Cardinals prepared for a busy spring schedule

By Christopher Johnson

REPORTER

After waiting until conditions were deemed safe to play, Stillman Valley’s varsity football players prepare to do more than just suit up and run drills.

In a little over a week, the Cardinals embark on an abbreviated five-game spring schedule. They’ll kick things off on Saturday, March 27 on the road against the Winnebago Indians with tee-up time scheduled for 4pm.

It became understood that the typical nine-game design could not be drawn up this year. A shortened season was required due to Covid19’s unyielding presence.

The change had to be made if games were to be played at all, meaning the abbreviated format needed to suffice.

Filling the schedule was the next step where area athletic directors had to focus their attention.. The rush to get games locked in was on for the five-game plan and Stillman Valley put itself in a good position to get some meaningful matches.

Following the season opener against the Winnebago Indians, Stillman Valley heads home for the first of back-to-back matches at the eastern Ogle County complex.

On Friday, April 2, Rockford Lutheran travels to Stillman Valley for game two of the 2021 spring season. A week later, Byron is in town. The match against the Tigers is the midway point of the season.

There will not be a post-season in the spring session for football. The amount of time left in the school year and the interference with other seasonal sports would not allow for a second season or crowning of a new champion to occur.

Following the meeting with Byron at home, Stillman Valley heads out on the road for its final two games of the year.

On Friday, April 16, North Boone plays host to Stillman Valley. The Vikings and Cardinals kick things off at 7pm following the completion of the junior varsity contest.

The 2021 football season closes on Friday, April 23. Stillman Valley heads south for its annual meeting with the Oregon Hawks. Game play is scheduled to start around 5pm with the junior varsity taking the field ahead of the varsity match.

Girls volleyball got its start this week as the Stillman Valley Lady Cardinals opened the 2021 spring session on the road at Rock Falls on Tuesday, March 16.

Stillman Valley faces off against Dixon, in game two of the season, two days later at Dixon High School. Varsity action is expected to begin around 6:30 p.m.

The Lady Cardinals hold their home opener in non-conference fashion on Saturday, March 20. The Forreston Lady Cardinals take the short trip east for the 3pm match.

Big Northern play resumes for Stillman Valley on Tuesday, March 23. North Boone will pay a visit, with underclassmen expected to play in the varsity preliminary ahead of the 6:30pm varsity tip off.

Matches against the Mendota Lady Trojans and the Rochelle Lady Hubs help open a very busy final week of March play.

Games against Sycamore and a rematch with Rock Falls will help close the first month of spring volleyball, with an April opening on the road at Oregon scheduled for Thursday, April 1.