The Dixon boys cross country team is confident heading into the Class 2A state meet this Saturday. The Dukes hope to take home the title after taking fourth last season by one point.

Oak Park-River Forest rallied to top Downers Grove North 25-20, 10-25, 25-23 in the Class 4A Lyons Township Sectional final and rubber match between the West Suburban Silver co-champions.

Cissna Park took control of Thursday's Class 1A Watseka Sectional championship against Lexington and never let go, putting the Timberwolves a game away from their third straight state appearance.

Benet girls volleyball continued its quest for its fourth consecutive trip to state, taking down St. Charles North for the third time this season to clinch the Class 4A Glenbard West Sectional title.

A balanced offensive attack, spearheaded by senior Abbey Knight, led Providence to a 25-15, 25-18 win over Lemont in the title match of the Class 3A Kankakee Sectional

Nazareth, which won just three matches a year ago, continued its turnaround season Thursday. The Roadrunners rallied from a set down to beat Geneva in a 23-25, 25-21, 25-22 thriller to win the Class 3A Timothy Christian Sectional title.

Lockport is now one win away from making it back to state after downing Joliet West in the sectional championship Thursday night.

Adeline Grider had 12 kills, Abby Smith added seven, and Prairie Ridge's volleyball team beat Carmel 25-12, 25-19 to win the Class 3A Carmel Sectional championship Thursday night. It was the second year in a row the Wolves ended the Corsairs' season.

Burlington Central, seeking its first sectional title since since 2008, fell to St. Viator 25-10, 25-20 on Thursday night in the Class 3A IC Catholic Sectional championship. Senior captain Haidyn Schatz paced the Rockets with eight kills.

Providence Catholic defeated Lemont in two sets, 25-15, 25-18, to claim the IHSA Class 3A Kankakee Sectional championship title on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025.

Second-seeded Richmond-Burton, looking to win its first sectional title since 2012, fell short Thursday night with a 25-21, 25-23 loss to top-seeded Rockford Christian at the Class 2A Boylan Sectional final.

Elizabeth King led Hampshire with nine kills, two aces and two blocks as the Whip-Purs fell to Libertyville during their IHSA 4A sectional championship girls volleyball match Thursday evening.

Hampshire faces Libertyville in the IHSA Class 4A Hampshire Sectional championship volleyball match on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, at Hampshire High School.

Joliet West and Lockport competed in a 4A Sectional Finals varsity volleyball game at Joliet West on Thursday, Nov. 6.

Prairie Ridges faces Carmel in the IHSA 3A Carmel Sectional championship volleyball match on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, at Carmel High School, in Mundelein.

Sandwich senior Sunny Weber hopes to run to second XC state title at Detweiller Park in Saturday's Class 1A state meet, while Somonauk senior Landin Stillwell, Amboy junior Henry Nichols and Princeton junior Payton Frueh will also be running in the finals.

From 1A to 3A, the Herald-News area has a multitude of girls who could compete for a title at the state cross country meet this weekend.

Five Northwest Herald teams – Burlington Central, Cary-Grove, Jacobs, Prairie Ridge and Richmond-Burton – remain in the IHSA state playoffs. Here is a preview of each team's second-round game.

Congratulations to The Times Athlete of the Week, Ottawa boys cross country's Connor Medina!

Dixon hosts Coal City on Friday in a rematch of last year's state quarterfinal. Newman is at 10-0 El Paso-Gridley on Saturday, Milledgeville and Polo host, while Amboy and West Carroll hit the road in Round 2 of the playoffs for Sauk Valley teams.

Dixon's Daniela Lovett is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week after breaking the school's cross country record. She heads to state coming off a personal best run by 30 seconds. Here is a Q&A with the senior.

Entering the postseason with a chip on their shoulder, the Sauk Valley Skyhawks beat Triton College in three sets on Wednesday night at home.

Join hosts Steve Soucie and Josh Welge as they preview Round 2 in the Illinois high school football playoffs.

Join hosts J.T. Pedelty, Sam Ramirez and Eddie Carifio as they preview Round 2 of the Illinois high school football playoffs in the western and southern portions of northern Illinois

Here is the 2025 All-Kishwaukee River Conference boys soccer team, as selected by KRC coaches. Richmond-Burton's Nick Kyes was named Field Player of the Year and Woodstock North's Alex Carbajal earned Goalkeeper of the Year honors.

Join hosts Mason Schweizer and Steve Soucie as they break down Round 2 of the Illinois high school football playoffs in Kankakee County

Kaneland and Belvidere North meet Friday in a Class 5A second-round game. It's a rematch of a 6A first-round contest from last year, a win for the Blue Thunder.

Adeline Grider had 17 kills and Prairie Ridge's girls volleyball team rallied to beat Grayslake Central 22-25, 25-21, 25-20 in a semifinal of the Class 3A Carmel Sectional on Tuesday night. Crystal Lake Central lost to Carmel 25-12, 16-25, 25-18 in the other semifinal.

Downers Grove North remained calm Tuesday despite facing rival Downers Grove South in the Class 4A Lyons Township Sectional semifinals. The Trojans withstood several comebacks and powerful attacks and serves to prevail 26-24, 25-23.

Burlington Central and St. Viator both won three-set thrillers Tuesday to survive and advance to Thursday's championship match of the Class 3A IC Catholic Sectional.

Providence and Lemont both won at the Class 3A Kankakee Sectional and will play each other in Thursday's title match. That and more in Tuesday's Herald-News Roundup

Joliet West's girls volleyball squad beat Oswego in three sets, while Lockport swept Waubonsie Valley to advance to Thursday's title match in the Class 4A Joliet West Sectional.

Geneva never trailed outside of the second point against Hinsdale South, while Nazareth stormed back and then ahead of Timothy Christian in straight-set victories in a pair of Class 3A sectional semifinals.

The season came to an end for both Manteno and Beecher in Tuesday's IHSA Class 2A Peotone Sectional semifinals, with Manteno falling to Chicago Christian and Beecher falling to Pontiac.

Brynn Hopkins made three blocks during a decisive 10-0 run as St. Charles North rallied in the second set to beat Glenbard West 25-14, 25-17 at the Class 4A Glenbard West Sectional semifinals on Tuesday.

Cissna Park is headed back to the sectional finals and will face a Lexington team that bested Watseka in a pair of marathon sets in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Kylie Lambert surpassed 1,000 assists, while Elizabeth King and Katelyn Petterson posted a combined 21 kills in Hampshire's IHSA 4A sectional semifinal win over Mundelein. The Whip-Purs will face Libertyville, which beat Huntley in two sets on Tuesday, for the sectional title.

Coastal Carolina commit Dani Hopp took over with eight of her match-high 17 kills in the third set as Richmond-Burton rallied for a 13-25, 25-20, 25-21 victory against Montini in a Class 2A Boylan Sectional semifinal Tuesday.

Wisconsin commit Lynney Tarnow is one of seven girls back from last year's Benet state runner-up who showed their experience Tuesday, shaking off an early challenge from St. Francis in both sets for a 25-15, 25-12 win in the Class 4A Glenbard West Sectional semifinal.

Hampshire faces Mundelein in an IHSA Class 4A Hampshire Sectional semifinal volleyball match on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Hampshire High School.

Huntley faces Libertyville in an IHSA Class 4A Hampshire Sectional semifinal volleyball match on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Hampshire High School.

Lockport and Waubonsie Valley competed in a 4A sectional varsity volleyball game at Joliet West on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Joliet West and Oswego competed in a 4A sectional varsity volleyball game at Joliet West on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Here is the 2025 All-Fox Valley Conference boys soccer team, as selected by FVC coaches.

Join hosts Joel Boenitz and Josh Welge as they preview the second round of the Illinois high school football playoffs in the western suburbs

Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Round 1 of the 2025 high school football playoffs

The All-Western Big 6 Conference teams for football, volleyball and boys soccer were recently announced. Sterling had multiple athletes earn all-conference in each sport.

Yorkville Christian senior guard Jayden Riley, the Record Newspapers Player of the Year as a junior, made his verbal commitment this week to Division I SIU-Edwardsville.

Coal City secured a 1-0 win over Williamsville in the Class 1A Maroa-Forsyth Super-Sectional on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, to advance to state for the first time in program history.

Lincoln-Way Central advanced to the Super Sectional round for the first time in 19 years, but they were unable to make it back to state as St. Laurence bested them 2-1 in overtime.