The former Hononegah wrestler, and UFC fighter, Corey Anderson, is now working his way up the Bellator ladder and recently advanced to the semifinals of the light heavyweight Grand Prix, with a $1M prize awaiting the winner. Anderson sat down and talked about his personal life, and his professional career, as well as why he believes he can win the $1M tournament.

Tony Cassioppi, the former Hononegah wrestler who won two state titles with an undefeated record back in his high school days, is starting to make some noise at the top college level now, too. Cassioppi finished third in the Big Ten Championships at heavyweight for the second year in a row, and then this time, when he got his shot, he took third at the NCAA wrestling championships last weekend. Listen to all of his stories.

Head coach Tom Guse and point guard Zach Derus talk about Lutheran's undefeated boys basketball season, and what they could have done with a state tournament this year, during this week's "Not Just a Game" podcast, with host Jay Taft. Then, Winnebago's star post player Ethan Ackerman, who missed the end of the basketball season because he was in quarantine, talks about his excitement as he got out of lockdown just in time to start football practice with the Indians.

Sister Stephanie Baliga used to run competitively for Auburn and then the University of Illinois, but now she does it to help fund the Mission of Our Lady of Angel and its food pantry that feeds over 1,000 people a day. Sister Stephanie, this week's guest on the "Not Just a Game" podcast, organizes a charity team for the Chicago Marathon every year, and her team has raised over $1M for the mission since she's started. Hear her story right here.

Anthony Billups, the former Hononegah star pitcher who transformed into an artist and musician in the Nashville, Tennessee, scene, talks about his mural-painting business as well as his music career. He just released his third country-music album, and he plays one of his new songs, "Nashville Superstar," near the end of the podcast.

Anthony Billups was a star pitcher for Hononegah back in the late-90s and early 2000s, and went on to pitch his way through college. But a car accident and temporary blindness set him on a path toward art and music, and now he's a rising star in Nashville, Tennessee. Here is Chapter 1 of 2 of Billups' story, starting with his high school baseball days and leading up to his accident and his growing love for art and music. (Chapter 2 is coming soon.)

Former Harlem star and Syracuse defensive end Josh Black recently made the decision to return to college for one more football season — and to get his Master's degree. Listen to Josh talk about his reasons for returning, his hopes for the future, and his NFL aspirations on this week's podcast.

Former East and RVC star Madi Hecox has battled back from heart surgery — for a heart ailment that she discovered by chance when her new school happened to test her — and just had her first double-double for her new team, Southeastern University out of Lakeland, Florida. Now Hecox is finding ways to help others who may suffer from the same issues she dealt with as well as starring on the basketball court. Hear her story here.

Charley Kurlinkus won the high jumping state championship while a student-athlete at Hononegah, and now he's an emergency room doctor in Sacramento, California. But when he's not working, he's soaring through the air as one of the world's top BASE jumpers. He talks about both sides of his life as this week's guest on "Not Just a Game."

Former Freeport Pretzel stars Steve, Vance and Deion McShane sit down together with host Jay Taft and talk about what they've all been through this past year — as well as having a few laughs. Steve is rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon from his short stint in the XFL, while Vance and Deion have decided to forgo the track and field season so they can play spring football at Saint Xavier and Northern Iowa, respectively.

Senior left tackle Vederian Lowe, a former Auburn standout, talks about playing college football during COVID-19, why the Fighting Illini stumbled early in the season, and what he thinks it's going to take for Illinois to finish strong as this week's guest on the podcast, "Not Just a Game."

Former Harlem standout Ben Black has worked his way up the coaching ranks the past five years and is now a graduate assistant working with the defensive line at Indiana University. The Hoosiers are on a historic run, even after losing by one touchdown to Ohio State last weekend, and Black is right in the thick of things. His younger brother Josh Black is a defensive lineman at Syracuse, and Ben and Josh talk "almost daily" as well.

Green Bay Packers' fifth-year starting defensive lineman Dean Lowry joins Jay Taft on this week's "Not Just a Game" podcast to talk about COVID-19, the Packers, and their matchup with Jacksonville on Sunday. Former Rockford Lutheran star James Robinson is the Jaguars' starting running back, and Lowry, the former Rockford Boylan stud, hopes to be helping to corral him in their showdown at Lambeau Field.

"Not Just a Game" host Jay Taft holds an interview with Hall of Fame coaches Joe and Janet Erb and runners Katie and Grace Erb and Kaylee Woolery, who were all in quarantine at the time. They expected to be out in time for Saturday's cross country sectional, which defending-state-champion Winnebago should win with ease, but they have been through a lot, and broke it all down for us.

Tony Cassioppi won two state titles when he was a wrestler for Hononegah, and now he's the Iowa Hawkeyes starting heavyweight, and he's gunning for the top there, too. Cassioppi was seeded third headed into last year's NCAA Championships before they were canceled due to COVID-19. Now, he's got a big exhibition match set for Nov. 1 as he readies for another big season with Iowa.

Nicole Briscoe, a former Roscoe resident and Hononegah High School graduate, talks about how COVID-19 has impacted her life, and and off the set of ESPN's SportsCenter. Briscoe has been a SportsCenter anchor since 2015.

Host Jay Taft brings in IHSA executive director Craig Anderson as well as Rochelle wrestler Ben Harvey and Winnebago basketball player Miyah Brown to talk about what they expect to happen when the winter seasons roll around. Teams are planning to start practice on Nov. 16.

Dan Arnold, the former Boylan student-athlete who has made it all the way to the NFL, is now the starting tight end for the Arizona Cardinals. Arnold, this week's podcast guest on "Not Just a Game," talks about what it took to get him to where he is today, and how the Boylan coaching staff helped him along the way.

Podcast host Jay Taft talks to former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew about James Robinson of Rockford, and his breakout stretch in the NFL as the Jaguars' starting halfback. Jones-Drew, now an analyst for NFL Network, talks about everything from Robinson's climb to No. 1 on the depth chart to whether or not he wants to see Robinson break Jones-Drew's single-season rushing record at Jacksonville.

"Not Just a Game" host Jay Taft talks to James Robinson's former high school coach (Bruce Bazsali), his former college coach (Brock Spack) and one of his former high school teammates at Rockford Lutheran, linebacker Matt Anderson, to find out what they think got him to where he is today. Robinson was named the Sunday starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars in his upcoming NFL debut.

This week's "Not Just a Game" podcast guest Mat Parker, who just finished up his ninth year as the Rockford Public Schools athletic director, talks about navigating the pandemic, what the fall seasons have looked like so far, and what we can expect in the near future.

Joe Danforth, NBA star Fred VanVleet's stepfather and a police officer in Rockford, talks about how the NBA's boycott of playoff games can help, as well as what it's like to be a Black policeman these days.

This week's guest on the rrstar.com weekly sports podcast "Not Just a Game" is AJ Wentland, a former Harlem star linebacker who has gone on to play professional football in two different countries. He recently bolted from Germany to Finland, where he is now finishing up the season and trying to leave his mark there.

This week we have three guests for the "Not Just a Game" podcast: two high school stars who are waiting for their fall sports, and one who is already competing in hers. Boylan swimmer Nhia Caras is off and swimming, while North Boone QB Logan Emanuel and Lutheran volleyball star Lauren Spangler had their seasons pushed to the spring. Hear what they have to say about everything that has come down.

Dan and Dennis Scarpetta, owners and operators of Rockford Baseball Academy, talk about their baseball operations as well as all other levels during this coronavirus pandemic. Host Jay Taft is a sports reporter with the Rockford Register Star. This week's interview was recorded on July 23, 2020.

Four-time state champion head football coach from Lena-Winslow, Ric Arand, talks about the pandemic, and his hope for how the return to football will look.

Sophie Brunner just made the switch from star basketball player to coach, taking a job as an assistant at Rockford Lutheran. Listen to what she has to say about COVID-19, and her race back home when it hit in Italy, as well as her decision to change over to a coach.

With all the uncertainty in the world these days, Northern Illinois University athletic director Sean Frazier talks about the past, present and future as he attempts to maneuver the college sports world during a pandemic.

The public health administrator of the Winnebago County Health Department Sandra Martell has been on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic from the get-go. Martell has utilized her over 30 years of experience in public health to help navigate our region through the most difficult health crisis of our time. This week she joined us as the guest of our weekly sports podcast, “Not Just a Game,” to discuss how the virus has affected the sports’ world, and how sports will begin to creep back into existence. “We are learning as we go through this,” Martell said. “This has been, as we said, one for the books. But I think we did it with the support and the full intent that we would get as many people through this as we could.” “Not Just a Game” can be found at rrstar.com/sports. Or you can get the latest episode by subscribing for free to “From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star” wherever you listen to podcasts. These episodes were produced and edited by multimedia journalist Scott P. Yates. Host: Jay Taft: jtaft@rrstar.com; Twitter @JayTaft

Dathan Wickson Jr. survived brain surgery back when he was first entering Boylan High School, and after a speedy and determined recovery, last year he became the lone Titans wrestler to qualify for state last winter. Now Wickson Jr. is being named the Rockford Register Star’s Passion and Perseverance Award Winner, which will be announced during Thursday night’s virtual banquet on rrstar.com. On Thursday morning, he and his father and coach, Dathan Wickson Sr., will be on NBC’s the Today Show with Olympic gold-medal winning wrestler Jordan Burroughs to talk about the banquet, and the award. “It’s all like a Walt Disney movie, you know,” Wickson Sr. said of all that his family has been through, and now for the opportunity to be on the Today Show with his son and Burroughs. “It was all unexpected... The Today Show, and Jordan Burroughs, who we really look up to, he’s like the Michael Jordan of wrestling. The way he carries himself with his character and the way he displays his morals, to be able to talk to him and have my son be able to express himself to him, and all this attention and recognition, it’s just unbelievable. We’re just grateful and happy.” “Not Just a Game” can be found at rrstar.com/sports. Or you can get the latest episode by subscribing for free to “From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star” wherever you listen to podcasts. Host: Jay Taft: jtaft@rrstar.com; Twitter: @JayTaft Produced and edited by multimedia journalist Scott P. Yates.

The Rockford Rivets received approval from state and county health officials to go ahead with a plan to return to action with fans in the stands. Players will begin returning to Rivets Stadium next week in anticipation of a July 1 start to the season. General manager Chad Bauer was instrumental in making this all happen for the Rivets, and is this week’s “Not Just a Game” podcast guest. Bauer discusses all that went in to getting it done, and what it’s going to take to make it work. “We kind of hung in there, and said ’things are going to change over time,’ so let’s adapt as it comes,” Bauer said. “The response we got from the health department was really good. Then they said ’Let’s do this. We think you can do this right, so let’s do this.’” “Not Just a Game” can be found at rrstar.com/sports. Or you can get the latest episode by subscribing for free to “From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star” wherever you listen to podcasts. Host: Jay Taft: jtaft@rrstar.com; @JayTaft These episodes were produced and edited by multimedia journalist Scott P. Yates.

Freeport head football and wrestling coach Anthony Dedmond, a respected leader in the city’s black community, sat down this week for a podcast discussion about issues that transcend athletics. He offered thoughtful comments about national unrest following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and talked about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected his family and his teams. “People have been trying to let their voices be heard for a long time now,” Dedmond said during the podcast. “And there are a lot of quality people in the world, and they’re listening. We’re talking, and they’re listening.” Dedmond grew up in Freeport and played sports at the high school. He was a Stephenson County correctional officer from 2004 to 2010. As a coach at Freeport, he has provided a boost to the Pretzels’ football program since taking over three years ago. In his 15th year as head wrestling coach, he led the team to its first NIC-10 conference title this past winter. “Not Just a Game” can be found at rrstar.com/sports. Or you can get the latest episode by subscribing for free to “From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star” wherever you listen to podcasts. These episodes were produced and edited by multimedia journalist Scott P. Yates. Jay Taft: @jtaft@rrstar.com; @JayTaft

As some of the area’s top extreme sports’ organizations begin to reopen following the lengthy layoff due to the coronavirus pandemic, Chicagoland Skydiving Center’s chief instructor, and the safety and training advisor, Chris Rea joins sports reporter Jay Taft on the Register Star’s weekly sports podcast “Not Just a Game.” Rea has more than 10,000 jumps in his life and has been with CSC since before it moved to Rochelle. But he had never lived through anything like what they’ve had to deal with the past couple of months during the pandemic and subsequent stay-at-home orders. “Not Just a Game” can be found at rrstar.com/sports. Or you can get the latest episode by subscribing for free to “From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star” wherever you listen to podcasts. Host: Jay Taft: jtaft@rrstar.com; @JayTaft Editor, producer: Multimedia journalist Scott P. Yates.

This week’s installment of the Rockford Register Star’s weekly sports podcast “Not Just a Game” helps you get to know three-year Rockford IceHogs star winger, and the team’s captain last season, Tyler Sikura. Sikura talks about what he’s been up to during the lockdown; his thoughts on his bounce-back season, when he led the team in points with 34; how it all ended; and what’s on the horizon for the free-agent, to-be. Rockford IceHogs’ forward Tyler Sikura talks about what it was like to lose the end of the AHL season, and what could be next for him. “Not Just a Game” can be found at rrstar.com/sports. Or you can get the latest episode by subscribing for free to “From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star” wherever you listen to podcasts. Host: Jay Taft: jtaft@rrstar.com; @JayTaft Producer, editor: Scott P. Yates; Twitter and Instagram @scottpyates

This week Rock Valley College’s athletic director and head softball coach Darin Monroe, who has seen the pandemic hit from two points of view, is the guest on the Rockford Register Star’s weekly sports podcast “Not Just a Game" with sports reporter Jay Taft. Monroe has had a lot to deal with the past two months, with getting his softball team home from its Florida spring break trip safely when the pandemic hit, and then having to deal with the shortening of the NJCAA Division III women’s national championship basketball tournament, which RVC was hosting. It’s been a whirlwind ever since, too. "Not Just a Game” can be found at rrstar.com/sports. Or you can get the latest episode by subscribing for free to “From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star” wherever you listen to podcasts. This episode was produced and edited by multimedia journalist Scott P. Yates.

This week's episode of "Not Just A Game" host and Register Star sports reporter Jay Taft speaks with Laura Gibbs-Green, communications manager for Rockford Park District. Gibbs-Green tells Taft that the RPD is following and supporting guidelines and recommendations made by the Center for Disease Control, Illinois Department of Public Health, State of Illinois, along with Winnebago County Health Department, and will continue to do so until this health emergency subsides. Gibbs-Green highlights some of the ways residents may remain active using some new outreach efforts by the park district. For more information on this story and more from the newsroom of the Rockford Register Star, go online at www.rrstar.com and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. Host: Jay Taft, Rockford Register Star sports reporter; jtaft@rrstar.com Produced and edited: Scott P. Yates, Rockford Register Star multimedia journalist; syates@rrstar.com

This week’s installment of the Rockford Register Star’s weekly sports podcast “Not Just a Game,” hosted by sports writer Jay Taft, spotlights Illinois State head football coach Brock Spack, a former Rockford football star in his own right, and James Robinson’s former head coach. Robinson, a star running back at Lutheran and then ISU, wasn’t drafted during last week’s NFL draft, but he was quickly signed to a free-agent contract by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday night. Spack gives his thoughts on that whole process, as well as what to expect from the ISU Redbirds football team. He also gives some insight on what it’s like to be the coach of a college football program during a pandemic. For more information about this story and more sports and news from the Rockford Register Star, go online at www.rrstar.com. Hosted by Register Star sports reporter Jay Taft. Produced and edited by Register Star multimedia journalist Scott P. Yates.

This week’s episode spotlights three local seniors who are missing out on their spring sports season in high school. This week, IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson and the IHSA board of directors canceled the spring sports state tournaments. But there was still a chance that some teams could compete, if the pandemic eases up in time. Taft talks to three high school seniors who would have been taking part in a sport to find out what they’re feeling these days. He talks to Belvidere North runner Madison Diercks, Hononegah football and baseball player Payton Mather, and Stillman Valley catcher Aubrey Ashlock. “Not Just a Game” can be found at rrstar.com/sports or get the latest episodes by subscribing for free to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you listen to podcasts. This episode was produced and edited by multimedia journalist Scott P. Yates.

“Not Just a Game” is the new weekly sports podcast from the Rockford Register Star. Sports reporter and your host Jay Taft has more than two decades of reporting experience in the Rock River Valley. The podcast episodes, which will average 15 minutes in length, will spotlight interviews Taft has with special guests, and will focus on the hot topics and interesting issues in the sports world in our area. This is the first podcast of the 2020 series. Taft breaks down whether or not a spring sports season can still be saved at the high school level in 2020. The podcast features IHSA executive director Craig Anderson, who will help clear up what can be done during this coronavirus lockdown to still save spring sports at the high school level. Find more information about this story and others from the newsroom of the Rockford Register Star online at www.rrstar.com. Scott P. Yates provided technical support and edited this episode.