The Journal-News

Laura Boston won Most Valuable Player for the Litchfield girls golf team.

Youth Movement Means Litchfield Poised To Be Good For A While

Litchfield High School golf Coach Dan Newkirk said that the 2020 season was one of his favorite seasons to coach, which bodes well for Newkirk, because he’ll be seeing these players a lot over … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 11/16/20

With the second sounding of the gun of the day, Litchfield runners, from the left, Madison Brakenhoff, Karly Kruse and Kylee Eiting take off from the starting line at the IHSA cross country sectional in Decatur on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Hickory Point Golf Course. The team would finish 14th at the meet, Kruse's last as the lone senior on this year's girls' team. Both Litchfield cross country teams will return a lot of young talent in 2021, including Brakenhoff, who finished 104th on Saturday, and Eiting, who finished 76th.

Purple Panthers Go For One Last Run In 2020

For Litchfield’s seniors, it was one last opportunity to put on the purple and black and prove themselves one step at a time. For the younger members of the team, it was a chance to get better … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 11/2/20

Kevin Pollard (#642) provided a solid third score for Litchfield behind the 1-2 punch of Camden Quarton and Will Carlile at the sectional on Saturday, Oct. 24, in Carlinville. Pollard finished 18th as the Panthers took second overall and advanced to the sectional in Decatur next Saturday.

Panthers On A Good Run This Past Week

After earning their first conference title in eight years on Monday, the Litchfield boys cross country team put together a solid effort at the Carlinville Regional and came away with a second place … more

10/26/20

With teammate Delanie Ulrich gaining ground at the bottom of the hill, Litchfield's Myka Fenton (right) races Hillsboro's Sierra Compton up the hill at Loveless Park at the Class 1A Carlinville Regional on Oct. 24. All three girls would advance to sectionals, Compton as an individual by virtue of her ninth place finish and Ulrich and Fenton through the Panthers' fourth place team finish.

Regional Success A Certainty For LHS

Death and taxes may be the only certainties in life, but for the last ten years, a spot in the sectionals for the Litchfield girls cross country team can be added to that list as well. On … more

10/26/20

Who are those masked men? They're the 2020 South Central Conference champion Litchfield High School boys cross country team, that's who. For the first time in eight years, the Purple Panthers won the South Central Conference meet, beat Carlinville by eight points on Monday, Oct. 19, at Southwestern High School in Piasa. From the left are Gavin Thimsen, Camden Quarton, Will Carlile, Kevin Pollard, Sam Horn, Brandon Malloy, Brayden Davis, Owen Baugher, Peyton Baugher, Cy Cress, Alex Delacruz and Eithan Rigsbey.

Litchfield Boys Grab First Title Since 2012

In 2012, the Litchfield boys cross country team put five runners in the top 12 to come away with their second conference title in a row. But since that day in October, the honor of best in the South … more

10/22/20

The top ten girls finishers in this year's South Central Conference meet, held Monday, Oct. 19, at Southwestern High School, were: 1. Janelynn Wirth (Roxana) 20:57; 2. Keiko Palen (Roxana) 20:58; 3. Gabs Woodruff (Roxana) 20:59; 4. Zoey Losch (Roxana) 21:03; 5. Riley Doyle (Roxana) 21:04; 6. Sierra Compton (Hillsboro) 21:19; 7. Myka Fenton (Litchfield) 21:36 (not present); 8. Dana Jarden (Staunton) 21:39; 9. Delanie Ulrich (Litchfield) 21:46; and 10. Kylee Eiting (Litchfield) 21:50.

Lady Panthers Runner-Up To Roxana

As it turns out, Litchfield and everyone else not named Roxana was vying for second place on Monday, Oct. 19, at the South Central Conference meet at Southwestern High School. And while the … more

10/22/20

With one of the stately manors dotting The Rail in the background, Litchfield's Laura Boston hits her approach shot at the Rochester Sectional on Thursday, Oct. 15. Boston would shoot an 86 on the day, tying for seventh place overall and cementing her place as one of the top Class 1A players in this state this year.

Boston Among State's Best

Last year as a freshman, Litchfield’s Laura Boston proved that she was one of the best in the area as she advanced to the sectional tournament before missing the state cut by just nine strokes. … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 10/19/20

Hillsboro's Kelsey Holtgrave (left) and Litchfield's Karly Kruse lead a pack of runners during the meet at Greenville High School on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Both teams would have good results in Comet Country, with Kruse one of three Panthers to finish in the top ten, while Holtgrave and the Hiltoppers won their first meet in nearly two decades.

Hillsboro Scores First Win

It was a day for firsts as the Greenville Comets hosted their first ever cross country meet on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Taking advantage of some teams short on numbers, the Hillsboro girls cross country … more

10/15/20

Litchfield freshman Camden Quarton eyes Carlinville's Will Meyer at the cross country meet at Greenville High School on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Quarton would finish second to Meyer, but would help the Panthers score a two point victory over Carlinville on the Comets' home course.

Panthers Avenge Loss To Cavies

After being bested by the Cavaliers in Carlinville on Oct. 6, the Litchfield boys cross country team exacted some revenge upon their rivals on Oct. 13, at the meet in Greenville. One of five … more

10/15/20

Litchfield freshman Ian Otto got a taste of the "big leagues" on Tuesday, Oct. 13, as he finished 79th at the Ziegler-Royalton Sectional at the Franklin County Country Club on Oct. 13.

Otto Makes Debut At Sectional Tournament

With ten freshmen or sophomores, half of whom played significant roles on varsity, this year was about learning and growth for the Litchfield boys golf team. That was the case on Tuesday, Oct. 13, … more

10/15/20

County Teams Go 1-2 At Carlinville Invitational

The Litchfield High School cross country team took first place in the girls race at the Carlinville Invite on Tuesday, Oct. 6, beating their neighbors to the east, Hillsboro, by 30 points. The … more

10/13/20

Boston Shipping Out To Sectional Tourney

It’s been a challenging year for Boston sports. The Red Sox were 24-36 and dead last in the AL East. The Celtics got bounced by the lower-seeded Heat in the conference finals. Even the mighty … more

10/8/20

Litchfield's Keagan Marten blasts a shot out of the sand during his round at the Mt. Olive Regional on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Marten would shoot a 96 for the Panthers, who finished with a 368 as a team, good for fifth place overall.

Litchfield Freshman Earns Otto-Matic Bid

A three-way tie with some familiar faces kept freshman Ian Otto’s season alive as the Litchfield ninth grader punched his ticket to next Tuesday’s sectional tournament in West … more

10/8/20

The Litchfield girls cross country team took first in three of the five scoring groups to come away with first place at the Southwestern Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 3. From the left are Olivia Mitchell, Myka Fenton, Delanie Ulrich, Karly Kruse, Kylee Eiting, Madison Brakenhoff and Isabelle Murphy.

Litchfield Girls Fly High In Piasa Bird Country

The fewest points the Litchfield girls could have scored at Saturday’s Southwestern Invitational was five. The Lady Panthers scored eight. That’s just how good the LHS girls were on … more

10/5/20

For the second time this season, Tug Schwab was under par for his round as the Litchfield High School freshman carded a 1-under-par 35 on Thursday, Sept. 24. The round helped the Panthers come away with wins over Staunton and Greenville at the Greenville Country Club as they improved to 18-4 on the season.

Schwab 'Subpar' In Litchfield Win

In most things, “subpar” carries a negative connotation, but for Tug Schwab, the word is music to the Litchfield High School freshman’s ears. For the second time this season, … more

9/28/20

Lady Panthers Move To 20-0

The Litchfield and Hillsboro girls golf teams saw a lot of each other to end the week as they joined some fellow South Central Conference golfers at matches in Pana and Vandalia on Sept. 23 and … more

9/28/20

Seniors on the Hillsboro High School golf teams were honored with their parents before the start of the match on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the Hillsboro Country Club. Coaches Bob Allen and Jim Luckett introduced each senior and parents, highlighted their high school careers and what each senior intends to do in the future. From the left are senior Anna Colwell and mother Donna Riggs; mother Shannon Daniels, senior Tad Daniels, and father Tory Daniels; and mother Melody Riggs, senior Shaw Riggs, and father Dave Riggs.

HHS Knocks Off Carlinville, Litchfield

It was senior night for the Hillsboro golf team on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and one of the members of the class of 2021 made the most out of his time in the spotlight. Tad Daniels, who was honored prior … more

9/24/20

County Runners Roll At Southwestern

Montgomery County’s cross country teams were a bright spot in Brighton (or close to it) on Tuesday, Sept. 22, as both races held at Southwestern High School were won by county runners. In … more

9/24/20

Litchfield Takes Top Spot In Conference Preview

Four members of the South Central Conference took the opportunity to test out Indian Springs Golf Course near Coffeen on Monday, Sept. 21, in a prequel to next Tuesday’s conference … more

9/24/20

Litchfield Girls Keep Winning Streak Alive

Two impressive streaks remained intact after the Litchfield girls golf match on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at the Litchfield Country Club. Firstly, the Lady Panthers improved to 13-0 with a 180 to 206 … more

9/21/20