High School Sports

After Ava Lorenzatti's sixth-inning homer brought the Class 2A state championship game to extra innings, Tayiah Scanlan became a Beecher legend when she hit a three-run, inside-the-park home run to give the Bobcats a 5-2 win over Carterville for the title.

Glenbard West's latest Final Four appearance wasn't expected. It was earned. The Hilltoppers, making their 11th straight state appearance, finished runner-up Saturday with a 25-20, 25-20 loss to Marist in the state championship in Hoffman Estates.

It wasn't the finish the team hoped for, but Newman finished fourth at the Class 2A state tournament after a 9-3 loss to Eureka on Saturday at Illinois Field in Champaign. The Comets were proud of the run after a third straight state trophy.

Hinsdale Central sophomore Maggie Conley scored 10 points, consisting of a hat trick and seven assists, to lead the Red Devils to an 18-6 win over Crystal Lake Central co-op and a third-place finish at the state tournament Saturday.

With a state championship not possible, Wheaton Academy responded nicely to that disappointment claiming a 19-4 win in the third place game of the IHSA State Lacrosse tournament.

Wheaton Warrenville South dropped a quarterfinal round game to Lane Tech at the IHSA State Boys Volleyball Tournament on Friday, which marked the first time in state history a Chicago Public League team earned a win at the state tournament.

Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Edwardsville 6-1 Friday in the IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Sectional championship to win the program's second-ever sectional title, both coming in the last three seasons.

Two three-run innings were costly on Friday as Newman fell 9-3 to Teutopolis in the Class 2A state semifinals at Illinois Field. The Comets face Eureka in Saturday's third-place game at 4 p.m.

The Bobcats played vintage Beecher softball in their four-run fourth inning against Auburn in Friday's Class 2A State semifinal matchup, a game the Bobcats won 4-2 to advance to their seventh-ever state championship game.

In a thrilling quarterfinal match at Hoffman Estates High School, Glenbard West secured its spot in the boys volleyball final four, showcasing resilience and skill as Charlie Clifford’s 14 kills helped overcome New Trier 25-21, 29-27.

The Hiawatha boys basketball team is coming of its winningest season since 2003-04. The Hawks are hoping to build off their 10 wins and change the program's reputation led by double-double machine Aidan Cooper.

Bradley-Bourbonnais came up just short Thursday in its bid for another upset win this postseason, falling 2-0 to Normal Community in the IHSA Class 4A Illinois Wesleyan University Sectional semifinals.

Since Kevin Hayhurst returned to his alma mater as the softball coach 23 years ago, the Beecher softball program became and has continued to set the state's standard of excellence.

Newman baseball brings confidence and another year of experience into Friday's state semifinals. The Comets hope to have their best finish yet in a third straight trip to state.

Wheaton Academy nearly let its hot start in the Benet boys lacrosse supersectional against Barrington on Tuesday at College of DuPage go to waste. But the Warriors found their footing again and came away with a 17-12 win.

Junior all-stater Simon Bratt made sure Wheaton Warrenville South would make an appearance at this weekend’s boys volleyball state finals at Hoffman Estates High School. Bratt’s 19 kills and 4 aces propelled the Tigers to a 25-12, 25-21 win over crosstown rival Wheaton North.

Tervor Martay responded by scoring three consecutive goals in a three-minute span to lift New Trier past Glenbard West 9-6 before a large and spirited crowd at the boys lacrosse supersectional Tuesday in Hoffman Estates.

Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Minooka 4-0 in the IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Sectional semifinals Tuesday, getting payback for a 10-0 loss to the Indians in the sectional semis last year.

The York girls lacrosse team played much better against two-time defending state champion Loyola on Tuesday but the Dukes' season came to an end with a 16-8 loss to the Ramblers in the Hoffman Estates Supersectional.

Illinois’ legislative session concluded without passage of a Native American K-12 school mascot ban, but another issue sought by Natives will make its way to the governor.

After entering the game as a relief pitcher in the sixth inning of a 3-3 tie, Beecher's Taylor Norkus hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning of the Bobcats' Class 2A East Peoria Super-Sectional against Brimfield Monday, sending the Bobcats to their eighth trip to state.

Wilmington came up just a bit short of a return trip to state, falling 4-0 to Eureka in Monday's Class 2A Geneseo Supersectional.

Evan Bushman pitched a complete game and Daniel Kelly had a home run and four RBIs to help send Newman to state for the third straight year.

Fulton senior Dom Kramer worked his way back from a knee injury during football season to be a key contributor on the mound and at the plate during the Steamers' postseason run to the Elite Eight. He is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week after an online vote.

Hinsdale Central claimed its fourth consecutive state title - and 29th overall - while Marmion's Benedict Graft placed second in 1A singles for the third year in a row.

Bradley-Bourbonnais' Malachi Lee, Coal City's Julian Micetich and Manteno's Briggs Cann all medaled at the state track and field meet Saturday.

Sprinters Levi Milder and Brady Anderson and two relay wins led Morrison to the Class 1A state title, while Sterling earned medals in three relays in the 2A meet.

Newmn scored three runs in the top of the first, then tacked on three more in the fifth to back pitchers Drake Cole and Garret Matznick in a 6-2 victory over Johnsburg in the Class 2A Mendota Sectional final Saturday afternoon.

Fulton's Braedon Meyers pitched six innings and knocked in a key insurance run late in a 3-2 win for the sectional title on Saturday. Dom Kramer got the save in the Steamers' first sectional title since 2015.

After losing 11 straight games to close the regular season, Dixon got back in the win column when it mattered most. The Dukes beat Sterling 10-2 on Saturday to win the Class 3A Freeport Regional title.

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.

Bradley-Bourbonnais senior Cody Freitas got the win on the mound and drove in the winning run in the top of the seventh as the Boilermakers got a 2-1 upset win over Minooka in Saturday's IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Regional championship.

Glenbard West avenged an earlier loss to York by winning the Conant Sectional championship Friday.

Behind a six-run rally in the top of the 11th and a marathon complete game from Lydia Hammond, Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Rock Island 7-1 Friday to win the program's fourth regional title in a row.

Senior Charlie Foley scored five goals to help Wheaton Academy get back to the supersectional with an 18-5 win over Benet on Friday in the Geneva Sectional championship.

York scored four goals in the final 2:56 of the first quarter en route to a 13-8 victory over Oak Park-River Forest in the Hoffman Estates Sectional championship Friday.

Bradley-Bourbonnais' Malachi Lee, Coal City's Julian Micetich and Manteno's Briggs Cann advanced past Friday's preliminary round of the IHSA Boys Track and Field State meet.

Dixon and Sterling both advanced to Saturday's state track finals in multiple events on Friday.

Battling last year's state runner-up North Boone to extra innings, Morrison fell just short in a 4-3 loss in Friday's sectional final. The Fillies' four seniors helped raise the bar this season.

Belvidere North sophomore Ava Morris tossed a two-hit shutout and added two hits and an RBI in a 4-0 win over Sterling in the Class 3A Dixon Regional final Friday at Reynolds Field.

Rock Falls senior baseball player Austin Castaneda led the Rockets with 37 walks, 30 runs scored, 30 stolen bases without getting caught, led the team with a .543 on-base percentage and 1.054 OPS. He is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week.

Morrison's 4x200 relay of Rylan Alvarado, Levi Milder, Zach Milder and Brady Anderson set the Class 1A state meet record on Thursday with a 1:26.87 to take first in the prelims. Newman, Oregon, Bureau Valley, Milledgeville and Forreston-Polo also advanced to Saturday's finals.

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.

After 6 ⅓ shutout innings from Mason Shaul, Cody Freitas escaped a bases-loaded jam with two strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Bradley-Bourbonnais a dramatic 1-0 win in the IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Regional semifinals Thursday.

After making a tremendous play to kickstart an inning-ending double play, Ryan Kettman's two-run home run put an exclamation point on a six-run Wildcats sixth that was the difference in their 7-2 win over Chicago Christian in Thursday's Class 2A Beecher Sectional semis.

Newman sophomore Joel Rhodes and Sterling freshman Aron Rivera wrapped up their seasons at the state tennis meet on Thursday. Both were competing in state singles for the first time.

Fulton fell 7-0 to West Central on Thursday in the Class 1A sectional semifinals. The Steamers can hold their heads high after winning their first regional title since 2018.

Chase Dykstra pitched a 3-hitter to send Fulton to Saturday's Class 1A Lena-Winslow Sectional final at 11 a.m. against River Ridge/Scales Mound, which came back to beat Eastland 5-4 on Wednesday.

Oswego East baseball rallied past Downers Grove South 5-3 in eight innings in a regional semifinal, and Plano softball lost its regional opener in Wednesday's Record Newspapers roundup.

Ashley Poquette scored three goals Wednesday to spark the offense for Downers Grove North in an 11-7 win over Naperville North in the sectional semifinals.