Sophomore Grant Smith's thundering dunk was one of several highlight-reel performances in a 17-point game as unbeaten Lyons held off visiting Hinsdale Central 39-33 on Friday.

Behind a 32-point explosion from Lincoln Williams and the first game back from injury for Kenaz Jackson, Kankakee found late breathing room to pull away from a young, scrappy Thornton team on Friday.

Marshall Ledbetter scored a career-high 29 points to help Hinckley-Big Rock move to 2-0 in Little Ten play, Indian Creek also picked up an LTC win and more in the roundup.

Jacobs faces Dundee-Crown in a Fox Valley Conference boys basketball game on Fri. Dec. 12, 2025, at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville.

Jacobs faces Dundee-Crown in a Fox Valley Conference girls basketball game on Fri. Dec. 12, 2025, at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville.

Joliet Catholic got 17 each from Donavyn Simmons and Jayden Armstrong as they picked up their first win in the ESCC. Plus more boys and girls hoops scores in Friday's Herald News Sports Roundup.

Jack Carroll scored 15 points to help lead Ottawa to a 41-29 win over Morris on Friday.

Grace Brunscheen's 3-pointer with 1:27 left put Kaneland on top, the 18th and final lead change in the Knights 56-51 win over the Spartans. Brunscheen, back from an injury, was used sparingly early before her fourth-quarter heroics.

Bradley-Bourbonnais was within two scores for most of the third quarter before Don Bosco Prep (Ind.) pulled away, downing the Boilermakers 56-41 on Friday.

Coming off their first loss of the season, Marquette bounced back in dominant fashion in a 72-27 thrashing of Lowpoint-Washburn on Friday night in Ottawa.

Jacobs junior forward Olivia Schuster scored all 10 of her team's points in the first quarter and finished with a game-high 19 as the Golden Eagles cruised to a 55-23 Fox Valley Conference win over Dundee-Crown on Friday.

Nate Kubin had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, a steal in the final seconds – and his first in-game dunk – and Joey Jakstys a steal off an inbounds and go-ahead score as Yorkville scored the final six points to beat visiting Oswego 46-43 on Friday.

Brady Pettigrew and TJ Williams shook off slow starts to score 22 and 20 points, respectively, and Bolingbrook rallied to beat previously undefeated Oswego East 69-59 on Friday in Bolingbrook.

The Woodland boys basketball team's lead Friday over Roanoke-Benson looked as if it it might reach 20 points. Then it looked like it might disappear, but in the end the Warriors held on for a 44-35 home victory.

Geneva made just 7 of 25 shots and couldn't solve the stifling defense of Lake Park Friday night in a 30-20 loss in DuKane Conference action. Emma Peterson led the Vikings with seven points and six rebounds.

Senior Connor Kimme scored 19 points and was one of four Kaneland players to reach double figures Friday night as the Knights cruised to a 92-62 win over Rochelle.

Here is a look at the best girls volleyball players the Herald-News area had to offer

Bridget Ferriter led Lockport to a Class 4A third-place finish for the second straight season and was named Herald-News Girls Volleyball Player of the Year

St. Charles North junior Lelanie Posada, who scored a game-high 15 points and knocked down two buzzer-beating shots in a win over Geneva, was voted as the Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week.

Woodstock's Liam Laidig, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward, scored 28 total points and recorded two double-doubles in wins against Grant and Rockford Boylan. Laidig is the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week.

Lemont's Zane Schneider earned a starting job as a freshman, but adjusted to a role off the bench last year. Now the junior is back in Lemont's starting lineup and emerging as the go-to man. That, Downers Grove North's football players settling in and more in basketball notes.

Prairie Ridge senior setter Addi Smith broke the Wolves' program record with 924 assists and led her team back to the Class 3A state tournament. Smith is the 2025 Northwest Herald Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

Meet the 2025 Northwest Herald All-Area Girls Volleyball Team.

Prairie Ridge first-year coach Leah Groat led the Wolves back to the Class 3A state tournament and their most wins in 20 years. Groat is the 2025 Northwest Herald Girls Volleyball Coach of the Year.

Newman boys basketball hit 14 3-pointers against Amboy to improve to 6-0. Sterling boys swimming won, Dixon girls bowling won and more in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Bolingbrook beat Oswego East in girls basketball and more in the Thursday roundup.

Coal City's Owen Petersen's milestone win was the highlight of an overpowering night on the mats for the Coalers, four local schools won at the Watseka Holiday Tournament and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Sterling never trailed in its Western Big 6 game against rival Geneseo on Thursday at Musgrove Fieldhouse, using big runs in the first and third quarter to pull away for a 61-40 victory.

Timothy Christian's Brooklyn Hanchett sank two free throws in the final seconds to hold off a fourth-quarter comeback from St. Edward in a 60-55 win on Thursday night.

Kankakee's Ava Johnson scored a career-high 41 points, just six shy of tying the program record, in the Kays' 82-41 Southland Athletic Conference win over Thornwood on Thursday.

Senior Macie Jones made 10 of 10 free throws and scored 16 points to lead Yorkville to a 47-43 victory over Oswego in Southwest Prairie Conference action Thursday.

The Sterling girls basketball hosts Geneseo at Musgrove Fieldhouse in Sterling. The action took place on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

DeKalb went 3-0 at the DVC Super Duals, Sycamore moved to 10-0 with a win at La Salle-Peru, Anna Herrmann scored 17 for Hinckley-Big Rock, Presley Meyer scored 19 for Genoa-Kingston, Delaney Wood scored 25 for Hiawatha and more in the roundup.

Jacobs faces Huntley in a Fox Valley Conference wrestling meet on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, at Huntley High School.

Woodstock junior guard Max Beard scored his 1,000th point this week and seeks to become the school's all-time leading scorer before he graduates. Plus notes on McHenry and Burlington Central in the Northwest Herald's boys basketball notebook.

The bracket for the 2025 Seneca Shipyard Showdown boys basketball holiday tournament has been released, opening with two games for each of the 16 teams in attendance.

Meet the 2025 Northwest Herald All-Area boys soccer team.

Harvard senior midfielder Jesus Aquino, who recorded 21 goals and 15 assists while leading the Hornets to KRC Tournament and regional championships, is the 2025 Northwest Herald Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

Huntley's Matt Lewandowski, who led the Red Raiders to a 13-3-3 record, a 9-0 Fox Valley Conference record and FVC championship, is the 2025 Northwest Herald Boys Soccer Coach of the Year.

Downers Grove North's Adam Flowers scored his 1,000th career point in a win, York boys basketball edged Oak Park-River Forest and Josh Abushanab scored 31 to lead Glenbard West past Willowbrook in Wednesday's roundup.

Sterling wrestling split a triangular as Cael Lyons had two pins. E-P boys wrestling beat Polo, Morrison had two wins, Forreston and Polo girls basketball had wins and more in Wednesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Dixon scored the first 21 points of the game and used a suffocating defense to defeat Kaneland 35-16 on Wednesday night at Lancaster Gym.

Lincoln-Way West's boys wrestling team picked up a big win, while Wilmington boys basketball suffered its first loss in Wednesday's Herald-News Roundup

Geneva sank 10 3-pointers, including five from senior Nathan Palmer and three from Gabe Jensen, to surge ahead to a 51-41 victory over Wheaton Warrenville South.

Thanks to 10 first-half 3-pointers and four quarters of intense defense, Glenbard North pulled ahead and never looked back against St. Charles East on Wednesday.

Junior guards Carson Trivellini and Nick Stowasser each dished out four assists, with Trivellini scoring a team-high 17 points, as Crystal Lake South held off a late rally to beat Huntley 54-49.

LaSalle-Peru basketball and boys and girls bowling all earned wins, plus more scores in Wednesday's LaSalle News Tribune Sports roundup

Manteno beat Iroquois West 52-23 and Momence downed Wilmington 59 35 in boys basketball action Wednesday while the Watseka/Milford girls extended their winning streak to six games.

Crystal Lake South travels to Huntley for a Fox Valley Conference boys basketball game on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, at Huntley High School.

Here are the runners named to the 2025 Daily Journal Boys Cross Country All-Area Team.