Fulton's Breleigh Hayton is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week. The sophomore scored 19 points in a comeback win over Stark County and helped the Steamers go 3-1 at the Cliff Warkins Memorial Classic. Here is a Q&A with her.

EP took the win 34-32 Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2026, in Erie. -Photos by Jessie Ottens

Oregon wrestlers hosted Polo and Fulton in a triangular in the Blackhawk Center in Oregon on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.

Newman used a huge first-half run to pull away from Fulton in a 64-27 nonconference win over its former Three Rivers Conference foe Tuesday in Sterling.

Newman and Fulton girls face off on the court at Newman Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. Newman won 64-27.

Five Sauk Valley boys basketball players to watch this season include Forreston's Kendall Erdmann, Newman's Asher Ernst, Eastland's Parker Krogman, Fulton's Landen Leu and Rock Falls' Cole Mulnix.

With the 2025-26 girls basketball season getting started this week, here’s a look at the teams in the Sauk Valley area.

There's always the usual suspects in 1A, but some new names look poised to potentially crash that party. Steve Soucie breaks down the opening round of the 2025 IHSA Class 1A playoffs.

Fulton beat Lena-Winslow to win the championship at the Stillman Valley Volleyball Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.

Newman scored a school record 79 points on Saturday against Kewanee. Jake Whelan scored Dixon's first defensive TD this season, Sterling scored 31 unanswered against Quincy and Morrison reclaimed the Wooden Shoe in this week's Sauk Valley football notes.

In the second meeting between the two rivals since the Wooden Shoe came up for grabs after a brief hiatus, Morrison snapped a three-game rivalry losing streak Friday against Fulton to repossess the traveling trophy.

Sterling has a big game at Geneseo, Dixon heads to Winnebago riding four straight shutouts, Newman plays at upstart Riverdale and Rock Falls faces winless IVC in this week's Sauk Valley football slate.

The battle for the NUIC South got even tighter after Fulton beat Eastland 25-19, 25-22 on Tuesday night. It was also Volley for the Cure night for the Steamers, who helped raise money for Rene Sanquist.

Fulton defeated Eastland 25-19 and 25-22 on Volley for the Cure night at Fulton High School's Stan Borgman gym on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025.

Forreston beat Fulton 36-28 in NUIC football action on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025.

Sterling opens Western Big 6 Conference play against Moline, Dixon hosts Rock Falls, Newman hosts E-P on Saturday and more, including picks and what to watch for in this week's Sauk Valley football previews.

Sterling girls golf took second at the Geneseo invite, Lucas Porter earned medalist for Rock Falls, Dixon volleyball improved to 7-1 and more in Monday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Fulton's Owen Van Zuiden set the school's 18-hole record with a 67 and the nine-hole record with a blistering 30 as the Steamers shot a program-best 290 on Aug. 30. He is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week after an online vote.

Dixon's massive game at No. 1 Byron highlights the 15 matchups in the Sauk Valley area in Week 2. Newman heads to Mendota, Sterling has a nonconference home game, Rock Falls hosts North Boone and more this Friday.

Here is a look at the Week 1 football matchups in the Sauk Valley area.

The 2025 girls volleyball season starts this week. Here are previews of teams from around the Sauk Valley coverage area.

A look at the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference for the 2025 season, including team-by-team preview capsules, players to watch, six can't miss games and Steve Soucie's predicted order of finish.

After falling short of an eighth straight playoff appearance, Fulton hopes to build off last year's strong finish as it heads into a fifth year in the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference.

Who steps up next for Dixon? Will Morrison transfer Rylan Alvarado lead Newman's backfield? Can Sterling revitalize its run game? What is next for Rock Falls under its new coach? Here are six questions in the Sauk Valley area this season as practice kicks off.

Here is a look at the top softball players from the Sauk Valley area for the 2025 season.

The IHSA just released its statewide football schedule for the 2025 season. Here is a game to watch each week in the Sauk Valley coverage area.

Here is a look at the top baseball players from the Sauk Valley area for the 2025 season.

Here is a look back at the top boys basketball players in the Sauk Valley area for the 2024-25 season.

The Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association released its All-State teams, and players from Newman, Rock Falls, Fulton and A-FC were selected.

The Marquette baseball team led from start to finish in a 6-3 victory over Fulton in Monday's Class 1A DeKalb Supersectional at Northern Illinois University’s Ralph McKinzie Field. The Crusaders will now have a chance to defend their title from last season.

The Fulton and Marquette High School baseball teams met Monday in a Class 1A supersectional at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Fulton senior Dom Kramer worked his way back from a knee injury during football season to be a key contributor on the mound and at the plate during the Steamers' postseason run to the Elite Eight. He is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week after an online vote.

The Fulton Steamers edged River Ridge Scales Mound 3-2 on Saturday, May 31, 2025 to win the Class 1A Lena-Winslow Sectional and advance to the DeKalb Supersectional at Northern Illinois University on Monday, June 2. Game time is 4:30 p.m.

Fulton advanced to the finals of the 1A Lena-Winslow Sectional when they beat Rockford Lutheran 4-1 on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.

West Carroll senior Emma Randecker prefers sprints. Not 5K races. Saturday, the Northern Iowa commit showed off her speed downstate, winning Class 1A titles in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes in the IHSA Girls Track and Field State Meet. She broke 2 state records.

With a six-run first inning, the Fulton baseball team had enough cushion to hold off a Forreston comeback Saturday in the Class 1A Amboy Regional championship game.

Fulton scored six runs in the first inning en route to a 7-4 win over Forreston to win the 1A Amboy Regional on Saturday, May 24, 2025.

With eight runs in the first two innings of its Class 1A home regional final, the Fulton Steamers cruised to their second straight 20-win season and first postseason plaque since 2018.

Fulton’s Jessa Read, Kylie Smither and Haley Smither helped the softball team advance to the regional final before they hit the road for the start of Thursday's state track and field meet.

Here is a look at some of the top athletes and relays to watch from the Sauk Valley area competing in 1A and 2A at this weekend's state track and field meet.

Amboy and Fulton clash on the diamond for a Class 1A semifinal regional softball game Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Fulton. Fulton took the win 7-4.

Oregon won the Landers-Loomis Invitational on Friday, April 25, 2025 scoring 104 points to Fulton's 95 and Genoa-Kingston's 91. Forreston finished fifth in the 8-team meet.

Fulton took fourth place at the Pearl City Softball tournament on Saturday, April 12, 2025. The Steamers beat West Carroll before falling to Stockton and Milledgeville.

Fulton scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to beat Morrison 4-3 on Friday, March 31, 2025 in Fulton.

Fulton junior basketball player Landen Leu, who was a key contributor after missing the first month of the season due to a broken ankle, is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week in an online vote. 'Landen came back and immediately changed the dynamic of our team.'

The Amboy Clippers hosted the Fulton Steamers on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 at Amboy High School.

Oregon won the 17-team Polo Wrestling Invitational with 217.5 points, edging runner-up Fulton (212). West Carroll (104.5) took fourth, Polo (89.5) was eighth and Erie-Prophetstown (65) was 10th among area teams.

Fulton senior basketball player Kylie Smither, who scored 22 points in a win after the Steamers trailed by 20 points, is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her Q&A with Drake Lansman.

Eastland outscored Fulton late in the fourth quarter to notch a 42-34 win over the Steamers on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 at the Cougars' home gym in Lanark.

Some finals from the 46th Carson DeJarnatt wrestling invitational Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 in Sterling.