The Bears hosted Green Bay in a Wild Card Weekend playoff game Saturday night at Soldier Field. The Bears trailed most of the game, but like they have done numerous times this season, they rallied and won, 31-27. Here are three moments that mattered, what worked and what didn't.

Coal City's banner season on the mats continued at the Princeton Invitational and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Chicago Bears knocked off the Green Bay Packers 31-27 in Wild Card matchup Saturday night at Soldier Field in Chicago.

The Oregon High School boys basketball team has opened its season with a 13-3 record, its strongest start in many years.

Watseka/Milford beat Clifton Central 60-49 on Saturday, getting 31 points from Christa Holohan and outscoring the Comets 22-3 in the third quarter to improve to 13-2 on the year.

Streator defeated Earlville 33-28 on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2025 in Pops Dale Gymnasium in Streator. Check out photos from the game by Tom Sistak.

Rochelle Township High School sophomore bowler Austin Hartnett’s best game of the season came outside of a meet. He bowled a 300 on Monday, Jan. 5, on a double date at T-Byrd Lanes in Rochelle.

Don Wachter has become known as the Bearman for the costume that he wears to each Bears home game. Topping off the costume is a bear-head hat.

Gardner-South Wilmington bested Momence while St. Anne put away Beecher to keep both boys basketball teams tied atop the River Valley Conference. Those games and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Peotone came back for a 51-38 Illinois Central Eight Conference win at home over Herscher on Friday, outscoring the Tigers 27-10 in the second half after trailing at halftime.

The Kays' starting lineup, comprised of all seniors, scored all 67 of their points in Friday's senior night romp of Crete-Monee.

Woodland defeated St. Bede 59-54 on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026 at Woodland High School. Check out photos from the game by Tom Sistak.

L-P defeated Ottawa 45-37 on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026 in Sellett Gymnasium at L-P High School.

Woodstock at Richmond-Burton in a Kishwaukee River Conference boys basketball game on Friay Jan. 9 2026, at Richmond-Burton High School, in Richmond.

Shaw Local’s Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar share the latest news from Halas Hall and break down the third matchup between Green Bay and the Bears this season

Two days after topping defending IHSA Class 3A State champion Montini on the road, the Kays returned home and back to Southland Athletic Conference with a resounding 70-27 win over Thornridge on Thursday.

Cissna Park senior Lauryn Hamrick scored 16 points Thursday, surpassing 1,000 for her career and helping lead the Timberwolves to their ninth straight win, and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

McHenry faces Prairie Ridge in a Fox Valley Conference wrestling match on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake.

Lincoln-Way East took down host Bradley-Bourbonnais 59-20 in a dual Thursday night between SouthWest Suburban Conference opponents.

Ottawa and L-P girls and boys competed during a wrestling match on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 in Kingman Gymansium at Ottawa High School.

With a deep senior class with lofty goals and a retiring head coach, the Bishop McNamara boys basketball team and coach Adrian Provost are hoping to each send the other out with a memorable stretch run to the season.

Woodland defeated Somonauk 59-62 on Wednesday, Jan.7, 2026 at Woodland High School. Check out photos from the game by Tom Sistak.

Stillman Valley's Mike Lalor is stepping away as head football coach after 28 years.

Watseka and Clifton Central's girls basketball teams put up strong defensive performances in home wins, holding their opponents to 22 and 21 points respectively, and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Burlington Central faces Cary-Grove in a Fox Valley Conference boys basketball game on Wednesday Jan. 7, 2026, at Cary-Grove High School, in Cary.

The Kaneland girls wrestling teams met Wednesday night at DeKalb High School.

With a recent title at Abe's Rumble and seven active wrestlers with 100 career wins or more, Coal City's boys wrestling team is putting together a memorable season in its search for a second straight dual team state title, and third in four years.

Host St. Anne took an early 18-4 lead, and although Clifton Central recovered to tie things up multiple times in the second half, the Cardinals prevailed in Tuesday's River Valley Conference boys basketball thriller.

A pair of 20-point games from EJ Hazelett and Lincoln Williams led Kankakee to its seventh straight win, Bishop McNamara's Richie Darr exploded for 26 points against Peotone and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais junior Eli Swafford broke his own 100-yard backstroke record Tuesday as the Boilermakers took first place at the All-City boys swim meet against Kankakee and Bishop McNamara, the first All-City meet featuring all three schools since 2012.

Marengo faces Johnsburg in a Kishwaukee River Conference girls basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, at Homer “Bill” Barry Gymnasium on the campus of Marengo High School.

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

Meet this week's Daily Journal Athlete of the Week,

Beecher doubled up Grace Christian and then some, Grant Park dropped Illinois Lutheran by more than 70 points, Gardner-South Wilmington bested Momence and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Woodstock faces Crystal Lake Central in a nonconference boys basketball game on Monday Jan. 5, 2026, at Crystal Lake Central School.

With holiday tournaments and much of the non-conference schedule out of the way, it is time for high school basketball teams to concentrate on conference action and shoot-outs. Then it is on to the IHSA tournament action.

The Chicago Bears ended the regular season on Sunday afternoon with a 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions. Shaw Local's Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar break down the loss and the Bears' playoff path

For the second time in as many weeks, the Bears' attempt at a seventh fourth-quarter comeback this season failed. They lost to the Lions 19-16 in their regular-season finale Sunday at Soldier Field. Here are three moments that mattered. What worked? What didn't work?

Professional mixed martial arts “superfights” with athletes from around the country return to McHenry County Saturday in McHenry after a successful debut in Crystal Lake last year.

EJ Hazelett and Lincoln Williams both eclipsed the 20-point mark in a runaway win for Kankakee in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais opened up the second half of the season with a 66-32 loss at home against Southwest Suburban Conference opponent Sandburg on Saturday.

The boys basketball teams for Iroquois West and Milford each dropped a Vermilion Valley Conference game to open the 2026 portion of the schedule in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Cary-Grove faces Lakes in a nonconference girls basketball game on Friday Jan. 2, 2026, at Lakes high School in Lake Villa.

The Chicago Bears will end the regular season against the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. Shaw Local's Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar share the latest news from Halas Hall, break down Sunday's game, and what's at stake for the playoffs

Eight sports figures with local ties will be part of the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026, which will be inducted at the Bank of Springfield Convention Center on July 25.

The big news coming out of the IHSA was an expansion of the football playoffs from 256 qualifying teams to 384.

Huntley faces Mundelein in a Komaromy Classic girls basketball tournament game on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville.

Coal City's boys wrestling team dominated its way to a first-place finish at Abe's Rumble in Springfield, a pair of local girls wrestlers finished second at the Ottawa Holiday Hootenanny and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Kankakee Holiday Tournament celebrated its 75th anniversary with a 75-player All-Tournament Team.

Mylee Hulstedt and Mackenzi Shere, athletes from Stillman Valley High School, have been selected to compete in the 30th annual international fastpitch event known as The Cup held in the Netherlands.