Clifton Central won its first regional title since 2019 this season and Gardner-South Wilmington claimed its first regional crown since 2014.

But the season ended for both teams in the IHSA Class 1A Dwight Sectional semifinals on Wednesday, with Central (20-8) falling 4-3 to Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley and G-SW (19-13) losing 8-1 to Armstrong.

Central had a late lead Wednesday, but Gibson City’s Trent Wetherell drilled a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to put the Falcons on top.

While things came to an end, the Comets were able to win a regional title on their home field, the fourth regional in program history, and won the River Valley Conference title for the second year in a row.

“If there’s a Mount Rushmore for Comet baseball teams, this team is on it,” head coach Brian Kohn said. “This team is a couple bounces and 10 feet away from playing in the sectional finals. This is a special group that came up just short.”

A couple of those bounces came in the top of the sixth after Central had taken a 2-1 lead on a sacrifice fly from Brayden Meents in the fourth and courtesy runner Braylon Porter scoring on a wild pitch.

Gibson City’s Bo Grider hit a grounder right at Central shortstop Derek Meier, but it skipped right over his head into center field for a double, after a pair of passed balls, Grider scored to tie the score.

Central reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI triple from Mayson Mitchell, but after an error and a flyout started the seventh, Wetherell sent one just over the wall in center.

Kohn credited four-year varsity seniors Blake Chandler, who had eight strikeouts in 6⅓ innings, and Meents with carrying the team this far.

With the departure of this pair and fellow seniors Noah Vining, Kaden LaFine, Braden Kempen and Nick Gifford, Kohn said a large returning group including Meier and Mitchell has big shoes to fill next season.

And while this loss may sting for a while, he said he hopes the team is able to appreciate what they accomplished.

“I’m a Central grad, and my senior year we won the regional at home,” Kohn said. “Whenever we get together, we still talk about that.

“...They probably won’t recognize tomorrow or the short-term, but I hope they look back and realize this was a special run.”

G-SW was playing in the sectional round for the first time in 12 years after putting together their winningest season since 2008.

The Panthers nearly doubled their 2025 win total of 10 and became the first G-SW boys team to win a regional title since the basketball team in 2019.

They also got to do all this while the softball team advanced to state for the first time.

“There’s not a boy in the school that had won a regional,” head coach Allan Wills said. “It’s not easy. Our girls are making a good run, and it’s probably the first time ever the boys and girls both won regionals at the same time.”

The Panthers struck first on an RBI single from Owen Vitko in the second inning, but Armstrong rallied for five runs in the third to take control.

Case Christensen threw a pair of shutout innings before the Trojans got to him in the third, and Caden Christensen finished strong in the final four frames.

Vitko, Brock Enerson and Aiden Himes were the only seniors on this year’s roster. All four-year varsity players, they helped the Panthers go from eight wins their sophomore year to 10 last season and now 19 to finish things up.

A large group of returners, led by the Christensens and star shortstop/pitcher Reed Millette, will try and keep things rolling next season.

“All three of those seniors have been up and playing games the last four years, and their leadership they showed to the younger kids was good,” Wills said. “Just getting a mix of the good junior group we have, a good sophomore group too and even a few freshmen, we’re finally getting a few good grades in a row, and that’s helping our success.

“...We’re looking forward to [the future], and while it stings now, we’ll be back next year.”