A big second half from Clinton allowed the Lady Maroons to rally to a 64-49 win Monday night and take home its first Holiday Hoopla championship from the Sievers Center in Monticello.

 The Lady Maroons trailed 28-23 at the half but outscored the Lady Vikings 20-12 in the third, then 22-9 in the fourth quarter.

Carly Anderson was a rebound shy of a double-double for Clinton, finishing with a game-best 22 points and nine rebounds. Clara Dempsey scored 19 points while Avery Smith added 14 points and six rebounds. 

Lilah Cluver scored seven points and had eight rebounds for Clinton.

Three players scored in double figures for Tri-Valley. Addy Freihaut finished with a double-double, scoring14 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. 

Kaylee Magenheimer had 12 points, and Ella Black finished with ten points. 

The Lady Maroons are 12-4 on the season. Tri-Valley drops to 12-2 overall.

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Tuscola jumped out to an early lead and had an answer for every Monticello comeback attempt - including a late surge by the Sages - as the Warriors took home its fourth consecutive Holiday Hoopla title Monday night at 51-43 win at the Sievers Center in Monticello.

The Warriors pushed a 10-7 lead after the first quarter to a 30-19 lead at the half and led by as many as 12 points in the second half. 

But Monticello rallied, closing the gap to three a couple of times in the fourth quarter. 

But the Warriors put the game away despite struggles at the foul line.

Logan Kurtz scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half to lead Tuscola. 6-foot-6 senior Caeden Russo added ten points for the Warriors.

Tuscola shot just 5-of-17 from the foul line in the win.

Aiden McCool scored 11 points to lead Monticello. Miatthis Rudolph added ten points. 

Jake Motsegood's eight points in the fourth quarter helped spark the Monticello rally that ultimately fell short. Motsegood was the State Bank of Bement player of the game.

Tuscola is 12-0 on the season.

Monticello drops to 8-2. The Sages are off until next Tuesday, Jan. 6 when they travel to Tuetopolis. 

Lily Sizemore scored 22 of her game-high 25 points in the first half, helping GCMS hold off Monticello 55-47 in third-place action from the Monticello Holiday Hoopla at the Sievers Center on Monday.

The Lady Falcons looked like they were going to run away with third place at the Hoopla, opening up a 40-19 lead at the intermission, but the Lady Sages broke through in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 43-36 thanks to a 17-3 quarter.

GCMS used numerous second-chance opportunities, and Monticello went cold in its bid for a remarkable comeback win.

Ali Weidner scored 14 of her 21 points in the second half to help fuel the Lady Sages' comeback. Sara Cresap finished with ten points.

Weidner was the State Bank of Bement player of the game.

GCMS took home third place at the Hoopla and improved to 10-4.

Monticello falls to 10-5.

Caebrin Lee scored 17 of his game-high 27 points in the second half, and Maroa-Forsyth came out of the Christmas break with a 57-44 win over Heyworth in semifinal action from the Decatur St Teresa Holiday tournament on Monday night.

The Trojans led 27-21 at the half, but Lee helped fuel a big surge in the third quarter to break the game open. 

Kenny Morris was the only other Maroa-Forsyth scorer in double figures with 12 points. 

Chase Ruppert had 21 points to lead the Hornets.

The Trojans improve to 7-3 overall and will battle Riverton for the tournament Championship on Tuesday night. 

Jaeden Bell had a double-double, and the Clinton Maroons defeated the Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Falcons by a final score of 65-61 to win 5th place in the Holiday Hoopla Tournament on Monday afternoon in Monticello. 

 

The Maroons jumped ahead early, leading 17-11 after the first quarter, and 31-23 at the half. The two teams battled in the third to make the score 49-41, forcing Clinton to fight off a fourth-quarter push from GCMS that would come just four points shy. 

 

Bell led all scorers with 27 points and 17 rebounds for the Maroons. Keaton Graves had 17 points while Keagan Daughtrey added nine points. The team shot 61.9% from the charity stripe. 

 

The Falcons were led by Graydon Leonard, who had 23 points, while Christian Brown had 19 points. 

 

With the win, Clinton improves to 10-4 and takes 5th place in the Holiday Hoopla Tournament. GCMS goes to 6-6 and finishes 6th in the tournament. 

 

Clinton will kick off the new year at home when they take on the 11-0 LeRoy Panthers on Friday night. Tip-off is at 7:30 PM. Hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. 

Three players scored in double figures, and Clinton rolled to a 63-33 win over Ridgeview on the second day of the Monticello Holiday Hoopla at Miller Gym in Monticello.

Carly Anderson led all scorers with 17 points. Lila Cluver and Clara Dempsey each added 16 points for the Lady Maroons.

Clinton built a 28-15 halftime advantage and pulled away in the second half.

Clinton takes on Warrensburg-Latham tonight to conclude pool play at the Holiday Hoopla. A win would earn them a shot at the tournament championship Monday night at 6 pm.

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, two players had double-doubles, and Aiden McCool scored a career high 26 points as Monticello took down Ridgeview 65-48 to wrap up pool play undefeated and advance to Monday night's Holiday Hoopla Championship at the Sievers Center Saturday afternoon.

Matthias Rudolph scored 25 points with 13 rebounds. Nolan Buehnerkemper added 13 points and 12 boards for the Sages. 

McCool scored 15 of his 25 in the second half, coming up with multiple clutch shots to help the Sages get a win in a very physical game with the Mustangs. His efforts earned him the State Bank of Bement player of the game. 

Monticello's team basketball and ball movement was on full display as the Sages had 21 assists on its 25 field goals - shooting 41.7 percent from the foul line. 

Monticello controlled the glass to a 44-31 advantage. 

The Sages held the Mustangs to 28 percent shooting. Ridgeview held the advantage at the foul line, going 16-of-23 thanks to 21 fouls committed by Monticello. The Sages were just 5-of-9 at the line.

Monticello knocked down 10 three pointers, led by six from McCool. Ridgeview finished 4-of-23 from distance.

Monticello goes to 8-1 overall while Ridgeview drops to 10-2 overall. 

The Mustangs will play in the third-place game at the Hoopla on Monday afternoon, while Monticello advances to the Championship on Monday night at 7:30 pm. Hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and at dewittdailynews.com. 

Clinton fell behind early, and a late comeback fell short as the Maroons lost to Paxton-Buckley-Loda 68-61 on the second day of the Holiday Hoopla from the Seivers Center in Monticello.

The Panthers jumped out to a 21-28 lead at the half and led 49-35 after three quarters.

The Maroons would rally but could not overcome the deficit. 

Tyler Cole had 20 points to lead PBL, and Carson Coss had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Kayden Vance finished with ten points for the Panthers, who improved to 8-4 overall.

Clinton was led by Jaeden Bell's double-double with 22 points and ten boards. Keaton Graves added 22 points. Jaxon Reynolds chipped in with eight points. 

The Maroons fall to 9-3 overall. They take on Tuscola in the nightcap of the second day of Holiday Hoopla action. A win over Tuscola and PBL beating Oakwood would create a three-way tie of teams at 2-1 in pool play in the 'Gold Pool' at the Hoopla. 

Tri-Valley used a big second and third quarter to pull away from Monticello on Saturday, the second day of action from the Holiday Hoopla in Monticello. 

The Lady Vikings extended a 12-10 first-quarter lead to 38-21 at halftime and then led 65-34 after the third quarter, triggering the running clock.

Lucy Leatherwood was the only Lady Sages scorer in double-figures with ten points. Annie Robinson added eight points, and Ali Weidner had six points. 

Addy Freihaut led the Lady Vikings with 20 points. Kaylee Magenheimer scored 19 points, and Ava Black scored 12 points. 

Monticello finishes 2-1 in pool play and will play for third place in the Hoopla on Monday at 2 pm. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello overcame an early 10-point deficit and rallied to beat GCMS 67-49 on Friday night in pool play from the Monticello Holiday Hoopla at the Seivers Center. 

Matthias Rudolph scored 17 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, helping Monticello outscore the Falcons 44-23 in the second half and pull away late for the win. Rudolph was the State Bank of Bement player of the game. 

Nolan Buehnerkemper had a tournament-high and career-best 17 rebounds with six points. Ayden McCool scored 14 points, and Gus Reppert scored eight of his ten points in the fourth quarter. 

Greydon Leonard finished with 19 points to lead GCMS. Tucker Mueller added 17 points. 

Monticello shot 47-percent from the floor and 65 percent in the second half. After going 3-of-13 from three in the first half, the Sages made 6-of-13 threes in the second half. 

Monticello held GCMS to 35 percent shooting. Monticello also controlled the glass 37-29. 

Monticello improves to 7-1 overall. They will battle Ridgeview on Saturday afternoon for a berth in the Hoopla Championship game on Monday night. 

Game time is 3:30 pm on Saturday. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

Monticello used a balanced scoring attack and came away with a 53-34 win over Tuscola Friday evening from the Monticello Holiday Hoopla at Moore Gym.

Ali Weidner led Monticello with 11 points. Madi Melton chipped in with ten points, and Annie Robinson - off a career-high earlier in the day - finished with nine points. 

Emma Arnold scored eight for the Lady Sages, and Sara Cresap added seven points. 

Reese Davis led the Lady Warriors with 17 points.

Tuscola falls to 4-9 overall.

Monticello improves to 10-3. The Lady Sages wrap up Holiday Hoopla pool play on Saturday against Tri-Valley.

Carly Anderson had a career-high 40 points, and Clinton toppled GCMS 70-46 on the first day of the Monticello Holiday Hoopla from Monticello High School on Friday afternoon.

Clara Dempsey scored 14 points, Avery Smith chipped in with 11 points, and Lila Cluver finished with ten points - as Clinton had four scorers in double figures.

The Lady Falcons played with the Lady Maroons early, with Clinton holding a 21-19 advantage, but it was all Clinton the rest of the way as they outscored GCMS 49-27 the rest of the way.

Clinton is 9-4 overall. GCMS drops to 7-4.

The Lady Maroons continue pool play from the Holiday Hoopla tomorrow when they battle Ridgeview at 10 am and then Warrensburg-Latham at 6 pm.

In a game heard on WHOW, Keaton Graves scored a game-high 29 points and Clinton rolled past Oakwood 64-42 from the annual Monticello Holiday Hoopla at the Seivers Center Friday afternoon.

Graves grabbed six boards and had three assists. 

Jaeden Bell scored 16 points for Clinton.

The Maroons used a big third quarter to open a 30-point advantage, initiating a running clock for the final period. 

Ben Darling scored 12 points to lead the Comets, while Carsen Dudley added ten points.

Oakwood drops to 7-7 overall.

Clinton improves to 9-2. They will have two games on Saturday, starting with an 11:30 am game against PBL and then a 7:30 pm game against Central Illinois Conference rival Tuscola at 7:30 pm.

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Matthias Rudolph scored the first seven points of the game, scoring a game-high 25 and the Sages beat Neoga going away, 63-36 in its opener from the Holiday Hoopla tournament at the Sievers Center in Monticello.

Rudolph was a rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards. Nolan Buehnerkemper had a season-high 17 points with eight rebounds and five assists. Aden McCool had ten points.

Buehnerkemper's breakout performance of the season earned him the State Bank of Bement player of the game. 

Monticello dominated on the glass, with a 36-21 advantage.

The Sages shot 52-percent from the floor and held the Indians to 30-percent shooting.

Monticello goes to 6-1 overall and will take on GCMS on Friday night from the Hoopla. 

Annie Robinson scored a career-best 16 points, and Monticello rolled to a 55-25 win in their opener at the annual Holiday Hoopla tournament in Monticello.

Madi Melton scored nine points, and Ali Weidner added eight for the Lady Sages. 

The Lady Sages are back in action tonight when they battle Tuscola at 6 pm from the Holiday Hoopla.

The Maroa-Forsyth Trojans held their opponents to a single point in the third quarter and rolled to an 84-14 victory over the Judah Christian Tribe on Tuesday night at the St. T Christmas Tourney at Decatur St. Teresa High School. 

The Trojans had no issues finding the basket, finding an early 21-5 lead after the first quarter. Judah Christian struggled to score throughout the night, putting up six points in the second quarter and only one in the third to make the score 70-12 going into the final frame. 

Maroa-Forsyth was led by Caebrin Lee, who scored 21 points although he sat out the fourth quarter. Luke Smith added 20 for the Trojans while Coby Lane had 14. All three players made at least two from three-point range. 

The Tribe was led by Josiah McCullough, who scored four points, all in the first half, while Jack Kursell and Simon Kincaid each had three. 

With the win, Maroa-Forsyth improves to 6-3 while Judah Christian falls to 0-10. 

The Trojans have the Heyworth Hornets up next on December 29th, tipoff is at 7:30 PM. 
 

Lincoln High School is bringing home one of its own to breathe new life into its long-suffering football program.

 

Aaron Fricke, a 2006 graduate of Lincoln High School and former standout quarterback on the gridiron, was named earlier this month as the newest head coach of his alma mater. He calls it bittersweet to be departing Warrensburg-Latham for the job in Lincoln, but says a lot of good memories are being recalled recently.

 

 

Fricke got his first coordinator job as a defensive coordinator at Clinton High School before getting his first head coaching gig at Piasa Southwestern and eventually became the head coach at Warrensburg-Latham High School. He sees a lot of similarities to Lincoln High School that he encountered in both those stops. 

 

 

Fricke wants to play an aggressive, flying-around style of defense and hopes to throw the football around on offense and get lots of kids involved.

 

 

With the recent expansion of the playoffs, Coach Fricke recognizes that it certainly benefits Lincoln's chances to get in, but he still wants to see the Railsplitters reach that four-to-five-win total and earn that traditional playoff spot. 

 

Coach Fricke will also be taking a teaching position at Lincoln High School. 

The Clinton Lady Maroons built up an early lead in the first, and held onto it through a second-quarter slump to beat the Rochester Lady Rockets by a final score of 48-35 in non-conference high school girls basketball action on Monday night in Clinton. 

The Lady Maroons controlled the first quarter, building up an 18-3 lead. The Lady Rockets fought back in the second to cut their deficit to 25-16 by halftime. The score was 40-27 by the end of the third. 

Clinton was led by Lilah Cluver, who scored 15 points. Carly Anderson scored 14 points, including a pair of buckets from beyond the arc. 

Rochester was led by Alaina Stock and Aniston Farris, who each scored nine points. 

With the win, Clinton improves to 8-4 while Rochester falls to 5-8.

It's off to the Holiday Hoopla Tournament in Monticello for the Lady Sages. They will take on the Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Lady Falcons at 3:30 PM on Friday. 
 

The Maroa-Forsyth Trojans led by 23 after three quarters, and took down the Decatur St. Teresa Bulldogs in non-conference high school boys basketball action on Monday night in Decatur. 

The Trojans had the lead the whole way, turning a 16-9 first-quarter lead into 34-16 by halftime. A big third quarter grew the gap to the biggest of the night, making it 47-24 going into the fourth. 

Caebrin Lee led all scorers by at least 15, putting up 27 points and shooting 4-for-5 from the charity stripe. Coby Lane added 12 points, and Luke Smith had nine. 

With the win, Maroa Forsyth improves to 5-3 while St. T falls to 3-5

Maroa-Forsyth will play host to Judah Christian tonight at 5:30 PM. 
 

The IHSA has expanded the high school football playoffs, starting in the 2026 season. 

Monticello Football Coach Cully Welter says he is in the middle when it comes to his feelings on the referendum. He labels himself as a traditionalist; however has trust in Monticello Athletic Director Dan Sheehan, who was involved in the process. 

With the added round to the playoffs comes changes to the schedule. Now that the whole season will be backed up a week, Coach Welter says that will force some changes in how and when they practice leading up to Week 0.

Among other changes are the possibility of a first-round bye for eligible teams to start the playoffs, as well as video reviews of plays involving suspension or ejection. 

Coach Welter says he is always thinking of new plays to install with his team, and he is looking forward to kicking off the 2026 season in Week 0 when they travel to Illinois Valley Central. 
 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello scored the first 18 points and throttled Sullivan 69-34 in non-conference high school boys basketball action Saturday evening at the Sievers Center in Monticello.

Aiden McCool hit a pair of threes in the first four minutes of the game, and Matthias Rudolph was aggressive to the basket, scoring six points on a layup and two free throws.

After a James Feldkamp three cut the Redskins defict to 25-11 in the second quarter, Monticello scored the next 17 points to open up a 42-11 lead with 2:21 left in the half. 

A Conner Wallen three-pointer opened the fourth quarter and triggered the 30-point running clock for the remainder of the game.

Rudolph led Monticello with 18 points. McCool scored 11 points. Nolan Buehnerkemper had eight points and eight rebounds for the Sages.

Luke Murphy scored eight points - all coming off his defensive pressure. He added three steals and was the State Bank of Bement player of the game.

The Sages controlled the glass with a 32-18 margin. The Sages shot 54 percent from the floor but just 5-of-22 from three. They were 12-of-16 at the foul line.

Monticello scored 40 of its 69 points in the paint. They turned 20 Redskins turnovers into 23 points and had 18 points in transition. 

The Sages' defense held the Redskins to 36 percent shooting, and Sullivan was just 1-of-5 from the foul line.

Sulliva is 5-5 on the season.

Monticello goes to 5-1 overall. It is off to the Holiday Hoopla tournament starting next Friday, Dec. 26, with a pair of games at 11:30 am and 7:30 pm. Hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

Four players scored in double-figures, and Warrensburg-Latham took advantage of a slow second quarter by Maroa-Forsyth for a 66-40 win in non-conference high school boys basketball action Friday night in Warrensburg.

The Cardinals used a 14-2 second quarter to open up a 27-24 lead going to the half after the Trojans started fast, leading 22-13 after one.

Caebrin Lee scored ten of his 12 points in the first quarter for Maroa-Forsyth. Coby Lane finished with 15 points for the Trojans. 

Easton McKenzie led a balanced Cardinals attack with 16 points. Brennan Bonds scored 14 points, while Nathan Southern added 11 points, and Drew Czajkowski added ten points. 

With the win, Warrensburg-Latham goes to 10-1 overall. They are in action next Friday at the Williamsville holiday tournament. 

Maroa-Forsyth drops to 4-3 overall. They are in action Monday at the Decatur St. Teresa Holiday tournament. 

In a game heard on WHOW and all its digital platforms, the Clinton Lady Maroons kept it close through most of the first quarter, but built up a lead right before half and never looked back to beat the Roanoke-Benson Lady Rockets 62-35 on Thursday night in non-conference high school girls basketball action in Clinton. 

The Lady Maroons struggled to get ahead early, with only a 13-10 lead after the first quarter. They used strong second and fourth quarter performances to build up their lead throughout the game. 

Clinton was led by Carly Anderson, who led all scorers with 24 points, while Clara Dempsey had 22. Both made three from beyond the arc. Lilah Cluver added nine points. 

Roanoke-Benson was led by Bri Harms with 10 points and Josie Weber had six. 

With the win, Clinton improves to 7-4 while the Lady Rockets fall to 8-5. 

The Lady Maroons will play host to the Rochester Lady Rockets on Monday at 6:00 PM. 
 

The goal of every high-school basketball player is to reach the milestone of 1,000 career points, and now one local senior has done it.

Clinton Senior Keaton Graves explains that he's had his eyes on 1,000 points since he was a freshman, but was not feeling the pressure before or during their win over Mt. Pulaski. 

Graves knew coming into the season that he was close to reaching the milestone, and says he put in the work during the offseason, particularly on his threes, to ensure he'd achieve it. He adds that motivation from his older brother, Dawson, who is also a 1,000-point scorer, helped as well. 

The next stop for Graves is breaking the Clinton all-time scoring record. Graves needs to average close to 22 points a game to achieve it, but he says he's more focused on getting wins than individual points. 

The Maroons are off until Saturday when they take on the El Paso-Gridley Titans, tip-off is at 5:00 PM.
 

The IHSA has passed a referendum that will expand the high school football playoffs from 32 teams per class to 48. 

Clinton Maroons Football Coach Ron Bass has mixed feelings on the matter. He says while it may give the team an advantage and help them make the playoffs in the future, he understands the opposition to the amendment. 

Bass feels that the playoff expansion could have made a big impact on seasons they have had in recent years, including last year's 4-5 regular season finish. He says his players are excited for the change and the postseason opportunities it could bring. 

According to Bass, this will not change much in his approach to coaching the team. He says that playoff games are won by putting in the hard work in the offseason, which his team has been receptive to. 

Among other high school football changes from the IHSA is the introduction of video replays when it comes to ejections and suspensions. Bass points to a moment involving former Maroons QB Mason Walker, where he was ejected from a game while attempting to break up a fight. 

Clinton opens up the season in Week 1 against Fieldcrest. 
 

A local high school basketball legend has achieved a career milestone that few others have. 

Clinton Maroons Basketball Coach Vic Binkley reached the 800 career win mark on Wednesday night as they beat Riverton 59-36. He says the win wasn't a guarantee, but his team fought hard to help him achieve the historic milestone. 

Binkley indicates that the key to his success has been surrounding himself with good coaches and instilling a mindset of hard work in his athletes. He notes that it is his love for the sport that keeps him going. 

Coach Binkley explains that as he gets older, he may have to rely more on his fellow, younger coaches when it comes to relating to his players; however, he has no plans on retiring any time soon. 

Binkley is grateful for all the students, staff, and community members who have supported him throughout his career, not only in Clinton but in his previous schools as well. 
 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello overcame a slow start and rolled to a 59-41 win over Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond in non-conference high school boys basketball action Tuesday night at the Seivers Center in Monticello.

The Sages outscored ALAH 33-10 in the middle frames after leading 11-10 after the first quarter. 

Matthias Rudolph finished with 17 points and seven rebounds to lead the Sages, who had 42 of their 59 points in the paint. 

After going 4-for-14 from the floor in the first quarter, Monticello finished the game going 19-for-39 the rest of the way.

The Sages turned 15 Knights turnovers into 15 points and had 17 offensive rebounds, which turned into 16 points. 

Gus Reppert finished with 13 points. State Bank of Bement player of the game Jake Motsegood had eight points, six boards, and three assists. 

Monticello ended with a 39-29 rebounding advantage and held ALAH to just 35-percent shooting.

ALAH drops to 1-7 overall.

Monticello is 4-1. They host Sullivan on Saturday at 4:30 pm. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

Kannon Grubbs scored a career-best 24 points, and Caebrin Lee added 29 points, leading Maroa-Forsyth over Rantoul 69-56 in non-conference high school boys basketball action from Rantoul on Tuesday night.

Grubbs scored all 24 from beyond the arc, sinking five threes in the first half.

Lee scored 18 of his 29 points in the second half for the Trojans.

Four players scored in double figures for the Eagles. Jonathon Couture scored 12 of his team-best 14 in the second half. Iysean Autman scored 12 points, and Levi Duitsman and Spencer Stockwill each scored 11 points.

Maroa-Forsyth improves to 4-2 overall. They host Warrensburg-Latham on Friday night. 

Carter Logue scored 28 points, Jaxon Finch added 20 points, and Argenta-Oreana rallied to an 85-60 win over Meridian in non-conference high school boys basketball action on Tuesday in Macon.

Kameryn Stokes added 11 points for the Bombers, who turned a 17-15 first quarter deficit into a 40-25 halftime lead.

Bryce Brown scored 28 points to lead the Hawks. Ted Jones scored 14 points, and Jonas Henderson chipped in with 12 points. 

Meridian drops to 0-6.

Argenta-Oreana improves to 4-7. 

Four players scored in double figures, and Monticello rolled past Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 64-33 in non-conference high school girls basketball action Tuesday night at the Sievers Center.

The girls' matchup was part of a girls/boys varsity double dip.

Sara Cresap scored 15 points to lead all scorers for the Lady Sages. Lexi Leatherwood had a double-double with 13 points and ten rebounds. 

Ali Weidner and Madi Melton each added 12 points for Monticello. Weidner was a rebound shy of a double-double. 

The Lady Sages controlled the glass with a 45-25 edge and 19 points off 13 offensive rebounds. 

Monticello finished shooting 50-percent from the floor, thanks to 40 of its 64 points coming in the paint. 

Sophie Monts had nine points to lead the Lady Knights.

ALAH falls to 1-9 overall.

Monticello goes to 6-3. 

Illinois High School Association (IHSA) member schools approved all 12 amendment proposals that appeared on the all-school ballot during the annual by-law referendum process that concluded on December 15, 2025. The voting was independently certified on the morning of December 16.
 
There were several significant changes approved by the membership, including expansion of the IHSA Football Playoffs from 32 teams per class to 48 teams per class, increasing the number of total playoff qualifiers from 256 qualifiers to 384. There are no changes to the number of playoff classes in football, which remains at eight. The season start date remains the same (August 10 in 2026), but the first regular-season games will be played one week earlier (August 20 in 2026), eliminating the Week Zero scrimmage. 
 
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said too often throughout the years, football decisions have negatively impacted other sports at IHSA school. [They] are hopeful that this football playoff expansion will provide intended relief to our schools by stabilizing conference movement and eliminating the difficulty of scheduling football games that many of our schools face each year. It may create some short-term complications for some schools, conferences, and coaches, but they aer optimistic it will create long-term stability in football and beyond.
 
Other significant changes include the IHSA Board of Directors expanding from 11 elected members to 15 elected members, with four new seats being created specifically for Superintendents (or Presidents). Cooperative sports teams made-up of 3,500 students or more will no longer be eligible to compete for IHSA State Series team awards, while the IHSA’s no-contact period in the summer will be moved from early August to the week of the Fourth of July beginning this summer. 
 
A summary of the 12 proposals that were passed can be found below. All of the proposals will go into effect on July 1, unless otherwise noted.
 
Over 90% percent of the IHSA's 802 member high schools took part in the 2025 voting process. 

The Clinton Lady Maroons controlled the game from start to end and beat the Meridian Lady Hawks in Central Illinois Conference high school girls basketball action on Monday night in Macon. 

The Lady Maroons outscored their opponents in every quarter, pushing a 27-14 halftime lead to 48-29 by the end of the third, then holding the Lady Hawks to four points in the fourth quarter. 

Clinton was led by Avery Smith, who scored 16 points. Carly Anderson added 13 points, including a pair of baskets from beyond the arc. Clara Dempsey contributed 10 points. 

With the win, Clinton improves to 6-4 overall and 2-0 in the CIC while Meridian falls to 7-2 and 1-1 in the Central Illinois Conference. 

The Lady Maroons will play host to the Roanoke-Benson Lady Rockets on Thursday evening, and you can hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. Tip-off is at 7:30. 
 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Matthias Rudolph scored 25 points, and Monticello rolled Heyworth 65-42 in non-conference high school boys basketball action Friday night in Heyworth.

The Sages jumped out to a 9-0 lead in just a minute - highlighted by five points from Ayden McCool and four from Rudolph - and never looked back.

Rudolph scored 10 of his 25 in the first quarter but went out with two early fouls and did not play the rest of the first half. He added 11 more in the third quarter. 

After Heyworth's Chase Ruppert made it a 37-25 score with 4:30 left in the third quarter, the Sages went on a 9-2 run to open up a 46-27 lead with 1:45 left and led 51-32 at the end of the frame.

Ruppert led the Hornets with 25 points. 

Gus Reppert had 14 points for Monticello, who shot 57-percent from the floor. McCool finished with 11 points.

A total of 41 fouls were called Friday night. Heyworth went 13-of-17 at the foul line while Monticello finished 9-of-12. 

The Hornets made just one three-pointer on 11 attempts. The Sages controlled the glass, 30-23.

Heyworth falls to 5-3 overall.

Monticello goes to 3-1. Tomorrow's (Saturday) action against Petersburg-PORTA-AC Central has been postponed. The Sages will host Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond on Tuesday night. Game time is 7 pm. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

Cerro Gordo-Bement jumped out early and held on for a 57-48 win over Argenta-Oreana in the Macon County Tournament Friday night in Cerro Gordo, eliminating the Bombers from the tournament.

The Broncos led 18-11 after the first quarter and stretched their lead to 38-28 at the half. 

Lucas Fuson led CG-B with 19 points. Cooper Benson finished with 15 points, and Will Fuson added 12 points.

The Bombers were led by Jaxon Finch's 15 points, and Isaiah Parks added 15 points. 

Argenta-Oreana is 5-7 overall. 

Cerro Gordo-Bement improves to 3-4.

The Maroa-Forsyth Trojans fought off a 24-point performance from Talan Rhodes, and Coby Lane hit the game-winner to beat the Central A&M Raiders by a final score of 57-56 in high school boys basketball Macon County Tournament play on Thursday night in Cerro Gordo. 

The Trojans held the momentum through the first half, but both teams battled to run the score up to 32-29 by halftime. In the third quarter, the Raiders took the lead to make it 47-46 going into the final eight minutes. 

With Maroa-Forsyth trailing 55-56 in the final seconds, Coby Lane found the rim to hit the 57-56 game-winning shot. 

The Trojans were led by Coby Lane, who scored 20 points, 15 of which came in the second half. Caebrin Lee added 12 points, all in the first half, while Luke Smith contributed 11 points, including nine from beyond the arc. 

Central A&M was led by 5-foot-9 junior Talan Rhodes, who scored 24 points. Ace Spinner added 14 points for the Raiders. 

With the win, Maroa-Forsyth improves to 3-1 while Central A&M falls to 3-2. 

The Trojans will play host to the Warrensburg-Latham Cardinals in Cerro Gordo tonight as they continue Macon County Tournament play. Tip-off is at 8:00 PM. 
 

The Monticello Lady Sages made adjustments coming out of the half to stay in the game and go on to beat the Mt. Zion Lady Braves 50-47 in non-conference high school girls basketball action on Thursday night in Monticello. 

The Lady Sages had a one-point lead heading into the second quarter, but Mt. Zion pushed ahead in the second to take the 26-22 lead. 

Monticello came out of the half with a strong defensive presence, taking the lead back 34-33 going into the fourth quarter. Both teams made a push to find offensive rhythm, but the Lady Sages pulled out the win, outscoring Mt. Zion 16-14 in the fourth. 

Monticello was led by Ali Weidner, who scored 16 points and had a team-high seven rebounds. Lexi Leatherwood had 12 points and shot five-of-six from the floor, while Sarah Cresap added 11 points. 

With the win, Monticello improves to 5-3 while Mt. Zion falls to 5-4. 

The Lady Sages will play their second of a three-game homestand on Tuesday when they host Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond. Tipoff is at 5:30 PM. 

Tune in to the next Monticello Sages sports broadcast as the boys take on the Heyworth Hornets tonight at 7 PM. You can hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC or stream it online at dewittdailynews.com. 
 

In a game heard on WHOW and all its digital platforms, the Clinton Lady Maroons got ahead early and never looked back, and took the 72-41 win over the Shelbyville Lady Rams in Central Illinois Conference high school girls basketball action on Thursday night in Clinton. 

 

Shelbyville struck first, but Clinton took the lead early, making the score 20-10 by the end of the first quarter, and 40-24 heading into the half. 

 

The Lady Maroons would put up 32 points in the second half to Shelbyville's 17 to seal the win. 

 

Clara Dempsey led all scorers with 33 points, while Carly Anderson added 18. Each made four from beyond the arc. Avery Smith added 10 points, all in the second half. The team shot perfect from the foul line. 

 

The Lady Rams were led by 6-foot-1 senior Kenzie Jones, who scored 19 points. Kyndall Bennett added seven. 

 

With the win, the Lady Maroons improve to 5-4 and 1-0 in the CIC while Shelbyville falls to 6-4 and 0-2 in the CIC. 

 

Clinton will continue conference play when they take on the Meridian Lady Hawks on Monday at 7:00 PM in Macon. 

 

Tune into the next Clinton Maroons sports broadcast when the girls host Roanoke-Benson on December 18th. Tip-off is at 7:00 PM. Hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms.  

The Argenta-Oreana Bombers trailed going into the half, but came back in the third quarter to take the 60-56 comeback-win over the Decatur St. Teresa Bulldogs in the Macon County Tournament on Wednesday night. 

St. Teresa used consistent scoring through the first half and held the Bombers to single digits in the second quarter to take the halftime 28-21 lead. 

A-O rallied in the third quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 22-12 to take a three-point lead that they wouldn't give back. 

Argenta-Oreana was led by Isaiah Parks, who led all scorers with 24 points and went 6-for-6 from the foul line. Carter Logue added 16 points. 

St. T was led by Eli Etchason with 18 points and two made threes, while Gavin Paul had 11 points. 

With the win, A-O improves to 3-6 while St. Teresa falls to 2-3. 

The Bombers will take on the Meridian Hawks on Tuesday, December 16th at 7:30 PM. 
 

The Maroa-Forsyth Trojans dominated the first half and held off a comeback effort from the Decatur St. Teresa Bulldogs to take the 63-49 win in non-conference high school boys basketball action on Tuesday night in Cerro Gordo. 

The Trojans held the Bulldogs to single digits in both the first and second quarters, making the score 33-9 going into the half. 

St. T fought back, putting up 40 points in the second half to Maroa-Forsyth's 30, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit. 

Maroa-Forsyth was led by Caebrin Lee, who scored 24 points and shot 6-for-7 from the foul line. Coby Lane added 18 points while Kannon Grubbs had eight. 

With the win, Maroa-Forsyth improves to 2-1 while Decatur St. Teresa falls to 2-2. 

The Trojans will play host to Central A&M in the Cerro Gordo Tournament on Thursday at 7:30 PM. 
 

The Argenta-Oreana Bombers made a comeback effort in the third quarter, but fell short in the fourth and fell to the Central A&M Raiders by a final score of 58-44 in non-conference high school boys basketball action on Tuesday night in Cerro Gordo. 

Central A&M controlled the game early on, making the score 34-25 going into the half. The Bombers made adjustments and pushed after the half to close the gap to 43-40, but the Raiders fought back and held A-O to just four points in the fourth quarter. 

The Bombers were led by Jaxon Finch, who scored 12 points, while Carter Logue added 11. Each made two from beyond the arc. 

Talen Rhodes led all scorers with 25 points for Central A&M. Ace Spinner had 18, 12 of which came from deep. 

With the loss, Argenta-Oreana falls to 2-6 while Central A&M improves to 3-1. 
 

The Clinton Lady Maroons made a comeback effort, but were held off by the Tri-Valley Lady Vikings by a final score of 59-52 in non-conference high school girls basketball action on Monday night in Downs. 

Tri-Valley took control of the game early, making the score 24-17 after the first quarter, and 38-24 going into the half to hold the lead. Clinton fought back in the second half, outscoring the Lady Vikings 28-21, but fell short of taking the final lead. 

The Lady Maroons were led by Carly Anderson, who scored 17 points and made three from beyond the arc. Clara Dempsey added 10 points while Avery Smith had nine. 

With the loss, Clinton falls to 4-4 and suffers their second straight loss, while Tri-Valley improves to 7-1. 

The girls will return home to take on the Shelbyville Lady Rams on Thursday at 6:00 PM. Hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. 
 

Dee-Mack held off a late Clinton comeback for a 61-58 win in non-conference high school girls basketball action at Clinton High School on Saturday.

It was a back-and-forth match-up all afternoon. The Lady Indians jumped out to a 15-12 lead after the first quarter and led 27-22 at the intermission.

But the Lady Maroons battled back in the fourth quarter, trailing 45-36 after three quarters, outscoring Dee-Mack 22-16 in the fourth, but the rally fell short.

Carly Anderson and Clara Dempsey each scored 17 points to lead Clinton. Avery Smith scored ten points.

Dee-Mack improves to 5-0 overall. Clinton drops to 4-3 overall. 

The Lady Maroons travel to Tri-Valley on Monday. 

Three players scored in double-figures, and Monticello pulled away from Arcola for a 73-21 win in non-conference high school girls basketball action Saturday morning in Arcola.

Ali Weidner led the Lady Sages with 17 points. Sara Cresap added 14 points, and Annie Robinson scored 13 points. 

The Lady Sages finished 12-of-14 at the foul line. Emma Arnold and Kiara Grace each grabbed six rebounds.

Monticell jumped out to a 25-8 lead after the first quarter and built it up to a 43-14 lead at the half. 

Monticello improves to 4-3 overall. They will host Mt. Zion on Wednesday.

Tommy Rittenhouse connected with Daniel Sobkowicz for two touchdown passes inside the final two minutes and overcame five interceptions to help No. 17 Illinois State Redbirds upset top-ranked and previously unbeaten North Dakota State Bison 29-28 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

Rittenhouse’s second 8-yard TD pass to Sobkowicz pulled Illinois State to 28-21 with 2:44 left. On the ensuing possession, Jake Anderson strip-sacked Cole Payton and the Redbirds had the ball back at the 23.

On fourth-and-goal with 51 seconds left, Rittenhouse threw a 6-yard TD pass to Sobkowicz and the Redbirds converted a 2-point pass to Scotty Presson Jr.

The Bison then drove near midfield, but Nathan Hayes threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-7 to seal it for the Redbirds, who will move on to face the UC Davis-Rhode Island winner in a quarterfinal.

Payton threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Lance on North Dakota State's first play from scrimmage. About 10 minutes later, Jackson Williams scored on a 52-yard punt return for a 14-0 lead. Nathaniel Staehling added a 73-yard pick-6 midway through the second quarter to give the Bison a 21-7 lead.

Rittenhouse threw three interceptions in the first half before throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Sobkowicz late in the second quarter to get the Redbirds within 21-14 at the break.

Rittenhouse completed 35 of 52 passes for 249 yards. Victor Dawson scored on a 69-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and finished with 137 yards rushing for Illinois State.

Payton and Hayes combined for 6-of-19 passing for 120 yards. Barika Kpeenu's 4-yard touchdown run gave the Bison the lead at 28-14 with 12:38 left in the fourth quarter.

The Bison entered having won 14 straight in the series with a pair of playoff wins including a 29-27 victory in the 2014 national championship.

Tomislav Ivisic and Keaton Wagler each scored 16 points, and No. 14 Illinois Fighting Illini beat No. 13 Tennessee Volunteers 75-62 Saturday night in the second part of the Music City Madness.

The Fighting Illini (7-2) came in rested after an eight-day break, with this their last of four Top 15 opponents over a seven-game stretch. Illinois snapped a five-game skid on neutral courts against ranked opponents and also gave coach Brad Underwood his first win in three tries against Tennessee.

Illinois is averaging 90.4 points a game this season after leading the Big Ten in scoring last season. Leading scorer Kylan Boswell went to the bench in the opening minutes, grabbing at his left shoulder. He returned and finished with 15 points.

David Mirkovic added 10 for the Fighting Illini.

Tennessee (7-3) has lost three straight after going 30-8 last season and reaching the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie led Tennessee with 15 points. Freshman Nate Ament, who has been averaging 17.1 points a game, finished with nine.

The Vols never led by more than two and had their last lead at 49-48 on a dunk by J.P. Estrella when Illinois went on a 15-3 spurt started by Andrej Stojakovic's layup, taking the lead back for good, and Boswell's layup with 6:55 to go put the Fighting Illini up 63-52. Illinois pushed that to as much as 14 in the final minutes.

Illinois controlled much of the first half. Ivisic scored the last 10 of the half for the Fighting Illini, but the Vols finished the half on an 11-4 run with Cade Phillips' layup with 51 seconds left, putting Tennessee up 34-32 at halftime.

Illinois is at Ohio State on Tuesday night.

Mason Klabo had 16 points in Illinois State Redbirds's 95-53 win over Chicago State Cougars on Saturday.

Boden Skunberg scored 16 points and Chase Walker had 12 points. The Redbirds picked up their seventh straight victory.

Doyel Cockrill III led the Cougars (1-9) in scoring, finishing with 13 points and two steals. Chicago State also got 12 points and eight rebounds from CJ Ray. Marcus Tankersley also had 10 points.

Illinois State took the lead for good 14 seconds into the game and led 45-13 at halftime, with Skunberg racking up 16 points. Klabo scored 16 points in the second half to help lead the way as Illinois State went on to secure a victory, outscoring Chicago State by 10 points in the second half.

The Redbirds travel to Utah State next Saturday. 

Jaquan Johnson's 21 points helped Bradley Braves defeat Northern Illinois Huskies 84-55 on Saturday.

Alex Huibregtse added 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds. AJ Smith finished with 10 points while adding six rebounds.

Dylan Ducommun finished with 17 points and six rebounds for the Huskies (3-6). Gianni Cobb added 11 points for Northern Illinois. Makhai Valentine also had 10 points and six rebounds.

Bradley took the lead for good about seven minutes into the first half. The score was 39-26 at halftime, with Huibregtse racking up 10 points. Bradley pulled away with an 11-2 run in the second half to extend a 20-point lead to 29 points. They outscored Northern Illinois by 16 points in the final half, as Johnson led the way with a team-high 13 second-half points.

The Braves visit Indiana State to open Missouri Valley Conference play on Thursday. 

Warrensburg-Latham stayed hot to start its season and rolled Argenta-Oreana 81-42 in non-conference high school boys basketball action Friday in Argenta.

Nathan Southern led all scorers with 18 points. Easton McKenzie added 15 points, and Brennon Bonds finished with 12 for the Cardinals.

Warrensburg-Latham opened up a 42-16 lead at the half and led 70-26 after three quarters.

Jaxon Finch finished with 15 for the Bombers, and Kamryn Stokes added ten points.

Argenta-Oreana drops to 1-6 overall. Warrensburg-Latham goes to 6-1. 

In a thriller heard on WHOW and all its digital platforms, the Clinton Maroons traded the lead back and forth but came alive in the second half to beat the Maroa-Forsyth Trojans by a final score of 72-66 in non-conference high school boys basketball action on Friday night in Clinton. 

 

The game was close the entire way through, with the score within at least two points at the end of the first three quarters. With the Maroons trailing 48-49 going into the final eight minutes, Clinton outscored Maroa-Forsyth 24-17 to take the win.

 

Even though Clinton is slightly undersized compared to the Trojans, they did not back down from attacking the rim, with only 15 of their 72 points coming from beyond the arc. 

 

Keaton Graves scored 22 of his game-high 33 points in the second half, finishing 7-of-8 at the foul line. Brock Wilson added 12 points, while Jaeden Bell turned around his scoreless first half and finished with 11 points, all in the second half, including back-to-back made threes to keep the game tied. 

 

The Maroons also won the turnover battle, showing off their defensive prowess and getting six points in transition. 

 

The Trojans were led by 6-foot-4 junior Caebrin Lee’s 25 points. He received a costly technical in the fourth quarter for hanging on the rim while trying to rebound a missed dunk. Kenny Morris added 12 points off the bench while Kannon Grubbs had nine points, all from beyond the arc. 

 

With the win, the Maroons move to 6-0 while Maroa-Forsyth falls to 1-1. 

 

Clinton will play again tomorrow in the Edinburg Shootout when they take on Pleasant Plains. Tip-off is at 5:30 PM. 

 

Tune into the next Clinton Sports Broadcast when the Lady Maroons play host to Shelbyville on Thursday, December 11th. Tip-off is 7:30 PM. Hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. 

 

Be sure to check out ILsportswire on your preferred social media platforms to catch up with highlights from tonight’s game. 
 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, four players scored in double figures, and Williamsville sank 10 three pointers en route to a 61-41 romp over Monticello in non-conference high school boys basketball action Friday night at the Sievers Center in Monticello.

The Bullets used a 9-3 run to jump out early and never looked back. Williamsville made seven of its ten from beyond the arc in the first half. Jackson Sanders scored eight of his 16 points in the fourth quarter as the Bullets withstood a Monticello rally in the third quarter, getting to ten points at 49-39.

Dalton Root made five threes and finished with 15 points for Williamsville. Garrett Timm and Nolan Bryan each scored 11 points.

Ayden McCool led the Sages with 14 points. He was the State Bank of Bement player of the game. 

Williamsville is 2-0 on the season.

Monticello drops to 2-1. They are off until next Friday night when they visit Heyworth in non-conference action. Hear it all on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com starting at 7 pm. 

The Clinton Lady Maroons finished out their second win in two nights when they beat the Argenta-Oreana Lady Bombers by a final score of 62-31 in non-conference high school girls basketball action on Thursday night in Clinton. 

 

The Lady Maroons got ahead early, making the score 24-9 after the first quarter. A-O would push back out scoring Clinton 13-9 in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 22-33 going into the half. 

 

Clinton turned on the jets from there, putting up an additional 29 points in the second half.

 

The Lady Maroons outscored their opponents by a combined 126-55 over their back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday. 

 

Clara Dempsey had a double-double with 25 points and 10 assists and made five from beyond the arc. Carly Anderson had 15 points while Avery Smith added 10 points. 

 

With the win, the Clinton improves to 4-2 and is on a four-game win streak. A-O falls to 1-5.

 

The Lady Maroons will host Dee-Mack on Saturday at 2:30 PM. 

 

Tune in tonight as the Boys take on the Maroa-Forsyth Trojans. Tip-off is at 7:30 PM, and you can hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. 

 

The Clinton Lady Maroons held the Tolono Unity Lady Rockets to 11 points over the final three quarters, and won 64-24 in non-conference high school girls basketball action Wednesday night in Tolono. 

The Lady Maroons dominated the offensive side of the ball, with the biggest scoring difference coming in the third quarter. Clinton scored 18 points to the Lady Rockets' 2. 

Clinton was led by Clara Dempsey, who led all scorers with 21 points and made two from beyond the arc. Carly Anderson added 16 points while Avery Smith put up 11. 

Tolono Unity was led by Claire Meharry, Grace Bickers, and Olivia Hall, who put up four points apiece. 

With the win, Clinton improves to 3-2 while Tolono Unity falls to 2-5. 

The Lady Maroons will take on the Argenta-Oreana Lady Bombers tonight in the second half of a back-to-back outing for Clinton. Tip-off is at 6:00 PM at Clinton High School. 
 

The Maroa-Forsyth Trojans got ahead early and fended off a push from the Edinburg Wildcats, beating them 66-53 in non-conference high school season-opening basketball action Wednesday night in Maroa. 

The Trojans were strong out of the gate, putting up a 21-6 lead by the end of the first quarter. Edinburg turned up the heat and held pace with Maroa-Forsyth; however, they were unable to overcome that first-quarter deficit. 

Maroa-Forsyth was led by Caebrin Lee, who scored 32 points and shot 90.9 percent from the foul line. Coby Lane scored 19 points and made five shots from beyond the arc. 

With the win, the Trojans kick off the season at 1-0 while Edinburg falls to 2-3. 

The Trojans come to Clinton to take on the Maroons at 7:30 PM on Friday. You can hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms.
 

The Argenta-Oreana Bombers fell in a blowout loss to the LeRoy Panthers by a final score of 75-36 in non-conference high school boys basketball action on Tuesday night in LeRoy. 

 

The Bombers only trailed by 20-14 after the first quarter, but failed to score in double digits for each of the following three quarters as the Panthers racked up points. LeRoy drew the lead out to 65-30 heading into the final eight minutes. 

 

The Bombers were led by Jaxon Finch and Isaiah Parks, who both scored 11 points, including a made three-pointer for each. Justin Flowers had five points. 

 

LeRoy was led by Brycen Umstattd and Brandon Bryant, each scoring 12 points and making two from beyond the arc. Sam Edmundson led all scorers with 22 points. 

 

With the loss, Argenta-Oreana falls to 1-4 while LeRoy improves to 5-0.

 

A-O hosts Warrensburg-Latham on Friday at 7:30 PM. 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Matthias Rudolph recorded his second consecutive double-double to lead Monticello over Riverton 53-42 in non-conference high school boys' basketball action Tuesday in Riverton.

Rudolph scored the first five points for the Sages, who jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead. Riverton would rally back and go up 11-8 with 5:44 left in the first quarter, but Monticello closed the frame on a 17-7 run highlighted by another Rudolph three-pointer, a layup, and two free throws.

The junior scored 12 of his game-high 20 points in the first quarter and finished with 12 rebounds. He was the State Bank of Bement player of the game.

Ayden McCool added 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Sages.

Riverton was led by Julian Rice's16 points. 

Monticello outrebounded Riverton 35-23, and despite shooting 42.5 percent from the floor, they held the Hawks to 38.3 percent shooting. 

The Sages went 12-of-16 at the foul line to Riverton's 4-of-5.

The Hawks also finished 2-of-13 from three.

Riverton is 2-1 on the season. 

Monticello improves to 2-0. They host Williamsville for their home opener on Friday at 7 pm. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

The Monticello Lady Sages shut out their opponents in the first quarter and stole the ball 13 times to lead to their 62-17 rout of the Urbana Lady Tigers on Monday night in non-conference high school girls basketball action in Urbana. 

Monticello did not allow Urbana to score through the first eight minutes, leading to a 14-0 score going into the second quarter. They built up their lead in the second and third quarters, outscoring the Lady Tigers 39-13. The score was 53-13 going into the final quarter. 

The Lady Sages spread out the scoring, but were led by Sarah Cresap with 12 points. Ali Wediner scored 10 points and had six assists. Mady Melton also added 10 and had four steals. Lexi Leatherwood contributed five more steals to add to the team's total of 13. 

The Lady Tigers were led by Lai'yonna Harper, who posted 12 points and shot perfect from the field. Madison Shade added four. 

With the win, Monticello improves to 3-2 while Urbana falls to 0-3. 

The Lady Sages will come back to Monticello to host the Mt. Pulaski Lady Hill Toppers on Thursday. Tip-off is at 7 PM.