Football

Yorkville, Dixon and Woodstock North were among the schools participating in a 7 on 7 football tournament on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at Kaneland High School in Maple Park.

Oswego East, Sterling and Glenbard South football teams held a joint practice on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 in Oswego.

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.

The annual "Battle of the Butts" Lineman Challenge was held on Thursday, July 10, 2025 at West Aurora.

Batavia High School hosted teams from Geneva, Bolingbrook and Huntley in a 7 on 7 tournament on Thursday, July 10, 2025 in Batavia.

Oswego football hosted a joint practice with Kaneland on Thursday, July 10, 2025 at Oswego High School.

Reed-Custer is turning to Joe Turek as its new head football coach, who brings more than a decade of program-building experience from Lincoln-Way East to his new role with the Comets.

Check out some photos from the past year of Davon Grant, 2025 Daily Chronicle Boys Athlete of the Year.

Former Kankakee star and current Michigan player Jyaire "Suga" Hill hosted his second annual Suga Summer Camp at Kankakee High School on Saaturday.

Former Kays star, 2023 Kankakee graduate and current University of Michigan defensive back Jyaire “Suga” Hill hosted his second annual Suga Summer Camp, with athletes aged four to 17 taking part on Saturday, July 5, 2025.

Wintrust Crossroads Sports Complex is a $70 million, 31-field complex at the crossroads of Interstates 355 and 80, next to Silver Cross Hospital, 45 minutes southwest of Chicago.

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.

Having some cents of Dixon history: Centennial, quasquicentennial, sesquicentennial, dosquicentennial … Dixon can observe them all this year, from the anniversary of an unbeatable high school football team to the establishment of governance in its rural areas.

Football teams including St. Francis, Hinsdale Central, Glenbard West and Lincoln-Way East participated in a 7 on 7 tournament on Thursday, June 25, 2025 at Naperville North.

Current Michigan football star and 2023 Kankakee graduate Jyaire Hill will host his second annual Suga Summer Camp at his alma mater next weekend.

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced last week that they released Kankakee native and 2016 Bishop McNamara graduate Jonathan Ward.

Tyler Nubin may be a breakout star in the National Football League, but at heart he didn’t feel that different from the kids flying around his old turf, the football field at St. Charles North.

More than 30 people attended a meeting in Joliet organized by neighbors of a future JCA stadium, including two people with school connections who gave some insight into the project.

In addition to the Watseka Tackling Disabilities camp coming up on July 26, Manteno hosted its first annual version of the camp on June 12, giving young athletes with disabilities an afternoon of football and fun.

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.

In his sixth season both in the NFL and hosting his free football camp, Kankakee native and 2016 Bishop McNamara graduate Jonathan Ward has become a veteran leader in the locker room and community alike.

Kankakee native and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jonathan Ward returned home for his sixth annual football camp at Kankakee High School Saturday, June 14, 2025, one that included 7-on-7 flag football action for the first time.

A plan for an on-campus stadium at Joliet Catholic Academy will wait at least another month before going to the city for a vote.

Pittsburgh Steeler Jonathan Ward, a Kankakee native and 2016 Bishop McNamara graduate, will host his sixth annual skills camp at Kankakee High School next weekend.

Area basketball coach Alex Renchen will host his 815 Skills Camp next month.

Jyaire Hill, a 2023 Kankakee graduate now playing defensive back at Michigan, returned to Illinois to throw at the ceremonial first pitch at the Chicago White Sox game Tuesday as one of the latest CHISOX Athletes.

Offensive lineman Marques Easley, a 2024 Kankakee graduate, is transferring from Georgia to Purdue.

Deion Sanders insisted at Colorado’s pro day that Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders should go 1-2 in the NFL draft. He was talking about selections, not rounds

Read the transcript from our latest Bears Insider podcast: Who should the Bears draft at Number 10?

A pair of former area standout student-athletes are in the latest class of CHISOX Athletes, the Chicago White Sox's NIL program.

Josh Gesky, a two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten guard with Illinois and 2021 Manteno graduate, will host a youth camp in Manteno next month, with proceeds going to Lurie Children's Hospital.

The Joliet Zoning Board of Appeals on Thursday tabled a vote on a proposed Joliet Catholic Academy on-campus stadium until June.

Joliet city staff is asking the zoning board vote scheduled for today on proposed JCA stadium be pushed back to June.

JCA officials say the school has held four community meetings in which stadium plans were discussed. The city's zoning board is slated to make final decision on permit on Thursday.

Resident near Joliet Catholic Academy says people need to know more before the school's sports stadium plans add more cars to the neighborhood.

Joliet Catholic Academy plans to build a stadium and other athletic facilities on the former Our Lady of Angels nursing home site.

Chicago Bears brass Wednesday made another public shift in where their new stadium could go, confirming that the team’s land in Arlington Heights is back in the mix.

Rich Zinanni, Fred LeSage, Irish O'Reilly, Jack Sikma, Ben Zobrist and Michelle Bartsch-Hackley are the six people with local ties that will be inducted into the new Illinois Sports Hall of Fame in June.

The Northern Illinois University football team held its first spring practice Thursday inside the Chessick Practice Center as they prepare for the 2025 season.

The IHSA announced three significant changes to its classification policy Tuesday. Starting next school year, the IHSA will go back to using fixed classification cutoffs, change its multiplier waiver process and adjust its “Success Adjustment Policy.”

Scores of local natives took college football fields across the country last season. Adam Tumino provides updates on several of the more notable names and their most recent accomplishments.

Agricultural students at Belvidere North High School learn a variety of skills, including how to raise and care for quail and chickens.

Northern Illinois University President Lisa Freeman, Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean Frazier and Head Football Coach Thomas Hammock spoke during a press conference Tuesday announcing NIU football will be entering the Mountain West Conference starting with the 2026 season.

The Chicago Bears fell to the Seattle Seahawks 6-3 in their last home game Thursday night at Soldier Field in Chicago.

The Chicago Bears ran their losing streak to nine games Sunday with a 34-17 loss to the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Iowa commits Drew MacPherson and Ryan Fitzgerald was Loyola's "dynamic" duo one last time Saturday as the two helped the Ramblers win the Class 8A state championship Saturday.

The York and Loyola football teams squared off in the Class 8A state championship Saturday in Hancock Stadium at Illinois State University in Normal.

The Batavia and Mt. Carmel football teams battled for the Class 7A state championship Saturday in Hancock Stadium at Illinois State University in Normal.

DePaul defeated Mt. Zion 40-6 to win the Class 4A State championship on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 at Hancock Stadium in Normal.