Sports | The Journal-News

The ball and Litchfield's Matthew Bywater arrived at third base at almost the same time, which was less ideal for Springfield High third baseman Karter Marks. Bywater made it to the bag safely for a triple and held the Senators scoreless on the mound for four innings as Litchfield went on to win 7-6 in eight innings.

Purple Panthers Start The Season On A Tear

The Purple Panthers couldn’t have scripted a more perfect start to the season, clawing through the first week without a single scratch on their record. After dismantling Lebanon and Southwestern, … more

3/23/26

Hillsboro's Kael Smoot focuses on his shot during his match against Collinsville's Chase Snow on Thursday, March 19. Smoot lost a close three-set match, but the Toppers scored a 6-3 victory over the Kahoks to start the season 1-0.

Tennis Toppers Christen New Courts

The Hillsboro High School boys tennis team opened up their season and christened the school’s new tennis courts with a win on Thursday, March 19, as they defeated Collinsville 6-3. The Toppers won … more

3/23/26

Opening Wins Especially Sweet For Lady Panthers

On Saturday, March 21, the Litchfield-Mt. Olive girls soccer team handed out hundreds of doughnuts through their annual Krispy Kreme fundraiser. That seemed especially appropriate this year as the … more

3/23/26

Mohawks Return With An Extra Inning Win

The Morrisonville-Lincolnwood baseball program made their return to Morrisonville in dramatic fashion on Saturday, March 21, as they defeated Warrensburg-Latham 5-4 in ten innings. Morrisonville’s … more

3/23/26

It was a good start to the season for Litchfield senior Ethan Saathoff, who hit a solo home run to lead off the Panthers' 9-1 victory over Lebanon on March 18, then struck out two of the three batters he faced in his one inning of work to close out Litchfield's 8-2 victory over Southwestern on March 19.

Litchfield Baseball Opens Season With A Bang

Opening Day in small-town high school baseball doesn’t need bright lights or a capacity crowd to feel momentous. For the Litchfield Purple Panthers, the weight of months of early-morning practices … more

3/23/26

Lady Hiltoppers Perfect To Start Season

When East Alton-Wood River scored one run on two errors and a single with two outs in the first inning, it could have been a bad omen for the Hillsboro High School softball team. Instead, it was just … more

3/23/26

Lady Lancers Score Wins Over Rams, Bulldogs

It was a busy, but productive end of the week for the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville softball team as the Lady Lancers took two out of their three games to improve to 3-2 on the season. On Thursday, … more

3/23/26

Hiltoppers Make Short Work Of Oilers In Opener

Hillsboro High’s first outing under Topper head coach James Hertel can be judged a success as the young team downed another extremely young team, the East Alton Wood River Oilers, 11-1 in a five … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 3/23/26

Litchfield Girls Win First Two To Start 2026 Season

After five scoreless innings, a three-run frame by Litchfield helped give the Lady Panthers a 3-1 victory over New Berlin/Waverly/Franklin in the season opener for both teams on March 18. New … more

3/23/26

Hillsboro senior Kearstynn Davis (left) works the ball down field during the Toppers' game against Maryville Christian on Friday, March 20. Davis had three assists in the game, helping her team to a 4-2 victory over the Lions.

Soccer Toppers Pick Up Win Number One

After opening up their season against a tough Highland squad, the Hillsboro High School girls soccer team scored their first victory of the season on Friday, March 20, as the Toppers defeated … more

3/23/26

Nokomis Splits With Toppers, Tornadoes

After a close call in their first game against Staunton, Nokomis picked up their first win of the baseball season on Thursday, March 19, with an 8-2 victory over Mt. Pulaski. Neither team scored … more

3/23/26

Greenville Knocks Off Lady Redskins In Five

The Nokomis High School softball team fell to Greenville 13-0 on Thursday, March 19, as the Lady Comets pounded out 14 hits in the five-inning win. Eight of those 14 hits came in the bottom of … more

3/23/26

Hillsboro Baseball Falls To Bombers, Explorers

Hillsboro and Brownstown/St. Elmo traded a pair of runs in the seventh inning as the Bombers edged the Toppers 3-2 on Friday, March 20. Hillsboro starter Eli Zaidi turned in five stellar innings … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 3/23/26

Litchfield High School senior Sam Schwab signed his letter of intent to play golf for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Thursday, March 12, in front of friends, family, coaches and teammates. Seated with Schwab in the front are his mother, Jenny, and sister, Maggie. In the back are Litchfield Golf Coach Justin Ripley, Schwab’s father, Ben, and brother, Tug, and Litchfield Golf Coach Dan Newkirk.

Parkside On Par With Schwab’s College Goals

Few high school golfers have been better than Sam Schwab in the area in the last four years, and now the Litchfield High School senior has the opportunity to make the same kind of impact at the next … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 3/19/26

Just two days after the Morrisonville-Lincolnwood seventh grade team won their IESA state title, the eighth grade Lady Mohawks punched their ticket to state with a 25-23, 25-19 win over Louisville North Clay. Team members, in front, from the left, are Lennox Cole, Jaylee Krager, Lilyan Hill, Katrina Millburg, Jaylynne Carron and Kessa Stephens. In the back are Paislee Krager, Carli Gilpin, Addy Maisel, Lauren Collum, Kerrigan Meyer, Kate Waterman and Riley Waterman.

8th Grade Mohawks Are Headed To State

With a 25-23, 25-19 win over previously undefeated Louisville North Clay on Monday, March 16, at the Effingham St. Anthony Sectional, the Morrisonville-Lincolnwood eighth grade volleyball team … more

3/19/26

Hillsboro junior Kaylee Hood challenges a Highland defender for the ball during the Toppers’ opening game of the 2026 season on Tuesday, March 17. Hood and the Hiltoppers were down just 3-2 with 14 minutes to play, but a couple of bad bounces and a hat trick by Highland’s Lilyan Schaefer led to a 6-2 win for the Bulldogs.

Lady Hiltoppers Keep It Close Early At Highland

The scoreboard at the end of the game may have shown Highland ahead 6-2 in the Hillsboro girls soccer team’s opening game of the 2026 season on Tuesday, March 17, but for the majority of the game, … more

3/19/26

Staunton Holds Redskins In 2026 Season Opener

It wasn't a bad start, but it wasn't quite what Nokomis was hoping for when they fell to Staunton by a 3-1 final score on Wednesday, March 18. The Redskins were held to three hits in the game by … more

3/19/26

Lady Redskins Lose A Close One

Two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie and gave Staunton a 3-1 victory over Nokomis on Wednesday, March 18. The two teams were supposed to play on Monday, but weather was … more

3/19/26

Litchfield's TJ Rakey took fifth in the 30+B class at the opening race of this year's So. IL Off-Road Racing series on March 15, in Belleville. Round one of the eight-round series drew 226 entries from six different states and Ontario, with Gillespie-native Collin Johnson coming all the way from Mesa, AZ, to defend his series title in the AA pro class.

Racers So Ready For So. IL Series

Illinois’ fastest off-road series was back in action on Sunday, March 15, as So. IL Off-Road Racing kicked off its 2026 season with a hare scramble at the Belleville Enduro Team grounds. The … more

3/19/26

Michaelis, Gray Compete At IKWF State Tourney

Hillsboro was well represented at the IKWF State Tournament on March 13 and 14, in Peoria as fourth grader Crosby Michaelis and eighth grader Brody Gray took on some of the best young wrestlers in … more

3/19/26