EP hosted their annual Holiday Wrestling Tournament Saturday, Dec. 19, 2025. -Photos by Jessie Ottens

Here is a look at the Sauk Valley boys basketball teams as the 2025-26 season tips off this week.

Dixon's Landon Knigge was named all-state by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association after a record-breaking senior season. Newman, EPC, Forreston, Amboy, Milledgeville, Polo and West Carroll also had all-state selections from the area.

West Carroll football coach Abelardo Sustaita spent four years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He tries to each his players the values and lessons he learned in the military. It has led to success for the Thunder.

Dixon hosts Coal City on Friday in a rematch of last year's state quarterfinal. Newman is at 10-0 El Paso-Gridley on Saturday, Milledgeville and Polo host, while Amboy and West Carroll hit the road in Round 2 of the playoffs for Sauk Valley teams.

Here is some insight on who Milledgeville, Amboy, Polo and West Carroll will face in this year's Illinois 8-Man Football Association playoffs. The 9-0 Missiles are the No. 1 seed.

Oregon got its fifth win as Jakobi Donegan ran for 140 yards and two TDs. EPC fell to Lena-Winslow, West Carroll handed South Beloit its first loss and more in Friday's Sauk Valley football roundup.

Sterling has a big game at Geneseo, Dixon heads to Winnebago riding four straight shutouts, Newman plays at upstart Riverdale and Rock Falls faces winless IVC in this week's Sauk Valley football slate.

Dixon hosts Stillman Valley, Sterling hosts Alleman, Rock Falls heads to Winnebago and Newman faces Mercer County on Saturday in this week's Sauk Valley football slate. Here are previews for all 14 games.

No. 3 Newman heads to Rockridge in a matchup of two undefeated teams on Friday. Dixon heads to Oregon, Sterling hosts Galesburg and more, including picks and what to watch for in this week's Sauk Valley football slate.

Polo downed West Carroll in 30-20 in 8-man football action in Mt. Carroll on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025.

Sterling opens Western Big 6 Conference play against Moline, Dixon hosts Rock Falls, Newman hosts E-P on Saturday and more, including picks and what to watch for in this week's Sauk Valley football previews.

Sterling girls golf took second at the Geneseo invite, Lucas Porter earned medalist for Rock Falls, Dixon volleyball improved to 7-1 and more in Monday's Sauk Valley roundup.

One hundred and 68 runners took part in the boys varsity race at the Oregon Cross Country Open on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 at Oregon Park West.

Sixteen teams competed in the Oregon Volleyball Tournament at the Blackhawk Center in Oregon on Friday, Sept. 5 and Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. Here are match photos from Erie-Prophetstown, Oregon and West Carroll.

Dixon's massive game at No. 1 Byron highlights the 15 matchups in the Sauk Valley area in Week 2. Newman heads to Mendota, Sterling has a nonconference home game, Rock Falls hosts North Boone and more this Friday.

Here is a look at the Week 1 football matchups in the Sauk Valley area.

After getting the team to believe in itself during a successful debut season playing 8-man football, West Carroll coach Abelardo Sustaita is looking for the Thunder to take another step forward.

Here is a look at the top softball players from the Sauk Valley area for the 2025 season.

West Carroll senior Emma Randecker prefers sprints. Not 5K races. Saturday, the Northern Iowa commit showed off her speed downstate, winning Class 1A titles in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes in the IHSA Girls Track and Field State Meet. She broke 2 state records.

Here is a look at some of the top athletes and relays to watch from the Sauk Valley area competing in 1A and 2A at this weekend's state track and field meet.

The All-Arrowhead Conference volleyball selections were announced, with West Carroll grad Lacey Eissens of Sauk Valley Community College named MVP. SVCC's Jess Johns, Maggie Richetta and Ava Wight also received honors, along with Forreston grad Brooke Boettner (Highland CC).

Here is a look at all 16 girls basketball teams in the Sauk Valley coverage area for the 2024-25 season.

Dixon is in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2017, Polo rolls to semifinal matchup with Milledgeville, Karter Livengood overcomes stomach virus in Missiles' win, Amboy overcomes adversity and West Carroll wrapped up a successful 8-man debut in Week 11's SVM notes.

In a dominating all-around performance in Saturday’s Illinois 8-Man Football Association quarterfinal game, Polo controlled all three phases in a 66-0 win over West Carroll.

Dixon hosts a Chicago Ag Science team coming off its first playoff win and Newman heads to Gibson City in the round of 16. In the 8-man quarterfinals, Amboy hosts Martinsville, West Carroll plays at Polo and Milledgeville plays Ridgewood in the Week 11 SVM slate.

Sterling's Drew Nettleton and Kaedon Phillips set multiple records in final game, Carter Kibble's kick return sets up Dixon's strong finish in win, Newman's offense bounces back big, E-P lost a heartbreaker and West Carroll has goal line stop to win in Sauk Valley notes.

West Carroll defensive linemen Aden Wiest and Cole Herrell stopped FCW fullback Elijah Detwiler inches short of the goal line with under a minute to play, sending the Thunder on to a 20-17 I8FA playoff win.

Dixon and Newman are set for home playoff matchups, Eastland-Pearl City plays at Rockridge in a battle of 7-2 teams and four area 8-man teams open the first round in this week's Sauk Valley football slate.

Sterling's Emily Schwingle placed fifth at the Western Big 6 Conference Meet to earn first-team all-conference, Dixon was second at the Big Northern Meet, and Forreston's Aspen McGlynn was runner-up at the NUIC Meet in Wednesday's Sauk Valley Roundup.

Fourth-ranked Dixon heads to Genoa-Kingston, Fulton and Oregon hope to get back to .500, E-PC hosts Forreston, Newman hosts Orion, E-P plays at Rockridge, Sterling heads to Galesburg and West Carroll can get to 4-0 in the Week 4 Sauk Valley football slate.

Dixon looks to keep things rolling at Rock Falls, Newman plays at 2-0 E-P, Sterling hosts United Township to open Western Big 6 Conference play, plus more matchups to watch in Week 3's Sauk Valley football slate.

Here is a capsule look at the 2024 boys cross country teams in the Sauk Valley area.

Here is a capsule look at the girls cross country teams in the Sauk Valley area.

Fulton and Sterling score boys golf victories, plus more in Wednesday's Sauk Valley Roundup.

West Carroll snapped a 24-game losing streak, Dixon's Shaner shined in his debut, and Fulton blanked Forreston during Week 1's highlights in the Sauk Valley area.

Erie-Prophetstown football held off Kewanee and a number of Sauk Valley area 8-player teams earned wins, including West Carroll snapping a 24-game losing streak in its 8-man debut

Sterling has a tough test against Metamora, Newman plays Princeton, Dixon hosts Stillman Valley, and Rock Falls hosts defending state champion Byron. Fulton at Forreston, Le-Win at Morrison, and Ridgewood at Amboy are also intriguing Week 1 matchups in the Sauk Valley area.

Here is a capsule look at the 16 volleyball teams in the Sauk Valley area. There are a number of interesting storylines and milestones among both coaches and players to look out for this volleyball season.

A preseason look at Shaw Local's eight teams playing eight-man football in 2024 – West Carroll, Polo, Milledgeville, Hiawatha, Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland, Ashton-Franklin Center, Alden-Hebron and Amboys/LaMoille.

Abelardo Sustaita’s move to West Carroll seems like a case of perfect timing. Sustaita, previously an assistant at Amboy-LaMoille-Ohio co-op, is the new head coach at West Carroll as the program moves to 8-man football this fall.

Here is a capsule look at the boys golf teams in the Sauk Valley area.

West Carroll junior Emma Randecker, who won the Class 1A 100-meter dash, took second in the 200 and was fourth in the 400 at the IHSA state track and field meet, is the Sauk Valley Newspapers Athlete of the Week in an online vote.

Eric-Prophetstown's Kennedy Buck threw her personal-best to take second in the Class 1A shot put, while West Carroll's Emma Randecker won a state title and had three top-four finishes in sprints at the IHSA Girls Track and Field State Meet.

Oregon, Morrison baseball fell in their postseason openers Monday, plus more from around the Sauk valley area in our Monday Roundup.

Deb Schmid scored four goals to lead Oregon soccer to a win over Rosary in a Class 1A regional semifinal, Bella Duncan tossed a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and homered twice in Morrison softball's two wins, and more in Saturday's SVM sports roundup.

Bureau Valley won the Three Rivers Conference boys track and field meet, Sterling was fourth in the Western Big Six meet and Newman baseball and softball both won in Friday's roundup.

At South Beloit, the biggest offensive output of the season lifted the Marcos to the win over the Sobos, plus more from around the Sauk Valley area Monday.

Freshman Ashton Miner hit his first high school home run in Newman's 13-0 win over Putnam County, while the Eastland and Morrison softball teams picked up wins. Plus more in Wednesday's Sauk Valley Media roundup.

The Newman baseball team swept Kewanee in a doubleheader, Polo baseball topped Hiawatha and Sterling softball routed Quincy. Plus more in Thursday's roundup.