Sports | The Journal-News

Vitale Foods presented a check for $7,200 to Hillsboro’s recreational baseball, softball and T-ball teams. The funds were raised through a season-long fundraiser where the youth teams sold Vitale Foods’ frozen pizzas. From the left are Vince Vitale, Sports Administrator Bill Christian and Wayne Adams.

Vince Vitale and Wayne Adams, owners of Vitale Foods, presented a check for $7,200 to Bill Christian, the City of Hillsboro’s youth sports administrator, on Friday afternoon, June 16, at the … more

by Tori O’Dell | 6/26/23

Walshville's Travis Lentz goes wheels up across the finish line at the Hoosier in Crawfordsville, IN, on May 6-7, in celebration of his sixth win in a row in the Grand National Cross Country racing series.

Lentz Still Atop Grand National Series

It took seven rounds, but someone finally knocked Travis Lentz off the top of the podium in the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series. Racing in the 85cc (12-13) youth bikes class, Lentz … more

6/22/23

In just over a week, 11-year-old Katrina Millburg of Waggoner raised $2,220 for the American Legion’s ball field in Waggoner, which was recently rebuilt for use for the first time in more than 25 years. Pictured with Millburg, from the left, are American Legion Everett C. Burton Post 701 members Dan Brown, Jon Yard, Ryan Brown, Glenn Rovey, Roger Gunn and Carl Leonard.

Crown Or No Crown, Millburg Makes A Difference

Katrina Millburg may not have won the Junior Miss Irish Days pageant, but that experience turned into a major blessing for her community. That’s why the 11-year-old wanted to be Junior … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 6/26/23

Lady Redskins Ready To Slide Into Summer

The Nokomis High School softball team will host its first annual Slide Into Summer softball camp on June 26-27 for players entering second through ninth grades. With instruction from the Lady … more

5/13/24

Lady Toppers To Host Basketball Camp May 29-31

The Hillsboro High School girls basketball program will host their annual youth basketball camp on May 29-31, at the Hillsboro Junior High gym. Conducted by the players and coaching staff of the … more

5/13/24

As the Barbie movie taught us, “Pink goes with everything,” and on Sunday, Jan. 21, pink went with Topper basketball and a good cause. The teams of the Hillsboro Sports Association sported pink accessories for their games with Pana St. Pats on Sunday, as they raised $4,500 for the family of Rachel Beckett, who is fighting breast cancer.

Hillsboro Goes Pink To Ball For Becketts

The orange and black of the Hillsboro Sports Association basketball teams had a splash of added color for their games on Sunday, Jan. 21, against Pana St. Pats, as the two communities came together … more

1/25/24

Nokomis’ Reaghan Jonas prepares to hurl her offering toward home during the Lady Redskins’ Strike Out Cancer Game on March 25, against Ramsey. Umpire Louis Lang, who donated his game check to Stamp Out Cancer’s Team UM-BElievable and the Montgomery County Cancer Association, was kept busy by Jonas, who had 12 strikeouts and a home run in Nokomis’ 13-3 win over the Lady Rams.

Lady Redskins Strike Out Cancer, Rams

Monday was Strike Out Cancer Night for the Nokomis High School softball team as the Lady Redskins teamed up with Stamp Out Cancer’s Team UM-BElievable to … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 3/28/24

Litchfield's Drake Gasperson struck out ten batters in relief to help the Panthers to an 8-1 win over Carlinville on Monday, April 22.

Purple Panthers Drop Cavies 8-1

An old coach once said, your baseball team is as good as your last three batters. On Monday the Litchfield/Mt. Olive baseball club proved this theory as there last three batters would combine 4-7 at … more

4/25/24

Montgomery County's all-conference baseball and softball players were Hillsboro's Anika Camp, Litchfield's Bella Roach; Hillsboro's Nathan Matoush, Litchfield's Carson Saathoff and Hillsboro's Ketch Mills.

Five Named To SCC All-Conference Teams

Five Montgomery County players were among those honored by the coaches of the South Central Conference on this year’s SCC all-conference baseball and softball lists. Hillsboro had three … more

7/20/23

Win Over Staunton Snaps Toppers' Losing Streak

The losing streak ended (the Toppers hadn’t won a varsity baseball game since March 30, 2023) when Hillsboro defeated Staunton 5-4 in non conference action Monday evening, March 25, at the … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 3/28/24

Members of the Hillsboro High School football team lent a hand at the 21st Annual Rich Sanders Memorial Topper Golf Scramble on Saturday, July 15, at Indian Springs Golf Course near Coffeen. From the left are Treyton Kuhl, Alec Leetham, Drake McSperritt, Chase Knetzer, Hayden Tittsworth, Cole Lenczycki, Dylan Lessman, Zander Wells, Hunter Payne, Jace Stewart, Logan Gill, Wyatt Chappelear, Jaden Loskot, Rheece Malloy, Austin Newingham, Westin Fenton, Daniel Kenny, Caleb Page, Ethan Hamby, Brady Elliot, Cody Boerckel, Ethan Neece, Cody Payne, Liam Kalar, Olan Lentz, Landon Reincke, Trenton Phillips, Amony Anderson Claybrook and Elijah Patton

Toppers Benefit From Annual Golf Tourney

The team of Son Clayton, Jim Eickhoff, Danny Eickhoff and Alex Eickhoff took first place at the 21st Annual Rich Sanders Memorial Topper Golf Scramble on Saturday, July 15, but the big winners on the … more

7/20/23

Hillsboro Girls Win At Litchfield Tourney

The Hillsboro girls soccer team picked up a 6-0 win over North Mac in the opening game of the Litchfield Tournament on Monday, March 25. The Lady Hiltoppers improved to 4-1 with the win and had … more

3/28/24

Lincolnwood Baseball Gets 12th Win

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville baseball team picked up their 12th win of the season on Monday, April 22, with a 6-2 victory over Staunton. The visiting Bulldogs got a single run in the first and … more

4/25/24

Illuminatus MC To Host 9th Car, Truck, Bike Show

The Illuminatus MC of Illinois is hosting their ninth annual car, truck and bike show on Saturday, July 13, at the Farmersville square. Proceeds raised from the event will benefit the … more

5/13/24

Cahokia Creek To Spend Weekend Riding For Ray

The Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders will be hosting two benefits for the family of the late Raymond Devlin (a member of the club who passed away earlier this year) on Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July … more

7/20/23

Nokomis' Kannon Jonas (left) and Brenton Lyons (right) go all out for a short fly ball during the Redskins' home game against Taylorville on Monday, March 25. The pair ended up colliding on the play, forcing Lyons to miss the rest of the game. Before then, the senior had two hits and scored a run as the Redskins defeated Taylorville 11-1.

Tornadoes A Breeze For Nokomis Baseball

The Nokomis High School baseball team dodged the raindrops that would come later that evening and the Tornadoes on Monday, March 25, as they defeated Taylorville 11-1 in five innings to improve to … more

3/28/24

Midnight Havoc, from the Midwest Royals in Litchfield, took first at the Allstar World Championships in the U17 Level 1 Small division, defending the world championship that the Royals won last year with team Girl Fight. In front, from the left are Sophia Toigo, Lana Davidson, Juanita Melchert, Kineligh Moore and Sutton Emelander. In the middle are Kinze Haulk, Charlie Hurst, Chole Newman, Paige Swank and Kaelyn DeClerk. In the back are Tilly Fergurson, Caitlyn Schneck, Hayden Thompson, Addy Fergurson, Colton Gerl, Tara Fryman, Lyla Drewl and Maddison Durston.

Royals' Midnight Havoc Return As World Champs

It started with a “Fight” turned into “Havoc” and ended up with the Midwest Royals collecting their second straight world championship from the Allstar World Championships in … more

4/25/24

Hiltopper Boys Basketball To Host Camp

The Hillsboro High School boys basketball program will host its annual basketball camp on June 24-25 at the Hillsboro Junior High School gym for players entering third through eighth grade. The … more

5/13/24

White Shoots 95 At Championships

Carter White of Litchfield recently represented his school at the 2023 High School Clay Target League National Championship, which was held at the Michigan Trapshooting Association in Mason, MI, on … more

7/20/23

Taylor Holds Hiltoppers To One Hit, One Run

A four-run second inning by Auburn erased an early Hillsboro lead and allowed the Trojans to come away with their fifth win of the season on Monday, March 25, as the Lady Hiltoppers dropped a 5-1 … more

3/28/24