By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Have you been following the Teutopolis soccer team this year?

If so, you know the Shoes are having a good fall, compiling a 14-4-2 record heading into the postseason.

And have you been paying attention to whose been scoring their goals?

If so, you’ve noticed names like Bucciarelli and Tanneryd – very un-Ttown type names.

And with good reason.

This year’s THS squad has an international mix that includes two players from more than 4,400 miles away.

Exchange students Alessio Bucciarelli, from Rome, Italy, and Linus Tanneryd, who hails from Stockholm, Sweden, are not only attending Teutopolis High School, but have also been a nice addition to the school’s soccer team.

“They are both great kids,” said THS coach Aaron Wendt. “They integrated into the team very well. Our kids responded and everybody jelled together. Alessio and Linus became friends with the others on the team quickly.”

As it turned out, both young men went through the same organization while getting placed as an exchange student. Both were given the same three options – the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland – and both chose the U.S.

Read more ...

By Steve Raymond

News Report Staff

Emma Kessler admits she likes to get dressed up.

In her very next breath, however, she stresses “but I’m no girlie-girl.”

And a picture of Emma in her football uniform, complete with shoulder pads, helmet and jersey No. 62 is plenty of proof.

With all the sports available in high school today, Emma decided she wanted to be part of the most male-dominated sport imaginable.

“I wanted to play football when I was younger, but no other girls would play,” she recalled. “I didn’t want to regret at least not giving it a try. I knew if I didn’t do it this year, I probably wouldn’t do it. So I guess it was better late than never.”

So when you look down the Effingham Flaming Hearts football roster, you will see the name Emma Kessler, listed as a 5’6”, 165-pound defensive line.

Emma is the 15-year-old daughter of Eric and Jamie Kessler. She has three brothers and one older sister and is a sophomore at EHS. She is a big-time football fan and cheers for the Dallas Cowboys and Ole Miss.

After wrestling with whether or not to actually go out for the squad, she finally approached Effingham head coach Brett Hefner in January.

“Once we taught her the lifts for the weight room, she hasn’t missed a single day,” Coach Hefner noted. “She has certainly earned the respect of the coaches and I imagine the respect of the kids.”

Read more ...

The 2019 St. Anthony Men’s Steak Stag will be held at the St. Anthony Parish Center on Thursday, Oct. 17.

Happy Hour will be from 5:3-6:30 p.m., with a steak dinner to follow.

Dinner is $30 per person, with two drink tickets included.

Tickets will be available at the door the night of the steak stag. Booster Club memberships and season tickets will also be available.

Attendees can purchase red chair seats, booster club memberships and season tickets from any booster club officers.

By Steve Raymond

News Report Staff

Don’t let Ava Boehm’s diminutive stature fool you.

Despite being only 5’1”, with a golf club in her hand, she packs quite a wallop.

But not that long ago, Ava had no wallop to pack.

Graves’ Disease was robbing her of her strength.

“It affects people differently,” Ava explained. “I was sick constantly – throwing up, headaches and no energy. I was tired all the time. All I wanted to do was sleep.”

Her 112-pound frame was reduced to only 94 pounds. She was unable to play more than four holes without needing to ride in a cart and couldn’t even lift her golf bag.

Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there.

Once it was determined Ava had Graves’ Disease, her recovery has been steady. She is now back on the golf course, playing better than ever and has some lofty goals set for herself and the Effingham Lady Hearts.

Ava is the 16-year-old daughter of Brannon and Jill Boehm. She is a junior at EHS and a regular on the High Honor Roll, carrying a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Other than a couple rounds with her dad, Ava had not played any competitive golf until her seventh grade year at Sacred Heart School.

“My good friend Cara Hakman asked me if I wanted to play and I said ‘sure,’” Ava recalled.

That was right before the sectionals. She couldn’t remember for sure, but said she shot a 112 or 113, finished 10th overall and qualified for the state tournament.

“I was surprised,” Ava admitted. “There weren’t a whole lot of girls better than me, but there were a lot that were worse. I wasn’t expecting that.”

That was all the motivation she needed.

It didn’t take long for Ava to develop a love for the game and a realization that she just might be pretty good at it.

“I just wanted to play more and more,” she said. “Dad pushed me because he thought to I could be a good player. And I like to win.”

Read more ...