Adam Tumino

Six girls basketball teams got their seasons underway at the Reed-Custer Comet Classic on Monday, with Reed-Custer, Kankakee and Wilmington getting off to a 1-0 start on the year.

Cissna Park was dominant Saturday on its way to a win in the IHSA Class 1A State Championship match against Stockton, winning 25-11, 25-14 to claim a state title after falling in the state semis each of the previous two years.

After falling in the state semifinals in each of the last two seasons, Cissna Park broke through Friday in its third straight trip to state to advance to the championship game of the IHSA Class 1A State Finals on Saturday.

With the winter sports season right around the corner, the Coal City community took a little more time Wednesday to celebrate the boys soccer team's first-ever run to state.

Manteno had its best cross country season in over four decades this year, with the girls team competing at state for the first time ever and the boys team having multiple runners advance to state for the first time since 1979.

More from the Times-area’s sidelines from Week 11 (the second round of the IHSA football playoffs), including notes on Seneca and Dwight's second-round games and quarterfinal matchups.

Runners from Manteno, Bishop McNamara, Herscher and Bradley-Bourbonnais wrapped their seasons at the IHSA State Finals while Bradley-Bourbonnais' girls swimming team qualified for state in a pair of events.

Dwight scored three touchdowns on offense, two on defense and one on special teams in a 43-14 win over Clifton Central in the IHSA Class 1A second round on Saturday, advancing to quarterfinals for the second season in a row.

Manteno teacher and softball coach Josh Carlile, known as "Sarge" to his players, has carried on the rich military tradition of his family with his life of service.

Coal City wrapped up the longest postseason run in program history with a 6-1 win over Chicago Academy in the IHSA Class 1A State Tournament third-place game on Friday, finishing the year 24-4 and sending off its 12 seniors on a high note.

Mendota pulled away late Thursday for a 3-0 win over Coal City in the IHSA Class 1A State Tournament semifinals, advancing to the state title game for the first time in program history.

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.

With a 1-0 win over Williamsville in Monday's Maroa-Forsyth Super-Sectional, Coal City kept the longest postseason run in program history alive and advanced to state for the first time.

Coal City's boys soccer team won its first sectional title with a 2-1 win over Manteno in the IHSA Class 1A Coal City Sectional, three area cross country teams and five individuals qualified for state and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Clifton Central scored 24 unanswered points in its 24-6 win over Knoxville in the first round of the IHSA Class 1A playoffs, getting three passing touchdowns from Brady Shule.