Callaghan O'Connor belted three home runs and Nick Pignatiello had two, including a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the seventh, to lead Bishop McNamara to a wild 18-14 conference win and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Khloe Picard's sixth-inning home run was the difference for Coal City, Beecher and Grant Park both stayed undefeated and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Boilermakers won the TJ Shirley Blue Smoke Invite, Nevaeh Brown made school history on the girls side, Bishop McNamara's baseball team slugged at the Pleasant Plains Invite and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Peotone's Sophie Klawitter, coming off a seven-inning no hitter against Milford/Cissna Park on Thursday, struck out all 15 batters in a five-inning perfect game against St. Anne, and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Sophie Klawitter threw a no-hitter to power Peotone softball, while Bradley-Bourbonnais and Coal City both took sixth-inning leads that turned into wins. Those games and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Kays avenged a loss to Crete-Monee, the Fightin' Irish had another dominant conference outing and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Grant Park's Cheyenne Hayes had 18 strikeouts in a no-hitter against Clifton Central, Beecher's Taylor Norkus threw a four-inning perfect game in a doubleheader sweep of St. Anne and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bishop McNamara ran away with a 15-2 win in its Chicagoland Christian Conference softball opener, Reed-Custer's Sophia Moyers threw a five-inning no-hitter in a conference win for the Comets, and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bryce Deany and Devin Arbour came up clutch to give the Kankakee baseball team its first win, Abbie Hofbauer led the Bradley-Bourbonnais softball team to its eighth straight victory and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Reed-Custer softball came out on top of a wild one with Herscher, all three city softball teams earned wins and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bishop McNamara's Malachi Lee, Wilmington's McKenna Van Tilburg and Manteno's Klarke Goranson, Olivia McElroy and Briggs Cann all won indoor state titles at the Illinois Top Times Championships, and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Meet the members of this year's Daily Journal All-Area boys basketball team.

Check out preview capsules for the Daily Journal area's prep baseball teams for the 2026 season.

Nash Brubaker hit a pair of solo home runs to lead Herscher on the road, Bishop McNamara and Bradley-Bourbonnais both lost by a run, Beecher's Taylor Norkus threw a three-inning perfect game and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Take a look at the players named to the Daily Journal All-Area team for the 2025-26 girls basketball season.

Grant Park improved to 2-0 while handing Kankakee a loss in its season opener, Reed-Custer's Mackenzie Foote hit for the cycle and drove in eight runs for the Comets and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais senior Lydia Hammond opened the season with a one-hit shutout of Oak Forest, striking out 10 batters in an 11-0 win for the Boilermakers, and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Take a look at the boys and girls wrestlers named to the Daily Journal All-Area team for the 2025-26 season,

After winning the first state title in program history and going 40-0 on the season, Clifton Central-Irqouois West junior Payton Temple has been named the Daily Journal Girls Wrestler of the Year for the second year in a row.

Before the prep baseball season begins Monday, check out some notable names from the Daily Journal area to keep an eye on.

Check out preview capsules for the Daily Journal area's softball teams for the 2026 season.

In her third straight trip to the IHSA Girls Wrestling State Finals, Clifton Central junior Payton Temple became the school's first state champion on Saturday, winning the 170-pound title.

Payton Temple is now two wins away from an IHSA Girls Wrestling State championship in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Wilmington beat Bridgeview 84-55 and St. Anne beat Bowen 71-58 in regional semifinal action, with both teams advancing to regional title games on their home floors, and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Clifton Central earned a 59-32 victory over Milford in the quarterfinals of the Class 1A Hoopeston Regional on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, at Central High School.

Coal City's Aidan Kenney, Brock Finch and Cade Poyner and Wilmington's Logan Van Duyne will all wrestle for state titles after winning their semifinal matches and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Clifton Central fell to Roanoke-Benson 49-25 in the IHSA Class 2A Clifton Central Regional championship game, ending its winningest season in nine years, and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Panthers bested Peotone, the Comets avenged multiple losses to Tri-Point and Cissna Park got past Hoopeston. Iroquois West's Amelia Scharp reached 1,000 career points in her final game, and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Clifton-Central's Payton Temple was crowned sectional champion and will be joined at state by Bradley-Bourbonnais Sophia Domont. The Boilers' Kayden Roach is also state-bound on the boys side, girls regional basketball action began and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Coal City became the only team in Illinois to have all 14 wrestlers punch their tickets to the state finals, while seven more area teams had 12 additional wrestlers advance out of the IHSA Class 1A Coal City Sectional.

St. Anne secured its second straight River Valley Conference Tournament title with a 60-49 win over Clifton Central in Friday's championship game, which also clinched a second straight unbeaten RVC season for the Cardinals.

St. Anne defeated Clifton Central 60-49 in the River Valley Conference Tournament title game on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.

When Henry Hines left his role of Clifton Central girls basketball coach more than a decade ago, he never thought he'd return to the bench. But that's exactly where he's found himself this season, and he couldn't be happier.

Tri-Point downed Clifton Central 51-31 in Thursday's River Valley Conference Tournament championship game, picking up its third win of the season over the Comets and wrapping a second straight season without a loss to an RVC opponent.

Clifton Central held on for a 54-53 win at Gardner-South Wilmington in the River Valley Conference Tournament semifinals Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.

Blake Chandler's tie-breaking free throw with three seconds left ahead of a would-be game-winning buzzer-beater from Cooper Biros that swirled in and out allowed Clifton Central to top Gardner-South Wilmington 54-53 in a thrilling River Valley Conference Tournament semifinal.

Iroquois West outlasted St. Joseph-Ogden on the road for its sixth straight win, Wilmington upset Manteno in its Illinois Central Eight Conference finale and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais tied for second in the co-ed division at the IHSA Competitive Cheer State Finals, Clifton Central/Iroquois West's Payton Temple won the 170-pound title at the Normal Community West Regional and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Grant Park's Taylor Panozzo recorded a unique triple double in a win over Gardner-South Wilmington, Watseka/Milford's Christa Holohan and Reed-Custer's Alyssa Wollenzein each hit 1,000 career points and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Two games after setting the program's career scoring record, Cissna Park's Addison Lucht became the first player in school history to reach 2,000 career points during her 28-point effort in Wednesday's 65-26 win over Clifton Central.

The Cissna Park girls basketball team saw its winning streak grow to nine games with a 65-26 win over Clifton Central at home on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026.

The Bradley-Bourbonnais boys basketball team snapped an 11-game losing streak with its first conference win, the Kankakee girls blew out Thornwood to secure a 20-win season and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Kankakee clinched the Southland Athletic Conference title outright with a 20-point road win over Crete-Monee, its 15th win in a row, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bishop McNamara's Trinitee Thompson helped the Irish to a win at Marian Central, Ava Johnson and Malea Harrison powered Kankakee over Morgan Park and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Coal City had 11 wrestlers place first and all 14 advance to sectionals in a dominant Class 1A Coal City Regional performance, Kankakee advanced six wrestlers out of the 2A Oak Forest Regional and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Reed-Custer beat Illinois Central Eight Conference opponent Coal City for its seventh straight win, Milford downed Schlarman in an overtime Vermilion Valley Conference thriller, and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

St. Anne beat Tri-Point 66-30 to clinch an unbeaten River Valley Conference season, Kankakee beat Bloom 67-47 to improve to 8-0 in Southland Athletic Conference play and more in Tuesdays' Daily Journal roundup.

St. Anne made it eight straight wins in boys basketball, Coal City wrestling stayed perfect on the season and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Kankakee had four players score between 14 and 20 points in a conference win over Thornridge, its 11th in a row overall, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Reed-Custer hosted over 25 teams across the region for its Comet Classic Wrestling Invite on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.