The Woodland boys basketball team started quick in a win over host Leland on Tuesday, while Serena and Fieldcrest also grabbed victories. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Mendota boys basketball team used a solid defensive effort to push the pace and hot shooting to earn a 77-60 triumph over Ottawa in Mendota on Tuesday night.

Mendota defeated Ottawa 77-60 on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026 at Mendota High School.

As the regular season hits the second half and the postseason gets closer, many Times-area girls basketball teams and players are trending up in Brian Hoxsey's girls basketball notebook.

Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland's Emma Palaschak scored 37 points, including the 1,000th of her career, in the Falcons' victory over Putnam County on Monday. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

During the holiday tournaments at Seneca and Plano, many Times-area boys basketball players put together tremendous efforts. A look at their accomplishments and what their coaches had to say about them in Brian Hoxsey's boys basketball notebook.

Ottawa wrestlers Wes Weatherford and Mayson Munson won titles at Wheaton on Saturday, while Marquette boys hoops defeated Hall. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Ottawa girls wrestling team went 2-1 at the Yorkville quadrangular on Friday, while the Sandwich boys wrestling squad claimed the title of their own dual tournament.

Mendota’s Oliver Munoz scored the Trojans' final six points, including the go-ahead basket with 1:30 remaining, to capture fifth place with a 46-45 win over Ottawa in the Plano Christmas Classic on Tuesday.

Marquette's Alex Schaefer became the first Crusaders wrestler to reach 100 career wins, and the team claimed the title of the Silver Bracket at the ABE's Rumble in Springfield. Plus more results from around the Times area.

La Salle-Peru's Kiely Domyancich and Marquette's Lily Deibel were among the individual girls wrestling champions crowned Tuesday at the 2025 Ottawa Holiday Hootenanny.

Ottawa and Leland's boys basketball teams along with Marquette's girls were among those scoring tournament victories Monday, while Streator and Newark both fell and will meet each other; plus more in The Times Monday Roundup.

Flanagan-Cornell's Logan Ruddy set a tournament scoring record at the Shipyard Showdown on Saturday in a win over Somonauk. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The No. 4-seed La Salle-Peru boys basketball team scored the opening 16 points of Saturday's quarterfinal game against No. 5-seed Ottawa and eventually advanced to Monday's semifinal against top-seeded Kaneland with a 63-28 victory at the 62nd Plano Christmas Classic.

The Woodland boys basketball bounced back after a slow start to defeat host Seneca at the Shipyard Showdown on Friday, while Sandwich pulled off a huge upset in the opening round of the Plano Classic. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Ottawa Pirates didn’t come out strong in their early Friday afternoon opener against Northridge Prep in the 62nd Plano Christmas Classic. Luckily for the Pirates, they more than made up for it in the second quarter of an eventual 61-39 victory.

The Marquette boys basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the Shipyard Showdown Tournament with a pair of wins on Tuesday, while host Seneca, Woodland and Serena all finished the opening day 1-1. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Ottawa girls basketball team defeated Pontiac 51-46 in the third-place game of the Ottawa Girls Holiday Tournament on Tuesday night in Kingman Gymnasium.

Congratulations to The Times Athlete of the Week, Ottawa girls basketball's Kennedy Kane!

Princeton had runs of 18-0 and 14-0 as the Tigresses beat Ottawa in an Ottawa Holiday Tournament semifinal Monday.

The Seneca and Fieldcrest girls basketball teams won games on Monday at the Ottawa Holiday Tournament, while the host Pirates fell to Princeton. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

A look at boys and girls tournament opening day pairings at Plano, Seneca, LaMoille, Normal and St. Bede.

Seneca's Raiden Terry claimed the championship at 120 pounds and was also named the Most Valuable Wrestler for the lower weights at the Erie Holiday Tournament on Saturday. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

Girls bowling teams from Ottawa, Streator Dixon, L-P, Mendota Hall and St. Bede girls all competed in the L-P Cavalier Classic on Saturday Dec. 20, 2025 at the Illinois Valley Super Bowl in Peru.

The Streator boys basketball team topped Coal City to improve to 5-0 in Illinois Central Eight Conference play while also earning a sixth straight victory on Friday, while Newark and Serena both picked up Little Ten Confer triumphs. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Ottawa and Fieldcrest girls basketball teams each opened Friday's Ottawa Girls Holiday Tournament with strong starts and eventually victories over Newark and Streator respectively.

Here are 45 of the best girls volleyball players across The Times coverage area, The 2025 Times All-Area Girls Volleyball Team.

Ottawa received the No. 5 seed and Streator the No. 6 seed for the 62nd Plano Christmas Classic at the seeding meeting held Thursday evening. The tournament tips off Dec. 26 and runs through Dec. 30.

The Ottawa boys wrestling team defeated Streator and host Mendota on Thursday, while the Leland boys basketball team earned a victory over Amboy. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

L-P defeated Ottawa 41-36 on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025 in Sellett Gymnasium at L-P High School. Check out photos from the game by MaKade Rios.

The La Salle-Peru girl basketball team held Ottawa to seven points in the second half as the Cavaliers overcame a 10-point deficit to win 41-36.

Behind a double-double from Braden Behringer and solid defense, the Sandwich boys basketball team topped host Harvard on Wednesday, while Emma Palaschak sank eight 3-pointers and finished with 31 points to help the Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland girls to a win over Midland.

Forty-four of the top football players from Seneca, Marquette, Fieldcrest, Ottawa, Streator, FCW and Sandwich, here is the 2025 Times All-Area Football Team.

Ottawa, Somonauk and Fieldcrest boys basketball all scored Tuesday triumphs, plus more in The Times Tuesday Roundup.

Congratulations to The Times Athlete of the Week, Ottawa boys basketball’s Owen Sanders!

It was for the most part a rough night for Times-area girls basketball teams, with Seneca, Somonauk, Streator, Fieldcrest, FCW and Serena all falling. That and more in The Times Monday Roundup.

Ottawa senior Jorge Lopez — a player with exception overall skills — scored 12 goals and passed for a pair of assists from his striker spot this past season and is the 2025 Times Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

Here are the top boys soccer players across The Times coverage area, The 2025 Times All-Area Boys Soccer Team.

Wrestlers from Seneca, Streator, Sandwich and Marquette claimed individual tournament titles, Streator and Ottawa's boys bowling teams took to the lanes, plus more in The Times Saturday Roundup.

Ottawa's girls basketball team along with the boys teams from Streator, Newark and Somonauk scored victories in a hoops-filled Times Friday Roundup.

Jack Carroll scored 15 points to help lead Ottawa to a 41-29 win over Morris on Friday.

Ottawa defeated Morris 41-29 on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 at Kingman Gymnasium at Ottawa High School. Check out photos from the game by Katy Arnold.

Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland girls basketball, Serena boys basketball, and both Seneca and Ottawa boys wrestling scored victories, plus more in The Times Thursday Roundup.

Newark boys basketball, Fieldcrest boys basketball and Sandwich girls basketball all recorded wins, all in The Times Wednesday Roundup.

The Morris boys wrestling team picked up a 48-24 win over Ottawa, while the Ottawa girls beat Morris 46-34.

It was a loaded day on the local varsity sports schedule, with area boys wrestling, girls basketball and boys basketball teams all scoring victories. Read all about them in The Times Tuesday Roundup.

The Ottawa girls basketball team did a lot of things well in their 57-38 victory Tuesday evening over visiting Morris. Especially when it came to shooting the basketball.

Ottawa boys wrestling, Serena girls basketball and Leland boys basketball were among the winners in The Times Monday Roundup.

Seneca boys wrestling placed runner-up at its own Irish Invitational, Marquette's Lily Deibel won an individual title, plus lots of basketball in The Times Saturday Roundup.

La Salle-Peru's Kiely Domyancich and Ottawa's Lily Gwaltney each won titles at the Princeton Invitational Tournament on Saturday.