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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
Illinois guard Kylan Boswell holds the Braggin’ Rights trophy while his teammates celebrating an 80-77 victory against Missouri on Sunday afternoon at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Always good to start the holiday season around Champaign with a Braggin’ Rights win, right? It wasn’t always pretty, but the Illinois men’s basketball team made enough plays, especially late, to earn an 80-77 win against Missouri on Sunday.
➜ 2. Cool for Champaign native Kylan Boswell to have such a big role in Sunday’s win by the Illini. He joins Champaign natives like Rayvonte Rice, Michael Finke and Trent Meacham, among others, who won Braggin’ Rights as an Illini.
➜ 3. Best-kept sports secret in C-U? That’s coach John Bowler’s Parkland men’s basketball team. The fifth-ranked Cobras are off until Jan. 3, but improved to 13-1 following an 88-77 overtime home win against Hocking (Ohio) on Saturday.
Former Illini Chase Brown helped the Bengals to a 24-6 home win against the Browns on Sunday, rushing for 91 yards on 18 carries.
Numbers game: 91
rushing yards former Illini Chase Brown had with his 18 carries on Sunday for the Bengals during their 24-6 victory against the Browns in Cincinnati. Brown now has 923 rushing yards on the season, while the Bengals (7-8) kept their scant playoff hopes intact with their third straight win before they host the Broncos this upcoming Saturday.
Keison Peoples has helped propel the Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin boys’ basketball team to an 11-0 start to the season and a No. 1 ranking among area teams.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Heritage/BHRA Holiday Tournament. The undefeated Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin boys’ basketball team takes its 11-0 record into Thursday’s first day of the 10-team, two-site tournament.
➜ 2. Monticello Holiday Hoopla. An eight-team boys’ tournament and eight-team girls’ tournament tips off Thursday in Monticello. Keep an eye on the Tuscola boys’ basketball team, with the Warriors still unbeaten at 10-0.
➜ 3. Abe’s Rumble. The premier downstate holiday wrestling tournament starts on Friday in Springfield with 60 teams, including area programs like Monticello, Oakwood/Salt Fork, St. Joseph-Ogden and Unity, in the field.
Champaign Central boys’ cross-country coach Steven Kesler.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Champaign Central boys’ cross-country coach Steven Kesler:
➜ 1. My favorite sports team is … the Ohio State football team. Both of my parents are from Columbus and graduated from Ohio State.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Scott Christensen, Ryan Day and Ed Eyestone.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … athletes who miss practice. It’s especially annoying on workout days.