The daily pitch from Sports Editor Matt Daniels: Nov. 13, 2024

To subscribe, click here Want a copy of today's edition? Here's a map of single-copy locations Sign up for our daily newsletters Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at whats going on around the area: Urbana athletes who attended Sunday's Faces of the Fall event at The News-Gazette gather for a group photo in the newsroom in Champaign.

Three reasons we love sports today 1.

Voting continues until noon on Thursday at news-gazette.com for our latest High School Athletes of the Week.

2.

The male finalists are Jacob Chase (GCMS football), Will Fuson (Cerro Gordo/Bement cross-country), Caleb Mathias (Champaign Central cross-country) and Coy Taylor (St.

Joseph-Ogden football).

The female finalists are Babette Bradley (Champaign Central swimming), Kate Foltz (Tuscola cross-country), Talynn ODonnell (Mahomet-Seymour swimming) and Ella Schluter (Cissna Park volleyball).

3.

Our annual Faces of the Winter event, highlighting area high school athletes from throughout our coverage area, is set for this Sunday at our office in Champaign.

Mahomet-Seymour's Adaline Eisenmann (8) and Mahomet-Seymour's Ava Yeakel (14) In a Class 3A volleyball super-sectional match at Effingham High School on Monday, Nov.

11, 2024.

Numbers game 34 area high school volleyball teams who have reached the IHSA state tournament since it first started in 1974.

This years teams from Mahomet-Seymour and Cissna Park will bring home a state trophy this weekend in Normal.

M-S plays DePaul College Prep at 4 p.m.

Friday in a Class 3A state semifinal match, while Cissna Park plays Calhoun at 10:30 a.m.

in a Class 1A state semifinal match.

Illinois forward Will Riley (7) slaps hands with fans following Illinois win over SIU-Edwardsville in a NCAA game at State Farm Center in Champaign on Friday, Nov.

8, 2024.

Crowd control Three events Im paying attention to 1.

Oakland at Illinois mens basketball.

The only game before the Illini plays No.

2 Alabama at 8 p.m.

on Nov.

20 in Birmingham, Ala., tips off at 8 p.m.

Wednesday at State Farm Center in Champaign.

2.

Illinois at Penn State volleyball.

The Illini (17-7, 9-5 Big Ten) will head east and try to get their first win at Rec Hall in State College, Pa., since 2021 at 6 p.m.

Friday.

It wont be easy, thogh.

Penn State (23-2, 13-1) is ranked fourth in the country for a reason.

3 .

Nashville at Unity football.

The last home game of the season at Hicks Field in Tolono for Unity (8-3) is against the Hornets (10-1) at 2 p.m.

Saturday for a spot in the Class 3A state semifinals.

Caleb Englehardt and his son, Evan, after Tuscola baseball placed third in state in 2018.

Coachs corner Three questions with Tuscola baseball coach Caleb Englehardt: 1.

My favorite sports team is ...

the Chicago Cubs.

2.

Three coaches Id like to have dinner with are ...

Joe Torre, John Wooden and Phil Jackson.

Master tacticians who always led their teams with a steady demeanor.

3 .

My biggest pet peeves are ...

inefficiency and negativity..

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