Sterling Preps

Jayden Fulkerson hit a deep 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to give Princeton a two-point lead, and the Tigers rode the momentum to a 56-47 win over Sterling on Friday.

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.

Morris's Paxton Valentine, Sycamore's Carson West, Sterling's Zyan Westbrook and Plano's Prince Amakiri all won championships at Saturday's IHSA Class 2A Washington Boys Wrestling Sectional.

Teams from Sycamore, Morris, Yorkville Christian, Sterling, Kaneland and Dixon competed in the championship and third-place matches during the Class 2A Sectional championship on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025 at Washington High School.

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.

How will Sterling fare after winning its first Western Big 6 title? Can Dixon make another run? Will the Golden Warriors and Duchesses meet for a sectional title? Can a young Newman team make some noise? Look for that and more from Sauk Valley area teams this postseason.

Sterling boys basketball hosts the Galesburg Silver Streaks at Musgrove Fieldhouse in Sterling. The action took place on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.

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.

Dixon, Sterling, Oregon and Erie-Prophetstown competed Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, in the girls bowling regional at Plum Hollow in Dixon. Sterling took second to advance to the sectional as a team along with Oregon's Carli Bailey.

Morrison senior Camryn Veltrop recently passed her older sister Shelby as the program's all-time leading rebounder and set the free throw record. Camryn is also Morrison's all-time leading scorer, boys or girls, after passing Rod Bush.

Dixon, Polo, Sterling and others meet Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Dixon High School for Class 2A individual wrestling. Photos by Brian Hurley - Shaw Local News Network

Sterling hosts UT in girls basketball Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. Sterling won big 77-22.

Sterling High School hosts the Western Big 6 Conference wrestling tournament Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. The Golden Warriors went on to place fifth as four Sterling wrestlers reached the podium.

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.

Sterling hosts Geneseo Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 in girls basketball. Sterling won the conference match 84-28.

Sterling faces off against St. Viator in their first game of the day during the Sterling MLK Classic, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. Sterling lost 61-55.

Once United Township built the lead, it wasn’t about to give it back to Sterling. The Golden Warriors fell behind early and never recovered in a 68-59 loss to the Panthers in a Western Big 6 game Tuesday night at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

Sterling hosts United Township in boys basketball Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. UT won 68-59.

Sterling High School graduate Grace Egan recently transferred to the Wisconsin volleyball team. As a redshirt freshman at Ohio State last season, she had a career-high 22 kills against the Badgers.

Sterling hosts Lasalle-Peru Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 in boys basketball. Sterling won 70-58.

Sterling hosts Galesburg in girls bowling Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.

Oregon's Gavvin Surmo had the top series at Dixon's Toughman Tournament as the Hawks took second behind state power Harlem. The Dukes were third and Sterling took 12th in a strong field on Thursday.

Dixon, Sterling, Oregon and others face off at the alleys at Plum Hollow for Dixon's Toughman bowling tournament.

As expected, Saturday’s third-place game at the Dixon Holiday Classic between rivals Sterling and Dixon was dominated by hard-nosed defense and all-out hustle.cBut the difference was the Golden Warriors’ ability to get out and score in transition in a 44-18 victory.

Dixon and Sterling girls teams faced off in the Dixon Girls KSB Holiday Basketball Classic Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. The Golden Warriors’ bested the Duchesses’ 44-18 at Lancaster Gym.

After a nip-and-tuck first three quarters, Sterling just couldn’t keep up with Stillman Valley over the final four minutes in a 47-37 loss in their Dixon Holiday Classic semifinal Friday evening at Lancaster Gym.

Sterling meets Stillman Valley in the semi-final of the Dixon Girls KSB Basketball Classic Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Stillman won 47-37 and will face the winner of the Dixon and Byron game for Saturday's championship.

Sterling and Eastland start the action Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, during the 46th annual Dixon Girls KSB Holiday Basketball Tournament. Sterling won 61-21.

Two big runs helped Sterling build a big lead, then it held off a late Hononegah charge in a 49-42 victory at the Sterling Shootout on Saturday afternoon at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

Sterling faces Hononegah Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024 in the Sterling Shootout. Sterling won 49-42.

Sterling faces off against Alleman Friday, Dec. 20, 2024 at home in boys basketball. Sterling won 68-51.

Sherrard rallied from an 11-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter to run its winning streak to six straight with a 46-42 victory over the Sterling Golden Warriors on Monday night at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

Sterling hosts Sherrard in boys basketball Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. Sherrard won 46-42.

Sterling hopes it will help in the end after playing the top three teams in the Western Big 6 Conference after a loss to No. 3 Quincy at home Friday night. Quincy's Keshaun Thomas had a team-record 25 rebounds, breaking the late Tom Lepper's mark.

The Sterling Warriors take on the Quincy Blue Devils in boys basketball on Friday, December 13, 2024 at Homer Musgrove Fieldhouse in Sterling.

Some finals from the 46th Carson DeJarnatt wrestling invitational Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 in Sterling.

Three local alums are key pieces for their teams at the NCAA volleyball championships in Sterling's Lexi Rodriguez (Nebraska) and Bree Borum (Loyola Chicago), and Rock Falls' Maya Sands (Missouri). Brooklyn Borum also plays in the NIVC with Virginia.

The speed, quickness and athleticism of the Sterling lineup was on full display Tuesday at Musgrove Fieldhouse, as the Golden Warriors cranked up the pressure on La Salle-Peru, nabbing 25 steals and forcing 39 turnovers to defeat their former longtime NCIC rivals 59-21.

Sterling hosts Lasalle-Peru in girls basketball Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Sterling won 59-21.

Sterling defeated Princeton 56-51 in the third-place game of the Dean Riley Shootin' the Rock Thanksgiving Tournament on Saturday.

The Streator and Ottawa boys basketball teams picked up wins over Oak Forest and Sterling respectively in Friday night action at the Dean Riley Shootin’ the Rock Thanksgiving Tournament. The Bulldogs and Pirates will meet for the title at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Here are five of the top Sauk Valley area players to watch this season, including Dixon's Darius Harrington, Rock Falls' Kuitim Heald, Eastland's Parker Krogman, Sterling's Kaedon Phillips and Oregon's Kade Girton.

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

Sterling hosts Knoxville to start their home season of girls basketball Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. Sterling took the win 57-36.

Sterling senior Madison Austin is competing in the 50-yard freestyle at state on Friday, also joining Kate Austin, Hazel Pham and Sammie Knox in the 400 free relay. It is Sterling's first girls relay at state since 2011.

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.

St. Francis took care of business in its opening-round Class 5A playoff matchup against Sterling, as standout speedster Zach Washington ran wild in a 42-18 victory Friday in Wheaton.

St. Francis hosted Sterling in a Class 5A first-round football game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 in Wheaton.

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.

Morris bounced back from an early deficit in the first set, then slowly built the lead in the second to defeat Sterling 25-21, 25-19 in their Class 3A Dixon Regional semifinal on Tuesday night at Lancaster Gym.