The Putnam County 8th grade boys basketball team is going back to state. The Pumas edged Serena 44-42 to capture the 2A Wethersfield Sectional on Monday. It is the second straight year for the PC 8th grade class to reach the IESA State Tournament.

Putnam County defeated Wethersfield 38-33 to capture the IESA 2A 8th grade regional championship on Thursday, Jan. 29 in Kewanee. The Pumas (21-3) will return to Wethersfield to meet Serena (19-6) for the sectional championship at 6 p.m. Monday

Putnam County defeated host Indian Creek 57-21 to capture the Waterman Sectional on Monday night. Back to state, the Pumas (24-1) will face Normal Epiphany at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the 2A quarterfinals at Macon Meridian High School.

Putnam County Junior High defeated Wethersfield 47-32 in the championship game of its own IESA Class 2A regional on Thursday. The Pumas (23-1), who beat Bureau Valley 39-6 in the semifinals, will play host Indian Creek at 6 p.m. Monday for the sectional championship in Waterman.

Two Sweet 16 Putnam County softball teams and a Sweet 16 boys basketball team were inducted into the Putnam County High School Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, January 9.

Putnam County earned its first win, Princeton's Keighley Davis and Fieldcrest's Macy Gochanour are closing in on scoring records, Mendota's Karson Doyle was motivated for a big game, and more in the NewsTribune girls basketball notebook.

Finley Judd of Hennepin won the Elks District Hoops Shoot on Saturday, Jan. 11 at Sauk Valley College. She made 18 of 25 free throws to win the girls age 10-11 division and advance to the State Hoop Shoot in Springfield on Feb. 28.

The Putnam County seventh grade boys basketball team beat El Paso 29-20 for the championship game of the Tri-County Tournament on Wednesday, Jan. 14.

The PCJH 8th grade boys finished up the regular season at 18-2. They will take the No. 1 seed into the Little Tri-County tournament with a 6-0 record. On 8th grade night on Thursday, Jan. 8, the Pumas defeated Streator Woodland 53-8.