Four players — including three first-team picks — represented Sandburg on this year’s All-Region 4 Division II men’s soccer team. Luis Garcia, Alberto Fernandez Do Carmo and Valentin Kretschmer were first-team selections, while Ramon Ponga was voted to the second team.
The quartet helped the Chargers post a 12-3-3 overall record, put together a 12-game unbeaten streak to close the regular season, win a second consecutive Arrowhead Conference title and earn the No. 2 seed in the region tournament. All four players were also voted to the 2025 All-Arrowhead Conference team.
Garcia, a sophomore striker, earned back-to-back all-region honors after being a second-team pick last year. He led the Chargers in goals (13), assists (six), points (32), shot attempts (48) and shots on goal (23) this fall. He also tied for the team lead with three game-winning goals. Garcia had three multigoal games, including a four-goal, nine-point performance in the Chargers’ Oct. 2 win over Wisconsin-Whitewater at Rock County.
Kretschmer, the Arrowhead Conference MVP, finished second to Garcia among Chargers with eight goals, five assists and 21 points. The sophomore striker had two-goal efforts Sept. 21 at Harper and Oct. 8 against Black Hawk. He also had a four-point performance against UW-Whitewater at Rock County, scoring once and assisting on two goals.
Fernandez Do Carmo tied Garcia for the team lead with three game-winning goals, including a 90th-minute penalty kick in Sandburg’s win over Black Hawk. The sophomore center midfielder totaled six goals, three assists and 15 points on the season. He scored twice in Sandburg’s Sept. 1 win over Kennedy-King.
Ponga, a freshman striker, came on strong late in the season, with five of his eight points coming in the Chargers’ final two regular-season matches. He scored and had an assist in Sandburg’s Oct. 17 win over Kishwaukee, and he delivered the game-winning goal in the Chargers’ 1-0 victory Oct. 25 over Heartland.
No. 5 Lincoln Land defeats Sandburg women
The Sandburg women’s basketball team pushed nationally ranked Lincoln Land to the final minute, but the Loggers outlasted the Chargers 64-55 Nov. 18 in Springfield.
The Chargers (2-3) trailed fifth-ranked and unbeaten Lincoln Land 28-18 after the opening quarter but closed within 46-40 on a pair of Tiera Hall free throws with 6:10 to play in the third.
Hailey Redding’s 3-pointer with 6:36 left in the contest got Sandburg within 59-51. A Paige Huffman trey with 1:27 to play made it 61-55, but that was as close as the Chargers would get.
Redding and Hall tied for the team lead with 14 points apiece in the loss. Hall added 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. The sophomore also had three assists and two steals. Redding took all of her field-goal attempts from 3-point range, finishing 4 of 13.
Sophomore Antonia Kisler added 11 points and six rebounds for Sandburg. Camryn Atterberg turned in eight points and seven boards.
Lincoln Land’s Kylie Robinson led all scorers with 17 points while going 8 of 11 from the free-throw line.
The Chargers play at Culver-Stockton JV at 1 p.m. Nov. 23.
Second-half burst propels Lincoln Land over Sandburg men
The Sandburg men’s basketball team trailed by just two points at halftime before dropping a 77-64 decision at Lincoln Land Nov. 18.
Ralph Wires led the Chargers with 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting. The sophomore point guard from Quincy also tied for the team lead with four assists.
Ashton Grieves also reached double figures for Sandburg, scoring 10 points. Grieves matched Wires with four assists and had two steals. It marked the third straight game in double digits for the freshman from Metamora.
Freshman TJ Sturdivant contributed nine points for Sandburg on the strength of a 3-for-5 night from 3-point range.
The host Loggers led 35-33 at halftime before outscoring the Chargers 42-31 in the second half. Sandburg was limited to 10 of 34 (29 percent) from the field in the final 20 minutes, while Lincoln Land shot 46 percent (11 of 24) from the floor.
Jalen Ashley’s 21 points off the bench for Lincoln Land led all scorers. He also had eight rebounds.
Campbell 3-pointer wins it for Knox men’s basketball
It was only appropriate that a game with nine lead changes and 10 ties would come down to the wire, and sophomore Noah Campbell made sure the Knox College home fans left with smiles on their faces.
The 5-foot-10 point guard drained a 3-pointer from the far wing with 1.4 seconds left, breaking a deadlock to give the Prairie Fire (3-1) a 72-69 victory over Eureka College (1-4) on Nov. 18 at Memorial Gymnasium.
Campbell finished with 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting, including the game-winner.
As a team, the Prairie Fire shot 41.9 percent (26 of 62) from the floor, nearly identical to Eureka’s 42.1 percent (24 of 57). Knox finished with a 47-30 advantage on the boards and committed only four turnovers in the second half.
At 3-1, the Prairie Fire are off to their best start since 2003-04 when they began 5-1.
Knox has a week off for final exams before opening Midwest Conference play at Illinois College (2-3) at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 25.
Tucson trio leads Knox women to first win
Thanks to 34 points from junior Bria Medina and double-doubles from senior Kylee Callahan and sophomore Nayeli Nidez Acuña — all three from Tucson, Arizona — the Knox College women’s basketball team picked up its first victory of the season, defeating Benedictine University 93-80 on Nov. 18 in Lisle.
The Prairie Fire (1-3) shot 53.6 percent from the floor while holding the Eagles (4-2) to 38.3 percent.
Medina is the fastest of the six players to reach 1,000 points, doing so in her 55th game. The previous fastest was Jarrelyn McCall ’20, who hit the mark in her 77th game. Medina entered the night ranked third in Division III at 26.7 points per game and is now averaging 28.0.
Medina recorded her fourth career 30-point game — the most in program history — and became the sixth Prairie Fire player to surpass 1,000 points. She knocked down 12 of 18 field goals, including two 3-pointers, and made all eight of her free throws. She also nearly gave Knox three double-doubles, dishing out a career-high nine assists while playing all 40 minutes.
Callahan, who scored her most points since a career-best 31 nearly two years ago against Manhattanville, has three double-doubles in four games this season, while Nidez Acuña has two.
Knox has a week off for final exams before opening Midwest Conference play at Illinois College (2-2) at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 25.
On the Schedule
Friday, Nov. 21, 2025
• GHS girls basketball Thanksgiving Tournament vs. Robinson, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025
• GHS girls basketball Thanksgiving Tournament vs. Metamora, noon
• GHS girls basketball Thanksgiving Tournament vs. Springfield, 7:30 p.m.
• Knox College cross country vs. Converse College, 11 a.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025
• GHS wrestling vs. Canton, Beardstown at Canton, 5 p.m.
• GHS girls basketball vs. Alleman, 3:30 p.m.
• Knox men’s basketball at Illinois College, 5:30 p.m.
• Knox women’s basketball at Illinois College, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025
• GHS boys basketball vs. Limestone, 7 p.m.
