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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
Illinois cornerback Xavier Scott reacts after his 30-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the first half of Saturday night’s 23-17 win against No. 19 Kansas at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Xavier Scott received national recognition on Tuesday just like Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer (see Bob Asmusen’s column). Scott, the versatile Illini defensive back who has three interceptions and 29 tackles this season, is one of 15 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award given to the nation’s best defensive back.
➜ 2. Illinois women’s basketball guard Genesis Bryant is one of 20 shooting guards on the preseason watch list for the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
➜ 3. Eastern Illinois announced Monday it will move its volleyball team to a new volleyball-only facility at McAfee Gym instead of playing matches at Groniger Arena in Charleston. Cool deal.
Before he won a national title at Michigan, J.J. McCarthy won The News-Gazette’s All-State Player of the Year honor in 2019 while at Nazareth Academy.
Numbers game
89th
News-Gazette All-State high school football team that will be recognized in late November. Coaches should email nominees to sports@news-gazette.com.
Players on the Mahomet-Seymour boys’ soccer team run out onto the field to greet goalkeeper Hayden Litteken to celebrate the Bulldogs’ win in penalty kicks against Urbana in a Class 2A regional championship match on Friday in Urbana. The game reached a penalty-kick shootout after going scoreless in regulation and two overtimes.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Minnesota at Illinois football. A week after Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel picked apart the Illini, Max Brosmer is looking to do the same on Saturday in Champaign. The Minnesota quarterback has thrown for 1,776 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions this season.
➜ 2. Big Ten cross-country championships. The action gets going at the UI Golf Course in Savoy at 10:35 a.m. Friday with the women’s race before the men’s race happens at 11:35 a.m. Friday.
➜ 3. Mahomet-Seymour vs. Chatham Glenwood boys’ soccer. M-S (16-7-2) heads to Warrensburg for a Class 2A sectional semifinal match at 4 p.m. Wednesday against the Titans (17-5-3).
From left, the Brown family: Wes, his wife Sherry and their son Chris.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Schlarman cross-country and track and field coach Wes Brown:
➜ 1. My favorite sports teams are … the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues. I was born in St. Louis. You can’t have one champion without the other.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Cuonzo Martin, Bryan Cox and Dennis Brooks.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … littering.