Front Row L to R: Lisa Hawkins (Laney’s mother), Laney, Jason Hawkins (Laney’s father) Back Row L to R: Jerry Doyle (Cross Country Coach), Caleb Hawkins (Laney’s brother), Scott Matthews (CHS Head Girls Basketball Coach), John Orr (JV Girls Basketball Coach), Rick Myers (Assistant Girls Basketball Coach), and Ashley Diaz (Assistant Girls Basketball Coach)

Charlestown senior Laney Hawkins was recently joined by family, coaches, teammates, and friends to sign her celebratory letter of intent to attend school and play basketball at Olney Central College in the fall.

When asked about her choice to attend school and play basketball at Olney Central College with the Blue Knights, Hawkins replied, “I chose Olney Central College to continue my academic and athletic career because of the effort the coaching staff has made to get to know me. I really like the style of play at Olney and how the players and coaches encourage and uplift each other. OCC is a small college with small class sizes with the opportunity to get to know instructors well. I’m very grateful and excited about this decision.” Hawkins will major in radiology technology.

Charlestown Lady Pirates basketball coach Scott Matthews had this to say: “Congratulations to Laney with her signing to Olney Central. We are excited to follow her basketball journey after high school and wish her the best of luck. Go Knights!”

WPMQ, The Pirate Network congratulates Laney and wishes her a healthy and prosperous future as an Olney Central College Blue Knights.

Article contributed by WPMQ, The Pirate Network staff member Aiden Stewart.

Front Row (L to R) Calvin McFarland (Tatum’s father), Tatum, Evan Johnson (ONU Coach), and Treasure McFarland
Back Row (L to R): Chance McFarland (Tatum’s brother), Kipton McFarland (Chance McFarland), and Scott Matthews (Charlestown Basketball Coach)

Charlestown senior Tatum McFarland was recently joined by family, coaches, teammates, and friends to sign her celebratory letter of intent to attend school and play basketball at Olivet Nazarene University next year.

Nestled in the Village of Bourbonnais, just 45 miles from Chicago, is the 275-acre main campus of Olivet Nazarene University. The setting includes park-like landscaping surrounding historic and state-of-the art facilities. With 3,500 students, it’s large enough to offer a world-class education, and small enough to know fellow schoolmates.

ONU competes at the NAIA level in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, which includes fourteen member schools from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Olivet Nazarene is home to twenty-one varsity sports for both men and women.

When asked about her choice to attend school and play basketball at ONU with the Tigers, McFarland replied, “The reason I chose Olivet Nazarene University to continue my academic and athletic career is because of how welcoming the girls and the coaches were when I went to Olivet back in August for a camp. Olivet felt like a home away from home. The girls are really uplifting and push one another to do better in every aspect in life. ONU checked off every box on my list that I wanted in my future college and I couldn’t be happier to make this commitment to Olivet. ”

Charlestown Lady Pirates basketball coach Scott Matthews had this to say: “Congratulations to Tatum with her signing to Olivet Nazarene. We are excited to follow her basketball journey after high school and wish her the best of luck. Go Tigers!”

WPMQ, The Pirate Network congratulates Tatum and wishes her a healthy and prosperous future as an Olivet Nazarene University Tiger.

Photo provided by WPMQ, The Pirate Network staff member Kassie Propes. Article contributed by WPMQ, The Pirate Network staff member Aiden Stewart.

Front Row (L to R) Candice Matthews (mother), Skylar Cochran, Scott Matthews (stepfather and Charlestown High School girls’ basketball coach) Back Row (L to R) Lexi Finchum (sister), and David Abbott (Charlestown High School Assistant Athletic Director)

Recently, Charlestown senior Skylar Cochran was joined by family, teammates and coaches to sign her letter of intent to attend school and participate in basketball at Lyon college in the winter.

Located in Batesville, Arkansas, Lyon College is a selective undergraduate liberal arts college located in the foothills of the scenic Ozarks. Founded in 1872, it is one of the oldest colleges in Arkansas. Valued for its small class size, strong student-faculty interactions, and collegial atmosphere, Lyon has forged a singular identity by combining a deep commitment to outstanding liberal arts with a rich community setting. Undergraduates at Lyon can pursue degrees in 15 disciplines as well as pre-professional programs leading to careers in education, law, medicine, physical therapy, and more. Additional programs include the APPLE Project Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math-Science programs for high school students.

Lyon College competes in the American Midwest conference (NAIA Division 1) and is home to many varsity sports including Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Football, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Track and Field, Volleyball, and Men’s and Women’s Wrestling, as well as Co-Ed sports archery, cheerleading, competitive dance, eSports, and Shooting Sports.

Cochran, who has received numerous athletic endeavors in cross country, basketball, and tennis over her career at Charlestown will major in forensic psychology. When asked about her choice to play at Lyon College with the Scots, Cochran said, “I chose Lyon College because the academics and environment are excellent. After arriving on campus it felt like home. I could tell they strive on building relationships with their students and athletes. I’m grateful for the opportunity to play basketball for a top ranked program. Coach Stewart-Lange and coach Church have been very supportive and helpful in the recruiting process. I can’t wait to become a Scot.”

Charlestown basketball coach (and Cochran’s stepfather) shared the following sentiments on Cochran: “Skylar has dedicated a lot to the sports she has participated in and we are appreciative of her efforts for the past four years.  We will miss her here as a Pirate, but wish her the best in this next chapter of her athletic and academic endeavors.”

The Charlestown High School athletic department and WPMQ, The Pirate Network congratulate Skylar and wish her a healthy and prosperous future as a Lyon College Scot.

Article contributed by WPMQ, The Pirate Network’s Clayton Rothbauer