Sports

Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Edwardsville 6-1 Friday in the IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Sectional championship to win the program's second-ever sectional title, both coming in the last three seasons.

The Bobcats played vintage Beecher softball in their four-run fourth inning against Auburn in Friday's Class 2A State semifinal matchup, a game the Bobcats won 4-2 to advance to their seventh-ever state championship game.

The Wintrust New Lenox Crossroads Sports Complex of New Lenox has attracted half million dollars’ worth of sponsors. Tournaments

Pittsburgh Steeler Jonathan Ward, a Kankakee native and 2016 Bishop McNamara graduate, will host his sixth annual skills camp at Kankakee High School next weekend.

Bradley-Bourbonnais came up just short Thursday in its bid for another upset win this postseason, falling 2-0 to Normal Community in the IHSA Class 4A Illinois Wesleyan University Sectional semifinals.

Since Kevin Hayhurst returned to his alma mater as the softball coach 23 years ago, the Beecher softball program became and has continued to set the state's standard of excellence.

Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Minooka 4-0 in the IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Sectional semifinals Tuesday, getting payback for a 10-0 loss to the Indians in the sectional semis last year.

After entering the game as a relief pitcher in the sixth inning of a 3-3 tie, Beecher's Taylor Norkus hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning of the Bobcats' Class 2A East Peoria Super-Sectional against Brimfield Monday, sending the Bobcats to their eighth trip to state.

Wilmington came up just a bit short of a return trip to state, falling 4-0 to Eureka in Monday's Class 2A Geneseo Supersectional.

Bradley-Bourbonnais' Malachi Lee, Coal City's Julian Micetich and Manteno's Briggs Cann all medaled at the state track and field meet Saturday.

As momentum quickly shuffled between each dugout in the final innings of Saturday's Class 2A Beecher Sectional championship game, Wilmington never relinquished its early lead, holding on for a 5-4 win to earn a repeat sectional championship.

Bradley-Bourbonnais senior Cody Freitas got the win on the mound and drove in the winning run in the top of the seventh as the Boilermakers got a 2-1 upset win over Minooka in Saturday's IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Regional championship.

Behind a six-run rally in the top of the 11th and a marathon complete game from Lydia Hammond, Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Rock Island 7-1 Friday to win the program's fourth regional title in a row.

Bradley-Bourbonnais' Malachi Lee, Coal City's Julian Micetich and Manteno's Briggs Cann advanced past Friday's preliminary round of the IHSA Boys Track and Field State meet.

Behind dazzling pitching performances from Callaghan O'Connor and Preston Payne and Jacob Lotz's late homer, Bishop McNamara downed Manteno in Thursday's Class 2A Beecher Sectional semifinal.

After 6 ⅓ shutout innings from Mason Shaul, Cody Freitas escaped a bases-loaded jam with two strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Bradley-Bourbonnais a dramatic 1-0 win in the IHSA Class 4A Normal Community West Regional semifinals Thursday.

After making a tremendous play to kickstart an inning-ending double play, Ryan Kettman's two-run home run put an exclamation point on a six-run Wildcats sixth that was the difference in their 7-2 win over Chicago Christian in Thursday's Class 2A Beecher Sectional semis.

Seeded eighth in their eight-team sub-sectional, the Kankakee baseball team fought No. 1 Morris to the end, coming up on the wrong side of a 1-0 final. The Kankakee softball team also saw its season end in regional play in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

In a back-and-forth Class 2A Seneca Sectional semifinal that saw four lead changes, it was Beecher who took the last one with a 7-5 win over Herscher Tuesday.

Peotone's girls soccer season ended in the sectional championship round Tuesday.

Tessa Krull struck out 11 in a four-hit shutout while Hayden Pfeifer's home run was part of a five-run sixth inning in Seneca's 6-0 win over Coal City in Tuesday's Class 2A Seneca Sectional semifinal.

Bradley-Bourbonnais beat Normal Community 8-0 in the IHSA Class 4A Bradley-Bourbonnais Regional semifinals on Tuesday, getting a two-hit shutout from Lydia Hammond and advancing to play for a fourth straight regional title on Friday against Rock Island.

Area athletes earned first place finishes in eight events at the IESA Track and Field State Championships held in East Peoria over the last two weekends.

Area basketball coach Alex Renchen will host his 815 Skills Camp next month.

The Grundy County Speedway is now a NASCAR Home Track, which means points earned at the Speedway go into standings for other Home Tracks across the country.

Weekend prep sports update

A look back at the last week in sports in the Northwest Herald by photographers Gregory Shaver, and Patrick Kunzer for the Shaw Local News Network.

A look back at the last week in sports in the Northwest Herald by photographers Gregory Shaver, and Ryan Rayburn and Patrick Kunzer for the Shaw Local News Network.

The Manteno baseball team and Herscher softball team both won their regional championship games and more in Saturday's Daily Journal Roundup.

Bishop McNamara's Dom Panozzo shut out Herscher Saturday, striking out 17 and allowing two hits as the Fightin' Irish won their first regional in six years with a 5-0 win in Saturday's Class 2A Herscher Regional championship.

After a second-half red card left Herscher shorthanded Saturday, Peotone got a goal from Allie Werner with 12:35 to go, giving the Blue Devils a 2-1 win in a dramatic IHSA Class 1A Coal City Sectional semifinal game against the Tigers.

Recent varsity call-up Brysen Meents hit his first high school home run in walk-off fashion and Lucas Rink tossed a gem as Wilmington topped Coal City 1-0 in the title game of the Class 2A Coal City Regional on Saturday.

Kankakee's bid for a regional championship repeat game up a game shy, as the Kays saw their season end at the hands of Oak Forest in Friday's Class 2A Kankakee Regional championship.

The Kankakee girls track team qualified for the state finals in the 4x100 relay, 4x200 relay and 4x400 relay and had Naomi Bey-Osborne qualify in the 400 meters, and more in Friday's Daily Journal Roundup

After falling behind 5-0 through two innings, Madi Petersen hit a three-run home run in the third and had the go-ahead RBI single as part of a four-run sixth that gave Coal City a 7-5 comeback win over Bishop McNamara for the Coalers' fourth straight regional title.

Beecher got three RBIs from Ava Olson and 12 strikeouts from Ava Lorenzatti to beat Wilmington 3-1 in the IHSA Class 2A Beecher Regional championship on Friday, winning its third straight regional title.

Thanks to a combined six-hit shutout from Jacob Lotz and Preston Payne, Bishop McNamara's early surge was enough to get past Central in Thursday's Class 2A Herscher Regional semifinal.

Dylan Young delivered a walk-off single in the seventh inning Thursday to give Coal City a comeback win over Reed-Custer in the IHSA Class 2A Coal City Regional semifinals.

Wilmington pitcher Kyle Farrell did not allow a hit for the first 6 1/3 innings Wednesday, finishing with a one-hit shutout for the Wildcats in the IHSA Class 2A Coal City Regional semifinals, and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal Roundup

Bridget Bertrand's two-run homer highlighted a three-run McNamara ninth inning as the Fightin' Irish outlasted Manteno in an instant classic Class 2A Coal City Regional semifinal that started Tuesday and ended Wednesday.

Coal City scored 12 times in the final three innings Wednesday to beat Joliet Catholic 14-4 in an IHSA Class 2A Coal City Regional semifinal contest.

Coal City got a pair of goals from Ava Meyer in the middle of multiple weather delays before Hayden Francisco added two more to give the Coalers the Class 1A Manteno Regional title over Beecher Tuesday.

Kankakee's girls soccer team beat Morgan Park 6-0 in the IHSA Class 2A Kankakee Regional semifinals Tuesday and the boys volleyball team closed the regular season with a 2-0 win over Crete-Monee.

Herscher claimed its ninth regional title in a row with an 8-0 win over Bishop McNamara on Tuesday, getting four goals from Gianni Jaime, three from Sophie Venckauskas and one from Gianna High.

As this year's softball regionals begin this week, Beecher will continue riding the arms of Ava Lorenzatti and Taylor Norkus as the Bobcats look for the program's eighth trip to state.

Rhaya DePaolo and Bishop McNamara held off Reed-Custer's upset attempt in softball regional quarterfinal action and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Lincoln-Way Central's Alex Panos threw a four-hit shutout Monday to lead the Knights to a 3-0 SouthWest Suburban Conference win against Bradley-Bourbonnais, keeping the Knights' conference title hopes alive.

Storylines to watch for in the 2025 baseball postseason, including intriguing potential matchups between local Class 2A teams and a Bradley-Bourbonnais team looking to recapture some of last season's playoff magic.

From Beecher battling through a challenging Class 2A Seneca Sectional to Bradley-Bourbonnais looking for a regional four-peat in 4A, here are some storylines to look for as the 2025 postseason gets underway.

The Bishop McNamara and Herscher girls soccer teams both won their regional semifinal games Saturday to set up a matchup in the regional championship and more in Saturday's Daily Journal Roundup.