Litchfield High Sports | The Journal-News

Litchfield Girls Get Win Over Mt. Olive

A strong third quarter paved the way for a 46-33 victory over Mt. Olive on Saturday, Feb. 7, for the Litchfield High School girls basketball team, who improved to 13-15 with the victory. The two … more

2/9/26

Eagles Take Round Two At LHS

Following Friday night’s thriller the Litchfield High School boys basketball team was back on the hardwood on Tuesday night, Feb. 3. In a non-conference match-up, the Purple Panthers … more

2/5/26

Litchfield High School junior Rilynn Younker went 4-0 and took home her third straight girls tournament championship on Saturday, Jan. 31, by winning the 115-pound class at the Lindbergh Flyers Invitational. Younker also topped the 100-win mark for her career, with the majority of those wins coming during the boys season over the last three years.

Younker Tops In St. Louis, Scores 100th Win

Three wrestlers from the Litchfield-Mt. Olive wrestling team made the trip to St. Louis on Saturday, Jan. 31, for the third annual Lindbergh Flyers Invitational. Rilynn Younker went 4-0 on the … more

2/5/26

Litchfield High School senior Vincent Moore picked up two wins in the Panthers final regular season dual on Jan. 26, to push his career total over the 150-win mark. Moore is pictured with Litchfield Head Coach Chance Davidson (left) and Assistant Coach Art Fuller, who is Moore’s father.

Senior Quartet Leads Litchfield At Final Duals

The Litchfield-Mt. Olive wrestling team closed out their dual season on Wednesday, Jan. 28, in Wood River with a win over the host Oilers and a loss to Jerseyville. In the Jerseyville dual, the … more

2/5/26

Litchfield senior Tristan Staggs works to get Shelbyville's Hayden Mudgette in position for a pin during the 215-pound championship match at the Auburn Regional on Saturday, Jan. 31. Staggs went on to win the match in a 14-9 decision, claiming one of Litchfield's six qualifying spots for the Vandalia Sectional in two weeks.

Panthers Send Six To Sectionals

The Litchfield High School wrestling team filled just half of the 14 weight classes at the IHSA Class 1A Auburn Regional on Saturday, Jan. 31, but the Panthers definitely made the most of their … more

2/2/26

Litchfield's Sam Schwab tries to catch up with Hillsboro's Tony White on his way to the hoop during the South Central Conference showdown between the two rivals on Friday, Jan. 30. White had eight points in the second quarter of the game, but missed the second half due to illness as Schwab and the Panthers came away with a 48-38 victory.

Purple Panthers Come Back To Beat Toppers

The end of January weather was back-in-the-day cold Friday night, Jan. 30, when Hillsboro’s boys ventured to play Litchfield in South Central Conference basketball play, but the Toppers’ second … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 2/2/26

Lady Panthers Celebrate Women In Sports

The timing of Litchfield’s game at Blackburn College on Jan. 31, in celebration of Girls and Women in Sports Day, couldn’t have been better as the Lady Panthers have had a lot to celebrate … more

2/2/26

Litchfield Splits Final Duals With Jerseyville, EAWR

The Litchfield-Mt. Olive wrestling team closed out their dual season on Wednesday, Jan. 28, in Wood River with a win over the host Oilers and a loss to Jerseyville. In the Jerseyville dual, the … more

2/2/26

Litchfield Takes Down Pana

On Thursday, Jan. 29, the Litchfield High School girls basketball team defeated Pana 53-30 to improve to 11-14 on the season and even their South Central Conference record to 3-3. That’s a … more

2/2/26

The Litchfield High School baseball coaching staff may have a busy spring ahead of them, on and off the field. Head Coach Rocky Giannuzzi (right) and Assistant Coaches Kevin Young (left) and Jacob Frerichs (center) were on hand for Ethan Saathoff's college signing with Southwestern Illinois College on Tuesday, Jan. 27, the first of three possible college signings for the program.

SWIC Is Next Stop For Panthers' Saathoff

Litchfield senior Ethan Saathoff has spent the last three years sharpening his skills in pursuit of continuing to play baseball at the next level. Now, Saathoff believes he has found another place … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 1/29/26

Litchfield Lights Out At Sangamon Valley

It was a long drive, but one worth the miles for the Litchfield High School girls basketball team on Tuesday, Jan. 27, as the Lady Panthers defeated Sangamon Valley/Tri-City 45-14 for their tenth win … more

1/29/26

Saints, Panthers Slug It Out At Simmons Gym

Even though the weather was frigid on the outside, the inside of Simmons Gym, was on fire Tuesday, Jan. 27, when the Calvary Saints and Litchfield Purple Panthers tangled on the hardwood. A combined … more

1/29/26

Landon Wernsing, shown here during Litchfield's game with Civic Memorial, scored a team-high 15 points in the Purple Panthers' 45-35 loss to Father McGivney in the seventh place game at the McGraw Invite on Friday, Jan. 23. Wernsing scored 52 points in this year's tournament, a team-high for Litchfield.

Griffins Shoot Down Panthers

After finishing 1-1 in pool play, the Litchfield boys basketball team dropped their first game of bracket play on Thursday evening, Jan. 22. The loss put the Litchfield squad in the seventh … more

1/26/26

Eagles Knock Off Purple Panthers

After an impressive win to wrap up pool play, the Litchfield boys basketball team participated in the fifth place bracket of the Rick McGraw Memorial Invitational on Thursday, Jan. 22. Litchfield’s … more

1/26/26

Litchfield Leaves Shells Shocked

After being on the wrong side of an upset on Tuesday night, Jan. 20, the Litchfield boys basketball team found themselves on the right side of an upset. Litchfield, the seventh seed in the Rick … more

1/26/26

Lady Panthers Slip Past Oilers For Ninth Win

The Litchfield High School girls basketball team picked up their ninth win of the season on Friday, Jan. 23, as they defeated East Alton-Wood River 34-30 on the Oilers’ home court. Kaylynn … more

1/26/26

Wild Night Closes Out Pool Play

It was a wild one on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Rick McGraw Memorial Invitational, with three of the four games decided by five points or less. Seventh-seeded Litchfield pulled the biggest upset … more

1/22/26

Litchfield's Titan Hires goes for the steal against Pana's Cash Lynch during the Panthers' pool play game at the Rick McGraw Memorial Invitational on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Litchfield led for most of the game, but Pana charged back late to win 60-59. Litchfield rebounded with a 59-54 win over Roxana on Wednesday, forcing the pool winner to be determined by free throw percentage. Roxana (66.67%) will be in the first place bracket, while Litchfield (63.64%) will be in the fifth place bracket and Pana (63.33%) will be in the ninth place bracket.

Pana Comes Back To Beat Purple Panthers

The 2026 Rick McGraw Invitational kicked off Monday, Jan. 19, and the host Litchfield Purple Panthers started action the next day. Entering the tournament as the seventh seed, the Purple Panthers … more

1/22/26

Lady Griffins Double Up In The Third To Beat Panthers

The Litchfield girls basketball team made the trip to Father McGivney Catholic High School on Tuesday, Jan. 20, for a non-conference match-up with the Griffins. The Lady Panthers managed to keep … more

1/22/26

Litchfield senior Braxton Kieffer was nearly untouchable at the Rich Lovellette Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 17, as Freeburg's Cooper Kisgen found out in the quarterfinals. Kieffer went 4-0 on the day to take the 165-pound title at his home tournament.

Kieffer And Company Medal At Rich Lovellette Invitational

The Litchfield High School wrestling team was missing seniors Vincent Moore and Tristan Staggs on Saturday, Jan. 17, at their home tournament, the Rich Lovellette Invitational, but those who were … more

1/20/26