Sports | The Journal-News

Four members of the Nokomis boys basketball team received awards or all-star recognition during the Redskins’ banquet on Saturday, March 16. From the left are Mason Stauder, Reece Lohman, Kennedy DeWerff and Brody Steele.

Nokomis Basketball Wraps Up 2023-24 Season

The Nokomis High School Boys Basketball program held their awards banquet on Saturday, March 16, at The Depot in Nokomis. The following received recognition by the team for their efforts. Reece … more

4/1/24

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

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

Nokomis Splits MSM Series With Pawnee

The Nokomis baseball team’s home-and-home series with Pawnee on March 28 and 29 was the baseball equivalent of the internet meme where the two Spider-Mans are pointing at one another. The two … more

4/1/24

Lady Redskins Beat Shelbyville, Lose To Pawnee

The Nokomis High School softball team split two games to end the month of March as they defeated Shelbyville on March 27, before losing a close game to Pawnee on March 29. On Wednesday, the Lady … more

4/1/24

Nokomis’ Reaghan Jonas prepares to hurl her offering toward home during the Lady Redskins’ Strike Out Cancer Game on March 25, against Ramsey. Umpire Louis Lang, who donated his game check to Stamp Out Cancer’s Team UM-BElievable and the Montgomery County Cancer Association, was kept busy by Jonas, who had 12 strikeouts and a home run in Nokomis’ 13-3 win over the Lady Rams.

Lady Redskins Strike Out Cancer, Rams

Monday was Strike Out Cancer Night for the Nokomis High School softball team as the Lady Redskins teamed up with Stamp Out Cancer’s Team UM-BElievable to … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 3/28/24

Win Over Staunton Snaps Toppers' Losing Streak

The losing streak ended (the Toppers hadn’t won a varsity baseball game since March 30, 2023) when Hillsboro defeated Staunton 5-4 in non conference action Monday evening, March 25, at the … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 3/28/24

Hillsboro Girls Win At Litchfield Tourney

The Hillsboro girls soccer team picked up a 6-0 win over North Mac in the opening game of the Litchfield Tournament on Monday, March 25. The Lady Hiltoppers improved to 4-1 with the win and had … more

3/28/24

Nokomis' Kannon Jonas (left) and Brenton Lyons (right) go all out for a short fly ball during the Redskins' home game against Taylorville on Monday, March 25. The pair ended up colliding on the play, forcing Lyons to miss the rest of the game. Before then, the senior had two hits and scored a run as the Redskins defeated Taylorville 11-1.

Tornadoes A Breeze For Nokomis Baseball

The Nokomis High School baseball team dodged the raindrops that would come later that evening and the Tornadoes on Monday, March 25, as they defeated Taylorville 11-1 in five innings to improve to … more

3/28/24

Taylor Holds Hiltoppers To One Hit, One Run

A four-run second inning by Auburn erased an early Hillsboro lead and allowed the Trojans to come away with their fifth win of the season on Monday, March 25, as the Lady Hiltoppers dropped a 5-1 … more

3/28/24

Team Hitch Up Kicks Off Opening Day Derby April 1

“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” ~ Rogers Hornsby ~ If … more

3/28/24

College Report: Yakana Takes Top Spot At NCCAA Finals

Just call her the champ. While competing at the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Finals in Cedarville, Ohio, Greenville University’s Sara Yakana , a Litchfield … more

3/28/24

Litchfield's Tate Dobrinich got a little help from Nokomis' Mason Stauder during the slam dunk contest at the Carlinville Rotary Club All-Star Basketball Classic on March 24, as he hurdled the Redskin guard on one of his attempts. Dobrinich scored 47 out of a possible 50 points, winning the contest and completing a sweep for the Purple Panthers as A.J. Odle won the three-point shootout at the event.

Seniors Wrap Up Career On The Court

Several seniors from Montgomery County wrapped up their high school basketball careers on Sunday, March 24, at the Carlinville Rotary Club All-Star Basketball Classic, held at the Big House on West … more

3/28/24

Auburn second baseman Jed Ferguson watches as Litchfield-Mt. Olive's Matthew Bywater starts his slide during the game in Litchfield on Friday, March 22. Bywater was 1-for-1 with two walks and two runs scored as Litchfield came from behind to score a 5-3 victory over the Trojans and improve their record to 7-0 on the season.

Unbeaten Panthers Survive Tough Tests

After strolling through their first five games of the season, the Litchfield-Mt. Olive baseball club accepted their first challenge of the season, a road trip to New Berlin on March 21. In a … more

3/25/24

Nokomis' Conner Wilson takes a cut during the Redskins' home game against Carlinville on Thursday, March 21. Wilson was the starting pitcher for Thursday's game and held the Cavies to just one run and four hits in five innings, striking out six as the Redskins emerged with a 6-1 win.

Redskins Roll Past Cavies

The Nokomis Redskins picked up their second straight win on Thursday, March 21, beating Carlinville 6-1 in Nokomis. The two teams traded runs to start the game, with Dom Alepra reaching on a … more

3/25/24

Powell First At Illinois Top Times

Litchfield senior Keenan Powell proved once again that he’s one of the top triple jumpers in Class 1A on Friday, March 22, as he won the event at the Illinois Top Times Indoor Classic at the … more

3/25/24

Nokomis Warms Up With Chili, Sunny Jim

Baseball was in the air on Saturday, March 23, as the Bottomley-Ruffing-Schalk Baseball Museum in Nokomis hosted its annual Chili Warm-Up. The museum’s board of directors dished out bowls of … more

3/25/24

Litchfield-Mt. Olive's Lili Readenour elevates to snag the throw from the outfield as Marquette's Jayla Dickson closes in on second base with a double. Dickson was 4-for-4 with four runs scored for the Explorers and Readenour went 3-for-3 with three runs scored for the Panthers as Litchfield won a slugfest on Thursday, March 21, by a 16-9 final score.

Litchfield Softball Collects First Win

The Litchfield-Mt. Olive softball team scored seven runs in the first inning of their game with Marquette on Thursday, March 21, then held on for a wild and wind-swept 16-9 victory over the … more

3/25/24

Hillsboro catcher Sophia Blankenship tries to get the tag down on Greenville's Ramzi Stefansin during the Toppers' trip to Greenville on Friday, March 22. The Comets scored three runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth to break a 3-3 tie and collect a 10-3 non-conference win over the Toppers.

Late Runs Lift Comets Past Hillsboro

Hillsboro won’t play Greenville in the conference until April 19, but the Comets scored a confidence boost on Friday, March 22, with a 10-3 non-conference win over the Lady Hiltoppers in … more

3/25/24

Nokomis' Grace DeWerff sets herself to throw to first during the Lady Redskins' game against Carlinville on Thursday, March 21.

Lady Redskins Fall To Carlinville

The Nokomis Lady Redskins played their third South Central Conference opponent in their first four games as the Carlinville Cavaliers came to town on Thursday, March 21. The Cavies jumped out to a … more

3/25/24