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Dixon and Rockford Boylan face off for the Regional final Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 in Freeport. Dixon won the game 50-20. Photos by Erin Henze/Shaw Local News Network

Newman takes on River Ridge/Scales Mound in the Class 1A girls Regional basketball final at Forreston Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. Newman took the loss 48-43.

Oregon girls basketball was proud of its progress after reaching its first regional final since 2014. State boys wrestling and boys basketball was also in action in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup

Dixon was efficient on offense and smothering on defense Thursday night, defeating Boylan 50-20 in the Class 3A Freeport Regional final to take home its second title in as many years.

Nico Battaglia set Sterling's single-season record for 3-pointers, Newman boys basketball won, Dixon fell, Eastland won the NUIC South, Amboy beat Polo 51-50 and the Amboy girls advanced in the postseason in Tuesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Newman and Eastland face off in the 1A regional semifinal at Forreston Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. Newman took the win and will play for the title on Thursday against River Ridge.

Aniyah Sarver and Sarah Eckhardt combined for 20 points as fifth-seeded Oregon beat third-seeded Hall to advance to Thursday's regional championship against Riverdale. Forreston boys also beat Amboy in Monday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Hot starts to both halves sent Dixon past Belvidere 58-28 in their Class 3A Freeport Regional semifinal on Monday night. The Duchesses went on 19-0 runs in both the first and third quarters to take control.

Sterling meets Rochelle in the girls basketball 3A regional semifinal Monday, Feb. 17, 2025 hosted by Sterling High School. Sterling won 68-35 and will play Plano on Thursday.

Sycamore faces off against Plano in the girls basketball 3A regional semifinal Monday, Feb. 17, 2025 hosted by Sterling High School. Plano won 61-51 and will play Sterling for the regional title on Thursday.

Newman's Blair Grennan and Rock Falls' Akira Schick advanced to state wrestling, Sterling's Sarah Doughty won the sectional bowling title to reach state, postseason girls basketball kicked off and more in Saturday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Newman's Briar Ivey handed Riverdale's Blake Smith his first loss of the season to win a sectional title on Saturday in Oregon. Daniel Kelly also avenged a previous loss to take third as he and Landon Near also advanced to state for the Comets.

In another classic chapter in the Dixon-Rock Falls rivalry, the Dukes rallied in the final minute, but Brody Nicklaus’ last-second deep 3-pointer rimmed out and the Rockets held on for a 48-46 win Friday at Lancaster Gym.

Many area wrestlers advanced to the sectional semifinals on Friday, Newman boys basketball won, Fulton beat Polo, Morrison beat Milledgeville, Bureau Valley beat Amboy and more in Friday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Rock Falls High School graduate Jakob Junis reportedly signed with the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday pending a physical, agreeing to a one-year, $4.5 million contract. He spent last season with the Brewers and Reds as a starting pitcher and reliever.

Newman sophomore wrestler Blair Grennan, who is looking to qualify for state again this season, is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is a Q&A with the sophomore standout.

Sterling celebrated at home Thursday night after clinching the outright Western Big 6 title over the weekend, finishing off its league slate in style by using a stifling defense and big spurts to top Rock Island 60-42 at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

Camrynn Jones and Carlee Grobe combined for 50 points in Polo's win over Morrison, Oregon girls basketball beat Milledgeville, Forreston boys beat Durand and more in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup.

The IHSA postseason gets underway Saturday for Daily Chronicle area teams with a quartet of play-in games for the Class 2A and 1A teams. Here are five storylines to watch.

Kuitim Heald led a big Rock Falls fourth-quarter comeback over Lutheran, Dixon won in OT, Newman and Oregon won, Amboy girls basketball beat Morrison, Eastland beat Polo to finish as NUIC South co-champs and more in Tuesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Newman girls basketball closed its regular season with a win over Hall, Amboy edged Fulton, Oregon won, Gus Mumford scored 25 in a Polo win and Eastland won in Monday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Here are the Sauk Valley senior bowling results for January at Plum Hollow.

The Wilmington competitive cheer team finished third place in the small school division of the IHSA State Finals Saturday.

Oregon wrestling won the Byron Regional title, Forreston's Kendall Erdmann eclipsed 1,000 career points, Gus Mumford scored 29 in a Polo win, Camrynn Jones scored 37 in a Polo win, Sterling boys swimming took second at the Big 6 meet and more in Saturday's Sauk Valley roundup.

A dozen local wrestlers kept their seasons alive Saturday at the Class 2A Dixon Regional at Lancaster Gym, with three taking titles and three more earning runner-up finishes.

Cheer teams competed in the small and medium team division of the IHSA State Finals on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025 at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.

Sterling bowling was second at the regional as Sarah Doughty took third, Dixon boys basketball fell in OT, Connor Keegan scored 27 in E-P's win over Newman, Sterling and Oregon won and Eastland coach Nicole Brinker won her 400th game in Friday's Sauk Valley roundup.

The Sterling and Dixon girls basketball teams are both still in the hunt for conference titles after wins, Polo beat Fulton, Morrison boys beat Amboy, Eastland beat Milledgeville and more in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Senior forward Darius Harrington became Dixon's new all-time leading scorer after passing Beau Bailey with a 25-point performance in a 62-40 win over Oregon on Tuesday at the Blackhawk Center.

Eddie Jones eclipsed 1,000 career points in an Amboy win, Sterling and Eastland won, Fulton boys beat Morrison, Newman girls fell, Eastland beat Rock Falls and more in Tuesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Dixon girls basketball won, Newman fell at No. 2 Stillman Valley, E-P beat Morrison, Sterling girls bowling took second at the Big 6 Meet and more in Monday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Rock Falls, Amboy and Eastland boys basketball won, Cam Jones scored 29 in a Polo win, Sarah Doughty helped Sterling bowling win the Dixon invite, a number of girls wrestlers advanced to the sectional round and more in Saturday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Dance teams performed during the IHSA State Dance competition on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.

Dixon senior forward Hallie Williamson went a perfect 7 for 7 from the field in the third quarter to help the Duchesses pull away from Big Northern Conference rival Rock Falls in a 57-27 win Friday on Senior Night at Lancaster Gym.

Zyan Westbrook was the 132-pound champion and Sterling had three other top three finishes at the Big 6 meet, Sterling and Newman boys basketball fell, Fulton beat Milledgeville and more in Friday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Dixon is in third place at the state bowling meet after Friday's games and Wyatt Miller is in third individually. Oregon is also in 11th place and will compete on Saturday for the first time.

As AP Class 3A No. 6-ranked Sterling was scoring its most points this millennium in an 84-28 win over Geneseo on Thursday night, Quincy hit a late 3-pointer to beat Galesburg and put the Golden Warriors atop the Western Big 6 standings all by themselves.

Dixon boys wrestling won the BNC title with a win over Oregon, Dixon and Newman girls basketball had road wins, Morrison's Camryn Veltrop scored 26 in a fourth straight win, Dixon girls bowling won, Sterling boys swimming beat Byron and more in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Newman ended the game right where it started Wednesday against Erie-Prophetstown. The Comets built a big lead with a huge opening run, then pulled away with a second-half surge for a 65-39 Three Rivers East victory.

Fulton boys basketball beat A-FC, Polo beat Morrison, Milledgeville beat Amboy, Forreston beat Pearl City, Sterling girls bowling and boys wrestling won and more in Wednesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Newman's Brooklyn Smith hit a game-winning trey at St. Bede, Dixon won at G-K, Camryn Veltrop scored 25 points in Morrison's third straight win, Polo beat Milledgeville, Eastland beat Fulton, Fulton boys beat Polo, Sterling lost and more in Tuesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Morrison's Asher Ernst scored 25 points in a win over Milledgeville, Newman fell to Le-Win, Oregon beat Amboy, Eastland got its 20th win, Forreston and Fulton girls won, the Sterling and Oregon girls bowling teams won and more in Monday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Amboy graduate and Illinois Wesleyan senior Mallory Powers was named the CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday after scoring a career-high 21 points last week for the undefeated and second-ranked Titans.

The first time Dixon played Byron at Lancaster Gym this season, the Duchesses fell behind early and never found their rhythm. But they turned the tables on the Tigers on Saturday, using a smothering defense and a controlled offense to pick up a 47-36 Big Northern Conference win.

The Dixon and Oregon boys bowling teams both advanced to state next weekend as Dixon's Wyatt Miller was sectional champion. Polo's Cam Jones eclipsed 1,000 points, Forreston's Kendall Erdmann scored 35, Sterling boys swimming took third and more in Saturday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Dixon and Rock Falls boys basketball had road wins, Moline fell to Moline, the Morrison girls won a second straight, Eastland beat Amboy, Fulton beat Milledgeville and more in Friday's Sauk Valley roundup.

The Newman girls basketball team rolled to a home win, Eastland boys beat Fulton, Milledgeville beat A-FC, Amboy beat Polo, Forreston won, Sterling boys wrestling and swimming won and more in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Newman boys basketball beat Morrison, Dixon girls lost at Rockford Auburn 34-33, Oregon beat Fulton in OT, Olivia Klinefelter had a triple-double in an Eastland win and more in Wednesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

In a tie game late in the third quarter, Dixon flipped a switch Wednesday night against La Salle-Peru. The Dukes used a huge run to end the third quarter and start the fourth to pull away for a 56-40 victory over the Cavaliers at Lancaster Gym.

Lucy Oetting scored 23 points to help lead Newman to a 56-29 win over Oregon and the Forreston boys fell at Dakota in Tuesday's Sauk Valley roundup.