Sports | The Journal-News

Lady Redskins Bounce Back Against Pawnee

After three straight losses to high caliber teams, the Nokomis girls basketball team was ready to release some pent up aggression on Tuesday, Dec. 12, and the Pawnee Indians were the ones unfortunate … more

12/14/23

With one out in the bottom of the 10th inning, Brody Lush sent the fans from Lincolnwood and Morrisonville home happy Tuesday, March 12, as his single to center scored the go-ahead run and ended the Lancers’ season opener with a 3-2 walkoff victory over Taylorville. Lush got a hero’s welcome after touching first base as the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville dugout emptied to celebrate with Tuesday’s hero.

Walk-Off Single Gives Lancers Opening Win

It was just the first game of the season for both teams, but the March 12 tilt between Taylorville and Lincolnwood-Morrisonville will be hard to top. A one-out, bases-loaded single by Brody Lush … more

3/14/24

Lincolnwood Folds Aces

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville baseball team distributed 17 runs across five innings on Friday, April 12, as they defeated Mulberry Grove 17-4 to pick up their eighth win of the season. The … more

4/15/24

Lincolnwood-Morrisonville's Lance Weitekamp went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the regional championship game against Pawnee on Saturday, May 20, in Nokomis. The Lancers gave the Indians all they could handle before falling to the regional's top seed 5-4 in nine innings.

Indians Get Past Lancers In Extra Innings

The Pawnee Indians escaped with a 5-4 victory and a regional championship on Saturday, May 20, in Nokomis as Nick Rice singled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the … more

5/22/23

Lady Raiders Resist Nokomis Upset Effort

A grueling three-game stretch against Altamont, Hillsboro and Central A&M came to a close for the Nokomis girls basketball team on Monday, Dec. 11, as they played host to the Raiders from … more

12/14/23

Lincolnwood's Kennady Cook (#30) drives past Cason Robinson of Southwestern during the second half of the Lancers' home game against the Piasa Birds on Saturday, Dec. 16. Cook had seven points in the Lancers' 49-43 victory over Southwestern, which improved Lincolnwood's record to 5-6 on the season.

Lancers Bounce Back Against Birds

After an intense back-and-forth, two-point loss to South County the night before the Lincolnwood boys basketball team managed to avoid a letdown on Saturday, Dec. 16, as they gutted out a 49-43 … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 12/18/23

Hiltoppers Shut Down Cavaliers

Relying on Nathan Matoush’s left arm, Hillsboro downed Carlinville 11-1 in five innings of South Central Conference baseball action Friday afternoon, April 12. Partially because the Topper … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 4/15/24

Litchfield's Martavious Jones had six catches for 117 yards in the Purple Panthers' playoff game against Olympia on Saturday, Oct. 28. Jones and the Panthers nearly knocked off the Spartans for their first playoff win in the program's history, but fell 20-17 to end their season.

Purple Panthers Leave Their Mark On Playoffs

In many different ways the 2023 Purple Panthers football club did something important that will have a lasting effect, they left their mark. These young men, brought a winning football program back … more

10/30/23

TEAM Night To Feature Triple Header, Pork Patties

On Saturday, Dec. 16, the Lincolnwood boys and girls basketball will be back at the Woodshed to face the Southwestern Piasa Birds in a celebration of all things pertaining to Lancer … more

12/14/23

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.

Auburn Steals Win 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