We all know one or two. There is an endless number of “Rynes” out there, young boys and middle-aged men alike, born to Cubs fans named after their parents’ favorite Cub, Ryne Sandberg. There's Ryne Vrana, Ryne Muehlschlegel, Ryne Bird, Ryne Chlum, Ryne Birkey just to name a few.

Former Bureau Valley golfer Justin Van Landuit, who was diagnosed with Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy at age 33, recently played in the U.S. Adaptive Open for golfers with disabilities.

You heard the sounds of basketballs bouncing, whistles being blown, the squeaking of sneakers on the gym floor, and saw the enthusiasm and excitement of 45 young campers. This week’s FCA Basketball Camp also is about Bibles and worship.

Matt Tumbleson always wanted to work for the Chicago Bulls growing up in Buda. He's made a 21-year career in the NBA, including the past 14 years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He chatted with Kevin Hieronymus about how he's chased and made that dream come true.

Evan Holschbach lost his dad, Leon, to ALS in 2022, just shy of one year after his diagnosis. Holschbach and his wife, Lindsey, volunteered for the Walnut 5K Run/Walk for ALS last year and are giving continued support to raise funds to help find a cure.

The name Bill Kaiser evokes fond memories for those who played basketball at Princeton Logan Junior High School.. Perhaps a little fear, too, to those who may have needed a reprimand from time to time. Kaiser, who passed away June 3, was much more than wins and losses.

Hall graduate Jack Savitch took part in Louisiana State University-Shreveport baseball team undefeated NAIA championship season. He said: “I had no clue this would happen. Knew they were good, but not like that.”

Whether Zoey Starkey was playing volleyball or softball, or her brother, Jimmy, was playing basketball, baseball or football, there was always some of kind of sporting activity on mom’s family calendar at home. She picked up a new sport, lacrosse, at St. Ambrose University

Pete McAdams was described as a student of the game when he played football at Hall High School. He took that knowledge gained playing for the Red Devils north of the state line into a Hall of Fame coaching career in Wisconsin, both at the high school and collegiate levels.

Princeton coach Jason Smith became emotional following Friday’’s 49-43 loss to Rock Falls, which marked the third straight year the Tigers reached the sectional final only to lose: 'That’s three years in a row. I felt like I let my team down.'

From the shores of Lake DePue to the ball fields of Spring Valley and gyms of Ottawa and many towns and schools all around, Charlie Ellerbrock wrote your stories that have stood the test of time in grandma’s scrapbooks. No one told stories like Charlie.

Dave Nanninga attended the BCR’s Tribute to Sports program in June of 2004 to see the Mineral Leopards district champion basketball teams enshrined in the Bureau County Sports Hall of Fame. That sparked him to launch the Glory Days website to honor closed schools like Mineral.

Simon, 23, found he could come home again, suiting up for the inaugural BV-Princeton booster clubs' alumni game last December, getting the old band together again with teammates Kale Barnett, Tyler Gustafson, Noah Johnson and Corbin Endress.

PHS senior cross country and track runner Dawson Lambert is the No. 1 ranked arm wrestling champion in the state in the teen division for 154 pounds, crowned the 2024 championship.

Brad Groleau, a former 3-sport standout at St. Bede (class of 2013), is working for Princeton High School this winter as an athletic trainer. You could say he’s giving the Tigers the Royal treatment.

He didn’t have a father-figure growing up, yet he became one for the many kids he coached, taught and recruited for his detasseling crew. He was a true gentleman, humble, honest and friendly as anyone you’d ever meet.

It is a loss shared by the whole community and the many lives Dave touched in his humorous, but funny way. To know Dave was to love Dave.

Lanham took over as quarterback for Princeton in its biggest game of the season despite taking very few snaps all season when the Tigers squared off against Lombard Montini in Saturday’s Class 3A quarterfinals.

Twenty six years after graduating from Hall, he’s returned to the Red Devils football program as an assistant this fall under first-year head coach Logan Larson. He is coaching the linemen and the JV team.

Ryley Egan, 18, rode to a National Equestrian Championship at the Arabian Youth Nationals in Oklahoma City this summer.

The 1976 PHS grad took part in school history as a member of the Panthers’ 1977 Division 2 National champion cross country team.

The Tigers are taking full aim to get past the quarterfinal hurdle this year. Should they not, however, PHS coach Ryan Pearson would not necessarily consider the season a failure.

The newly retired Bureau Valley coach is back from a whirl wind tour out east of seven Major League ballparks in 14 days. It was a retirement gift compliments of his wife, Anne, and kids, Alex, Ellen and Adam.

Stevens was highly influenced by the late Tiger head coach Randy Swinford, who had a special touch in handling teen-age boys, especially when it came to discipline.

Perona was batting .323 in his first 11 games back with the Pistol Shrimp, rejoining the club on July 1, with one homer, eight runs and 10 stolen bases and a .521 on-base percentage.

Former Princeton Tiger baseball standout Garret Cornman (class of 2006) is getting his taste of collegiate umpiring this summer in the Prospect League.

Princeton's Eli VanAutreve, a 33-year-old father of two, walked away as a member of the coveted Lion’s Den – the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy – after competing in the Firefighter Challenge last week at the Midwest Regional in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Monier, 32, had a 50-percent chance to carry the SOD1 ALS gene. A year ago, she bravely was tested for it and found out she does carry the gene.

Geno was all about Princeton, cheering loudly at Tiger football games and slapping the players on their shoulder pads and a fixture at center court for basketball games.

They’ve now lost 22 family members to the dreaded disease, including their mother, Jan, in 2013 at age 59, their grandfather, Mick Payne, and uncles, Jeff and Jay Payne.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in December of 2022. Playing basketball and scoring points was not Rick Allen’s life mission. He spent decades in counseling, helping others overcome similar personal struggles he had in life.

The Three Rivers Conference may be a rural, small school conference, but that hasn’t kept it from producing big-time athletes.

There have athletes throughout the decades who have transcended the game much more than their abilities on the field ... Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods. You can add Caitlin Clark to this list.

Garrett Duffin, who was a standout at Princeton High School (2015), is in his first year as Director of Player Development for the Minnesota State men’s basketball program.

Dave Shepard was all set to make his debut officiating the IHSA state boys basketball tournament in March of 2020. Then COVID hit, sending him and the teams home the night before the games were to begin.

Here's one easy fix to boost the one weekend state finals format

The Railsplitters made themselves right at home for the Class 3A LaSalle-Peru Supersectional against Dixon at Sellett Gymnasium, whose red and green colors match that of the host school.

PHS athletic director Jeff Ohlson said the Tigers will no longer play rival BV as the Storm are leaving the Three Rivers Conference without having given the two-year notice as required by conference bylaws. PHS took the same stance with St. Bede, Amboy, Fulton and Morrison.

“I always really wanted to play for him in high school. I played for him in AAU ball. He coached me in everything. High school was a really big dream of mine and I never got the chance."

Berry, who passed away last Sunday evening, Feb. 4, in Las Cruses, New Mexico, is ranked No. 16 among Bureau County scorers with 1,552 career points. He was the top scorer in Bureau County two years running, including a 24.7 scoring clip as a senior in 1963-64.

He’s played in all 19 games for the Spartans with one start, averaging 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds over 22.3 minutes a game, shooting 45% from the field, 39.5% on 3s.

The “1 and 1″ bonus has been taken away from the game this year thanks to a new mandate by the National Federation of High School Sports. New this season, high school teams shoot two free throws for common fouls when in the “bonus.”

Favorite game to cover: The St. Bede softball team rallying to knock off two-time defending state champion Glasford Illini Bluffs 7-6 for the 1A state championship.

He was ready for his time to shine this year. Then, in the very first game of the 2023-24 season, he went down with another knee injury. This time to his right knee and his senior season ended just as soon as it started.

The Princeton Tigers football team has reached the IHSA Class 3A Quarterfinals for the third straight year only to fall each time. The latest was a 27-9 loss to Lombard Montini Catholic on Saturday.

‘”Gibby” started out as a manager for the Badgers his freshmen year in Madison. He’s been promoted to “Defensive Student Assistant,” moving upstairs to the press box during games when the new staff came in with head coach Luke Fickell last November.

Newly crowned Bureau County fair queen Kelsea Mongon, 17, of Princeton turned her tiara in for Saturday’s demo derby at the fairgrounds. Not only did she run in the derby, she won it.

Nugent, 47, a K-5 PE teacher for Bureau Valley, lived out his a dream. He didn’t get to play for the Cardinals, but he did throw out a first pitch at Busch Stadium.

The players know baseball is a business, but it doesn’t make it any easier when they see their teammates and buddies traded away.

They were adored by the whole community and all Tiger fans, who gave the team a resounding sendoff to state and followed them to Champaign by caravan.