Sports | The Journal-News

The Irish Days Bags Tournament is a tradition like few other, and on Saturday, May 31, it drew a record 47 teams to the Farmersville Park. This year’s top teams, from the left are third place … more

6/2/25

Hillsboro junior Mark Mattson became the first Topper tennis player to make the boys state tournament after finishing fourth at the Jacksonville Sectional on Saturday, May 24. Mattson, pictured with his brother and Hillsboro Boys Tennis Coach Joe Mattson, will play Mark Green of Rochelle on Thursday, May 29, with play continuing at 16 different sites.

Mattson To Make His Mark At State

Hillsboro High School junior Mark Mattson won his first two matches at the Jacksonville Sectional on Friday, May 23, to guarantee a spot in the IHSA State Finals, marking the first time a member of … more

5/29/25

All six eighth grade girls who qualified for the IESA State Finals on May 23-24 brought home at least one medal as the team finished a program-best fifth place in the team standings. From the left are Layla Bankenship, Bailey Chappelear, Aubrey Huber, Kaelin Cress, Coach Brian Atkins, Piper Walk, Gracie Crayne and Lydia Collins.

State Experience Caps Special Season For Hillsboro

On May 23-24, the Illinois Elementary School Association hosted the 92nd annual boys and 51st annual girls State Track and Field Championships at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria. Thirteen students … more

5/29/25

Stocked up with care packages from the Litchfield Sports Boosters, the Litchfield Middle School track team was ready to head out to the IESA State Finals, which were held in East Peoria on May 23-24. The group brought home medals in seven different events, including a state championship in the 110 meter hurdles by seventh grader Sam Mazza. In front, from the left are Aubrie Boston, Maia Neuhaus, Sydney Fleming, Lydia Gruelle, Maggie Schwab, Ava White, Lana Cress and Harley Foulk. In the back row are Parker Calufetti, Ian Birkenkamp, Jaylen Komor, Fisher Ellis, Waylon Black, Sam Mazza Colin Roach and Clark Cress.

Panther Cubs Finish Season On The Podium

It was a big year for the Litchfield Middle School track team and what better way to end it than on the podium at the IESA Class 3A State Finals in East Peoria. That was the case often on May 23-24 … more

5/29/25

Kerley To Take Over As Lancer Basketball Coach

Members of the Panhandle School Board approved Mason Kerley as the new head boys basketball coach at Lincolnwood High School during a special meeting of the board on Tuesday, May 27. Kerley, a 2021 … more

5/29/25

Pinkston Honored As IADA Friend Of Athletics

Raymond native and Lincolnwood High School athletics force of nature Verne Pinkston received the “Friends of Athletics” award from the Illinois Athletic Directors Association during the … more

5/29/25

Litchfield junior Izabella Fenton continues to do better at state each time as she posted her best state finishes yet, a 19th in the triple jump and a 20th in the long jump during the preliminary rounds on Thursday, May 22, in Charleston.

Lady Panthers Put Best Foot Forward At State

The beautiful thing about track and field is that your biggest competition is the one you know the best - yourself. Entering the IHSA State Finals track meet with the 34th best sectional time in the … more

5/27/25

Nokomis' Garrett Engelman (right) gives the home plate umpire a little help after teammate Blain Goodwin slides home safely in the second inning of the Redskins' regional semifinal game against Cowden-Herrick-Beecher City on Thursday, May 22. The play, and the aftermath, had a larger role in the game later on as Nokomis came away with a 3-2 victory, then defeated Windsor/Stew-Stras 3-1 two days later in the regional championship game.

Hats Off! Nokomis Wins Wild One

Somewhere, there’s an alternate universe where Blain Goodwin’s helmet stays on in the second inning of Nokomis’ game against Cowden-Herrick-Beecher City on Thursday, May 22, and … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 5/27/25

For the first time since 2012, and after placing second by two points last year, the Litchfield High School boys track team claimed a sectional championship on Wednesday, May 21, scoring 102 points to take the top spot by 20. The team also qualified for state in eight events, the most since they sent nine entries in 2003 and 2004.

Litchfield Boys Track Wins Sectional Title

A lot has to go right for a team to win a sectional title in track and on Wednesday, May 21, almost everything did for the Litchfield Purple Panthers. After missing a sectional championship by two … more

5/27/25

Lady Toppers Upset Bid Falls Just Short

With graduation ceremonies scheduled for May 23, Friday was always going to be a memorable night for Anika Camp, Ella Greenwood and Audrey Shultz, but the three seniors on the Hillsboro High School … more

5/27/25

Auburn Pushes Past Litchfield

The Litchfield-Mt. Olive baseball team’s 2025 campaign came to a close on Saturday morning, May 24, in Auburn at the hands of the Auburn Trojans in the regional championship game. The Trojans, … more

5/27/25

Clock Strikes Midnight On Hillsboro Baseball

Hillsboro’s trip to do battle with the Shelbyville Rams on North Mac’s turf field Thursday, May 22, evolved as many of the young Toppers’ games did this season; the game was … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 5/27/25

Nokomis Boys Wrap Up Season At Sectionals

The season came to a close for the Nokomis boys track team on Wednesday, May 21, as the Redskins competed in the Central A&M Sectional in Moweaqua. While Nokomis wasn’t able to send anyone … more

5/27/25

Lincolnwood-Morrisonville's Mason Tryon struck out six and allowed just three runs in a solid performance in the regional championship game on Saturday, May 24, in Palmyra. Tryon also went 3-for-4 at the plate, but Calhoun escaped with a 3-0 victory over the Lancers to end their season.

Warriors Beat Lancers In Regional Championship

They say that baseball is a game of inches. On Saturday, May 24, about 60 of them made a big difference in determining the champion of the Greenfield-Northwestern Regional in Palmyra. With … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 5/27/25

With a Carrollton run coming in to score behind her, Lincolnwood-Morrisonville pitcher Tori Elvidge prepares to make the throw to Lancer first baseman Jenna Matli for the sure out in the regional championship game in Raymond on May 23. The run was one of nine Carrollton scored against the Lancers as they improved to 33-1 with a 9-0 victory.

Hawks Bookend Lancers Season

There is something poetic about beating the same team in your season opener and for a regional championship, unless you happen to be the team on the other side of that equation. That was the case for … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 5/27/25

Patton Earns Spot At State

The Hillsboro boys track team went up against some of the best that the Springfield area and Metro-East had to offer on Wednesday, May 21, as they competed in the Class 2A Civic Memorial Sectional in … more

5/27/25

Nokomis Beats Pana To End Regular Season

Nokomis baseball’s road to a regional title actually started before the tournament, when they played a good Pana team on their home field on Monday, May 19. The Redskins scored 11 runs on … more

5/27/25

Lincolnwood Baseball Tames Tigers

A two-run home run by Brodey VanHooser in the sixth inning of the Greenfield-Northwestern (GNW) Regional semifinal pushed Lincolnwood-Morrisonville ahead of Greenfield-Northwestern on Thursday, May … more

5/27/25

Litchfield Stymies Sullivan To Move To Title Game

The Litchfield/Mt. Olive baseball team began their postseason journey on Wednesday afternoon, May 21, as the second seeded Purple Panthers squared off against the eighth seeded Sullivan Redskins. … more

5/27/25

Lady Lancers Plunk Their Way To Title Game

A hit gave the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville softball team a 1-0 victory over Greenfield-Northwestern on Wednesay, May 21, and a berth in Friday’s regional championship, but not the kind of hit in … more

5/27/25