Wyatt Cassens was 4 for 4 in Sterling's 13-3 win over E-P. Newman, Fulton and Eastland baseball won, Dixon and Rock Falls softball won and more in Friday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Here are five of the top returning baseball players to watch in the Sauk Valley area as the 2026 season gets underway. Newman, Sterling, Fulton and Forreston are among the teams with key seniors back.

The last two weeks Friday Night Drive has highlighted notable quarterbacks and running backs returning to Illinois prep gridirons next fall. This week is all about the receivers, with 10 pass-catchers to keep an eye on this coming fall.

Morrison softball edged Sterling 2-1 as Ava Duncan pitched a complete game with 13 strikeouts. Sterling baseball beat Princeton 9-7, while Fulton softball and baseball beat Polo in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Has it really been 50 years since Chips Giovanine’s Western Rams marched back to state with an undefeated record at 29-0 for the second season in a row? They met Lawrenceville and the legendary Jay Shidler in the Class A third-place game. Shidler poured in 45 points.

Here are five of the top Sauk Valley area softball players to watch this season as the 2026 campaign gets underway.

Dixon sophomore wrestler Charlie Connors is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week, presented by Loescher Heating and Air Conditioning. He was the state runner-up at 144 pounds and the Dukes took fourth at state duals.

Eastland’s impressive run back to the Class 1A state semifinals came to an end after a 61-43 loss to Lawrenceville in Thursday's third-place game. The Cougars still took home back-to-back state trophies for the first time as a program.

Eastland was unable to settle in against Chicago Marshall's speed and athleticism in a 66-38 loss in Thursday's Class 1A state semifinal matchup. The Cougars will play Lawrenceville for third place later tonight.