Sports | The Journal-News

From the left, Litchfield's Sam Horn and Camden Quarton reel in early pacesetter Pana's Zander Merrifield during the 3200 meter race at the South Central Conference Championships in Staunton on Tuesday, May 2. Quarton and Horn finished the race in first and second (Merrifield finished fourth) as Litchfield went on to take second in the team standings, one point behind North Mac.

In a sport where the difference between first and second can be fractions of a second or thousandths of an inch, it was only appropriate that the 2023 South Central Conference Championships on … more

5/4/23

Gerlach Celebrates Senior Night With A Win

What do you get a player who has been around the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville golf program for the last seven years? For Lancer senior Kaylee Gerlach, her teammates helped her get one more victory. … more

9/25/23

For the third time in four years, the Nokomis Lady Redskins are champions of the MSM Conference in girls basketball, after defeating South County 51-40 on Monday, Feb. 5, to finish 7-0 in the conference. In front, from the left are Grace DeWerff, Fallon Knodle, Maliah Harris, Natalie Brownback, Camryn Engelman, Kalasandra Cook and Cloey Dirks. In the back row are Lizzy Hill, Mackenzie Mehochko, Cydney Bertolino, Alivia Sabol, Kinley Stolte and Becca Hill. In their four years in the MSM Conference, the Nokomis girls are 26-1. For more photos from the game, go to nokophoto.smugmug.com.

Nokomis Tops The MSM Conference Again

A six-minute stretch in the third and fourth quarters helped Nokomis pick up their 20th win of the season and secure an outright MSM Conference title for the third time in their four years in the … more

2/8/24

Fourth Is Toppers Best Finish In 15

The Hillsboro boys track team posted their best team finish at the South Central Conference Championships in 15 years on Tuesday, May 2, as they finished fourth at the annual meet, held in Staunton … more

5/4/23

It was senior night for the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville-Pawnee golf team on Friday, Sept. 22, as the Lancers celebrated the six soon-to-be graduates of the program. From the left are Brady Schmedeke, Zach Waldeck, Lance Weitekamp, Patrick Lipe, Kaylee Gerlach and Griffin Boblitt.

Schmedeke Medals To Lead Lancers

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville-Pawnee boys golf team celebrated its seniors on Friday, Sept. 22, as they collected their 31st win of the season. The lineup showed that while the name on the shirt says … more

9/25/23

With a helpful pick from Elliott Lentz to take care of Staunton defender Zander Machota (#14), Hillsboro's Adrian Harston drives toward the basket for two of his four points in the first few minutes of the Toppers' home game on Feb. 6. Hillsboro outscored the Bulldogs in three of the four quarters to pick up their fourth South Central Conference win of the season by a 42-36 final score.

Toppers Score Another Conference Win

For whatever reason, the Hillsboro boys basketball team seems to play better when South Central Conference competion is on the other side of the court. On Tuesday, Feb. 6, the Hiltoppers … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 2/8/24

Lancers Finish Third With Win Over Toppers

When Lincolnwood High School and Hillsboro met in the third place game of the 2024 Montgomery County Baseball Tournament on Saturday, April 13, both were coming off relatively close losses in the … more

4/15/24

With 13 strikeouts in a seven-inning, three-hit shutout of Staunton on May 2, Jacob Budd set a new standard for senior night success as his Purple Panthers defeated the Bulldogs 6-0. Pictured with the Litchfield senior are his parents, Sheila and Brian, and sister, Sydney.

This, Budd, Is For You

Vince Lombardi once said, "Wining is a habit," and recently the Litchfield Purple Panthers baseball club has picked up that habit. Coming into Tuesday night's South Central Conference match-up, … more

5/4/23

Senior Melissa Bell picked up a straight set win over Taylorville's Lydia Hopkins, 6-2, 6-2, during the Toppers' home match on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

Bad Luck, Close Matches The Story For Hillsboro

So far this season, winning has been less of a problem for the Hillsboro High School girls tennis team than actually getting the opportunity to play. In between picking up their fourth victory of the … more

9/25/23

Panthers Remain Unbeaten In SCC

Litchfield and Gillespie would take part in a South Central Conference showdown in the Pit Tuesday night, Feb. 6, in Big Orange Country. Litchfield entered the contest with an unblemished conference … more

2/8/24

Rilynn Younker was the first person to win a regional title and the first person to win a sectional title in girls wrestling at Litchfield High School, so it was only fitting that the freshman add another first to her list at the IHSA Girls Wrestling State Tournament on Feb. 23-24 in Bloomington. On Saturday, Younker finished off her run at state with a fourth place finish in the 110-pound weight class, becoming the first state medalist in her sport for the Purple Panthers.

Younker Takes Fourth At State Tourney

In 2006, Chance Davidson became the first ninth grader to win a state medal for the Litchfield High School wrestling program. On Saturday, Feb. 24, he had a pretty good seat to watch the latest … more

2/26/24

Lady Panthers Hold Off Lincolnwood

The Litchfield-Mt. Olive and Lincolnwood-Morrisonville softball teams have both had their struggles at times this season, so it was only appropriate that the two teams find their footing against one … more

4/15/24

Tri-City Softball Takes Two At Lincolnwood

After their original meeting was suspended due to April showers, the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville softball team hosted Tri-City/Sangamon Valley on Tuesday, May 2, for an MSM Conference … more

5/4/23

Hillsboro Girls Pick Up Sixth South Central Win

The Hillsboro girls basketball team overcame a slow start to pick up their sixth South Central Conference win of the season on Monday, Feb. 5, as they defeated Pana 54-26. The Panthers scored … more

2/8/24

Strong Finish Sends Comets Past Panthers

In the past 19 years the Litchfield Purple Panthers and the Greenville Comets have meet 33 times. On Wednesday evening, Feb. 21, the 34th meeting took place on neutral ground as the two teams squared … more

2/26/24

Lady Redskins Slip Past Toppers

The Hillsboro and Nokomis softball teams entered the Montgomery County Softball Tournament on Saturday, April 13, with quite a few similarities. Both teams were floating around .500 for the season, … more

4/15/24

Lancers Hold Off Raiders, Fall To Tri-City

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville baseball team plated six runs in the first inning of their May 1 game against Central A&M and made it stick as they took a 7-5 victory over the Raiders in … more

5/4/23

Litchfield's Harrison Thomas (#52) and Carson Saathoff (#11) try to clear out Hillsboro's Elliott Lentz (#54) and the other Topper defenders to give A.J. Sypherd some running room on Friday, Sept. 22. Sypherd had Litchfield's only touchdown, but that and a Cooper Martin field goal were enough as the Panthers scored a 9-7 win on homecoming.

Panthers Win Battle Over Toppers

Anyone who went to the Hillsboro/Litchfield South Central Conference football game held on the Purple Panthers’ home field Friday night, Sept. 22, expecting to see offensive plays up and down the … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 9/25/23

Second Quarter Pushes Nokomis Past Pawnee

A 19-5 second quarter advantage paved the way for a 19-point win by Nokomis on Tuesday, Feb. 6, as they improved to 5-2 in the MSM Conference with a 60-41 win over Pawnee. The Indians were 3-3 … more

2/8/24

Lincolnwood Head Coach Matt Millburg celebrates with Donny Daugherty (left) and Tucker Armentrout after Armentrout hit an off-balance three at the end of regulation to tie Carrollton at 39 in the regional semifinal on the Hawks' home floor on Feb. 21. The Hawks managed to survive the miracle, though, beating the Lancers in triple overtime 50-47.

Lancers Fall In Three Overtime Thriller

It took three overtimes, but somehow the Carrollton Hawks ended the Lincolnwood-Morrisonville boys basketball team’s season on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Playing on their home court, the Hawks … more

2/26/24