Here is the 2025 Chicagoland Christian Conference preview complete with team-by-team breakdowns, five players to watch, five can't miss games and Steve Soucie's predictions.

The football coaches at Bradley-Bourbonnais, Kankakee and Bishop McNamara all used the same word to describe their moods on the first day of practice Monday – excited.

The first day of prep football practice was Monday in Illinois. Check out action from the Daily Journal's All-Area teams.

From returning starters in the Big Ten to redshirt freshmen with new opportunities as transfers, seven football players from the Daily Journal area will play at college football's highest level this fall.

Mason Schweizer examines a handful of things to look for from the Daily Journal area once the football season starts.

Here are some of the top storylines to watch for from several fall sports this upcoming season.

Kankakee native and 2016 Bishop McNamara graduate Jonathan Ward signed with the New York Giants on Monday.

Mason Schweizer looks at a handful of storylines to keep an eye on during the upcoming girls volleyball season.

After a torn ACL cost her her junior soccer season, Ella Langellier picked up a camera and learned photography as she recovered. Now, the recent Bishop McNamara graduate is set to do both at Olivet Nazarene University.

Bishop McNamara will be adding boys and girls swimming to its slate of athletics this fall.

With new head coach Greg Youngblood and an experienced, hungry group of seniors, the Bishop McNamara football team has kicked it into high gear during their summer preparation.

With the IHSA releasing the state’s football schedules on Friday, here are the top games to watch in the Daily Journal area for the 2025 season.

Steve Soucie and Mason Schweizer discuss the upcoming IHSA football schedule release and how it affects teams in Kankakee County on the latest Friday Night Drive podcast

A total of 16 teams took part in the annual Central 7 on 7 and Lineman Challenge on what was a busy Saturday of football at Central High School in Clifton.

Anchored by strong athletes both on the track and in the field, check out this year's Daily Journal All-Area Boys Track and Field team.

From dominant freshmen to speedy seniors and everything in between, there's plenty of state pedigree on this year's Daily Journal All-Area Girls Track and Field Team.

With their unique mix of younger and older players, the Beecher Muskies are once again being propelled to a strong season in the Chicago Suburban Baseball League by a large crop of local baseball talent.

Whether at the plate, on the mound or in the field, top-tier players abound on this year's Daily Journal All-Area Baseball Team.

With 27 all-state standouts and several more all-conference selections that helped fuel spostseason runs, the Daily Journal All-Area Softball Team is as good as it gets.

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced last week that they released Kankakee native and 2016 Bishop McNamara graduate Jonathan Ward.

From goalkeeper to forward and everywhere in between, this year's Daily Journal All-Area girls soccer team features some of the state's top stars.

The Illinois Hall of Fame held its inaugural induction ceremony last weekend, where longtime Bishop McNamara football coach Rich Zinanni and Beecher Muskies manager Fred LeSage attended as two of six inductees with local ties.

Take a look at this year's local baseball standouts that made the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association All-State team.

The Daily Journal coverage area once again boasted some of the state's best softball talent this spring, earning a total of 27 Illinois Softball Coaches Association All-State nods.

In his sixth season both in the NFL and hosting his free football camp, Kankakee native and 2016 Bishop McNamara graduate Jonathan Ward has become a veteran leader in the locker room and community alike.

Kankakee native and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jonathan Ward returned home for his sixth annual football camp at Kankakee High School Saturday, June 14, 2025, one that included 7-on-7 flag football action for the first time.

Reed-Custer High School was the site of the Braidwood Shootout on Wednesday and Thursday, where 32 teams faced off for a little summer basketball action.

Take a look at some of the highlights of the area's prep sports postseason this spring, as seen through the lenses of Mason Schweizer and Tiffany Blanchette. Photos can be purchased at https://heraldnews.smugmug.com.

Bishop McNamara’s Trinity Davis, Kankakee’s TaLeah Turner, Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Nick Allen, Watseka’s Megan Martin and Reed-Custer’s Jacob Reardon all participated in the IBCA All-Star Games on Pontiac in Saturday.

As momentum quickly shuffled between each dugout in the final innings of Saturday's Class 2A Beecher Sectional championship game, Wilmington never relinquished its early lead, holding on for a 5-4 win to earn a repeat sectional championship.

Wilmington repeated as sectional champions with a nail-biting 5-4 win over Bishop McNamara in the Class 2A Beecher Sectional championship game Saturday, May 31, 2025.

Behind dazzling pitching performances from Callaghan O'Connor and Preston Payne and Jacob Lotz's late homer, Bishop McNamara downed Manteno in Thursday's Class 2A Beecher Sectional semifinal.

The Bishop McNamara baseball team topped Manteno 5-1 in the Class 2A Beecher Sectional semifinals Thursday, May 29, 2025.

The Bishop McNamara baseball team won its first regional title since 2019 with a 5-0 win against Herscher in the Class 2A Herscher Regional championship Saturday, May 24, 2025.

After falling behind 5-0 through two innings, Madi Petersen hit a three-run home run in the third and had the go-ahead RBI single as part of a four-run sixth that gave Coal City a 7-5 comeback win over Bishop McNamara for the Coalers' fourth straight regional title.

Coal City came back from an early 5-0 deficit to claim its fourth straight regional championship with a 7-5 win over Bishop McNamara in the Class 2A Coal City Regional championship Friday, May 23, 2025.

Thanks to a combined six-hit shutout from Jacob Lotz and Preston Payne, Bishop McNamara's early surge was enough to get past Central in Thursday's Class 2A Herscher Regional semifinal.

After rain suspended the Class 2A Coal City Regional semifinal between Bishop McNamara and Manteno Tuesday, the game resumed Wednesday, where the Fightin' Irish scored a 10-7 upset in extra innings.

Bridget Bertrand's two-run homer highlighted a three-run McNamara ninth inning as the Fightin' Irish outlasted Manteno in an instant classic Class 2A Coal City Regional semifinal that started Tuesday and ended Wednesday.

Despite taking first in only one event, the Seneca boys track and field team won the championship at the Class 1A Seneca Sectional

Herscher claimed its ninth regional title in a row with an 8-0 win over Bishop McNamara on Tuesday, getting four goals from Gianni Jaime, three from Sophie Venckauskas and one from Gianna High.

Rhaya DePaolo and Bishop McNamara held off Reed-Custer's upset attempt in softball regional quarterfinal action and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Storylines to watch for in the 2025 baseball postseason, including intriguing potential matchups between local Class 2A teams and a Bradley-Bourbonnais team looking to recapture some of last season's playoff magic.

From Beecher battling through a challenging Class 2A Seneca Sectional to Bradley-Bourbonnais looking for a regional four-peat in 4A, here are some storylines to look for as the 2025 postseason gets underway.

The Bishop McNamara and Herscher girls soccer teams both won their regional semifinal games Saturday to set up a matchup in the regional championship and more in Saturday's Daily Journal Roundup.

The Coal City baseball team extended its winning streak to four games with a nonconference win at Kankakee and more in Thursday's Daily Journal Roundup.

The Kankakee girls track and field team led the local charge on the first day of the postseason and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Dom Panozzo threw a no-hitter as the Bishop McNamara baseball team downed Hope Academy 10-0 to give both teams a split of the Chicagoland Christian Conference.

Sparked by Bryn Provost's two-out infield single, Bishop McNamara's seven-run second inning came with two outs, fueling the Fightin' Irish to an All-City win over Kankakee.

The Bishop McNamara softball team scored a 13-6 All-City win against Kankakee at home Tuesday, May 13, 2025.