Litchfield High Sports | The Journal-News

East Alton-Wood River's Logan Wilcutt and Litchfield's Darby Braasch and Alec Roach all crossed the finish line at the 20:58 mark as the Panthers hosted their lone home meet of the season at the Litchfield Country Club on Tuesday, Sept. 26. The Panthers edged Gillespie on the boys' side, 33 to 34, and were the only team on the girls' side with a full roster.

“Do not be content,” the rallying cry for the Litchfield cross country team could be a little more difficult to stick to if you don’t have much competition, but that … more

9/28/23

Pictured above, Litchfield graduate Alex Bishop takes a swing at a recent golf tournament. Bishop, who’s collegiate career ended in May, is pursuing a professional golf career.

Bishop’s Swinging For The Big Time

by Isaiah Atkins For many people, the chance to go ‘pro’ in a sport is something one can only dream of. For Litchfield native Alex Bishop, its something he’s chasing. Over this … more

by Isaiah Atkins | 11/13/23

Litchfield Wrestling Goes 2-2 In Collinsville

The Litchfield High School wrestling team opened up their season on Tuesday, Nov. 21, with a quad meet at Collinsville High School. The Panthers split their four matches, beating Freeburg 57-24 and … more

11/27/23

Litchfield's Alexis Mielke cruises into second base during the Lady Panthers' 12-0 win over Vandalia on Monday, May 13 in Litchfield. The win moved Litchfield into the regional semifinal, where they lost a 5-4 barn-burner in 10 innings to Carlyle, despite three hits and two RBIs from Mielke.

Panthers Don't Go Away Quietly

The season came to an end for the Litchfield-Mt. Olive softball team on Tuesday, May 14, as they fell to the higher-seeded Indians of Carlyle 5-4 in ten innings in the semifinals of the Vandalia … more

5/16/24

Litchfield's Braxton Kieffer (right) tries to track down teammate Mitchell Floyd (left) at the finished line of the Panthers' home meet on Tuesday, Sept. 26. Floyd finish just before his teammate, clocking in at 19:40 to Kieffer's 19:41.

Panthers All Right At Litchfield Country Club

The Litchfield High School cross country team had the rare opportunity to race close to home on Tuesday, Sept. 26, as they hosted their triangular at the Litchfield Country Club. With Gillespie and … more

9/28/23

Litchfield Sixth, Diveley All-Tourney At Waverly

Monday’s win for the Litchfield girls basketball team showed that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Tuesday’s fifth place game at the Waverly Thanksgiving Tournament showed that … more

11/27/23

Litchfield's Alex Rhodes takes a goal kick during the Panthers' 7-0 loss to Alton Marquette on Tuesday, May 14, at the regional championship game in Hillsboro.

Marquette Knocks Off Panthers In Title Game

The Litchfield girls soccer team knew they would have a hard path to secure the seventh regional title in the program's history. That thought proved to be correct as Alton Marquette defeated the … more

5/16/24

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

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

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

The Litchfield Middle School track program, coached by Stephanie Short and Drew Logan, qualified for a school record 27 events at the IESA Class 3A State Finals in East Peoria on May 17-18. State qualifiers and alternates, in front, from the left, are Sicily Lamb, Aubrie Boston, Libbey Gibbs, Jada Carroll, Lydia Borror-Gruelle, Adia Melchert, Hailey Green, Harley Foulk, Ava White and Emma Weidner. In the back row are Maggie Schwab, Adyson White, Kilee Hoover, Lana Cress, Ryker Witt, Jaylen Komor, Brylan Marten, Lukas Paine, Braylen Stewart, Jaxon Ray, Jalen Stewart, Troy Masinelli, Jennah Longwell, Braedyn Knapp, Mckenna Harmon and Andrew Boston.

Record Year Continues For Litchfield Track

The Litchfield Middle School track program is no stranger to success at the state level, but even with their lofty standards, the 2024 campaign will be one that stands out. The Panthers, who … more

5/16/24

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

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

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

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

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