Here are some of the storylines to follow throughout the Herald-News area as prep softball season gets into full swing.

The Bishop McNamara pitching staff appeared to be in midseason form on opening day collectively striking out 14 as it topped Wilmington 3-0.

All four of Morris' captains – Ximi Baftiri, Brett Bounds, Jack Wheeler and Griffin Zweeres – have plenty of experience on and off the diamond

Dozens of youth wrestlers from around the Ottawa/Streator/Morris area who had qualified in the previous weeks competed in a pair of Illinois' youth wrestling state tournaments this past weekend.

Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker and Lockport’s Claudia Heeney each claimed championships at Saturday's IHSA Girls Wrestling State Finals on Saturday at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.

The Hinckley-Big Rock Royals and the Serena Huskers boys basketball teams defeated the Marquette Crusaders and Newark Norsemen, respectively, in Wednesday's Class 1A Marquette Regional semifinals at Bader Gym. H-BR and Serena will meet at 7 p.m. on Friday in the title game.

Bishop McNamara broke a tie at halftime with a second-half run to end Seneca's season in the 2A Herscher Sectional semifinals.

Coal City blanked Chicago King 80-0 in dual-team sectionals Tuesday to punch its ticket back to state.

The scores/schedule for Illinois Valley/Herald-News schools in the IHSA girls basketball postseason, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025