Bradley-Bourbonnais Preps

Here are some of the top storylines to watch for from several fall sports this upcoming season.

Over 200 high schools in Illinois are expected to have girls flag football teams this year as the sport's popularity continues to rise. "There’s no shortage of opportunities."

The 2025 boys soccer season is nearly upon us, so here are a handful of storylines to keep an eye on this year.

Mason Schweizer looks at a handful of storylines to keep an eye on during the upcoming girls volleyball season.

The Vipers Track Club's 4x400 mixed relay team won a national title at the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships over the weekend where 24 athletes in total, six of which are from the Daily Journal area, earned All-American honors.

The Herscher football team hosted Bradley-Bourbonnais, Central, Dwight and Iroquois West for some 11 on 11 scrimmages on Tuesday night as the teams continue to ramp up for the regular season.

With the IHSA releasing the state’s football schedules on Friday, here are the top games to watch in the Daily Journal area for the 2025 season.

The joint summer football workout between Wilmington and Bradley-Bourbonnais Wednesday saw both programs take steps forward as they both eye more sustained postseason success this fall.

The Wilmington football team visited Bradley-Bourbonnais for a joint summer football workout Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

Steve Soucie and Mason Schweizer discuss the upcoming IHSA football schedule release and how it affects teams in Kankakee County on the latest Friday Night Drive podcast

A total of 16 teams took part in the annual Central 7 on 7 and Lineman Challenge on what was a busy Saturday of football at Central High School in Clifton.

Fresh off of a fourth-place finish at the inaugural IHSA State Finals last year, the Bradley-Bourbonnais girls flag football made an early statement as a state contender yet again in 2025 this week

Anchored by strong athletes both on the track and in the field, check out this year's Daily Journal All-Area Boys Track and Field team.

From dominant freshmen to speedy seniors and everything in between, there's plenty of state pedigree on this year's Daily Journal All-Area Girls Track and Field Team.

It was a busy day for football at Bradley-Bourbonnais Wednesday, as former quarterback Ethan Kohl returned to coach the quarterback camp he used to attend at the same time as the final day of girls flag football summer camp.

As the summer heat picks up, so is offseason football action. At Bradley-Bourbonnais Wednesday, both the boys tackle and girls flag teams took to the turf for camp.

After developing into one of the state's most feared long jumpers in the state, Bradley-Bourbonnais' Malachi Lee is the Daily Journal Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

With their unique mix of younger and older players, the Beecher Muskies are once again being propelled to a strong season in the Chicago Suburban Baseball League by a large crop of local baseball talent.

After powering the Boilermakers to back-to-back regional championships against some of the best teams in the state, Bradley-Bourbonnais' Cody Freitas is the Daily Journal Baseball Player of the Year.

Lydia Hammond capped off one of the best pitching seasons in the state with a Class 4A postseason run for the ages, earning the title of Daily Journal Softball Player of the Year.

Whether at the plate, on the mound or in the field, top-tier players abound on this year's Daily Journal All-Area Baseball Team.

With 27 all-state standouts and several more all-conference selections that helped fuel spostseason runs, the Daily Journal All-Area Softball Team is as good as it gets.

From goalkeeper to forward and everywhere in between, this year's Daily Journal All-Area girls soccer team features some of the state's top stars.

The Daily Journal coverage area once again boasted some of the state's best softball talent this spring, earning a total of 27 Illinois Softball Coaches Association All-State nods.

Keith Schweigert absorbed all he could from baseball coaches he played for and coached with, passing it down to his son Brad, the Bradley-Bourbonnais baseball coach. After Keith's recent cancer diagnosis, some of those lessons are being applied off the field.

Take a look at some of the highlights of the area's prep sports postseason this spring, as seen through the lenses of Mason Schweizer and Tiffany Blanchette. Photos can be purchased at https://heraldnews.smugmug.com.

Bishop McNamara’s Trinity Davis, Kankakee’s TaLeah Turner, Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Nick Allen, Watseka’s Megan Martin and Reed-Custer’s Jacob Reardon all participated in the IBCA All-Star Games on Pontiac in Saturday.

For the 10th time in school history and first time in 20 years, the Lockport softball team is headed back to state after defeating Bradley-Bourbonnais 2-0 in the Class 4A Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional Monday, June 9, 2025.

Lockport beat Bradley-Bourbonnais 2-0 in the 4A Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional on Monday, getting a two-hit shutout from Kelcie McGraw and punching its ticket to state for the first time in 20 years.

Bradley-Bourbonnais' Jocelyn Zettergren, Beecher's Grace Durante, Peotone's Allie Werner and Wilmington's Alaina Clark earned IHSSCA All-State honors for the 2025 girls soccer season, with 19 more earning earning All-Sectional honors.

Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Edwardsville 6-1 Friday in the IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Sectional championship to win the program's second-ever sectional title, both coming in the last three seasons.

Bradley-Boubonnias defeated Edwardsville 6-1 to win the Class 4A softball Supersectional on Friday, June 6, 2025 at Monticello High School. The Boilermakers will play in the State semifinals on Friday June 13, at 3p.m. at the Louisville Slugger complex in Peoria.

Bradley-Bourbonnais fell 2-0 to Normal Community in the IHSA Class 4A Illinois Wesleyan University Sectional semifinal on Thursday, June 5, 2025.

Behind Lydia Hammond's second shutout of the postseason, Bradley-Bourbonnais defeated Minooka 4-0 in the Class 4A Normal Community West Sectional semifinals Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Minooka 4-0 in the IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Sectional semifinals Tuesday, getting payback for a 10-0 loss to the Indians in the sectional semis last year.

Bradley-Bourbonnais' Malachi Lee, Coal City's Julian Micetich and Manteno's Briggs Cann all medaled at the state track and field meet Saturday.

Bradley-Bourbonnais senior Cody Freitas got the win on the mound and drove in the winning run in the top of the seventh as the Boilermakers got a 2-1 upset win over Minooka in Saturday's IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Regional championship.

Behind a six-run rally in the top of the 11th and a marathon complete game from Lydia Hammond, Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Rock Island 7-1 Friday to win the program's fourth regional title in a row.

Bradley-Bourbonnais' Malachi Lee, Coal City's Julian Micetich and Manteno's Briggs Cann advanced past Friday's preliminary round of the IHSA Boys Track and Field State meet.

After 6 ⅓ shutout innings from Mason Shaul, Cody Freitas escaped a bases-loaded jam with two strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Bradley-Bourbonnais a dramatic 1-0 win in the IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Regional semifinals Thursday.

Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Normal Community 8-0 in the IHSA Class 4A Bradley-Bourbonnais Regional semifinals on Tuesday, getting a two-hit shutout from Lydia Hammond and advancing to play for a fourth straight regional title on Friday against Rock Island.

Bradley-Bourbonnais secured an 8-0 victory over Normal Community in the IHSA Class 4A Bradley-Bourbonnais Regional semifinal on Tuesday, May, 27, 2025.

The Manteno baseball team and Herscher softball team both won their regional championship games and more in Saturday's Daily Journal Roundup.

Wilmington pitcher Kyle Farrell did not allow a hit for the first 6 1/3 innings Wednesday, finishing with a one-hit shutout for the Wildcats in the IHSA Class 2A Coal City Regional semifinals, and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal Roundup

Plainfield South qualified seven out of the Class 3A Minooka Sectional. Athletes from Ottawa, Bradley-Bourbonnais, Joliet West, Minooka, Yorkville, Joliet Central and Kankakee also advanced.

Lincoln-Way Central's Alex Panos threw a four-hit shutout Monday to lead the Knights to a 3-0 SouthWest Suburban Conference win against Bradley-Bourbonnais, keeping the Knights' conference title hopes alive.

Storylines to watch for in the 2025 baseball postseason, including intriguing potential matchups between local Class 2A teams and a Bradley-Bourbonnais team looking to recapture some of last season's playoff magic.

From Beecher battling through a challenging Class 2A Seneca Sectional to Bradley-Bourbonnais looking for a regional four-peat in 4A, here are some storylines to look for as the 2025 postseason gets underway.

Nolan Canfield escaped a fifth-inning jam with a two-run lead that grew late into a 6-1 Manteno win at Bradley-Bourbonnais Saturday.

The Bradley-Bourbonnais softball team dropped a close SouthWest Suburban Conference game to top-ranked Lincoln-Way Central and more in Friday's Daily Journal Roundup.