Eddie Carifio

As the Sycamore girls basketball team surges to a 5-2 start, underclassmen Quinn Carrier and Sadie Lang are not just leading the charge. Players like Macy Calendo are stepping up, signaling a dramatic turnaround from last season’s struggles.

The Sycamore boys improved to 7-0 with a sweep at a home quad, a pair of Sycamore girls won their weight classes at a Sterling tournament, Marshawn Cocroft scored 26 for Kaneland in a win, NIU falls at Bradley and more in the roundup.

The Sycamore boys basketball team completed a frantic comeback against Rochelle on Friday night for an 84-76 in the Interstate 8 opener for both teams. That made it a program sweep as the girls opened with a 58-39 win over the Hubs.

From a couple of NIU commits at quarterback to dynamic players in the secondary, we look at the best football players in DeKalb County with the Daily Chronicle 2025 All-Area Football Team.

Davon Grant will leave DeKalb as the most prolific receiver in school history. He heads to the University of Illinois as the all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards and is the Daily Chronicle 2025 Football Player of the Year.

DeKalb's Alex Gregorio-Perez reached the Dan Gable Donnybrook third-place match while the Indian Creek, Hinckley-Big Rock and Genoa-Kingston girls basketball teams all picked up wins.

Adam Carrick was familiar with Tyler Etes from the football field, and the led to confidence and a victory on the wrestling mat. It also helped Sycamore defeat Rochelle 48-24 on Thursday.

A foundational offensive line group. A defensive line that will mostly be here in January. A linebacker that can fill some big shoes. Here are five takeways from NIU's 2026 signing class.

Quinn Urwiler’s NIU career wasn’t just tackles, it was tone‑setting. The Batavia grad leaves as a leader who embodied grit, accountability, and culture in a season that tested the Huskies at every turn.

Marcus Johnson scored 24 points and Isaiah Feuerbach 20 to lead Sycamore, Colby Wylde and Aidan Cooper each scored 23 in a Hiawatha win, NIU lost at home Lindenwood and more in the roundup.

Myles Newman scored 22, Aaron Ziga scored 24 and the DeKalb boys basketball team knocked off Rock Falls 72-43 on Tuesday.

Gary Givens and Evan Malcore were the latest offensive starters for NIU to hit the transfer portal since the season ended. Both announced on Tuesday and joined Josh Holst, DeAree Rogers, and Jake Appleget, among others

After missing the state championships in 2024 by 0.01 seconds last year, Alex Schwantes was determined not to miss out again. The DeKalb junior qualified and finished in the top of the field this season.

Sadie Lang scored 33, Quinn Carrier had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Sycamore beat Aurora Central Catholic, plus more in the roundup.

It’s hard to turn the ball over 27 times and win a game, let alone double digits. But the DeKalb girls’ basketball team forced 19 turnovers of its own against Rochelle on Monday night and Zora Watts had 10 rebounds and three blocks in the Barbs’ 46-31 win over the Hubs.