2014 1st Round IHSA Football weekend

The Bloomington - Normal / McLean County area teams scored 7 to the first round. Of those 7 games, 5 were home games, one on Friday night, the rest spread throughout the day on Saturday. With so much going on, Chimper was only able to make it to 2 of the games.

 On Friday night, the Spartans of Springfield Southeast braved the cold of the north and travelled to Normal to pick on the Wildcats of Normal West. It worked out to the Wildcats advantage. The passing game of the Spartans was ineffective as cold hands and a cold pigskin made it an uncatchable object for them. The Wildcats had their problems too, but the claws managed to grab it a few more times keeping it an effective option for them. The rest of the game was fought on the ground. Some, including Chimper, actually saw some snowflakes floating in the air as the game began.

 On Saturday, the Redskins of Morris took to the turf in Hancock Stadium to ruin the Pioneers season. The Redskins scored quickly. The Pioneers crossed the goal line early in the game and would have evened the score but the ball was called back for an offensive penalty. Be sure to look for more coverage in the Normalite Newspapers and in Best Look Magazine. Both publications use photos from the Best Look in Sports Action Photography in Bloomington Normal - Alan Look Photography


20141031 Springfield Southeast Spartans at Normal West Wildcats football photos - Images by Alan Look

20141101 Morris Redskins at University High Pioneers football photos - Images by Alan Look

Tri Valley take the annual game against Le Roy at Tucci Stadium

It brighter lights, more seats, artificial turf - but it's still the Vikings against the Panthers.  A mere few miles apart southeast of the Twin Cities, the mostly friendly rivalry moves to the center of town for the game each year.  It's a great game, lots of fun and a good experience for everyone to play in a larger different environment.

Tri Valley took the points this year.  Hope to see you all again at Tucci next season!

Be sure to check out the Normalite Newspapers and Best Look Magazine for more coverage.  Images by Bloomington Normal's Best Look in Sports Action Photography - Alan Look Photography.



20141010 Le Roy Panthers v Tri Valley Vikings football photos @ IWU - Images by Alan Look

 - Chimper -

Canon fires, Ridgeview - Blur Ridge mis-fires

Last night it was Ridgeview-Blue Ridge Mustangs at Tri Valley Vikings. My ears are still ringing from that canon. Thought the EMT's were going to have to defib me when that thing scared the breath out of me the first time they fired it!

It also intimidated the Mustangs.  As I was leaving the field in the 3rd quarter I think I heard the score announced at 68-14.   At the very least it was  a great fall evening with a distinct lake of precipitation - something new for this season!

Photo gallery below from Alan Look Photography, the Best Look in Sports Action photos in Bloomington - Normal and McLean County.  Look for coverage in the Normalite Newspapers and Best Look Magazine.



20140919 Ridgeview-Blue Ridge Mustangs @ Tri Valley Vikings Football Photos - Images by Alan Look

 - Chimper -

Normal West opens 2014 season with a win over Belleville West

Friday night, August 29th, The Normal West Wildcats opened their 2014 season against a new opponent - the Belleville West Maroons.  After storming the football field through a tunnel of band members and cheerleaders (resulting in one media casualty from a local television station) the Wildcats began their attack on the Maroons.  One down, 8 more to go for the Wildcats!

Bloomington - Normal's best look in Sports Action Photography.  Check out Best Look Magazine each quarter for more images and stories.



20140829 Belleville West Maroons at Normal West Wildcats football photos - Images by Alan Look

 - Chimper -

Cody White, BHS at West, and El Paso-Gridley takes 3rd in 2a IHSA Girls

Another busy weekend finally settling down.  Don't think we are quite caught up, but all the images are worked, sent to the publisher and posted online.

Friday night at High Schools are always fun and work filled.  Adding a local celebrity appearance and the work just about doubles.  It's all good, I really enjoy seeing the local youth that I've photographed and followed make it above and beyond the high school level.  Cody White is one of those.  He was a multiple sport athlete at Normal Community West High School.  As a football Wildcat, he wore #5.  After graduation, he played for the Redbirds at Illinois State and for his senior year, he place the offensive line that allowed the fewest sacks ever in ISU history.  I believe it was 5 or 6 for the whole year.  Last year, he began the football season with the Houston Texans in the NFL.  THe first 4 games of the season he was on their practice squad.  After being approached by another team, the Texans promoted him to the regular roster.

It was also Senior night at West, so you can find images of both Cody and the senior night basketball game against BHS by clicking here - BHS Raiders at Normal West Wildcats, Cody White Night photos.

Saturday was dedicated to the IHSA Girls Basketball 2A 3rd place game between Walther Lutheran Lady Broncos and El Paso-Gridley Titans.  The first half was nip and tuck, but the Titans pulled away in the 3rd quarter to finish over the Lady Broncos at the final buzzer.  It wasn't the most physical game I've witnessed but the more than usual contact made the game exciting.  This was the Lady Titans first time to the Illinois High School Association State Finals.  Images are here:  IHSA 2A 3rd place game Walther Lutheran Lady Broncos v El Paso-Gridley Lady Titans basketball photos.

Looking is always free, but please consider supporting your local photographers.  Also be sure to look in the Normalite Newspapers for coverage and Best Look Magazine.

Others with photos from the IHSA 3rd place game are:
Jmax Photo and John Power Photography

-chimper-

Le Roy Panthers fall in Quarterfinals at home

Triopia trumped the Le Roy Panthers today by 2 points.  It was a knock down, drag them out, take an inch up the middle game from the beginning.  The stadium was packed, parking a premium, and the weather cooperative!  What a season the Panthers had.  11-1.

Alan Look Photography Gallery

There will be photo coverage in the LeRoy Leader, a Normalite Newspaper and in Best Look Magazine's February Issue.

DeeMack defeats Riverdale in 3 sets

Deer Creek Mackinaws Chiefs were one of the final four in the Class 2A completion.  On Friday, they went the distance with the Rams of Riverdale (Port Bryon).  The Rams took the first set pretty easily.  The second set turned after the first few points and the passion and play came to the Chiefs.  They took the second set and didn’t let up till they finished off on top at the end of the third set to take the match 2 sets to one.

Alan Look Photography gallery

Be sure to check out Best Look Magazine.   This event won't publish till February, but the current edition has lots of great things in it too.

HOIC Football Title decided on Wilder Field

Le Roy Panthers and Tri Valley Vikings were both undefeated until last night when they  met at Tucci Stadium on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University.  It was a Vikings "home game" and was pepped up by the Tri Valley announcer in the booth.  The Home side bleachers were pretty packed and the visitors side was full and the fence line crowded.  Still one team or the other was going to walk away defeated and the HOIC title would go home with the other.  Even in the sorrow of defeat, there is some resolve as both teams have won enough games to score a game in the first round of the IHSA playoffs which will begin next weekend and the match ups should be announced soon.

Le Roy left victorious.

Alan Look Photography was there covering for the Normalite Newspaper Group (LeRoy Leader) and Best Look Magazine.  Be sure to check out each link.

Tri Valley Vikings v LeRoy Panthers football photos

Le Roy always supports their Panthers

For as long as I can remember Le Roy has always been a big football town.  The stands were always full in the '70s when I was in a competing high school and they are still full every time I go down to shoot.  Last night was no different as they sent Blue Ridge Knights packing back to Farmer City as the Panthers won their Homecoming.

Be sure to get your copy of Best Look Magazine.

Blue Ridge Knights v LeRoy Panthers football photos

John Power took this weekend off from shooting, but be sure to check out his galleries from past games for some more great action photos.

West survives to fight again

Normal Community Ironmen and the Normal Community West Wildcats duel in IHSA Regional

Lots of tense moments, lots of tough decisions, lots of teamwork, lots of friends, lots of foes, lots of sadness, lots of joy. In overtime, the Wildcats hold on to a 2 point lead that had 2 opportunities to be a lose. Not a lot one can add to the action that happened inside the black lines or inside the Shirk Center. The stories will be told for at least a generation. you had to be there, or you need to read the story by Steve Robinson in the upcoming Normalite Newspaper.


20120302 NCWHS v NCHS Regional - Images by Alan Look

LeRoy Lady Panthers take IHSA Class 1a 4th place hardware

Illini Bluffs Girls Basketball v Leroy Panthers Girls Basketball IHSA Consolation Game

It's always a heartbreaker for the players, coaches, families and communities to see their team make it to the IHSA State Basketball finals and not take 1st. Over time everyone realizes that they beat out a whole lot of people to even get that pass tag to Redbird Arena. It generally sets the tone to do even better the following year. In the end, everyone will have the memory of being one of the four best teams in the state for the rest of their lives.

Congrats and enjoy the lifetime memory to all 4 teams, but especially the LeRoy Panthers as they hail from just 15 miles down the road.


20120225 Illini Bluffs v LeRoy - Images by Alan Look

Heyworth a Star and a Buzz

In 1961 when I first moved to Heyworth, the Heyworth Star was a thriving weekly newspaper. I can't tell you the whole history of the paper, but it was then run by Glen Beverage and his son Jim. I also don't remember a lot about Glen except that he always had a smile when I saw him.

Jim lived 3 doors away from us on Poplar St. with his wife Nancy who taught school in a near by community and Sonja their girl who was the same age as I.

Jim was a newspaper man through and through. Always looking for the scoop. Always at the local sports events. Always wearing a dress hat, carrying a camera, tablet and pen and when it was cold, a trench styled overcoat. He was inquisitive and full of common sense. He also liked to show off his shop to any youngster that showed an interest. More than once I walked in unannounced and he would appear in the front office and offer a quick tour. Didn't matter how busy he was, he always had time for an interested youth.

In those days it was type press machinery. All the type was set on aluminum plates, put together on carriers and loaded into the press. All the plates were made on site at the Star. I may still have a couple floating around somewhere that Jim made for me on one of those tours. Clink, clink, clang, bang and there was your name on the edge of one. The Star also printed stationary, invitations, etc. to bolster the coffers and add a service to the community.

Several years ago, Jim passed on and Nancy became the owner of the Star and kept it open with employees. Gone also were the typeset days and computers replaced much of that layout and printing work. Staying the same was the offering of local news about Heyworth to the community and to those who had lived there an moved on.

Speed ahead to about 2 years ago... The economy in the tank, the newspaper industry sinking under the weight of new "paperless" technologies, and her age, Nancy decided to sell the Star to the Daily 12 miles to the north. The Pantagraph was able to justify and keep the paper open until last month when it announced that it was pulling the plug on 3 or more weeklies it had been publishing. It seemed the town would be without a mainstay that it had for a long long time.

Enter newpaper man, Ed Pyne. Ed jumped at the opportunity to get a paper in the Heyworth communuty. He had also bid on the Star when it was for sale a few years ago. The inaugural edition of the new Heyworth Buzz was published on November 18. Not knowing what to put into the first edition was a real puzzler until the Heyworth High School Hornet volleyball team won the state title in their division. The Hornets had never won a title in any sport. The volleyball match against Scales Mound was exciting and had maybe one of the best finished of any volleyball match I've ever viewed or covered. The Hornets came from behind at match point for the final 5 points to put away their opponent. Too bad Jim couldn't have been around to see it. He was one of Heyworth's biggest cheerleaders for a long time.

Congrats to Heyworth Hornets, the Heyworth Buzz and the whole community.


20101113 Heyworth v Scales Mound - Images by Alan Look

Finally

School is Finally back in session.
The hottest part of summer is Finally coming to an end
The sweet smell of fresh corn is Finally in the air
Football is FINALLY back in season.

I enjoy the preseason games on the tube in the hot beginning of August. It's always a welcome view compared to the reruns from last season, the hohum of new reality pilots, award shows and yet another season of the Cubs losing. I do hesitate to put a lot of credence to the preseason games of the NFL. They are full of rookies and 3rd place depth chart players working hard to make an impression on either the team they are currently with or for one of the hundred scouts watching each game to find a player that will get released and help their team. So, the action is usually filled with some great plays and emotion. That always seems to die a little in the last week of the preseason schedule. Still, couldn't the Bears look a little more like they really want to win?

The 27th was opening night for IHSA Friday Night Football, Football under the lights. I was assigned to the local Normal Community Ironmen game. The Iron were hosting the Maroons from Champaign Central. A decent game that could have used a little more fan base from the city 40 miles east. The bleachers on their side were pretty vacant. Maybe every school needs to put the bathrooms and concessions on the visitors side... But the game itself had a good bit of action. Lots of tough runs up the middle, some short yardage runs and passes up the sidelines, interceptions, sacks, and a TD about anyway one could be scored. Even one kick off that nearly went through the uprights (but that's a feet for the kicker from West).

The only bummer on the night was the mosquitoes who seemed to have lined up a week ago for admission. They had me almost thinking that I wished it was Finally time for a hard freeze - ALMOST!

Enjoy the images.


20100827 Champaign Central v Normal Community - Images by Alan Look

State Farm Holiday Classic Coed Basketball Tournament

Wow, the holiday tournaments are here and as I write - almost over! There are several good tournaments in central Illinois. Pontiac, Pekin, Monticello and the State Farm Holiday Classic in Bloomington Normal to name a few. I've never covered any of them except the Classic, so let me talk about it.

The Classic is billed as the largest holiday basketball tournament in the country and the best basketball this side of March. It schedules 4 days of games for 32 boys and 32 girls team divided into 2 divisions. The divisions are split 1a/2a and 3a/4a along the lines the Illinois State High School Association draws for those schools. The Classic also follows the rules of basketball as stipulated by the IHSA. More on that later.

Last night, I did indeed seem some of the best basketball this side of March. The Richwoods ladies were playing the Normal West ladies. What a game. they went toe to toe, shot for shot in a see-sawing battle for the first 32 minutes. A 3 point buzzer shot evened the score at the end of the fourth quarter starting OT. One went by the score still even. On to double OT. This time the Richwoods team got the better of the Wildcats as the steam was running out for both teams. It was a really great game to watch.

I've been to some others at the tournament too. Photos from all are available and look for coverage in the Normalite and online at the Normalite.com as well. A sample gallery is below, but be sure to go to my site for complete coverage of the games I was able to cover.

Now for the rules.

2 rules need to be changed in the IHSA rule book.

1. A couple of years ago, there was a mercy clock. a 30 point lead in the 4th quarter sent the clock ticking till the end of the game. It was a good thing. If there is a 30 point difference in a game that normally only gets 60-70 points no one will be enjoying that game. Right now that rule only exists in tournament situations. It needs to be reapplied to seasonal play as well.

2. I don't know when they implemented the jersey lettering rule, but someone must have owned stock shares in a uniform company to come up with this one. The rule requires a minimum distance between any lettering on the jersey and the number. Also, the arc of the letters can't have the bottom of the letter lower than the top of the numbers. Ok, we probably don't want circular text on the jersey, but assessing a technical foul on the bench for this is just ridiculous. IHSA - get a better rule. Our schools have more important things to spend money on than replacing every sporting jersey they own.

Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday.


2009 State Farm Holiday Classic - Images by Alan Look