Sports | The Journal-News

Helping to dedicate the new grandstand were Missy Dean, Junior Miss Nataleigh Jackson, Little Miss Karsyn Jones, Miss Montgomery County Fair Alexis Lessman, Debbie Compton, Montgomery County Fair Board President Mary Bishop, John Eickhoff and Terry Leitschuh.

County Fair Honors Four Longtime Volunteers

Before this year’s first full pull, members of the Montgomery County Fair Board took a few minutes to pay tribute to four long-time volunteers at the fair’s truck and tractor pulls on … more

by Mary (Galer) Herschelman | 6/29/23

Lady Panthers Win SCC Opener In Three

After falling to Hillsboro and Pawnee in their previous two games, the Litchfield High School volleyball team picked up a key win on Thursday, Sept. 7, in their South Central Conference opener … more

9/11/23

Hillsboro's Zander Wells (left) locks up with Tiffin Kouzoukas of Benton during their quarterfinal match at the Vandalia Sectional on Friday, Feb. 9. Wells defeated Kouzoukas in an 11-5 decision one of three wins on the weekend as the senior went on to finish third and qualify for the IHSA Class 1A State Tournament for the first time.

Wells Far From Done With Wrestling

The COVID pandemic may keep Zander Wells from 100 wins in his prep wrestling career, but nothing was going to stop the Hillsboro High School senior from a trip to state. On Saturday, Feb. 10, … more

2/12/24

Nokomis Splits MSM Series With Pawnee

The Nokomis baseball team’s home-and-home series with Pawnee on March 28 and 29 was the baseball equivalent of the internet meme where the two Spider-Mans are pointing at one another. The two … more

4/1/24

Adam Meisenheimer of Litchfield took first in the MITTP Super Stock Four-Wheel Drive class at the Montgomery County Fair truck pulls on Sunday, June 25, pulling 339.61 feet to take the top spot.

Fair Holds First Pulls Without Walker, Leitschuh

Two staples of the Montgomery County pulling community were absent from the announcers booth for the 2023 Montgomery County Fair tractor and truck pulls in Butler on June 25, but those who … more

6/29/23

Last year nearly 40 former Panthers took the floor for the Litchfield High School Alumni Game, held after the school’s girls and boys basketball Purple and White Games. Organizers are hoping for another big turnout for this year’s game, which will be on Saturday, Nov. 18.

Litchfield Alumni Game Is Back, Better Start Stretching

Litchfield High School will once again hold an alumni basketball game in conjunction with their annual girls and boys basketball Purple and White Games on Saturday, Nov. 18, at Simmons Gym. One of … more

9/11/23

Litchfield's Vincent Moore leans in to put more leverage on the shoulder of Salem's Aden Doolen during their match on Friday, Feb. 9, at the Vandalia Sectional. Moore won that match en route to a second place finish at 106 pounds as he earned his second straight trip to the IHSA Class 1A State Tournament.

Moore Earns Second Straight State Trip

Vincent Moore got a taste of state wrestling last year, but this year, the Litchfield sophomore is ready for a whole meal. Moore, whose two losses at state last year were to the fourth and … more

2/12/24

Lady Redskins Beat Shelbyville, Lose To Pawnee

The Nokomis High School softball team split two games to end the month of March as they defeated Shelbyville on March 27, before losing a close game to Pawnee on March 29. On Wednesday, the Lady … more

4/1/24

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville-Pawnee boys and girls golf teams competed in the MSM Conference Tournament on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at Edgewood Golf Course in Auburn. The Lincolnwood girls won this year’s tournament with a 418, while the Lincolnwood boys shot a 356 to finish second behind South County. From the left are Rian Deardorff, Brady Schmedeke, Kaylee Gerlach, Lance Weitekamp, Bryce Cowdrey and Luke Pope. In the back are Jenna Matli, Zeke Castleberry, Carly Armentrout, Anna Jones, Kennady Klinger and Jared Klein. Armentrout was the girls individual medalist, while Gerlach, Matli, Jones and Klinger joined her on the all-conference team. Cowdrey, Castleberry and Weitekamp all made all-conference on the boys’ side.

Lady Lancers Score MSM Tourney Title

Last year, the Lincolnwood girls golf team won the MSM Conference Tournament by a little. By three strokes over South County to be exact. This year, the Lady Lancers won by a lot. On Wednesday, Sept. … more

9/11/23

Pawnee's Isabella Carlisle (#21) and Ashlyn Kern (#15) converge on Nokomis freshman Alivia Sabol during pool play action at the Nokomis Fall Tipoff on Friday, Nov. 17. Sabol had nine points in Nokomis' 45-33 victory over the Indians and averaged 11 points and 5.7 rebounds per game during the tournament to help the Redskins take the title at the inaugural event.

Nokomis Tops At Tipoff

Their path to a championship may have been a little more interesting than they would have liked, but the Nokomis girls basketball team will take it as they won the inaugural Nokomis Fall Tipoff with … more

11/20/23

Panthers Put A Scare Into Auburn In Regional Opener

The beauty of the postseason is that everyone starts with the same record: 0-0. Auburn found that out first hand on Saturday, Feb. 10, as the 16-win Trojans nearly lost to the three-win Litchfield … more

2/12/24

Litchfield’s Vincent Moore had a fight on his hands in his opening round match of the IHSA Class 1A State Wrestling Tournament on Thursday, Feb. 15, at the State Farm Center in Champaign. Woodstock Marian’s Austin Hagevold picked up a major decision win over the sophomore 106-pounder by a 14-2 final score, moving Moore to Friday’s consolation bracket.

Bright Future Ahead For Litchfield’s Moore

For the second straight year, Litchfield's Vincent Moore went 1-2 at the IHSA State Wrestling Tournament, an awesome accomplishment, but one that the sophomore 106-pounder … more

By Kyle Herschelman | 2/20/24

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville volleyball team celebrates as senior Taryn Millburg receives the championship trophy for the Montgomery County Invitational Grace Tournament from Charley Herschelman, the sister of the tournament's namesake, the late Grace Herschelman. The Lancers won the tournament for the second year in a row, defeating Hillsboro 25-19, 23-25, 25-19 to improve to 10-0 on the season.

Lancers Repeat At Grace Tourney

What has been a banner year for Montgomery County volleyball got even better over the weekend as Lincolnwood, Hillsboro and Nokomis took the top three spots at the Montgomery County Invitational … more

9/11/23

After Record Year, Lancers Bow Out At Pleasant Hill

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville girls basketball team saw their season come to an end on Saturday, Feb. 10, as the Lady Lancers fell to Pleasant Hill-Western in their regional opener. When the … more

2/12/24

The Litchfield-Mt. Olive baseball team has had plenty of reasons to celebrate so far this season, including a grand slam by Tate Dobrinich (far right) in their 15-11 win over Greenville. The win over the Comets, their first since 2014, was their tenth in a row to start the season. While that streak came to an end on Saturday with a loss to Sacred Heart-Griffin, the Panthers already have more wins in 2024 than they did all of last season.

Litchfield Battles To Get Past Greenville

In the preseason, Litchfield Coach Rocky Giannuzzi was not sure how his Purple Panthers would respond after a loss. After nine games, the Panthers still hadn’t experienced that, but they had … more

4/1/24

Panthers Clinch Share Of SCC

The 2013-14 season was the last time Litchfield hoisted the South Central Conference crown in boys basketball as they shared the title with the Greenville Comets. Prior to that the Purple Panthers … more

2/12/24

Hillsboro’s Zander Wells tries to turn Cooper Miller of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley during their preliminary match at the IHSA Class 1A State Wrestling Tournament in Champaign on Feb. 15. Wells was down 9-3 to Miller going into the third period when he took down the Falcons’ 165-pounder and earned the pin at the 4:17 mark of the match.

Wells’ Senior Season Comes To End At State

Of the 116 wrestlers who started the Class 1A postseason in the 165-pound weight class, only 16 were able to make it to state. Of those 16, half lost, with half of that number losing for a second … more

By Kyle Herschelman | 2/20/24

Hillsboro's Kearstynn Davis (left) and Litchfield's Chloe Law (right) go up for a 50/50 ball during the third place game at the Panther Classic in Litchfield on Saturday, March 30. After losing to Hillsboro twice last year, the Lady Panthers scored a 2-1 victory over the Toppers, with Law scoring the go-ahead goal in the second half.

Panthers Top Hillsboro For Third

Last year, the Hillsboro and Litchfield girls soccer teams were slated to play for the championship of the 2023 Panther Classic, before Mother Nature put the kibosh on those plans. This Saturday, … more

4/1/24

Litchfield libero Amy Frerichs makes a diving save tokeep the ball aloft during the Panthers' pool play game against Vandalia at the Montgomery County Invitational Grace Tournament on Sept. 8. Litchfield went on to win that game in three sets and eventually finished sixth in the 16-team tournament.

Litchfield Sixth At Grace Tournament

The Litchfield High School volleyball team celebrated co-hosting the Montgomery County Invitational Grace Tournament on Friday, Sept. 8, by doubling their season win total. The Panthers, who … more

9/11/23

After setting school records in rushing yards, touchdowns and points scored, A.J. Sypherd was selected to the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 3A all-state team.

Sypherd Earns All-State Honors

After a record-breaking senior season, Litchfield’s Adam “A.J.” Sypherd earned one more accolade recently as he was named to the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association … more

11/20/23