Litchfield High Sports | The Journal-News

Pana Avenges Early Loss To Litchfield

If there was a reset button on the Litchfield boys basketball season, that button would have been pushed in the first few weeks of 2023. After finishing the 2022 portion of their season … more

1/23/23

Boston, Painter Lead Panthers To Eighth Win

The Litchfield Lady Panthers have begun the new year with wins in four of their last five games, the latest being a 40-37 road win over East Alton-Wood River on Jan. 19. Coach Rob … more

1/23/23

Eleven players from seven teams earned all-tournament recognition for their play at the 2023 Rick McGraw Memorial Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 21, in Litchfield. Above, from the left, are Aydin Hitt, Jake Stewart and McGrady Noyes, the tournament's MVP, from champion Triad; Sam Buckley and Adam Ogden from second place Civic Memorial; and the tournament's leading scorer with 94 points in four games, Will Christian of seventh place Hillsboro. Below are Elijah Aumann from fifth place Nokomis; Drake Howard from fourth place Taylorville; Landen Moss and Kaleb Gardner from third place Greenville and Christian Larson from sixth place Mattoon.

Triad Takes The Title At McGraw Invitational

All three Montgomery County boys basketball teams who participated in the 2023 Rick McGraw Memorial Invitational won their final games at the 12-team Litchfield tournament, so it was only appropriate … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 1/23/23

Marquette JV Picks Up Win Over Litchfield

Hosting a party is not always a fun time for the host, and that falls true when it comes to the annual Rick McGraw Memorial Invitational Tournament. It has been nine years since Litchfield has … more

1/19/23

Comets Beat Panthers To Move To Title Bracket

After dropping a heartbreaker on Monday night, the Litchfield boys basketball team continued action in the the Rick McGraw Memorial Invitational Tournament on Tuesday night, Jan. 17, as they would … more

1/19/23

Litchfield freshman Vincent Moore finishes off the pin of Wade Thomson of Vandalia during their 106-pound match on Thursday, Jan. 12. Moore also collected a forfeit win against Highland as the Panthers split with the two visitors, beating Highland and falling to the Vandals.

Litchfield Wrestlers Split January Dual Match

The Litchfield High School wrestling team split a pair of duals with Vandalia and Highland on Thursday, Jan. 12, beating the Bulldogs 37-29, then losing to Vandalia 54-15. In the win over … more

1/17/23

Battle Of The Panthers Goes To Litchfield Girls

It was senior night at North Mac High School and in keeping with small-school tradition, three senior members of the North Mac Lady Panthers, Linda Gambucci, Olivia Thoromon and Natalie Moriconi, … more

1/17/23

Lady Panthers Outwork Crusaders For Sixth Victory

“Teamwork makes the dream work,” and Litchfield’s 50-29 home win over Springfield Lutheran was indeed a team effort that will hopefully provide a “shot in the arm” to … more

1/12/23

Lady Panthers Hold Off Lincolnwood

Monday night was a roller coaster for the Lincolnwood girls basketball team, and while it didn’t end in a victory, the ride definitely gave the Lancers something to build on. Playing in … more

1/12/23

Oilers Avenge Loss To Purple Panthers

A 17-point second half would be the downfall for Litchfield Tuesday night, Jan. 10, in Simmons Gym. The visiting Oilers of East Alton-Wood River would out score the Purple Panthers 29-17 in … more

1/12/23

Litchfield senior Alex Powell took first at the Princeton Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 7, going 4-0 in the 113 pound class to earn his first title at the illustrious tournament.

Powell Takes Top Spot At Princeton Invite

The Litchfield High School wrestling team brought seven wrestlers to the Princeton Invitational on Jan. 6-7. Three of those wrestlers came home with top eight finishes, including senior Alex Powell, … more

1/12/23

Keenan Powell scored 17 points and earned Most Valuable Player honors in Litchfeild's 52-49 win over South County at the Taylorville Shootout on Saturday, Jan. 7. Pictured with Powell is Taylorville boys basketball coach Ryan Brown.

Panthers Shoot Down Vipers At Taylorville

In the Taylorville Shootout on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 7, the Litchfield Purple Panthers would get back in the win column with a 52-49 victory over the South County Vipers. It would take a … more

1/9/23

Miners Hold Off Lady Panthers In SCC Play

Fresh from their fourth place finish in the Carlinville Holiday Tournament, the Gillespie Miners used a hounding press to defeat Litchfield 43-33 in a South Central Conference game played in Simmons … more

1/9/23

Litchfield Wrestling Gets Three Team Wins At Abe's Rumble

The Litchfield High School wrestling team spent the last few days of 2022-23 at one of the biggest dual team wrestling tournaments in the country, the sixth annual Abe’s Rumble at the Bank of … more

1/9/23

Litchfield Can't Catch Up To Vandals

Playing on the road in the South Central Conference has been a tough task this season. There have been 15 road games in the first three weeks of the South Central Conference action and only four … more

1/9/23

Litchfield’s Emma Diveley pops a shot over Mt. Olive’s Staley Schoen during the co-ed doubleheader between the neighboring towns on Tuesday, Jan. 3. The Lady Panthers came back from an early deficit to outscore the Wildcats 32-15 over the final three quarters en route to a 39-23 win, the first of two on the night for Litchfield, who won the boys’ game 56-20.

Panthers Double Trouble For 'Cats

In a rare occurrence, fans of high school basketball were treated to a doubleheader on Jan. 3 featuring the varsity girls’ and boys’ basketball teams playing at home in the same gymnasium … more

1/5/23

Litchfield Picks Up Win Over Mt. Olive

Litchfield would kick off the 2023 version of their schedule on Tuesday night when they welcomed the Mt. Olive Wildcats to Simmons Gym. The Purple Panthers would be the stronger cat in this battle as … more

1/5/23

From the left are Litchfield High School Principal Juletta Ellis, Athletic Director Dan Stewart, sports boosters vice president Patrick Schaefer, sports boosters president Nikol Leitschuh, sports boosters board members Tiffany Ostermann and Brandy Lauderdale, and sports boosters secretary Ashley Ryker. Not pictured are sports boosters treasurer Chad Dooley and board members Michele Black, Carol Burke, Dee Ellinger, Teresa Komor, Casey Logsdon and Brittany Ronco.

Litchfield Sports Boosters Give Panthers 30,000 Reasons To Smile

It takes a lot of personal commitment to be a part of a high school sports team, but a group of dedicated volunteers in Litchfield do their best to make sure that all of their student-athletes have … more

1/5/23

Litchfield's Gavin Thimsen is sandwiched in between East Alton-Wood River's Seth Slayden (#22) and Jakob Gerber (#4) while going up for a shot in the championship game of the Carlinville Holiday Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 29. Thimsen scored four points in Litchfield's 62-54 win over the Oilers that gave the Panthers' their first championship at Carlinville in 10 years.

Panthers Take The Title At Carlinville

It may have taken 10 years but the Litchfield Purple Panthers finished on top of the Carlinville Holiday Tournament once again, defeating East Alton-Wood River 62-54 in the championship game on … more

1/3/23

Litchfield's Gina Painter rises up for a jumper over Pawnee's Adalyn Boblitt during the seventh place game at the Riverton Holiday Classic on Thursday, Dec. 29. Litchfield jumped out to an early 12-3 lead, but Pawnee rallied to down the Purple Panthers 35-24 in their final game at the Riverton tourney.

Indians Rally To Down Panthers In Riverton

A shaky first quarter that saw the Pawnee Indians turn the ball over five times and connect for just one of eight shots from the floor led to a nine-point deficit to the Litchfield Lady Panthers in … more

1/3/23