Sterling girls soccer fell to Mendota 2-1 Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at Sterling High School.

Sterling softball takes on Quincy Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Sterling won 9-0.

Here is a preview look at each baseball team across the Sauk Valley coverage area as the 2026 season is underway.

A look at all-time boys & girls basketball scoring leaders for 58 area schools, including 14 closed schools. Six area players, including Princeton's Keighley Davis and Fieldcrest's Macy Gochanour, moved to No. 1 this season along with players from Byron, Orion and Polo.

Newman was firmly in control with a 10-0 lead at Sterling before the game was called early due to lightning on Thursday. The Comets' offense is off to a hot start this season.

Sterling and Newman clash in early season high school baseball action Thursday, March 26, 2026. Game was called for lightning in the fifth with Newman leading 10-0.

Sterling High School is sending a Contest Play team and a Group Interpretation performance to compete at the IHSA state competition this weekend. The teams showcased their performances with a public showing on Wednesday.

Sterling drew seven walks and had 12 hits, while Lily Martinez and Layla Wright held Dixon to four hits in a 13-3 road win on Tuesday.

Sterling faces Dixon Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in softball. Sterling took the road win 13-3 in 6 innings.

Sterling's Jossy James, Dixon's Ahmyrie McGowan and Polo's Camrynn Jones were all named to the Illinois Media All-State team on Monday night.

Here is a preview look at each softball team across the Sauk Valley coverage area as the 2026 season gets underway.

There will be a lot of familiar faces in the Sterling softball lineup this spring. After losing only three senior starters from 2025, expectations are high for the Golden Warriors.

Here are five of the top returning baseball players to watch in the Sauk Valley area as the 2026 season gets underway. Newman, Sterling, Fulton and Forreston are among the teams with key seniors back.

Local tennis player Bob Orta has started a scholarship for Sterling, Dixon and Newman High School students.

Here are five of the top Sauk Valley area softball players to watch this season as the 2026 campaign gets underway.

Sterling junior Jossy James was named All-Western Big 6 Conference first-team after tying for the league lead with 19 points per game. Nia Harris and Jae James were also named honorable mention.

Morris' RJ Kennedy scored a career-high 28 points to lead his team to a 52-41 win over Sterling in the Class 3A Geneseo Regional.

Denver Sandrock set two school swimming records as he and Lucas Porter each qualified for state. Sterling took third as a team and coach Kyle Ruiz was named sectional coach of the year.

Sterling junior Sarah Doughty won the IHSA state bowling title on Saturday at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford. Her 2,770 total is one of the highest in state tournament history. She had a record-setting 800 series on Friday and finished with a 230.8 average game.

The Ottawa girls basketball team held regional top seed Sterling 25 points below its season average, upsetting the Golden Warriors 33-27 for the 3A La Salle-Peru Regional title and a trip to next week’s 3A Galesburg Sectional.

Ottawa defeated Sterling 33-27 to win the Class 3A Regional title on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 in Sellett Gymnasium at La Salle-Peru Township High School. Check out photos from the game by MaKade Rios.

Sterling defeated L-P 64-40 during the Class 3A Regional semifinal game on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Sellett Gymnasium at L-P High School. The Lady Warriors will face Ottawa in the Regional title game on Thursday.

Sterling scored 19 seconds into the game and never trailed in a 54-48 Western Big 6 win over Moline in the regular-season finale Thursday at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

What is the key to Jack Saathoff's impressive rebounding ability? Effort. The junior guard is just 33 rebounds away from breaking Sterling's single-season rebound record.

Sterling hosts Galesburg in boys basketball Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. Galesburg beat Sterling 72-49.

Wrestlers from Dixon, Sterling, Rock Falls, Oregon, Erie-Prophetstown, Fulton, Polo, Rochelle, Byron and Stillman Valley, competed at the Belvidere Regional on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026.

Girls bowling teams from Dixon, L-P, Mendota, Ottawa, Rochelle, Sterling, St. Bede and Hall competed during the IHSA girls bowling Regional meet on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026 at the Illinois Valley Super Bowl in Peru.

Sterling hosted the IHSA 2A Boys Regional at Sterling. The event took place on Saturday, January 31, 2026

Sterling was unable to answer Quincy's full-court press in the fourth quarter as the Blue Devils rallied for a 59-52 overtime win. Quincy's 6-foot-7 freshman Brennan Lepper forced OT with a banked in 3-pointer.

Sterling boys basketball meets Quincy on the court Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Quincy took the win 59-52 in OT.

Sterling senior Macie Lofgren wasn't sure she would play again this season after an early knee injury. Cleared to play this week, Lofgren hit her first 3-pointer of the season and scored seven points in a 50-25 win over Alleman Thursday night.

Sterling girls basketball beat Alleman 50-25 Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026.

Bowling teams from the area competed in the Sterling Regionals on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 at Blackhawk Lanes in Sterling.

United Township kept trying to pull away, but Sterling just wouldn’t go away. It took a couple of late layups off steals at half court for the Panthers to finally finish off a 51-38 victory over the Golden Warriors on Friday at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

Sterling boys fall to United Township 51-38, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.

The Dixon boys wrestling team has a potent lineup and high hopes this season. The Dukes look to finish the season strong after sweeping a home triangular against Sterling and Freeport on Tuesday night.

Dixon, Sterling and Freeport boys faced off in a wrestling triangular Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, at Dixon High School.

Sterling used stifling defense and a 3-point barrage to cover up some deficiencies Tuesday night in a 62-24 win over Rochelle at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

La Salle-Peru scored the last five points of the first quarter and first eight of the second to grab the momentum and pull away from Sterling for a 65-41 win Tuesday.

Sterling faces Rochelle in girls basketball Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. Sterling took the win 62-24.

Sterling's Jossy James eclipsed 1,000 career points and helped lead the Golden Warriors to the Dixon Christmas Classic title. She is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week. Here is a Q&A with the junior standout.

Rochelle beat Sterling 70-57 after the Golden Warriors' run made it a one-point game. Van Gerber scored a game-high 24 points to help the Hubs respond.

Sterling fell to Rochelle 70-57 in an afternoon match-up on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.

Sterling's smothering defense and 17 points from Jossy James helped the Golden Warriors beat previously undefeated Byron 43-26 and win their first Dixon Christmas Classic since 2018.

Sterling plays Byron in the Championship game of the 47th Annual Christmas Girls Holiday Classic in Dixon on Monday, December 29th.

A strong defensive performance in the second half and teamwide contributions sent Sterling past Stillman Valley and into Monday's Dixon Christmas Classic championship. Sterling will face Byron at 6:30 p.m.

Sterling and Stillman square up in the Duchesses Basketball Christmas Classic semifinal Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. Sterling won 51-37.

Sterling sophomore Brenley Johnson provided a spark off the bench during an ice-cold third quarter against Lincoln. She finished with 11 points as Sterling held on for a 44-38 win at the Dixon Christmas Classic to reach the semifinals.

The Sterling Golden Warriors played the Lincoln Railsplitters in the Dixon Holiday Tournament. The game took place at Reagan Middle School in Dixon on Friday, December 26th, 2025.

Sterling takes on Rockford Christian Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, at Reagan Middle School during the Duchesses Basketball Christmas Classic. Sterling took the win 63-55.