Playin' for First Place!

Jan 13, 2017
4 min read

Head Coach Shane Hawkins Post-Game Interview at Sparta

Happy Friday everyone!

The Lions were supposed to play the Pinckneyville Panthers tonight, but due to the icy weather possibilities, the game has now been pushed back to Saturday. The JV game will start at 4:00 pm with the Varsity game starting approximately 5:30 PM.

Doesn't matter when this game is going to be played, there is A LOT riding on it. Both teams come into the game with a perfect 4-0 record in the SIRR conference.

Pinckneyville comes in to the game with only loss on the season, with that loss against Okaville back on December 3rd and ranked #10 in class 2A.

The Lions come into the game 10-5 on the season, but winners of five of their last six and eight of their last ten.

The Panthers average 60 points/game and allow 41 ppg. The Lions average 51 points per game and allow 45.9 per game.

Don't forget the Lions did something they hadn't ever accomplished back on December 21 and that was win in Nashville. This was a huge confidence booster for this team in their 43-37, and the game that put the Lions in the position to play for first place this weekend.

This should be a fantastic game for fans of high school basketball. The Lions have learned a lot of lessons this year on the court and those tough losses they suffered early on in the season are starting pay off in the heart of the schedule.

After this weekend, the SIRR conference season is halfway complete. Who will hold the advantage going into the second half? We will find out on Saturday night.

The Lions will open play in the West Frankfort Mid-Winter Classic this Monday night. The Lions open up on 7 PM against the #6 team in Class 2A Eldorado Eagles. The Lions will then face the host West Frankfort Redbirds on Wednesday night at 8:30 and then wrap up pool play at 5:30 pm on Friday evening against the Christopher Bearcats. Depending on their record in these three games will determine their game time on Saturday night.

As always, Scott and I will have all the action on Newsradio WJPF, online at www.wjpf.com or on our YouTube LIVE stream. You can watch the Lions take on Pinckneyville below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdaYj4fSkOo

Carterville Lady Lions Basketball

The Lady Lions hit the road for a pair of games this week. On Monday they will head to Marion to take on the Wildcats and then Thursday they return to Mt. Vernon to take on the Lady Rams.

Carterville Lions Cheer

The ladies were supposed to have a competition at Paris High School on Saturday, but due to the expected ice there, that trip has been cancelled.

On January 21, Carterville High School will be hosting a cheer competition in the main gym. The competition will begin at 10:00 am and will feature 15 teams from around the area.

If you have never been to a cheer competition, I encourage to come to this one. These ladies work hard all year long for these events and the Carterville Lions team is fantastic. Remember, last years team finished 9th in the state. I know they would love to have a huge HOME advantage when they hit the floor.

Also, congratulations to Justice Conover who received a ICCA (Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association) scholarship last week.

Each year ICCA gives over $15,000 to senior cheerleaders as scholarship money for continuing education. These winners are selected from seniors throughout the state of Illinois who excel in cheerleading as well as the classroom.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe that Justice is the first Carterville Cheerleader to receive this honor. Congrats Justice!

Carterville Lions TE Luke Ford Selected 2nd Team at US Army All-American Combine.

The 6-7 TE for the Carterville Lions made a trip to San Antonio, TX last week after being invited to the US Army All-American Bowl and Combine. He joined 600 other junior and senior high school football players from around the country in showing off their football skills.

As a result of his performance in the combine, Luke was selected 2nd Team All-Combine.

The All-Star is usually reserved for Seniors from around the country and hopefully Luke will be playing in the All-Star game next year.

Luke has already received some national attention from recruiters, and his performance in San Antonio will only increase his national visibility. Hopefully in the coming week, I will have the chance to sit down with Luke and talk with him about his experience on the national stage. Congrats Luke!

www.cartervillelionathletics.com

If you haven't had the chance to check it out yet, I encourage you to visit the new Lions athletic website. All things Carterville sports are located there, including score tracking, schedules, the latest Lions news and photos from all the Carterville Lions events. You can sign up to receive alerts for any sports team you choose. Please take a minute to check it out.