Burlington Central volleyball defeated Cary-Grove in three sets, Burlington Central's Tyler Samaan led the Rockets boys golf team to an FVC dual win over the Trojans, plus more in Thursday's Northwest Herald roundup.

The 2025 high school football season starts Friday for Northwest Herald teams. Here is a look at Week 1 games, including Prairie Ridge at Cary-Grove in a matchup of the past two Fox Valley Conference champions.

Senior setter Rachael Hein showcased her all-around game with six aces, six digs and a block as Huntley swept Crystal Lake Central 25-12, 25-19 in the teams' Fox Valley Conference opener Tuesday.

Huntley faces Crystal Lake Central in a Fox Valley Conference volleyball match against on Tuesday,Aug. 26, 2025, at Crystal Lake Central High School.

Check out our team-by-team boys soccer preview with top returners, key newcomers and info on each local team for the 2025 season in the Northwest Herald area.

Check out our five boys soccer players to watch in the Northwest Herald area for the 2025 season.

Richmond-Burton's girls volleyball team began defense of its Kishwaukee River Conference title by beating Johnsburg in two sets, while Crystal Lake Central golfer Giuliana Dickson shined at RedTail Golf Club. Plus more in Monday's Northwest Herald sports roundup.

Check out our team-by-team girls volleyball preview with top returners, newcomers and info on each local team for the 2025 season in the Northwest Herald area.

Here are our five girls tennis players to watch in the Northwest Herald area for the 2025 season.

The girls tennis season got underway this week. Check out our team-by-team preview with top returners, newcomers and info on each local team from the Northwest Herald area.

Check out our team-by-team girls swimming preview with top returners, newcomers and info on each local team for the 2025 season.

Check out our five top girls swimmers to watch in the Northwest Herald area for the 2025 season.

Crystal Lake Central co-op girls golf won the Huntley Invite title by 15 shots, Jacobs' boys took first over Hampshire at the Crystal Lake South Invite, plus more in Thursday's Northwest Herald roundup.

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

The boys golf season is already underway. Check out our team-by-team preview with top returners, newcomers and info on each local team from the Northwest Herald area.

The girls golf season is already underway. Check out our team-by-team preview with top returners, newcomers and info on each local team from the Northwest Herald area.

Check out our five top girls golfers to watch in the Northwest Herald area for the 2025 season.

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.

Junior Carson Rowe and sophomore Malik Carter have spent the summer battling for the starting quarterback position at Huntley. And while it's so far unclear who has the advantage on the field, both have established themselves as leaders off of it.

The IHSA released football schedules for the 2025 season, and Week 1 features a matchup between the past two Fox Valley Conference champions, as Prairie Ridge will visit Cary-Grove. Check out the top games to watch each week in McHenry County.

Huntley's Izzy Whitehouse and Crystal Lake South's Logan Georgy fell in love with beach volleyball when they joined Team One Volleyball in Aurora. The juniors recently announced their verbal commitments to play beach at NCAA Division-I schools.

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

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.

Huntley junior Maizie Nickle made the most of her first healthy season this spring to help lead the Red Raiders to a historic season. For her efforts, Nickle was named the 2025 Northwest Herald Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

Huntley head coach Matt Lewandowski led his team to a historic season where the Red Raiders won their first Fox Valley Conference title since 2015. For his efforts, Lewandowski was named the Northwest Herald's Girls Soccer Coach of the Year.

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

Here are six Northwest-Herald football players poised for big 2025 seasons.

Huntley senior Dominique Johnson capped a stellar four-year varsity career by winning her third straight Class 3A triple jump state title and also won the long jump. The Miami-bound Johnson repeats as the Northwest Herald Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

Huntley senior Tommy Nitz won all but one of his races this season, which he capped by winning the 1,600-meter run at the Class 3A Boys Track and Field State Meet. The Coastal Carolina-bound Nitz is the 2025 Northwest Herald Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

Huntley senior Bobby Pupich added facilitator to his resume along with goal-scorer this season to help the Red Raiders win their fifth straight Fox Valley Conference title. Pupich is the 2025 Northwest Herald Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year.

The All-State baseball teams have been released, and the Northwest Herald coverage area is well represented.

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. 

Huntley didn't strike out but managed just three hits in a 2-0 loss to Barrington in the Class 4A Barrington Sectional final on Friday.

Huntley falls to Barrington in IHSA Class 4A Sectional Championship softball game on Friday, June 6, 2025, at the Fields of Dreams on the campus of Barrington High School.

As Kaden Wasniewski gets closer to a potential return to the mound for McHenry, the Warriors at least got their sophomore baseball star back on the infield Wednesday. His efforts, including a two-run double, helped McHenry beat Huntley 5-1 in a Class 4A sectional semifinal.

Huntley faces DeKalb in the IHSA Class 4A Sectional Semifinal softball game on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at Barrington High School in Barrington.

Ava McFadden had three hits, including a home run, as Huntley advanced to the Class 4A Barrington Sectional final with a 6-1 win over DeKalb on Wednesday, ending the Barbs' most successful season in almost a decade.

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

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.

Huntley's Tommy Nitz became the second Red Raider in as many weekends to win a state title. The senior capped his high school career in grand style with a first-place finish in the Class 3A 1,600-meter run at Eastern Illinois University's O'Brien Field.

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.