High school football practice officially starts Monday, and the opening night for the season for local teams is Aug. 29. Here are Joe Aguilar's five storylines to watch this season in McHenry County.

Can anybody take down Huntley in the FVC? How far can Richmond-Burton extend its KRC winning streak? Here are five girls volleyball storylines to watch in McHenry County in 2025.

How will Prairie Ridge follow up a historic season? Who are the top FVC and KRC contenders? Which returning players have the most scoring power? Here are five boys soccer storylines to watch in McHenry County in 2025.

Crystal Lake Central's senior football players have embraced their roles as new coach Matt MacCrindle takes over program.

Once cut by his high school baseball coach Glen Pecoraro, Austin Padjen now replaces him at Prairie Ridge. The Prairie Ridge graduate spent the past five seasons as Crystal Lake Central's pitching coach. "It’s very full circle, and it's very humbling."

Crystal Lake Central and Richmond-Burton take part in a 7-on-7 football practice Monday, July 14, 2025, at Richmond-Burton High School, with teams from Grayslake North and Mundelein.

More than 40 of the state's top senior baseball players participated in the Illinois Coaches Association All-Star Games on Monday at Schweickert Stadium in Peru.

The Illinois Coaches Association held their 48th annual Senior Baseball All Star Game on Monday, June 30, 2025 at Schweickert Stadium in Peru.

Meet the 2025 Northwest Herald All-Area baseball team.

Meet the 2025 Northwest Herald All-Area Softball Team.

Meet the 2025 Northwest Herald Girls Soccer All-Area Team.

Meet the 2025 Northwest Herald All-Area Boys Tennis Team.

Crystal Lake Central co-op junior Anna Starr already cemented herself as one of the state's best players. But Starr took her game to yet another level, earning her the Northwest Herald Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year for a third straight season.

Here is the 2025 All-Fox Valley Conference baseball team, as selected by coaches.

Here is the 2025 All-Fox Valley Conference softball team, as selected by coaches.

Hampshire's Bria Riebel, Crystal Lake Central's Oli Victorine, Prairie Ridge's Ady Kiddy and Reese Mosolino and Harvard's Tallulah Eichholz were named to the Illinois Coaches Association All-State first team in Class 3A and 4A, released late Sunday.

Here is the 2025 All-Fox Valley Conference girls lacrosse team, as selected by coaches.

Here is the 2025 All-Fox Valley Conference girls soccer team, as selected by coaches.

Woodstock North brothers Mason and Austin Nicolai placed 18th at the IHSA Bass Fishing State Finals, which concluded Saturday at Lake Shelbyville in Shelbyville. 

Crystal Lake Central Coop faces Hinsdale Central in the third-place game of the girls lacrosse state finals on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at Hinsdale Central High School.

Hinsdale Central sophomore Maggie Conley scored 10 points, consisting of a hat trick and seven assists, to lead the Red Devils to an 18-6 win over Crystal Lake Central co-op and a third-place finish at the state tournament Saturday.

A collision at second base went the way of Prairie Ridge, which scored five runs in the sixth inning to come back and beat rival Crystal Lake Central 5-2 on Friday for the Wolves' first sectional championship since 2009.

The Crystal Lake Central and Prairie Ridge softball teams met Friday afternoon to decide the winner of the Class 3A Sycamore Sectional final.

Crystal Lake Central co-op takes on Loyola Academy in a girls lacrosse state semifinal match on Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Hinsdale.

Here is the 2025 All-Fox Valley Conference boys lacrosse team, as selected by coaches.

Addie Bechler scored five goals, Fiona Lemke added three, and Crystal Lake Central's girls lacrosse team held off a fourth-quarter rally to beat Downers Grove North 10-8 on Tuesday and earn the program's first state berth.

Addison Schaffer and Jordin Gaunaurd both scored to give Crystal Lake Central a 2-0 lead at half, but the Tigers couldn't hold on as St. Ignatius scored a 5-3 win in Tuesday's Class 2A Chicago De La Salle Supersectional.

Downers Grove North faced Crystal Lake Central girls lacrosse in the Benet Supersectional on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.

Crystal Lake Central faces St. Ignatius in the IHS Class 2A Chicago De La Salle Supersectiona girls soccer match on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at De La Salle Institute in Chicago.

The Crystal Lake Central and Sycamore softball teams played Tuesday in a Class 3A Sycamore Sectional semifinal game for a chance to move on to Friday's sectional championship game.

A number of McHenry County-area girls soccer players and coaches earned honors from the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association for the 2025 season. Here's the full list of winners.

Hampshire and Burlington Central baseball each won regional titles, Dundee-Crown's upset bid of Barrington fell just short, and Prairie Ridge's Tim Jones and Cole Palese finished sixth at the IHSA Class 1A Boys Tennis State Meet.

Dane Chock's RBI double capped a three-run fifth, and Crystal Lake South edged Crystal Lake Central 8-7 to win the Class 3A Crystal Lake South Regional championship Saturday. Carter Kelley homered and drove in five runs for Central, which won the Class 3A state title last year.

Crystal Lake South faces Crystal Lake Central in the IHSA Class 3A Crystal Lake South Regional Championship game on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Crystal Lake South High School.

Cary-Grove's Logan Abrams qualified for the IHSA Class 3A Boys Track and Field State Meet finals in the shot put and discus, Huntley's Tommy Nitz clocked the fastest 1,600 time, and Johnsburg's Brett Centnarowicz sits in second place in the 2A discus.

Addie Bechler, Anna Starr and Fiona Lemke each scored three goals, and the Crystal Lake Central co-op girls lacrosse team used a team effort to beat Huntley 14-8 in the Crystal Lake Central Sectional championship match Friday.

Hampshire softball won its second regional title in three seasons, Cary-Grove battled top-seeded Antioch but fell short in a 6-3 loss, and Huntley boys lacrosse almost upset No. 1 Barrington, falling 18-17, in a sectional title match.

Crystal Lake Central beat the odds and won its third straight sectional title Friday after it defeated St. Viator 2-1 to capture the Class 2A Deerfield Sectional championship.

Crystal Lake Central faces Huntley in the IHSA Sectional championship girls lacrosse match on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Crystal Lake Central High School.

Kaneland scored twice in the top of the seventh with two outs to even the score, but Makayla Malone's walk-off hit in the bottom half secured a 4-3 victory for Crystal Lake Central in Friday's Class 3A Woodstock North Regional final.

Crystal Lake Central faces St. Viator in the IHSA Class 2A Deerfield Sectional championship girls soccer match on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Deerfield High School.

Crystal Lake Central, the defending Class 3A state champion, upset Lakes in their playoff opener. Jacobs, Huntley and Dundee-Crown also earned wins to reach regional finals, and more in Thursday's Northwest Herald roundup.

Crystal Lake Central goalkeeper Ryleigh Smith made a couple key saves to help the Tigers beat Deefield 1-0 in penalty kicks Tuesday and advance to the Class 2A Deerfield Sectional championship.

Addison DeSomer hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning, lifting Cary-Grove's softball team to a 2-1 win in a Class 3A regional semifinal. Prairie Ridge's Reese Mosolino and Crystal Lake Central's Oli Victorine threw no-hitters. Plus, more in Tuesday's Northwest Herald roundup.

Woodstock North baseball beat Harvard in their Class 3A playoff opener, while Huntley boys volleyball, Hampshire, Huntley and Cary-Grove boys lacrosse and Crystal Lake Central co-op and Huntley girls lacrosse all advanced in postseason action Monday.

A look back at the last week in sports in the Northwest Herald by photographers Gregory Shaver, and Ryan Rayburn and Patrick Kunzer for the Shaw Local News Network.

Tears couldn't wipe the smile off the face of Huntley's Dominique Johnson on Saturday in downstate Charleston. Johnson and her 4x200 relay teammates were disqualified, but the Miami commit won two Class 3A state titles, including her third straight in the triple jump.

Jacob Kim (singles) and Tim Jones and Cole Palese (doubles) led Prairie Ridge boys tennis to a sectional title, Drake Lenckus scored seven goals for Crystal Lake South boys lacrosse in a sectional win over McHenry, and more in Saturday's Northwest Herald roundup.

Charlie Eastland scored three goals as Johnsburg girls soccer rolled to a 7-0 victory over Cristo Rey St. Martin to reach the Class 1A Richmond-Burton Sectional final. Crystal Lake Central girls soccer won a regional title, and more in Friday's Northwest Herald roundup.

Huntley senior Dominique Johnson is in position to secure her third triple jump championship in a row at the IHSA Class 3A Girls Track and Field State Meet. Plus all of Friday's 2A and 3A preliminary results from the Northwest Herald area in the state track roundup.