Sports | The Journal-News

Pictured above, in front, is Kipley Lessman. In the first row, from the left are Coach Amber Connor, Skylar Scroggins, Addy Tyson, Ella Schaake, Nataleigh Jackson, Jade Reynolds, Lux Reynolds and Rylee Rogers. In back are Coach Heather Lessman, Lainey Lessman, Kylee Furness, Lily Bell, Hailee Redman, Raya Yount, Aubree Rogers, Piper Walk, Bailey Chappelear, Kaya Connor, Layla Spinner, Kaelyn Benning and Coach Morgan Meade.

Dragon Softball Team Wins Regional Title

The Hillsboro Junior High School girls softball team earned a back-to-back regional championship with a 11-3 win over Gillespie on Tuesday evening, Sept. 12 in Virden. They advance to the sectional … more

9/14/23

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

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

Toppers Take Top Four Spots Against Pana

The Hillsboro boys golf team took the top four spots individually on Monday, Sept. 11, as the Toppers defeated Pana 175-228 at the Hillsboro Country Club. Tycen Thacker finished with a 5-over-par 41 … more

9/14/23

Litchfield Girls Golf Gets First Victory

The Litchfield girls golf team picked up their first win of the season on Thursday, Sept. 7, placing third in a quad meet at Cloverleaf Golf Course in Bethalto. The Lady Panthers shot a 221 at the … more

9/14/23

Litchfield Shares The Wealth In Wins

If any opposing coaches hoped that the Litchfield boys soccer team would cool off after their overtime win over Hillsboro on Sept. 5, they are extremely disappointed. The Panthers picked up three … more

9/14/23

Lincolnwood’s win over Father McGivney in the gold bracket semifinal at the Montgomery County Invitational Grace Tourament on Saturday, Sept. 9, not only put the Lancers in the championship game for the trophy, but it was thought to be the program’s 1,000th victory. Despite the best efforts of Head Coach Kimberly Denney and Journal-News Sports Editor Kyle Herschelman to nail down the win total in advance, the victory was actually Lincolnwood’s 1,002nd, with the milestone coming the day before against Mt. Olive. In front, from the left, are Taryn Millburg, Taryn Clarke, Morgan Hampton and Camryn Poggenpohl. In the back are Head Coach Kimberly Denney, Zaragoza Guzman, Morgan Cowdrey, Tori Elvidge, Kierstyn Denney, Jazmin Seaton-Hobson, Ella Jenkins and former head coach and program founder Mary Hammersley.

Lancers Celebrate 1,000 Wins... A Day Later

In addition to winning the Montgomery County Invitational Grace Tournament for the second year in a row, the Lincolnwood volleyball team also made a little history over the weekend as they picked up … more

9/14/23

Nokomis Wins Again In MSM Opener

Following a 4-1 performance and a second straight third place finish at the Montgomery County Invitational Grace Tournament over the weekend, the Nokomis volleybal team was back in action on Monday, … more

9/14/23

Lancers Win 3-Set Thriller

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville volleyball team had a pair of three set games on either side of their victory at the Montgomery County Invitational Grace Tournament, including a dramatic comeback … more

9/14/23

Lady Hiltoppers Score Victory Over Marquette

After a busy weekend at the Montgomery County Invitational Grace Tournament, the Hillsboro volleyball team was back at home on Monday, Sept. 11. Following their first loss of the season, the Toppers … more

9/14/23

Topper Fans Should Come Early

A word of advice to Topper football fans heading to Sawyer Field tomorrow night – Come early. The parking situation is the same as three weeks ago because of construction. Those with handicap … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 9/14/23

The Lincolnwood boys golf team had five rounds in the mid-to-low 40s on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at Timber Lakes Golf Course in Staunton, including a 44 by Zach Waldeck (above). Waldeck would have had a scoring round for each of the other four teams at the meet, but was the Lancers’ fifth man as they shot a 167 to improve to 21-6 on the season.

Lincolnwood Finally Tops South County

Three times this season the Lincolnwood and South County boys golf teams had been on the same course, and three times the Vipers finished ahead of the Lancers. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, that streak came … more

9/14/23

Lancers Take Top Team, Individual Spots At Auburn

The Lincolnwood boys golf team picked up a pair of wins and had medalist honors on Monday, Sept. 11, at Edgewood Golf Course in Auburn. The Lancers shot a 182 as a team, beating North Mac by … more

9/14/23

Lincolnwood Girls Top Litchfield At Carlinville

The Lincolnwood and Litchfield girls golf teams were in Carlinville on Monday, Sept. 11, to face off against the host Cavaliers. Lincolnwood shot a 201 at the Carlinville Country Club to … more

9/14/23

Nico Clark (left) had a pair of goals in the Toppers' 2-1 win over Greenville on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at the Hillsboro Sports Complex. The win evened the Toppers' record to 1-1 in the South Central Conference.

Soccer Toppers Grind It Out Against Comets

With several members of the Hillsboro High School boys soccer team also members of the choir and, as a result key pieces of the Operetta each spring, the orange and black are no strangers to … more

9/14/23

Keller Keeps Scoring As Lancers Get 7th Victory

It’s just ten games into the 2023 season and Ian Keller has already surpassed his goal total from last year for the Lincolnwood High School soccer team. The junior from Nokomis picked up … more

9/14/23

Running for 344 yards and six touchdowns, Litchfield senior A.J. Sypherd had a game that most can only dream about on Friday, Sept. 8, as the Panthers defeated North Mac 42-21 for their first victory of the season.

Sypherd Runs Wild For Litchfield

With an 0-2 record the Litchfield Purple Panthers may have been singing the same old tune from years past, but this Purple Panthers football squad is different than the past squads. The first two … more

9/11/23

Hillsboro Gets SCC Win In Three Set Thriller

The Hillsboro High School volleyball team picked up their first South Central Conference win of the season and improved to 5-0 with a gutty three-set win over Vandalia on Thursday, Sept. 7. The … more

9/11/23

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville volleyball team celebrates as senior Taryn Millburg receives the championship trophy for the Montgomery County Invitational Grace Tournament from Charley Herschelman, the sister of the tournament's namesake, the late Grace Herschelman. The Lancers won the tournament for the second year in a row, defeating Hillsboro 25-19, 23-25, 25-19 to improve to 10-0 on the season.

Lancers Repeat At Grace Tourney

What has been a banner year for Montgomery County volleyball got even better over the weekend as Lincolnwood, Hillsboro and Nokomis took the top three spots at the Montgomery County Invitational … more

9/11/23

Nokomis' Addison Glenn (#10) looks for some space around the block of Hillsboro's Addison Lowe (#14) during the gold bracket semifinal between the Redskins and Hiltoppers on Saturday, Sept. 9. Hillsboro eeked out a three-set win over the Redskins, 17-25, 25-17, 15-11, but Nokomis bounced back with a win over Father McGivney in the third place game, 17-25, 25-17, 15-13.

Redskins Repeat Third Place MCI Finish

Only one of the 16 teams entered into this year’s Montgomery County Invitational Grace Tournament had the chance to go undefeated. But if you can’t go 5-0, going 4-1 is a pretty good … more

9/11/23