News-Gazette Prep Sports

10/21/2025

Oct. 18, 2025 | Peaking at the right time | Joey Wright and Zach Piatt chat with players from the St. Joseph-Ogden boys' soccer team and the Cissna Park volleyball team, which both enter the playoffs with strong records.

The prep sports writers and broadcasters from the News-Gazette and NewsTalk 1400 & 93.9 and Lite Rock 97.5 deliver game broadcasts, interviews, and insight into high school athletics in the Champaign-Urbana area and east central Illinois.

10/21/2025

Coming in Wednesday’s News-Gazette: meet Catherine Bretl from Urbana girls’ tennis, Ben Darling from Oakwood/Salt Fork boys’ cross-country, Mae Dawkins from Sullivan volleyball, Christian Gaytan from Iroquois West football, Alaina Gill from Rantoul girls’ cross-country, Zach Huchel from Hoopeston Area/Armstrong-Potomac football, Christian Mikulich from Monticello boys’ cross-country and Taylor Williams from Tri-County volleyball as our Faces of Fall series continues

10/20/2025

Episode 369: Exhibition overreaction season | Did our Scott Richey call David Mirkovic the Montenegrin Draymond Green after his performance in the exhibition win against Illinois State? You bet. That's what you do during exhibition season. Overreact. Even if the
Illinois freshman looked the part of a big time Big Ten contributor. Richey discusses Mirkovic's performance, what's next on the "secret
scrimmage" front and more in this week's Inside Illini Basketball.

College basketball beat writer and AP voter Scott Richey weighs in on the sports he loves with insight on Illini basketball.

10/20/2025

Coming in Tuesday’s News-Gazette: meet area standouts Jesse Arndt from Fisher football, Kennedy Ashby from Mahomet-Seymour girls’ cross-country, Presley Hardesty from Blue Ridge girls’ golf, Zach Harper from St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ soccer, Simon Kincaid from Judah Christian boys’ cross-country, Aiden Loveall from Tri-County football, Aleah Potter from Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin girls’ cross-country and Ella Sandgren from Maroa-Forsyth girls’ tennis as our Faces of Fall series continues

10/20/2025

Congrats to our latest winners from LeRoy and Westville.

Congrats to our latest winners from LeRoy and Westville

10/20/2025

It's just about time for the girls' tennis state tournaments, and we have a couple area standouts, along with others, up for Athlete of the Week. Be sure to vote before noon on Thursday.

It's time to vote for The News-Gazette's Athletes of the Week, powered by Copper Creek Contractors. Each Monday, The News-Gazette will publish an online poll with four boys and four

10/19/2025

Former SJ-O standout Ty Pence found himself again last season after a challenging freshman year at Illinois State

Former SJ-O standout found himself again last season after a challenging freshman season at Illinois State

10/19/2025

Cissna Park volleyball continued its great season, Big 12 runners competed for conference glory and plenty more.

Cissna Park volleyball continued its great season, Big 12 runners competed for conference glory and plenty more

10/18/2025

Illini Pella Saturday SportsTalk 10-16-25 | Loren Tate and Scott Beatty host Illini Pella Saturday SportsTalk. John Fitzgerald, Illinois State play by play announcer, previews Sunday’s basketball game. Geoff Alexander, Illinois men’s basketball assistant coach, has an update on the 2025-26 Illini. Bill Connelly, author of “Forward Progress: The Definitive Guide to the Future of College Football.” Matt Brown, publisher of Extra Points MB, www.extrapointsmb.com.

It's downstate Illinois' longest running sports radio program. Hosts Steve Kelly and Loren Tate have in-depth conversations about Illini athletics and beyond with notable guests.

10/18/2025

Successful programs like Watseka, Monticello, Unity and Fisher are all banging on the door, but the teams leading the way refuse to give up their spots.

10/18/2025

"We’re going to try to have our best game. There’s nothing more to make of it than playing our best game and going 4-5. Nobody wants to go 3-6 again. It would be an improvement from last year, and we just have to want it more.”

"We’re going to try to have our best game. There’s nothing more to make of it than playing our best game and going 4-5. Nobody wants to go 3-6 again.

10/18/2025

Urbana gets first win since 2019, Unity rolls to road victory and BHRA among other area teams to reach the postseason on Friday night