Blake Chandler and Brayden Meents combined on a shutout as Clifton Central won the rubber game with conference rival St. Anne/Donovan 2-0 in the Class 1A Clifton Central Regional final for the program's first regional championship since 2019.

Bishop McNamara's Malachi Lee, Cale Hamilton and Brock Clott were three of six area boys track and field athletes to advance to Saturday's state finals from the Class 1A prelims at Eastern Illinois University. This and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Wilmington's McKenna Van Tilburg advanced to Saturday's state finals in four events and Milford/Cissna Park's Addison Lucht advanced in three to lead a group of Class 1A girls track and field athletes in Thursday's prelims. That and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Iroquois West and Momence softball teams opened regional play with commanding quarterfinal wins, with Iroquois West beating Hoopeston 18-8 and Momence beating Illinois Lutheran 10-1, and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Clifton Central tallied a 9-3 win over St. Anne in the IHSA Class 1A Dwight Regional quarterfinals on Monday, May 18, 2026, at Central High School to open postseason play.

The Clifton Central softball team opened postseason play with a 9-3 win over St. Anne in the IHSA Class 1A Dwight Regional quarterfinals, giving the Comets their sixth win in the last seven games following a 3-18 start to the season.

The Bradley-Bourbonnais baseball team will host a regional on its bid for a third straight plaque. Look at that and more in the Daily Journal's baseball regional preview.

Kankakee's Dominic White split the Southland high jump title and was joined by Kymani Billings, Phillip Turner and George Noble on the winning 4x100 relay team. At the SWSC meet, Bradley-Bourbonnais' Lyzale Edmon won the 200. That and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Herscher's Gianna High tied the girls soccer IHSA single-game record with seven assists in a 9-0 Tigers win, Bishop McNamara's softball team defeated ranked Class 3A Providence Catholic with an 11-4 win and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Coal City's boys track team took first place at the Illinois Central Eight Conference Meet on Thursday, the Coaler girls took second, Wilmington's McKenna Van Tilburg and Manteno's Klarke Goranson each won four individual ICE titles and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

The IHSA released the 2026 softball postseason brackets on Wednesday. Bradley-Bourbonnais is one of the top seeds at its host sectional, and the local Class 2A field remains as strong as ever and more.

Lydia Hammond hit a two-run home run and pitched seven one-run innings to lead the Bradley-Bourbonnais softball team to a 4-1 win over Lincoln-Way East, its seventh SouthWest Suburban Conference win in a row, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Callaghan O'Connor went five the first five innings before Braylon Ricketts' closed out Bishop McNamara's combined no-hitter, Lexi Strohm threw a perfect game for Wilmington softball and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Herscher Invite was held Friday, where Wilmington's McKenna Von Tilburg won all four of her events and Tigers seniors like Kelly O'Connor and Jeremy Szepelak ran their final home meets.

Seventeen schools from the region competed in the Herscher Track Invite on Friday, May 1, 2026.

Bradley-Bourbonnais' softball team secured its sixth straight SouthWest Suburban Conference win with an 11-1 victory over Stagg, Kankakee softball won another high-scoring Southland Athletic Conference game 24-17 over Bloom and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Beecher and Momence both walked off with wins in River Valley Conference play, Herscher's softball team did the same in Illinois Central Eight Conference play and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Eight area college, high school and junior high coaches from the Kankakee area were named Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coaches of the Year.

Beecher's softball team won two games Saturday to improve to 17-0 on the season, Gardner-South Wilmington's baseball and softball teams each split a doubleheader with Serena, and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

A grand slam highlighted KaLeah Jackson's memorable day for Kankakee, the Bradley-Bourbonnais girls water polo team won in three overtimes and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais softball team rallied for an extra-inning conference win over Sandburg, Bishop McNamara bounced back to beat Marian Central behind seven one-run innings and a two-run home run from Joslynn Dole and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Gianni Jaime hit 100 career goals in Herscher's win over Coal City, the Tiger softball team topped the Coalers in extras and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Callaghan O'Connor belted three home runs and Nick Pignatiello had two, including a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the seventh, to lead Bishop McNamara to a wild 18-14 conference win and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Preston Harrington-Dewitt's grand slam tied things up for St. Anne/Donovan, who bested Kankakee in 10 innings on Tuesday.

Khloe Picard's sixth-inning home run was the difference for Coal City, Beecher and Grant Park both stayed undefeated and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Boilermakers won the TJ Shirley Blue Smoke Invite, Nevaeh Brown made school history on the girls side, Bishop McNamara's baseball team slugged at the Pleasant Plains Invite and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Peotone's Sophie Klawitter, coming off a seven-inning no hitter against Milford/Cissna Park on Thursday, struck out all 15 batters in a five-inning perfect game against St. Anne, and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Sophie Klawitter threw a no-hitter to power Peotone softball, while Bradley-Bourbonnais and Coal City both took sixth-inning leads that turned into wins. Those games and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Grant Park's Cheyenne Hayes had 18 strikeouts in a no-hitter against Clifton Central, Beecher's Taylor Norkus threw a four-inning perfect game in a doubleheader sweep of St. Anne and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Both Wilmington and Reed-Custer completed Illinois Central Eight Conference softball sweeps, with Wilmington beating Coal City 11-8 and Reed-Custer downing Herscher 14-3, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bishop McNamara's Malachi Lee, Wilmington's McKenna Van Tilburg and Manteno's Klarke Goranson, Olivia McElroy and Briggs Cann all won indoor state titles at the Illinois Top Times Championships, and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Meet the members of this year's Daily Journal All-Area boys basketball team.

Check out preview capsules for the Daily Journal area's prep baseball teams for the 2026 season.

Lydia Hammond threw her second no-hitter in the last four days for Bradley-Bourbonnais, Abigail Neukomm socked a walk-off homer for Watseka, and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Grant Park improved to 2-0 while handing Kankakee a loss in its season opener, Reed-Custer's Mackenzie Foote hit for the cycle and drove in eight runs for the Comets and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Before the prep baseball season begins Monday, check out some notable names from the Daily Journal area to keep an eye on.

Check out preview capsules for the Daily Journal area's softball teams for the 2026 season.

St. Anne nearly overcame an 18-point deficit to Fenger in the second half of Friday's Class 1A St. Anne Regional championship game, ultimately falling just three points short.

Wilmington beat Bridgeview 84-55 and St. Anne beat Bowen 71-58 in regional semifinal action, with both teams advancing to regional title games on their home floors, and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Clifton Central fell to Roanoke-Benson 49-25 in the IHSA Class 2A Clifton Central Regional championship game, ending its winningest season in nine years, and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Clifton-Central's Payton Temple was crowned sectional champion and will be joined at state by Bradley-Bourbonnais Sophia Domont. The Boilers' Kayden Roach is also state-bound on the boys side, girls regional basketball action began and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

St. Anne secured its second straight River Valley Conference Tournament title with a 60-49 win over Clifton Central in Friday's championship game, which also clinched a second straight unbeaten RVC season for the Cardinals.

St. Anne defeated Clifton Central 60-49 in the River Valley Conference Tournament title game on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.

St. Anne secured a 64-43 win over Momence in the River Valley Conference Tournament semifinals on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, as longtime Cardinals coach Rick Schoon collected his 500th career coaching victory. Check out the game photos by Tiffany Blanchette.

Bradley-Bourbonnais tied for second in the co-ed division at the IHSA Competitive Cheer State Finals, Clifton Central/Iroquois West's Payton Temple won the 170-pound title at the Normal Community West Regional and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Grant Park's Taylor Panozzo recorded a unique triple double in a win over Gardner-South Wilmington, Watseka/Milford's Christa Holohan and Reed-Custer's Alyssa Wollenzein each hit 1,000 career points and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Reed-Custer beat Illinois Central Eight Conference opponent Coal City for its seventh straight win, Milford downed Schlarman in an overtime Vermilion Valley Conference thriller, and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Kankakee's Malea Harrison, Manteno's Maddie Gesky and Grant Park's Taylor Panozzo and Abi Roberts all had double-doubles, plus more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

St. Anne beat Tri-Point 66-30 to clinch an unbeaten River Valley Conference season, Kankakee beat Bloom 67-47 to improve to 8-0 in Southland Athletic Conference play and more in Tuesdays' Daily Journal roundup.

St. Anne made it eight straight wins in boys basketball, Coal City wrestling stayed perfect on the season and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.