Mason Schweizer examines a handful of things to look for from the Daily Journal area once the football season starts.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Here is a look at some of the best softball players the area had to offer in the 2025 season, the 2025 Herald-News All-Area Softball Team.

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.

Wilmington’s Kyle Farrell and Ryan Nelson, Coal City’s Landin Benson and Milford-Cissna Park’s Caleb Clutteur are all set to take place in the 2025 Shrine Game to wrap up their high school football careers.

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.

A look at the area baseball and softball players named to the All-Illinois Central Eight Conference teams this season.

La Salle-Peru, Coal City, Minooka and Seneca are all sending recent graduates to play in this month’s Illinois High School Shrine Game.

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.

Lincoln-Way East and Lincoln-Way West each had five players make the All-Conference team in baseball for the Southwest Suburban Conference. See who else made their all-conference teams here.

Lemont advanced to the sectional title game, while Lockport's season came to an end in the Herald-News Thursday Roundup.

Providence Catholic thumped Tinley Park 20-4 to advance to the Class 3A Ottawa Sectional championship game. That and more in Tuesday's Herald-News Roundup

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

Wilmington won its second straight Class 2A sectional baseball title, while Lockoort, Lemont, Providence Catholic and Lincoln-Way Central won regional crowns. That and more in The Herald-News Saturday roundup.

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.

Lincoln-Way West, Lockport and others advanced multiple competitors to the 3A state finals on Saturday. That and more in the Herald-News Friday Roundup.

Wilmington baseball makes sectional final, local runners compete at the IHSA State Finals Meet, and more in Thursday's roundup.

Justin VanderTuuks RBI single in the bottom of the ninth lifted Lockport into the Class 4A regional final, Lincoln-Way West, East and Central also were baseball winners. Plus more softball and baseball state tournament scores in Wednesday's Herald News Sports Roundup.

Tessa Krull struck out 11 in a four-hit shutout while Hayden Pfeifer's home run was part of a five-run sixth inning in Seneca's 6-0 win over Coal City in Tuesday's Class 2A Seneca Sectional semifinal.

Providence's girls soccer team beat Evergreen Park 4-0 to advance to the Class 2A Kankakee Sectional championship, and more postseason soccer, softball and volleyball action in Tuesday's Herald-News Roundup

Plainfield South beat Pekin to open the Class 4A playoffs, while Plainfield East and Joliet Central were also playoff winners in baseball. Plus more in the Herald-News Monday Roundup.

Several Herald-News area athletes are among the top 10 qualifiers in their respective events entering this weekend's state boys track and field championships

Lincoln-Way East's tennis team dominated its own sectional, and more in Saturday's Herald-News Roundup

Recent varsity call-up Brysen Meents hit his first high school home run in walk-off fashion and Lucas Rink tossed a gem as Wilmington topped Coal City 1-0 in the title game of the Class 2A Coal City Regional on Saturday.

The Kankakee girls track team qualified for the state finals in the 4x100 relay, 4x200 relay and 4x400 relay and had Naomi Bey-Osborne qualify in the 400 meters, and more in Friday's Daily Journal Roundup

Plainfield North will lead a large contingent of track and field athletes in the finals on Saturday after a strong showing in Friday's prelims, plus more in the roundup.

After falling behind 5-0 through two innings, Madi Petersen hit a three-run home run in the third and had the go-ahead RBI single as part of a four-run sixth that gave Coal City a 7-5 comeback win over Bishop McNamara for the Coalers' fourth straight regional title.

Coal City came back from an early 5-0 deficit to claim its fourth straight regional championship with a 7-5 win over Bishop McNamara in the Class 2A Coal City Regional championship Friday, May 23, 2025.

Coal City, Peotone win baseball, Lockport, Morris win softball. That and more in Thursday's roundup.

Dylan Young delivered a walk-off single in the seventh inning Thursday to give Coal City a comeback win over Reed-Custer in the IHSA Class 2A Coal City Regional semifinals.

The Coal City softball team will play for a fourth straight regional title after downing Joliet Catholic in the Class 2A Coal City Regional semifinals Wednesday, May 21, 2025.

Coal City's Julian Micetich, Manteno's Briggs Cann, Streator's Isaiah Brown, Morris' Cuyler Swanson and Princeton's Casey Etheridge among individual champions at 2A Pontiac Sectional.

Coal City scored 12 times in the final three innings Wednesday to beat Joliet Catholic 14-4 in an IHSA Class 2A Coal City Regional semifinal contest.

Tessa Krull throws a perfect game as Seneca softball advances. Lincoln-Way East and Joliet West clinch baseball conference titles and Morris advances multiple track and field runners to state, plus more scores from around the area in Wednesday's Herald News Sports Roundup.

Teams from Coal City, Herscher, La Salle-Peru, Manteno, Morris, Peotone, Princeton and Streator competed in the Class 2A Sectional track meet on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at Pontiac High School.

Coal City got a pair of goals from Ava Meyer in the middle of multiple weather delays before Hayden Francisco added two more to give the Coalers the Class 1A Manteno Regional title over Beecher Tuesday.

Lincoln-Way West, Lincoln-Way Central and Lockport were among area winners in the girls soccer postseason. That and more in Tuesday's Herald-News Roundup.

Minooka baseball tops Bolingbrook, Plainfield South baseball downs Joliet Central and more in the Herald-News Monday Roundup.

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.

Lemont baseball sweeps a doubleheader against Romeoville and more in the Herald-News Saturday Roundup.

The Bishop McNamara and Herscher girls soccer teams both won their regional semifinal games Saturday to set up a matchup in the regional championship and more in Saturday's Daily Journal Roundup.

Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way East softball both win, as did Lockport baseball. That and plenty more in the Herald-News Friday Roundup.