Mac On Sports

        Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced Thursday an extension for men’s basketball head coach Brad Underwood, pending approval by the UI Board of Trustees at its Sept. 23 meeting. The new agreement will keep Underwood on a six-year contract through the 2026-27 season. Underwood’s proposed contract will move his total annual compensation into the…

     Central A&M Principal Charlie Brown posted today (Wednesday)that Saturday’s opponent, Clinton, has gone into Covid-19 protocol and forfeited the Raiders game.      “Clinton administrators have informed Central A&M that they are unable to play the varsity game on Saturday due to CoVid-19 protocols.      “We are working to try and secure a varsity opponent for…

      The Illinois High School Association Board reviewed correspondence related to IHSA football and the ability to schedule an exhibition game when an opponent forfeits. The Board issued the following statement: “The IHSA Board recognizes the dilemma that forfeits caused by COVID-19 have created for member schools this year, especially as it relates to the…

    This afternoon, (Monday, Sept. 13), Argenta-Oreana officials announced it was pausing football to follow Covid-19 protocols.     Athletic Director Michael Williams released this statement to the media, “Over the weekend an Argenta-Oreana football player was confirmed to have a case of COVID-19.   As a result of working with and at the direction of the…

          The Springfield High School football team will be four players short when it hosts Eisenhower Saturday at Memorial Stadium.      Springfield High said three players were ejected last week after coming onto the field during a fight early in its 66-20 Central State Eight Conference victory over Lanphier on Sept. 3. Another was ejected for stepping on…

       Lanphier canceled tonight’s (Friday) football game against Normal University High and next week’s contest against Jacksonville because of COVID-19 protocols. Five students at Lanphier tested positive for the coronavirus, which includes four on the football team, according to a news release from Springfield School District 186. “This decision was made in collaboration with Sangamon County…

  Head Coach Brad Underwood’s fifth Illini squad returns three starters and six of its top nine players from last year’s rotation. Led by national player of the year candidate Kofi Cockburn 2021 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Andre Curbelo and fifth-year starters Trent Frazier, Da’ Monte Williams and Jacob Illinois welcomes back 63% of its minutes, 60%…

          Tuesday was not a good day for prep football in Decatur and central Illinois.      Sullivan/Okaw Valley of the Central Illinois Conference announced it was canceling the remaining seven games of its varsity football schedule        And Decatur LSA announced it was forfeiting its next two games because Covid protocols from…

        Jason Crutcher, MacArthur Athletic Director, has advised Generals football is quarantined. “We are on quarantine as of today (Thursday) so we won’t be playing for the next 2 weeks,” Crutcher wrote to advise Friday night’s game was canceled.            I will have more on this developing story in a…

          I’ve been sports editor of this newspaper for 45 years and I’ve covered hundreds of football games where quarterbacks excelled, but one always comes to mind for what he achieved between the sidelines, on the sidelines as a coach and now as an educational leader       And that Matt’s…