The Illinois high school football season kicks off later this month, and official practices begin Monday. Here are five storylines we here at The Times have our eyes on this coming fall.

Marquette Academy graduate Rush Keefer has committed to continue his education and football career at Benedictine University.

Leadership and accountability have been a main focus for the Marquette football program summer workouts under first-year head coach Ken Carlson.

Marquette's Ashton Grady has signed on to continue his education at North Central College and his golfing career with the Cardinals.

With the release of the 2025 IHSA football schedules, here is a week-by-week look at the can't-miss games across The Times coverage area.

Under new head coach Ken Carlson, the Marquette football program competed well in its 7-on-7 against La Salle-Peru on Tuesday and will look to continue improving throughout the rest of the offseason.

Marquette's Keaton Davis has signed on to continue his education at Spoon River College and his baseball career with the Snappers.

Marquette Academy's Sam Mitre has signed to continue his education at Parkland College and his baseball career with the Cobras.

Recent Marquette Academy graduate Kealey Rick has committed to continue her academic career at Illinois Valley Community College and her volleyball career at NJCAA level with the Eagles.

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

A collection of 40 of the top prep baseball players this past spring from across The Times' 13-school coverage area.

Congratulations to the 2025 Times Baseball Player of the Year, Marquette all-state pitcher/leadoff man Alec Novotney.

The Times Sports staff is proud to present our picks for 40 of the top prep softball players across the area, the 2025 Times All-Area Softball Team.

The schools of The Times area sent plenty of athletes to the IHSA Boys Track and Field State Meet. Here are those state qualifiers, the 2025 Times Boys Track and Field All-Area Honor Roll.

The schools of The Times area sent plenty of athletes to the IHSA Girls Track and Field State Meet. Here are those state qualifiers, the 2025 Times Girls Track and Field All-Area Honor Roll.

This week, the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association unveiled its 2025 All-State Team, celebrating standout athletes, including Class 1A champions Marquette’s Alec Novotney and Sam Mitre.

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.

Marquette baseball's Alec Novotney has been named the Tri-County Conference Player and Pitcher of the Year, while the Interstate 8, Illinois Central Eight, Little Ten, Kishwaukee River and Heart of Illinois Conferences have released all-league baseball teams.

As it was the previous season, the Marquette baseball team's defense was one of many keys in a tremendous spring and helped lead to a Class 1A championship game win on Saturday at Illinois Field in Champaign.

The Ottawa softball team had four of its members named to the Interstate 8 All-Conference team, while the Little Ten and Kishwaukee River Conferences released all-league teams.

The Marquette baseball team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Father McGivney 6-5 in the Class 1A state championship game on Saturday at Illinois Field in Champaign. It's the second straight 1A title for the Crusaders.

The Marquette Crusaders responded to Lexington’s one run in the top of the second inning with 10 of their own in the bottom half, propelling the defending 1A state champs into Saturday’s 1 p.m. title game via a dominant, 16-1 victory early Friday.

The Marquette baseball team has earned the right to defend its Class 1A title and that chance begins with Friday's 10 a.m. state semifinal against Lexington at Illinois Field in Champaign.

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.

The Marquette baseball team scored three times in the fifth to break a scoreless game, and Alec Novotney fired a three-hitter with 13 strikeouts in a 5-1 win over Aurora Christian in Saturday's Class 1A Harvest Christian Sectional championship.

Ottawa's Weston Averkamp qualified for Saturday's Class 3A finals in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles during Friday's preliminaries at the IHSA Track and Field State Meet, while Sandwich's Petter Popp in the shot put and Jacob Ross in the pole vault will move on in 2A.

The Serena softball team defeated Marquette 6-2 in Friday's Class 1A sectional championship game to advance to Monday's Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional.

Serena defeated Marquette 6-2 to win the Class 1A Sectional title on Friday, May 30, 2025 at Serena High School. The Lady Huskers will play LeRoy in the Supersectional on Monday at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington at 4:30p.m.

Somonauk, Fieldcrest and Seneca all had advancers at the Class 1A state track and field preliminaries, while Ottawa's state-qualifying boys tennis doubles team got a pair of wins in the suburbs. This and more in The Times Thursday Roundup.

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

After a slow start, the Marquette Crusaders erupted for 18 runs over the final three innings to defeat St. Edward 18-2 in a Class 1A Westminster Christian Sectional semifinal Wednesday at Judson University.

Marquette shut out Elgin St. Edward 8-0 on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at Serena High School. The Lady Crew will face Serena in the Sectional championship on Friday at 4:30 in Serena.

The Marquette softball team scored five runs in the first inning and pitcher Taylor Cuchra fired a complete-game three-hitter in the Crusaders 8-0 victory over St. Edward in Wednesday's Class 1A Serena Sectional semifinal.

We take a look at The Times area's boys track and field state qualifiers in Classes 1A, 2A and 3A, including past medalists Weston Averkamp of Ottawa and Simeion Harris of Sandwich.

Marquette edged Newark 2-1 to win the Class 1A Regional title on Saturday, May 24, 2025 at Masinelli Field in Ottawa.

Ottawa's Adam Swanson blasted a walk-off homer against Geneseo on Saturday, while Streator softball dropped a doubleheader and the Pirates state-bound tennis duo of Evan Krafft and Noah Gross placed 4th at the 1A sectional.

The Marquette baseball team - with junior Alec Novotney pitching a complete-game, one-hitter with 12 strikeouts - captured a ninth straight regional championship with a 2-1 victory over Newark on Saturday at Masinelli Field.

The Seneca softball team - behind the pitching and hitting of Tessa Krull - won a 2A regional title on Friday, Sandwich's Sunny Weber advanced to the 1600-meter run finals at state, and the Ottawa doubles team of Evan Krafft and Noah Gross clinched a state tennis berth.

Marquette softball gave up four runs to host Grant Park in the top of the sixth to lose its lead, then scored three in the bottom to retake it and capture a regional championship Friday.

The Marquette baseball team used a fantastic, combined pitching performances from Anthony Couch and Alec Novotney in a 9-1 victory over Serena in Wednesday's Class 1A Marquette Regional semifinal at Masinelli Field in Ottawa.

We take a look at all the area girls track qualifiers, including seven-time medalist Evelyn O'Connor of Seneca and four-time medalist Sunny Weber of Sandwich.

Marquette baseball is honoring lost fans and friends Doyle Olson and Charlie Ellerbrock with their initials on the back of their caps this season.

Alec Novotney struck out seven in a no-hitter and got plenty of run support from his offense as Marquette defeated Newman 13-0 in five innings Friday in the season finale for both teams.

The Seneca girls track and field team captured the program's 13th consecutive Class 1A sectional title on Thursday at Seneca High School.

Teams from Aurora Christian, Beecher, Dwight, Earlville, Hinckley-Big Rock, Kankakee-McNamara, Lisle, Momence, Newark, Marquette, Seneca, Indian Creek, Somonauk, Westmont, Wilmington and Yorkville all competed during the Class 1A Sectional track meet on Thursday, May 15, 2025 at Seneca High School.

Here’s a look at the all-time Illinois Valley Track & Field records, including schools in the BCR, NewsTribune and Times coverage area as of May 12, 2025

Marquette defeated Seneca 7-0 on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at Masinelli Field in Ottawa.

The Seneca softball team smacked four home runs in an 11-1 Tri-County Conference victory in five innings over Marquette at Seneca on Tuesday afternoon. The Fighting Irish are now 24-0 overall and 11-0 in league play on the season.

Many Times-area players are stepping up, making impacts and helping lead the way for their respective teams with the postseason around the corner in this week's softball notebook.