A Mustang Minute
Our April 2022 School Newsletter
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING TEAM WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
The Yorkville Christian High School wrestling team made history during the weekend of February 25-26. The team won the first state championship in Yorkville Christian High School history by winning the 1A Wrestling State Championship Meet at the Grossinger Motors Center in Bloomington, IL.
The road to the championship started on Friday, February 25, with a 7 pm dual meet against Colfax (Ridgeview). The Mustangs won in a very decisive manner with a 63-12 victory. Aiden Larsen (106), Noah Dial (132), Braulio Flores (138), Drew Torza (152), Tyler Martinez (160), Jack Gillen (170), Jackson Mehochko (182), and Mike Esquivel (285) all recorded pins. Isaac Bourge (120), Grason Johnson (126), and Chris Durbin (195) all recorded decision wins, and Jeremy Loomis (145) won by forfeit. It was a great start to the weekend for the Mustangs.
The Mustangs were next in action on Saturday morning at 11 am against a very formidable opponent in Tolono Unity. Once again, the Mustangs were laser focused and took care of business with a dominant 51-30 win. The action started with the 138-pound match, and Braulio Flores responded with a pin to get the team off to a great start. Drew Torza won a 5-1 decision in the 152 match. After that, pins were recorded by Tyler Martinez (160), Jack Gillen (170), Mike Esquivel (285), Aiden Larsen (106), Isaac Bourge (120), Grason Johnson (126), and Noah Dial (132). It was a great team effort, and the Mustangs were on to the championship match at 7 pm!
The Mustangs faced Tremont High School in the championship match. Jeremy Loomis got the Mustangs off to a huge start with a pin in the 145-pound match. Drew Torza followed with a pin of his own, and Tyler Martinez recorded a 7-2 decision win to get the Mustangs off and running. Mike Esquivel recorded a forfeit win at 285, and Aiden Larsen also recorded a forfeit win at 106. Issac Bourge kept the momentum going by recording a pin in the 120-pound match, and Grason Johnson (126) earned a decisive 11-0 win and Noah Dial followed it up with a 20-2 technical fall, and the Mustangs were STATE CHAMPIONS by a score of 48-24!
A special thanks to head coach, Mike Vester, for all of his years of hard work and dedication to bring this amazing accomplishment to fruition. Also special thanks to his assistant coaches – Brody Vester, Travis Martinez, Mike Esquivel, and Nick Loomis for all of their hard work behind the scenes with the team. Coach Vester would also like to thank Mr. Sovern and Mr. and Mrs. Stewart for all of their support of the team and the program over the years.
Finally, Yorkville Christian High School and the wrestling team would like to thank God for the amazing things He continues to do at Yorkville Christian High School, and this was just another example of God at work. God is so good, and all glory to Him!! Proverbs 21:31 – “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord!”
Here are some photos of the incredible experience.
On Sunday, March 6, a special parade and rally was held for the wrestling team to celebrate the amazing accomplishment of winning a state title. The event started with a parade that kicked off at 2 pm from the high school parking lot and proceeded through the Ashley Pointe subdivision to Yorkville Middle School and back. The parade consisted of a few fire trucks, a huge tractor and wagon for the wrestlers to ride, a few horses, and a police escort. It was a great parade. After the parade, a very nice crowd gathered in the school chapel for a pep rally. Coach Vester introduced his coaching staff and spoke a little about each wrestler. It was a very fitting way to conclude such an outstanding season! We cannot wait until next year and the REPEAT! GO MUSTANGS!
BOYS BASKETBALL WINS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP – THE JOURNEY
MUSTANG BASKETBALL WINS 3RD STRAIGHT REGIONAL CROWN
On Friday, February 25, the Yorkville Christian High School boys basketball team won the Serena Regional Championship with a 72-32 victory over Ottawa Marquette. The Mustangs were led by Jaden Schutt with 17 points, and DJ Douglas with 14 points. The Regional Championship marked the third straight regional crown for the Yorkville Christian High School basketball program. Congratulations to KJ Vasser and David Douglas Jr. who advanced in the 3 point shooting contest.
BASKETBALL WINS SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN CONVINCING FASHION
The Yorkville Christian High School boys’ basketball team competed in the Woodlands (Streator) Sectional the week of March 1-4. The team opened up sectional play with a semi final game against Chicago Ellison on Tuesday, March 2. The game was never in doubt, as the Mustangs overwhelmed Ellison with pressure and forced them into 34 turnovers leading to an 83-39 victory. Jaden Schutt led the Mustangs with 24 points, and DJ Douglas, Jr. added 16. The win advanced the Mustangs into the championship game on Friday, March 4, where they faced Putnam County High School. Once again, the Mustangs were just too much for the overmatched opponent and won the sectional title by a final score of 81-47. The Mustangs were led by Jaden Schutt’s 21 points. DJ Douglas Jr. again had a huge game with 19 points, while KJ Vasser (18 points), and Tyler Burrows (13 points) also had good games. With the victory, the Mustangs headed to the Illinois State University Super Sectional on Monday, March 7, against the Lexington Minutemen. Special congratulations to DJ Douglas, Jr. and KJ Vasser who also advanced to the state finals in the three-point contest. GREAT JOB MUSTANGS!
SUPER SECTIONAL OPPONENT IS NO MATCH FOR BASKETBALL TEAM
On Monday, March 7, the Yorkville Christian High School boys’ basketball team traveled to Illinois State University to play Lexington High School in the super sectional game. A fan bus of Mustang students accompanied the team to the big game. The Mustangs jumped on the Minutemen early, and never looked back, cruising to a 71-33 victory. The Mustangs were led by Jaden Schutt with 22 points. KJ Vasser and Brayden Long each contributed 13 points, and Tyler Burrows finished with 11. The Mustangs advanced to the state finals for the first time in school history. All Glory to God!
“MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” MUSTANGS WIN STATE!
On Wednesday, March 9, the Yorkville Christian High School boys’ basketball team departed for Champaign, IL to compete in the basketball state finals. The team arrived and participated in a short practice, and then enjoyed a team dinner together and watched film. After that, it was lights out in anticipation for the semi-final game Thursday morning against Steelville. The Mustangs got out to a great start behind Jaden Schutt, and actually led by a score of 21-2 after the first quarter and cruised to a 70-27 victory. The Mustangs were led by Brayden Long with 23 points, Jaden Schutt recorded 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. Every member of the team saw playing time in the victory.
The Mustangs returned to action on Saturday morning for the state championship game. The opponent for the championship was Liberty High School. Unlike the semi-final game, this one was a battle throughout. The Mustangs actually trailed throughout the first half, but a 17-2 second half run sealed the win and the championship for the team! The team finished with a record of 25-13. It was definitely a special ride full of ups and downs, but throughout the season God was in control, and the team found strength in His plan. To God be the glory!
**NEW FAMILIES – WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN THE MUSTANG FAMILY!!
How do you enroll? Here are the simple steps:
- Complete the Enrollment Application at this link
https://yorkvillechristian.com/enrollment/
- Pay the Tuition Down Payment using the following link:
https://yorkvillechristian.com/product/enrollment-fees/
The Tuition Down Payment is subtracted from your overall tuition amount.
It is that easy to join the Mustang family! Enroll TODAY!
CLASSROOM CORNER
Biology – Knowing that certain minerals are essential to bone health, Biology students, under the direction of Mrs. Schnyders, compared normal bones with bones that had been stripped of calcium, observing how weakened the bones without calcium had become. The lesson served as a great visual for students to better understand bone health.
Geometry – Students in Mrs. Tickel’s Geometry class recently went around the school measuring the diameter and finding the area and circumference of various circles. Students were able to walk around the school and pick any circles they wanted to use as examples.
Media Writing and Production — Mr. Vester’s Media Writing and Production class is working on a full semester project that will serve as the class practicum/portfolio project that is not only teaching the students every aspect of film production, but at the same time really helping the future of the school. The students are creating a “virtual tour” that will be placed on the school’s website. The students in the class were divided into production teams, and each group was given a series of areas to cover. The assignments included interviewing faculty and coaches from every discipline, sport, and club at Yorkville Christian High School in order to put together a virtual tour for prospective families. Each video segment is about 60-90 seconds in length and describes in detail the class, sport, or club assigned. The students were responsible for setting up an assignment board with a schedule of the areas that needed to be filmed and when production for each assignment would take place. Students were responsible for filming the segment, including providing proper lighting and sound, and for the final editing of the video. It was an unbelievable, real-life project for the students. Special thanks to Mr. Mike Vester for all of his hard work behind the scenes with this class. Great job to Mr. Vester and the students!
MATH CLASSES CELEBRATE PI DAY
On Monday, March 14, the math classes at Yorkville Christian High School celebrated Pi Day. The math classes enjoyed a wide variety of pie selections during their math classes to celebrate the occasion. Thank you to Mrs. Tickel for coordinating the event, and to the many students who participated by being a pie to class. It was a very tasteful celebration of Pi Day!
Physical Education – The Yorkville Christian High School Physical Education classes, under the direction of Mr. Veliz, recently completed a badminton unit. Students learned all of the rules and techniques involved with badminton, and the unit culminated with a tournament in each class. Pictured below are the winners from each class.
1st Period Champion and Runner Up
3rd Period Champion and Runner Up
4th Period Champion and Runner Up
5th Period Champion and Runner Up
7th Period Champion and Runner Up
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL INDUCTS NEW MEMBERS TO NHS
On Monday, February 28, the Yorkville Christian High School National Honors Society held its Induction Ceremony. The Yorkville Christian High School National Honors Society is under the direction of Mr. Fred Versluys. The evening started with Mr. Versluys welcoming the guests and opening in prayer, and then current NHS officers, Elijah Fisher, Sydney Peterson, Anna Merrigan, and Reagan Giese discussed the four pillars of the Yorkville Christian High School National Honors Society, which are Character, Excellence in Scholarship, Service, and Leadership. The evening included a keynote speech entitled “Challenge” by Mr. James Maxwell, a Bible teacher at Yorkville Christian, followed by the induction of 15 new members. The new inductees included Tyler Bobzin, Payton Cardamone, Kennedy Cargola, Ty Edwards, Caleb Fisher, William Hayward, Autumn Konczal, Dylan Kraulidis, Gina Malkosky, Abraham McDavitt, Macy Overall, Kloe Pottinger, Chloe Saxe, Nina Schuberth, and Joey Wolgast. Congratulations to all the new inductees, and special thanks to Mr. Versluys for all his hard work with our NHS.
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN SENIOR STUDENTS MEET WITH OPEN DOOR RESIDENTS
On Friday, March 4, some members of the Yorkville Christian High School senior class visited via Zoom with residents from Open Door. The Yorkville Christian seniors have been corresponding with the residents throughout the year as pen pals, and from time to time were able to Zoom with the residents and ask each other questions and spend time playing Bingo and other games. It has been an extremely rewarding experience for our students and the residents at Open Door. Special thanks to Yorkville Christian High School teacher, Mrs. Liz Sovern, for coordinating this experience throughout the year.
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL ART CLUB GRANTED SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY
The Yorkville Christian High School Art Club, under the direction of Mr. John McDavitt, was granted a special opportunity to not only apply their art skills, but also make a difference in our community. This past summer, the owner of Paradise Car Wash in Yorkville, Mr. Chad Green, contacted Mr. Tim Schnyders, Director of Enrollment at Yorkville Christian High School, and asked him if the Art Club at Yorkville Christian would be interested in creating a mural for the side of his car wash. Mr. Schnyders discussed the idea with Mr. McDavitt, and he eagerly agreed to take on the project. The students are very excited to have the opportunity to complete this type of project and have their work displayed in the community for years to come. Special thanks to Mr. Green for allowing our school this opportunity and to Mr. John McDavitt for all of his hard work in leading our Art Club this year. Pictured below are Mr. Green and Mr. McDavitt meeting at Paradise Car Wash to discuss the project.
FFA HOSTS DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT
On Wednesday, March 9, the FFA hosted a dodgeball tournament for students. The event was a great deal of fun and was actually part of the activities from the National FFA Week. Students were able to register a team for the event and a bracket tournament was held in The Canyon. FFA members served popcorn to all the students while they cheered on their favorite team. Thank you to all the students who participated and made the events such a great one. Special thanks to Mrs. Wiesbrook and Mrs. Stewart for coordinating the event.
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL RODEO HOSTS THE ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL RODEO ASSOCIATION
The Yorkville Christian High School Rodeo Club hosted the Illinois High School Rodeo Association the weekend of March 12-13. The event was held at Mustang Arena at Spirit Farms. Congratulations to the Mustang Rodeo Club members Audrey Breen, Anna Merrigan, Kloe Pottinger, Ellie Stewart, and Maggie Stewart for their amazing runs!
JADEN SCHUTT NAMED ILLINOIS GATORADE PLAYER OF YEAR
Yorkville Christian High School senior guard, Jaden Schutt, was named the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year on March 16. The Gatorade Award is one of the most prestigious awards given to high school athletes. The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court. Some of the past winners include Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jabari Parker, and Dwight Howard. Jaden is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award. Congratulations Jaden!
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS VOLUNTEER AT NORTHERN IL FOOD BANK
On Wednesday, March 16, a group of Yorkville Christian High School students volunteered at the Northern IL Food Bank in Geneva, IL. The Northern IL Food Bank serves 13 different counties providing 250,000 meals a day. They partner with over 900 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and youth and senior feeding programs to provide nutritious meals for those in need. It was another great opportunity for our school community to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- April 12, 2022 – FFA Banquet
- April 15, 2022 – NO SCHOOL – Good Friday
- April 18, 2022 – NO SCHOOL – Easter Monday
- May 6, 2022 – PROM – Early Dismissal at 11:00 am
- May 20, 2022 – Class of 2022 Graduation Ceremony
- May 27, 2022 – Last Day of School – Early Dismissal – 11:00 am
PLEASE NOTE: ALL Athletic Schedules for ALL teams can be found on our website www.yorkvillechristian.com under the Athletics Tab. Come out and support our Spring Sports Programs:
Girls Softball
Baseball
Track and Field