Sports | The Journal-News

2025-26 Holiday Basketball Tournaments

Below are the schedules for the holiday basketball tournaments involving the boys and girls basketball teams from Hillsboro, Litchfield, Nokomis and Lincolnwood. Carlinville Holiday Boys … more

12/28/25

Strong Start Pushes Shells Past Panthers

The Roxana Shells had a strong start and finished on a high note to beat Litchfield on Monday, Dec. 22, in Roxana. Hoping to enter the holidays on a high note, Litchfield had a two-game win … more

12/24/25

Hillsboro High School senior Makenzie Jarman, seated, center, made her decision to continue her athletic and academic career at William Woods University official on Thursday, Dec. 18, in front of her friends, family and coaches. Seated with Jarman are her mom Jennifer Jarman and step-father Alex Carter. In the back are Jarman's coaches, Grant Hart and Randy Cherry with Bluff City Softball.

Rejuvenated Jarman Bound For William Woods University

In a world where travel ball horror stories are all too common, Mackenzie Jarman’s experience gives parents and players hope that not all is lost. Jarman, a senior at Hillsboro High School, … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 12/24/25

Litchfield High School senior Alli Frerichs, seated, center, made her decision to continue her athletic and academic career at Lake Land College official on Sunday, Dec. 21, in front of her friends, family and coaches. Seated with Frerichs are her parents, Jessica and Andrew Frerichs. In the back, from the left, are Frerichs’ sister, Amy, Litchfield Head Volleyball Coach Mallory Beechler and Frerichs’ brother, Jacob.

Frerichs Ready To Hit The Ground Running At Lake Land

If you’ve watched Litchfield volleyball any time in the last four years, Alli Frerichs is easy to spot, and not just because of her libero jersey. Frerichs, a senior at Litchfield High School, is … more

12/24/25

After scoring more goals than anyone else at Hillsboro High School, Kinley Richardson tied the program record for career goals at Lincoln Land Community College, netting 20 goals in just 37 games. Richardson, who will continue her education at the University of Illinois-Springfield, also set a record for career points with 49.

Richardson Closes Out Career With Record-Setting Season

The all-time leading goal scorer for Hillsboro High School is now the all-time leading scorer for the Lincoln Land Community College women's soccer team, as well. Kinley Richardson, a 2024 … more

12/24/25

The Litchfield-Mt. Olive wrestling team took fifth place at the Skull and Crossbones Tournament at Cumberland High School on Saturday, Dec. 20, with four wrestlers finishing on the podium and a fifth earning consolation championship honors. In front, from the left, are Head Coach Chance Davidson, Tristan Staggs, Jayden Ellinger, Braxton Kieffer, Nicholas Adam and Assistant Coach Art FullerDee. In the middle row are Rilynn Younker, Vincent Moore, Draven Jones and Thayden Bailey. In the back row are Tommi Law, Kaleigh Morgan and Liana Braisse.

Panthers Fifth At Cumberland

Four of the nine Litchfield wrestlers who competed in this year’s Skull and Crossbones Tournament at Cumberland High School made the podium, with a fifth earning consolation champion honors at the … more

12/22/25

Toppers Take Third At St. Elmo Tourney

Hillsboro’s boys’ basketball team defeated the St. Elmo/Brownstown Eagles on the Eagles’ home court, 59-56, to claim third place in the St. Elmo gym Saturday evening, Dec. 20, ‘25; but it … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/22/25

Litchfield Boys Return From North Mac With A Win

Litchfield silenced the home crowd in Virden on Friday night, Dec. 19, using a massive 23-0 run that spanned from the second quarter into the third quarter to erase an early North Mac lead and secure … more

12/22/25

Nokomis' Carter Wexstten cuts between a pair of Arcola defenders during the Redskins' home game on Dec. 17. Wexstten helped his team to a 46-29 win over the Purple Riders, scoring a team-high 11 points.

Redskins Win, Fall, Get Up And Win Again

The Nokomis High School boys basketball team wrapped up a busy week in Centralia on Saturday, Dec. 20, scoring a 54-49 victory over Christ Our Rock Lutheran. The Redskins were down two after eight … more

12/22/25

Hatchets Cut Down Toppers In Semifinals

Athletic teams as inexperienced (young) as the ‘25-’26 Hillsboro boys’ basketball squad quite often face a steep learning curve when their season begins. That was evident in the first half of … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/22/25

Purple Panthers Hang On At Jerseyville

The Litchfield Purple Panthers and the Jersey Panthers tipped off in a rare Wednesday night non-conference match-up at Havens Gymnasium in Jerseyville on Dec. 17. In a close battle, the Purple … more

12/22/25

Hiltoppers Push Past Gillespie At ‘The Pit’

Hillsboro’s boys’ basketball program didn’t know what to expect when they traveled to “The Pit,” the home of their Gillespie counterparts, for South Central Conference action Friday … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/22/25

Nokomis, Mt. Olive Combine For 140 Points

The Nokomis and Mt. Olive girls basketball teams combined for 140 points scored on Thursday, Dec. 18, with the Lady Redskins picking up their third MSM Conference win of the season with an 80-60 … more

12/22/25

Lady Panthers Take Two Over MSM Foes

After losses to Nokomis and Lincolnwood earlier this year, the Litchfield girls basketball team picked up a pair of wins over two MSM Conference teams to end their week. On Wednesday, Dec. 17, … more

12/22/25

Lady Lancers Hope Offense Catches Up To Defense

The Lincolnwoood-Morrisonville girls basketball team turned in two solid defensive performances in their final two games to end the week, but struggled to find their offense as they fell to … more

12/22/25

Colwell And Company Shoot Down Lancers

A 22-8 second quarter helped lift South County to a 58-41 win over Lincolnwood-Morrisonville on Friday, Dec. 19, as the Waverly/Franklin co-op improved to 2-0 in the MSM Conference. Lincolnwood … more

12/22/25

Once a year, Montgomery County's two high school wrestling teams lock horns with a year's worth of bragging rights on the line. On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Hillsboro earned those rights with a 45-36 victory over the Purple Panthers at Simmons Gym in Litchfield. Pictured in the top row, from the left, are 138-pounders Thayden Bailey of Litchfield and Briar Kuhl of Hillsboro, 157-pounders Gavin Shomaker of Hillsboro and Nicholas Adam of Litchfield and 190-pounders Jayden Ellinger of Litchfield and Olan Lentz of Hillsboro. In the bottom row are 215-pounders Evan Fricke of Litchfield and Tytin Wells of Hillsboro, 165-pounders Braxton Kieffer of Litchfield and Westin Fenton of Hillsboro and 120-pounders Rilynn Younker of Litchfield and Landon Bandy of Hillsboro.

Hiltoppers, Purple Panthers Go Head-To-Head

It was about as close as it could get in Litchfield on Tuesday, Dec. 16, but in the end, the Hillsboro High School wrestling team scored bragging rights over their rivals to the west as the Toppers … more

12/18/25

With Litchfield's McKenna Harmon (right) blocking her path to the basket, Hillsboro's Kearstynn Davis looks for an another option in the first quarter of the South Central Conference showdown in Litchfield on Dec. 15. Davis had 11 points in Hillsboro's 58-44 victory over the Lady Panthers, which kept the Toppers tied atop the SCC.

Quick Start Pushes Hillsboro Past Litchfield

A 30-13 first half lead was enough to pave the way for a 58-44 victory for the Hillsboro girls basketball team over Litchfield on Monday, Dec. 15, at Simmons Gym. The Lady Hiltoppers scored the … more

12/18/25

Nokomis freshman Avry West (right) rises up for two of her four points in Nokomis' 73-14 win over Central A&M on Monday, Dec. 15, West's first points of her varsity career. The win was one of two for the Lady Redskins, who also beat Pawnee 48-43 on Dec. 16.

Lady Redskins Take Two At Home

Hannah Tarter hit a pair of threes and had 11 of her team-high 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Nokomis girls basketball team pulled out a 48-43 win over the Pawnee/Calvary/Lutheran co-op team … more

12/18/25

Lincolnwood’s Reagan Penrod (#4) takes a shot over Sangamon Valley’s Allison Closs in the fourth quarter of the Lancers’ MSM Conference game at home on Dec. 15. One of seven Lancers to score in the game, Penrod finished with six points in Lincolnwood’s 45-42 overtime win over the Storm.

Lady Lancers Weather The Storm In Overtime

Four quarters wasn’t enough for the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville and Sangamon Valley/Tri-City girls basketball teams on Monday, Dec. 15, as the two MSM Conference foes needed overtime to determine a … more

12/18/25