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.

Kankakee had four players score between 14 and 20 points in a conference win over Thornridge, its 11th in a row overall, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Coen Demack went for 30 points to lead Bishop McNamara to victory, Kankakee's Lincoln Williams had 27 points in a Kays win and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais' boys bowling team advanced through the IHSA LaSalle-Peru Regional, as did Kankakee's Carson Meister and Reed-Custer's Mason Vasil. That and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Manteno got a pair of double-double efforts to take down Seneca, Cissna Park's Addison Lucht exploded for 25 points against Chrisman, the Iroquois West boys earned their first win and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

St. Anne held on for a 52-45 home win over Gardner-South Wilmington Tuesday night in a battle between teams that were unbeaten in River Valley Conference play – a win that put the Cardinals in the driver's seat for a conference title.

St. Anne earned a 52-45 win over Gardner-South Wilmington to remain undefeated in River Valley Conference play on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.

Grant Park held Illinois Lutheran to just two points in girls hoops, Momence scored a one-point win over Gardner-South Wilmington and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

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.

Host St. Anne held off Clifton Central during a River Valley Conference boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.

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.

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.

Manteno had its hopes of a Kankakee Holiday Tournament blue division three-peat dashed with a 65-52 loss to Christ the King in Sunday's championship game.

After Clifton Central's upset bid against blue bracket top seed Christ the King came up a bit short Saturday night, the host Kays closed out the second day of the Kankakee Holiday Tournament by reaching their seventh maroon bracket championship game in the last eight tournaments.

Kankakee earned a blowout win in its Kankakee Holiday Tournament opener in the maroon bracket while Manteno downed rival Peotone 60-49 in the blue bracket, where St. Anne, Clifton Central, Momence and Grant Park also saw tournament action.

Bishop McNamara rode a dominant second half to claim its fifth straight Watseka Holiday Tournament title, and third tournament title so far this season, with a 62-41 win over Clifton Central.

The host Raiders and Wilmington won on the winners' side of the Iroquois West Holiday Hoops bracket, Herscher and Clifton Central won on the consolation side and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bishop McNamara and Clifton Central won at the Watseka Holiday Tournament semifinals in boys basketball, the Iroquois West Holiday Hoops Tournament began on the girls side and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Take a look at the players selected for the 2025 Daily Journal All-Area Football Team.

Coal City's Owen Petersen's milestone win was the highlight of an overpowering night on the mats for the Coalers, four local schools won at the Watseka Holiday Tournament and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

St. Anne got a total team effort to win its fifth straight game and end Momence's three-game winning streak on Tuesday.

Taylor Panozzo went for 21 points and 18 rebounds to lead Grant Park to a 50-point win, Watseka/Milford held off Iroquois West behind 21 points and 14 boards from Christa Holohan, and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Kankakee scored a big win at the Chicago Elite Classic, Bishop McNamara won the Toyota of Danville Classic and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.