A team-by-team 2026 season preview for softball teams across The Times coverage area, including Newark, Serena, Earlville, Somonauk/Leland, WFC, Dwight, Fieldcrest and Sandwich.

In an area loaded with softball talent and as the season gets underway, here are our picks for five players to watch across The Times coverage area.

The Earlville softball team fell in its season opener at Orangeville on Monday afternoon.

The 2026 high school softball season starts this week. Here are previews of teams from around the Record Newspapers coverage area.

In front of its home crowd, Wilmington's boys basketball team claimed the Class 2A regional championship with a 54-43 win over Seneca on Friday night.

Ottawa senior Juliana Thrush won her opening two matches on Friday to advance to the semifinals at the IHSA state girls wrestling tournament in Bloomington. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

Woodland's boys basketball team scored the night’s initial six points, built its advantage to double digits by the close of that quarter and withstood a couple second-half runs to top Newark 57-38 and claim the Class 1A Woodland Regional championship.

Woodland defeated Newark 57-38 to win the Class 1A Regional title game on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 at Woodland High School. This is the first time since 1989 that Woodland has won a Regional title. Check out photos from the game by Tom Sistak.

Woodland, Newark, Seneca and Fieldcrest all earned regional semifinal wins on Wednesday to advance to Friday's championship games. Somonauk, Sandwich and Flanagan-Cornell had their seasons come to a close.

Flanagan-Cornell, Newark, Somonauk, Fieldcrest, Sandwich and Dwight's boys basketball teams all won their IHSA regional quarterfinal matchups Monday to advance. That and more in The Times Monday Roundup.

Griffin Somlock hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with a minute left to send Sandwich past Stillman Valley and Reggie Chapman scored 19 points to lead Newark past LaMoille in regional quarterfinals on Monday.

Marquette freshman Wesley Janick won the Class 1A championship of the 120-pound bracket at the IHSA Individual State Finals on Saturday, while Sandwich junior Cooper Corder also claimed a 1A title at 150 pounds.

Bishop McNamara battled to a 68-60 victory over Newark on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in their final home game and the last home game for coach Adrian Provost.

The Fightin' Irish trailed at the end of each of the first three quarters of Friday's regular season finale against Newark, but in their final home game and the last home game for coach Adrian Provost, Bishop McNamara's seniors rose late for a 68-60 win.

Both Marquette's Wesley Janick and Sandwich's Cooper Corder earned spots in state championship matches, Ottawa's Wes Weatherford stayed alive for a medal, plus more in The Times Friday Roundup.

Illinois’ 2025-26 boys basketball postseason begins on Monday. Here's a look at what awaits teams from across The Times coverage area.

Marquette’s Wesley Janick and Sandwich’s Cooper Corder reached semifinals at the IHSA Class 1A State Wrestling Tournament on Thursday, while Woodland's Nolan Price fired in 11 3s, program-record 40 points in win over Earlville. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

In The Times Wednesday Roundup, Sandwich, Earlville and Serena's boys basketball teams all took late-season losses.

The Woodland boys basketball team captured its 20th win on Tuesday night, which also gave coach Connor Kaminke his 100th career victory. Marquette topped Serena, while the Streator girls hoops squad had its season come to a close. Plus more results from around The Times area.

Marquette and Dwight's girls basketball teams both pulled off upsets Monday to set up an all-underdog championship game for the Class 1A Amboy Regional title. Plus more girls basketball regionals in The Times Monday Roundup.

A total of 13 Times-area wrestlers earned trips to next weekend's state tournament at sectionals on Saturday, while the girls basketball teams from Marquette, Serena, FCW and Fieldcrest all won regional openers. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Seneca boys basketball team - led by 18 points and 11 rebounds from Zeb Maxwell - rolled to a Tri-County Conference win over Lowpoint-Washburn on Friday. Plus, more results from around in The Times Friday Roundup.

With its 65-48 home win over Newark on Friday, the Hinckley-Big Rock boys basketball team assured itself a share of the Little Ten Conference regular-season title with the Norsemen. But senior Luke Badal, who scored a game-high 18 points, said the Royals aren’t done yet.

The Somonauk/Leland girls basketball team defeated Earlville on Thursday to complete an undefeated Little Ten Conference regular-season championship.

EJ Treptow scored 17 points and Griffin Somlock 15 to lead Sandwich to a win at Newark, Alan Contreras and Ethan Taxis each scored 14 in a Plano win, Desiree Merritt and Aubrey Lamberti each had 26 in an Oswego East win and Chloe Rowe's double-double paced a Plano win Wednesday.

Ottawa's girls basketball team triumphed, but Streator's Ava Gwaltney scored 20 points to surpass 1,000 in her career. Plus wins for Somonauk/Leland's girls and Sandwich's boys in The Times Wednesday Roundup.

Illinois’ 2025-26 girls basketball postseason tips off this Saturday for small schools and next Monday for larger schools. Here's a look at what awaits teams from across The Times coverage area.

Leland and Newark's boys basketball teams scored Tuesday night victories. That and more in The Times Tuesday Roundup.

Ethan Vahl had 30 points and 11 rebounds to pace Oswego to its 20th win, Newark boys basketball won to set up a showdown Friday for the Little Ten Conference title, and Oswego East boys basketball and Parkview Christian girls basketball were winners in Tuesday's roundup.

The Fieldcrest boys basketball team used a huge second half to top Woodland, while Warriors senior Nolan Price became the program's all-time leader in made 3-pointers on Monday. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

Ottawa’s Juliana Thrush, Marquette’s Lily Deibel, and Streator’s Addison Yacko and Lailah Vaughn all won championships on Saturday at the Normal West Girls Wrestling Regional. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Streator girls bowling team advanced to sectionals for the first time since 2018 after a fourth-place finish at the Morton Regional on Friday. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Hinckley-Big Rock boys basketball team took on Newark Friday in the third place game at the Little 10 Conference tournament at Somonauk High School.

IMSA topped Newark boys basketball in the Little Ten Tournament semifinals, Oswego East girls basketball edged Yorkville and Oswego gymnastics was second at its regional in Thursday's roundup.

The Newark boys basketball team fell to IMSA in the semifinals of the Little Ten Conference Tournament on Thursday, while Serena and Somonauk earned wins to move on the consolation title game. Plus more results from around the Times area.

The Streator girls bowling team and Sandwich boys basketball teams were both victorious. That and more in The Times Wednesday roundup.

The Seneca girls basketball team earned a Tri-County Conference win on Tuesday, while the Woodland boys captured victory No. 17 on the season. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

In Monday's quarterfinals of the 107th annual Little Ten Conference Boys Basketball Tournament in Somonauk, top-seeded Newark advanced with a win over No. 8 Leland, while No. 4 Serena fell to No. 5 Illinois Math & Science Academy.

Newark defeated Leland 51-35 in the Little Ten Conference Tournament quarterfinal game on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026 at Somonauk High School. Check out photos from the game by MaKade Rios.

Led by a record-breaking effort from Nolan Price, Woodland's boys basketball team scored a Monday night win. That plus a win from Seneca's girls and more in The Times Monday Roundup.

Seneca boys wrestler Raiden Terry, Somonauk's competitive cheer squad, Marquette's girls basketball team and Ottawa's boys basketball team were among the winners covered in The Times Saturday Roundup.

Seneca's Zeb Maxwell's huge game helped lead to a win in the third-place game of the 99th annual Tri-County Conference Tournament on Friday, while Leland's Declan Brennan scored a school-record 44 points in a win over Earlville. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

Reggie Chapman had 24 points, five rebounds and four assists and Cody Kulbartz 23 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks for Newark in a win over Gardner-South Wilmington.

Seneca's Graysen Provance poured in a school-record 44 points in a road win, Somonauk/Leland stayed atop the Little Ten Conference girls basketball standings, and more in The Times Thursday Roundup.

Top-seeded Woodland and No. 2 Marquette captured semifinal wins on Wednesday at the 99th Tri-County Conference Tournament in Granville and will meet for the title on Friday. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Ottawa boys basketball team topped host Kewanee on Tuesday for win No. 10 of the season, while the Streator girls bowling squad earned a home victory over St. Bede. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Ottawa girls basketball team picked up a road win at Sandwich on Monday, while Fieldcrest earned a conference victory over Lexington. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

Seeds and schedules are set for the 2026 Little Ten Conference Boys Basketball Tournament, hosted by Somonauk High School.

The Ottawa girls claimed four individual championships and finished runner-up as a team at the Interstate 8 Conference Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, while Seneca's Sammie Greisen won the title of her bracket at Harvard. Plus more results from around the area.

Somonauk/Leland's girls basketball team claimed third place, Earlville's girls won the consolation title, and in boys action Dwight topped Seneca. That and more in The Times Friday Roundup.