Serving the communities in Stephenson County
Shopper’s Guide
VOL. 77 • NO. 45
Ladies Day Out Saturday, November 21 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
YOUR FREE HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER
Le-Win Elementary School Cafeteria & Junior High Gym, Lena, IL
Pancake Breakfast 9 - 11 a.m. FREE Admission • Exclusive Shopping Santa Claus
Info: 815-275-3997 • ladiesdayout05@gmail.com 223685
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015
Panthers playoff push paused for 2015 By Chris Johnson Reporter
LENA — The 2015 season wrapped up for the Lena-Winslow Panthers on Saturday, Nov. 7, as they fell to the Orion Chargers, 14-7, in the second round of the State Football Playoffs. The Three Rivers Conference regular season champion moves on to face number-two seed, Ottawa Marquette, in the State Class 1A Quarterfinal this weekend. The Panthers prepare for basketball and the winter sports season. With a record of 10-1, a period of reflection can begin on the definition of success and failure. In 2015, there was no equal in the NUIC-Northwest. Lena-Winslow scored 421 points during the season. Only Dakota, with 384 points, stood close enough to be considered an equal. The Galena Pirates finished the 2015 campaign over 100 points back in the standings. When the calendar switched to Oct. 24, as the first round of the State Playoffs loomed, the NUIC stood with seven teams prepared for battle. Now only one remains, Polo. Lena-Winslow drove the ball well, at times and connected on the big play, on more than one occasion on Saturday. In the end, Orion, though, found ways to keep the Panthers offense in check, helping push Lena-Winslow into their first loss of the season. A late Lena mistake began to build the frame to assure 2015 would not be the season. A pass attempt, as the Panthers tried to claw back into the game, with a fourth and goal from long distance waiting, was picked, taken in the back right corner of the end zone. The Chargers defense stood their ground, helping assure they would move into this weekend’s, third-round game. The football season is over, but sports continue and the hope exists for another good run in 2016. Arguably, the 2015 NUIC-Northwest was claimed, courtesy of three major wins, during the middle stretch of the season. On Sept. 18, an eight-point win over Galena pushed the Pirates out of the conversation in conference championship chatter circles. On Sept. 25, a one-point victory over Dakota, 14-13, put another notch in the doorpost for Lena-Winslow. On Oct. 9, the defending champs, Forreston, fell prey, 40-20. After allowing a total of 34 points, while putting almost 150 on the board, in three fairly stress-free wins over 1-8 EastlandPearl City, 2-7 Pecatonica and 0-9 River Ridge, to open the season, It was the middle stretch that brought the crown.
Photo provided
Nine members of the Lena-Winslow FFA Chapter joined more than 54,000 FFA members at the eighty-eighth national FFA Convention held in Louisville, Kentucky.
Lena-Winslow FFA Chapter members attend eighty-eighth annual national FFA convention LENA—Nine members of the Lena-Winslow FFA Chapter attended the eighty-eighth national FFA Convention held in Louisville Kentucky Oct. 28-31. Members from across the country attended this large event, with over 54,000 registered members attending this year alone. Participation by the Lena-Winslow chapter gave students the opportunity to visit the dozens of different colleges that were in the career fair area to promote their agriculture colleges and higher education programs. There were also many agriculture companies such as Ford, Caterpillar, and Carhartt there for students to visit and network with. This year’s keynote speaker at the opening session was Dr. Rick Rigsby, author of the book “Lessons from a Third Grade Dropout.”
In addition to attending the convention sessions, trade show and college fair, students went to a Jake Owen concert, toured Magdalena race horse training farm (owned by Thoroughbred trainer Kenny McPeek) and toured “Old Friends,” a retirement facility which is now home to many champion race horses including 1997 Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm. On the way back home the group toured the University of Illinois campus and was given a presentation in the College of ACES (Agriculture Consumer and Environmental Sciences) library. It was a great trip and it gave the students the opportunity to see the depth of the agriculture industry and the FFA organization out of their own hometowns.
AJ’s Lena Maid Meats
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500 West Main Street • Lena, 815-369-4522 Email: mpax@frontier.com • www.ajslenamaidmeats.com
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