Litchfield High Sports | The Journal-News

A few of Maggie Schwab's teammates joined her at Detweiller Park in Peoria on Saturday, Nov. 8, for the IHSA Class 1A Cross Country State Finals. From the left are Coach Vincent Fanelli, Rilynn Younker, Maggie Schwab, Leighton Warchol, Madison Betz and Head Coach Jeremy Palmer. Schwab finished 64th out of 252 runners, running a personal-best time of 18:40.96.

Superior State Run Just The Beginning For LHS Freshman

In a season that included four wins and two top 25 finishes in the postseason, Maggie Schwab saved her best for last. On Saturday, Nov. 8, the Litchfield High School freshman joined 251 of the … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 11/10/25

Above are the seven members of the Litchfield High School boys soccer team who were selected for all-conference honors by the South Central Conference coaches this season. At the top, from the left, are first team selections Landon Wernsing, Brody Dykema, Cooper Martin and Chance Holliday. In the bottom row are second team selections Cambren Buzick and Ryker Witt and third team selection Jaxon Ray.

SCC Champ Litchfield Gets Seven All-Conference

Seven Litchfield High School players were named to this year’s South Central Conference all-conference list, which was voted on by the coaches. The Panthers, who finished first in the … more

11/6/25

Litchfield's Maggie Schwab puts some space between herself and Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond's Ruby Barton in the final few hundred yards of the Class 1A Cumberland Sectional at Lake Land College in Mattoon on Saturday, Nov. 1. Schwab finished one spot ahead of Barton in 23rd, earning the final individual qualifying spot for next Saturday's IHSA State Final Cross Country Meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

Schwab Qualifies For State Meet

For the first time since 2019, Litchfield High School will be represented at the IHSA State Finals Cross Country Meet after Litchfield freshman Maggie Schwab qualified as an individual out of the … more

11/3/25

Litchfield sophomore McKenna Harmon (#14) was a force at the net for the Lady Panthers during their quarterfinal game at the Rochester Regional on Monday, Oct. 27. Harmon had 14 kills and six blocks in the Panthers' three-set win over Southwestern, which avenged a loss to the Piasa Birds from Oct. 16.

Lady Panthers Finish Off 2025 Season

“It’s not how you start, it’s how you...” That incomplete saying exemplifies one of the struggles for the Litchfield High School volleyball in 2025. Going into their match-up … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 10/30/25

Jayden Ellinger (#55), Litchfield's top tackler on the season, got a chance to contribute on offense in his final game for the Panthers, gaining 25 yards on a reception in the second half against Vandalia on Friday, Oct. 24. It proved to be the Vandals' day, however, as a flag negated the gain and Vandalia went on to win 49-14 to finish their season with a 9-0 record.

Vandals Beat Litchfield To Finish Undefeated

The fastest nine weeks of a high school athlete’s career came to halt for the Purple Panthers football team on Friday evening, Oct. 24, as Litchfield closed out their football season with a … more

10/27/25

The Litchfield High School girls cross country team advanced to sectionals with a second place finish in the team standings at the Shelbyville Regional on Saturday, Oct. 25. From the left are Leighton Warchol, Maggie Schwab, Madison Betz, Darby Braasch, Rilynn Younker and Breanna White.

Lady Panthers 2nd At Shelbyville

The Litchfield girls cross country team put four runners in the top four to take second place at the Class 1A Shelbyville Regional on Saturday, Oct. 25, as the Lady Panthers advanced to next … more

10/27/25

The Litchfield High School boys cross country team advanced to sectionals with a sixth place finish in the team standings at the Shelbyville Regional on Saturday, Oct. 25. From the left are Fisher Ellis, Nolan Engstrom, Dawson Hemken, Braxton Kieffer, Dean Gibbs, Jake Wilson and Lucien Quarton.

PRs Send Litchfield To Sectionals

The Litchfield boys cross country team posted four personal records and two more season-best times on Saturday, Oct. 25, to move on to next Saturday’s sectional in Mattoon. The Panthers … more

10/27/25

Litchfield senior Alli Frerichs celebrates with her teammates after recording her 1,000th dig during the Panthers' narrow three-set loss to Gillespie on Oct. 23. In front, from the left, are Lynzie Reid, Madi Jones, Alli Frerichs, Kyndal Law and Jada Carroll. In the back are Mataya Melchert, Lexi Logan, Brooke Braasch, Chloe Law, McKenna Harmon, Halle Rogers and Avery Stewart.

Lady Panthers Drop Two Close Ones Before Regionals

They weren’t able to come away with a win in their final two games of the regular season, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort on the part of the Litchfield High School volleyball team. … more

10/27/25

Litchfield's Brody Dykema broke a scoreless tie ten minutes into the regional championship game in Carlinville on Friday, Oct. 24, the first of two goals the Panthers scored against the host Cavaliers. Carlinville would come back from the 2-0 halftime deficit to force overtime and a penalty kick shootout, which they won 4-3 to advance to the Effingham Sectional

Cavies Beat Litchfield In Shootout

For the second game in a row, the Carlinville High School boys soccer team took a higher seeded opponent to overtime and came away with a victory on their home … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 10/27/25

With teammate Rilynn Younker just a few seconds behind her, Litchfield junior Leighton Warchol crosses the finish line at the South Central Conference meet on Monday, Oct. 20, in Carlinville. Warchol and Younker finished second and third overall, sandwiched in between their freshman teammates Maggie Schwab (1st) and Madison Betz (4) as the Lady Panthers came away with their third SCC title in four years.

SCC Title As Easy As 1-2-3-4 For Lady Panthers

For the third time in four years, the Litchfield girls cross country team finished at the top of the standings of the South Central Conference Meet, held on Monday, Oct. 20, at Loveless Park in … more

10/23/25

From the left, Litchfield's Dean Gibbs, Jake Wilson and Fisher Ellis traverse the three-mile course at Loveless Park on Monday, Oct. 20, during the South Central Conference meet. The trio finished 14th (Ellis), 15th (Gibbs) and 16th (Wilson) to help the Panthers to a second place finish behind Gillespie and defending state champion Chaz Oberkfell.

Runner-Up Finish Just The Start For Litchfield Boys

The Litchfield boys cross country team had a strong outing at the South Central Conference meet in Carlinville on Monday, Oct. 20, taking second in the team standings behind Gillespie. The Panthers … more

10/23/25

Purple Panthers Punch Ticket To Title Game

It wasn’t deja vu, but the regional semifinal between Litchfield and Springfield Lutheran on Tuesday, Oct. 21, in Carlinville definitely struck some familiar notes. The Crusaders dodged the … more

10/23/25

Lady Panthers Start A Busy Final Week

The Litchfield High School volleyball team started a busy final week of the regular season on Monday, Oct. 20, with a road trip to Collinsville, the first of four games this week for the Purple … more

10/23/25

Accompanied by his mother, Lyndsy Winstead, Litchfield High School senior football player Cale Winstead walks to midfield during the Panthers' senior night ceremony on Friday, Oct. 17, before their game with Pana. Winstead carried an American flag honoring his late father Michael, who served four years on the USS Kitty Hawk with the United States Navy and passed away in November of 2022.

Pana Too Much For Purple Panthers

Lloyd Hill would be lit up for one last time this year as the Purple Panthers welcomed the one-loss Pana Panthers. The week eight tilt would be the final home game of the season for Litchfield, … more

10/20/25

Piasa Birds Keep Panthers From Third SCC Victory

The Southwestern Piasa Birds defended their home court and kept Litchfield from their third South Central Conference win of the season on Thursday, Oct. 16, as they defeated the Purple Panthers … more

10/20/25

Lady Panthers Put A Scare Into SCC Leaders

With a 5-0 conference record going into their game at Litchfield, the Carlinville High School volleyball team still had aspirations for their first South Central Conference title since 2014. On … more

10/16/25

Two Miles Suit Panthers Just Fine At Wood River

The Litchfield High School cross country team came home from the East Alton-Wood River Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 11, with eight plaques and ten new personal records for the two mile distance, … more

10/16/25

Hillsboro High School Hosts Band Showcase

Hillsboro High School is hosting the third annual South Central Marching Band Showcase this weekend on Saturday, Oct. 18, beginning with the first performance at 2:15 p.m. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. … more

10/16/25

Litchfield senior Sam Schwab shot his best state score of his career on Oct. 10-11, carding a 151 to finish tied for 11th at this year's IHSA Class 1A State Finals Golf Tournament.

Schwab 11th, Fuller 31st At State Golf Tournament

It was the fourth IHSA State Golf Tournament for one and the first for the other, but Litchfield's Sam Schwab and Hillsboro's Owen Fuller both showed why they were among the state's best all … more

10/14/25

With some help from Litchfield linebacker Devin Chew (#23), Hillsboro's Sawyer Hindle (#5) goes airborne in pursuit of the goal line during the week seven clash between the two rivals on Oct. 10. Hindle would come up just short, but Tytin Wells scored on the next play to put Hillsboro up 28-14 in what would become a 35-21 win for the Hiltoppers.

Hiltoppers Pick Up Fourth Win Over Litchfield

When the Litchfield Purple Panthers came to Hillsboro Friday evening, Oct. 10, to compete against the Toppers’ football team, they walked into a festive atmosphere; a large crowd came to see … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 10/14/25