From Hancock Stadium in Normal, IL

Class 1A

Lena-Winslow (12-1) vs. Brown County (11-2) at Fri. 10:00 am

Class 2A

Wilmington (12-1) vs. Maroa-Forsyth (11-2) at Fri. 1:00 pm

Class 3A

Byron (13-0) vs. Tolono Unity (12-1) at Fri. 4:00 pm

Class 4A

Lombard Montini (13-0) vs. Rochester (12-1) at Fri. 7:00 pm

Class 5A

St. Francis (10-3) vs. Providence Catholic (10-3) at Sat. 10:00 am

Class 6A

Fenwick) (10-3) vs. East St. Louis (10-3) at Sat. 1:00 pm

Class 7A

St. Rita (9-4) vs. Chicago Brother Rice (12-1) at Sat. 4:00 pm

Class 8A

Chicago Mt. Carmel (13-0) vs. Oswego (11-2) at Sat. 7:00 pm

It wasn't too long ago that a chance at an eight-win season would have been celebrated at Illinois Fighting Illini.

Now, as the Fighting Illini try to do just that Saturday night when they host the Northwestern Wildcats in Champaign, Ill., the overall body of work will be regarded as disappointing. And with some cause.

Illinois (7-4, 4-4 Big Ten) has shown surprisingly little pushback in the four losses, which have come by a total of 105 points. That includes last week's 27-10 defeat at Wisconsin, which outrushed the Illini 209-50 and logged five sacks of quarterback Luke Altmyer.

Illini coach Bret Bielema understands the angst over potential that was never realized with three losses in the last five games, but he emphasizes where the program is now compared to where it was before he took over.

Altmyer has completed 68.1% of his 317 passes for 2,675 yards with 21 touchdowns and only five interceptions despite the offensive line's difficulties with protecting him.

Meanwhile, Northwestern (6-5, 4-4) sealed bowl eligibility last week by edging Minnesota 38-35 as Jack Olsen converted a 33-yard field goal with 53 seconds remaining. Preston Stone threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-30 passing.

Stone was perfect in the second half, completing all 15 of his passes for 174 yards in a performance that earned him a co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor. It was the first time a Wildcat had won the award in more than two years.

This will be the 119th meeting between the in-state rivals, with Illinois holding a 58-55-5 edge.

Game time is 6:30 pm on Saturday. 

Illinois State is back in the playoffs for the second-straight season it travels to Hammond, Louisiana, to take on No. 16 seed Southeastern Louisiana (9-3, 7-1 SLC) in the first round of the 2025 Division I FCS playoffs.

Last week, No. 24-ranked Salukis (7-5, 4-4 MVFC) controlled the game from start to finish and handed the No. 11-ranked Redbirds (8-4, 5-3 MVFC) a 37-7 loss on Senior Day at Hancock Stadium.

Tye Niekamp recorded 16 tackles to tie his career-high. QB Tommy Rittenhouse scored on the ground for the fifth straight game.

The Lions finished second in the Southland Conference standings for the second straight year. Twin Cities product Carson Camp (1,674 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT) and Kyle Lowe (770 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT) have split time under center for the Lions.

Game time is noon on Saturday. 

Philadelphia Eagles running back and AP Offensive Player of the year Saquon Barkley limps into Friday's game against the Chicago Bears (8-3) barely on track for 1,000 yards rushing this season. 

He has only 684 yards this season and a 3.7 yards-per-carry average. Forget six rushing TDs of 60-plus yards - he's had eight games this season where he's rushed for 60 or fewer yards.

Barkley - who insisted this week he is healthy - hasn't faced the Bears since 2022 when he ran for 146 yards while playing for the Giants.

The Bears hung on to beat Pittsburgh 31-28 on Sunday with Chicago’s old nemesis Aaron Rodgers sidelined by a broken left wrist, after rallying in the final two minutes the previous three weeks. With their eighth win in nine games, they maintained a slim lead in the NFC North over Green Bay (7-3-1) and Detroit (7-4).

The Bears have won two games by one point each and have six total wins by a touchdown or less.

For the Bears, the problem is quarterback Caleb Williams, who has completed 59.2% of his passes on the season, after coach Ben Johnson called 70% their goal. Yet, the Bears rank first in the NFL in turnover margin (plus-16) and second in rushing offense (142.3 yards per game), and leading those categories wins teams a lot of games - and the Bears have done plenty of winning, even if BetMGM Sportsbook has them at 66-1 to win the Super Bowl.

Game time in Philadelphia on Friday is 2 pm Central time.

Boden Skunberg's 22 points helped Illinois State Redbirds defeat Charlotte 49ers 79-69 on Thursday from the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando.

Skunberg also had 10 rebounds for the Redbirds (5-2). Chase Walker scored 18 points and five rebounds. Ty'Reek Coleman finished with 13 points.

Ben Bradford finished with 23 points and seven rebounds for the 49ers (3-4). Major Freeman added 12 points and five assists for Charlotte.

The Redbirds take on Furman for the ESPN Events Invitational Tournament at 2 pm on Friday.

Jordan Love converted a pair of fourth downs with touchdown passes in the first half and finished with a career-high-matching four TD throws, leading the Green Bay Packers to a 31-24 win over the Detroit Lions on Thursday.

The Packers (8-3-1) swept the season series to earn a potential tiebreaker in the NFC North and are in second place in the division behind Chicago (8-3), which plays at Philadelphia on Friday.

The two-time defending division champion Lions (7-5) entered the game out of the playoff picture, then fell further back in the hunt with a third loss in five games.

Detroit turned the ball over on downs on the opening drive of the second half and early in the fourth quarter.

Two plays after Jahmyr Gibbs was stopped for a loss just inside Green Bay territory on fourth down, Love threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Christian Watson to give Green Bay a 24-14 lead early in the third.

The Lions went for it fourth-and-3 from Packers 21 - trailing by 10 - and Jameson Williams dropped a pass.

Detroit's defense responded with a stop and the offense reached the Green Bay 4 before Micah Parsons' sack forced coach Dan Campbell to settle for a field goal and a 31-24 deficit with 2:59 left.

Parsons finished with 2 1/2 sacks.

On the ensuing possession, Love converted a third-and-5 with an 8-yard pass to Watson and a fourth-and-3 on a 16-yard pass to Dontayvion Wicks to seal the victory.

Love was 18 of 30 for 234 yards with a 22-yard pass to Wicks and 2-yard pass to Doubs for touchdowns on fourth down in the second quarter. In the third, he threw a long touchdown pass to Watson and a 1-yard throw to Wicks for the receiver's second score of the game - and season.

Jared Goff was 20 of 26 for 256 yards with two touchdowns, a 22-yard pass to Williams late in the first half and a 17-yard pass to rookie Isaac TeSlaa in the third quarter.

Williams finished with seven receptions and 144 yards - both career highs - but he dropped a pass on fourth down in the fourth quarter.

Gibbs was held in check, running for 68 yards on 20 carries and gaining 18 yards on three catches.

Packers DT Devonte Wyatt (ankle) was carted off the field late in the game. CB Keisean Nixon (neck) was active after leaving last week’s game with a neck injury. WR Matthew Golden, LB Quay Walker, and CB Nate Hobbs were inactive.

Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) left the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury. S Kerby Joseph was inactive.

The Packers host Chicago on Dec. 7.

The Argenta-Oreana Bombers bounced back from their season-opening loss in the Cerro Gordo Tournament and beat the Heritage Hawks by a final score of 60-55 on Tuesday night in non-conference high school boys basketball action. 

Heritage put up 20 points in the fourth quarter to A-O's 13, but it wasn't enough to overcome the 47-36 lead that the Bombers had built up in the previous three quarters. 

Argenta-Oreana was led by Jaxon Finch, who scored 21 points and made two from beyond the arc. Carter Logue had 14 points and also made two threes. Isaiah Parks added 10.

Heritage was led by Brayden Jones, who put up 18 points. James Dillon had 16 points. 

With the win, A-O improves to 1-1 while Heritage falls to 0-1.

The Bombers will host Leroy on Tuesday at 7:30 PM. 
 

The Clinton Lady Maroons built up a lead in the second quarter and held on through the second half to beat the Athens Lady Warriors by a final score of 49-41 on Tuesday night in Clinton in non-conference high school girls basketball action. 

Clinton led by 35-18 at halftime after outscoring their opponents 18-6 in the second quarter. 

Athens rallied back, coming out of the half to cut their deficit to 42-34 heading into the final eight minutes. The two teams fell to a stalemate in the 4th quarter, both scoring seven.

The Lady Maroons were led by Carly Anderson, who scored 14 points. Lilah Cluver added 12 points while Clara Dempsey contributed 10. Averie Fatheree made two buckets from beyond the arc. 

Lydia Hart led the Lady Warriors with 13 points and three made three-pointers. Ava Bee added nine points. 

With the win, Clinton improves to 2-2 while Athens falls to 1-3. 

Clinton will resume after the holiday break to take on Tolono Unity on the road on Monday. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM. 
 

Matthias Rudolph had a double-double, and Monticello downed Pleasant Plains 64-58 in season-opening high school boys' basketball non-conference action Tuesday night at Pleasant Plains High School. 

Rudolph scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, helping Monticello start fast in its season-opener.

Ayden McCool added 21 points and grabbed seven boards for the Sages.

Rudolph's driving layup with under a minute left in the first quarter stretched the Monticello early lead to 14-8. 

The Sages opened a 41-25 lead halfway through the third quarter - it's biggest of the night. 

The Monticello defense held the Cardinals to 40 percent shooting and 35 percent from three. The Sages held the rebounding advantage 32-26, and Monticello shot 55 percent from the floor.

Plains would trim the deficit to 56-50 with just under 2:30 to play, but after a Rudolph three was off the mark, Jake Motsegood grabbed back-to-back offensive rebounds and found McCool for an open three at the top of the key to put the Sages up 59-50, effectively sealing the win.

The Cardinals were led by Owen Johnson's 21 points and nine rebounds. Grady Grisham scored 20 points, and Wolfgang Cooperider added 12 points. 

Pleasant Plains starts the year 0-1. 

Monticello is 1-0. They continue their early tour of the Sangamo Conference next Tuesday when they visit Riverton. Game time is 7 pm. Hear the action 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.

Be sure to follow ILSportsWire on your preferred social media platforms for highlights of tonight's action.

After a Sectional appearance last season, the Monticello boy's basketball team will be hoping some young players take a step forward this season.

The Sages graduate seven seniors from last year's Regional Championship team and Coach Kevin Roy will be looking to juniors like Matthias Rudolph to help lead his team this year.

Senior Nolan Buehnerkemper will miss the first month of the season as he recovers from football injuries but he is intent on helping lead many of his teammates that lack that varsity experience.

Rudolph got his first taste of significant varsity time last year and says the pace of the varsity game was the biggest learning curve. He committed to getting bigger, faster and stronger this year to take a step forward as a junior.

Sages basketball always starts on the defensive end and while there are some areas the team is not quite up to speed on, Coach Roy likes his team this year and is looking forward to getting the season tipped off tonight at Pleasant Plains.

The Sages open the season tonight at Pleasant Plains. Tip is at 7 pm. Hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. Then be sure to find ILSportsWire on your preferred social media platform for highlights and player interviews throughout the season. 

The Monticello Lady Sages attempted 57 shots to the Lady Trojans 10 from the floor en route to a 37-25 win over Charleston on Monday night in non-conference high school girls basketball action in Monticello.

The two teams were tied at eight after the first quarter, but the Lady Sages rallied through the rest of the game to outscore their opponents 29-17.

Sarah Cresap led all scorers with 13 points and 4 rebounds. Anya Sheppard scored 11 and shot 83% from the foul line. Lexi Leatherwood added six points and 10 rebounds.

Charleston was led by Sadie Phillips who scored 11 points and was perfect on her three attempts from the field. Mickaylee Patton scored 10 and also went perfect in field goal attempts. 

With the win the Lady Sages move to 2-2 while the Lady Trojans fall to 0-4.

The girls will take the week off before going on the road to Urbana on Monday. Tip off is at 7 PM. 
 

The Argenta-Oreana Bombers led after the first eight minutes but let the Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg Hatchets lead the rest of the way as they fell by a score of 84-71 in non-conference high school boys basketball action on Monday night in Cerro Gordo. 

The Bombers were led by Isaiah Parks, who scored 25 points and tied for the honor of highest scorer. Justin Flowers added 13 points, while Jaxon Finch added 16 and made three threes. 

The Hatchets were led by Wyatt Wetherell, who also put up 25 points. Ryker McDaniel had 17, and Brody Bible added 18. 

With the loss, Argenta-Oreana Falls to 0-1, and the Hatchets improve to 1-0. 

The Bombers host Heritage tonight at 6:00 PM. 

In a game heard on WHOW and all its digital platforms, Keaton Graves and the Clinton Maroons struck first with a three and never looked back, and beat the Buffalo Tri-City Tornadoes 80-35 in non-conference boys basketball action in Mt. Pulaski on Monday night. 

The Maroons focused on defense in a game filled with poke-checks, double teams, and the full-court press. It paid off for them in the turnover game.

Keaton Graves started out hot with 14 points in the first quarter and finished with 27. Brock Wilson had 13 points while Jaeden Bell added 11. Clinton shot 77.8% from the free-throw line and made eight threes as a team. 

Buffalo Tri-City was led by 6'4" senior Hill Muir, who scored 14 points, with eight of them coming in the first quarter. No other Tornadoes scored in double digits.

With the win, the Maroons start the season at 1-0 while Buffalo Tri-City falls to 0-1.

The Maroons will return to Mt. Pulaski to take on Illini Central at 5:00 PM on the third night of the Bill Rucks Memorial Tournament on Wednesday. 

Tune into the next Clinton Sports broadcast when the Maroons host Maroa-Forsyth on December 5th. Tip-off is at 7:30 PM, and you can hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. 

Check out highlights of the game by finding ILsportswire on your preferred social media platform. 
 

The Clinton Maroons boys basketball team will start what they hope will be their fourth consecutive winning season when they take on Buffalo Tri-City tonight at the Mt. Pulaski holiday tournament. 

Head coach Vic Binkley says this team has eight players returning from last year's 18-10 squad, and notes this year they have a little more size. 

Senior Brock Wilson feels they have a good team this year and describes them as scrappy. He says they will be fighting to win loose balls all year and will find any way to win. 

Jaeden Bell is a sophomore who received a few starts late last season. He says the team worked very hard over the summer, and they are all focused on achieving the 20-win mark this year. 

Coach Binkley says there are a lot of strong programs in the area, and they will have to work hard to fight through and win close games. He adds that this is just the start of what is hopefully years of good Maroon's basketball to come. 

The Maroons kick off their season tonight in Mt. Pulaski when they take on Buffalo Tri-City. Hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. Tipoff is at 5 PM. 
 

The Argenta-Oreana High School boys basketball team is looking to not skip a beat from last season's Regional championship winning team despite graduating four seniors from that group.

Head Coach Clay Haurberg believes his Bombers have what it takes to pick up right where that group left off.

Carter Logue is the only returning starter from last year's team, and a senior this year, he feels ready to take on a leadership role for what will be a young but inexperienced Bombers team.

Coach Haurberg is excited for how athletic his team is. While Argenta-Oreana lacks some size, he feels they will be more athletic than most teams they go up against.

The Bombers open the season on Monday at the Cerro Gordo Thanksgiving Tournament, taking on Stewardson-Strasburg. 
 

The Monticello Lady Sages outscored the Shelbyville Lady Rams 16-5 in the second, and 18-10 in the third to take the 57-34 win in non-conference high school girls basketball action in Shelbyville on Thursday night. 

Both teams kept it close through the first eight minutes, coming out of the quarter at 15-13. The Sages would go on to outscore their opponent by 21 points over the next three quarters to build a lead and keep it. 

The Lady Sages were led by Sarah Cresap, who led all scorers with 28 points and shot 6-for-13 from beyond the arc. Ali Weidner added eight points while Emma Arnold and Mady Melton both had six. The team went 23-for-65 from the field. 

The Lady Rams were led by Kenzie Jones, who was the second-highest scorer of the night with 21 points. Tailyn Hancock put up 9 but went 0-for-4 from the free-throw line. 

With the win, Monticello moves to 1-2 while Shelbyville falls to 1-1. 

The Lady Sages will take on Charleston on Monday in Monticello; tip-off is at 7 PM. 
 

In a game heard on WHOW and all its digital platforms, the Clinton Lady Maroons pulled ahead early and never looked back as they defeated the Olympia Lady Spartans by a final score of 74-44 in non-conference high school girls basketball action in the Eureka Tournament. 

The Lady Maroons were led by Carly Anderson, who posted 19 points and shot 75% from the foul line. Avery Smith scored 16 points, all in the paint, while Clara Dempsey added 14. Delaney Dempsey and Lilah Cluver both had 8. The team made 9 three-pointers as a team. 

The Lady Spartans were led by Addisyn Minder, who scored 13 points and went perfect when it came to free throws. Elyse Eimer scored 12 and made 2 threes. 

Olympia struggled offensively throughout the game and trailed by as much as 35 points at times, while the Maroons took advantage of their turnovers to pad their lead. 

With the win, Clinton improves to 1-2 and finds their first win of the season. Olympia falls to 0-2 and is still in the search. 

The Lady Maroons are off until Tuesday when they take on Athens at home. 

Tune into the next Clinton Maroons sports broadcast when the boys travel to the Mt. Pulaski Tournament to take on Buffalo Tri-City. Tipoff is at 5 PM, and you can hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. 
                           

The Clinton Lady Maroons are having a slow start to the season, after a tough 65-64 loss to the Eureka Lady Hornets on Tuesday night in Eureka. 

The Lady Maroons were led by Carly Anderson, who posted 20 points, complemented by Clara Dempsey's 17. Avery Smith added 11 points. Lilah Cluver, Averie Fatheree, and Ozzie Goar scored 6, 7, and 3, respectively. 

Eureka was led by Mya Edwards, who scored 21 points, while Ivy Edwards put up 14. Skylar Knapp had 8. 

With the loss, Clinton falls to 0-2 while the Lady Hornets improve to 2-0. 

Tune in on Thursday when the Clinton Lady Maroons take on Olympia in their third game of the Eureka Tournament. Hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. Tip-off is at 6 PM 
 

After graduating four starters from last season, the Blue Ridge Knights boys basketball team knows it is going to be a rebuilding year.

Coach Hunter Green indicates the first few weeks of practice leading up to next week's season opener in Bloomington at the Calvary Academy holiday tournament are about building the right habits and doing things the right way.

Sophomore Prestone Jiles will be one of the young players Coach Green turns to this year for an increased role at the varsity level. Jiles is focused on getting better this year, both individually and as a team.

The only returning starter from last year is Austin Clark, and Coach Green is looking forward to him taking a big step forward. His brother Wesley was a key contributor on last year's team as well.

For Coach Green, preaching the message of the long-term goal of success is going to be a challenge this year; however, he is leaning into the rebuilding they did leading up to last year's 18-win season and some of the kids in the program that were around for that. 

Blue Ridge opens the season Tuesday night in Bloomington, taking on Calvary Christian Academy. 
 

Salt Fork outscored Monticello 23-11 in the second half and rallied to a 38-35 win in non-conference high school girls basketball action Tuesday night in Monticello.

The Lady Storm went on a 9-1 run to end the third quarter and take a 24-23 lead into the fourth quarter, and went up 27-2,3 but Sara Cresap hit back-to-back three pointers and an Annie Robinson layup made it 31-28 after a Salt Fork free throw.

But the Lady Storm battled back again - mostly at the foul line - and a Brayce Hird three-pointer tied the game at 32-32. 

From there, Salt Fork closed out the win.

The Lady Sages shot just 6-of-14 from the charity stripe compared to 13-of-20 for Salt Fork. 

Cresap led all scorers with 17 points. No other Monticello scorer had more than five. Cresap was the State Bank of Bement player of the game. 

Salt Fork was led by Sailor Pacot's 12 points. Taylor Remole added 10 points, and Hird finished with nine points.

The Lady Storm starts its season 1-0. 

Monticello is 0-2. They are at Shelbyville on Thursday.

The Monticello Lady Sages started their season on the wrong foot, putting up no points in the first quarter, leading to a 55-39 loss to the Sullivan Lady Redskins.

The Lady Sages were led by Ali Weidner, who scored 15 points and was six-for-13 shooting and went 2-for-3 from the foul line. Emma Arnold had six points while Lexi Leatherwood, Sarah Cresap, and Annie Robinson all added five. 

Monticello would have consistent scoring after their first-quarter donut, with 12, 11, and 16 points in the following quarters, respectively. 

The Lady Redskins were led by A. Thrasher, who scored 16 points and went 6-for-7 shooting. N. Dovell and E. Watkins each scored ten and went perfect from the field. 

With the loss, the Lady Sages fall to 0-1 while Sullivan improves to 1-0. 

Sullivan is off until Thursday when they take on Tuscola at home. 

Tune in tonight as the Lady Sages host Salt Fork in their home opener. You can hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC or online at dewittdailynews.com. Tip-off is at 7 PM.  

It was a historic season for the Clinton Cross Country team. 

Head Coach Rachel Anderson-Lyons indicates that they had a record-setting season not only as a team by finishing eighth overall, but Sophomore Aubrey Peterson set a new sophomore course record at Detweiller Park, and Sophomore Cayden Bostic broke the school record with a 14:58 finish. 

Bostic explains that it took a lot of work to reach the goal of breaking the school record. He says it took working hard every day, as well as supporting your teammates, knowing they will support you. 

Being the only girl from your team going to State can put on the pressure, but Peterson says that her teammates always reminded her that she has their support. With that support, she has the goal of breaking the school record and getting All-State the next two years.

Lyons and Co-Head Coach Leann Sosamon explain that the success of this season is not their doing. They attribute it to the buy-in from the runners and have even received compliments from other coaches on that exact thing. 

All seven of the team's runners finished with times that placed them in the top 11 fastest times in school history. Lyons calls this team "the definition of resilience and determination."

The Clinton Lady Maroons basketball squad will look to build on last year's 25-8 finish to the season, with four key seniors returning from that team. 

Coach Josh Williams says they have a great 1-2 punch between senior guards Clara Dempsey and Carly Anderson, who will be complemented by strong post play from the squad's other two seniors, Lilah Cluver and Avery Smith. 

"Win the Battle" is the mindset that Coach Williams is instilling in his team. He wants the girls to focus on more than just winning the game; he wants them to control the court in all aspects. 

As the Lady Maroons look to surpass the strong season they had last year, Coach Williams is focusing on the day-to-day development of his players. He says that the girls do a good job of self-reflection and of finding ways to get better. 

The WHOW Winter Sports Broadcast schedule starts when the Lady Maroons open their season against at Eureka as they take on the Hornets at the Eureka Holiday Tournament. Hear the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms; tip-off is at 7:30 PM.

Monticello girls basketball coach Seth Melton knows he has an experienced and very talented group this year - and it is the experiences of the last few seasons he is hoping will propel his team to greater heights this season.

While they do not play in a holiday tournament, the Lady Sages open the season with three games this week - including tonight when they travel to Sullivan. Coach Melton indicates they have revamped the schedule this year to challenge the girls more.

According to junior Ali Weidner, the team isn't shying away from repeating last year's 20-win season and hopes to go further than a Regional Championship.

Junior Sara Cresap is part of a dynamic one-two punch with Weidner and is hoping to be more assertive on the floor after getting experience at the varsity level the last two years.

Coach Melton likes his team's versatility this year and is hoping to use that to their advantage. He feels the athleticism of his team is going to be a huge advantage.

Monticello travels to Sullivan tonight for its season opener and hosts Salt Fork on Tuesday night in its home opener in the Seiver Center. Hear Tuesday's action at 7 pm on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.

Chase Walker and Ty’Reek Coleman scored 19 points apiece to help Illinois State Redbirds defeat Long Beach State Beach 82-80 on Sunday.

Coleman made 6 of 9 from the field and 7 for 8 from the free-throw line for the Redbirds (2-2). Johnny Kinziger shot 5 of 9 from the field, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 5 from the foul line to finish with 15 points.

The Beach (0-4) were led by Petar Majstorovic, who posted 19 points and seven rebounds. Long Beach State also got 18 points from Shaquil Bender. Gavin Sykes finished with 12 points.

Kinziger put up eight points in the first half for Illinois State, which led 42-34 at halftime. Illinois State took the lead for good with 1:46 left in the second half on a hook shot from Walker to make it a 74-72 game.

The Maroa-Forsyth Lady Trojans basketball team returns some key players to an otherwise young squad. 

Head Coach Selina Finck says last season's loss to Sullivan in the Regional Championship left a sour taste in the team's mouth, and she says this year her girls are up for the challenge of returning to and winning the Regional Championship.

Avery Braden is a Senior on her way to a historic season at the high school. While she is focused on the team's goal of surpassing the 20-win mark once again, she could break the school's all-time scoring record.

Senior Adelyn Simmons is looking to carry the success and momentum she gained during the volleyball season into the basketball season. She feels that the transition between the two sports is seamless. 

The speed and hustle of the team have been on full display during practice. Senior Rilinda Ballazhi wants to use her energy to hype up the team this season and wants to play selfless basketball. 

The Lady Trojans kick off the season on Thursday, November 20th, when they take on the Mt. Pulaski Lady Hilltoppers in Maroa. 
 

While they may be young, this year's Heyworth girls' basketball team is looking to grow together as a unit and hopefully surprise some people.

Coach Tom Eller indicates that while they lost a lot of their production from last year's team, he is looking forward to molding this team into a group that will get up and down the floor and play hard, full-court defense.

Lacy Gerike is a senior on the team this year and hopes to help see her teammates improve - especially the younger players - and build the program into a winner for the next several years.

Charissa Cook is a sophomore at Heyworth and transfers in from Bloomington Central Catholic. She enjoys her teammates and looks forward to being a part of what they are building. 

Aliyah Riddle will get a taste of varsity action as a freshman this year. She is excited for the opportunity to play, but also to learn from very good athletes. She has a goal of scoring 1,000 career points in her time at Heyworth.

Coach Eller was pleased to hear his players talk about culture because that is something he has been stressing with them since the summer practice season.

The Lady Hornets take on Urbana University High on Monday to open the regular season. 

The 2025 high school football All-State teams were announced.

Monticello quarterback Nolan Buehnerkemper was named a Class 3A first-team all-state as a QB/DB/K. The senior helped lead Monticello to a 7-2 regular season and a second-round playoff appearance this fall. He was also a key piece of a team that finished 11-3 last year with a State Championship appearance.

Other first team selections include Tolono Unity quarterback Dane Eisenmenger, Olympia runningback Jimmy Lollar, Williamsville runningback Matthew Miller, Bloomington Central Catholic runningback Valshun Powe, and St. Joseph-Ogden offensive lineman Cameron Wagner.

Honorable mention selections in Class 3A included St. Joseph-Ogden quarterback Kodey McKinney, Tolono Unity offensive lineman Coleson Miller, Williamsville quarterback Jackson Sanders, and Bloomington Central Catholic tight end Xavier Vogel.

Class 1A first-team selections included Heyworth DL/OL Jarrod Fulcher and GCMS LB/OL Logan Ward. 

Honorable mention selections in Class 1A included Heyworth's Braydon Laesch and LeRoy OL/DL Nathanial McKinney. 

Class 2A first-team selections included Maroa-Forsyth QB Ryne Sheppard and WR Zach Smith, El Paso-Gridley QB/LB/P Owen Adams, AND ALAH RB/LB Easton Frederick.

Honorable mention all-state in Class 2A included El Paso-Gridley K/WR/DB Owen Bergquist, Maroa-Forsyth LB Isaiah Bohlmann, PBL DL/OL Carson Goss, Ridgeview-Lexington LB/RB Joe Cheever, Tri-Valley D;B Owen McLean, and ALAH LB/TE Elijah Van Scyoc.

Class 4A all-state first team selections include Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin QB Cam Brinkman and WR/DB/K Drew Ward, Rochester DL Connor Broughton and RB Kaiden Stout, Metamora RB/DB Jaiduan Cranford, and Mt. Zion WR/DB Jacob Harvey. 

Class 4A all-state honorable mentions include Mt Zion TE JC Anderson, Peoria Notre Dame RB/DB Dallas Harder and OL/DL Jacob Khoury, and Jacksonville RB/DB Jeremiah Jackson. 

Class 5A all-state first-team selections include Washington RB/LB Will Freeman and Springfield High QB Brody Scheffler. 

Class 5A all-state honorable mention selections include U-High WR Cade Cunningham, Champaign DB/WR/K Elie Duma, and Springfield High WR Kale Thurman.

Class 6A all-state first-team selections include Chatham-Glenwood QB Colten Knoedler and Dunlap TE Mack Sutter. 

Class 6A all-state honorable mention selections include Normal West WR/DB Maliq Givens-Smith and Chatham-Glenwood OL/DL Cody Moss. 

Class 7A first-team all-state selections included Normal Community LB/TE Murphy Brennan.

The All-State selections will be honored during the state championships in Normal Nov. 28-29.

WHOW The Big 1520 AM/92.3 FM in DeWitt County and 106.5 FM in McLean County and 95.9 FM WEZC in Clinton has announced its 2025-26 winter high school sports broadcast schedule.

WHOW - and all its corresponding digital platforms - will begin its coverage of Clinton High School sports next Thursday, Nov. 20, when it broadcasts the girls' holiday basketball action from the Eureka tournament against Olympia.

Check out dewittdailynews.com for a full schedule of this year's broadcasts of Clinton Maroons boys and girls high school basketball action.

WEZC 95.9 FM will begin its coverage of Monticello basketball this winter when the girls open its season hosting Salt Fork on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7 pm at the Sievers Center.

Hear select Lady Sages games as well as every boys basketball game on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. You can get a full schedule of Sages basketball this winter at dewittdailynews.com.

And be sure to catch highlights of all the action you hear on WHOW and WEZC and ILSportsWire and its various social media platforms.

In a thriller heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello scored a touchdown as time expired and a two-point conversion attempt to win the game was intercepted, and Tolono Unity held on for a 21-20 win in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs Saturday afternoon in Tolono.

Nolan Buehnerkemper converted three fourth downs on the final drive of the game - including a fourth down touchdown pass to Heyden Romano as time expired, setting up the chance for the Sages to pull off the upset of its bitter rival.

But Beuhnerkemper, as he had been most of the day, found himself under duress on the two-point conversion, and his pass was intercepted - allowing Unity to escape with the win and a matchup with Williamsville next Saturday in the 3A quarterfinals.

Monticello got off to a big start Saturday. The Rockets need just two plays to get inside the red zone on their first possession, but a fumble inside the ten-yard line was recovered by the Sages, who advantageously scored a touchdown when Buehnerkemper finished the drive with a one-yard sneak at the goal line.

After Monticello held the Rockets to a three-and-out on its next possession, Zeke Young hauled in a tipped pass and raced it 75 yards for the touchdown to put the Sages up 14-0 with 3:29 to play in the second quarter.

However, Unity would score the game's next 21 points. It started with a Trey Hoggard nine-yard run to open the second quarter, and then Crew Eckstein rumbled in from eight yards out to tie the game at 14-14.

The score would remain tied until Dane Eisenmenger used a sneak to score from a yard out and put Unity up 21-14 with 9:49 left in the fourth quarter.

The two senior quarterbacks were both brilliant. Eisenger finished 13-of-19 for 186 yards. Eckstein had 22 carries for 145 yards and a touchdown.

Hoggard finished with 51 total yards of offense, Tyler Henry had 54 total yards of offense for Unity, and Maddux Sutherland added two catches for 79 yards.

Buehnerkemper was 26-of-37 for 376 yards and two touchdowns and added 20 yards on 13 carries with another score for the Sages. Young finished with seven receptions for 180 yards while Forrest Rawdin added five catches for 68 yards. Jake Robinson had 44 yards on four receptions, and Romano finished with four receptions and 39 yards with a touchdown for the Sages.

Buehnerkemper and Young were co-State of Bank of Bement players of the game. 

Monticello finishes its season at 8-3. 

Monticello will put a five-game win streak on the line Saturday when the Sages travel to Tolono Unity for second-round high school football Class 3A postseason action.

The 8-2 Sages knocked off Paris 48-16 last Saturday en route to a first-round win at Monticello. Coach Cully Welter says two turnovers on its first two possessions Saturday certainly gave him cause for concern early, but his team settled down and scored the next 34 points to run away with the win.

Tolono Unity beat Monticello 34-7 in week two of the season. Coach Welter says while his team is certainly much better from week two to week 11, so too are the Rockets.

That vaunted Unity defense will be tough for a Sages offense that has been prolific at times, and while they've put up points, they've also struggled at times. Coach Welter says they're going to have to run the ball effectively to open up the passing game.

While the Sages' eight wins this year are a surprise to many, Coach Welter feels they are playing with house money on Saturday and is looking forward to the challenge the Rockets will pose.

Monticello knocked off Unity in the 3A semifinals last season in Monticello and returns most of that team. The Rockets finished the regular season 8-1 overall and beat Mt. Carmel last Saturday, 42-14.

Game time on Saturday is 2 pm. Hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. Be sure to follow ILSportsWire on your preferred social media platforms for highlights of Saturday's action after the game.
 

The Clinton Maroons boys cross country team and girls runner, Aubrey Peterson, will be competing in Saturday's state cross country meet in Peoria.

Coach Rachel Anderson-Lyons is proud of the way her teams rose to the occasion last Saturday at a tough sectional in Elmwood that had multiple top ten teams in Class 1A running.

Coach Anderson-Lyons says Peterson carried a lot of momentum from the last few weeks into qualifying out of the Sectional for State as an individual.

The boys qualified on Saturday with a very balanced finish. Coach Anderson-Lyons notes only 18 seconds separated their highest finishing runner and their last runner.

In preparation for Saturday's State meet, Coach Anderson-Lyons indicates her team remains committed to each other, including one of her senior runners who is helping Peterson in her preparation.

The boys' runners and Peterson will compete Saturday at Detwiler Park in Peoria.

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello overcame two early turnovers and scored 34 unanswered points to bounce Paris 48-16 in the first round of the Class 3A high school football playoffs in Monticello Saturday afternoon.

Nolan Buehnermekemper had his first pass of the game, and the game's second play from scrimmage, intercepted and returned to the 11-yard line by Dawson Rogers. 

Carter Crippes took the Tigers' first play from scrimmage in for a touchdown, and Paris went up 8-0.

Buehnerkemper then had this third pass of the game on the next series picked off; however, the Sages' defense forced a turnover on downs in four plays. 

Monticello answered when Buehnerkemper knifed through the Paris defense like a Ferrari in Chicago traffic and made it 8-7 on an 18-yard touchdown run. 

After the Sages' defense held Paris again, Maddux Utley scored from a yard out to put Monticello in front for good. A 56-yard wide receiver screen to Young set up Utley's score. 

On a double-reverse-flea-flicker in the second quarter, Buehnerkemper found Heyden Romano from 44 yards out to put the Sages in front 20-8. 

Monticello then started the second half with back-to-back scores when Utley scored on an 11-yard run, his second touchdown of the game, to make it 27-8 with 8:06 in the third. Buehnerkemper found Braden Wood in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown at the 4:00 mark of the third quarter to extend the Sages' lead to 34-8.

After Paris got a touchdown in the fourth quarter to get within 34-16, Buehnerkemper scored from 37 yards out to answer the score and put the Sages in front 41-16. The scoring concluded when Forrest Rawdin scored on a 31-yard run to make it 48-16.

Buehnerkemper finished 8-of-17 passing for 226 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran it for 85 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns. 

Utley had 70 yards on eight carries. He was the State Bank of Bement player of the game. Zeke Young went over 100 yards with 141 yards on four catches. Romano had two catches for 52 yards with a touchdown. 

Paris ends its season 6-4 overall.

Monticello moves to 8-2 overall and will travel to Tolono Unity for second-round action next Saturday. Hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.