Mac On Sports

         Josh Jostes has coached Maroa-Forsyth Trojans football teams to two state championships and six runners up, including three in the last three years. Jostes will begin his 20th season as the Trojans head coach Friday night, Aug. 30th, in Virden against North Mac. His record through his first 19 years is 178-55. For…

             Any athletic event coordinator has to be a fund-raiser first in order to keep his tournament afloat in these difficult financial times. The Decatur Thanksgiving Tournament is less than four months away from celebrating its 50th anniversary, and is blessed to have one. Tournament coordinator Mel Roustio came up with another brilliant idea…

        When Millikin moves into its new Workman baseball facility next spring on Fairview Avenue, Sunnyside Park becomes immediately available for another suitor to play there with the Decatur Commodores.      The Big Blue’s new baseball facility is directly south of the Decatur Indoor Sports Center. Eisenhower’s baseball coach Kevin Hale asked school officials to…

  By J. Thomas McNamara, Sports Editor      The 21st USTA/Ursula Beck Pro Tennis Classic at the Decatur Park District’s Fairview Park Tennis Complex begins July 25 and runs through Aug. 4. The main tournament begins July 29 and concludes Aug. 4 with the preliminary events, beginning July 25th.      Here’s the schedule of events: –Thursday-Saturday Main…

  By J. Thomas McNamara Sports Editor      For those interested in learning all they want about the storied origin of the Chicago Bears in Decatur Mark Sorensen is the person to contact. And there’s no better time for this as the Bears are starting to celebrate their Centennial season. Sorensen, the official Macon County…

        Don Spain, who was scheduled to be inducted into the Decatur Public School District’s Athletic Hall of Fame for his baseball successes at Eisenhower and in professional baseball, passed away in his sleep earlier today (Thursday, July 4, 2019).         Close Friend and former teammate Roe Skidmore responded to my call this afternoon on…

       During Mel Roustio’s decades of coaching prep boys basketball at various sites throughout Illinois, “Gene and I never went head-to-head coaching teams; However, our friendship goes back many years. My Illinois State basketball/baseball teammate, John Hornacek, was Pingatore’s assistant coach for a few years before John got into basketball officiating. John’s son, Jeff, played…

         A brief rain delay wasn’t going to deprive MyShaun Dozier of a lifetime experience. Although the start of last Saturday afternoon’s game between the Los Angeles Angels and the St. Louis Cardinals was delayed by rain, nothing was going to stand in the way of what he was about to do–throw out the…

      Jim Hallihan is looking forward with great anticipation, enthusiasm and excitement to the Sept. 27-28 weekend when members and Coach Jack Kenny of the 1962 Stephen Decatur state championship basketball team come together for their first-ever team reunion. This is for players and coaches only as they get together for a round of golf…

       After finishing as runnerup a year ago in a four hole playoff with Isa Gabsa, Jillian Hollis won the 35th and final Forsyth Classic Sunday evening at Hickory Point Golf Club by two strokes with her 13 under par. Her 13 under score is the same one she finished with a year ago. She…