54 mins. ago
Stillman Valley High School has announced the Athletic/Activities Hall of Fame Class of 2026, recognizing a coach, former student-athletes, community supporters and championship teams for their achievements and contributions to Cardinal programs.
The inductees will be honored as part of Homecoming festivities Sept. 25, according to a community announcement. The class includes girls basketball coach Bobby Mellon, former student-athletes Michelle ******* er Rogers and Dan Godfread, Friends of Athletics honorees James and Russ Elliot, the 2002-03 Scholastic Bowl Team and the 1989-90 Chess Team.
Mellon has led the Stillman Valley girls basketball program since 2010 and has compiled a 252-105 varsity record. During his tenure, the Cardinals won five regional ******* les, two sectional championships and a Big Northern Conference championship. Mellon also has earned Illinois Basketball Coaches ******* ociation District Coach of the Year honors five times.
Fager Rogers, a member of the Class of 1996, competed in volleyball, basketball and track and field. She helped two girls basketball teams qualify for the state tournament and qualified for the IHSA State Track Meet in the hurdles. Her honors included Girls Track MVP and SVHS Female Athlete of the Year.
Godfread, a graduate from the Class of 1985, became one of the school's most accomplished basketball players before continuing his career at the University of Evansville. He finished his collegiate career with 1,386 points, 737 rebounds and 226 blocked shots while earning first-team all-conference recognition.
#Basketball #mellon #team #stillman
The inductees will be honored as part of Homecoming festivities Sept. 25, according to a community announcement. The class includes girls basketball coach Bobby Mellon, former student-athletes Michelle ******* er Rogers and Dan Godfread, Friends of Athletics honorees James and Russ Elliot, the 2002-03 Scholastic Bowl Team and the 1989-90 Chess Team.
Mellon has led the Stillman Valley girls basketball program since 2010 and has compiled a 252-105 varsity record. During his tenure, the Cardinals won five regional ******* les, two sectional championships and a Big Northern Conference championship. Mellon also has earned Illinois Basketball Coaches ******* ociation District Coach of the Year honors five times.
Fager Rogers, a member of the Class of 1996, competed in volleyball, basketball and track and field. She helped two girls basketball teams qualify for the state tournament and qualified for the IHSA State Track Meet in the hurdles. Her honors included Girls Track MVP and SVHS Female Athlete of the Year.
Godfread, a graduate from the Class of 1985, became one of the school's most accomplished basketball players before continuing his career at the University of Evansville. He finished his collegiate career with 1,386 points, 737 rebounds and 226 blocked shots while earning first-team all-conference recognition.
#Basketball #mellon #team #stillman
5 days ago
The Tennessee ****** ans revoked Jared Stillman's credential. Depending on who you ask, this is either a franchise standing up to a loudmouth who dared them to do it, or an organization delivering a blueprint to other franchises on how to silence local critics.
Teams that travel this path usually end up with more negative coverage. You can't deliver a 6 and 28 record over two seasons, change your front office and coaching staff, and then complain about unfavorable attention. Winning changes the local conversation.
I went through this in St. Louis with the Rams and in the Bay Area with the Raiders. Kevin Demoff, Amy Trask and Marc Badain were all fantastic. All knew their results shaped the local coverage. Win games and people are happy. Lose games and fire people, and criticisms follow. It's that simple.
Stillman is a longtime Nashville radio host. He broadcasts now on YouTube, and recently went viral after a testy exchange with quarterback Cam Ward. On his show the next day, he said the ****** ans wouldn't be foolish enough to pull his credential over it. He felt the backlash would be brutal and make them look like the softest organization in the NFL.
A day later, they did it anyway.
#credential #went #tennessee
Teams that travel this path usually end up with more negative coverage. You can't deliver a 6 and 28 record over two seasons, change your front office and coaching staff, and then complain about unfavorable attention. Winning changes the local conversation.
I went through this in St. Louis with the Rams and in the Bay Area with the Raiders. Kevin Demoff, Amy Trask and Marc Badain were all fantastic. All knew their results shaped the local coverage. Win games and people are happy. Lose games and fire people, and criticisms follow. It's that simple.
Stillman is a longtime Nashville radio host. He broadcasts now on YouTube, and recently went viral after a testy exchange with quarterback Cam Ward. On his show the next day, he said the ****** ans wouldn't be foolish enough to pull his credential over it. He felt the backlash would be brutal and make them look like the softest organization in the NFL.
A day later, they did it anyway.
#credential #went #tennessee
6 days ago
Credentialed access to cover professional sports teams is not a right. It's a privilege. Franchises grant media access to those who actively cover the team or league in a professional manner and have an audience to serve. They have every right to grant access, just as they have the right to pull it. Yesterday, the Tennessee ***** ans decided to pull social commentator Jared Stillman's credential, literally a day after Stillman said on his program that the organization was "not that stupid" to do so.
Whether you agree or disagree with the ***** ans' decision is irrelevant. What matters most in situations like this is transparency.
This isn't about whether Stillman should be credentialed. The ***** ans had already made that decision long ago. They granted him access after his departure from 102.5 The Game and his move to an independent platform. The question now is simple: Why specifically was Stillman's credential pulled?
Because without transparency, the result is distrust and uncertainty.
Make no mistake about it, there haven't been many great things to say about the Tennessee ***** ans over the past four seasons. Because of the team's lack of success, there also isn't much positivity surrounding the franchise at the moment. Stillman's commentary serves as Exhibit A.
#right #tennessee #credentialed #cover
Whether you agree or disagree with the ***** ans' decision is irrelevant. What matters most in situations like this is transparency.
This isn't about whether Stillman should be credentialed. The ***** ans had already made that decision long ago. They granted him access after his departure from 102.5 The Game and his move to an independent platform. The question now is simple: Why specifically was Stillman's credential pulled?
Because without transparency, the result is distrust and uncertainty.
Make no mistake about it, there haven't been many great things to say about the Tennessee ***** ans over the past four seasons. Because of the team's lack of success, there also isn't much positivity surrounding the franchise at the moment. Stillman's commentary serves as Exhibit A.
#right #tennessee #credentialed #cover
23 days ago
POPLAR GROVE, Ill (WTVO/WQRF) — North Boone football is coming into year two of the Brett Fredrick era. Everyone on the team is continuing to build on what they learned last year.
"I was very proud of that group last year, being our first year together and coming together as the season went along." Said head coach Brett Frederick. "This group is determined to take the next step, to continue to carry on and to take the things they learned from a year ago and from those that were around us that maybe aren't here anymore."
The Vikings lost a handful of players from last season, including quarterback Grady Condon, wide receiver Brad Dahl, and lineman Phillip Davis. North Boone also lost offensive coordinator Chris Weber, as he is now the head coach at Stillman Valley. Leaving a hole that Coach Fredrick and his ****** istants are gladly able to fill.
"Fortunately, the system that we have been using for quite some time." Said Coach Frederick. "I am pretty well versed in it, so I can slide over to the offensive coordinator responsibilities without having to change terminology and scheme entirely."
With a smaller group leaving from North Boone, it means a lot of returning experience for the Vikings, along with a lot of the younger talent stepping into new roles.
#coach #fredrick #frederick
"I was very proud of that group last year, being our first year together and coming together as the season went along." Said head coach Brett Frederick. "This group is determined to take the next step, to continue to carry on and to take the things they learned from a year ago and from those that were around us that maybe aren't here anymore."
The Vikings lost a handful of players from last season, including quarterback Grady Condon, wide receiver Brad Dahl, and lineman Phillip Davis. North Boone also lost offensive coordinator Chris Weber, as he is now the head coach at Stillman Valley. Leaving a hole that Coach Fredrick and his ****** istants are gladly able to fill.
"Fortunately, the system that we have been using for quite some time." Said Coach Frederick. "I am pretty well versed in it, so I can slide over to the offensive coordinator responsibilities without having to change terminology and scheme entirely."
With a smaller group leaving from North Boone, it means a lot of returning experience for the Vikings, along with a lot of the younger talent stepping into new roles.
#coach #fredrick #frederick
2 months ago
Gavin Lauridsen, a transfer pitcher from Southern Cal, committed to Vanderbilt baseball.
Lauridsen, who made the announcement on social media, was a freshman in 2026. He finished fifth on the team with 45⅔ innings. He was 3-1, with a 4.73 ERA and three saves, striking out 40 and walking 27.
Lauridsen's fastball has been up to 96 mph and shows both a curveball and changeup, but to see a significant role with the Commodores, he will need to throw more strikes and miss more bats.
He should be another young pitcher on the staff with upside but who isn't a sure thing, along with returners like Connor Hamilton, Tyler Baird, Wyatt Nadeau and Aiden Stillman.
In 2026, Vanderbilt missed the NCAA Tournament after putting up a team ERA of 5.23. Its 4.9 walks per nine innings were the third-worst in the SEC, and its pitchers were second in the SEC in hit batters.
Lauridsen, who made the announcement on social media, was a freshman in 2026. He finished fifth on the team with 45⅔ innings. He was 3-1, with a 4.73 ERA and three saves, striking out 40 and walking 27.
Lauridsen's fastball has been up to 96 mph and shows both a curveball and changeup, but to see a significant role with the Commodores, he will need to throw more strikes and miss more bats.
He should be another young pitcher on the staff with upside but who isn't a sure thing, along with returners like Connor Hamilton, Tyler Baird, Wyatt Nadeau and Aiden Stillman.
In 2026, Vanderbilt missed the NCAA Tournament after putting up a team ERA of 5.23. Its 4.9 walks per nine innings were the third-worst in the SEC, and its pitchers were second in the SEC in hit batters.
1 yr. ago
Oregon and Rock Falls meet in Stillman Valley Thursday, May 22, 2025, for a Class 2A Regional semifinal. Oregon scored all their runs in fourth for a 3-0 shutout win. Oregon will face Byron for the Regional ******* le on Saturday.
