LOCAL SPORTS SCORES FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30TH
ON THE SCHEDULE TODAY AT FCHS:
NO EVENTS SCHEDULED
AREA SPORTS RESULTS FROM MONDAY:
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL:
ELDORADO HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT:
The Fairfield Mules Basketball team pulled double duty on Monday at the Eldorado Holiday Tournament and came away with some tournament hardware. In the early session, the Mules faced off with the tournament’s # 1 Seed Carterville in a Semi-Final matchup. Fairfield jumped out to an early 5-0 lead but that was the last lead they had as Carterville poured in 24 points in the 1st Quarter. The Mules managed to limit Carterville’s scoring to single digits throughout the rest of the game but were unable to close the gap and eventually fell to Carterville by a score of 53-43. The Mules were led in scoring by Owen Gruen with 22 points and Jake Easton with 11.
The early loss to Carterville meant that the Fairfield Mules would play the Vienna Eagles later in the day in the 3rd Place Game. The Mules came out hot, jumping out to a 12-point lead at the end of the 1st Quarter and extended that lead to 18 at Halftime. Fairfield didn’t let up in the 2nd Half and finished with a 66-48 victory over the Vienna Eagles to claim 3rd Place in the Tournament. Fairfield was led in scoring by Owen Gruen with 19 points and Jake Easton and Breychan Kovacich both with 11. Fairfield’s Owen Gruen and Jake Easton were both named to the All-Tournament team. The Mules will get a much-needed break and won’t play again until Monday night, January 5th for a triple-header matchup with North Clay that will see the Lady Mules Varsity and the Mules JV and Varsity in action.
OTHER ELDORADO HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT SCORES:
Edwards County 66, Hamilton County 42
Herrin 68, Massac County 54
Carterville 53, Fairfield 43
Anna Jonesboro 63, Vienna 53
CONSOLATION CHAMPIONSHIP:
Hardin County 60, NCOE 52
5TH PLACE GAME:
Herrin 56, Edwards County 48
3RD PLACE GAME:
Fairfield 66, Vienna 48
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:
Carterville 59, Anna Jonesboro 28
ELDORADO HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:
Duff Kingston Award – Jaxen Simmons – NCOE
Colton Hawkins – Carterville – MVP
Maddox Gulley – Carterville
Owen Gruen – Fairfield
Jake Easton – Fairfield
Dawson Nicholas – Anna Jonesboro
Kaleb Gore – Anna Jonesboro
Silas Kreuter – Vienna
JJ Gwaltney – Herrin
Jaxton Faulkenberry – Herrin
Cash Conner – Edwards County
Landon Fricker – Hardin County
OTHER HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS SCORES FROM THE AREA:
CENTRALIA HOLIDAY TOURNEY
MHEA 52, Miller Academy 48
Evanston 74, Chicago Dyett 15
Marist 77, Champaign Central 27
Belleville West 54, Wekiva, FL 51
Alton 69, Chicago Julian 39
Harding Academy 68, Cahokia 39
Centralia 79, Sumner 26
BREESE MATER DEI TOURNEY
Father McGivney 46, Metro-East Luth 37
Gibault 53, Christ Our Rock 46
St Charles West 43, Mascoutah 24
Mater Dei 63, Highland 33
Orchard Farm 71, Wesclin 61
Nashville 65 Breese Central 60
COLLINSVILLE PRAIRIE FARMS
Lincoln 47, Belleville East 35 (5th Place)
Pattonville, MO 71, Althoff 54 (Consolation)
Triad 44, McCluer North 38 (3rd Place)
Decatur MacArthur 61, Mt Vernon 32 (1st Place)
COLUMBIA/FREEBURG TOURNEY
Freeburg 70, Riverview Gardens 47 (7th Place)
Benton 46, Waterloo 35 (5th Place)
Bethalto Civic vs Seckman, MO (3rd Place)
Alton-Marquette 67, Columbia 64 (1st Place)
EFFINGHAM/T-TOWN CHRISTMAS CLASSIC
Belvidere 55, Effingham 54
Teutupolis 57, Pleasant Plains 27
Lutheran North 57, Mattoon 53
Lawrenceville 64, Dixon 36
Centennial 74, Charleston 64
St Anthony 65, Chicago Brooks 41
PINCKNEYVILLE DUSTER-THOMAS
Murphysboro 30, Jerseyville 27
Woodlawn 66, Steeleville 36
Roxana 71, Pinckneyvile 58
Sparta 71, Salem 55
Woodlawn 54, Murphysboro 51 (semi)
Sparta 60, Roxana 47 (semi)
SESSER-VALIER TOURNAMENT
New Athens 65, Red Bud 63 (Consolation)
Sesser-Valier 58, Marissa 49 (7th Place)
DuQuoin 67, Altamont 64 (3rd Place)
Goreville 40, Waltonville 39 (1st Place)
VANDALIA HOLIDAY TOURNEY
Shelbyville 44, Nokomis 35
Flora 53, Macon Meridian 25
Cumberland 73, Greenville 43
Vandalia 75, Pana 65
***NATIONAL SPORTS***
MONDAY’S SCOREBOARD
NFL
——-
Atlanta Falcons 27, Los Angeles Rams 24
NBA
——-
Milwaukee Bucks 123, Charlotte Hornets 113
Phoenix Suns 115, Washington Wizards 101
Golden State Warriors 120, Brooklyn Nets 107
Miami Heat 147, Denver Nuggets 123
Toronto Raptors 107, Orlando Magic 106
Minnesota Timberwolves 136, Chicago Bulls 101
Houston Rockets 126, Indiana Pacers 119
New York Knicks 130, New Orleans Pelicans 125
Oklahoma City Thunder 140, Atlanta Hawks 129
Cleveland Cavaliers 113, San Antonio Spurs 101
Portland Trail Blazers 125, Dallas Mavericks 122
NHL
——-
Buffalo Sabres 4, St. Louis Blues 2
The St. Louis Blues gave up two goals in the third period during a 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at Enterprise Center. Zach Benson scored the go-ahead goal in the second minute of the frame for Buffalo. Brayden Schenn and Jimmy Snuggerud both lit the lamp in the losing effort. St. Louis is in fifth place in the Central Division with 38 points. The Blues visit the Avalanche tomorrow night. The St. Louis Blues will be without one of their top forwards for at least a month. The team announced yesterday that Pius Suter will miss time after injuring his ankle in a game on Saturday. He will be re-evaluated in four weeks. Suter has seven goals and seven assists in 37 games this season.
The Chicago Blackhawks will try to get back in the win column when they host the New York Islanders at United Center tonight. The Blackhawks are coming off a 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at home on Sunday. Chicago is tied at the bottom of the Central Division with 34 points. Tonight’s game starts at 7:30PM.
Columbus Blue Jackets 4, Ottawa Senators 1
Florida Panthers 5, Washington Capitals 3
Carolina Hurricanes 3, New York Rangers 2 (OT)
Edmonton Oilers 3, Winnipeg Jets 1
Colorado Avalanche 5, Los Angeles Kings 2
Nashville Predators 4, Utah Mammoth 3
Calgary Flames 2, Boston Bruins 1 (OT)
Minnesota Wild 5, Vegas Golden Knights 2
San Jose Sharks 5, Anaheim Ducks 4
Vancouver Canucks 3, Seattle Kraken 2 (SO)
College Football Bowl Games (CFP Rankings)
——-
Georgia Southern 29, App State 10 (JLab Birmingham Bowl at Birmingham, AL)
Men’s College Basketball (Top-25 Coaches’ Poll)
——-
#19 Illinois 90, Southern 55
The number-19 Illinois Fighting Illini destroyed Southern 90-55 at State Farm Center yesterday. The Illini raced out to a 46-25 halftime lead and still outscored Southern by 14 in the second half. Jake Davis led Illinois with 15 points off the bench. The Illini are 1-and-1 in the Big Ten and 10-and-3 overall. They visit Penn State on Saturday.
#23 Iowa 90, UMass Lowell 62
#22 Florida 94, Dartmouth 72
#1 Michigan 112, McNeese 71
#6 Purdue 101, Kent State 60
#9 Michigan State 114, Cornell 97
#11 Vanderbilt 96, New Haven 53
#24 Georgia 89, Long Island University 74
#3 Iowa State 89, Houston Christian 61
#8 Houston 69, Middle Tennessee 60
#15 Alabama 102, Yale 78
#18 Arkansas 103, James Madison 74
#2 Arizona 99, South Dakota State 71
***Top Sports Headlines***
>>Illini Take On Tennessee In Music City Bowl
(Nashville, TN) — The Illinois Fighting Illini Football Team wrap up their 2025 season with a game against the Tennessee Volunteers in the Music City Bowl from Nissan Stadium this afternoon. The Illini went 5-and-4 in Big Ten play and 8-and-4 overall during the regular season. Illinois has never played against Tennessee. Today’s game kicks off at 4:30PM and can be heard on WFIW-AM 1390 and FM 103.3 on the Illini Sports Radio Network powered by Learfield. The pre-game show begins at 3:30PM.
>>NFL Week 17 Recap
(Undated) — The Atlanta Falcons capped off Week 17 of the NFL season with an upset victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. Atlanta took down Los Angeles 27-24 in the primetime NFC matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Bijan Robinson accounted for 229 yards of offense while scoring a rushing and receiving touchdown. The Falcons improved to 7-and-9 and the Rams are locked into an NFC Wild Card at 11-and-5. Week 18 kicks off with a Saturday doubleheader. The Buccaneers will host the Panthers in a crucial NFC South matchup before the Seahawks visit the 49ers for the NFC West crown and the one-seed throughout the playoffs.
>>Ravens QB Jackson TBD For Finale
(Owings Mills, MD) — The Ravens are not sure if their signal caller will take the field this weekend. Coach John Harbaugh told reporters Monday that quarterback Lamar Jackson’s status for Sunday’s season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers has not been determined. Jackson missed the team’s win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday with a back contusion. Tyler Huntley threw for 107 yards and a touchdown in Jackson’s absence.
>>Chiefs HC Andy Reid Plans To Return For 2026 Season
(Kansas City, MO) — The Chiefs’ three-time Super Bowl champion head coach will be returning to the sideline next season. Kansas City coach Andy Reid said Monday that he plans to return next season following speculation about an impending retirement. The 67-year-old signed a five-year, 100-million-dollar extension with the franchise in April 2024. He ranks fourth all-time with 307 career wins with the Chiefs and Eagles. Reid is 149-and-63 since taking over as Kansas City’s head coach in 2013.
>>Chargers To Rest QB Herbert, Start Lance In Week 18
(El Segundo, CA) — The Chargers are resting their franchise quarterback for the regular season finale. Los Angeles coach Jim Harbaugh announced that Justin Herbert will not play against the Denver Broncos in Week 18. Trey Lance will make his sixth career start, while DJ Uiagalelei [[ oo-ee-AHN-guh-luh-lay ]] will be elevated from the practice squad to serve as the backup. Herbert has been playing through a fractured left hand since Week 13 and will now get a week to rest before the team’s AFC Wild Card round matchup. The Broncos clinch the conference’s number-one seed with a win over the Chargers.
>>Andrew Heaney Announces MLB Retirement
(Undated) — A longtime Major League pitcher is hanging up his glove and calling it a career. Andrew Heaney [[ HEE-nee ]] is announcing his retirement after a dozen years spent in the bigs. The 34-year-old southpaw spent the past season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He went 56-and-72 with a 4.57 ERA across 208 starts and 22 relief appearances throughout his career. He also spent time with the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels and Miami Marlins.
>>College Bowl Round Up
(Undated) — The college football bowl season continued on Monday. Georgia Southern beat Appalachian State 29-10 in the JLab Birmingham Bowl. JC French The Fourth led the Eagles with 171 yards and a touchdown through the air. The action continues today with a triple-header. Louisiana Tech and Coastal Carolina will play in the Independence Bowl, Tennessee and Illinois will battle in the Music City Bowl and TCU and number 16 USC will face off in the Alamo Bowl.
>>Report: Indiana WR Cooper Expected Back For Rose Bowl
(Pasadena, CA) — The top team in the College Football Playoff is likely to have one of its receivers back for the quarterfinal. Indiana and wideout Omar Cooper is expected to be fully available for Thursday’s battle against Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Cooper is recovering from a lower body injury that he suffered in the Big Ten championship game. He leads his team with 58 catches for 804 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.
>>Report: Marcus Freeman Returning To Notre Dame On Enhanced Deal
(South Bend, IN) — Notre Dame’s head football coach will not be moving on from the program this offseason. ESPN is reporting that Marcus Freeman has received an enhanced contract from the university to return to the Fighting Irish in 2026. Freeman had been rumored to be a strong candidate for NFL coaching vacancies with the New York Giants and possibly other jobs. The 39-year-old has led the Irish to a 43-and-12 record and one CFP National Championship appearance in four seasons leading the program.
>>Week Nine Men’s College Basketball Coaches Poll
(Undated) — There has been a slight change near the top of the latest men’s college basketball coaches poll. Michigan, Arizona, Iowa State and UConn are once again leading the nation. Duke and Purdue have switched places. The Blue Devils are now fifth while the Boilermakers slipped to sixth. Gonzaga, Houston, Michigan State and BYU round out the remainder of the top 10. St. John’s is now 25th after not being included in last week’s poll. USC was left out of the top 25.
>>FIFA President Defends World Cup Ticket Prices
(Zurich) — FIFA president Gianni Infantino is defending the high cost of next year’s World Cup tickets, arguing demand far outstrips supply. The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and group stage tickets are three times the cost of the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Infantino said Monday that there are six to seven million tickets for sale and that 150 million requests were made in just the first 15 days. In an effort to address the prices, FIFA has made a small number of cheaper tickets available for all 104 matches.