The Journal-News

2021-22 Holiday Basketball Tournaments

Wondering where your favorite high school team is hooping it up this holiday season? Don't worry. We have you covered below. Riverton Christmas Girls Tournament Pool A: Auburn, Mt. … more

1/2/22

It's Hillsboro Versus Litchfield For The Title

It's been five years since the Hillsboro boys basketball team last won the championship of the Carlinville Holiday Tournament. For Litchfield, it's been a little bit longer, with the Purple Panthers' … more

12/30/21

Drawing contact from Bunker Hill guard Grant Burch, Litchfield's Victor McGill earns a trip to the free-throw line during the Panthers' opening game at the Carlinville Holiday Tournament on Monday, Dec. 27. McGill finished with 21 points to help lead Litchfield to a 55-44 win over the Minutemen.

Panthers Score Win In Opening Game

The Litchfield Purple Panthers would start the 2021 Carlinville Holiday tournament out with a bang with a 55-44 victory over the Minutemen from Bunker Hill in the Green Pool. Litchfield, … more

12/30/21

Litchfield's Emma Diveley tries to avoid the pressure of Auburn defender Chloe Crissey during the Panthers' pool play game at the Riverton Christmas Classic on Tuesday, Dec. 28. The Panthers would fall to Auburn and Mt. Pulaski in pool play, but defeated Decatur Lutheran to earn a spot in the ninth place bracket.

Litchfield Girls Battle At Riverton

After going 1-2 in pool play, the Litchfield girls basketball team made their way to the ninth place bracket at the Riverton Christmas Classic on Wednesday, Dec. 29. After playing two games the … more

12/30/21

Purple Panthers Beat Calhoun In Carlinville

Litchfield Purple Panthers would move to 2-0 in pool play in the Carlinville Holiday tournament on Tuesday evening as they defeated the Calhoun Warriors 73-65. The win would move the Purple … more

12/30/21

Litchfield junior Nate Fetter and the rest of the Panther defense upped the intensity on Calvary's Trae Caldwell and the Saints in the final minutes of their game in Litchfield on Tuesday, Dec. 21. The added intensity allowed the Panthers to turn a back-and-forth game into a 61-52 victory over the Saints in Litchfield's last game before Christmas.

Panthers Pull Away From Saints

The Litchfield Purple Panthers and the Saints from Calvary Academy would put together a roller coaster of a basketball game Tuesday night, Dec. 21, in Simmons Gym. After controlling the … more

12/23/21

Panthers Cruise To Victory Over Minutemen

Defense, defense, defense was the Purple Panthers’ battle cry on Wednesday night, Dec. 15, when they hosted the Minutemen from Bunker Hill. In the unusual Wednesday night affair, Litchfield … more

12/20/21

Vipers Hold Off Lady Panthers

South County raced to a 28-11 first half lead over the visiting Panthers last Thursday, Dec. 16, and although Litchfield regrouped in the second half and outscored the Lady Vipers 13-11, there was … more

12/20/21

Quick Start Pushes Pana Past Panthers

After winning back-to-back games, Litchfield would run into a roadblock in Pana on Friday evening, Dec. 17. Pana would use a big second quarter, building a 36-point lead, and would cruise to a 68-49 … more

12/20/21

Hillsboro's Matt Page and Litchfield's Ashtin Carver stare each other down during their 145-pound match at Simmons Gym in Litchfield on Tuesday, Dec. 14. The match was one of the closest of the night between the two county rivals as Carver jumped out to an early lead and held off a rally by Page to score an 8-2 victory. Hillsboro would come out on top in seven other matches, though, as they defeated the Purple Panthers 42-33.

The Showdown At Simmons

The Hillsboro/Litchfield regular season dual is always a showcase of the best wrestlers in Montgomery County, but the atmosphere in Litchfield this year was electric before either team even entered … more

12/16/21

Miners Slip By Panthers In South Central Tilt

Due to COVID protocol, the Gillespie varsity girls basketball roster was trimmed from 14 players to six for Monday night’s game with Litchfield. The three freshmen, one sophomore and two … more

12/16/21

It was a battle for a while as the Hillsboro and Litchfield girls basketball teams squared off at the T. Todt Shootout in Nokomis on Saturday, Dec. 11. The Panther kept it close with their Rt. 16 rivals going into the third quarter, before Hillsboro pulled away with a 52-26 win. Above, from the left, Hillsboro's Alex Frailey, Litchfield's Emma Walch and Lily Braasch and Hillsboro's Meagan White battle underneath for a rebound during Saturday's game at the shootout, which raised money for the Montgomery County Cancer Association in honor of late broadcaster Terry Todt.

Rupert's 30 Pushes Toppers Past Panthers

A standout performance turned a close game at halftime into a blowout on Saturday, Dec. 11, as the Hillsboro and Litchfield girls basketball teams squared off at the T. Todt Shootout in … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 12/13/21

Sandwiched by Lincolnwood defenders Trenton Watson (#40) and Gabe Armentrout (#22), Litchfield sophomore Keenan Powell (#22) works to get a shot off during the county clash at the T. Todt Shootout on Saturday, Dec. 11. Powell had 14 points in the Panthers' thrilling 58-56 win over the Lancers at the 16-team event in Nokomis.

Purple Panthers Battle Back To Sink Lancers

You could almost hear the voice of the late Terry Todt rising in excitement as the Litchfield and Lincolnwood boys basketball teams squared off in the shootout that bears his name. The fifth game … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 12/13/21

Litchfield's Elise Walch and the rest of the Panthers had their hands full in guarding Hillsboro guard Layne Rupert on Saturday, Dec. 11. Rupert poured in 30 points in the Toppers' 52-26 win over Litchfield, a new girls' record for points scored at the T. Todt Shootout.

T. Todt Notes: Thoughts On The 3rd T. Todt Shootout Vs. Cancer

It was a great day of basketball in honor of one of the great people from Montgomery County on Saturday, Dec. 11, as 16 teams participated in the third T. Todt Shootout vs. Cancer, which benefitted the Montgomery County Cancer Association. more

by Kyle Herschelman | 12/13/21

Powell Leads Panthers Medal Haul

The Litchfield-Mt. Olive wrestling team had five medalists and placed 16th out of 25 teams at the Rex Avery PORTA Invite on Saturday, Dec. 11, in Petersburg. The Panthers had a sixth place finish … more

12/13/21

Comets Weather The Storm To Beat Panthers

The friendly confines of Simmons Gym would be once again rocking on a Friday night, Dec. 10, when Litchfield welcomed the Greenville Comets for the Purple Panthers’ home opener. The … more

12/13/21

Comets 'D Up' Against Litchfield

Less than a week out from their first win of the season at Springfield Lutheran, the Litchfield Lady Panthers returned to their home hardwood for a South Central Conference match-up with Greenville. … more

12/13/21

Long-time broadcaster Terry Todt (right) called some of the action at the inaugural T. Todt Shootout with Don Huddleston (left) in Carlinville in December, 2018. While Todt succumbed to cancer in May 2019, his legacy lives on with the shootout that bears his name and benefits the Montgomery County Cancer Association. This year’s event will be Saturday, Dec. 11, at Nokomis High School, with the first of eight games starting at 9:30 a.m.

Nokomis Hosts Third T. Todt Shootout

The legacy of longtime WSMI radio broadcaster Terry Todt will be on display on Saturday, Dec. 11, as the third annual T. Todt Shootout takes place at the Nokomis High School gym after a year off due … more

12/9/21

Wrestling official Joe Lee checks the shoulders of Carlinville's Samantha Scott as Ian Mitchell of Litchfield goes for the pin at the Litchfield super duals on Saturday, Dec. 4. Mitchell would get the pin at the 1:22 mark of the 132-pound match to help the Panthers defeat Carlinville, one of two wins for the home team at Saturday's six-team event.

Panthers Hit The Mats At Home Duals

With three mats and six teams, it was a busy morning at Simmons Gym on Saturday, Dec. 4, as the Litchfield Panthers hosted their annual super duals. The Panthers went 2-3 at the duals, beating … more

12/6/21

Litchfield's Kelvin Dooley (#11) rushes out to contest Dustin Steiner's three-point attempt during the Panthers' game in Mulberry Grove on Friday, Dec. 3. Litchfield picked up a 60-32 victory over the Aces on the road to improve to 2-3 on the young season.

Aces Fold Against Purple Panthers

After finishing 1-3 in the Waterloo Thanksgiving Tournament, the Litchfield Purple Panthers would travel to Mulberry Grove on Friday night, Dec. 3. The Aces, who also finished 1-3 during … more

12/6/21