Sports | The Journal-News

Midnight Havoc, from the Midwest Royals in Litchfield, took first at the Allstar World Championships in the U17 Level 1 Small division, defending the world championship that the Royals won last year with team Girl Fight. In front, from the left are Sophia Toigo, Lana Davidson, Juanita Melchert, Kineligh Moore and Sutton Emelander. In the middle are Kinze Haulk, Charlie Hurst, Chole Newman, Paige Swank and Kaelyn DeClerk. In the back are Tilly Fergurson, Caitlyn Schneck, Hayden Thompson, Addy Fergurson, Colton Gerl, Tara Fryman, Lyla Drewl and Maddison Durston.

Royals' Midnight Havoc Return As World Champs

It started with a “Fight” turned into “Havoc” and ended up with the Midwest Royals collecting their second straight world championship from the Allstar World Championships in … more

4/25/24

Litchfield's Drake Gasperson struck out ten batters in relief to help the Panthers to an 8-1 win over Carlinville on Monday, April 22.

Purple Panthers Drop Cavies 8-1

An old coach once said, your baseball team is as good as your last three batters. On Monday the Litchfield/Mt. Olive baseball club proved this theory as there last three batters would combine 4-7 at … more

4/25/24

Lincolnwood Baseball Gets 12th Win

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville baseball team picked up their 12th win of the season on Monday, April 22, with a 6-2 victory over Staunton. The visiting Bulldogs got a single run in the first and … more

4/25/24

Litchfield's Georgia Glover (#3) awaits the delivery to the plate from Carlinville pitcher Hallie Gibson during the Lady Panthers' non-conference meeting with the Cavaliers on Monday, April 22. Gibson struck out 16 batters as the Cavaliers defeated Litchfield 7-3.

Litchfield Closer, But Cavies Still Win

It wasn't a win, but it wasn't 8-1 either as the Litchfield-Mt. Olive softball team fell to Carlinville for the second time this year, this time by a 7-3 final score. The non-conference bout on … more

4/25/24

Lincolnwood Breaks Up Gipson’s Bid At Perfection

Lincolnwood wasn’t able to defeat Gillespie on Monday, April 22, in Raymond, but the Lady Lancers did manage to spoil Emma Gipson’s perfect game in the final inning of the 9-0 loss to the … more

4/25/24

Sponsor Sypherd In Shrine All Star Game

Litchfield senior football player AJ Sypherd has received an invitation to participate in the Illinois High School Shrine All Star Football Game this upcoming summer. Sypherd is excited for the … more

4/25/24

Lincolnwood-Morrisonville Camp To Be Held May 20-23

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville basketball program will hold their annual summer camp on May 20 through May 23 at the Lincolnwood High School gym and Raymond Grade School multi-purpose gym, from 3:30 … more

4/25/24

Travis Lentz, shown here after his win at the Camp Coker Bullet on March 24, in Society Hill, SC, is currently in first in the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. Class for the Grand National Cross Country Series.

Lentz, Walker At Top Of GNCC Standings

Five rounds into the Grand National Cross Country series and two Journal-News Motorsports racers are already poised to make a run at the title. Walshville’s Travis Lentz and … more

4/25/24

Camryn Weller didn't make it to the finals at I-57 Dragstrip in Benton on April 6, but her grandpa Phil Bryant and uncle Dustin Bryant did, advancing to the final two in the super pro and pro classes.

Bryants Back In Finals To Start 2024 Race Season

Bracket racing was back in Benton on Saturday, April 6, at I-57 Dragstrip, which meant that the Bryant family was back in the finals. In the footbrake class, Dustin Bryant picked up the first win of … more

4/25/24

Piasa Birds Slip Past Purple Panthers

In a game where hits were a plenty, runs were at a minimum as Southwestern and Litchfield/Mt. Olive would square off in a non-conference affair Wednesday on the campus of Litchfield High School. The … more

4/25/24

Late Charge Pushes Altamont Past Nokomis

The Nokomis Redskins came within a strike of handing Altamont their seventh loss of the season on Monday, April 22, but the Indians proved there is a reason they’ve won 16 games this year. … more

4/25/24

Trojan Ten-Spot Results In Road Loss For Nokomis

On Monday, April 22, the Nokomis Lady Redskins fell to Auburn 16-1 on the Trojans’ home field. The game was closer early on, but a ten-run fourth inning gave Auburn the mercy rule win. … more

4/25/24

Vandenbergh Tops Qualifying Mark

However long it has been since Nokomis had a state qualifier in track, that streak could very well come to an end in a few weeks. On Wednesday, April 19, in Gillespie, Nokomis junior Irene … more

4/23/24

Hillsboro senior Cole Lenczycki uncorks a throw during the Greenville Relays on Friday, April 19. Lenczycki and teammate Austin Newingham finished third in the shot put at the 40th annual event, with the Toppers also finishing third as a team.

Hiltoppers Third At 40th Comet Relays

The Hillsboro boys track team finished third at the Comet Relays on Friday, April 13, coming within two points of second at the 40th annual meet in Greenville. The Toppers finished the day with … more

4/22/24

Hillsboro's Jaida Linn (above) and Maryn Tarver took the top spot in the high jump at the Greenville Relays on Friday, April 19, beating out the second place team from Wesclin by .09 meters. As a team, the Lady Hiltoppers finished third overall.

Lady Toppers Soar At Greenville

The Hillsboro girls track team picked up a pair of wins at the Greenville Comet Relays on Friday, April 19, as they went on to finish third in the team ranks. As a team, Hillsboro finished with … more

4/22/24

Litchfield Takes Two Against Pana

In one of the longest rain delays possible, the Litchfield-Mt. Olive Purple Panthers took down the Pana Panthers 6-2. The contest that began on Thursday, April 18, in Pana would finally come to … more

4/22/24

Nokomis' Reaghan Jonas waits her turn in the on-deck circle during teammate Presley Mehochko's at-bat in the seventh inning of the Redskins' game in Hillsboro on Thursday, April 18. After falling 3-2 to the Redskins at the Montgomery County Softball Tournament, Hillsboro avenged the loss with a 6-3 victory, with senior catcher Sophia Blankenship driving in two runs for the Toppers.

Hillsboro Avenges Loss To Nokomis

Five days after facing off in the Montgomery County Softball Tournament, the Nokomis and Hillsboro softball teams met up again on Thursday, April 18. The game was moved up an hour to try to beat the … more

4/22/24

Hillsboro catcher Landon Summers jumps to snag a high throw and avoid Lincolnwood's Brodey Vanhooser as the sophomore from Morrisonville slides into home plate during the second inning of the game on Saturday, April 20. Vanhooser's run was one of 11 in the inning for Lincolnwood, who defeated the Toppers 13-0 in five innings.

Lincolnwood Slides Past Toppers

Different dates but same teams equals same result, at least in high school baseball. That theory was tested and proven true Saturday morning, April 20, when the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville co-op team … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 4/22/24

The Litchfield-Mt. Olive softball team huddled up at Casey's in Nokomis when tornado sirens sounded on their way home from their game in Pana on April 18, while the Purple Panther baseball team was just down the street doing the same at the Nokomis Fire Department and Police Department. The hospitality wasn't lost on the Panther parents, some of whom reached out to express their thanks for the hospitality and for helping to keep their kids safe.

Litchfield Falls To Pana In Odd Double Dip

It took two towns, two days and the hospitality of a Montgomery County gas station, but Litchfield and Pana finally got their non-conference game in the books on April 19. The two Panther … more

4/22/24

Nokomis' Ella Huelson tracks her hit toward left field during the Lady Redskins' home game on Wednesday, April 17, against Litchfield. The Redskins scored first, but Litchfield came away with a 5-2 victory, with Litchfield catcher Bella Roach (pictured above) driving in one run and scoring another for the Panthers.

Litchfield Outduels Nokomis

It was a rematch of the championship game of the Montgomery County Softball Tournament on Wednesday, April 17, as the Nokomis Lady Redskins hosted Litchfield as they faced the Purple Panthers for the … more

4/22/24