Scott Spiezio set to appear at Peru Mall

The Dec. 17 edition of the Illinois Valley SportsCard and Collectible Christmas Show will welcome World Series champion former St. Louis Cardinals and Anaheim Angels player Scott Spiezio as its special autograph guest. The Morris High School graduate will be signing autographs from noon-1:30 p.m., with Ed Spiezio – a former Cardinals and White Sox player – also appearing and signing during that time.

The event will be held at the Peru Mall from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be 70 tables of merchandise, and admission is free.

Shepherd girls close regular season

The Shpherd girls basketball teams closed the regular season recently – the eighth grade team with a record of 22-2, the 7s at 13-11.

Down-the-stretch results (and leading scorers) for the eighth grade Rams include a 36-26 triumph over Morris Saratoga (Ashlyn Ganiere nine points, Meredith Waldron six, Reese Purcell five); a 31-2 topping of Coal City (Ganiere 16, Waldron nine); a 34-20 loss to Minooka (Ganiere 14); and a 37-17 besting of Dwight (Ganiere 23, Purcell six, Alaina Schulz six).

For the seventh grade team, results include a 13-11 win over Morris Saratoga (Kennedy Kane seven points, Chloe Thrush four); a 14-8 victory over Coal City (Kane six, Thrush four); a 21-15 win over Minooka (Kane 15, Thrush four); a 29-5 victory over Dwight (Kane 13, Thrush 10, Leela Gromm six); and a 26-4 dismissal of Seneca (Waldron and Karsyn Moore six points; Kane, Gromm and Thrush four apiece).

Central 6s 2nd in JFK Tournament

The Central sixth grade boys basketball team (4-3) placed second in the JFK Tournament, beating Dimmick 36-15 (Henry Farabaugh nine points, Luca Fernandez six, Mason Mucci five); topping the hosts 30-20 (Fernandez seven, Trace Wesbecker six, Bryce Ceja five); and falling to Oglebsy Washington in the championship game 31-17 (Jude Willet and Andrew Brink four points each).

Central’s 6s also beat Wallace 30-17 (Ceja nine, Fernandez seven, Farabaugh and Bruce Lucas six each) and fell to Channahon 21-14 (Farabaugh six).

Shepherd 7th grade boys 5-0

The Shepherd boys basketball teams are off to winning starts.

The seventh grade Rams (5-0) have defeated: Northlawn 43-17 (Luke McCullough 13 points, Amari Molina six, Landyn McEmery six, four each from Jordan Gomez and Rory Moore); Channahon 40-14 (Blake Schiltz and McCullough eight apiece, Moore seven, Cayden Lemmer and McEmery four); Pontiac 39-18 (Schiltz 10, Moore eight, McEmery six, Lemmer five, McCullough and Nevan Holloway four); Fieldcrest 34-20 (McCullough eight, Moore and Schiltz seven, McEmery and Holloway four); and Fieldcrest in a “B” game 11-7 (Lemmer and Carson Keylard four apiece); and Parkside 34-7 (Schiltz 12, Moore 10, McCullough four).

The Shepherd 8s (3-1) have defeated Northlawn 46-19 (Griffin Dobberstein 22 points, Dane Schmitz seven, George Shumway four); topped Channahon 41-18 (Dobberstein nine, Schmitz eight, Kaydin Jundert six, Shumway and Landon Mangold five); lost 49-28 to Pontiac (Dobberstein 14, Michael Cinkan four); and defeated Parkside 31-17 (Dobberstein 15, Mangold and Shumway four).

Woodland 7s edge Cornell 29-27

The seventh grade Woodland boys basketball team recorded a 29-27 win over Cornell, led by Nate Berry (14 points), Brayden Matsko (seven points) and Parker Hopkins (four points).

Somonauk Hall of Fame looking for nominees

The Somonauk Athletics Hall of Fame is accepting nominations through Nov. 30. Forms for the nomination of potential entrants or more information on the process can be obtained by emailing somonaukhof@outlook.com.

Dolphins swimming strong

The Ottawa Dolphins continued their season with a fifth-place showing at the Pilgrim Plunge, with five swimmers – Darren Andress, Cat Collet, Adam Hodgson, Daniela Melendez and Jace Sandoval – swimming all their events in personal-best times. Quinn Wilkinson placed first overall in the girls 14U age group with individual wins in the 14U 200 freestyle, 100 and 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 200 IM.

Ottawa then won a six-team meet at the Illinois Valley YMCA, led by three individual wins from Gabe Marini; two courtesy of Cole Bressendorf, Ethan Farabaugh, Brennen Heaver, Griffin Sharp and Bo Weitl; and one win apiece from Elizabeth Hansen, Ryland Heaver, Finley Jobst, Lewis Kuiper and Wilkinson. Lillian Clayton, Dane Hawkins, Declan Hawkins, Ryland Heaver, Mikalea Kitzmann, Gabe Marini, Jace Sandoval and Juliette Strow swam all of their events in personal bests.