The daily pitch from Sports Editor : Oct. 13, 2026

Oct. 13—The Maroons are just one victory away from advancing to the IHSA state tournament after a hard-fought semifinal win over Edwardsville on Saturday. The sectional title match will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with Central facing off against Bradley-Bourbonnais in Momence. Meanwhile, a junior athlete excelled during the IHSA state golf tournament at Red Tail Run Golf Course in Decatur, finishing second overall with a score of 7-over par, narrowly missing state champion Maggie Pruetzel of Alton Marquette.

Both the Bulldogs boys and girls teams secured first place in their respective divisions, out of the 24 and 21 teams competing. Additionally, several area high school football teams have earned the necessary four wins to qualify for the IHSA playoffs. Currently, ALAH leads the pack with a 28-3 record, just two wins shy of the 30-win mark.

A promising matchup between ALAH and Blue Ridge (6-20) is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday in a Lincoln Prairie Conference game. On the women's side, an intriguing Illini Prairie Conference contest between the host Eagles (11-7-2) and Sabers (9-4-4) is set to kick off at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Rantoul. The Maroons will have one more opportunity for a final scrimmage on Tuesday evening before the Twin City Meet takes place on Oct. 20 at the Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center.