ON THE SCHEDULE TODAY AT FCHS:
IHSA Regional Scholastic Bowl Tournament at FCHS 4:30 p.m.
OTHER AREA SPORTS FOR TODAY:
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL:
IHSA BOYS CLASS 1A CHARLESTON SUPER-SECTIONAL:
Lawrenceville vs. LeRoy
IHSA BOYS CLASS 1A JACKSONVILLE SUPER-SECTIONAL:
Goreville vs. Jacksonville Routt
IHSA BOYS CLASS 2A CARBONDALE SUPER-SECTIONAL:
Benton vs. Quincy Notre Dame
IHSA BOYS CLASS 2A PONTIAC SUPER-SECTIONAL:
Tolono-Unity vs. McNamara
JR HIGH GIRLS VOLLEYBALL:
Jasper at Geff
New Hope vs. St. Joe
Wayne City at Woodlawn
AREA SPORTS RESULTS FROM THE WEEKEND:
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS AND GIRLS TRACK:
On Friday and Saturday, the Fairfield Mules and Lady Mules Track teams were in action at the Central Illinois High School Indoor Meet at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. The Mules Boys team finished 12th out of 40 teams. Notable individual performances were: Justin Johnson – 2nd in the 200m, 13th in 400m, 5th in Triple Jump, and 12th in Long Jump; Jayden Wilson – 10th in Shot Put; Cayson Webb – 2nd in High Jump, and the 4 x 800m Relay Team of Ashton King, Skylar Bladel, Kanyen Lingafelter, and Trayton Lewis finished 8th. Notable individual performances for the Lady Mules were Wren Braddock – 9th in 200m; Emeri Sager – 13th in 800m and 13th in 1600m; Jaycie Couch – 19th in 800m; and Mahogany Langford – 15th in Shot Put.
Cisne’s Ashtyn Smith also participated in the meet finishing 19th in Long Jump and 25th in 400m.
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL:
On Friday, the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association released its list of Girls All-State players. Fairfield Community High School Senior, Riley Jolly, was named to the Class 2A All-State Special Mention Team. Edwards County Seniors, Grace Bishop and Lola Nussmeyer were both named to the Class 1A All-State First Team.
IHSA GIRLS CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP:
Deer Creek-Mackinaw 49, Mt. Pulaski 34
IHSA GIRLS CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP:
Breese Central 44, Byron 28
JR HIGH GIRLS VOLLEYBALL:
FAIRFIELD INVITATIONAL VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT:
On Saturday, the Fairfield Lady Colts hosted the annual Fairfield Invitational Volleyball Tournament. Fairfield, Jasper, New Hope, Cisne, along with 12 other, teams participated in a total of 38 games on the day. Winners were:
Gold Bracket:
1st Place – Woodlawn
2nd Place – Ewing
3rd Place – Nashville
4th Place – NCOE
Silver Bracket:
1st – Hamilton County
2nd – Carterville
***NATIONAL SPORTS***
SUNDAY’S SCOREBOARD
NBA
——-
Sacramento Kings 126, Chicago Bulls 110
The Chicago Bulls fell to the Sacramento Kings 126-110 at Golden One Center. The Bulls were down by as many as 17 points in the losing effort. Collin Sexton scored 28 points to lead Chicago, while Matas Buzelis finished with 20. The Bulls are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference at 26-and-38. They visit the Warriors tomorrow night.
Portland Trail Blazers 131, Indiana Pacers 111
Boston Celtics 109, Cleveland Cavaliers 98
Los Angeles Lakers 110, New York Knicks 97
Miami Heat 121, Detroit Pistons 110
Toronto Raptors 122, Dallas Mavericks 92
New Orleans Pelicans 138, Washington Wizards 118
Orlando Magic 130, Milwaukee Bucks 91
San Antonio Spurs 145, Houston Rockets 120
Phoenix Suns 111, Charlotte Hornets 99
World Baseball Classic (Pool Play)
——-
Japan 4, Australia 3 (at Tokyo, Japan)
Dominican Republic 12, Netherlands 1 (at Miami, FL)
Panama 4, Canada 3 (at San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Mexico 16, Brazil 0 (at Houston, TX)
Cuba 7, Colombia 4 (at San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Italy 7, Great Britain 4 (at Houston, TX)
Israel 5, Nicaragua 0 (at Miami, FL)
MLB Grapefruit League
——-
The St. Louis Cardinals played to a 2-2 draw against the Miami Marlins in a Spring Training game from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Andre Pallante allowed one run on two hits in four innings, while Pedro Pages drove in a run. The Cardinals take on the Astros this afternoon.
Toronto Blue Jays 1 (ss), Baltimore Orioles 0
Minnesota Twins 7, Philadelphia Phillies 6
Pittsburgh Pirates 9, Boston Red Sox 7
Tampa Bay Rays 9, Atlanta Braves 8
Washington Nationals 3, Houston Astros 1
Toronto Blue Jays 5 (ss), Detroit Tigers 0
New York Mets 10, New York Yankees 4
MLB Cactus League
——-
San Francisco Giants 9, Chicago Cubs 5
The Chicago Cubs suffered a 9-5 Spring Training loss to the San Francisco Giants at Sloan Park yesterday. Moises Ballesteros drove in three runs in the losing effort. The Northsiders dropped to 7-and-9 in exhibition play. Chicago returns to Cactus League action tomorrow against the Rangers.
Chicago White Sox 5, Kansas City Royals 4
The Chicago White Sox earned a 5-4 Spring Training win over the Kansas City Royals at Camelback Ranch. Colson Montgomery and Jarred Kelenic both homered in the victory. The Southsiders improved to 10-and-7 in exhibition play. They send Jedixson Paez to the mound against the Rockies today. In other White Sox news, the club name Shane Smith its Opening Day starting pitcher over the weekend.
Athletics 7 (ss), Los Angeles Angels 4 (ss)
Athletics 11 (ss), Los Angeles Dodgers 7
Cincinnati Reds 13 (ss), Arizona Diamondbacks 4
Los Angeles Angels 10 (ss), Texas Rangers 7
Milwaukee Brewers 6, Seattle Mariners 3
San Diego Padres 14, Cincinnati Reds 3 (ss)
NHL
——-
St. Louis Blues 4, Anaheim Ducks 0
Joel Hofer came up big in net to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 4-0 shutout victory over the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center. Hofer stopped all 22 of the shots he faced to record his fifth shutout of the season. Jonathan Drouin, Jordan Kyrou and Jimmy Snuggerud each lit the lamp in the second period before Pius Suter sealed it with a late empty netter. The Blues have won four in-a-row to sit at 25-29-and-9. They host the Islanders tomorrow. The St. Louis Blues have moved on from one of their best players. The team traded forward Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders on Friday. St. Louis acquired a first-round pick, a third-round pick, forward Jonathan Drouin, and goaltender Marcus Gidlof from New York to complete the deal. Schenn spent the last nine seasons with the Blues. He had 12 goals and 16 assists in 61 games with St. Louis this season.
Dallas Stars 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3 (F/OT)
The Chicago Blackhawks are on a three-game losing streak following a 4-3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. Connor Bedard scored the game-tying goal with less than two minutes left in regulation, but Chicago surrendered the game-winning goal in the first minute of OT. Sam Rinzel and Tyler Bertuzzi both scored in the losing effort. The Blackhawks are in last place in the Central Division with 57 points. They host the Mammoth tonight. In other Hawks news, the team traded Nick Foligno to the Wild over the weekend.
Colorado Avalanche 3, Minnesota Wild 2 (F/SO)
Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Boston Bruins 4 (F/OT)
Buffalo Sabres 8, Tampa Bay Lightning 7
Detroit Red Wings 3, New Jersey Devils 0
Edmonton Oilers 4, Vegas Golden Knights 2
Men’s College Basketball (Top-25 Coaches’ Poll)
——-
#3 Michigan 90, #8 Michigan State 80
#9 Nebraska 84, Iowa 75 (F/OT)
#11 Illinois 78, Maryland 72
The number-11 Illinois Fighting Illini wrapped up the regular season with a 78-72 win over Maryland at Xfinity Center yesterday. David Mirkovic scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the victory, while Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell each chipped in with 11 points. Illinois improved to 15-and-5 in Big Ten play and 24-and-7 overall. The Illini begin the Big Ten Tournament on Friday.
PGA
——-
Arnold Palmer Invitational (at Orlando, FL)
1. Akshay Bhatia (-15P)
2. Daniel Berger (-15)
NASCAR
——-
Straight Talk Wireless 500 (at Avondale, AZ)
1. Ryan Blaney
2. Christopher Bell
3. Kyle Larson
***Top Sports Headlines***
>>NFL Legal Tampering Period Preview
(Undated) — The NFL’s free agency period begins Monday with a 52-hour legal tampering window before the start of the new league year Wednesday. Teams may begin negotiating with agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents when their contracts expire at 4 P.M. Eastern on Wednesday. Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, center Tyler Linderbaum, wide receiver Alec Pierce and Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker the Third are expected to be some of the big free agent signings early. The players will be able to sign a new contract once the league year officially begins.
>>Bears Trade For Garrett Bradbury
(Lake Forest, IL) — The Chicago Bears have already found their new starting center. The team traded for Patriots offensive lineman Garrett Bradbury over the weekend. Chicago sent a 2027 fifth-round pick back to New England to complete the deal. Bradbury will take over for Drew Dalman, who retired after just five NFL seasons last week. In other team news, the Bears re-signed edge rusher Daniel Hardy yesterday.
>>Report: Rams Sign CB McDuffie To Four-Year Extension
(Agoura Hills, CA) — The Rams are signing their new star cornerback to a long-term deal. ESPN is reporting that Los Angeles and Trent McDuffie have reached an agreement on a record-setting four-year, 124-million-dollar extension that includes 100-million-dollars guaranteed. The contract makes the 25-year-old the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. The Rams acquired McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs in a blockbuster trade last week. The trade and deal can become official Wednesday at the start of the new league year.
>>Report: Raiders Acquire CB Johnson In Trade With Bills
(Undated) — The Raiders are adding a new member to their defense in a trade with the Bills. ESPN reports that Las Vegas has agreed to a trade for Buffalo cornerback Taron Johnson. The Raiders are sending a sixth-round pick to the Bills and will receive Johnson and a seventh-round selection in return. The 29-year-old has six interceptions, 48 passes defended, eight forced fumbles and 572 tackles during his eight-year career. Las Vegas traded defensive end Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for 2026 and 2027 first-round picks late last week.
>>Report: Broncos Sign LB Strnad To Three-Year Deal
(Englewood, CO) — The Broncos are bringing back a member of their defense on a new deal. ESPN reports that Denver and linebacker Justin Strnad [[ STIR-nad ]] have agreed to a three-year, 18-million-dollar contract that includes 10-million-dollars guaranteed. The 2020 fifth-round pick has spent his entire five-year career with Denver. The 29-year-old had 58 tackles, four-and-a-half sacks and an interception in 16 games played last season.
>>Report: Eagles Make Jordan Davis Highest Paid Nose Tackle In History
(Philadelphia, PA) — The Eagles are giving out a record contract. ESPN reports the team agreed with Jordan Davis on a three-year, 78-million-dollar extension on Saturday. The deal includes 65-million in guaranteed money. The 26-year-old was entering the last year of his rookie deal and is now the highest-paid nose tackle in NFL history. Davis was taken 13th-overall in the 2022 draft.
>>Team USA To Play Mexico
(Houston, TX) — Team USA’s World Baseball Classic run will continue tonight. The Americans will take on Mexico in their third pool play game of the tournament. Team USA is tied with Italy atop Pool B with dueling 2-and-0 records. Pittsburgh Pirates star Paul Skenes is scheduled to take the hill. He won the National League Cy Young Award last season with a 10-and-10 record and 1.97 ERA.
>>Georgia Tech Fires Head Coach Damon Stoudamire
(Atlanta, GA) — Georgia Tech is moving on from its men’s college basketball head coach. The university announced on Sunday that Damon Stoudamire was fired. Greg Gary will take over as interim head coach. The school finished last in the ACC this season with a 2-and-16 conference record and went just 11-and-20, overall. Stoudamire posted a 42-and-55 record in three years with the Yellow Jackets.
>>Boston College Fires Men’s Basketball Coach
(Undated) — Boston College men’s basketball is looking for a new head coach. Earl Grant has been fired after five years at the school. Grant has three seasons remaining on his contract, which had been extended through 2029. The Eagles missed the ACC Tournament after going 11-and-20 this season, and went 72-and-92 during Grant’s tenure. Athletic director Blake James said in a statement they will begin a national search immediately.
>>Akshay Bhatia Wins Arnold Palmer Invitational
(Orlando, FL) — Akshay Bhatia is celebrating his third career Tour victory after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Bhatia beat Daniel Berger in a one-hole playoff after both players finished atop the leaderboard at 15 under par. He was five strokes back of the lead with nine holes remaining. Ludvig Aberg and Cameron Young finished tied for third at 12 under. Defending champion Russell Henley was tied for sixth at 10 under par.
>>Ryan Blaney Wins Straight Talk Wireless 500
(Avondale, AZ) — Ryan Blaney is celebrating a Straight Talk Wireless 500 win after taking home the checkered flag at Phoenix Raceway. The driver of the Number-12 car held off Christopher Bell by less than four-tenths of a second to earn the victory. Kyle Larson, Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-five finishers. The field heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next Sunday for the Pennzoil 400.