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Tyler Heffren filling in gaps for shorthanded Eureka
EUREKA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) – It’s been a season of adversity in Eureka. That means Tyler Heffren’s senior year has taken an unexpected turn. “We’ve had two of our senior starters go out for the year. It’s a next-man-up mentality,” Heffren explained. “I feel like we’ve done a great job. The younger guys have played great […]
Local sports recap for Jan. 23, 2024
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Myles Foster scored 19 points and added ten rebounds to lead Illinois State to a77-67 win over Belmont at CEFCU Arena on Tuesday. In high school basketball, Tyler Mason scored 23 and Cooper Koch 21 to pace Metamora in a 67-48 win over visiting Morton. The win pulls the Redbirds into […]
Duke Deen enjoying his night classes at Carver Arena
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Bradley guard Duke Deen goes to class in the morning and plays basketball in the evening. But he says this year, basketball is like a night class. “I’ve learned a lot more about basketball in general,” said Deen. “I feel like you always learn, even though I’ve played so long. There’s […]
Peoria High Honors Longtime Coach Mike Lawless
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — They billed it as a “night of Legends” at Peoria High on Friday night. But the main legend being honored was Mike Lawless, a 1964 Peoria High grad who has coached 51 years in his home town. Lawless was honored, along with other Peoria High greats, prior to the Peoria High-Normal […]
Peoria Sports Hall of Fame names Tri-County award winners
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — A swimmer, wrestler, volleyball coach and state champion basketball coach will be honored at the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame banquet in March. The four have been named Tri-County award winners for 2023. Metamora’s Anna Peplowski (female athlete of the year), former Washington wrestler Kannon Webster (male athlete of the […]
Manual’s Dietrich Richardson turning heads as a junior at Manual
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — He’s 6-6 now but when he first started going to Manual basketball games, Dietrich Richardson was a little guy. He inadvertently got too close to the action. “I was younger and one of the players ran into me. That’s what I remember the most,” Richardson said with a laugh. “From fifth-to-seventh […]
Prep sports recap for Jan. 19, 2024
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Senior Cooper Koch had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead host Metamora to a 72-69 win over previously unbeaten Mt. Zion at the Redbird Roundball Classic on Friday night. Matthew Zobrist added 18 for the Redbirds (17-4), who handed Mt. Zion its first loss in 19 games. Other boys basketball […]
Prep sports recap for Jan. 18, 2024
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Metamora’s next basketball coach is Justin Dehm. The Redbird assistant coach was approved by the Metamora School Board to succeed the retiring Danny Grieves at the end of this season. Dehm, a former Richwoods standout player, helped guide Metamora to the class 3A state title game the past two seasons. Deer […]
Extra Effort: Kaitlin White helping celebrate success at Fieldcrest
MINONK, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Kaitlin White thinks fondly about her sophomore year. That’s when she was part of Fieldcrest’s team that made it to state for the first time. It’s a wonderful memory. “I think back to Redbird Arena (in 2022). That feeling, the nerves in the arena for a sophomore,” White said. “I would […]
Ethan Storm brewing up a big season in Lexington
LEXINGTON, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Ethan Storm know he gets looks from opposing teams. He gets those looks when they realize he’s the guy the scouting report says they have to stop. “They say, ‘how can this kid be good?’ It fires me up to play as hard as I can every game,” said Storm. The […]
Prep sports recap for Jan. 15, 2024
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Cooper Koch scored 27 points to lead Metamora past visiting Hinsdale South, 70-55, in a non-conference high school basketball game on Monday. Tyler Mason scored 19 and went over 1,000 career points in the Redbirds victory. Other boys basketball winners included Richwoods, Manual, Normal Community, Notre Dame, U-High, Central Catholic, Quest […]
Prep sports recap for Jan. 12, 2024
PEORIA, ILL. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Braylon Roman scored 19 points and Jaheem Webber added 11 as Normal Community defeated visiting Richwoods, 57-49, in a battle of state-ranked teams in the Big 12 Conference on Friday. Elsewhere, Wes Gudeman scored 26 points and hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired to lift Mid-Illini Conference leading Morton past […]
McManis heads up newest Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame Class
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Sherrick McManis started his football career in Peoria and will go into the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame in March. McManis, an 11-year NFL veteran, heads up the GPSHOF class for 2023. Joining the former Chicago Bear in the hall of fame class is former Bradley baseball coach Dewey Kalmer, […]
Prep sports recap for Jan. 11, 2024
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Peoria High rebounded from the news its top girls basketball player will miss the rest of the season and won a big game on the road Thursday. Niasha Rutherford scored 17 points and Danielle Ruffin added 14 as Peoria High won at Richwoods, 43-40, in a key girls basketball game in […]
Extra Effort: Princeville’s Brianna Brodie giving back to youth basketball as referee
PRINCEVILLE, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — She may have been an excellent dancer but sports took over her Brianna Brodie’s life years ago. “I used to be an Irish Dancer,” said Brodie. “Then I stopped that in sixth grade when I started junior high sports. Ever since, I’ve been in sports year-round.” Brodie is in the heart […]
Prep sports recap for Jan. 10, 2024
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Hank Alvey had 25 points and Wyatt Hendell added 17 to lead Illini Bluffs to a 68-32 win on the first night of the Inter-County Athletic Conference boys basketball tournament at Peoria Heights High School on Wednesday. Peoria Heights, Peoria Christian and Delavan also won games at the ICAC Tournament which […]
Peoria’s Danielle Ruffin complimented when people say she plays like her father
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Peoria High senior Danielle Ruffin says there are advantages growing up in a basketball family. Her grandfather Dan was a high school coach. When he retired from coaching Peoria High, her father Daniel replaced him. “It gets me a step ahead. Like my head on a swivel, when it comes to […]
Prep sports recap for Jan. 9, 2024
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Senior Lathan Sommerville scored 28 points and added nine rebounds as Richwoods beat host Manual, 69-52, in boys basketball on Tuesday night. Other boys basketball winners included Normal West, El Paso-Gridley, Lexington, and Flanagan-Cornell. In girls basketball, Kloe Froebe scored 29 to lead Lincoln past Normal Community, 67-29, in a match-up […]
Two years after cancer diagnosis, Savannah Jost thriving at Tremont
TREMONT, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — January 10 is an important date for Savannah Jost. She’s thankful it’s a date that she doesn’t dread now. “I’m very grateful for my journey and how far I’ve come,” said Jost. “I’m one year in remission now.” There was a time when the Tremont High School junior wasn’t sure she […]
PND senior Tommy Graham recognized for volunteer work away from athletics
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Tommy Graham says he never saw it coming. “I saw the whole news crew. I didn’t know what it was for,” Graham said. “Then I started getting texts asking why my parents were here. Then I started figuring it out. I had no idea.” Graham’s lunch hour at Notre Dame was […]
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WMBD-TV is a CBS–affiliated television station licensed to Peoria, Illinois, United States and serving the North-Central Illinois television market, while the Bloomington-licensed Fox affiliate WYZZ-TV operates under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with owner Cunningham Broadcasting. https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/
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