Hear outside of the box stories from Decatur-area coaches, players and more.
In this episode of Outside the Box, sports reporter Joey Wagner and sports editor Justin Conn talk with MacArthur boys basketball coach Ron Ingram. Ingram talks about his life in California, and how he thought he was going to play for the Dallas Mavericks. He shares why he came back to Illinois, how he got to MacArthur, his life as a basketball referee, nearly leaving MacArthur, his health, the shot clock and much, much more. Listen
In the return episode of Outside the Box, sports reporter Joey Wagner and sports editor Justin Conn talk with IHSA football expert, and sports editor of the Joliet Herald-News Steve Soucie about the recent districts proposal that passed. They talk about the pros and cons of the proposal, what will happen with certain schools, how Steve creates his projections and talk about the possibility of another proposal, in favor of the current format, being presented next year. Listen here
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, deputy sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner talk with Monticello football coach Cully Welter. They talk about how Welter being inducted into the IHSCFA Hall of Fame, becoming the winningest coach in Monticello football history, his standout track career at the University of Illinois and how to build a successful program. Listen
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, deputy sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner talk with Pana football coach Trevor Higgins. They talk about how Higgins got into coaching, the importance of small-town football, the evolution of Twitter and the uptick of scoring in the South Central Conference. At the end, Higgins talks about what he does in his free time and why he wears his patented bucket hat. Listen
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, deputy sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner talk with Tuscola head football coach Andy Romine. They talk about Romine’s football background, how he got involved at coaching, how he ended up at Tuscola and he shares a wildly entertaining story about racing cars. Listen
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, deputy sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner talk with Maroa-Forsyth head football coach Josh Jostes. They talk a proposal to eliminate high school conferences in favor of districts, Jostes’ start at Maroa when he was a 25-year-old coach, how things have changes in the program and students moving in and out of the district. Listen
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, deputy sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner talk with Mount Zion volleyball coach Jay McAtee. They talk the high expectations for this season’s team, former successful teams McAtee has coached, what it’s like for McAtee to coach his own children and how he got into coaching. Listen
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, deputy sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner talk girls state track ahead of this weekend’s meet with legendary PA announcer Matt Piescinski. Piescinski recaps the girls meet, including the dominating performances from St. Teresa’s DaeLin Switzer and Eisenhower’s Tina Martin. Piescinski previews this weekend’s boys state meet, and talks about teams and events to watch. Come back next week for a preview of the boys state meet. Listen
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner sit down for a conversation with St. Teresa’s Todd Vohland. Vohland talks about his ring tones, the cross country team’s run of four straight state titles, what he was like as a basketball coach and why his runners can’t say too much to him when he’s getting too intense at a track meet. If there is a coach, player or anyone else involved in area high school sports you want to hear from, reach us by email (hrsports@herald-review.com) or Facebook. Listen
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner sit down for a conversation with LSA baseball coach Erik Johansen. Johansen talks about the Lions getting off to another good start, the GoFundMe page for field renovations, upkeep of their field, his time as a Millikin baseball player, and his coaching history throughout Decatur. If there is a coach, player or anyone else involved in area high school sports you want to hear from, reach us by email (hrsports@herald-review.com) or Facebook. Listen
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner sit down for a conversation with Okaw Valley baseball coach Andrew Hagerman. Hagerman talks about this season’s undefeated team and the keys behind the fast start. He talks about how he got in to coaching at Okaw Valley, how the 2015 team would have looked with the new IHSA pitch count rule, how pitch counts have worked so far and what it’s like to coach his own kids, and how that has changed over time. If there is a coach, player or anyone else involved in area high school sports you want to hear from, reach us by email (hrsports@herald-review.com) or Facebook. Listen
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner sit down for a conversation with former Major Leaguer and Decatur Commodores head coach Kevin Koslofski. Koslofski talked about the home run he hit off Nolan Ryan as well as his high school days at Maroa-Forsyth, his eight (or nine) seasons in the minor leagues, the unforgettable moment when he was called up to the Royals and the emotional moment when he called to tell his parents. He also shared the heartbreaking moment he knew his MLB career was likely over, talked about the Commodores and relived his days swinging a bat upstairs at the Maroa bank. If there is a coach, player or anyone else involved in area high school sports you want to hear from, reach us by email (hrsports@herald-review.com) or Facebook. Listen
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner sit down for a conversation with longtime Eisenhower track and cross country coach and former Athletic Director Greg Collingwood. The three talk about how Collingwood is filling his time now that he’s retired, the benefits of three-sport athletes, the history and present of track and field and cross country in Decatur and how he got his start in coaching. If there is a coach, player or anyone else involved in area high school sports you want to hear from, reach usby email (hrsports@herald-review.com) or Facebook. Listen
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner sit down for a conversation with LSA boys basketball and Argenta-Oreana baseball coach Tom Saunches. The wide-ranging conversation covered Saunches’ relationship with his dad, who coached Saunches at DuQuoin, coaching his own son Michael, and Saunches’ days at a pro baseball player. He opened up about the panic attacks he had as a minor league player that caused him to leave the game, and also talked about surviving both a cancer scare and cancer itself, some of his coaching philosophies and why he thinks coaches ask too much from high school players in the summer. If there is a coach, player or anyone else involved in area high school sports you want to hear from, reach us by email (hrsports@herald-review.com) or Facebook. Listen
In the latest episode of the Herald & Review Outside the Box podcast, sports editor Justin Conn and sports reporter Joey Wagner sit down for a conversation with Central A&M girls basketball coach Tom Dooley. They talk about what a state basketball run feels like, Dooley’s coaching stories, his daughter, Ryan, and look back at A&M’s state run. If there is a coach, player or anyone else involved in area high school sports you want to hear from, reach us by email (hrsports@herald-review.com) or Facebook. Listen