Locally seen talent to Quarterback in NFL SuperBowl

On September 15th, 2012 Jimmy Garoppolo visited Hancock Stadium at Illinois State University as the starting quarterback for the Eastern Illinois Panthers.  Who knew that 8 years later he would become one of 2 starting quarterbacks in the NFL's SuperBowl.  Jimmy of course is the 2nd starting Quarterback from Eastern to do well.  Ten Years before, another named Tony Romo completed his senior year at Eastern.  Tony went on to an NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys.

Freelance photographer Alan Look was fortunate to have captured both players in action.  The image of Tony Romo was taken at Eastern during the Homecoming game in 2002 against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.  The image has been used by national media and in several books.  The images of Jimmy Garoppolo were both used by Upper Deck as trading cards for his rookie season.

Football season gets started with ISU Redbird Red-White Scrimmage

The local football season kicked off today with the Illinois State Redbird Red-White scrimmage.  A healthy combination of fans and students attended the event and the preliminary activities which included the annual student promo photo on the field in Hancock Stadium with the Big Red Marching Machine, cheerleaders, flag corp, and Redline Dancers forming ISU all wearing red shirts.

High School football will follow in 13 days with the first Friday Lights games.

Get out this fall, support your local teams and see some of the great talent that passes through our communities!

Red-White game gallery

Coach Norm Eash winningest CCIW coach in History

Wheaton Thunder rumbled into Bloomington Illinois on Saturday September 12th ranked at #12 in D3 football schools.  They never rumbled much the first half of the game, but came out in the 2nd half with a long kickoff return that left them just short of the goal and scored on the next play.  Illinois Wesleyan Titans got the ball back only to give it up on a fumble due to a pretty hard hit and the Thunder rumbled back into the end zone.  That was the last of the rumbles from the Thunder as the Titans muscled their way back up to their feet to push them out of Tucci Stadium.  Final score put the Titans on top.  The win was a good one for IWU and an even better one for Coach Norm Eash.  The win made Coach Eash the winningest football coach in the history of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW).

Congrats to the Titans and Coach Eash.

Game Photos by Alan Look Photography and Best Look Magazine!

Redbirds tackle Panthers at 107th Mid-America Classic football game

The Illinois State Redbirds defeated the Eastern Illinois Panthers on September 8, 2018 at the 107th playing of the Mid-America Classic held at Hancock Stadium in Normal Illinois.  The combination of Brady Davis at quarterback coupled with runners and receivers Spencer Schnell, Markel Smith and James Robinson provided many of the highlights.  The Panthers used 3 or more players at the quarterback position and couldn't seem to get started against the Redbird defense.

Click for Photo Gallery

Images are available for licensing from the Best Look in Sports Action Photography in Bloomington-Normal, Alan Look Photography.

Fisher ruins Tri-Valley's winning streak

All good things come to an end, they say.  Tri-Valley has been the HOIC football champs the past 3 years and hasn't lost a regular season game in probably as long.  It all ended last night in Downs.  Rain fell steadily during most of the game making the ball difficult to hang on to.  A fumble late in the game seemed to seal the Vikings fate.

Game Photos!  More coverage in the LeRoy Leader 9-13 edition!

From media day to Bison, August sun to November snow

We've seen the last of Hancock Stadium till at least the fall football practices.  Our season started this year doing something we hadn't done in many years - attending Media Day.  It was different this year than what we had been to in the past, but it was hot and productive in August... except the formal presser in the box with Brock.  Moving on to the month of September the first game against Butler seemed to come fast, but for the teams with 6 weeks of practice we are told it was an eternity.  After Butler there was a delay to get to have the 2nd home game on the last day of the same month.  October games are always fun with Homecoming and Family Day.  November is always the month of consideration from the time the very first schedule is announced.  November games can go either way weatherwise.  This year, we got 3 seasons in one 3 hour game!  Summer rain, falls freezing rain and winters mix of snow, they all arrived with the Bison.

A seasons worth of images will now keep the memories...

Illinois Wesleyan defeats the Storm of Simpson College

In a very lopsided scoring game, the Titan football team from Illinois Wesleyan defeated the Storm from Simpson College of Iowa.  It was a non-conference game for the schools.





20150919 Simpson at Illinois Wesleyan - Images by Alan LookIn a very lopsided scoring game, the Titan football team from Illinois Wesleyan defeated the Storm from Simpson College of Iowa.  It was a non-conference game for the schools.

Friday fizzled out.

The high temperatures and humidity across the mid section of the country spawned isolated storms on Friday night.  Although some rain fell in the area, the biggest problem locally for football games was the lightning.  Many area schools saw their games suspended because of the electric atmosphere.  Normal West playing in Collinsville, Normal Community and Bloomington both playing at home and Heyworth were all subject to the suspensions.  One report tells of more severe thunderstorms to the east affecting the Champaign - Urbana area, Danville and into west central Indiana.

Play did get started at the Heyworth game.  Heyworth hosted the Falcons of Flanagan, Cornell, Woodland.  The Falcons started the game kicking to the Hornets and defending the north end zone. Brandon Day accepted the kickoff for the Hornets and made a good run up the field.  He followed it shortly after moving the ball much closer to the goal.  After a too high pass to Skyler Cox in the corner of the end zone, the Hornets kept the ball on the ground with runs by Keith Hickenbottom and eventually one by Matt Schultz for the first score of 6 points. A 2 point conversion ensued on a keeper run to his right by quarterback Jacob Day.

The game suspended shortly after with the Hornets in the lead 8-0

 - Chimper

20150904 Flanagan-Cornell-Woodland Falcons at Heyworth Hornets football photos - Images by Alan Look

#IHSA, #IHSAFOOTBALL, #HEYWORTHHORNETS #FLANAGANFALCONS #HEYWORTH #FLANAGAN #CORNELL #WOODLAND #ALANLOOKPHOTOGRAPHY

New home for Best Look Magazine

Welcome to what will become the new home for Best Look Magazine's online presence.  We will be transitioning away from the http://bestlookmag.com address sometime in the future.  We haven't worked through all the details yet and this sites development is still incomplete.