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Sports Editor Matt Daniels’ Daily Pitch: October 19, 2024 | sport

Sports Editor Matt Daniels’ Daily Pitch: October 19, 2024 | sport

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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s happening in the area:







Varsity High’s Aiden Kim (left) and the rest of his Illineks boys soccer teammates begin the postseason at noon Saturday with a Class 1A regional semifinal game against St. Thomas More in Fisher.




Three reasons why we love sports today

➜ 1. An area boys soccer team will emerge with a Class 1A regional title when it arrives in Fisher Tuesday night. Host Fisher/Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley will face Unity in the first regional semifinal game at 10 a.m. Saturday before Uni High and St. Thomas More meet at noon. The two winners will play Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. to determine who advances to the Monticello Sectional.

➜ 2. One week until the boys and girls cross country runners postseason beginswith regional races taking place on October 26 at six different regional program locations.

➜ 3. The Twin City girls swimming and diving meet will be next Tuesday at Unit 4 Pool at Centennial. Diving starts at 4:00 p.m., swimming at 6:00 p.m







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Parkland volleyball coach Cliff Hastings (back row, center) has had success almost every season coaching the Parkland varsity volleyball team. In 2021, from left: Sidney Heck (assistant coach), Heather Fletcher (assistant coach), Kayla Brandon (student-athlete), Ron Hoppe-Hastings (assistant coach), Hastings (head coach), Isabella Classen (student-athlete). ), Shelby Nunamaker (assistant coach), Halle Everett (student-athlete) and Amanda Smith (assistant coach) hold trophies from each of the program’s last nine NJCAA Division II tournament appearances.



Numbers game: 13

Seasons Parkland volleyball coach Cliff Hastings has won at least 40 games in his 16 seasons as coach of the Cobras. He could reach the milestone as early as Saturday for the 14th time in his tenure, with his fourth-ranked Parkland team posting a 38-2 record in games against Southwestern Illinois and Missouri Baptist JV in Belleville. The Cobras are back home in Champaign on Sunday, hosting Spoon River at 11 a.m. and Rend Lake at 3 p.m







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Danville native Trent Sherfield is in his first season as a wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings and his seventh NFL season overall.




Crowd control

Three events that I pay attention to

➜ 1. Michigan at Illinois football. All the pregame hype will end on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. when the Illini and Wolverines meet for the 98th time.

➜ 2. Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings. The former Illini will compete in the NFC North showdown on Sunday at noon Kerby Joseph And Isaiah Williams with the lions. On Minnesota’s side is the former Illini Jihad district and former Danville star Trent Sherfield Dress for the Vikings.

➜ 3. Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers. Former Illini Terrence Shannon Jr., who averaged 6.0 points in five preseason games with the Timberwolves, will make his NBA regular-season debut Tuesday at 9 p.m.







Kurt Sexton STM Wrestling

St. Thomas More wrestling coach Kurt Sexton.




Coach’s corner

Three questions for St. Thomas More wrestling coach Kurt Sexton:

➜ 1. My favorite sports team is… the San Francisco 49ers. Everyone in my family will tell you that my mood depends a lot on how well they play on Sunday.

➜ 2. Three trainers I would like to have dinner with are… Dan Gable, Bill Walsh and my dad, who helps on our team.

➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is… Athletes are not punctual, which is something all of my athletes are aware of.