by Ben Cox
Photos provided
January is typically a tough month in winter sports as teams are buckling down for postseason runs across multiple sports. It’s especially been tough in the Jacksonville community. We continue to lift up our thoughts and prayers of comfort and love to the family of Addy Johnson in their time of grief and mourning. Sometimes sports can give us a moment of distraction, comfort and unity. The Jacksonville athletic community and beyond showed love in the face of such adversity.
Jacksonville boys basketball honors, heals and wins
Friday night at The Bowl was about far more than a scoreline.
On January 30, Jacksonville High School’s boys basketball team earned a gritty 62-48 victory over Illinois Valley Central in a game that resonated deeply throughout the community.
Fans packed the gym dressed in pink to honor the memory of Adelisa Johnson, whose life was tragically cut short on January 23. The atmosphere was emotional yet uplifting as everyone cheered, remembered and showed love to one another in the name of sport and community.
The Crimsons responded with a determined effort on the floor, using energy from the crowd to pull away in the second half. The win provided a moment of collective healing and paid heartfelt respect to Addy’s family, offering comfort through unity and shared remembrance.
Jacksonville returned to action Saturday night, January 31, hosting Sacred Heart-Griffin at The Bowl and fell just short 67-65, continuing a challenging stretch of games. Looking ahead, the Crimsons face a key Central State Eight matchup at Springfield Southeast on February 3, followed by a pair of non-conference home games against Bloomington (February 6) and Mt. Zion (February 7).
Triopia boys battle through home tournament
The Triopia Trojans experienced a tough week at their own tournament, dropping their final two contests despite competitive performances. On January 27, Triopia fell to Griggsville-Perry in a narrow 53-50 decision before closing tournament play with a 59-49 loss to South County on January 30.
Despite the setbacks, the Trojans remain solidly positioned at 15-10 overall and 2-2 in the Western Illinois Valley Conference. Triopia wrapped up tournament play on January 31 with a loss to Rushville-Industry in the fifth-place game 43-41, while Griggsville-Perry fell to Calhoun in the championship.
Conference action resumes for the Trojans on February 3 with a matchup against Calhoun.
South County finds momentum
South County’s boys opened the Triopia Tournament with a 49-36 loss to Griggsville-Perry on January 26 but quickly turned things around. The Vipers rebounded with a convincing 58-41 win over Beardstown on January 27 and capped the week by defeating Triopia on January 30.
South County wrapped up tournament play on January 31 with a third-place game against Carrollton that had a crazy finish. The teams went back and forth into overtime until Caden Colwell hit a baseline jumper with seconds remaining to seal a 51-49 win for South County.
Routt Catholic focused on conference consistency
Routt Catholic opted to stay tournament free this week, instead focusing on conference play as the regular season winds down. That strategy paid off on January 30, when the Rockets dominated North Greene 69-31 on the road.
Routt faces a pair of key conference games in the coming week against West Central and Greenfield-Northwestern.
West Central faces change, challenges
Off the court, West Central athletics received difficult news this week as it was announced that the Winchester Elementary Gymnasium may be permanently closed and potentially demolished in the future—a blow to a venue steeped in local sports history.
On the court, the Cougars continue to adjust to their new home base in Bluffs. West Central dropped two non-conference games this week against Illinois Route 4 rivals North Mac and Auburn before returning to action on January 31 against Athens. Conference play resumes with games against Routt at home and Carrollton on the road.
Jacksonville girls basketball continue through adversity
The Jacksonville High School girls basketball team endured a difficult and emotional week. The Crimsons fell 48-36 on the road at Decatur Eisenhower on January 30 before returning home to face Bloomington, where they suffered a 57-24 loss on January 31.
Earlier in the week, Jacksonville canceled a scheduled game following the tragic car accident that claimed Addy Johnson’s life and sidelined senior Autumn Gause and junior Camryn Chumley for the remainder of the season. The team now sadly faces the remainder of the season without their teammates, a shortened bench and a tough schedule.
West Central girls shock the field
Few teams are playing better basketball right now than the West Central girls.
The Cougars opened the Lady Hawk Invitational in Carrollton with a 50-34 win over Nokomis on January 28 before delivering a stunning upset of tournament host and top-seeded Carrollton, 42-36, on January 29. Ali Little led the way with 21 points in the signature victory.
The win marked West Central’s eighth straight and their first triumph over Carrollton since 2021. The Cougars haven’t lost since a January 8 defeat to Liberty and advanced to the tournament championship game against Liberty on January 31. Unfortunately, it was the same result, as the Eagles once again handed the Lady Cougars a close loss 43-34. West Central’s Ali Little and Evynn Gregory made the all-tournament team.
Triopia girls ready to resume
After weather-related cancellations, the Triopia girls return to action this week carrying a 15-7 overall record and a 3-1 mark in WIVC play.
The Lady Trojans host Barry-Western on February 2 before traveling to Pittsfield for a conference matchup on February 3.
South County girls edge Porta
South County’s Lady Vipers played just once this week but made it count, edging Porta A/C 50-47 in a tightly contested home game on January 28. South County continues its schedule with a home game against Carlinville on February 2 and a road trip to conference foe Bunker Hill on February 5.
Other local highlights
The Winchester Elementary seventh grade boys basketball team continues its impressive postseason run, advancing to the state tournament and winning its first-round game. The team defeated Dwight in the semifinals on January 31 and advanced to this week’s state final games starting on Thursday.
The Jacksonville J’ettes delivered another outstanding performance on the state stage, earning second place at the IHSA Class 1A Competitive Dance State Finals.
Illinois College: Big performances across multiple sports
Illinois College men’s basketball extended its momentum with a 61-58 comeback win over Knox on January 27, erasing a six-point halftime deficit to secure its fifth straight conference victory—the program’s longest MWC streak since the 2023-24 season. The run ended on January 31 with a narrow 67-62 road loss at Ripon, moving the Blueboys to 10-10 overall and 7-4 in conference play.
The Lady Blues basketball team dropped a 98-83 decision at Knox on January 27 despite a strong offensive showing. The Lady Blues also dropped a game against the 20th-ranked Ripon squad 88-56 on the road on January 31. With the loss, the Lady Blues move to 8-12 overall and 4-7 in MWC play.
On the track, Illinois College athletes shined at the Jason Dennis Memorial hosted by Illinois Wesleyan on January 30. Chatham-Glenwood graduate Jaden Saunders won the long jump with a leap of 6.66 meters—the second-best mark in the Midwest Conference this season. Jacksonville native Jacob Kollman placed second in the triple jump at 13.05 meters.
The women’s team also posted multiple victories. Auburn graduate Aleese Trimingham captured the 60-meter hurdles in 9.06 seconds, the fastest MWC time this year and the second-fastest in program history. Kairy Mercado-Ramos won the 3,000 meters, while North Greene graduate Delanie Teno took first in the weight throw.
In the pool, Illinois College men’s swimming capped the regular season with its 19th consecutive dual victory, defeating Millikin 137-58 on January 31. Cade Emerick won the 1,000-yard freestyle in 11:01.03 as part of another dominant performance.
The women’s team also defeated Millikin, closing out the home portion of their season. Both squads now turn their attention to postseason competition in late February at Grinnell, Iowa.
