May 28, 2025
NewsHigh School SportseNewspaperNewslettersObituariesEvent Calendar

State, sectional and regional champions crowned in busy prep sports weekend

By Mason Schweizer
Kankakee’s Trinity Noble hugs teammate Essence Bell after the Kays secured second place in the 4x200 relay during the IHSA Class 3A Girls Track & Field State Finals on Saturday, May 24, 2025.

Kankakee’s Trinity Noble hugs teammate Essence Bell after the Kays secured second place in the 4x200 relay during the IHSA Class 3A Girls Track & Field State Finals on Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Tiffany Blanchette/Tiffany Blanchette)

The area’s prep spring sports teams were out and about in postseason action across the state over the weekend, as area schools competed in baseball, softball, girls soccer, boys and girls track and field, boys tennis and boys volleyball playoff action.

Friday night, Coal City came back late to defeat Bishop McNamara in the IHSA Class 2A Coal City Regional championship, giving the Coalers four straight regional titles. Beecher was able to hold off Wilmington for the Bobcats’ own regional three-peat at the Class 2A Beecher Regional. Central saw its season end in the Class 2A regional semifinal round while Gardner-South Wilmington and Grant Park bowed out in Class 1A regional championship action.

Watseka’s Drew McTaggart won the 3,200-meter run and qualified for the Class 1A track and field finals in a pair of events to lead six local athletes who are state-bound out of the Westville Sectional Friday as well. Kankakee’s girls soccer regional repeat was denied in the Class 2A Kankakee Regional championship and Coal City saw its season end in the Class 1A sectional semifinal round.

The IHSA Girls Track and Field State Finals were held Saturday, where Kankakee’s Naomi-Bey Osborne won three more medals to end her career with 11, leading a healthy dose of state medalists.

Also Saturday, Bishop McNamara topped Herscher, Wilmington walked off Coal City and Manteno topped Beecher in Class 2A baseball regional final action, while Herscher won a Class 2A softball crown. Peotone saw its season end in Class 2A championship action, the same fate Milford suffered in Class 1A.

Peotone got a late goal to get past Herscher in a tense Class 1A sectional semifinal girls soccer game as well Saturday. Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Isaiah Sharda qualified for the Class 2A boys tennis finals, while the Boilermakers and Kankakee saw their boys volleyball seasons end in the opening round of regional action.

Highlights of Friday’s action can be found in the sports section, while Saturday’s highlights can be found in Tuesday’s e-edition. For full coverage from the entire weekend, as well as the next round of postseason action that begins Tuesday evening, visit shawlocal.com/daily-journal/high-school-sports.