Nokomis High Sports | The Journal-News

Panther Cubs, Braves Show Off Skills At First Saturday Showdown

It was a busy day of basketball in Litchfield on Saturday, Nov. 9, as Litchfield Middle School hosted Nokomis Junior High in the inaugural Saturday Showdown. Panther Gym was the home base for the … more

11/14/24

Nokomis senior Lizzy Hill gets under a serve during the Lady Redskins' sectional championship game against Calhoun on Thursday, Nov. 7, at South Central High School in Farina. The contest was the final high school game for Hill, her sister Becca and fellow senior Natalie Brownback as the Warriors beat the Lady Redskins 25-18, 25-21 to advance to Monday's super-sectional in Campbell Hill. The Hills and Brownback finished their career with 96 wins in four years, more than any other class in the program's history.

Skins' Special Season Ends At Sectionals

Going into the championship of the South Central Sectional in Farina on Nov. 7, the 2024 season had already been a special one for the Nokomis High School volleyball team. The Lady Redskins won … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 11/12/24

Nokomis' Mackenzie Mehochko places a hit between the outstretched arms of Father McGivney's Elli Moody (left) and Mia Range (right) during the South Central Sectional semifinal on Tuesday, Nov. 5, in Farina. Mehochko had a team-best nine kills in the Redskins' 25-22, 25-9 victory that moved them to the sectional championship game for the first time since 1989.

Nokomis Punches Ticket To Title Game

Trust the process. Keep the faith. Don’t worry about the horse being blind, just load the wagon. However you want to say it, that was the sentiment pertaining to Nokomis’ South … more

11/7/24

From the left, Nokomis' Camryn Engelman, Addison Glenn, Grace King, Alivia Sabol and Remi Tester celebrate after the Redskins finished off their two-set win over Effingham St. Anthony in the regional championship game on the Bulldogs' home court on Thursday, Oct. 31. With the win, Nokomis moves on to the sectional in Farina, where they will play Father McGivney on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m.

Nokomis Claims Regional Crown

Prior to last year, Nokomis hadn't won a regional title in volleyball since the 2007 season. The Redskins' next postseason championship would come decidedly quicker. On Saturday, Nov. 2, the … more

11/4/24

Nokomis' Drake Taylor (#23) fights his way through the Camp Point Central offensive line during the Redskins' playoff game in Camp Point on Saturday, Nov. 2. Taylor and the Nokomis defense held the Panthers to their second lowest rushing total of the season, but the defending Class 1A state champions were equally stout on the defensive end and moved on with a 34-6 victory.

Panthers Fight Off Redskins In Playoffs

Nokomis’ football season came to a close on Saturday, Nov. 2, but not before forcing the defending state champions from Camp Point Central out of their comfort zone a little bit. The 14th … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 11/4/24

Lady Redskins Down Eagles For Third Time

There is truth to the adage that it’s hard to beat a good team three times, but it helps if you’re in the midst of the best season in the program’s history. After beating St. … more

11/4/24

Nokomis' Kinley Stolte had three kills and nine assists in the Redskins' 25-13, 25-7 regional quarterfinal win over Altamont on Monday, Oct. 28, that moved them on to the regional semifinal on Wednesday against St. Elmo/Brownstown. The Redskins would win that one, too, setting up a regional championship against the hosts from Effingham St. Anthony on Thursday, Oct. 31, at 6 p.m.

Redskins Returning To Title Game

Entering the regional tournament this week, the Nokomis volleyball team had already tied the program record for wins in a season with 30, matching their total from last year, when they went 30-7 and … more

10/31/24

Redskins To Go West For Football Playoffs

On Saturday night, Oct. 26, 256 high school football teams, stretching from the great white north of Northern Illinois to the fertile plains of Little Egypt in the southern part of the state, had … more

10/28/24

Nokomis Duo Saves Best Times For Regional Runs

The Nokomis cross country team wrapped up a successful season on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Class 1A Shelbyville Regional at Forest Park. Nokomis’ two runners at the regional both set new … more

10/28/24

Nokomis' Noah Simonton (#75) tries to track down Sangamon Valley quarterback Jaeger Hill during the Redskins' final game of the regular season on Friday, Oct. 25. The Nokomis defense held the Storm to just 15 points, but a field goal by Hunter Martin in the final five seconds gave Sangamon Valley a 15-14 victory.

Late Field Goal Lifts Sangamon Valley Past Nokomis

On Friday, Oct. 25, the difference between a record of 5-4 and 6-3 for the Nokomis High School football team came down to one foot. With five seconds left in the fourth quarter and his team trailing … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 10/28/24

Redskins Pass Final Test Before Regionals

If the Pawnee Tournament was the final test for the Nokomis High School volleyball team before the postseason, the Redskins passed with flying colors. In their five games in Pawnee, the Lady … more

10/28/24

For the second year in a row, the Nokomis Lady Redskins are MSM Conference champions, going 9-0 this year after beating Calvary on Tuesday, Oct. 22. In front, from the left are Lily Broers, Quincee Riebe, Fallon Knodle, Camryn Engelman, Maddison DeWerff, Grace King, Hannah Tarter, Brooklyn Marley, Becca Hill and Kennadie Johannsen. In the back are Ilexia Doyen, Coach Megan Mehochko, Kinley Stolte, Lizzy Hill, Natalie Brownback, Addison Glenn, Mackenzie Mehochko, Alivia Sabol, Remi Tester and Assistant Coach Amy Stolte.

The Champs Are Here...Again

The Nokomis Lady Redskins picked up their 13th and 14th victories in a row to start the last week of the regular season, winning their second straight MSM Conference title in the process. First up … more

10/24/24

Becca Hill, one of three seniors honored prior to the start of Nokomis' game on Oct. 17, had ten assists as the Lady Redskins put down 30 kills in a 25-11, 25-8 win over Mulberry Grove.

Lady Redskins Score Win On Senior Night

It was senior night for the Nokomis High School volleyball team and the Lady Redskins celebrated by winning their 12th straight game as they improved to 24-3 on the season. Win number 24 came at the … more

10/21/24

Players from Mt. Olive/Litchfield, Morrisonville/Lincolnwood and Hillsboro joined players from Edinburg to make up the South Central squad in the eighth grade girls Junior High All-State Showcase at the Future Champions Sports Complex in Jacksonville on Oct. 5-6. From the left are Libby Knes and Koralyne Jones of Mt. Olive/Litchfield; Kinlee Paprotth, Karissa Ferrill and Brianna Boyd of Morrisonville/Lincolnwood; Gracelynn Crayne of Hillsboro; and Reagan Swinger, Daisy Shanks, Paige Lareau, Cally Cooper and Keely Westenhaver of Edinburg/South Fork.

Junior High Softball, Baseball Wraps Up

IESA Class 1A Baseball Morrisonville Regional Tuesday, September 24 • (4) Springfield St. Agnes 7, (5) Jerseyville St. Francis Holy Ghost 0 • (2) Morrisonville-Lincolnwood 16, (7) Bunker … more

10/21/24

Nokomis' Garrett Engelman bears down on Cumberland quarterback Hudson Mcelravy during the Redskins' trip to Toledo on Friday, Oct. 18. Despite the pressure from the Nokomis defense, Mcelravy threw for five of the Pirates' six touchdowns as they handed Nokomis their third straight loss by a 42-0 final score.

Pirates Prove Cumbersome For Nokomis

Technically, the full moon was the night before, but the unusual occurrences on Oct. 18, at Cumberland High School, might prove that the lunar calendar was off a day. For the better part of four … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 10/21/24

Point Streak Lifts Nokomis Over 'Cats

As silly as it seems to say it, the MSM Conference game between Edinburg and Nokomis on Tuesday, Oct. 15, was a close one... when you take away the Lady Redskins’ 16-point run in the middle of … more

10/17/24

Nokomis senior Atticus Bertolino (#55) gets a hand from Cooper Christensen of Sullivan-Okaw Valley during the week seven match-up in Nokomis. Bertolino was one of the few uninjured (or less injured) starting linemen for the Redskins, who fell to the Lincoln Prairie co-leaders 33-20 on Oct. 11.

Injury Bug Bites Redskins In Loss

All year long, the success of the Nokomis football team has come with a caveat: the Redskins will do well, if they can stay healthy. On Friday, Oct. 11, that caveat came into play at one of the least … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 10/15/24

Redskins Remain Unbeaten In MSM

Just two teams stand between Nokomis and their second straight outright MSM Conference volleyball championship after the Lady Redskins won their seventh conference game of the season on Wednesday, … more

10/15/24

From the left, Montgomery County golfers Tucker Maguire, Sam Schwab and Bryce Cowdrey will compete in the IHSA Class 1A State Golf Tournament on Oct. 18-19, at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington after finishing in the top ten at the Ziegler-Royalton Sectional in West Frankfort on Oct. 7.

County Trio Are Statebound

There may have been just six Montgomery County golfers playing at Ziegler-Royalton Sectional on Monday, Oct. 7, but the group definitely made their presence felt at the Franklin County Country Club … more

10/10/24

Litchfield's Darby Braasch has her sights set on passing the runner in front of her during the Carlinville Invitational on Oct. 8. Braasch finished 16th overall in the girls race with a time of 24:06.83, a 77 second improvement over her time on the same course in September.

Panthers, Redskins Improve At Carlinville

The Litchfield and Nokomis cross country teams were at Loveless Park in Carlinville for the second time this season as the Cavaliers hosted the Carlinville Invite on Tuesday, Oct. 8. The … more

10/10/24