Keeping track of your blood pressure is an easy and important way to stay aware of your overall health. High or low blood pressure can often go unnoticed, especially for those who do not have a blood pressure monitor at home. Regular checks help you catch potential issues early and provide valuable information to share with your doctor.
Harlan Hall and Horizon Health are teaming up to offer FREE blood pressure checks. This service will be offered the third Wednesday of each month from 10 to 11 a.m. No reservations needed. This is a great way to stay on top of your health!
Historic Harlan Hall is located at 603 Locust Street in Marshall.
Children’s prize table sponsored by Dr. Marilyn Frey
Tables of 6: $150 (purchase ahead of the event) – Contact: Alison Kelsheimer at HRC.
Special Perks:
Wear a Halloween costume and receive a free raffle ticket!
Refreshments and adult beverages available for purchase
Supporting Mental Health:
All proceeds benefit mental health therapy for students in Edgar and Clark County schools. HRC therapists currently assist over 100 students in local schools.
Donate by Mail:
Make checks payable to HRC and mail to: P.O. Box 278, Marshall, Illinois, 62441
Event Location:
Sassafras Ridge is located at 11701 US-40 near Clark Center.
According to the post on Facebook, the Business department will have fall decor with FBLA serving caramel apples. The Family Consumer Science Department will have a variety of baked goods and will be helping with the Kid Zone. The Ag Department will have mums, straw bales, fall wood crafts/decor and cotton candy as well as helping with the Kid Zone. There will also be several other vendors which include pure Michigan maple syrup, local honey, pumpkins (hopefully) and a hat vendor with fun patches!
Friday night brings an exciting clash as the Marshall Lions travel to Casey to take on the undefeated Casey-Westfield Warriors in the Warriors’ homecoming game. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Sinclair-Vidoni Field. Tune in to WMMC Radio 105.9 FM for the pre-game show starting at 6:00 p.m., or catch all the action live online at wmmcradio.com.
Paris Tigers
The Paris Tigers are back at home on Friday, welcoming the Newton Eagles for a Little Illini Conference matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Martinsville Bluestreaks
The Martinsville Bluestreaks homecoming game with Palestine-Hutsonville has been cancelled due to low roster numbers. Unfortunately, the Bluestreaks were unable to secure another team as a replacement. All other Homecoming activities will be held as scheduled.
Homecoming Parades
Friday also means homecoming parades! Casey-Westfield kicks things off at 3:00 p.m. on North Central Avenue, while Martinsville marches along Cumberland Street at the same time. Don’t miss the floats, bands, and school spirit!
The Marshall High School football team hosted Robinson High School on Friday, September 26th at Bush Field in Marshall on Homecoming. The Lions came into the game with a record of 3-1, while Robinson came in with a record of 1-3.
Robinson kicked off to Marshall to begin this conference battle in front of a big crowd. The Lions began their first drive at their own 19-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Luke Brodie handed the ball off to Lucca Giannavola. He went around the right side and went from the 19 all the way to the 35 for a Lions first down. After a run for 4 yards by Giannavola, QB Luke Brodie hit Gavyn Bowden for a first down with a gain to the Lions 46. The Big Red then moved quickly into Robinson territory on a run by Giannavola, followed by a counter to the left by Liam Keim. The drive stalled, however, and the Maroons took over on downs at their own 35.
On a night when Robinson pulled out its bag of tricks all night, a double pass on first down scored a 65-yard touchdown. The extra point kick was good, and the Maroons took a 7-0 lead with 7:53 to go in the opening quarter.
On the ensuing drive, Marshall went three-and-out with a critical missed opportunity, and Robinson capitalized on the situation by driving all the way down into the red zone. The Marshall defense, however, held strong inside their own 5, and the Lions kept the Maroons out of the end zone. Marshall took over on downs after the big stop inside their 5 with 2:29 to go in the first quarter.
Hoping to flip the field, Marshall again went three-and-out and punted the ball to their 38-yard line, where Robinson took possession. It didn’t take long for the Maroons to hit pay dirt again, for on the first play from scrimmage, a pass on a slant pattern went all the way for a touchdown. With the extra point, the Lions found themselves trailing 14-0. Another quick strike for Robinson stunned the homecoming crowd, and Marshall looked completely out of sorts while trailing 21-0 early in the second quarter.
On the next drive for Marshall, a screen pass from Luke Brodie to Lucca Giannavola was caught near the right sideline, and Giannavola took it all the way to the house to put the Lions on the scoreboard. After the two-point try failed, Marshall trailed 21-6 with 9:32 to go before the half.
The Lions defense could not stop the Maroons on the ground or in the air, as Robinson marched down the field for another touchdown on their next drive just like they had on 3 of their 4 previous possessions. After the extra point was no good, Robinson led 27-6 with 5:58 left in the half.
Marshall began their next possession at their own 23-yard line. Lucca Giannavola took a handoff on second down at the Marshall 26 to the Robinson 47, and after a taunting penalty on Robinson, Marshall had a first and 10 at the Maroons 32. Silas Dean took the next handoff and ran to the Robinson 10. After a short run, a fumble on second down put the Lions once again behind the chains back at the Robinson 23 where Marshall faced a third and 22. Two unproductive plays later, Marshall turned the ball over on downs at the Robinson 25-yard line with a little over 3 minutes remaining on the clock.
Marshall’s defense stiffened on the next set of downs. Tevin Cribelar made a great play separating a receiver from the ball on second down, then a third down pass fell incomplete. On fourth down, a bobbled snap ended when Bryer Jansen tackled the Robinson punter near the red zone where Marshall took over on downs.
After Liam Keim rushed the ball down inside the 10, Lucca Giannavola plowed his way into the end zone for his 11th touchdown of the season. After the two-point try failed, Marshall now trailed 27-12 with just over a minute and a half to go before halftime.
Robinson drove the ball on their next possession to the Marshall 25 as the clock ticked down towards halftime, and after a throw into the end zone fell incomplete, Robinson attempted a 42-yard field goal as time expired. The kick was short and left, and Robinson took a 27-12 lead to the locker room.
Robinson took the second half kickoff and began their opening drive at their own 33-yard line. On third down, Robinson QB Reese Johnson escaped the clutches of Marshall defenders and threw a jump pass for a first down. The Lions continued to struggle on defense, and with 9:07 to go, the Maroons punched it in the end zone from 13 yards out. With the extra point good, Marshall found themselves down 34-12.
Marshall began their next drive at their own 25-yard line. After an offsides call on Robinson moved the ball up to the 30, Luke Brodie strapped back and threw a deep pass that was caught by Kaiden Sanders at the Robinson 37. One play later, Lucca Giannavola picked up a first down at the 25, and the Lions continued churning yardage up the middle. A couple runs by Giannavola brought the ball down to the 7. He then ran to the 4 on the next play. On third and one from the 4, quarterback Luke Brodie rushed the ball up the middle for a touchdown. The two-point try was stopped, and Marshall now trailed 34-18.
From their own 42 to begin their next possession, Robinson had little trouble moving the ball down the field on the Lions defense, but on a third and 7 from the Marshall 32, a pass fell incomplete to make it fourth down. On fourth down, a pass was dropped, and with just under two minutes remaining in the third, Marshall took the ball over at their own 32.
After a nice first down run by Liam Keim, the Lions kept running the ball, first with Lucca Giannavola, followed by Luke Brodie. On a third down call, Brodie faked the handoff and threaded a perfect pass in stride to Kaiden Sanders on a post pattern to move the ball down to the Robinson 30 and a first down.
On a big third-and-6 from the Maroons 27, Lucca Giannavola took the handoff and ran off tackle to the right. He spun off tacklers and raced untouched to the end zone for a huge Marshall touchdown. On the two-point conversion, Giannavola rushed the ball through the 4 hole and scored. Marshall now found themselves down by only 8 with the score 34-26 with 11:14 to go in the game as the Marshall side roared.
The Lions defense took the field for the most important defensive sequence of the night for Marshall. After a face mask penalty on Robinson and a stop by the defense, Robinson gained a first down to keep the drive going. On third-and-15 from the Lions 43, Josef Stafford blew up the play when he rushed Reese Johnson into an incomplete pass. Robinson then punted the ball to the Marshall 14 with just over 6 1/2 minutes left.
With the Lions down by one score and a two-point conversion, Lucca Giannavola ran the ball twice for a first down. The Lions then got behind the chains and faced a third and 11 from their own 26 with 5:02 to go when Marshall head coach Steve Weber called timeout. A post corner route fell incomplete, and the Lions lined up to punt on fourth down. Luke Brodie punted the ball to the Robinson 34 where the Maroons took over with 4:43 to go on the clock.
The Lions stuffed Robinson’s Reese Johnson on first down, then Tevin Cribelar came up and stopped a Robinson trick play on second down. On third-and-11, Robinson did a hook-and-ladder pass play for a first down to the Robinson 46. That play seemed to take all the momentum away from the Lions. The Maroons then moved the ball steadily into Marshall territory while milking the clock. On a third and 2 from the Lions 32, Marshall’s Josef Stafford broke through and tackled Reese Johnson for a one-yard loss. With 1:25 to go, Robinson went for it on fourth down and three and got the first down at the 29. The Maroons then ran out the clock and won the game by the score of 34-26, spoiling Marshall’s homecoming.
For the Lions, Lucca Giannavola ran the ball 27 times for 185 yards (2 touchdowns and a two-point conversion). He also caught one pass for 53 yards and another score. Luke Brodie passed for 114 yards and a TD. He also scored a touchdown on the ground. Kaiden Sanders led all receivers with 2 receptions and 52 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, Lucca Giannavola had 13 tackles and Josef Stafford had 12 to lead the Lions.
Marshall (3-2) plays their next game Friday, October 3rd when they travel to Sinclair-Vidoni Field in Casey to take on the Casey-Westfield Warriors. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
Marshall Public Library invites the public to a fascinating program with local historian Dalanne Miller, titled “Cemeteries of Clark County, IL,” on Thursday, October 16, at 6:30 PM. Attendees will explore the county’s diverse burial sites, learn about recent discoveries, and gain unique historical insights.
Highlights of the program include the recent uncovering of a “lost” burial site, shedding light on the location of an early school, as well as newly discovered information about one of the county’s earliest cemeteries. Dalanne will also discuss potential areas for locating small family burial sites. Participants will have the opportunity to view a detailed map of cemetery locations and engage in a question-and-answer session with the presenter.
The program is free and open to the public. Marshall Public Library is located at 612 Archer Avenue, Marshall, Illinois, and is handicap accessible. To register, call the library at 217-826-2535, or register via Facebook or the library’s website: www.marshallillibrary.com
Marshall, IL – The Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the Horizon Health Marshall Clinic on Thursday, September 25, 2025 from 4 to 6 p.m. The ribbon cutting will take place at 4:30 p.m.
The Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome Horizon Health Marshall Clinic as a valued new member and contributor to our local community.
Community members are invited to tour the facility, meet providers and staff, and learn more about the healthcare services offered close to home. Light refreshments will be provided, and Horizon Health representatives will be available to answer questions and share information about the clinic’s commitment to quality, compassionate care for Marshall and the surrounding area.
The Horizon Health Marshall Clinic offers a variety of healthcare services designed to meet the needs of patients of all ages.
The public is encouraged to attend, celebrate the ribbon cutting, and connect with the providers who are helping advance healthcare in Clark County.
The Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce
The Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to promoting local businesses, supporting community growth, and fostering a vibrant and welcoming economic environment throughout Marshall, Illinois. To learn more about the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce, visit their website.
Artists of all ages are invited to participate in an Art Contest/Show on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at the Casey First Church of the Nazarene at 1000 East U.S. 40., Casey, IL. The event is being sponsored by Castaway Art and the First Church of the Nazarene.
All ages are encouraged to register their pieces of original paintings and/or drawings, using any median (pencil, paint, pastels or ink). The artwork must be free-hand and not traced or replicated. It is requested that the pieces have a Christian, nature or social theme, and cannot contain any nudity. Pieces must be signed by the artist.
There is no fee to enter. All artists must complete an Entry Form for each piece entered and drop off their artwork at the Church between 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, October 3. Entry forms are available at www.kznaz.net/castawayart or if you have questions, please contact Donnell at 850-499-0523.
All entries will be divided into two categories; one for adults and one for youth. Prizes will be awarded in each category and the winners will be featured on the church’s website at kznaz.net/castawayart and on the Castaway Art Facebook page.
The public is invited to view the art on Saturday, October 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church. Admission is free, but donations will be welcomed. All donations will used for the prison ministry. If interested, Artists will be allowed to sell their art. This event will provide an opportunity for those who attend to purchase original, one-of-a-kind art. All art work must be picked up by the Artist between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 4 following the show.
The Marshall High School volleyball teams traveled to Hutsonville High School to play the Hutsonville-Palestine Lady Tigers in a non-conference volleyball doubleheader. Marshall came into the match with a record of 13-6, while Hutsonville-Palestine carried a record of 6-11 on the season.
If any match was a perfect storm for a trap, this match was it. The Lions had to be physically and mentally drained, for less than 24 hours before they played a three-set match at home against St. Joe-Ogden, and the Lions rallied down the stretch in the third set to win in overtime 27-25 to win the match. This Thursday, Marshall travels to Robinson to take on the Lady Maroons in a conference tilt. Compounding the issue for Hutsonville-Palestine, the Lady Tigers were playing without middle hitter and blocker Hayden Monan, who solidifies the front line for Hut-Pal.
The experience, length, and striking ability of the Lions overwhelmed the homestanding Lady Tigers as Marshall swept Hutsonville-Palestine in straight sets by scores of 25-12 and 25-13. In the junior varsity match preceding the varsity contest, Marshall’s JV squad rolled over Hut-Pal in straight sets by scores of 25-8 and 25-9.
In the first set of the varsity match, Marshall began the set on a 7-0 run before Hutsonville-Palestine called timeout. During the onslaught, Ella Mattas scored three kills, Harper Richardson served two aces, and Avery Cornwell, who was back in the middle of the front row, scored a kill as well.
The Lions continued to storm the net with kills and crisp passing. Lilly Ross had three kills, while McKenzie Davis scored on a tip winner as well as a kill, Avery Cornwell scored again on a tip winner, and Nya Engledow served an ace. By the time the dust settled on the ambush, Marshall built a 19-5 lead. From then on, the Lions coasted to win the opening set 25-12. Individual scorers down the stretch for Marshall were Harper Richardson with a tip winner and an ace, and Ella Mattas with a kill.
At the start of Set #2, Hutsonville-Palestine got out to an early 3-0 led, but Marshall quickly tied the set at 3 with a kill by Lilly Ross. Avery Cornwell then stepped up to the serving line and served 7 straight times during which the Lions broke out ahead. During the run, Ella Mattas scored on a kill to end a long rally. Mattas later served an ace to put the Lions ahead 11-4 as Hutsonville-Palestine called another timeout.
The Lady Tigers crept closer on consecutive aces served by Kielyn Wilson, but Marshall ended the Tigers’ run when Marshall’s Lilly Ross soared high above the net and struck a kill, then Harper Richardson flew in on the right side and smashed a laser through the block for Marshall to assume a 15-9 lead.
The Lions outscored the Tigers 10-4 down the stretch to take the second set 25-13 to win the match in straight sets. Scoring for Marshall during the latter portion of the set were Avery Cornwell with a tip winner, followed by a Harper Richardson ace, another Avery Cornwell kill, an Ella Mattas kill, and finally an Avery Cornwell ace to close out the match.
In the junior varsity match, Marshall put their foot on the gas the entire match and never let Hutsonville-Palestine room to breathe in the straight set win during which the Lady Tigers didn’t reach double digits in either set. McKenzie Davis, Lilly Ross, Ali Sheets, and Aubree Shaffer each had multiple kills for Marshall. Lexi Mason and Ali Sheets patrolled the back line and passed returns to Nya Engledow and Lauren Richards well throughout. Engledow and Richards also set up strikers for multiple kills and tip winners in the two-set match.
Marshall (14-6) plays its next match this Thursday when they travel to Robinson for a LIC conference doubleheader. Junior varsity action is scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM with the varsity match to follow.
The Marshall High School football team traveled to Olney to face the Richland County High School Olney Tigers in a Little Illini Conference game on Friday, September 19th. The Lions and Tigers (no Bears) came into the game with identical records of 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference.
Boston Rollings (54) leads Lucca Giannavola (40) around the corner. Photo by T Ray Henry.
When you look at the final stat sheet from this contest, you will see that the Lions marched up, down, and through the overhyped Olney defense all night long. Being the largest school in the LIC, which hasn’t lost a regular season game since 2023, Olney had no answer in trying to stop the Lions’ ground game. Marshall’s Lucca Giannavola rushed the ball 28 times while gaining 228 yards. When the Tigers’ defense loaded up the box to try and contain Giannavola (they never stopped him), Marshall used misdirection plays with Kaiden Sanders, Liam Keim, as well as quarterback keepers by sophomore Luke Brodie. For a change of pace, Marshall inserted sophomore running back Silas Dean, who sprinted through and around the Tigers’ defense at will. Down the stretch, freshman David Sherrell had some nice runs on the ground. Marshall’s offensive line won the line of scrimmage, pushing the Olney defensive line back seemingly on every play. When the Tigers stacked the box, the Lions would pull Boston Rollings to lead runners around through the seams.
For the game, Marshall outgained Olney on the ground with a season-high 427 yards on 52 carries to Olney’s 403. Marshall had 19 first downs to Olney’s 16. Olney had more total yards, 482 to 445, but when you examine the numbers, you would expect an extremely close game on the scoreboard. However, although the Lions had more success running the ball, a few miscues in the middle stages of the game changed the complexion as Olney defeated Marshall by the score of 57-19.
Marshall won the coin flip and elected to receive. Marshall freshman Preston Welsh gathered the opening kick and took the ball out to the Lions 31-yard line where the offense started with a first-and-ten. On the first series of downs, the Lions showed the large crowd on hand they were going to be in the fight all night long by going for it on fourth down in their own territory with the ball on their own 40. Lucca Giannavola took the 4th down handoff, and the L-Train powered his way up the middle for a Marshall first down. The drive stalled, though, and Marshall’s punt gave Olney the ball at their own 42-yard line. .
Marshall gained 427 yards on the ground vs Olney. Photo by T Ray Henry.
The Tigers methodically moved the ball down the field, but the Lions held strong, and with the ball sitting at the Marshall 18, Olney was facing a third-and-ten. On the next play, Olney’s Gavyn Cothern found Ian Pianfetti in the left corner of the end zone for an Olney touchdown. After the extra point kick was good, Olney led 7-0 with 5:01 to go in the first quarter.
Marshall began the ensuing drive at their own 20, and in just two running plays from scrimmage, the first by Kaiden Sanders and the second by Liam Keim, the Lions moved all the way to the Olney 29-yard line with a first-and-ten. On the next play, Lucca Giannavola ran off tackle to the right, and it took five Olney defenders to bring him to the ground. Three plays later, Giannavola ran up the middle from the 5-yard line for a Lions touchdown, and after Trip Gaines kicked the extra point, the game was tied up at 7 apiece with 2:17 to go in the opening quarter.
Lucca Giannavola (40) turns the corner and gains yardage against Olney. Photo by T Ray Henry.
Three of the Lions’ miscues happened over the next 5 minutes of play which altered the entire course of play. On the kickoff after Giannavola’s touchdown, Olney ran the kickoff back to the house when Marshall lost lane integrity, and with the extra point good, Olney led 14-7. When Marshall got the ball back, they drove all the way down the field where they had a first-and-goal from the Olney 10-yard line. A high snap, followed by a small gain, then an offsides call on Olney’s defense moved the ball to the Tiger 5. On the next play, Olney jumped on a loose ball, and what could have been the tying touchdown turned into a critical turnover. Olney took advantage of the situation and drove 83 yards to paydirt to take a 21-7 lead with 8:55 to go in the first half.
The Olney crowd, which has witnessed recent success on the gridiron since the Tigers went from the basement of the Apollo Conference to the upper echelon of the Little Illini Conference in 2012, expected an easy rout, but they did not count on the fight of the Big Red. Certainly, being the largest school in the LIC has its benefits in being able to have more players who play just one way, but the opposite side of the coin is whether there is a benefit of playing schools three and four times smaller. Everything matters when preparing a team for the IHSA playoffs come late October. A little research of Olney’s record since moving into the LIC shows significant data. In the 13 years since making the move from the Apollo to the LIC, Olney has made the Class 4A playoffs 9 times. Of those nine trips to the state playoffs, they’ve won a playoff game only once (last year at home against a 5-4 Kewanee team before the Tigers were demolished by Normal University High the following week).
Silas Dean (6) breaks open through the right right side against Olney. Photo by T Ray Henry.
Getting back to the game, Marshall took the ensuing kickoff and kept riding the L-Train behind the O-Line down the field as Olney’s defense was getting gassed and had to make multiple defensive substitutions on the drive. The drive culminated in another Lucca Giannavola touchdown, this time from 3 yards out, and Marshall was suddenly down by one score (21-13) with just under four minutes to go before halftime. Olney tacked on another score with a half-minute to go before the break, and the first half ended with Olney leading by the score of 28-13.
In the second half, the depth of Olney extended their lead, but the Lions still gained yardage on the ground and scored another touchdown by Lucca Giannavola from 8 yards out in the fourth quarter. Olney scored a couple meaningless touchdowns down the stretch to make the score seem like the game was an easy win, but those in attendance will take away that these Lions are on the right track, and their goals are still there in front of them. One big note to take from this game was the stellar defensive play of Josef Stafford, who won his position battle against University of Illinois signee Casey Thomann, who stands 6’7” and tips the scales at 325. Stafford carried Thomann all around the field throughout the contest and finished with a team-high 10 tackles. Thomann even hugged Joe many, many times during the action. Outplaying a D-1 athlete on the field of battle can only propel Josef to dominate on defense as we move forward in the season.
Overall, the squad came out of the game with only a couple nicks here and bruises there as the Lions turn the page to their homecoming game at Bush Field against Robinson on Friday, September 26th. Kickoff for that game is set for 7:00 PM. Let’s fill the stands at Bush Field and support our student athletes.
Marshall stats:
Lucca Giannavola (28 carries for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns)
Liam Keim (7 carries for 48 yards and 2 receptions for 12 yards))
David Sherrell (3 carries for 36 yards)
Silas Dean (2 carries for 35 yards)
Kaiden Sanders (1 carry for 6 yards, 5 receptions for 40 yards)
Luke Brodie (7-11 passing for 52 yards, 7 carries for 32 yards)
