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IHSA Approves Expansion of Illinois High School Football Playoffs Beginning in 2026

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From expanded football playoffs to board changes, IHSA schools approved sweeping by-law amendments with statewide impact. Officials say the expansion will improve scheduling and long-term stability and moves regular-season games up one week. Photo: Sentinel /Clark Brooks Structural changes to high school football in Illinois will benefit teams around the state. Quality programs can schedule games against top-tier opponents like Byron and Unity without the potential loss affecting playoff eligibility. BLOOMINGTON - Friday nights in October are about to mean a little more to a lot more Illinois high school football teams next fall. Illinois high school football will see its largest postseason field in state history beginning in 2026, after member schools approved a sweeping expansion of the IHSA football playoffs. The change reshapes not just who gets in, but how schools schedule, compete and stay invested long after the first losses of the season. I...
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Knights Stand Tall in Heart of Illinois Road Win

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  Knights Stand Tall in Heart of Illinois Road Win Graphics by Alan Look Photography Under the bright lights of the Heyworth gymnasium on Tuesday night, the Fieldcrest Knights demonstrated why they are a force to be reckoned with in the Heart of Illinois Conference. Entering the contest on the heels of a dominant performance against Dwight, the Knights maintained their composure and clinical execution to secure a 54–40 victory over the Heyworth Hornets. The win further solidifies the Knights’ standing as they navigate a demanding early-season schedule. The contest was defined by Fieldcrest’s ability to control the tempo and capitalize on high-percentage opportunities. From the opening tip, the Knights established a physical presence in the paint, making every possession difficult for the Hornets’ offense. While Heyworth fought to find their rhythm in front of a supportive home crowd, the Knights' defensive rotations proved too disciplined to crack. By the second half, Fieldcrest ha...
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Location: Heyworth, IL 61745, USA
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Saints Edge Vikings in Nail-Biter, 51–49

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  Saints Edge Vikings in Nail-Biter, 51–49 On December 9, 2025, Central Catholic and Tri-Valley staged a varsity boys basketball game that kept fans leaning forward until the final horn. The Saints emerged with a 51–49 victory, but both teams showed the kind of determination that makes local basketball special. Central Catholic relied on steady defense and patient offense, keeping Tri-Valley from finding rhythm in key stretches. The Saints’ balanced scoring and composure in the closing minutes proved decisive. Tri-Valley, true to its Viking identity, battled possession by possession, refusing to let the game slip away without a response. Momentum shifted throughout the night. Central Catholic’s ability to manage tempo in the second half limited Tri-Valley’s comeback attempts. The Vikings surged late, but the Saints executed when it mattered most, securing the win. Credit belongs to both benches. Central Catholic’s staff managed rotations with precision, while Tri-Valley’s leadershi...
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Location: 1201 Airport Rd, Bloomington, IL 61704, USA
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Hornets Sting Twice: Heyworth Sweeps Milford in JV and Varsity

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 Hornets Sting Twice: Heyworth Sweeps Milford in JV and Varsity HEY WORTH, Ill. — The Heyworth Hornets turned Friday night into a showcase of dominance, sweeping both ends of their doubleheader against the Milford Bearcats. The opener belonged to the JV Hornets, who stormed to a 55–21 victory. The turning point came in the third quarter, where Heyworth outscored Milford 20–3, effectively sealing the contest. By the fourth, the scoreboard margin allowed for what coaches call the “everyone plays quarter,” a fitting capstone to a team effort. The varsity Hornets followed suit with a performance that echoed the same theme: control. After a tight 10–8 first quarter, Heyworth found its rhythm, closing the half with a commanding 36–17 lead. The third quarter widened the gap to 56–24, and the Hornets never looked back, finishing with a 61–32 triumph. This victory carries weight beyond the night’s box score. With the win, Heyworth’s program now boasts 1,735 all-time victories, a testament ...
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A Tale of Two Halves: Hornets Sting, Then Survive the Storm

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  A Tale of Two Halves: Hornets Sting, Then Survive the Storm If you only looked at the scoreboard when the final buzzer sounded at Heyworth High School on December 3, 2025, you would see a lie. The lights said Heyworth 64, Cornerstone Christian 37. That score suggests a sleepy waltz, a foregone conclusion wrapped in a varsity uniform. But numbers are cold things; they don’t tell you about the heat in the kitchen during the third quarter. For the first half, the Heyworth Hornets played with the cool detachment of a card shark holding four aces. They controlled the floorboards, they moved the leather without panic, and they treated the rim like an old friend. The Cyclones looked less like a weather event and more like a gentle breeze, unable to disturb the Hornets’ picnic. Then came the halftime break, that mysterious intermission where momentum often goes to die or be reborn. When Cornerstone came out for the third quarter, they didn't just walk onto the court; they stormed it. Wha...
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Location: 308 W Cleveland St, Heyworth, IL 61745, USA
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Winter Storm Arrives in Southern McLean County

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   Winter Storm Arrives in Southern McLean County The first major winter storm of the season swept into Central Illinois late Friday night, bringing with it a mix of heavy snow, gusty winds, and treacherous travel conditions. In southern McLean County, residents woke Saturday morning to a landscape transformed—roads coated in fresh snow, trees glazed in white, and the hum of plows echoing across rural highways. The National Weather Service in Lincoln issued a Winter Storm Warning for the region, forecasting accumulations of more than 5 inches of snow through Saturday night. While heavier totals were expected west of the Illinois River, McLean County still found itself on the eastern edge of the storm’s impact zone, with snowfall intensifying through the morning hours. On Interstate 55 near Funks Grove, traffic thinned to a trickle as drivers heeded warnings to delay travel. Sparse vehicles crept cautiously along the slick pavement, headlights cutting through the swirling snow....
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Location: McLean County, IL, USA
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A Night of Hardwood Hysterics: The Intercity Tournament Decided at the Shirk Center

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  A Night of Hardwood Hysterics: The Intercity Tournament Decided at the Shirk Center By  Best Look Magazine   Photos  courtesy of  Alan Look Photography BLOOMINGTON, Ill.  — The air inside the Shirk Center last night was not merely oxygen and nitrogen; it was a volatile cocktail of anticipation, perspiration, and the squeak of sneakers against the hardwood—a veritable symphony of athletic endeavor. We witnessed a triumvirate of contests that ran the gamut from tactical brilliance to pugilistic tenacity, a display of scholastic sportsmanship that reminds us all why we endure the injection molded plastic bleachers. In the opening spectacle, we saw the girls of Normal West ascend the summit of local supremacy, vanquishing their rivals from University High to seize the tournament title. It was not a game; it was a coronation. The Wildcats, displaying a defensive cohesion that would make a Roman phalanx blush, stifled the Pioneers at ev...
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Location: 302 E Emerson St, Bloomington, IL 61701, USA
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