Tuesday's varsity schedule

Mid-Illini Conference winter standings through Jan. 31

This weekend's varsity schedule

The Chicago Bears’ disappointing 7-9 season in 2009 likely was a distant memory for fans in attendance Saturday.

With six key members of the 1985 NFL champions in attendance at Embassy Suites for the first Bears Blitz, it was a chance to recall a team that made history.

Thursday's varsity schedule

The East Peoria boys basketball team hounded Pekin Jan. 19.

The Raiders dealt the Dragons a 37-25 Mid-Illini Conference loss after stifling the home team to sub-25 percent shooting.

During its current three-game M-I winning streak, East Peoria (8-9, 4-3) has allowed just 33.3 points per game.

“We did play pretty good defense,” EPCHS head coach Ron Kelch said. “They worked hard at that end of the floor.”

East Peoria lost by the narrowest of margins, but also won in a landslide Jan. 19.

The Illinois Valley Central wrestling team knocked off the Raiders, 37-36, but Mendota was no match for East Peoria in a 71-12 final in Chillicothe.

East Peoria had a chance to knock off Limestone Friday.

But the Rockets pulled away from the Raiders in the fourth quarter to sweep the Mid-Illini Conference series between the schools with a 52-43 win.

Limestone, clinging to a 38-37 edge after three periods, separated itself at Vern Woosley Gymnasium with a 14-6 margin over the final eight minutes.

Since 2000, the EastSide Centre has hosted the IHSA state softball tournament.

And, city officials are pushing to keep it in town for another five years.

What is the best way to celebrate an East Peoria girls basketball win over Morton?

Shopping, of course.

With a promise by Raider head coach Pete McGinnes of a shopping trip to Union Station in St. Louis if East Peoria beat the Potters Tuesday, the girls delivered a spectacular performance.

A 61-52 Raider victory on the road ended a 15-game slide against Morton. It also was the first time since McGinnes came to East Peoria for the 2003-04 season that his team beat the Potters.

Before this breakthrough, the last Raider win over Morton, 59-45 in the Class AA Woodruff Regional semifinals, was Feb. 17, 2003, when the squad was coached by Kristen D'Alfonso and all-time leading scorer Betsy Glover was the East Peoria floor leader in an 18-win season. It completed a three-game season sweep of the Potters.

Tuesday's varsity schedule

Mid-Illini Conference winter standings through Jan. 24

This weekend's varsity schedule

Thursday's varsity schedule

Over the weekend, the East Peoria wrestling team competed at the Quincy Invitational and took ninth place out of 22 teams.

The Raiders ascended into the top 10 despite only taking 10 wrestlers for the varsity tournament.

Senior Cody Largent went 4-0 to take first place in 119 pounds.

Nate Joseph, also a senior, finished 4-0 and won the title in 215.

Largent and Joseph both won their third championships of the season, following first-place awards at Chatham Glenwood (Dec. 5) and Metamora (Dec. 19).