One more time looking back at the sports stories and people from 2025 through the eyes of your local sports editor, looking back at feel-good moments and sorrow, best quotes and interviews, favorite story and favorite game and those we've lost

At this time of year, whether we celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Christmas, the message is clear: love one another.

John Washo has seen and heard a lot of things over his many years officiating collegiate basketball. But he never done anything like his game at Taylor University in Upland, Ind. on Dec. 6 The Princeton native officiated Taylor’s famous “Silent Night” game.

For more than five decades, Mike Brown, best known as "Brownie," has been a fixture on the sidelines of area sporting events in the radio booth and press boxes for WLPO Radio. St. Bede’s last football game this season was also the last of Brownie’s long run.

In 43 years covering high school football, the past 40 as sports editor at the BCR, Kevin Hieronymus has learned there’s a lot to watch for and hear from the sidelines.

There’s been a familiar voice for Annawan-Wethersfield football fans for nearly half a century. Rod Jackson of Mineral started doing the PA for Annawan in 1978 and picked up the same duties with the A-W co-op in 2008 and has been doing it ever since, 46 years and counting.

"Illinois has taken a major step to protect individuals and families from the financial shock that too often follows a medical emergency," writes Kim Godden of the Illinois State Ambulance Association

It was on Tieman's very first day as the Hall football head coach, Aug. 8, 2012, that the Red Devils and the Hall community suffered the unimaginable loss of Hall junior Daniel Lule.

Danny Kolb retired nine years before his son, Korbyn, 8, was born and wanted to give his son a taste of what his big league baseball career was like. He got got that opportunity in the 25th anniversary of the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium on July 25.