Sauk Valley

Morrison pitcher Bella Duncan tied the school record with 30 strikeouts in a 13-inning win at Fulton, Rock Falls baseball and softball lost and more in Tuesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Taking advantage of aggressive at-bats and defensive miscues, Sterling rolled to a 15-0, four-inning win over Sauk Valley rival Dixon on Tuesday afternoon.

Sterling's Madison Austin was voted to the Illinois Media's All-State second team in Class 3A on Tuesday. Morrison's Camryn Veltrop (2A) and Polo's Camrynn Jones (1A) received honorable mention.

Sterling's Drew Nettleton pitched a complete game, Newman baseball beat Fulton 11-9, Rock Falls softball won, Sterling boys and girls track and field both won, four Warriors competed at the Iowa-Illinois senior all-star basketball game and more in Monday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Even after back-to-back trips to the state finals – and eight key players returning from last year’s fourth-place team in Class 2A – it still feels like the Newman Comets are trying to prove themselves this spring.

The Dixon School Board accepted a slate of personnel items Wednesday, March 19.

Sterling baseball and softball both shut out Erie-Prophetstown, Oregon softball also improved to 3-0 and the Golden Warriors boys and girls track & field teams took second at the Warrior Invite in Saturday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Mike Ely plans to go into broadcasting and journalism and also earn a teaching degree.

Directors from Illinois Head Start centers, the federally supported child care and early education program, said they fear cuts, as it targeted in The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.

Sauk Valley's photos of the week for March 14-20, 2025.

Dixon's Darius Harrington, Rock Falls' Kuitim Heald and Eastland's Adam Awender, Parker Krogman and Peyton Spears were named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state team in their respective classes.

Amboy's Addison Pertell and Tyrah Vaessen, and Polo's Camrynn Jones were all-state special mention picks in Class 1A by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.

Sterling's Western Big 6 Conference MVP Madison Austin was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association first team in 3A, Joslynn James was named to the third team and coach Taylor Jackson was named coach of the year. Dixon's Hallie Williamson earned special mention.

Oregon's Emma Schlichtmann had a walk-off hit against Amboy, Bureau Valley beat Rock Falls, Eastland, A-FC and Forreston won, Rock Falls baseball won and more in Tuesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

The Newman Comets used a four-run rally in the top of the sixth, then shut down the Sterling Golden Warriors’ potential game-winning rally in the bottom of the seventh to pull out a 6-5 win over their intracity rivals on Tuesday at Gartner Park.

The Franklin Grove American Legion Post 497 also will have a pancake and sausage breakfast from 7-10 a.m. Saturday, March 22.

The Whiteside Area Career Center has named its students of the month for February.

Spring sports kicked off as Newman baseball tied East Dubuque in eight innings, Fulton fell 2-1 in extras, Forreston beat A-FC 16-3, Aubrey Sanders had seven RBIs in a Forreston softball win, Rock Falls boys, Oregon girls track won and more in Monday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Ronin Quick and Nathan Stauter again led the team in toss-up questions correctly answered, with Stauter getting 20 total tossups and Quick getting 19 tossups correct across the three matches.

Eastland still had the best state finish in program history despite falling to Chicago Hope Academy and coach Ronnie Fields in Saturday's Class 1A state championship. 'It’s been an amazing journey with these guys.'

Eastland faces Chicago Hope Academy at 1 p.m. today at State Farm Center in Champaign for the Class 1A state championship. Here is a preview of the big matchup.

PFLAG Sauk Valley is a community of LGBTQ+ individuals, their family members, and allies. We find strength in sharing the certainty that – despite current political rhetoric – society actually benefits from building each human’s sense of belonging.

Newman senior wrestler Briar Ivey, who was the state runner-up at 157 pounds in Class 1A, is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is a Q&A with sports reporter Drake Lansman.

Speaker LeAndra Hartman will review key components from American psychologist and author Daniel Goleman’s research on emotional intelligence and leadership.

A group of veterans is “jumping out of a perfectly good airplane” to honor their brothers- and sisters-in-arms.

Using its efficient offense and smothering defense, Eastland beat Peoria Christian 55-35 to advance to the state championship for the first time. The Cougars will face Chicago Hope Academy at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Champaign.

Tyler Huggins plans to become a carpenter after high school and join a union located in Rockford.

Sauk Valley Photos of the Week for March 7-13, 2025.

Eastland has shown it does not mind how low the score may be or what pace the game is played at. Winning is all that matters. Defense looks to be a key factor again in Thursday's Class 1A state semifinal matchup with Peoria Christian.

Classical Blast in Kilts concert, Dixon Family YMCA Shamrock 5K and annual St. Patrick's Day parade on slate of things to do.

Rock Falls' senior-led run to the Elite Eight came to an end with a 58-44 loss to Chicago Christ the King in Monday's Class 2A Sterling Supersectional. The crowd was loud until the end at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

Eastland slowed the game down against No. 1 Pecatonica and held on for a big 36-31 road win to earn its first sectional title since 2013. 'Our game plan was necessary to win.'

Fulton junior basketball player Landen Leu, who was a key contributor after missing the first month of the season due to a broken ankle, is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week in an online vote. 'Landen came back and immediately changed the dynamic of our team.'

Sidewalk Prophets concert will be March 19 in Walnut; Ready Set, Grow workshop is March 29 at Sauk Valley Community College.

In a physical matchup with Dakota, Eastland won the turnover battle and hit its shots to pull away in the second half en route to a 55-39 win in a Class 1A Pecatonica Sectional semifinal. The Cougars advance to face Pecatonica for a third time this season on Friday.

Ryken Howard beat the buzzer to send Rock Falls to Friday's Class 2A Marengo Sectional final as the Rockets gutted out another pressure-packed victory. It was the second straight game RF beat the buzzer to win.

Dixon High School teacher Charlie Bishop has been named the 2025 Illinois Digital Educators Alliance Educator of the Year at IDEACon, a three-day national event focused on current education topics that draws in presenters, thought leaders and exhibitors from all over the world.

Sterling's Kaedon Phillips and Nico Battaglia both earned spots on the All-Western Big 6 Conference basketball team. Phillips also eclipsed 1,000 career points in his final game.

Sterling's record-setting season to remember came to an end in the Elite Eight on Monday after falling just short in overtime against No. 1 Washington. 'I’m just proud of the fight in our kids.'

Sterling is set to face Washington on Monday with a shot at qualifying for state on the line. Sterling and Washington faced off in the first Illinois state girls championship in 1977. Two Sterling players, Nia Harris and Janelle Collay, have relatives who played on that team.

Selected students will serve as non-voting members on the United Way Board of Directors from June 2025 through May 2026, providing valuable youth perspective to the organization while developing professional skills and connections.

Rock Falls freshman Akira Schick was sixth at the state wrestling tournament, Erie-Prophetstown junior Michelle Naftzger took fifth and more in Saturday's Sauk Valley roundup.

A hot start and some smothering defense led to a regional title for Eastland on Friday night. The Cougars hit their first four shots, and Newman never recovered after several early turnovers in a 55-44 loss in the Class 1A West Carroll Regional final.

Kuitim Heald hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left as Rock Falls survived a thriller to beat Riverdale 61-58 in overtime and win the Class 2A Bureau Valley Regional title. Heald finished with 28 points and set the RF career 3-point record.

St. Edward crashed the glass hard against Amboy during Thursday’s Class 1A Hinckley-Big Rock Sectional championship. Earning multiple second-chance scoring opportunities from such efforts, the Green Wave took down the Clippers 54-44.

Meeting in a sectional final for the first time, Sterling triumphed 39-30 over Dixon to win its first sectional title since 2007 and set the single-season wins record with 30. Madison Austin led the way with 20 points in a physical and intense rematch.

While some school districts struggle to get students involved in music, that is not the case for Challand, where over 60% of sixth, seventh and eighth graders are involved in the music department, according to band teacher Nicole Oberg.

Evan Bushman's clutch 3-pointer lifted fifth-seeded Newman over fourth-seeded Galva, Eastland beat Fulton, Forreston won and Amboy fell to Annawan to Thursday's Sauk Valley area regional semifinal matchups.

Wyatt Widolff plans on attending Hillsdale College to run track and field and is considering majoring in either actuarial science or economics.

Get caught up on news, sports and features from the week of Feb. 21-27, 2025, in the Sauk Valley.