Litchfield High Sports | The Journal-News

The Litchfield Middle School track program, coached by Stephanie Short and Drew Logan, qualified for a school record 27 events at the IESA Class 3A State Finals in East Peoria on May 17-18. State qualifiers and alternates, in front, from the left, are Sicily Lamb, Aubrie Boston, Libbey Gibbs, Jada Carroll, Lydia Borror-Gruelle, Adia Melchert, Hailey Green, Harley Foulk, Ava White and Emma Weidner. In the back row are Maggie Schwab, Adyson White, Kilee Hoover, Lana Cress, Ryker Witt, Jaylen Komor, Brylan Marten, Lukas Paine, Braylen Stewart, Jaxon Ray, Jalen Stewart, Troy Masinelli, Jennah Longwell, Braedyn Knapp, Mckenna Harmon and Andrew Boston.

Record Year Continues For Litchfield Track

The Litchfield Middle School track program is no stranger to success at the state level, but even with their lofty standards, the 2024 campaign will be one that stands out. The Panthers, who … more

5/16/24

Litchfield's Alexis Mielke cruises into second base during the Lady Panthers' 12-0 win over Vandalia on Monday, May 13 in Litchfield. The win moved Litchfield into the regional semifinal, where they lost a 5-4 barn-burner in 10 innings to Carlyle, despite three hits and two RBIs from Mielke.

Panthers Don't Go Away Quietly

The season came to an end for the Litchfield-Mt. Olive softball team on Tuesday, May 14, as they fell to the higher-seeded Indians of Carlyle 5-4 in ten innings in the semifinals of the Vandalia … more

5/16/24

Litchfield's Alex Rhodes takes a goal kick during the Panthers' 7-0 loss to Alton Marquette on Tuesday, May 14, at the regional championship game in Hillsboro.

Marquette Knocks Off Panthers In Title Game

The Litchfield girls soccer team knew they would have a hard path to secure the seventh regional title in the program's history. That thought proved to be correct as Alton Marquette defeated the … more

5/16/24

Readenour K’s 17 In Panthers 12-3 Victory

Lili Readenour struck out a season-best 17 batters and the Litchfield-Mt. Olive softball team collected 17 hits as they defeated North Greene on Thursday, May 9, in White Hall. The outing was … more

5/16/24

Litchfield's Izabella Fenton (left) and Father McGivney's Lilly Gilbertson were shoulder to shoulder going around the second turn on the opening leg of the 4x400, the final race of the day at the Class 1A North Mac Sectional on May 9. Gilbertson's Griffins would finish first in the 1600 meter race, with Fenton and teammates Gracie Boden, Brooke Braasch and Kendall Stewart coming in second to earn on of Litchfield's six state qualifying berths in Virden.

Lady Panthers Send Six To State

The relays have been a strong suit for the Litchfield girls track team all season long and on Thursday, May 9, the Lady Panthers received another payoff for their hard work. The 4x100 and 4x400 … more

5/13/24

Litchfield's Daphney Hartel drew the attention of Hillsboro defender Zoey Spinner and her teammates Addison Compagni (#32) and Brynn Connor (right) during a run toward the goal during the second half of the regional semifinal in Hillsboro on May 10. After falling to Hillsboro 9-1 in last year's regional championship, Hartel and company beat the Lady Hiltoppers for the third time this year, winning 3-1 to advance to the regional championship against Alton Marquette on Tuesday, May 14, at 5 p.m.

Litchfield Moves On With Win Over Toppers

When Hillsboro and Litchfield met up in the girls soccer regional championship last year, it took Chloe Law just 89 seconds to put the Lady Panthers on the board, but the Lady Hiltoppers answered … more

5/13/24

Litchfield Second At Miner Invite

The Litchfield boys track team didn’t have a full roster for the Gillespie Invite on Friday, May 10, but still made sure to put their best foot, or feet, forward as they took second at the … more

5/13/24

Montgomery County Teams Compete In Jokisch-Grandone Invite

Prom had some athletes from Litchfield and Nokomis missing in action, but all three Montgomery County track programs were in Carlinvile on April 27, for the Jokisch-Grandone Invite. Ten new personal … more

5/13/24

Panthers Get Past Hiltoppers

With a nod to poet T.S. Elliot, one might say two neighboring teams ended their regular season baseball play on the opposite ends of the famous bang/whimper spectrum this past weekend. Litchfield … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 5/13/24

Panthers Face Tough Test In Griffins

With regional play on the doorstep of the Purple Panthers’ schedule, the Litchfield-Mt. Olive baseball team was able to squeeze in a game Saturday, May 11, with a trip to Glen Carbon to battle … more

5/13/24

Litchfield Head Coach Rocky Giannuzzi gives Landon Wernsing the green light going around third as the Purple Panthers scored their seventh run of the game against Staunton on Saturday, May 11. The run was Litchfield's last in their 7-2 win over the Bulldogs that tied the program record for wins with 24.

Panthers Tie Record With 24th Win

Playing good baseball entering postseason play is the goal for all managers, and the Litchfield-Mt. Olive Purple Panthers have been on a roll as they have rambled off five straight wins, including a … more

5/13/24

Litchfield Soccer Camp To Be Held July 1-3

The Litchfield High School soccer program will be hosting a camp for players in pre-K through eighth grades on July 1-3, at the Litchfield Community Center. The camp will be from 9 to … more

5/13/24

Litchfield's Carly Favre dishes off to teammate Avery Stewart to avoid an oncoming Staunton midfielder during the Lady Panthers' game against the Bulldogs on Tuesday, May 7, in Carlinville. Favre is one of six senior soccer players who have helped shepherd the team from a 4-15 record in 2022 to a current record of 13-5 after the Panthers defeated Staunton 2-1 on Tuesday to claim a share of their first South Central Conference championship since 2017.

Panthers Earn A Share Of The SCC

It’s been so long since Greenville claimed at least a share of the South Central Conference girls soccer title, the Comets have already added “2024” to the space for championships … more

5/9/24

Record Falls As Litchfield Celebrates Seniors

Ten Litchfield High School seniors competed in their final home meet for the boys track team on Thursday, May 2, as the Purple Panthers hosted South County, Pana and the Illinois School for the Deaf. … more

5/9/24

Litchfield Beats Hillsboro In Prequel To Regional

In a preview of their regional semifinal game coming up on May 10, the Hillsboro and Litchfield girls soccer teams met for the second time this season on May 1, or technically the third as … more

5/9/24

Panthers Too Slick For Oilers

On April 30, the Litchfield girls soccer team closed out the month with their seventh victory in a row and eighth shutout of the season as they blanked East Alton-Wood River 9-0. Litchfield led … more

5/9/24

Francis To Host Girls Wrestling Clinic May 11

Litchfield High School graduate and four-time US Wrestling national team member Victoria Francis will be back in Litchfield on May 11 for a girls wrestling freestyle clinic. Francis, who was a … more

5/9/24

Diveley, Stewart Score Senior Night Wins

If you’re going to have one last race on your home track, you might as well win it. At least that seemed to be the theory Litchfield seniors Kendall Stewart and Emma Diveley were operating … more

5/9/24

The Litchfield wrestling family held their annual awards banquet on April 25, with the high school program taking the opportunity to hand out several individual awards. From the left are Head Coach Chance Davidson, Most Motivational Wrestler Robert McCoy, Most Valuable Wrestler Vincent Moore, Hardest Worker Rilynn Younker and assistant coaches Trevor Hogue and Zac Going.

Litchfield Wrestlers Busy After Successful Season

While the IHSA season may be in the books, wrestling season never stopped for several Purple Panthers. Eight wrestlers from the Litchfield Wrestling Foundation competed in the Adidas Nationals … more

5/9/24

Gasperson Supplies The '0' In 20th Win

Drake Gasperson could have only dreamt of the perfect ending to his high school career as a Litchfield/Mt. Olive baseball player. On senior night, Gasperson took the ball on the mound and produced … more

5/6/24