Sports | The Journal-News

Pana Puts Litchfield Playoff Plans On Hold

The Litchfield football team traveled to Pana on Friday evening, in a must win contest for the Purple Panthers, who entered the contest with three wins, needing two more for a chance to make the … more

10/21/24

Hillsboro's Tytin Wells runs past a cavalcade of Cavaliers during the Toppers' game in Carlinville on Oct. 18. Wells ran for 51 yards and a touchdown, but the Toppers fell 36-14 to the Cavies.

Hiltoppers Fall To Carlinville In Week 8

On a night in Carlinville that favored big plays, the Cavaliers had the more spectacular ones, especially on defense, in an explosive first half that resulted in a convincing victory for the hosts … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 10/21/24

Lady Hiltoppers Make It Five Straight In SCC

After losing their first two South Central Conference games, the Hillsboro High School volleyball team has won five straight in conference play, with the latest victory coming on Oct. 17, in Virden. … more

10/21/24

Players from Mt. Olive/Litchfield, Morrisonville/Lincolnwood and Hillsboro joined players from Edinburg to make up the South Central squad in the eighth grade girls Junior High All-State Showcase at the Future Champions Sports Complex in Jacksonville on Oct. 5-6. From the left are Libby Knes and Koralyne Jones of Mt. Olive/Litchfield; Kinlee Paprotth, Karissa Ferrill and Brianna Boyd of Morrisonville/Lincolnwood; Gracelynn Crayne of Hillsboro; and Reagan Swinger, Daisy Shanks, Paige Lareau, Cally Cooper and Keely Westenhaver of Edinburg/South Fork.

Junior High Softball, Baseball Wraps Up

IESA Class 1A Baseball Morrisonville Regional Tuesday, September 24 • (4) Springfield St. Agnes 7, (5) Jerseyville St. Francis Holy Ghost 0 • (2) Morrisonville-Lincolnwood 16, (7) Bunker … more

10/21/24

Nokomis' Garrett Engelman bears down on Cumberland quarterback Hudson Mcelravy during the Redskins' trip to Toledo on Friday, Oct. 18. Despite the pressure from the Nokomis defense, Mcelravy threw for five of the Pirates' six touchdowns as they handed Nokomis their third straight loss by a 42-0 final score.

Pirates Prove Cumbersome For Nokomis

Technically, the full moon was the night before, but the unusual occurrences on Oct. 18, at Cumberland High School, might prove that the lunar calendar was off a day. For the better part of four … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 10/21/24

Third Time The Charm For Lancers

After falling to Carlinville 4-0 and 3-0 during the regular season, the Lincolnwood High School soccer team got the better of the Cavaliers when it mattered most. On Saturday, Oct. 19, the fifth … more

10/21/24

Donnellson's Cooper Duff (#201) leads a pack of racers on the trail at the Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders grounds near White City, during the sixth round of the So. IL Off-Road Racing Series on Sept. 15, which he won in a time of 2:11:48, despite running in the Open B class. The series wraps up this Sunday, Oct. 20, with the Big Red Enduro, which will also be held at the Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders grounds.

Big Red Enduro Turns 60 Sunday

For years off-road motorcycle enthusiasts have made the trek to White City and the grounds of the Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders and 2024 should be no exception as the group celebrates the 60th annual Big … more

10/17/24

Point Streak Lifts Nokomis Over 'Cats

As silly as it seems to say it, the MSM Conference game between Edinburg and Nokomis on Tuesday, Oct. 15, was a close one... when you take away the Lady Redskins’ 16-point run in the middle of … more

10/17/24

Lady Hiltoppers Get Fourth SCC Victory

After losing their first two South Central Conference games of the season the Hillsboro High School volleyball team picked up their fourth straight conference win on Tuesday, Oct. 15, with a 25-12, … more

10/17/24

Lincolnwood Gets Past Wildcats In MSM Win

At 8-20 overall and 2-5 in the MSM Conference, the Mt. Olive High School volleyball team is on the opposite side of the standings of Lincolnwood, who is 24-4 and 6-1 in the MSM, but that didn’t … more

10/17/24

Cavaliers Extend Streak With Win Over Panthers

The Litchfield High School volleyball team had their hopes of extending their three game win streak derailed on Tuesday, Oct. 15, as the Lady Panthers fell to Carlinville on the road 25-13, 25-16. … more

10/17/24

Toppers To Take On Cavies In Week Eight

Hillsboro’s senior football players have one last away football game to enjoy when the Toppers travel to Carlinville Friday night, Oct. 18. Their last football game ever will be at home against … more

10/17/24

Pictured above are individual state qualifiers Madison Betz and Maggie Schwab (#897), who will be making their second straight trip to state.

Next Stop... State!

Nine members of the Litchfield Middle School cross country team will be running at state on Saturday, Oct. 19, after qualifying from the IESA Class 2A sectional in Shelbyville on Oct. 12. Last year, … more

10/15/24

Tennis Toppers Fall To Taylorville In Home Finale

The Hillsboro girls tennis team played their final home match of the season on Monday, Oct. 7, as they played host to Taylorville at the Hillsboro Sports Complex. The two teams split singles play … more

10/15/24

Litchfield's Matthew Bywater (via co-op partner Mt. Olive) looks for some running room during the Panthers' week seven home game against Staunton on Friday, Oct. 11. Bywater caught Ethan Saathoff's pass for a 22-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give Litchfield a 13-0 lead, but Staunton rallied back to win 14-3 and drop the Panthers to 3-4 on the season.

'Dogs Block Panthers' Path To Fourth Win

Litchfield and Staunton left everything on the field Friday night, Oct. 11, when the Purple Panthers and Bulldogs squared off at Lloyd Hill Field. The Friday night showdown had playoff implications … more

10/15/24

Nokomis senior Atticus Bertolino (#55) gets a hand from Cooper Christensen of Sullivan-Okaw Valley during the week seven match-up in Nokomis. Bertolino was one of the few uninjured (or less injured) starting linemen for the Redskins, who fell to the Lincoln Prairie co-leaders 33-20 on Oct. 11.

Injury Bug Bites Redskins In Loss

All year long, the success of the Nokomis football team has come with a caveat: the Redskins will do well, if they can stay healthy. On Friday, Oct. 11, that caveat came into play at one of the least … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 10/15/24

Hillsboro's Ethan Hamby looks to create some running room between himself and the Vandalia defender during the first half of the Toppers' 47-20 loss to the Vandals on Oct. 11.

Vandals Pick Up Sixth Win In Hillsboro

To say that Hillsboro was vandalized Friday night on the football field would be both trite and an understatement; their spread offense working out of a shotgun formation had more weapons than the … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 10/15/24

Hillsboro libero Briley Kirby was one of three Toppers with double digit dig totals in Hillsboro's win over Gillespie on Oct. 10. Kirby and teammate Albany Kindernay (#13) both had ten digs apiece, while Kailey Weiss led the Toppers with 15 as Hillsboro improved to 17-10 on the year.

Hillsboro Girls Kill It In Gillespie

Senior Addison Lowe put down a season-best 15 kills to help Hillsboro secure it’s third straight winning season on Thursday, Oct. 10, with a three set victory over Gillespie. Playing on … more

10/15/24

Redskins Remain Unbeaten In MSM

Just two teams stand between Nokomis and their second straight outright MSM Conference volleyball championship after the Lady Redskins won their seventh conference game of the season on Wednesday, … more

10/15/24

Night Race Suits Panthers Just Fine

The Litchfield High School cross country team stayed up a little later on Saturday, Oct. 12, as they participated in their lone night meet of the season, the 30th annual East Alton-Wood River … more

10/15/24