Sports | The Journal-News

Lady Panthers Gear Up For Success In 2023

The official opening of the 2023 volleyball season was Aug. 9 and Litchfield Head Coach Kari Dragoo was greeted by 27 athletes who are eager to earn playing time and contribute to the success of the … more

8/17/23

Hillsboro Racer Has Wright Stuff In Casey

Adam Wright picked up a win in the throwback class at Lincoln Trail Motosports on Sunday, Aug. 13, as the Thor Showdown Series kicked off the second half of its season. The win was one of two … more

8/28/23

Area Dirt Track Racers Circle The Wagons

Time on the track has been harder to come by this season for the Lynch Motorsports family, but Nathan, Evan and Brady Lynch did have the chance to show off their cars in their home town on Aug. 6. … more

8/17/23

Lincolnwood's Jonah Elvidge earns a trip to the free-throw line after drawing contact from Aaden Hilligoss during the second half of the consolation semifinal at the Waverly Holiday Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 28. Elvidge scored 23 points, but the Crusaders were able to keep Lincolnwood from the program's 1,000th win and a shot at repeating as consolation champions with a 61-56 victory.

Crusaders Spoil Lancers Run At Waverly

MSM Conference foe Springfield Lutheran has had the opportunity to spoil many a moment for Lincolnwood over the year, across all sports. Sometimes the Crusaders are successful, sometimes they … more

1/2/24

From the left, Hudson Wright, Ryder Armstrong, Colt Rosentreter and Cam Bone go four wide around the first turn in the 65cc class at the Montgomery County Fair motocross event on Friday, June 23. Armstrong finished first in the class, followed by Wright, Rosentreter and Bone.

Fair Moto Gives Local Riders Chance To Race In Front Of Home Crowd

Friday's motocross event at the Montgomery County Fair was a chance for some of the county’s best to race close to home, but it also gave fairgoers the opportunity to see the pros in … more

6/26/23

Toppers Take One Against Bunker Hill

Hillsboro’s varsity boys’ basketball team garnered win Number One at the Carlinville Holiday Tournament during Red Pool play early Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 27. when they edged Bunker … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 1/2/24

Litchfield Middle School student Allison Belusko, center, earned first place in the novice female division. She is pictured above with her coaches, Tom Melchert, at left, and Kyle “Hootie” Sutton.

Litchfield Pulls In Students With New Trap Shooting Teams

The Litchfield School District offered a new extra-curricular opportunity, trapshooting, for sixth through twelvth graders thanks to one local family’s Father’s Day tradition. On … more

6/26/23

Bulldogs Hold Off Hiltoppers In Pool Play

When the starting lineup for the Staunton Bulldogs was announced before their Carlinville Holiday Tourament nightcap basketball game with Hillsboro Thursday, Dec. 28, a casual basketball fan … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 1/2/24

The College Report: Haley Makes Major Impact At KC

Haley Major , a Hillsboro graduate and recent Kaskaskia College graduate, is headed to Indiana State University. As a student only. That is her decision as of today. If that remains the … more

6/26/23

College Report: Magnus Wells Earns Respect Award

One of the things that has helped Magnus Wells succeed in his athletic career at high school at Hillsboro High School and now Augustana College, has been his attitude. Now he is being … more

by Dan Chamness | 1/2/24

THE COLLEGE REPORT • Bishop Wins Great Lakes Valley Title

Alex Bishop , a Litchfield graduate and Purdue University-Northwest golfer, might not always be called “the champ”, but you can if you would like to. The former Purple Panther golfer … more

by Daniel Chamness | 6/22/23

Vitale Foods presented a check for $7,200 to Hillsboro’s recreational baseball, softball and T-ball teams. The funds were raised through a season-long fundraiser where the youth teams sold Vitale Foods’ frozen pizzas. From the left are Vince Vitale, Sports Administrator Bill Christian and Wayne Adams.

Vitale Foods Bolsters Youth Sports

Vince Vitale and Wayne Adams, owners of Vitale Foods, presented a check for $7,200 to Bill Christian, the City of Hillsboro’s youth sports administrator, on Friday afternoon, June 16, at the … more

by Tori O’Dell | 6/26/23

Walshville's Travis Lentz goes wheels up across the finish line at the Hoosier in Crawfordsville, IN, on May 6-7, in celebration of his sixth win in a row in the Grand National Cross Country racing series.

Lentz Still Atop Grand National Series

It took seven rounds, but someone finally knocked Travis Lentz off the top of the podium in the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series. Racing in the 85cc (12-13) youth bikes class, Lentz … more

6/22/23

In just over a week, 11-year-old Katrina Millburg of Waggoner raised $2,220 for the American Legion’s ball field in Waggoner, which was recently rebuilt for use for the first time in more than 25 years. Pictured with Millburg, from the left, are American Legion Everett C. Burton Post 701 members Dan Brown, Jon Yard, Ryan Brown, Glenn Rovey, Roger Gunn and Carl Leonard.

Crown Or No Crown, Millburg Makes A Difference

Katrina Millburg may not have won the Junior Miss Irish Days pageant, but that experience turned into a major blessing for her community. That’s why the 11-year-old wanted to be Junior … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 6/26/23

Lady Redskins Ready To Slide Into Summer

The Nokomis High School softball team will host its first annual Slide Into Summer softball camp on June 26-27 for players entering second through ninth grades. With instruction from the Lady … more

5/13/24

Lady Toppers To Host Basketball Camp May 29-31

The Hillsboro High School girls basketball program will host their annual youth basketball camp on May 29-31, at the Hillsboro Junior High gym. Conducted by the players and coaching staff of the … more

5/13/24

As the Barbie movie taught us, “Pink goes with everything,” and on Sunday, Jan. 21, pink went with Topper basketball and a good cause. The teams of the Hillsboro Sports Association sported pink accessories for their games with Pana St. Pats on Sunday, as they raised $4,500 for the family of Rachel Beckett, who is fighting breast cancer.

Hillsboro Goes Pink To Ball For Becketts

The orange and black of the Hillsboro Sports Association basketball teams had a splash of added color for their games on Sunday, Jan. 21, against Pana St. Pats, as the two communities came together … more

1/25/24

Nokomis’ Reaghan Jonas prepares to hurl her offering toward home during the Lady Redskins’ Strike Out Cancer Game on March 25, against Ramsey. Umpire Louis Lang, who donated his game check to Stamp Out Cancer’s Team UM-BElievable and the Montgomery County Cancer Association, was kept busy by Jonas, who had 12 strikeouts and a home run in Nokomis’ 13-3 win over the Lady Rams.

Lady Redskins Strike Out Cancer, Rams

Monday was Strike Out Cancer Night for the Nokomis High School softball team as the Lady Redskins teamed up with Stamp Out Cancer’s Team UM-BElievable to … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 3/28/24

Litchfield's Drake Gasperson struck out ten batters in relief to help the Panthers to an 8-1 win over Carlinville on Monday, April 22.

Purple Panthers Drop Cavies 8-1

An old coach once said, your baseball team is as good as your last three batters. On Monday the Litchfield/Mt. Olive baseball club proved this theory as there last three batters would combine 4-7 at … more

4/25/24

Montgomery County's all-conference baseball and softball players were Hillsboro's Anika Camp, Litchfield's Bella Roach; Hillsboro's Nathan Matoush, Litchfield's Carson Saathoff and Hillsboro's Ketch Mills.

Five Named To SCC All-Conference Teams

Five Montgomery County players were among those honored by the coaches of the South Central Conference on this year’s SCC all-conference baseball and softball lists. Hillsboro had three … more

7/20/23