The Pinckneyville pom-pon team won second place in Class A Kick at the state competition in Champaign Saturday. Steve Cannedy was also honored for his 28 years of commitment to the poms including serving as member of the board of the Illinois Drill Team Association. (click on the image to view the picture gallery)
Thousands of people took to the street (not a typo) of Du Bois to celebrate the 17th Annual Casimir Pulaski Day in honor of a Revolutionary War hero of some note who was a native of Poland. Beer was more popular than vodak but if Casimir's idea of a party was driving around on a tractos and getting faced, then he'd been at home in the Washington County town of 250 souls. (click on the image to view the photo gallery)
The Pinckneyville pom-pon took firsts in Kick and Poms and qualified for state in those two categories, as well as in Lyrical at a regional competition in Benton Saturday. Alicia Luthy also earned a "Rising Star Award" at the event. The squad travels to the University of Illinois March 12 for the finals. (click on the image to view the photo gallery)
The Pinckneyville Panthers concluded its regular season with a 58-39 thrashing of the Carterville Lions Friday night. The team was led in scoring by Kyle Lamb and Steve Brueggemann, each with 19 points. The Panthers end the season with a 19-8 record and move to regional play at Sparta next week. (click on the image to view the photo gallery)
By Jeff Smyth
Joe Newton, the cross country coach at my high school, liked to belittle me every time I walked into the gymnasium, “Smitty, (that was my nickname) you are as useless as a tits on a bull,” he’d holler with his chin raised as if he dared me to punch it.
Newton wasn’t a big man but his raspy voice boomed throughout the cavernous gym. More impressive, it carried a lot of weight. Let’s just say when you are the most successful high school coach in any sport of all time (27 state titles and a movie made about him) people listen. So when he’d bellow his tit-bull comparison for my choosing to hang with the freaks and burnouts instead of joining his “Long Green Line,” it “udderly” shook my confidence.
After I graduated, Newton continued racking up state titles (he still is) and I went on to a life that proved that the man knows a tit on a bull when he sees one. While Newton’s point about making the right choices in life didn’t sink in, I did learn something of value from him. Namely, language is colorful and fun, especially when it comes to similes.
The Pinckneyville Panthers came up short on a hard fought game against cross-county rival Du Quoin, losing 68-65 at Thomas Gym Friday night. Steve Brueggeman led the team with 30 points. Hunter Queen also reached double digits with 10 points. (click on the image to view the photo gallery).
