Fall Sports Set to Begin This Week
With the new school year beginning this week, local athletes will be kicking of their fall sports seasons starting this week.
A year after the COVID pandemic threw several sports into different seasons and shortened postseasons, things should look a bit more normal this fall. Baseball and softball at the junior high level will be held in the coming weeks, and golf, cross country and volleyball are set to get underway for high schoolers. Immanuel Lutheran in Okawville has cross country events planned but no schedule yet.
The IHSA mandated masks for indoor sports this fall, which will only affect the high school volleyball season. That season begins for the Lady Rockets August 23 when Greenville visits the O-Rena.
The Lady Rockets will seek their third straight winning season against a tough schedule of mostly bigger 2A schools, including new Cahokia Conference rivals Carlyle, Red Bud, Wesclin, Chester and Sparta.
Debbie Frederking is the head coach, and Brian Frederking is the assistant coach.
Junior High Baseball/
Softball
Junior high baseball and softball get underway this week, with Okawville hosting Freeburg Thursday, Pinckneyville Monday and Wesclin next Wednesday.
Last season, the Junior Lady Rockets qualified for state by winning the regional. The boys’ team lost in the regional quarterfinal.
Boys and Girls Golf
Set to Tee Off
The Rockets and Lady Rockets will tee off their fall seasons this week. The boys’ team hosts Wesclin Thursday and Marissa on Monday. The Lady Rockets’ first match is at Mascoutah Monday before they travel to Waterloo Tuesday.
The Rockets’ Dylan Clark advanced to the sectional last year, and Dillion Teter qualified for state as a freshman in 2019.
Last year, the Lady Rockets missed moving on to sectionals by a single stroke. Three seniors from that team graduated, so Okawville will be looking to reload.
Cross Country Teams Start Running August 23
Okawville’s harriers will open the fall cross country season Monday, August 23 when the Rockets and Lady Rockets travel to New Athens.
Both the girls’ and boys’ teams are coming of solid seasons, as both the Rockets and Lady Rockets qualified for the sectional round last year. Both teams also only had one senior each, so Okawville will have no shortage of seasoned runners this year.
