Sports | The Journal-News

Nokomis senior Reece Lohman played in the All-Star Bird Cage Classic on Sunday, March 17, at Warrensburg-Latham High School. The game consisted of players from all over Central Illinois in Classes … more

4/1/24

Redskins Third At Gillespie

Nokomis junior Bond Knodle won three events and set two new personal records to help the Redskins to a third place finish at a five-team meet in Gillespie on Thursday, April 25. The Redskins … more

4/29/24

Staunton Tops Litchfield, Vandalia

The Staunton Bulldogs improved to 15-2 on the season and handed Litchfield its first loss of the season on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at the Vandalia Country Club. The Bulldogs shot a 161 to edge Litchfield … more

9/11/23

HHS Welcomes Panthers For Homecoming

The football Toppers face the same uphill battle to reach the playoffs as they did last season when they were also 2-3 after five games. To be playoff eligible, they need to win three of the next … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 9/28/23

With the construction of the new high school, access to the Hillsboro High School gym has changed for fans going to sporting events this winter. Fans may park in the lower parking lots highlighted above and enter the campus at the intersection of Fairground Avenue and Hiltop Drive (#2) then proceed to the rear entrance of the gym. Anyone needing handicap parking may enter on Tremont Street (#1) and proceed to the lot near the football field (#3).

Lady Toppers Happy At Home

After more than three weeks and eight straight road games, the Hillsboro girls basketball team returned home for the first time since Dec. 9. In celebration of their return, the picked up their 10th … more

1/4/24

Lady Redskins Top Five In Four Events

The Nokomis girls track team took top five finishes in four different events as the Lady Redskins competed against Mattoon, Patoka and Shelbyville on the Rams’ home track. On the track, Irene … more

4/1/24

Friday Trip To Plains Unpleasant For Lady Lancers

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville softball team managed to get a game in on Friday, April 26, but fell to Pleasant Plains by a 12-2 final score in six innings. The Cardinals chipped away at the Lady … more

4/29/24

Running for 344 yards and six touchdowns, Litchfield senior A.J. Sypherd had a game that most can only dream about on Friday, Sept. 8, as the Panthers defeated North Mac 42-21 for their first victory of the season.

Sypherd Runs Wild For Litchfield

With an 0-2 record the Litchfield Purple Panthers may have been singing the same old tune from years past, but this Purple Panthers football squad is different than the past squads. The first two … more

9/11/23

Former SCC Foe Knocks Off Toppers

by Ron Deabenderfer The bus ride for the Hillsboro teams trip to downtown Alton to play the Marquette Catholic Explorers in any contest is always a long voyage, which is a major … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 1/4/24

Purple Panthers Make Short Work Of Ramsey

After picking up two hard fought wins to end last week, the Litchfield/Mt. Olive baseball club was back on the diamond on Wednesday afternoon, March 27, as a road trip to Ramsey to battle the 0-4 … more

4/1/24

Soccer Toppers Rebound Against Piasa Birds

After taking one on the chin at the hands of the Litchfield Purple Panthers and dropping their first conference game in two calendar years, the Hillsboro High School boys soccer team returned to the … more

9/11/23

Mt. Olive's Alyssa Aubuschon tries to regain possession after Chloe Law of Litchfield pokes the ball away at midcourt during the Jan. 2 meeting between the two teams in Mt. Olive. Law had five steals and Litchfield had the Wildcats' lead down to four in the final two minutes before a 6-0 run gave Mt. Olive a 41-31 win.

Mt. Olive Girls Hold Off Litchfield

The Mt. Olive girls basketball team held a 19-5 advantage in free throws over Litchfield on Tuesday, Jan. 2, as the Lady Wildcats held off the Panthers 41-31 in the first game of the new year. … more

1/4/24

Four members of the Nokomis boys basketball team received awards or all-star recognition during the Redskins’ banquet on Saturday, March 16. From the left are Mason Stauder, Reece Lohman, Kennedy DeWerff and Brody Steele.

Nokomis Basketball Wraps Up 2023-24 Season

The Nokomis High School Boys Basketball program held their awards banquet on Saturday, March 16, at The Depot in Nokomis. The following received recognition by the team for their efforts. Reece … more

4/1/24

Hillsboro Gets SCC Win In Three Set Thriller

The Hillsboro High School volleyball team picked up their first South Central Conference win of the season and improved to 5-0 with a gutty three-set win over Vandalia on Thursday, Sept. 7. The … more

9/11/23

Litchfield's Harrison Thomas pushes his way past Mt. Olive's Gavin Kernebeck for two of his game-high 13 points in the Panthers' 83-12 win over the Wildcats. Thomas was one of 11 players to score for Litchfield, with nine of the 11 scoring five points or more.

Purple Panthers Gang Up On 'Cats

At the end of 2023, the Litchfield boys basketball team began to create a monster that dominated their opponents in the first half. That monster would not go away as the calendar turned, as the … more

1/4/24

Cyclones Beat Panthers In Battle Of Unbeatens

Finishing a high school baseball season in Illinois undefeated is a very taunting task, almost unthinkable. In Illinois since 1950, there have only been three high school baseball teams who have … more

4/1/24

Tennis Toppers Beat Vandals For Third Victory

In a match characterized by good competition and some long rallies, the Hillsboro girls tennis team picked up their third victory of the season on Thursday, Sept. 7, with an 8-1 win over Vandalia at … more

9/11/23

In front, from the left are Kaylee Gerlach, Ariana McDaniel-Stewart, Taryn Clarke, Alea Wagahoft and Khloe Klinger. In the middle are Zachary Sale, Cooper Poggenpohl, Kennady Cook, Brady Schmedeke, Jonah Elvidge, Jared Klein, Donny Daugherty and Drew Gilpin. In the back are Zoey Hunt, Abilene Norris, Camryn Poggenpohl, Kirsten Pope, Kinley Morris, Luke Armentrout, Brayden Morris, Tucker Armentrout, Izeck Matli, Karson Hayes, Gabe Armentrout, Callie Beeler, Rian Deardorff, Hannah Jostes and Braylin Crawford.

Lancers Get 1,000th Win

On Nov. 30, 1962, the newly formed Lincolnwood High School boys basketball team picked up its first win with a 68-37 victory over Pawnee on the Indians’ home court. Sixty-one years, one … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 1/4/24

After becoming the first Litchfield wrestler to win a girls wrestling regional title, freshman Rilynn "Rino" Younker made history again with the school's first sectional title and state qualifying berth in girls wrestling on Saturday, Feb. 10, in Peoria.

It's The Year Of The Rino

Saturday, Feb. 10, was the first day of the Lunar New Year and while the Chinese zodiac says that it’s the year of the Dragon, everyone in Peoria found out quickly that it is actually the year … more

2/12/24

Litchfield Gets Past Staunton In 10th

After starting the season 8-0, a target has begun to form on the Litchfield/Mt. Olive baseball team. On Thursday evening, March 28, the Staunton Bulldogs looked to strike that target at Grizzlies … more

4/1/24