What a fun show it was for our twenty-first episode of the Ballin4God Talk Show.We had three juniors from the Harrisburg Bulldogs baseball teams: Aidan Hankins, Ian Crabb, and Rylan Palmer. They talked about how their season is going so far, what the key to success is, and what it is like to be a part of the Bulldog family. Palmer also won our Ballin4God Player Of The Week a couple of weeks ago.Then our segment was with the newly named head coach of the Mt. Vernon Rams boys basketball team, Luke Cooper. Cooper is a 2019 graduate from Mt. Vernon, and he talked about how cool it is to be the head coach at such a young age. Cooper had coached the last six years at Woodlawn, and four of those years he was the head coach for the Cardinals. We also got to talk about some of his favorite gyms to coach and some of the toughest places to play on the road.SPONSORS:ALL STARS-N-STITCHESREND LAKE CABINS IN THE WOODSFOLLOW US: Instagram: @B4G_SILTwitter: @ConwellRussellFacebook: Ballin4GodTikTok: B4G_SIL

Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:03:32 - Harrisburg Baseball

1:12:40 - Luke Cooper

2:02:47 - Outro

On this week’s Episode 20 of the Ballin4God Podcast, we featured two segments.

In the first, Russell Conwell interviewed Pinckneyville track & field athletes Christian Queen and Brody Wilt. Queen competes in the 400-meter dash, while Wilt is primarily a long jumper and triple jumper. Wilt is committed to Purdue Fort Wayne.

Then our second interview, which we were very excited for, was with the first-year head baseball coach of the Benton Rangers, Tyler Leffler. Leffler is a 2012 graduate of Benton High School. He played at Bradley University and was also drafted in the MLB draft in the 27th round. We also had Austin McPheron, the first-year pitching coach for the Rangers. McPheron is a 2013 graduate of Johnston City High School. He played at Southern Illinois University after high school. McPheron and Leffler faced off against each other in high school, but also in college.

SPONSORS:

ALL STARS-N-STITCHES

REND LAKE CABINS IN THE WOODS

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: @B4G_SIL

Twitter: @ConwellRussell

Facebook: Ballin4God

TikTok: B4G_SIL

Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:04:03 - Christian & Brody

0:49:33 - Austin & Tyler

2:30:02 - Outro

Filmed episode 19 of the Ballin4God Talk Show, brought to you by Rend Lake Cabins In The Woods. We had the head coach of the Carterville Lions softball team, Will Capie, and his son, Drake Capie, who played football and is a current member of the Lions baseball team. Both teams are on fire as the softball is 20-0, and the baseball is 15-3.

SPONSORS:

ALL STARS-N-STITCHES

REND LAKE CABINS IN THE WOODS

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: @B4G_SIL

Twitter: @ConwellRussell

Facebook: Ballin4God

TikTok: B4G_SIL

Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:17:15 - Will & Drake Capie

1:28:03 - Outro

SPONSORS:ALL STARS-N-STITCHESJOE'S PIZZA & PASTAREND LAKE CABINS IN THE WOODSFOLLOW US: Instagram: @B4G_SILTwitter: @B4G_SILFacebook: Ballin4GodTikTok: B4G_SIL

Timestamps:

0:00:00- Intro

0:05:14 - Ryley House

0:33:52 - Callahan & Lane

1:28:43 - Outro

Preview of the 47th Annual Lions Club All-Star Game at Rend Lake College, featuring many of the top area senior basketball players for boys and girls in Southern Illinois. We also had Brian Murley and JR Russell of Blackcats Network, as well as Dave Severin and Shane Hawkins, together discussing what this all-star game really means, its significance, and sharing some old stories, while also looking back on the season.

Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:13:50 - Group #1

0:36:52 - Dave & Shane

0:54:40 - Group #3

1:01:07 - Group #4

1:08:04 - Group - #5

1:09:57 - Group #6

1:12:15 - Group #7

1:18:42 - Outro

In Episode 16 of the Ballin4God Talk Show just before supersectional night. The episode features seven members of the Benton Rangers, including the starting five and assistant coaches Jason Hobbs and Lucas Roberts.

The Benton Rangers take on the Quincy Notre Dame Raiders tonight at 7:00 PM at the Banterra Center in Carbondale in the 2A Supersectional.

We were also planning to have some of the Goreville Blackcats on the show, but the team left early Sunday to make the trip north to Jacksonville, Illinois, where they will face the Jacksonville Routt Catholic Rockets in the 1A Supersectional at the Jacksonville Bowl.

If both of our area teams advance tonight they will head to Champaign for the IHSA State Finals in their respective classes.

Episode 16 is brought to you by Rend Lake Cabins in the Woods. We filmed this week’s episode at The Light House to fit all of our guests.

If you’re looking for a quiet place to relax in a beautiful setting, you’ve found it with Rend Lake Cabins in the Woods.

Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:06:19 - Benton Rangers Starting 5

0:47:31 - Lucas Roberts & Jason Hobbs

1:28:07 - Outro

After all of the regional championships have now wrapped up, we now set our eyes on the IHSA Sectionals. We have many remaining teams left. Trico hosts the 1A sectional, where Goreville, Hardin County, Waltonville, and Sparta will face off. In Nashville, a lot of familiar foes with Benton, Breese Central, Carterville, and the host Nashville. Then in 3A, the Centralia Orphans are at the Waterloo sectional, where they will play the Triad Knights in the sectional semifinal, a rematch of last year's 3A Sectional Championship. On today's show, we had three segments with three different regional champions. The Sparta Bulldogs won their first regional championship in 35 years, and head coach Jordan Beckley and junior guard Dariontez Monroe were on the show. Then the second segment was with the Nashville Hornets after winning the Pinckneyville 2A Regional. We had father and son head coaches of the Hornets, Stote Reeder, and his son, Max Reeder, a guard for Nashville. Then, to round out the show, we had Gage Peterson and father, Chuck Peterson, after Waltonville won its third straight regional title.Full schedule for the sectionals below. Who do you think will make the deepest run?1A Trico SectionalTuesday: Waltonville vs Hardin CountyWednesday: Goreville vs SpartaFriday: Winner of G1 vs G21A Macon Meridian SectionalTuesday: Tuscola vs AltamontWednesday: Lawrenceville vs CaseyFriday: Winner of G1 vs G22A Nashville SectionalTuesday: Benton vs NashvilleWednesday: Breese Central vs CartervilleFriday: Winner of G1 vs G23A Waterloo SectionalTuesday: Centralia vs TriadWednesday: East St. Louis vs JacksonvilleFriday: Winner of G1 vs G2

Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:12:51 - Sparta Bulldogs

1:14:37 - Stote Reeder & Max Reeder

2:11:34 - Chuck Peterson & Gage Peterson

2:57:07 - Outro

We will start uploading each episode at 6 PM instead of 4 PM each week.We had three segments on this week’s episode. The first segment was with head coach of the Anna-Jonesboro Wildcats basketball team Mike Chamness and junior Kaleb Gore of the Wildcats. Gore recently went off for 55 points and 12 three-pointers in their win against West Frankfort.Our second segment was with the Porter Boys. Drew Porter the father of Drake Porter. Drew graduated from DuQuoin High School many years ago, and Drake is a sophomore at Benton Consolidated High School. He plays baseball, basketball, and football.Then our final segment was with Christopher Kays or better known as Bucket Hat. Kays is a volleyball referee and a photographer. Alongside Derek Moore who is a local farmer and a long time basketball referee.

Timestamps:0:00:00 - Intro0:05:12 - Kaleb Gore & Mike Chamness0:40:38 - Drake Porter & Drew Porter1:54:27 - Chris Kays & Derek Moore2:52:59 - Outro

On this week's episode of the Ballin4God Talk Show, we had three different segments. Lee Bennett of Centralia, Nick, Tommy, Bobby King of Goreville, JR Russell, and Brian Murley of Blackcats Network.Our first segment was with Blackcats Network, Brian Murley, and JR Russell, the voice of everything Goreville Blackcats. They talked about their start, and what is going on in Blackcats country currently.Our Second segment was with Nick King, Tommy King, and the father of Bobby King. Nick is a junior, Tommy is a senior, and Bobby is a Goreville graduate. We talked about their current season, where they're at, SI Select, and Bobby about his photography.Our final segment was with Lee Bennett, the head coach of the Centralia Orphans boys basketball team. Bennett has over 700 career wins, and 451 wins at Centralia as of Thursday, February 19th, 2026. With Bennett, we talked about American History, basketball, where he began his career, and his newfound love for racing.Very fun episode, and we hope to catch you guys again for next week's episode.Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro04:09 - BlackCats Network45:44 - King Brothers + Dad1:27:35 - Lee Bennett2:36:12 - Outro

We had Coach Ron Winemiller on after he won his 400th career game as head boys basketball coach. 344 of those wins have come at Benton, and the 400th career came against one of his best friends Mike Chamness at Anna-Jonesboro 66-45.Our second segment was with senior Cale Maurer from Mt. Vernon, and head coach of the Mt. Vernon Rams basketball team Tim Holloway. The Rams currently sit at 18-7 on the season, and play at home against the Cahokia Comanches.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

13:10- Ron Winemiller

38:47 - Tim Holloway & Cale Maurer

1:19:39 - Outro