PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) -- Richwoods had a big comeback win against Mohamet-Seymour in flag football, avenging a one-point loss from last season. The Bulldogs led the Knights 22-18 with six minutes left in the game, but Richwoods scored a pair of late touchdowns. The go ahead touchdown game with Anjaliyah Adams for the go ahead touchdown to put the Knights up 24-22 and then Acosia Morris would put the game away in the final minute with a rushing touchdown as Richwoods defeated Mahomet-Seymour 30-22.
In other flag football action Normal Community had a big 19-12 win over Joliet Catholic. Bailey Engel continued to chuck the ball all over the gridiron as she had a couple more touchdown passes.
In volleyball Limestone was at the Lincoln Invitational looking to win the tournament for the second consecutive year, but the Rockets fell in three sets to O'Fallon.
Washington competed in the Williamsville Invitational where the Panthers took down the host school in straight sets.
Peoria High hosted the First To The Finish cross country meet that saw more than 200 schools and nearly 5,000 runners competing. In the girls class 1A run Stark County's Dusti Smith finished in second place while Eureka was the team champ. On the boys side Stark County's Evan **** loch was the star as he finished in first place with a time of 14 minutes and 57 seconds.

#flag

On a night when Peoria Centennial lost its tailback to an injury and its star offensive player having an off game, the defense made plays all over the field.
Peoria Centennial coach Andrew Taylor wondered if the seven takeaways, four by safety Nate Olmos, was a single-game school record in its 27-3 6A football victory against visiting Mesa Mountain View on Friday, Sept. 11.
It was impressive, especially Olmos, who kept finding himself in the right spot.
A strip sack fumble on quarterback Brayden Merwin led to Olmos scooping up the ball and running 21 yards into the end zone to give fifth-ranked Centennial (3-0) a 27-3 lead with 4:43 left in the third quarter.
A scoop and score by Nate Olmos. Centennial leads Mountain View 27-3 3rd quarter.
Centennial has forced five turnovers pic.twitter.com/c0vhzqZ5eh

#game

Week 4 of the Illinois high school football season includes an important duel in the Mid-Illini Conference between Morton and Washington.
The Panthers have a 27-game Mid-Illini Conference win streak on the line.
East Peoria running back R.J. Jackson, who this season became the program's all-time leading rusher and touchdown scorer, is leading the Raiders through a road showdown at Metamora against a Redbirds defense considered one of the best in the area.
There is a full slate of games from teams in the Peoria area.
Here is the Journal Star preps experience for Week 4, your one-stop shop as we look around the Peoria-area football landscape in the fourth week of the 2026 high school season:

#area

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) -- It's time again for the Top 5 Plays Of The Week featuring U-High, Normal West, Normal Community, Central Catholic, and East Peoria.
5. U-High took on Glenwood in football and despite taking the loss Isaiah Jones connected with Daniel Kovalaske on an acrabatic catch.
4. In flag football Normal West quarterback Karina Brown faked a handoff and then passed to Trinity Wynn who scored on an 86 yard catch and run.
3. In volleyball Normal Community took on Moline. In the first set Olivia Gerrietts made a fantastic dig that led to an immediate kill from Evie Mounts. The Iron would win the match in straight sets.
2. Back to the gridiron where Michigan State commit Matthew Brady connected with Crayton Schnierle on an incredible touchdown catch.

#peoria #high #connected

PEORIA — A teenaged rider has died from injuries suffered in a crash during a heat race on the card of the 79th Caterpillar Peoria TT national championship races in Peoria in late August, according to a statement Wednesday night by American Flat Track, the sport's national sanctioning body.
The motorcycle races were Saturday, Aug. 22, at Peoria Motorcycle Race Club, and were part of a national tour operated by AFT under the American Motorcycle ******* ociation.
Bayne Nantz, a 15-year-old riding a KTM 450 SX-F for Nantz Brothers Racing and competing as an amateur, crashed in a heat race for the AFT ProSport 450 main event as part of the Peoria TT racing card.
Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins and Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood in a statement Thursday morning said they are investigating a "fatal racing accident that occurred during the Peoria Motorcycle Club TT races on Aug. 22, 2026."
Nantz was in a collision involving three riders, and the sheriff's report says he was transported to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center for treatment. He eventually died, at 10:31 p.m., on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

#nantz #race #national

PEORIA — Illinois football is ready to launch the 2026 season with an opener against University of Alabama-Birmingham on Thursday night.
The Fighting Illini have carved out three straight winning seasons under head coach Bret Bielema, capped by a 9-4 effort last season that ended in a Music City Bowl victory.
Now they'll face UAB for the first time ever in an 8 p.m. kick at Gies Memorial Stadium.
The game carries a massive point spread, with Illinois favored by 27.5 points in most betting services.
The game is airing on Big Ten Network.

#game

PEORIA, AZ: Lazaro Montes of the Seattle Mariners runs the bases during a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on Feb. 24, 2026. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)
The Seattle Mariners are about to place their flagging chance at a playoff spot on the bat of 21-year-old Lazaro Montes. The slugger is being called up after hitting 38 home runs in the minors in 2026, including 10 in August.
The Mariners need him to continue the power display in September in a Seattle uniform. The 6-foot-5 Cuban is expected to join the team for the start of a three-game series in Boston on Tuesday.
Whether the left-hander plays immediately at Fenway Park, which traditionally favors right-handed hitters, is for manager Dan Wilson to decide. Boston is scheduled to start left-hander Peyton Tolle in the opener, ace right-hander Sonny Gray on Wednesday and lefty Pablo Sandoval on Thursday.
Montes has struggled against left-handed pitchers in 2026, batting just .201 with six homers. He has raked right-handers for 32 homers and a .274 average.

#montes #Seattle #Mariners #hander

Aug. 27—BLOOMINGTON — The Champaign Central girls' flag football team cruised past host Bloomington 72-6 on Wednesday night, thanks to 130 passing yards and six touchdowns from quarterback , while caught six passes for 185 and four touchdowns.
Central (2-0) scored on nine of its 10 drives and amassed 373 total yards.
Also, on Wednesday night, ran for a 70-yard touchdown in the waning moments of the Urbana girls' flag football team's season opener against host Manual to propel the Tigers to a thrilling 15-14 win against the Rams in Peoria.
converted the go-ahead extra point to put Urbana (1-0) ahead and secure the win.
ARMSTRONG — The Armstrong-Potomac volleyball team notched a 25-20, 25-20 victory against Heritage on Wednesday night.

#night #flag

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 11, 2021: Logan OHoppe #26 of the Peoria Javelinas bats against the Scottsdale Scorpions at Scottsdale Stadium on November 11, 2021 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies appear to have gotten what they hoped for when they acquired Brandon Marsh from the Los Angeles Angels several years ago. The outfielder has developed into an important part of Philadelphia's lineup this season, reaching his first All-Star game as he provides some important batting order depth behind Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Luis Arraez.
Meanwhile, the players who the Angels received in exchange for him, once seen as a key piece of the Phillies' future, has struggled to meet expectations.
Obituary For Yankees' Legendary All-Star Reveals Bold 3-Word Message To Surgeon
Marsh's emergence has made the 2022 trade one that's continuously revisited in Philadelphia, particularly as former top catching prospect Logan O'Hoppe endures a difficult career path since leaving the organization.

#logan #Phillies

The Illinois basketball program will get another opportunity to host one of its 2027 commits in Champaign this fall.
According to 247Sports' Dushawn London, Illinois commit Quinton Kitt will take an official visit to Illinois on Oct. 22.
Kitt has been committed to Illinois since November, when the East Peoria native chose the Illini over a number of high-major offers, including Iowa, Michigan and Northwestern. He became the first member of Illinois' 2027 recruiting class.
The 6-foot-6 forward has continued to rise up the national recruiting rankings since his commitment. 247Sports Composite currently has Kitt rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 74 player nationally.
Kitt visited Illinois last August. At the time, Kitt told TCR that he was looking for a program that could develop him, help him reach the next level and compete for March Madness appearances.

#program #london

PEORIA – The Peoria Rivermen got one of those must-have players on Monday that head coach Jean-Guy Trudel talks about when he puts together his team.
The defending SPHL regular-season champions signed veteran winger-defenseman Braydon Barker, making his return to Peoria for a fifth pro season official.
"Braydon is a front-line player as a forward or a defenseman, and that versatility is a huge ****** et for us," Trudel said. "So is his leadership within the team, and his commitment to taking part in our activities around the community.
"He has so much experience, has helped us win a championship, and he'll be a key part of this team as we try to win another one."
More: Peoria Rivermen find scoring power with pair of promising college prospects

#braydon #defenseman #Monday

It's Week 2 of the Illinois high school football season, with some conference games popping up on the IHSA schedule in the Peoria area.
Here is the full list of games for Friday, Aug. 28.
Friday's games
Peoria High at New Lenox Lincoln-Way West, 7 p.m.
Peoria Notre Dame at Richwoods, 7 p.m.

#peoria #illinois #ihsa #lenox

PEORIA — Marlee Wren is the ultimate late-bloomer, a woman who built a comeback story from a childhood of pain and fear and heartbreak and has emerged as an elite social media influencer with a powerful following.
"I'm slowly becoming what I wanted to be when I was a little girl, and it's all because of my true and loyal supporters," said Wren, 26, a Peoria resident. "The ones who have seen me since Day One. The ones who root for me and have my back."
Wren has about more than 113,000 followers on TikTok (Maarjaay0), and her videos have earned 26 million likes. Her Instagram page (maarjaay_) has more than 44,000 followers and her Facebook page (maarmaar) has swollen to 74,000 followers.
Wren emerged from over 400 nominations in the 2026 Journal Star Content Creators contest and was a popular choice by readers who cast votes in an online ballot of 25 finalists. She was then chosen by a Journal Star panel for a place among the competition's eight winners.
"I came from nothing, I had a horrible, traumatizing childhood and I always would see beautiful influencers or content creators thinking I want to be just like them," Wren said. "I want to make content about my life, things I love, and have the world watch me and love me for doing it.

#wren

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) -- Week one of high school football has come to a close with tons of action across our area.
Steve Suess and Jonathan Michel join Ryan Risky and Kurt Pegler to break down Normal Community vs Bloomington, Washington vs Wheaton North, and Richwoods vs Peoria High
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.

#high #suess #michel #ryan

Oswaldo Pirela, the San Diego Padres' minor league catching coordinator, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the club confirmed Tuesday, Aug. 18.
Pirela was detained at the airport in El Paso, Texas, where the club's Class AAA affiliate is located. He is a 34-year-old Venezuela native who played three seasons in the Texas Rangers organization from 2009-2011 and has been with the Padres organization in a coaching capacity since 2024.
"We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas," the club said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. "We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time."
Pirela is based out of the club's Peoria, Arizona, spring training complex and spent the 2024 season as bench coach for the club's Class A Lake Elsinore (California) affiliate before becoming their catching coordinator in 2025.
Pirela's wife, Kemberly Avila, told The Athletic that Pirela and his family have had pending asylum applications and carry temporary ID cards.

#catching #class

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) -- Richwoods sophomore Shane Cunningham birdied the second hole of a three-man playoff to win medalist honors at the Mickey Schallau Invitational Monday at Kellogg Golf Course.
Cunningham, Dunlap's Nolan Eccles and U-High's Jack Quinn shot 5-under 67's at the first big boys golf meet of the season in the Peoria area. Eccles, the defending class 2A state champion, led the Eagles to the team ******* le.
Dunlap's 284 was six shots better than runner-up U-High, the defending 2A state team champion. Notre Dame's Jack Coulter was the fourth player to post a score under 70 as he carded a 69 and finished fourth.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.

#eccles #defending #team

Aug. 17—The word out of Ubben Basketball Complex this summer about has been positive.
That the junior guard on the Illinois women's basketball team has had a very good summer.
It's no surprise the 5-foot-7 Peoria native would make progress in her second full offseason program with the Illini. But it's also an important step for her after a sophomore year that had its share of highs and lows.
That summer of growth continued when Guyton played for the Brazil senior women's national team at the AmeriCup South American qualifiers. Brazil ended up taking third place after finishing 3-2 at the event to earn a place in the 2027 AmeriCup, with Guyton averaging 14.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.8 ****** ists per game on 44/30/57 shooting.
Guyton did more than enough at the tournament to impress Brazil coach , who selected Guyton and fellow Illinois teammate for her roster at the FIBA Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament.

#guyton #Brazil #ubben

Peoria Liberty junior quarterback Marlie Phillips will have to sit out the first six games of the upcoming flag football season after the Arizona Interscholastic ******* ociation denied her transfer appeal, Phillips confirmed to The Arizona Republic.
Phillips transferred to Liberty in the offseason after two seasons at Chandler Hamilton, where she went 38-0 as a starter and helped lead the Huskies to consecutive 6A state championships in 2024 and '25.
Phillips is ranked the No. 1 high school flag football quarterback in the state by The Arizona Republic in its 2026 preseason player rankings last month.
Phillips, who lives in Youngtown but attended Hamilton under the state's open enrollment law, was seeking an appeal to play right away instead of sitting the first part of the season as normally required by the AIA transfer rule.
Liberty opens the season Sept. 15 against Cactus Canyon. Phillips' debut for Liberty will come on Oct. 15 against Scottsdale Christian Academy at the Fiesta Bowl Copper State Invitational. Her first AIA game will be on Oct. 20 at home against Gilbert.

#arizona

PEORIA — Josh Baez earned a place on the Peoria Chiefs wall of fame, where former members of the Midwest League team are honored after they reach the majors.
The slugger also earned a place in baseball history Saturday, making an unforgettable Major League debut, one that will be referenced as perhaps the greatest ever.
The 6-foot-3 St. Louis Cardinals prospect was called-up by the parent club for its game against Chicago at Wrigley Field, and bashed three home runs, including one on the first major-league pitch he saw.
No player in baseball history had hammered three home runs in their debut.
Baez had 34 home runs at Class-AAA Memphis this season. And he's just a little more than a year removed from playing for Peoria at Dozer Park.

#home #major #earned #place

PEORIA — Kylar Fenton is coming back to the Peoria Rivermen for the 2026-27 SPHL season, and the team would love a repeat performance from the defenseman who helped them win the regular-season ******* le.
Fenton joined the Rivermen out of college for their playoff run in the 2024-25 SPHL playoffs, then spent his first full pro season with Peoria on its 2025-26 team that came within one game of the President's Cup.
"Kylar broke out as a high-level defender in his rookie season, and he's a foundational player for our defense," Rivermen head coach Jean-Guy Trudel said. "He fits our culture and he knows about the tradition of winning and the legacy this franchise commands."
More: Newest Peoria Rivermen has a legacy. His dad scored one of the franchise's most iconic goals
The 26-year-old defenseman is the nephew of NHL referee Wes McCauley, and is well-schooled in Peoria's history and tradition from his father, Eric. He was a winger with the Rivermen in the 1995-96 IHL season. He scored an iconic playoff goal for the Rivermen against Milwaukee in the 1995-96 IHL playoffs, notching the game-winner to clinch the series.

#season

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) -- The 2026 CIProud Mascot Bracket has been released!
Schools with football teams in our viewing area will compete head-to-head in a bracket voted on by you — the fans.
The bracket will begin with the first round of voting on Aug. 17 and close on Sept. 16. There are 37 teams, so there are five play-in games followed by five rounds of competition.
Fans can vote once a week, so for rounds with two rounds of voting — rounds 2 through 4 — they will be able to vote once per week of voting.
Teams were seeded based on how they finished in last year's bracket voting, with last year's winner -- IVC Grey Ghosts -- taking the top spot.

#voting #once

The Peoria Rivermen settled on a new equipment manager and on a new 2026-27 home opener Monday.
The defending regular-season champions hired Kyle Harden as equipment manager.
The 29-year-old Memphis, Tennessee native spent the last three seasons as equipment manager for Huntsville, one of the top organizations in the SPHL.
He worked in the equipment role at Evansville in the SPHL in the 2021-22 season, and before that served as equipment manager in junior hockey with NAHL Amarillo.
"I'm very excited. Peoria is a great organization, been around for a long time," Harden said. "They were in the SPHL Finals last year, they have the right culture and the right people. I just want to get there and help the guys be comfortable, help them win."

#peoria #last

PEORIA — The 2026 Discraft Ledgestone Open produced a first-time tour champion over the weekend in the pro division as more than 2,200 amateur and pro players powered through courses around the area.
Luke Taylor won his first Disc Golf Pro Tour event Sunday in a tight three-way finish on Eureka's temporary course.
"It's just about like how everyone sums up their first win," Taylor said in interviews after the tournament. "You don't really know what to think. I can't believe that last putt even went in. I felt like it had to. But I didn't know how it was going to go in or how it was going to play out.
"It was everything I could ask for in a final round. … It was pretty obvious for a while that my putting stroke was not there. I was crumbling from the pressure, some might say. I made a little adjustment to my stance the last six holes, and it made the difference.
"I just did the best I could, and it ended up going my way."

#first #taylor #peoria

High school golf begins official Illinois High School ******* ociation practice in one week.
Now, the Journal Star is asking readers to make a fans' choice for the 2026 Peoria-area Preseason Boys and Girls Golfers of the Year. Cast your vote at pjstar.com. The poll runs through noon Friday, Aug. 7.
There are eight golfers on the ballot, the same who made our 2026 Journal Star Fall Prep Preview golfers to watch list.
This vote has no bearing on who will be selected the Journal Star Player of the Year or will make the annual All-Area team, which are scheduled to be announced after the season.
Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.

#high #school

PEORIA — The 2026 Discraft Ledgestone Open extended its streak to a sixth consecutive season as the largest tournament in the sport.
More than 2,200 players in men's and women's divisions from pro class to amateur adult age groups and children as young as 10 scattered to tee off Thursday on the Peoria area's 15 courses as the first round of the tournament arrived.
In the two showcase draws, Calvin Heimburg led the Men's Professional Open with an 11-under fired at Lake Eureka, while Hämeenlinna, Finland native Heidi Laine led the Women's Professional Open after a 7-under turn on Morton's Northwood Black course.
Catrina Allen, world-ranked No. 19, was next among the pro women at 5-under, in a tie with world-ranked No. 8 Ella Hansen.
Heimburg, ranked No. 3 in the world by the Professional Disc Golf ******* ociation, was chased by defending two-time Ledgestone champion and current No. 1 world-ranked Gannon Buhr at two strokes behind.

#World

Mid-Illini Conference football is coming to Dozer Park.
Morton and Metamora will play their Week 9 league game on Friday, Oct. 16 at the home of the Peoria Chiefs. This game was originally scheduled to be played at Carper Field in Morton.
However, Potters coach Adam O'Neill announced the venue change via social media on Thursday, July 23 with a graphic ******* led, 'Dozer Dust Up.'
"Excited news for the pottersfootball," he posted. "Week 9 we will be playing at Dozer Field in Peoria"
More: The top high school football teams in Illinois for 2026, according to the Massey Ratings

#illini

Jul. 15—With coaches back on the recruiting trail this month as another AAU seasons reaches its final weeks, it's not a terrible time to ponder the Class of 2027 and beyond.
Commitments from Quinton Kitt and Mason Martin has Illinois' 2027 recruiting class ranked fourth nationally and third in the Big Ten, per 247Sports. The Illini trail only Iowa State and its trio of four-star recruits, Purdue and its four-star duo of 7-footer (obviously) Isaiah Hill and Georgia native point guard Kevin Savage and a Wisconsin trio that also includes a pair of four-star prospects in in-state guard Jalen Brown and Baboucarr Ann as the typical Minnesotan to pick the Badgers.
That Quinton Kitt and Mason Martin both received ******* ps in 247Sports' rankings helped push Illinois to fourth nationally. Kitt climbed into the top 100 after a standout season at East Peoria — his last before taking his talents to Monarch Academy (Kan.) — and Martin made his debut as a four-star and is now ranked No. 128 overall by 247Sports.
How Brad Underwood and Co. might fill out the class is the question. The Illinois coach said late last month he intends to keep recruiting every position despite the adoption of the NCAA's eligibility changes (five for five) and, of course, what should remain an active transfer portal.
There's simply no telling how many players the Illini might need ahead of the 2027-28 season and where the staff will go to get them. On that "recruit every position" front, however, it makes sense to target a point guard and a big man, and Illinois' recruiting efforts reflect that as a complement to the two commitments the program already holds.

Jul. 14—Las Vegas became the center of the basketball universe last week, with NBA Summer League, of course, the big draw. But Nike taking its EYBL operations to Sin City brought even more of the basketball world together. That included several top Illinois targets (and a key 2027 commit). Here's a look at how a few of them fared:
Cayden Daughtry & NaVorro Bowman Jr.
Fresh off helping lead Team USA to gold at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Istanbul, this Class of 2027 guard duo kept proving how talented they are among their peers. Daughtry and Bowman are the top two scorers in the EYBL. The former averaged 32.7 points, six rebounds, 3.7 ****** ists and 2.3 steals during his run in Las Vegas. While Daughtry wasn't super efficient, knocking down just 18 percent of his three-pointers for the Florida Rebels, Bowman picked up the slack in that department. The Team Why Not guard averaged 21.8 points on 46 percent shooting overall and a 44 percent hit rate from three-point range to go with 4.8 ****** ists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Quinton Kitt
Illinois' first commit in the Class of 2027 is also in the top 10 in the EYBL in scoring and did so at a high rate and with high efficiency in Las Vegas. The former East Peoria standout, who will play his senior season at Monarch Academy (Kan.), put up 21 points per game on 53/47/81 shooting last weekend for Meanstreets while also hauling in four rebounds per game. That kind of effort and production on the offensive end of the court has helped Kitt rise in the 2027 rankings.

PEORIA — The Bradley Braves added a point guard Monday to shore up their roster.
The program signed Spain native Max Gaspa Ibanez from the Baxi Manresa team in Spain's professional Liga Endesa.
He fills a roster spot vacated when Bradley's projected starting point guard, Georgi Gerganov, suffered a season-ending knee injury during summer workouts.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Barcelona-born Gaspa Ibanez, 20, played the last two seasons with Baxi, averaging 2.8 points per game on 9.4 minutes.
He shot 42.1% from the field and 27.3% from 3-point range in 25 games.

With the high school sports season behind us, it's time to look back.
This is the fifth poll in a series the Journal Star is rolling out this summer, asking readers to select various superlatives across the 2025-26 season — including top teams, coaches, plus male and female athletes.
It's time to name the Peoria-area high school Boys Coach of the Year. Head to pjstar.com/sports to vote. The poll closes at noon Thursday. Information about the nominees is below.
If you have a nominee for next week's Girls Coach of the Year honor, email us at sportspjstar.com or tag us on X pjstarsports. Last week, Morton two-sport star Claire Ceresa was named the fans' choice for 2026 Journal Star Girls Athlete of the Year.
The ***** ans (12-1) made program history in 2025 under Benedict. EP-G played in its first-ever state semifinal as a consolidation, but also had its first undefeated regular season, winning the Heart of Illinois Conference-Large Division at 5-0. Despite losing to eventual state champion Wilmington in the November semifinals, El Paso-Gridley averaged 36.8 points a game, scoring 35 points or more eight times. But the ***** ans' defense was extra special in giving up 11 points a game, while pitching four shutouts and 10 times allowing 15 points or less. Sophomore Cha'von Maxon (wide receiver) and junior Owen Adams (linebacker) were Journal Star All-Area selections.