of Monday the Go Fund Me page reached $22,200, far short of their $500,000 goal.
While it’s not clear what will happen to middle school sports if the IESA dissolves, Coal City Athletic Director Dan Hutchings says it’s a waiting game now.