Sports | The Journal-News

Nokomis' Mason Stauder (#13) looks for a route around Auburn's Cooper Carter during the Redskins' home game against the Trojans on Saturday, Dec. 16. The Redskins outscored Auburn in three of the four quarters, but the exception proved to be costly as Auburn pulled out a 48-41 victory over Nokomis.

The Nokomis boys basketball team outscored Auburn in three of the four quarters on Dec. 16, and by a significant margin, 34-23. The exception, a 25-7 third quarter by Auburn, is what allowed … more

12/18/23

Nokomis Puts Up 23 Against Eagles

The Nokomis Lady Redskins scored 23 runs on 17 hits as they picked up their first win of the season with a 23-2 victory over St. Elmo-Brownstown (SEB) on the Eagles’ home field. Nokomis … more

3/14/24

Hillsboro Rally Comes Up Just Short

One never knows. When rain fell Wednesday night, April 10, I for one assumed the Toppers game at Breese Mater Dei would be washed off the schedule. As the bus … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 4/15/24

Litchfield's Kaden Bergman and Auburn's Treshaun Lancaster sprint to the next handoff of the 4x200 relay at the IHSA Class 1A sectional in Gillespie on Thursday, May 18. Bergman and teammates Martavious Jones, Zach Leitschuh and Easton Grammer finished fifth overall in a time of 1:38.49.

Quarton, Powell, Painter Punch Ticket To State

If you were asked to predict three members of the Litchfield High School boys track team to qualify for state, Camden Quarton and Keenan Powell would probably be your first two guesses. And they … more

5/22/23

Lady Lancers Sink Storm To Snap Skid

A strong defensive effort in the second quarter of the Lancers’ match-up with Sangamon Valley gave the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville girls their fourth win of the season as they stopped the Storm … more

12/14/23

Redskins Shut Out Staunton

Six Nokomis pitchers combined for a two-hit shutout on Monday, March 11, as the Redskins defeated Staunton 5-0 in the season opener for both teams. The combination of Ian Keller, Drake Taylor, … more

3/14/24

Pawnee Gets Round Two Over Lincolnwood

For the second game in a row, the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville baseball team finished seven innings with the same number of hits as Pawnee, but fell to the Indians in an MSM Conference game. With … more

4/15/24

Nokomis' Max Huston crosses the finish line as the anchor leg of the Redskins' 4x200 meter relay team at the IHSA Class 1A Gillespie Sectional on Thursday, May 18. Huston and teammates Kadynn Petty, Jack Johnson and Noah Blaum ran a 1:46.18 to finish 10th at the sectional.

Redskins Gain Experience At Sectional

The Nokomis boys track team competed in their first IHSA sectional in nearly 40 years on Thursday, May 18, in Gillespie as the Redskins continue to add to their experience in the track … more

5/22/23

Three Toppers Medal At Jersey Meat Grinder

Ten members of the Hillsboro wrestling team hit the junior varsity circuit and competed at the Jersey Meat Grinder JV Tournament in Jerseyville on Saturday, Dec. 9. Hillsboro finished eighth at the … more

12/14/23

Salem Spoils Greenwood's 20-Point Game

A difficult third quarter spoiled a career night by Ella Greenwood as Hillsboro fell to Salem 57-51 on Saturday, Dec. 16, on the Wildcats’ home floor. Both teams entered the game with a … more

12/18/23

The members of the Arrowhead Open committee presented a check for $26,125.38 to Nokomis athletics on Friday, Dec. 22, the proceeds from this year’s golf tournament. In front, from the left are Liz Engelman, Shelia Keller and Cassie Watson. In the back row are Brandon Engelman, Alycia Gillock, Mandy Swick, Bonnie Brownback, Amy Stolte, Beth King, Rachelle McDowell and Paul Watson. The funds go toward such things as equipment and camp fees for athletes, along with helping to fund Nokomis’ streaming of their basketball, volleyball and football games throughout the year on their YouTube channel.

Redskins Hit The Bullseye On Arrowhead Night

The Nokomis girls and boys basketball teams combined to outscore Mt. Olive 130 to 61, but the biggest score on Dec. 22 came in between the two Redskin wins. The Nokomis Athletic Club raised … more

12/28/23

Hillsboro senior Dawson Guinn gets a fist bump from first base coach Joshua Fulhorst after being robbed of a hit by the Rochester shortstop in the seventh inning of the Hiltoppers’ season opener in Hillsboro on Monday, March 11. The Rockets return their starting nine from last year’s team that made it to the sectional championship game in Class 3A and looked like a team to beat on Monday as they defeated the Toppers 12-0 in seven innings.

Rockets Power Past Hillsboro

When Hillsboro’s varsity baseball team opened their 2024 baseball season by hosting Rochester Monday afternoon, March 11, the weather, windy but in the 60s at game time, was better than one … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 3/14/24

Metro-East Lutheran goalkeeper Emily Kober can do nothing but watch as Hillsboro's Reagan Lentz taps in her fourth goal of the game after taking a pass from Kinley Richardson. The goal was Lentz's seventh in two games and Hillsboro's seventh of the game as they went on to beat the Knights 9-0 on Monday, March 18, in Hillsboro

Soccer Toppers Shut Out Knights

Hillsboro scored nine goals against Metro-East Lutheran on Monday, March 18, as the Toppers shutout the Knights at the Hillsboro Sports Complex. Scoring started early for the Lady Hiltoppers as … more

3/21/24

The Litchfield Middle School track team won the team titles at the Indian Invitational in three of the four classes, setting several school records as well.

Beware Of Falling Records At Litchfield Middle School

The Litchfield Middle School track program is off to a great start to the season, with several new school records and some top finishes in the team results. In their first meet of the season, … more

4/15/24

Jhude Walker jarred the ball loose as he slid into home for one of Lincolnwood's runs in their seven-run fourth inning on Thursday, May 18, at the Nokomis Regional. The Lancers used the big inning to break a 1-1 tie with Nokomis, en route to a 10-3 regional semifinal win over the Redskins.

Fourth Inning Pushes Lancers Past 'Skins

A seven-run fourth inning broke open a tied game as the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville baseball team defeated Nokomis 10-3 on Thursday, May 18, in the semifinals of the Nokomis Regional. The Redskins … more

5/22/23

College Report: Helton, Blueboys Play In DIII Playoffs

Blaze Helton , a Hillsboro graduate, got a football opportunity this year that not many athletes get. The Illinois College football player played in only three games and had three tackles. But, … more

by Dan Chamness | 12/14/23

Hillsboro Boys Score First SCC Victory

The Hillsboro boy’s basketball team gave their fans an early Christmas present Friday evening, Dec. 15, by invading Vandalia to claim a 57-47 South Central Conference win over the Vandals. … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/18/23

Nokomis Girls Snap Skid With Tourney Win

The Nokomis Lady Redskins picked up a win in their opening game of the Carlinville Holiday Tournament on Monday, Dec. 26, as they defeated South County in pool play. The game was far from a walk in … more

12/28/23

Lincolnwood-Morrisonville starter Mason Tryon held Carlinville to one hit and struck out 15 batters in seven innings as the Lancers beat the Cavies 9-0 on Tuesday, March 19.

Tryon Strikes Out 15 In Shutout

Mason Tryon struck out 15 and allowed just one hit in Lincolnwood’s 9-0 victory on Tuesday, March 19, as the Lancers improved to 3-0 on the season. Tryon struck out three batters in the … more

3/21/24

College Report: Hanner Wins Five To Wrap Up Senior Year

In the 1970s, Yankee slugger Reggie Jackson earned the nickname “Mr. October”. Hillsboro graduate Kaili Hanner might just follow in the legendary slugger’s footsteps in earning … more

by Dan Chamness | 5/22/23