With football teams around the state opening official practices for the 2025 season Monday, here are five storylines to watch in the NewsTribune/BCR area this fall.

Leading ladies from Bureau Valley, Princeton and St. Bede's golf teams heading into the 2025 season.

A-L-O, Bureau Valey, Hall, Princeton and St. Bede will huddle up for the first fall practices of the 2025 football season on Monday. Here’s a rundown of when each team they will be practicing during the first week.

Featuring golfers from Bureau Valley, Hall, St. Bede and Princeton

The Illinois Valley High School Summer Golf League wrapped up its 2025 season. It consisted of eight rounds at eight different area courses. A total of 40 high school golfers from 11 different schools participated in the league this year.

In his first year as head coach at his alma mater, Nick Sterling is bringing the Hall football team back to the basics.

The Hall High School football team held their annual summer camp on Thursday, July 24, 2025 at Hall High School.

The Starved Rock Bandits, a who’s who softball team from the Illinois Valley with players from Hall, Princeton, L-P, St. Bede and Serena, went 7-0 to win the South East USSSA Nationals last week in Nashville (16U Open) division.

The Starved Rock Bandits, a who’s who softball team from the Illinois Valley with players from Hall, Princeton, L-P, St. Bede and Serena, went 7-0 to win the South East USSSA Nationals last week in Nashville (16U Open) division.

Frank Colmone served as Hall’s Athletic Director from 1970-94, a period which saw the building of the former Red Devil Gymnasium and Hall’s first cinder track. He instituted girls athletics at Hall, the former Hall Shootout and the Colmone Classic basketball tournament

A look at the top games to watch in the NewsTribune/BCR area for the 2025 football season.

Girls from around the Illinois Valley teamed up on the Lions Jrs Starved Rock 16 Red club team to a fifth-place finish out of 151 teams in the prestigious AAU Nationals Volleyball Tournament recently in Orlando, Fla.

In a stretch of 11 seasons, from 1991 to 2001, the Hall Red Devils put themselves on the state football map with nine playoff berths, including three state finals appearances, two semifinals and three quarterfinals. The 1995 and 2001 Red Devils took Hall all the way to the top.

Sherrard won its third BCR Three Rivers Conference All-Sports Championship with 83 points followed by Princeton (77.5), Riverdale (73), Mercer County (63) and Erie-Prophetstown (59).

Hall graduate Ty Rybarczyk has made 12 appearances out of the bullpen this season for the Joliet Slammers, going 1-1 with a 4.23 ERA and 20 strikeouts to three walks in 17 innings.

The summer football offseason heats up after the Fourth of July. Three of the four Bureau County teams will be under new direction with Patrick Elder taking over as head coach at Bureau Valley, Nick Sterling as new head coach at Hall and Jack Brady the new head coach at St. Bede.

Athletes of the Year and finalists are chosen by a points system for receiving all-conference, all-area, Player of the Year and All-State honors. They are Lily Bosnich, Keighley Davis, Camryn Driscoll, Libby Endress, Caroline Keutzer and Lili McClain.

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.

Top high school baseball players from around the state will take the field one more time as prep players during the 48th annual Illinois Coaches Association Senior All-Star Games on Monday at Schweickert Stadium in Peru.

A look at the top boys track and field athletes in the NewsTribune area for the 2025 season.

Hall alum Nick Sterling has returned as the Red Devils new head coach this season. The Red Devils will have four home games, including a Week 6 battle with rival Princeton at Nesti Stadium.

Here’s a look at the Finals Bureau County area boys track & field athletes representing ALO, Bureau Valley, Hall, Princeton and St. Bede

Princeton has made five straight Class 3A quarterfinal appearances, six in the past seven years along with six Three Rivers Mississippi championships. Here’s an early look at their 2025 season, which will find the Tigers playing at home five times with four road trips.

A look at the final area boys baseball standings for the 2025 season with three Bureau County teams - St. Bede (27-5), Bureau Valley (22-10) and Hall (20-11) winning 20 or more games.

Here’s a look at Bureau County baseball leaders for the 2025 season, including players from Bureau Valley, Hall, Princeton and St. Bede

Three of the four Bureau County baseball teams had 20-win seasons this year, topped by St. Bede at 27-5. Here's look at the 2025 leaders on the area baseball diamonds for Bureau Valley, Hall, Princeton and St. Bede

A look at the best baseball players in the NewsTribune area for the 2025 season.

A look at the NewsTribune area's baseball stat leaders for the 2025 season.

A look at the top softball players in the NewsTribune area for the 2025 season.

A look at the top softball players in the NewsTribune area for the 2025 season.

Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame banquet always comes with a lot of laughs and smiles and fun remembrances each year. This year’s sixth annual event also came with sorrow and sadness Thursday at the Auditorium Ballroom in downtown LaSalle.

Incoming junior Hall golfer Joseph Perez shot his first career hole in one from the white tees on the No. 3 hole at Spring Creek on Monday. He didn’t have to tell his coach, Mason Kimberly, about it because he was playing with him.

Henry's Lauren Harbison was named Class 1A First-Team All State in softball, other players from St. Bede, Princeton, Earlville, Henry and Fieldcreset also earned all-state honors and the Three Rivers announced its all-conference baseball team.

Hall graduate Jack Savitch took part in Louisiana State University-Shreveport baseball team undefeated NAIA championship season. He said: “I had no clue this would happen. Knew they were good, but not like that.”

L-P junior Taylor Vescogni was named the Interstate 8 Conference Player of the Year and the Three Rivers East, Lincoln Trail and Little Ten also released all-conference teams.

Putnam County junior Alex Rodriguez qualified for the state finals in discus and shot put, along with more state track and field and boys tennis state tournament results in Thursday's NewsTribune roundup.

The NewsTribune area is sending a strong contingent of throwers to the IHSA state boys track and field meet this weekend in Charleston.

St. Bede's Lily Bosnich and Henry-Midland's Daniella Bumber advanced to the finals in the Class 1A state track meet and more track, baseball and softball results in Thursday's NewsTribune roundup.

Princeton's Landen Hoffman, Ian Morris, Cade Odell and Casey Etheridge qualified for next week’s IHSA Class 2A State Track & Field finals. St. Bede's Greyson Marincic and Kaden Nauman and Hall's Jeremy Smith qualified in 1A.

The Henry-Senachwine and Earlville softball teams advanced in regional play, area boys track and field athletes qualified for state out of the El Paso-Gridley Sectional and more in Wednesday's NewsTribune roundup.

An update of area sectional softball tournaments on June 2, including sectional championship scores and supersectional matchups

The Hall and Bureau Valley softball teams and Mendota baseball team won their regional openers and more baseball, softball and tennis results in Monday's NewsTribune roundup.

Princeton had three individual conference champions, winning four events in Friday’s Three Rivers Conference boys track & field meet at Sherrard.

Baseball regionals start up Monday, May 19 at three area sights - Stark County in 1A and Bureau Valley and Monmouth-Roseville for 2A. Check here where your team is playing and when

Softball regionals start up Monday, May 19, including three in Class 2A at area sites - Bureau Valley, Princeton and St. Bede. The Storm and Bruins are defending champions

The St. Bede baseball team won its 25th game, Henry-Senachiwne softball won a nonconference game and more baseball, softball and track and field results in Friday's NewsTribune roundup.

Girls regional soccer starts up Friday at Mendota. In Game 1, Mendota (14-6-1) meets No. 8 DePue-Hall (0-11-1) at 4:30 p.m. followed by No. 4 Princeton (12-11) vs. No. 5 Oregon (12-6-1). Here's a regional preview.

Girls track and field athletes from L-P, Mendota, Princeton and Henry-Midland qualified for state along with baseball, softball and soccer results in Wednesday's NewsTribune roundup.

St. Bede junior Lily Bosnich qualified for state in four events out of the Class 1A Rockridge Sectional on Wednesday, breaking two area records in the process. Bureau Valley and Amboy also are sending athletes to state.