Sports | The Journal-News

For the first time since 2019, the Litchfield High School girls soccer team claimed a regional championship, beating Staunton 4-3 on Tuesday, May 20. In front, from the left, are seniors Kristin Gruelle and Daphney Hartel. In the middle row are Maya Estell, Avery Stewart, Adia Melchert, Emma Weidner, Lynzie Reid, Charlotte Reyes, Kathryn Cox, Savannah Carle, Cheyenne Cobix and Kyndal Law. In the back are Assistant Coach Brian Vazzi, Alexia Baiget, Melody Vazzi, Naja Kjeldson, McKenna Harmon, Ava Ballard, Halle Rogers, Kilee Hoover, Jordyn Ferguson, Chloe Law, Assistant Coach Lonnie Law and Head Coach Dominique Ranger.

With 19 of their 24 games decided by two goals or more, the anxiety of the final seconds of a close game is an experience that the Litchfield-Mt. Olive girls soccer team hasn’t experienced much … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 5/22/25

Hillsboro senior Ella Greenwood takes care of a pop up to short during the Lady Hiltoppers regional semifinal game against Greenville on Tuesday, May 20. Greenwood scored a run and drove one in during the Toppers' 4-3 win over the regional hosts, which earned them a shot at a regional title on Friday, May 23.

Lady Hiltoppers Earn Shot At Regional Title

The name of the game in May is “survive and advance,” which is exactly what Hillsboro did on Tuesday, May 20, at the Greenville Regional. Twenty-four hours after battling Litchfield for a … more

5/22/25

Litchfield-Mt. Olive's Chloe Green slides into home plate to score the game-tying run in the seventh inning of the Lady Panthers' regional game against Hillsboro on Monday, May 19. While the Panthers rallied from a two-run deficit in the seventh to send the game to extra innings, they weren't as fortunate in the extra frame as Hillsboro scored four times in the eighth and went on to win 10-6, advancing to the regional semifinal against Greenville, who they beat 4-3 on Tuesday, May 20.

Hillsboro Gets Past Panthers In Eight Innings

The phrase, “It ain’t over, ‘til it’s over,” never rang so true as it did on Monday, May 19, when Litchfield hosted Hillsboro for the softball regional opener between … more

5/22/25

Lady Lancers To Play For Regional Crown

Audrey Germann was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home the only run in Lincolnwood-Morrisonville's 1-0 regional semifinal victory over Greenfield-Northwestern on Wednesday, May 21. … more

5/22/25

Hillsboro Baseball Scores Miner Upset

A betting man should have been leary if he were considering placing a wager on the Hillsboro/Gillespie quarter-final regional baseball game set for Gillespie’s home field on Monday, May 19. The … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 5/22/25

Father McGivney Picks Up Second Win Over Panthers

Both the Purple Panthers and the Father McGivney Griffins would have a first round bye in post season action. What better way to pass the time away before their first game in regionals, than … more

5/22/25

A volunteer with the Litchfield youth wrestling and football programs, Devin Hansel (right) was named the recipient of the inaugural Collin A. Davidson Memorial Litchfield Wrestling Foundation. Chance Davidson, Collin’s cousin and the head coach of the Litchfield High School wrestling team, presented the scholarship to Hansel during the Litchfield Open Tournament on May 10.

Hansel Receives Inaugural Collin Davidson Scholarship

Nearly 400 competitors from four to almost 50 years old flooded the two gyms at Litchfield Middle/High School on Saturday, May 10, for the 2025 Litchfield Open Tournament. While there plenty of … more

5/22/25

Hillsboro Junior High School students heading to the state track meet, in front, from the left are Roman Reed, Leland Armbruster, Gabe Wells, Meleah Edwards, Mia Wells and Charlie Long. In back are Gracelynn Crayne, Layla Blankenship, Lydia Collins, Bailey Chappelear, Aubrey Huber and Kaelin Cress.

Dragons Earn Shot At State Finals

The Hillsboro Junior High track team will be busy at the IESA State Finals on May 23-24, after qualifying for 12 events at the Gillespie Sectional on Saturday, May 17. Eight of those state … more

5/22/25

The Litchfield Middle School track team qualified for 13 events at this weekend's IESA Class 3A State Finals track meet in East Peoria. State qualifiers, from the left are Aubrie Boston, Lydia Gruelle, Maia Neuhaus, Maggie Schwab, Ava White, Harley Foulk, Lana Cress, Sydney Fleming, Jaylen Komor, Waylon Black, Fisher Ellis, Ian Birkenkamp, Sam Mazza, Clark Cress, Colin Roach and Parker Calufetti.

Litchfield State Bound...Again!

Death, taxes and the fact that Litchfield Middle School will have a boatload of competitors at the IESA State Finals track meet are the only certainties of life, or at least that’s the way … more

5/22/25

The Nokomis High School softball team crowds around home plate to help Cloey Dirks celebrate her two-run home run in the sixth inning of the Lady Redskins’ 10-1 victory over North Greene on Monday, May 19. The win put Nokomis in the regional semifinal on Tuesday, against Carrollton, who ended Nokomis’ season with a 10-0 victory.

Nokomis Beats Spartans, Falls To Hawks

A monster loomed in the future, but on Monday, May 19, the Nokomis Lady Redskins were allowed to celebrate their 10-1 win over North Greene in the opening game of the Class 1A Lincolnwood Regional. … more

5/22/25

Litchfield senior Alex Gasperson leads a pack of runners around the fourth turn at the North Mac Sectional on Friday, May 16. Gasperson narrowly missed a spot at state, but finished fifth and ran a personal best time of 2:36.62 in the 800 meters at the sectional.

Panthers Qualify Four From Sectional Storm

It took two days and two venues, but four Litchfield High School athletes are headed to state after competing at the Riverton-turned-North Mac Sectional on May 15 and 16. Senior Caitlyn Travis, … more

5/19/25

Lady Toppers End Season At Sectionals

The Hillsboro girls track team went up against some of the state’s best on Thursday, May 15, as the Lady Hiltoppers competed in the Class 2A Williamsville Sectional. While Hillsboro … more

5/19/25

Nokomis junior Camryn Engelman finished third in the high jump at the sectional in Newton on Wednesday, May 14, jumping a season-best 4.95 meters, just five centimeters off the state qualifying standard.

Camryn Comes Close At Newton Sectional Meet

Camryn Engelman came about as close as one can get to making a return trip to state as the Nokomis girls track team competed in the Newton Sectional on Wednesday, May 14. Engelman, who made it to … more

5/19/25

It's Litchfield/Staunton For The Regional Title

The best that the South Central Conference has to offer will meet again on Tuesday, May 20, but this time, there is a regional title on the line. Litchfield (18-3-2) handed Staunton (18-1) their only … more

5/19/25

Hillsboro’s Gracie Chambers volleys a ball toward the North Mac side of the field before the Panthers’ Kathryn Buckellew can close in during the regional semifinal game at Quincy Notre Dame on May 16. The Toppers picked up a late second half goal from Reagan Lentz to beat North Mac for the third time this year, earning them a shot at Quincy Notre Dame on Tuesday, May 20, in the regional championship.

Toppers To Play For Regional Title

The adage that it’s hard to beat a team three times held true for the Hillsboro girls soccer team on Friday, May 16, as they traveled to Quincy Notre Dame to play North Mac for the third time … more

5/19/25

One of the Panthers' aces during last year's postseason run, Litchfield-Mt. Olive will look to Ethan Saathoff to help lead the way at this year's regional tournament in Auburn.

Battle-Tested Panthers Ready For Regionals

One way to prepare for the postseason is to play the best competition. In the last week of the regular season that is what the Litchfield-Mt. Olive baseball club has done. On Saturday, May 17, … more

5/19/25

Redskins Serve Lancers First MSM Loss

After Lincolnwood-Morrisonville defeated Springfield Lutheran to clinch the championship of the MSM Conference, the Nokomis High School baseball team didn’t have a chance to spoil the Lancers … more

5/19/25

Miners, Explorers Hold Hillsboro In Final Games

The opposition seemed particularly stingy in Hillsboro’s final two regular season games of the 2025 season. In two games against Gillespie and Marquette, the Lady Hiltoppers were held to just … more

5/19/25

Shutout Secures Second For Nokomis Baseball

After dispatching Lincolnwood the night before to hand the Lancers their first conference loss of the season, the Nokomis baseball team wasted little time in ending their MSM Conference campaign on a … more

5/19/25

Musketeers Cap Tough Run For Lady Lancers

It’s been a tough stretch for the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville softball team, but the Lady Lancers should be battle tested going into the regionals this week. The Lancers lost their sixth game in … more

5/19/25