Dixon Preps

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

Dixon, Amboy, Richmond Burton, and Oregon competed on the opening night of the Oregon Girls Basketball Tip-Off Tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 at the Blackhawk Center in Oregon.

Coming off its first sectional title in more than 30 years, Dixon lost just three players off of that Elite Eight team and hope that postseason experience translates into success this season.

Donnie Ladas' late fumble recovery was followed by a fourth-and-inches conversion by Landin Benson to give Coal City a 20-13 win and send the Coalers to the 4A state semifinals.

Coal City faces Dixon in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Class 4A IHSA football playoffs. Friday Night Drive editor Hart Pisani will have live updates, scores and news from the game

Join hosts J.T. Pedelty and Eddie Carifio as they break down Round 2 and look ahead to the quarterfinals of the IHSA football playoffs for the western and southern portions of northern Illinois

Dixon senior QB Cullen Shaner and Newman senior linebacker/running back Daniel Kelly were both named All-State by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association on Wednesday. A number of Sauk Valley 8-man players and honorable mentions were also recognized.

A look at second-round scores and quarterfinals pairings

The old adage in sports says that defense travels. Dixon is ready to take its act on the road in the Class 4A quarterfinals this weekend. The Dukes (10-1) will play at Coal City (9-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday in the third trip to the quarterfinals in DHS program history.

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.

A look at second-round scores and quarterfinals pairings

Dixon rolled to touchdowns the first five times it touched the ball Friday night on the way to a 51-6 victory over Chicago Agricultural Science in a Class 4A second-round playoff game at A.C. Bowers Field.

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.

Dixon's impressive postseason run as the only No. 7 seed in the Class 3A sectional semifinals ended in a loss to Limestone on Tuesday night.

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.

Area first-round scores and second-round pairings

Carson Kaiser is wise beyond his years. The Kaneland freshman has fit in wonderfully at the Maple Park school and was a key reason why the Knights were able to hold off runner-up Dixon and the rest of the field during Saturday’s Class 2A Kaneland boys cross country sectional.

When Marengo tied the score early in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s Class 4A fist-round playoff game, Dixon had the answer, scoring 21 unanswered points in a 35-14 victory at A.C. Bowers Feld.

Here’s a look at area first-round scores from Saturday

Marengo faces Dixon in Round 1 of the 2024 Class 4A IHSA football playoffs. Friday Night Drive correspondent Ty Reynolds will have live updates, scores and news from the game

Dixon and Marengo clash of the gridiron to start the 2024 football playoffs Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 in Dixon. Dixon took the win 35-14.

Dixon got off to a fast start, then rallied to finish strong in a 25-20, 25-22 win over Morris in the Class 3A Dixon Regional final on Thursday at Lancaster Gym. It's the Duchesses second regional title in the last 3 years on their home court.

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.

Dixon faces off against Morris for the 3A regional volleyball championship Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Dixon took the win in two sets to land the regional championship.

The No. 7-seeded Dixon volleyball team advanced to the Class 3A Dixon Regional final with an upset of No. 1 La Salle-Peru on Tuesday.

Dixon faced La Salle-Peru on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in the class 3A volleyball regional semifinal held at Dixon High School. Dixon upset the top-seeded team in straight sets to advance to the finals on Thursday against Morris.

Rochelle pushed the host Duchesses to the limit in the Class 3A Dixon Regional opener Monday night, but Dixon managed to pull out a 25-20, 21-25, 25-23 win over the Hubs at Lancaster Gym.

The 2024 playoffs kick off this weekend. Here’s a look at pairings for area teams:

Dixon takes on Rochelle Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in the 3A volleyball regional in Dixon. The Duchesses took the win in 3 sets.

Dixon's Grace Ferguson wrapped up an impressive run at state tennis, Dixon boys won a regional cross country title and numerous locals advanced, Sterling's Madison Austin was WB6 swim champ in two events, Fulton volleyball was 2nd and more in Saturday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Here are the opening round pairings for the Class 4A playoffs.

The last two locals competing at state tennis, Dixon's Grace Ferguson and Sterling's Ellie Aitken ended up meeting in consolation play on Thursday. Ferguson came out on top and advanced to Day 2 for the first time in singles.

Newman hosts Mon-Rose in a battle of TRAC champs, Sterling hits the road to Moline seeking a sixth win, the Wooden Shoe game between Morrison and Fulton returns with playoff hopes alive, Dixon hits the road to North Boone and more in this week's Sauk Valley football slate.

Dixon lost to Geneseo in a soccer match delayed three times due to the field lights going out and Sterling fell to top-seeded Dunlap in Wednesday's regional semifinals in Geneseo.

Dixon takes on host team Geneseo Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 in the Class 2A regional soccer tournament. Geneseo took the win 3-0.

DIXON – Closing out the regular season on its home court, Dixon set the tone early on Senior Night in a 25-16, 25-19 win over Winnebago.

Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Week 8 of the 2024 high school football season

Dixon hosts Winnebago volleyball for senior night Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. Dixon won in straight sets.

Dixon is confident and motivated after loss to Byron, Fulton's Braedon Meyers threw a school record six TDs, Jungerman steps up for Newman and Sterling bounced back in fifth win in Week 8's Sauk Valley football notes.

Dixon boys cross country won Saturday's Big Northern Conference cross country meet behind four Top 10 finishes. Rock Falls' Ariel Hernandez was runner-up in the girls race.

Byron QB Andrew Talbert scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with 16.2 seconds left, then fullback Caden Considine crashed in for the two-point conversion for a 29-28 win over Dixon in a battle of Big Northern Conference unbeatens at A.C. Bowers Field.

Byron faces Dixon in Week 8 of the 2024 IHSA football season. Friday Night Drive correspondent Ty Reynolds will have live updates, scores and news from the game

Dixon and Byron put their flawless records on the line Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 as the two clash at DHS for the Big Northern championship. Byron took the win 29-28, scoring with less than a minute left.

Welcoming a familiar face back to Lancaster Gym on Thursday night, Dixon spoiled the homecoming of Genoa-Kingston coach Taylor Spellman – a 2020 DHS grad – with a 25-22, 25-18 win in their Big Northern Conference matchup.

The Fulton boys golf team looks to be among the top handful of teams at state in Class 1A, Kaden Brown is Forreston's first at state, and Dixon's Oros and Sterling's Hubbard are set to compete again this weekend at the 2A meet.

Join hosts Eddie Carifio and J.T. Pedelty as they break down Week 8 in IHSA football for the western and southern part of northern Illinois, including the big Dixon vs. Byron and Sycamore vs. Morris matchups

Dixon hosts Genoa-Kingston Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 at volleyball. Dixon won in straight sets.,

State-ranked and undefeated Dixon and Byron face off in the Big Northern Conference game of the year, Sterling can bounce back against Rock Island, Newman heads to Kewanee, West Carroll hosts Polo and Amboy heads to West Central in 8-man in this week's Sauk Valley football slate.

Dixon's Leah Carlson had 13 assists and three aces in a three-set win at Byron; Rock Falls, E-P, Milledgeville and Fulton volleyball picked up wins; and Dixon boys soccer won in Tuesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Dixon pulled away from Johnston City in tune-up for Byron, Newman rolled to a sixth straight win, Oregon ran for over 500 yards in fourth win and Sterling had its four-game win streak snapped at Quincy in the Week 7 Sauk Valley football notes.