Piatt's OT: Welcome to C-U, Junction Football Club
Apr. 19—As I write this, I'm looking across my living room at a little wooden cardinal perched next to my TV. His name is Lil' Chuck. I named him after the Ball State baseball team's Chuck, who's bound to be a long-lost relative from the same old tree.
A handful of years ago, Ball State coach Rich Maloney told his wife to come up with something to bring his players' spirits up, as his Cardinals were struggling in the middle of a road trip. She bought a couple-foot-tall wooden cardinal and shipped it out to the team the next day. When it arrived, the players gave him his name and treated him like royalty, placing him on the top step at the head of the dugout. That has been Chuck's spot for every game since, and Ball State did nothing but win the rest of that season.
So, when I saw a fella selling a slightly smaller version of Chuck on the side of the road a couple years ago in Richmond, Ind., I had to buy him, and no better name than Lil' Chuck. This has nothing to do with the rest of my column, but I thought I'd share.
A look back, ahead
Exciting new venture
Last Sunday's second annual Champaign-Urbana Girls' Soccer Showcase at Demirjian Park was a success, as many Uni High, Danville, Monticello, Urbana, Champaign Central and Centennial fans filled the stands throughout the day.
During halftime of each game, a handful of players and coaches were honored on the field.
They represented Junction Football Club, C-U's new pre-professional adult soccer team.
Junction FC is a community-based nonprofit organization that "strives to provide top-tier soccer opportunities," according to a halftime announcement, while focusing on female empowerment.
The team will compete in the Midwest Premier League this summer, practicing and playing home games at Urbana High School's athletic campus, where it will also host clinics and workshops for the next generation of soccer players. The schedule will run from May through July.
Junction FC will be coached by Kip McDaniel, Josh Stebbins and Noy Radanavong. McDaniel was a former News-Gazette All-Area boys' soccer Player of the Year for Champaign Central, Stebbins is the current girls' coach at St. Thomas More and Radanavong played at Urbana and most recently coached for the Parkland men's team. The roster includes 2023 N-G All-Area First-Teamers Meg Rossow from Central, Celia Barkley from Urbana and Mary Kathryn Klusener from STM, among others.
Shoutouts
Addison Lucht, Milford/Cissna Park softball
Went 3 for 4 with a grand slam, a triple and seven RBI in the Bearcats' 9-3 win over Clifton Central on April 10.
Kendall Rannebarger, Danville softball
Hit two home runs while pitching a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts in the Vikings' 21-0 win over Peoria on April 10.
David Bell and Caleb Clutteur, Milford baseball
Bell tossed a five-inning no-hitter with five strikeouts while Clutteur smacked a pair of two-run home runs in the Bearcats' 22-0 win over South Newton on April 10.
Addison Roos, Blue Ridge softball
Hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Knights a 4-3 win over Martinsville on April 10.
Amelia Huckstadt, St. Joseph-Ogden softball
Pitched a no-hitter with seven strikeouts in the Spartans' 19-1 win over Paxton-Buckley-Loda on April 11.
Finn Randolph, Mahomet-Seymour baseball
Signed his letter of intent to continue his baseball career at Wabash College last Friday.
Traxton Roberts, Armstrong-Potomac baseball
Hit two home runs and drove in five runs while pitching three innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts in the Trojans' 13-1 win over Cissna Park last Friday.
Tuscola boys' distance medley relay
The Warriors' relay team of Will Folz, Bryce Graves, Josiah Hortin and Jackson Barrett ran a time of 10 minutes, 47 seconds last Friday to break a nine-year-old Monticello Invitational distance medley record last held by Shelbyville.
Izzy Roundtree, Champaign Central girls' track and field
Ran a McKinley Field-record 12.14 seconds in the 100-meter dash last Saturday.
Mason Rush, Hoopeston Area baseball
Hit a walk-off RBI single after pitching seven solid innings in the Cornjerkers' 3-2 win over Oakwood on Monday.
Anna Rawlins, Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond softball
Hit a walk-off RBI single, her third hit of the day, in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Knights a 7-6 win over Blue Ridge on Monday.
Eva Ronto, Bismarck-Henning/ Rossville-Alvin softball
Pitched a five-inning no-hitter with seven strikeouts in the Blue Devils' 11-0 win over Georgetown-Ridge Farm on Monday.
Oliver Brandow and Luke McClure, Champaign Central baseball
Brandow pitched a four-inning no-hitter with eight strikeouts while going 4 for 5 at the plate with four RBI in the Maroons' 32-0 win over Peoria on Monday. In the same game, McClure tied two Maroon single-game records with five runs scored and four stolen bases.
Marissa Miller, Monticello softball
Hit two home runs and a double and drove in three runs in the Sages' 7-4 win over Westville on Tuesday.
Cali Cooper, Uni High girls' soccer
Scored four goals in the Illineks' 7-0 win over Danville last Sunday and followed it with a hat trick in another 7-0 win over St. Teresa on Tuesday.
Addy Martinie, St. Joseph-Ogden softball
Hit two home runs while scoring four runs and driving in five in the Spartans' 15-5 win over Rantoul on Tuesday.
Eric Miebach and Jay Saunders, Unity athletics
Signed their letters of intent to continue their athletic careers at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater — Miebach for football and track and Saunders for football — on Tuesday.
Villa Grove boys' track and field athletes
Kyler Williams broke the Blue Devils' triple jump record with a distance of 42 feet, and the distance medley team of Ryan Schlueter, Kurt Zimmerman, Braydon Dowler and Lukas Shadwick broke their event record by over a minute at Tuesday's meet.
