The Serena boys soccer team finished 1-1-1 at its own tournament on Saturday, while the Streator volleyball team placed third at the Ottawa Invitational.

The Sandwich boys golf team topped both Somonauk and Serena in Friday's triangular at Edgebrook.

Archer Cechowicz announced his return with authority, rushing for 136 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries in Ottawa’s 35-6 season-opening victory over Plano.

The Ottawa boys golf team shot an impressive 299 to capture the title of the 11-team La Sall-Peru Invite on Thursday, while Serena and Somonauk earned wins on the volleyball court.

The Streator volleyball team - behind 11 kills from senior Aubrey Jacobs - sweep rival Ottawa 25-18, 25-22 in Thursday's match at Pops Dale Gymnasium.

Here's a game-by-game look at Week 1 across The Times area, with games including Streator, Ottawa, Marquette, Seneca, Fieldcrest, Dwight, Sandwich and Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland.

Join hosts JT Pedelty, Eddie Carifio and Sam Ramirez as they preview Week 1 in Illinois high school football in DeKalb and La Salle counties, as well as the Sauk Valley, for the Friday Night Drive podcast

Sandwich cross country ace Sunny Weber, golf teams from Ottawa, Serena and Streator, plus multiple area girls volleyball teams were victorious in The Times Wednesday Roundup.

Serena and Ottawa boys soccer, Somonauk girls volleyball and Streator boys golf were among the winners featured in The Times Tuesday Roundup.

The Streator volleyball team defeated Woodland to open the season on Monday, while Seneca, Serena, Newark and Earlville also picked up victories. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

Streator's Brennen Stillwell won the individual title of Monday's Streator Bulldogs Boy Golf Invitational in a playoff, Ottawa claimed the team title of the event for the fifth straight time, and La Salle-Peru's Adan Chiu carded a hole-in-one.

With the Illinois high school girls volleyball season about to get underway, here are just five of the players we're expecting big things from this fall.

The 2025 high school girls volleyball season gets underway Monday, and here's our look at what to expect from teams across The Times coverage area.

Ottawa - which finished 1-8 last season - has a number of players back in key spots and many more with limited or no experience for coach Chad Gross who will be battling for spots left open due to graduation.

The Woodland boys golf team fell to Roanoke-Benson at Wolf Creek on Friday.

The Ottawa boys golf team opened the season with a conference win, Streator improved to 2-0, and more results in The Times Thursday Roundup.

Here are five Times-area boys soccer players to keep an eye on during this fall season.

Here's a look at The Times-area's boys soccer teams heading into the 2025 season.

The Seneca boys golf team, led by Cody Malak's 41, won a quadrangular on Wednesday to move to 3-0 on the season.

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

Here are five Times area boys and girls golfers to keep an eye on during this fall season.

Streator, Woodland and Sandwich's boys golf teams as well as Ottawa's girls team were in action. Find out how they did in The Times Tuesday Roundup.

The 2025 girls tennis season gets underway this week. With that in mind, here is a look at the season ahead for the players in The Times area.

At The Creek in Morris, host Seneca powered past a full team from Plano and three Somonauk golfers.

The high school boys and girls golf seasons began last week across Illinois. Here are five storylines we’ll be watching in The Times coverage area in 2025.

Here's everything you need to know about the Interstate 8 Conference in 2025, including teams, players and matchups to watch plus Steve Soucie's predictions for how the final standings will wind up.

The 2025-26 high school sports season opened on a couple area golf courses Thursday, with Seneca's girls and Somonauk's Alex Wold both victorious.

High school boys soccer practices opened up across Illinois this week. Here are five storylines we’ll be watching in 2025 across The Times coverage area.

High school girls volleyball practices opened up across Illinois this week. Here are five storylines we’ll be watching in 2025 across The Times coverage area.

Local high school football coaches — Ottawa’s Chad Gross, Streator’s Jay Slone, and Seneca’s Terry Maxwell — while not quite the same as when they played, still get 'That feeling' when Friday's game day rolls around.

Ottawa's new varsity volleyball coach Kristina Kore was pleased with Pirates' offseason and is excited to see what her squad can accomplish this fall.

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.

Ottawa head football coach Chad Gross said he’s encouraged with the progress his group has made in the offseason and is looking forward to seeing what the Pirates can accomplish in 2025.

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.

Girls from around the Illinois Valley teamed up on the Lions Jrs Starved Rock 16 Red club team to a fifth-place finish out of 151 teams in the prestigious AAU Nationals Volleyball Tournament recently in Orlando, Fla.

Ottawa graduate, two-time Times Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year, and three-time state medalist Weston Averkamp has committed to continue his education at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston and his track career at the NCAA Division I level with the Panthers.

Princeton will invite 16 teams to participate in Saturday’s 7-on-7 and Linemen’s Challenge at Bryant Field and Little Siberia, including Dixon, EPC, Ottawa, LaSalle-Peru and Sandwich.

The deadline for nominations for consideration for induction into the 2026 Ottawa Township High School Hall of Fame will be July 31.

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

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.

Congratulations to the 2025 Times Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Ottawa junior center back Taylor Brandt.

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.

Congratulations to the 2025 Times Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year, Ottawa hurdler and double state medalist Weston Averkamp.

The Interstate 8 released its all-conference teams on Thursday for six spring sports.

After not only making it to the IHSA State Final Tournament but winning a pair of matches there, the Ottawa No. 1 doubles team of Noah Gross and Evan Krafft are the 2025 Times Boys Tennis Players of the Year.

Ottawa sophomores Piper Lewis, Addie Russell and Bobbi Snook, as well as Streator senior Makenna Ondrey were named to the Illinois Coaches Association All-State teams in Class 3A, released late Sunday.

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.

Lemont defeated Ottawa 4-2 on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 in the Class 3A Sectional semifinal game at Ottawa High School. Check out photos from the game by MaKade Rios.

The Lemont softball team, behind clutch hitting and solid pitching, defeated host Ottawa 4-2 in Tuesday's Class 3A Sectional semifinal and advances to Friday's final against Providence Catholic.