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.

The Herscher football team hosted Bradley-Bourbonnais, Central, Dwight and Iroquois West for some 11 on 11 scrimmages on Tuesday night as the teams continue to ramp up for the regular 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.

Herscher's Drew Rogers and Kankakee's Nevaeh Lowe and Jayon Morrow all put their talent on display in the 2024-24 college cross country and track and field seasons.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bradley-Bourbonnais' Jocelyn Zettergren, Beecher's Grace Durante, Peotone's Allie Werner and Wilmington's Alaina Clark earned IHSSCA All-State honors for the 2025 girls soccer season, with 19 more earning earning All-Sectional honors.

In a back-and-forth Class 2A Seneca Sectional semifinal that saw four lead changes, it was Beecher who took the last one with a 7-5 win over Herscher Tuesday.

The Manteno baseball team and Herscher softball team both won their regional championship games and more in Saturday's Daily Journal Roundup.

The Bishop McNamara baseball team won its first regional title since 2019 with a 5-0 win against Herscher in the Class 2A Herscher Regional championship Saturday, May 24, 2025.

After a second-half red card left Herscher shorthanded Saturday, Peotone got a goal from Allie Werner with 12:35 to go, giving the Blue Devils a 2-1 win in a dramatic IHSA Class 1A Coal City Sectional semifinal game against the Tigers.

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

Wilmington pitcher Kyle Farrell did not allow a hit for the first 6 1/3 innings Wednesday, finishing with a one-hit shutout for the Wildcats in the IHSA Class 2A Coal City Regional semifinals, and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal Roundup

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.

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.

Herscher claimed its ninth regional title in a row with an 8-0 win over Bishop McNamara on Tuesday, getting four goals from Gianni Jaime, three from Sophie Venckauskas and one from Gianna High.

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.

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.

The Kankakee girls track and field team led the local charge on the first day of the postseason and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Herscher junior Keira Ahramovich homered twice and tripled Wednesday as the Tigers picked up a home win over Central in the final days of the regular season.

Herscher earned a 13-6 victory over Central on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at Herscher High School.

Tristin Woods hit a home run and had five RBIs for the Bradley-Bourbonnais softball team in their SouthWest Suburban Conference win over Stagg, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal Roundup.

Herscher senior Payten Young no-hit Peotone on Tuesday, outdueling the Blue Devils' Josh Barta and giving the Tigers a 1-0 win in what was the Illinois Central Eight Conference finale for both teams.

Cody Freitas hit two home runs to lead Bradley-Bourbonnais to an 18-7 win in SouthWest Suburban Conference play and more in Monday's Daily Journal Roundup.

Kendyl Christon hit a walkoff two-run single to give the Kankakee softball team a huge conference win over Bloom and more in Friday's Daily Journal Roundup.

The Wilmington baseball team held Kankakee to just one hit in a 12-0 win, the Wildcats third shutout win in a row, and more in Thursday's Daily Journal Roundup.

The Bishop McNamara baseball team got another shutout win to sweep St. Edward in a Chicagoland Christian Conference series and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal Roundup.

Manteno held on for an 8-7 victory despite a Herscher comeback in Illinois Central Eight Conference action at Herscher High School on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.

A seven-run second inning helped fuel Manteno's 8-7 win over Herscher on Tuesday and gave the Panthers an ICE series split with the Tigers.

Jacob Vinardi tossed a no-hitter in the first game of Kankakee's doubleheader with Thornridge and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

The senior battery of pitcher Ava Peterson and catcher Jazmine Manau helped Manteno beat 4-1 on Monday, which was the Panthers' seventh ICE win in a row.

Manteno earned a 4-1 victory over Herscher in the Illinois Central Eight Conference matchup at Manteno High School on Monday, May 5, 2025.

Five events on the boys side of the Herscher Invite were won by area athletes on Friday as the end of the outdoor track and field season nears its final stretch.

Lydia Hammond threw a perfect game with 17 strikeouts as Bradley-Bourbonnais won a pitchers' duel with a ranked Fremd team and more in Saturday's Daily Journal Roundup.

A total of 13 local track and field programs competed in the Herscher Invite on Friday, with area athletes on the girls side winning eight events and Wilmington freshman McKenna Van Tilburg winning three.

Lydia Hammond threw a nine-inning shutout and hit a walk-off double against Benet and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

A dozen schools competed in the Herscher Invite track and field meet Friday, May 2, 2025. Buy photos here: https://heraldnews.smugmug.com/April-2025/Herscher-Invite

The Beecher softball team beat Central 10-0 on Thursday to clinch the RVC title for the 24th season in a row and more in Thursday's Daily Journal Roundup.

Kankakee saw Jaden Villafuerte's pinch-hit two-run double tie it before Alexander Grill's walk-off single against Bloom and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Central baseball team beat Beecher 9-3 in a matchup of the top two teams in the River Valley Conference standings and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal Roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais was an out away from an SWSC loss Monday when Cody Freitas put them ahead with a two-run home run in the top of the seventh and more in Monday's Daily Journal Roundup.