Sports | The Journal-News

Litchfield racer Bodee Everett picked up his first feature win of the season on May 6, at Coles County Speedway in Mattoon in the restricted winged micros class. Since then, Everett has battled back from engine issues and scored a second place finish at Wayne County Speedway on Aug. 4.

Some mechanical gremlins gave the Everett Racing Team some trouble in July, but those might be a thing of the past after driver Bodee Everett’s second place finish at Wayne County Speedway on … more

8/10/23

Hillsboro sophomore Colton Weiss was a sectional qualifier last year and picked up where he left off, taking 10th individually at the Toppers’ opening tournament, the Taylorville Invitational on Aug. 10.

Hillsboro Boys Pick Up Where They Left Off

The Hillsboro High School boys golf team started off the 2023 season with a pair of tournaments on Aug. 10 and 11 in Taylorville and Fillmore. The team returns four starters from last year and showed … more

8/14/23

Greenville was in full bloom for Litchfield's Caitlyn Travis (left) and Greenville's Katrina Campbell as the two competed in the Dave Holden Open on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Campbell finished second in the race that honors the late founder of the Greenville cross country program, but Travis and the Panthers took the top team spot, with six runners finishing in the top eight.

Litchfield Girls Off To A Quick Start

East St. Louis and Greenville took the top two individual spots in the Dave Holden Open on Tuesday, Sept. 12, in Greenville, but everything else belonged to the Litchfield Lady Panthers. Zhakeya … more

9/14/23

Dragon Softball Players Win Sportsmanship Award

Two Hillsboro Junior High School softball players have been awarded Outstanding Sportsmanship pins by the Illinois Elementary Schools Association for postseason play. Awards were based on overall … more

9/21/23 | 1 comment

Toppers Fall To PORTA, Jacksonville

While Hillsboro’s opening wins over Taylorville and Southeast on Nov. 28 gave the wrestling program some momentum to start the season, their next match on Wednesday, Nov. 29, showed the Toppers … more

12/4/23

Litchfield Middle School seventh grader Kohen Kieffer took first the IESA Jerseyville Regional on Feb. 24, and advanced to this Saturday’s sectional in Vandalia.

Litchfield Qualifies Five For IESA Sectional

Five Litchfield Middle School wrestlers finished in the top three at the IESA Jerseyville Regional on Feb. 24, which earned them a spot in the sectional on Saturday, March 2, in Vandalia. The … more

2/29/24

Panthers Have A Field Day At Plains

The Litchfield boys track team took home four wins from the Pleasant Plains Invitational on Saturday, April 6, plus 10 other podium finishes as they finished the day with 73 points. The seven-team … more

4/8/24

Lady Redskins Collect Three Wins

The Nokomis girls track team came away with three individual wins and 21 team points as they competed against Shelbyville, Tuscola and Effingham St. Anthony in Shelbyville. All three wins came … more

4/27/23

New Look Lancers Third At Moweaqua

The Lincolnwood boys golf team finished third at the Meridian Earlybird Invite for the second year in a row on Thursday, Aug. 10, but with a vastly different lineup than the 2022 version. With … more

8/14/23

The Litchfield High School boys golf team finished fourth overall and posted the best second day score of the 32-team Craig Dixon Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 9, in Mattoon. From the left are Tucker Maguire, A.J. Odle, Sam Schwab, Ian Otto, Brawly Jacobs and Tug Schwab.

Litchfield Boys 4th At Mattoon Invite

Thirty-two thousand five hundred and twenty-seven. That’s how many strokes were counted at this year’s Craig Dixon Invitational in Mattoon. And by the time all 185 players from 32 … more

9/14/23

After 90 minutes of soccer that personified the intensity of the Hillsboro/Lincolnwood soccer rivalry, the two teams came together for a photo with the Herschelman family at the inaugural Grace Cup in Hillsboro on Monday, Sept. 18. Named after the late Grace Herschelman, who passed away from infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy in May 2021, the game raises awareness of INAD and helps continue Grace’s legacy. The game ended in a 0-0 tie, meaning that the traveling trophy will spend the next year with the Herschelman family.

CENTER AND GUARD • Grace Wins

A few hours before the Grace Cup on Monday, Lincolnwood boys basketball coach Matt Millburg texted me, “Enjoy your evening! Grace wins!” I don’t think either of us thought that … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 9/21/23

Panthers Pin Pirates At Shelbyville

In addition to their win over Shelbyville on Tuesday, Nov. 28 (see the Nov. 30 Journal-News), the Litchfield High School wrestling team alss picked up a 42-37 win over Cumberland at the meet in the … more

12/4/23

Hillsboro’s Hudson Wright won the championship in the novice 93-pound class at the IKWF regional in Edwardsville on Saturday, Feb. 24, to advance to the sectionals in Highland.

Jr. Toppers Compete At IKWF Regional

Five members of the Hillsboro Jr. Toppers Wrestling Club made their way to the IKWF regional in Edwardsville on Saturday, Feb. 24. Four of the five finished in the top four to advance to the … more

2/29/24

Redskin Trio Tosses One-Hitter In Win Over Bunker Hill

Three Nokomis pitchers combined for a one-hitter against Bunker Hill on Friday, April 5, as the Lady Redskins improved to 5-5 on the season with a 7-1 win over the Minutemaids. Reaghan Jonas pitched … more

4/8/24

With teammate Brooklyn Bechtel to her right, Hillsboro's Isabella White sends a pass down field past Litchfield's Alli Frerichs (#12) and Olivia Fleming (#24) on April 20 in Hillsboro. The Lady Hiltoppers managed to take a 4-3 victory over Litchfield, picking up their fourth South Central Conference win in the process.

Hillsboro Gets Rt. 16 Bragging Rights

Sandwiched in between a pair of 2-0 losses (at Greenville on April 18 and at Jacksonville on April 22), the Hillsboro High School girls soccer team picked up a 4-3 victory over Litchfield to earn … more

4/27/23

Keenan Powell's third jump of 12.85 meters in Thursday's preliminary round of the IHSA Class 1A State Finals was enough to get him to Saturday's final round, but the Litchfield High School junior had bigger plans for the finale. Powell jumped 13.43 meters (44'0.75") in his first of three jumps on May 27 to break the school record and finish third overall in the triple jump.

Powell, Quarton Add To Newkirk's Legacy

Even after 31 years of making the trek from Litchfield to Charleston, no matter how hard Dan Newkirk tried to think otherwise he knew that this year was different. “My thought was to keep … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 5/30/23

Nearly 40 particpants took the line on a beautiful Sunday morning for the annual Old Settlers 4 mile fun run and 2 mile fun walk. The event is sponsored by M&M Multisport Club and featured volunteers from the Montgomery County Cancer Association.

Fun Run Kicks Off 2023 Old Settlers

Another year, another Old Settlers, and another four-mile fun run and two mile fun walk opeining the week of festivities. Nearly forty people entered in the annual Old Settlers Four Mile Fun Run … more

8/10/23

Lady Lancers Drop Strokes At Earlybird

Lincolnwood’s top two players in their opening tournament, the Meridian Earlybird Invite at Moweaqua Golf Course, each cut 21 strokes off their score from the previous year as the Lady Lancers … more

8/14/23

Lincolnwood’s Kaylee Gerlach watches her shot during the Lancers’ match in Staunton on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Gerlach shot a 49 on the day to help Lincolnwood score a win over Ramsey-Nokomis and South County, their 11th and 12th victories of the year.

Lincolnwood Girls Win, Keagy Medals At Staunton

It was a good day for Montgomery County in Macoupin County on Tuesday, Sept. 12, as the Lincolnwood and Ramsey-Nokomis girls golf teams played South County at Timber Lakes Golf Course in Staunton. … more

9/14/23

Award winners, from the left, were Most Valuable Player Reece Lohman, Best Offensive Player Ian Keller, Best Defensive Player Carson Contreras, Most Improved Player Bond Knodle and We Before Me Award winner Cade Johnson.

Lancer Soccer Doles Out Awards

The Lincolnwood-Nokomis-Morrisonville-Pawnee soccer team held their annual awards banquet on Thursday, Nov. 9, in Raymond. Award winners, from the left, were Most Valuable Player Reece Lohman, Best … more

12/4/23