Below are the entries in the 2019 IHSA Student Section Showdown… CLASS 1A/2A ENTRIES EASTLAND HIGH SCHOOL ELMWOOD HIGH SCHOOL OAKWOOD HIGH SCHOOL OKAWVILLE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS 3A/4A ENTRIES ANTIOCH HIGH SCHOOL FREMD HIGH SCHOOL GRANITE CITY H... Read more

As an official partner of the Illinois High School Association, Gatorade is in the IHSA and in high school student-athletes competing at IHSA state finals. Gatorade annually recognize some of the best and brightest in Illinois by naming Gatorade Players of the Year in 12 sports, including Footba... Read more

By Karissa Niehoff (below right), Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations and Craig Anderson (top right), Executive Director of the Illinois High School Association. If you are the mother or father of a high school athlete here in Illinois, this message is... Read more

The Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association (IHSSCA) has released its 2018 Boys Soccer All-State Team: 2018 IHSSCA ALL-STATE TEAM Bryan Alba, Mundelein Fernando Alvarado, Lane Tech Fernando Barragan, Reavis Adrian Barrera, Morton Truitt Battin, St. C... Read more

For the eighth-straight year, NBC Sports Chicago, the television home of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Championships, will be airing LIVE high-definition coverage of the 2018 IHSA Football State Championships on Friday, November 23 & Saturday, November 24 from the University ... Read more

The IHSA, Visit Champaign County, the University of Illinois, and the Champaign-Urbana communities are proud to welcome the competing teams and fans to the 2018 IHSA Football State Finals on Friday and Saturday, November 23-24. The Tent City tradition will continue across the street from Memorial... Read more

The NFHS Network is your home for unprecedented live IHSA game coverage in nearly every high school sport, including a full slate of football games every week! A subscription gets you month-long access to your favorite team’s games, as well to every other game being broadcast on the NFHS Ne... Read more

Throughout the 2018 high school football regular-season in Illinois, the Chicago Bears will honor an IHSA football player and coach each week as a part of its “Bears High School All-Star” and “Bears Coach of the Week” programs, respectively. The Chicago Bears will make a $1,5... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Football Playoff Pairing Show returns to NBC Sports Chicago for its eighth season in 2018. NBC Sports Chicago – THE Home of the #AuthenticFan – will air the show live on NBC Sports Chicago+ on Saturday, October 20 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM. ... Read more

North Mac High School football receiver Sam Mount made an appearance on ESPN SportsCenter’s #SCTOP10, highlighting the 10 best plays in sports on Friday, October 6, 2018.Mount’s amazing kick catch occurred during the first quarter of the Panthers 21-14 road loss at Pleasant Plains High S... Read more

Led by an additional 15,009 participants in girls sports programs, the overall number of participants in high school sports increased for the 29th consecutive year in 2017-18, according to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School... Read more

Today marks the start of the 2018 football season. As the new school year begins, the IHSA hopes everyone involved in high school sports takes the necessary precautions to ensure the safest playing environment for all participants. Participating in high school athletics offers many tremendous ben... Read more

Photo courtesy of the Shelbyville Daily Union Okaw Valley High School students Hutson Dickens and Austin Hill ended their high school baseball careers last spring, but their time on the baseball diamond together isn’t coming to an end. The pair are staying connected to the game and making... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to once again support the “Team Up Speak Up To Fight Concussions” initiative developed by the Concussion Legacy Foundation. The IHSA encourages all of its schools and programs to embrace the program, which will take place on September ... Read more

The Illinois Chapter of US Lacrosse has released its Academic Boys All-Americans from Illinois for the 2018 IHSA season. See the honorees below: 2018 US LACROSSE ACADEMIC ALL-STATE TEAM John Nieszel, Bremen Will Hanfland, Fenwick Mike Scudder, Fenwick Shane Jung, Grayslake C... Read more

The Illinois High School Association and MaxPreps released the 20187 football schedules for this fall. The 2018 season culminates with the making of legends (visit LegendsPlayHere for more info) at the IHSA Football State Finals (November 23-24), which return to the University of Illinois' Memori... Read more

Stillman Valley High School’s Pierce Knarr was one of the stars of the 2018 IHSA Bass Fishing State Finals. Pierce pulled the big bass of the tournament out of Carlyle Lake on Friday, May 18 when he caught a fish weighing in at 4 pounds and 15 ounces. On the second day of competition (May 1... Read more

The Illinois High School Lacrosse Association (IHSLA) has released its IHSA Boys Lacrosse All-State Teams for the 2018 season. Team members will be recognized at halftime of the 2018 IHSA Boys Lacrosse State Championship game at Hinsdale Central High School on Saturday, June 2 (approx. 8:00 pm). The... Read more

The Illinois High School Womens Lacrosse Association (IHSWLA) has released its IHSA Girls Lacrosse All-State Teams for the 2018 season. The First Team members will be recognized at halftime of the 2018 IHSA Girls Lacrosse State Championship game at Hinsdale Central High School on Saturday, June 2 (... Read more

Ten basketball players (5 boys and 5 girls) from Illinois high schools have been selected as winners of the 2018 Victor Zeinfeld “Spirit of Perseverance” Award in conjunction with Northbrook, IL based The Charity Stripe. They were each awarded a $1,000 cash prize to help further their... Read more

The Chicago Tribune has named its 2018 Illinois Ms. and Mr. Basketball Award winners based on a statewide vote by coaches and media. Rock Island junior Breanna Beal repeats as Ms. Basketball in 2018, becoming the fourth player (Cappie Pondexter, Candace Parker, Tyra Buss) in state history to win ... Read more

Mother McAuley High School was named the winner of the fourth annual IHSA Class 3A/4A Student Section Showdown on Saturday, March 17, 2018. Representatives from each of the Class 3A/4A finalists: Buffalo Grove, Mother McAuley, Ottawa Township and Sandburg – were on hand at the IHSA Cla... Read more

The Associated Press has released its IHSA Boys Basketball All-State Teams for the 2017-18 season. The Class 1A and Class 2A Teams were released on March 8, 2018, by the AP the and Class 3A and Class 4A teams on March 15, 2018. CLASS 1A FIRST TEAM Jake Wolfe, Aurora Christian (6-4, Sr., G) 95 O... Read more

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) recently announced one National winner and eight Section winners for the 2018 NFHS Heart of the Arts Award. The Illinois High School Association’s (IHSA) nominee, Monmouth-Roseville High School music teacher Kevin Ferry, was n... Read more

Okawville High School was named the winner of the fourth annual IHSA Class 1A/2A Student Section Showdown on Saturday, March 10, 2018, giving the Rockets their second straight title in the contest. Representatives from each of the Class 1A/2A finalists: Okawville and Elmwood – were on hand ... Read more

Hitting a last second shot to win an IHSA basketball state championship assures you legendary status at not only your high school, but for all-time in state tournament lore. So that leaves the question of what to call Geneva’s Stephanie Hart, who in a feat unlikely to ever be repeated, sunk th... Read more

The fans from Richwoods High School and Nazareth Academy put on an awesome display of school spirit at halftime of the 2018 IHSA Class 3A Girls Basketball State Championship game competing in the Biaggi's Spirit Challenge. As a part of the Biaggi's Spirit Challenge, presented by Biaggi's Ristoran... Read more

Senior Nights are always special for a variety of reasons. Two great stories emerged from a pair of IHSA schools recently. Wethersfield High School honored respected senior Bryce Elias, who couldn’t play due to injury, while special needs student Lukas Miezal (above #12) came off the Ridgewood... Read more

Richards High School (Oak Lawn) freshman wrestler Mia Palumbo made history on Thursday (February 15, 2018) at the State Farm Center, where she became the first female wrestler in IHSA history to win a match in the state final meet. Wrestling in the 106-pound weight division in Class 2A, Palumbo ... Read more

IHSA Assistant Executive Director Stacey Lambert announced the 26 members of the 2018 IHSA All-State Academic Team presented by Caterpillar on Tuesday, February 13, 2018: "This group is the best of the best,” said Lambert. “They embody the IHSA’s mission, excelling in the cl... Read more

Damari Hendrix is the 2017-18 IHSA nominee for the NFHS Spirit of Sport Award:Brian Rose will never forget the first time he met Damari Hendrix (below right). It followed a meeting in April 2016 introducing Rose as the new boys’ basketball coach at Foreman High School in Chicago. Talking with ... Read more

Class 3A/4A  2018 IHSA Student Section Showdown Entries: Click here for 1A/2A entries ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL BELLEVILLE WEST HIGH SCHOOL BRADLEY-BOURBONNAIS HIGH SCHOOL BUFFALO GROVE HIGH SCHOOL EDWARDSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL GRANT HIGH SCHOOL GRANITE CITY HIGH SCH... Read more

Class 1A/2A  2018 IHSA Student Section Showdown Entries: Click here for 3A/4A entries ELMWOOD HIGH SCHOOL OKAWVILLE HIGH SCHOOL Read more

Monmouth-Roseville High School Teacher Kevin Ferry is the 2017-18 IHSA Nominee For NFHS Heart of the Arts Award: Kevin Ferry (below right) isn’t defined by his vision impairment, but rather by the unique vision he has developed in how to build a successful high school music program, and m... Read more

Despite its proud tradition, many anticipated that Evanston High School’s boys’ basketball program would take a step back during the 2017-18 season after graduating several key players from last year’s team that lost to eventual Class 4A IHSA state champ Whitney Young in the Super-... Read more

As a part of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, Freeport High School dancer Davida Sanders recently shared the reason why she loves dance:

St. Charles East and St. Charles North added another chapter to their rivalry on Friday, January 12, 2018, as East edged North 53-50 on an amazing buzzerbeater.With the game tied at 50-50 in regulation and 3.3 seconds on the clock, North was looking for the win, when an improbable deflection led to ... Read more

Pekin wrestling coach John Jacobs took to Facebook to highlight a special moment for the Dragons program that occurred on January 5, 2018. Aided by a crutch and unbelievable determination, senior Hunter Beasley made his senior season debut. Hunter pushed his opponent to the third period, before ulti... Read more

As a part of a partnership between the NFHS Network and Facebook, the NFHS Network will broadcast a pair of high school basketball games on the social media network featuring IHSA schools on Saturday, January 6, 2018. Both contests unfolding at Highland High School will feature Illinois vs. Misso... Read more

The University of Miami football team captured the imagination of sports fans around the country this fall when it introduced its “turnover chain”, which a player dons on the sideline immediately after creating a turnover.Not surprisingly, the concept trickled down to the high school gam... Read more

A documentary film chronicling the Orr High School basketball team entitled “Shot In The Dark” will debut on FOX in February, 2018. Film crews for the movie were on-hand when the Spartans won the IHSA Class 2A Boys Basketball State Championship in Peoria in March, 2017. The film is pr... Read more

For the seventh-straight year, NBC Sports Chicago, the television home of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Championships, will be airing LIVE high-definition coverage of the 2017 IHSA Football State Championships on Friday, November 24 & Saturday, November 25 from Huskie Stadium... Read more

Al Raby High School fell to Morris 43-8 in the Semifinal round of the IHSA Class 4A Football Playoffs on Saturday, November 18, 2017, but the Raiders did manage to pull off a highlight that has garnered national attention from the likes of ESPN.An Al Raby punt in the game got a friendly roll from th... Read more

Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg Coop (WSS) junior Megan Schlechte made IHSA history while powering the Hatchets into the Class 1A Girls Volleyball State Championship match on Friday, November 10, 2017. Facing off against Durand in a Class 1A semifinal at Redbird Arena, Schlechte pounded a state fina... Read more

MaxPreps, the online high school sports leader teams with USA Football, United Soccer Coaches,  and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) to honor the state and nation's best each week: 9/18-9/24 Football:  No nominee Soccer:   Alex Chagoya, St. Anne High School V... Read more

The NFHS Network is your home for IHSA State Series broadcasts in all sports, including an unprecedented number of IHSA Football Playoff Games. Visit this page each week to see all the Playoff Football games that will be video-streamed live, then subscribe to the NFHS Network to watch all the act... Read more

It’s been nearly 30 years since Madison High School last made the IHSA Football Playoffs, but the Trojans are back in the field for the first time since 1987. One of the players who helped Madison back to the Class 1A playoffs is female linemen, sophomore Tiana “Big T” Robinson. ... Read more

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is beginning the second year of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, which is designed to showcase the tremendous value that high school sports and activities offer to students. In the first year of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, more than 500 un... Read more

WATCH via TV: NBC Sports Chicago Channel Finder WATCH via Facebook Live: NBC Sports Chicago Facebook WATCH via Web: NBCSportsChicago.com/IHSAPairingShow  -  FAQ WATCH via App: NBC Sports App The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Football Playoff Pairing Show returns to NBC Sports... Read more

WATCH via TV: NBC Sports Chicago Channel Finder WATCH via Facebook Live: NBC Sports Chicago Facebook WATCH via Web: NBCSportsChicago.com/IHSAPairingShow  -  FAQ WATCH via App: NBC Sports App The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Football Playoff Pairing Show returns to NB... Read more

Morton High School senior Tommy Kuhl put on the best performance in IHSA Boys Golf State Final history in 2017, a year after the IHSA held its centennial anniversary for the tournament. The format and number of holes played at the IHSA State Finals vary through the years, but there is no denying tha... Read more

Photo by Clay Jackson, courtesy of Decatur Herald & Review On Wednesdays, the left side of Walter Boyd Field is filled with boys practicing punt coverage. The right of the field is occupied by Maroa-Forsyth High School football players like star running back Deondre Gregory boasting that he h... Read more

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and its 51 state high school associations begin the annual celebration of National High School Activities Month next week with a focus on sportsmanship and a salute to the more than 500 million fans of high school sports. The NFHS ha... Read more

Thirty boys and girls soccer players from Illinois were honored and surprised for enhancing the lives of others through community service on September 24 at Triton College in River Grove. The student athletes from Glenbard East, Oswego, Lincoln-Way West, Bulls Prep, Washington, Huntley, Saint Pat... Read more

On Saturday, September 9, 2017, more than 1,500 male student-athletes representing 64 different Chicago-area high schools, from the city and suburbs, came together to collect 3,000+ jackets in Oak Brook. The goal was to bring attention to National Suicide Awareness Month and also help enhance the li... Read more

When Central A&M High School hosted Central Illinois Conference foe Meridian High School on the gridiron on September 8, 2017, fans in Moweaqua had Hurricane Harvey victims on their mind. The two schools, separated by six miles, made the decision to donate all gate receipts sold from the rivalr... Read more

All it takes is a little time and effort to make a difference in someone’s life. That’s exactly what Chicago-area boys and girls soccer players from 10 different high schools did on Sunday, when they surprised a Chicago senior community with breakfast a part of the Making A Difference... Read more

The NFHS Network School Broadcast Program (SBP) makes it easy for students to produce live video broadcasts by providing the software, tools and training they need for free. With the NFHS Network’s proprietary technology, schools can produce and distribute high quality events throughout the ye... Read more

It’s safe to say Sunday will be a day St. Charles North’s Hailey Rydberg will never forget. The University of Iowa-bound girls soccer player, who recently earned All-American honors, was named MVP of the 14th Annual PepsiCo Showdown, which is the largest high school soccer tournament ... Read more

Led by the largest one-year increase in girls participation in 16 years, the overall number of participants in high school sports increased for the 28th consecutive year in 2016-17, according to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High ... Read more

Today (August 7, 2017) marks the start of the 2017-18 season for football and golf at IHSA member schools. Later this week, other fall sports will begin their seasons. As this new school year begins, the IHSA hopes everyone will take the necessary precautions to ensure the safest playing environment... Read more

LaMond Pope's story below was originally published by the Chicago Tribune on August 1, 2017: When Warren needed help to protect its football field during the recent floods, coach Bryan McNulty (pictured above after leading Warren softball to the IHSA state title in 2014) reached out to his play... Read more

Sean Hammond’s story below was originally published by the Northwest Herald on July 24, 2017: Crystal Lake South assistant football coach Scott Busam needed help, so he had head coach Rob Fontana send out a group message to the entire football team. Busam’s uncle, Fred Prokop, a... Read more

High school football coaches and their teams across Illinois are joining the fight against childhood cancer this fall. The Illinois Coaches Association has joined Touchdowns Against Cancer as an official partner of the national program, hosted by MaxPreps and Pledge It, which empowers high school fo... Read more

The Illinois High School Association and MaxPreps released the 2017 football schedules for this fall. The 2017 season culminates with Destination DeKalb, as the IHSA Football State Finals (November 24-25) return to Northern Illinois University's Huskie Stadium in DeKalb. But before the state game... Read more

Whitney Young's boys basketball team emerged as the IHSA Class 4A State Champion in Peoria this March by outlasting Simeon 60-50 in overtime in the title game. The Dolphins were honored this spring by MaxPreps on its National Guard Tour of Champions. For more on the tour and Whitney Young, see the ... Read more

Press release and photos courtesy of Special Olympics Illinois: The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has received the 2017 Special Olympics Illinois’ Outstanding Organization of the Year Award. They were honored at a reception on June 9 before the Special Olympics Illinois Summer Gam... Read more

The Illinois Coaches Association and the Shriners of Illinois will host the 43rd annual Illinois High School Shrine Game on June 17th at Tucci Stadium on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Kick-off for the 43rd annual game is scheduled for Saturday, June 17th at 1:00p.m. The pregame festivi... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) conducted its first-ever Road Race on Saturday, June 3 at Heartland Community College in Normal. The event is believed to be the first 5K road race held by a state high school association.The Road Race champions came from three different schools, as Pana H... Read more

History was made at the 2017 IHSA Boys Track & Field State Finals on Saturday, May 27, 2017, as Homewood-Flossmoor (above) was crowned the first-ever IHSA Combined Team State Champion in Boys Track & Field, and the third overall in IHSA history. Combined team state champions are determine... Read more

While it is not a category that the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) formally tracks in its archives, the Association believes that Shelbyville High School senior Jordan Sieger (above left) is making a unique bit of history at the 2017 IHSA Boys Track & Field State Finals. Sieger becam... Read more

On February 24, 2017, Luther North College Prep in Chicago announced that the school would be ceasing its operations and closing for good at the conclusion of the 2016-17 school year. The school was in its 64th year, but noted that its enrollment had dropped from over 1,400 students in the 1960'... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has announced that its inaugural Road Race will debut on Saturday, June 3, 2017 at Heartland Community College in Normal. The 5K race is free to all participants and will feature three divisions: the Wheelchair Division, the Boys Division, and the Girls... Read more

Kendrick Green helped lead Peoria High School to its first-ever IHSA Football State Championship in the fall of 2016, as the Lions outlasted Vernon Hills 62-48 in the Class 5A title game. As Green prepares to continue his football career at the University of Illinois, his impact on his high school's... Read more

The NFHS Network, the nation’s leading high school sports media company, recently hosted its third annual NFHS Network Awards, where Sterling High School's school broadcast program was named a category winner.Sterling won the "Best Highlight" category for its coverage of an amazing boys soccer... Read more

The 2017 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods was released on on April 11, 2017, and contained a high school angler from Illinois. Buffalo Grove High School junior Tyler Lubbat was named to the All-American squad. He helped the Bison bass fishi... Read more

On Monday, April 17, 2017, the Illinois High School Association held its annual honors banquet to recognize some of the top high school students in the state who excel both in academics and extracurricular participation. The 2017 IHSA All-State Academic Team presented by Caterpillar featured 26 m... Read more

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the U.S. Army announced the 25-highschool, student-athlete finalists for the U.S. Army-Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Excellence. The program, now in its fifth year, highlights the achievements of student-athletes across the country. The prestigious program exp... Read more

Over 3,000 girls’ soccer players representing 80 different IHSA high school programs contributed to a massive donation of books in early April. The books were collected in Schaumburg and then delivered to Chicago Public Schools elementary schools. Participating high schools included Loc... Read more

Through the IHSA’s partnership with Susan G. Komen For The Cure, IHSA girls’ volleyball programs have raised more than $1.5 million dollars for cancer research via its annual Volley For The Cure matches. Other similar initiatives (read Super Addison's story here) have emerged througho... Read more

What a great way to kick the prom season off with my bestie I'm humbled and glad to say that I was her date and I had a great time 😍😍thx Eve pic.twitter.com/BFAcHTrrRC— tahj not taj (@T_Oliver_5) April 2, 2017Oswego East High School football standout Tahj Oliver did what many teens aroun... Read more

As a part of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, the mother of two-sport Granite City High School student-athlete Isaiah Mizell explains that her son participates in high school sports to better himself, and help inspire others to overcome adversity: I wanted to share my son Isaiah's story. Isaiah is a ju... Read more

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) recently announced one National winner and eight Section winners for the 2017 NFHS Heart of the Arts Award. The Illinois High School Association’s (IHSA) nominee, Buffalo Grove High School senior Sabrina Kenoun, was named the ... Read more

Sandburg High School was named the winner of the third annual IHSA Class 3A/4A Student Section Showdown on Saturday, March 18, 2017. Representatives from each of the four Class 3A/4A finalists: Breese Central, O’Fallon, Washington and Sandburg (pictured above) – were on hand at the IHSA... Read more

The Associated Press has released its IHSA Boys Basketball All-State Teams for the 2016-17 season. The Class 1A and Class 2A Teams were released on March 9, 2017, by the AP the and Class 3A and Class 4A teams will follow on March 16, 2017. CLASS 1A FIRST TEAM NAME, SCHOOL (HT., YR., POS.) POINTS... Read more

The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) has released its IHSA Boys Basketball All-State Teams for Class 1A/2A and Class 3A/4A. All-State honorees who were present at the Peoria Civic Center's Carver Arena for the state finals were recognized on the court. 1A/2A FIRST TEAM Noah Frederk... Read more

Special Olympics Illinois athletes, Unified Partners and coaches from across the state will gather at the March Madness Experience inside the Exhibition Hall at the Peoria Civic Center, this Friday, March 17 and Saturday, March 18, as part of the IHSA State Basketball Tournament for the first ever I... Read more

Okawville High School was named the winner of the third annual IHSA Class 1A/2A Student Section Showdown on Saturday, March 11, 2017.Representatives from each of the four Class 1A/2A finalists: Carmi-White County, Dwight, Olympia and Okawville (pictured above) – were on hand at the IHSA Class ... Read more

The Chicago Cubs World Championship Trophy Tour was a part of America’s Original March Madness on Thursday, as the trophy made an appearance at the Peoria Civic Center in the afternoon while Class 1A & Class 2A Boys Basketball State Final qualifiers were in the midst of their shootarounds ... Read more

Geneva captured its first IHSA girls’ basketball state championship at the 2017 IHSA Class 4A State Finals at Redbird Arena on Friday and Saturday, March 3-4, 2017, but it didn’t come without some high drama.The Vikings needed baskets in the closing seconds of both games to pull off the ... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has announced the finalists for its third annual Student Section Showdown, with the winners to be announced at America’s Original March Madness, the upcoming IHSA Boys Basketball State Finals at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria. The IHSA Student ... Read more

A pair of standout boys’ basketball players both had memorable nights on the hardwood last week thanks to great acts of sportsmanship from the opposing coaches and teams. Larkin High School’s Christian Negron (pictured right) will continue his basketball career at Loyola University in C... Read more

Saying that her team was “going through the issues that all teams go through over the course of a season,” St. Edward High School girls’ basketball coach Michelle Dawson was greeted with a first as a coach when her team emerged from a team meeting this winter alerting her that they... Read more

On Sunday, February 12, 2,500 girls soccer players from 80 different Chicago-area high schools came together off the field to assist in making the lives of others better in the same amount of time it would take to play a game. Picture 80 high school teams of 30+ girls soccer players wearing cape... Read more

Brian Achenbach of the Dispatch/Argus (QConline.com) captured the essence of high school sports in the photo above when Sherrard and Byron met in the IHSA Class 2A Girls Basketball Super-Sectional on Monday, February 20, 2017 at Monmouth College.With Byron leading comfortably late in the fourth quar... Read more

The Hersey High School boys varsity basketball team gave up their primetime playing spot on Friday, February 20, 2017 so the Hersey Special Olympics basketball team could have a chance to play with a gym full of fans cheering them on. Below is video of a special moment from the start of the game.... Read more

As a part of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, Althoff Catholic High School twin brothers, and IHSA wrestling state champions, Danny & Zac Braunagel recently shared the reason why they compete in IHSA wrestling: Read more

On February 9, 2017, Normal University High School varsity basketball player Kai Bates-Diop suffered from cardiac arrest during a basketball practice at the high school. Kai is alive today after being revived by the UHIGH Athletic Training Staff. Their use of CPR and an AED saved his life. Bates... Read more

IHSA Assistant Executive Director Stacey Lambert announced the 26 members of the 2017 IHSA All-State Academic Team presented by Caterpillar on Monday, February 14, 2017: "This group is the best of the best,” said Lambert. “They embody the IHSA’s mission, excelling in the cla... Read more

Class 3A/4A IHSA Student Section Showdown Entries: Click here for 1A/2A entries ALTON HIGH SCHOOL ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL BREESE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL - FINALIST CARTERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL FENWICK HIGH SCHOOL FREEBURG HIGH SCHOOL GENEVA HIGH SCHOOL GLEN... Read more

Class 1A/2A 2017 IHSA Student Section Showdown Entries: Click here for 3A/4A entries CARMI-WHITE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL - FINALIST DWIGHT HIGH SCHOOL - FINALIST FRANKFORT HIGH SCHOOL LITCHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL OKAWVILLE HIGH SCHOOL - FINALIST OLYMPIA HIGH SCHOOL - FI... Read more

Sabrina Kenoun is the 2016-17 IHSA nominee for the NFHS Heart of the Arts Award: When Buffalo Grove High School teacher Stefanie McCleish received an email seeking nominees for the NFHS Heart of the Arts Award, one student immediately came to mind. “The title of the award made me think of h... Read more

Joey Malinowski is the 2016-17 IHSA nominee for the NFHS Spirit of Sport Award: Motivation as an athlete has always come easy for Joey Malinowski. The 6-1, 240-pound junior at Central Catholic High School in Bloomington begins his summer days at 7:00 a.m. with a two-hour workout. Afternoons are s... Read more

The Illinois Matmen story below republished with approval: Saying that Austin O’Connor has an edge to him is like saying Hawaii has nice beaches; the description doesn’t begin to do justice to the reality. What do you say about someone who watches video of one of his matches and ... Read more

As a part of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, Mattoon High School dancer Emily Bacino recently shared the reason why she competes in IHSA dance:

The high-scoring Rock Island football team, along with the continuing efforts of the three-point shooters for Rocky’s girls and boys basketball teams, have caused donations to pile up for the Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation, in QCSportsNet.com’s Score for Education program. Th... Read more

The Morton Potters girls’ basketball team has enjoyed an amazing two-year run, having captured the past two IHSA Class 3A state championships. A repeat effort seemed unlikely a year ago when the Potters lost All-State guard Chandler Ryan to a season-ending injury in November, but the team per... Read more

A study conducted by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and funded by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Foundation revealed that high school athletes who specialize in a single sport sustain lower-extremity injuries at significantly higher... Read more

The boys and girls soccer teams from Washington High School in Chicago got in the holiday spirit, as student-athletes gave back to their community. On December 18, 2016, about 15 team members from Washington High School visited Perlman Senior Center in Evanston, where they surprised more than 50 ... Read more

The boys and girls soccer teams from Washington High School in Chicago got in the holiday spirit, as student-athletes gave back to their community. On December 18, 2016, about 15 team members from Washington High School visited Perlman Senior Center in Evanston, where they surprised more than 50 ... Read more

Fisher High School junior guard Ryan Meents recently drained a near fullcourt shot to beat the halftime buzzer in a varsity boys' basketball game. See the viral shot below and hear about how it has made Meents the talk of the town via a story from WCIA-TV Champaign by clicking here. Read more

The TEDx talk below features former professional football player Angus Reid of the Canadian Football League. Reid highlights the impact the game had on his life and the important life lessons young people learn through it: Read more

As a part of the IHSA Do What’s Right! Sportsmanship Program, member school personnel and licensed IHSA officials have the ability to recognize acts of exemplary sportsmanship and integrity that occur in IHSA events throughout the school year via the Sport A Winning Attitude Report (SAWA). Tho... Read more

History was made at the 2017 IHSA Girls Swimming & Diving State Finals on Saturday, November 19, 2016 at Evanston High School, as New Trier (above) was crowned the first-ever IHSA Combined Team State Champion in Girls Swimming & Diving, and the second overall in IHSA history following Glenba... Read more

St. Anthony High School (Effingham) senior Anna Sophia Keller (338 above) made history at the 2016 IHSA Cross Country State Finals at Detweiller Park in Peoria on Saturday, November 5, 2016. The senior crossed the finish line first in the Class 1A Girls State Final race, completing her legendary ... Read more

History, some 30-plus years in the making, was made at the 2016 IHSA Cross Country State Finals at Detweiller Park in Peoria on Saturday, November 5, 2016. Minooka High School senior Soren Knudsen crossed the finish line first in the Class 3A race with a time of 14:02. Knudsen became the first st... Read more

As a part of the IHSA Do What’s Right! Sportsmanship Program, member school personnel and licensed IHSA officials have the ability to recognize acts of exemplary sportsmanship and integrity that occur in IHSA events throughout the school year via the Sport A Winning Attitude Report (SAWA). Tho... Read more

COUNTRY Financial® is proud to be a sponsor of the Chicago Tribune Athlete of the Month. The passion and dedication these athletes show for their sport is the same as the passion and dedication our financial representatives provide for their clients. We live and work in the communities we suppor... Read more

CSN Chicago and the NFHS Network are your home for live broadcasts of IHSA Playoff Football action from Round 1 through the State Championship games on Thanksgiving weekend at Memorial Stadium in Champaign-Urbana. CSN Chicago will televise one game live during each round, culminating with all eig... Read more

Photo courtesy of the Champaign News-Gazette There is a famous scene in the movie RUDY (read IHSA State interview with Rudy), where Rudy finds out that his coach, Ara Parseghian, has left Notre Dame, and he is left wondering if the new coach will keep Parseghian's promise to let him suit-up for ... Read more

Shauna Becker was in attendance at the Fox Valley Conference Cross Country Championship Meet on Saturday, October 15, 2016, to cheer on her brother, Crystal Lake South junior Jack Becker. She ended up capturing a picture that encompasses the very essence of sportsmanship and selflessness. Becker&... Read more

Charleston High School senior Lauren Chappell made history on Saturday, October 15, 2016 when she won the individual medalist honors at the 2016 IHSA Girls Golf State Finals. The individual state crown was the third of Chappell’s career, marking the first time in state history since the tou... Read more

As evidence continues to mount that sport specialization can be detrimental to the overall development of high school athletes, several IHSA schools are actively trying to promote multi-sport participation. “I have always held the belief that playing multiple sports is important for an athl... Read more

During the month of September, the Schaumburg girls swimming & diving team represented a group called Cal's Angels by wearing special swim caps bearing the Cal's Angels logo on them. Cal's Angels is an organization that provides support and awareness for pediatric cancer patients. Schaumbu... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met at its regularly scheduled meeting at the IHSA office in Bloomington on Wednesday, October 12, 2016, where the Board announced that it has directed the IHSA staff to proceed with conducting an IHSA Road Race this spring. The IHSA ... Read more

Victor J. Andrew High School’s school broadcasting program, VJA TV, has created a storied tradition in a short time and may have found its next star in current junior broadcaster Jon Zaghloul. Former student Nate Szynal laid the program’s foundation, using grants and a partnership wit... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to take part in the National Federation of State High School Association’s (NFHS) new high school participation campaign #MyReasonWhy. There are countless benefits to participating in high school sports and activities, but a lot of concer... Read more

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and its 51 state high school associations begin the annual celebration of National High School Activities Month today with the launch of the #MyReasonWhy campaign. The #MyReasonWhy campaign is designed to showcase the tremendous val... Read more

The story below is courtesy of Mary Kaull, communications coordinator for Rockford Public Schools. Click here to subscribe to the RPS blog, and follow RPS on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. Photo courtesy of Alan Leon. Less than 5 percent of referees for the Illinois High School Association... Read more

Joliet Central put an end to the state’s longest football losing streak on Saturday, September 17, 2016, when the Steelmen edged Plainfield Central 38-35 at home. The Steelemen had lost their previous 57 contests. Joliet Central junior quarterback Zach Wisneski threw a 30-yard touchdown pas... Read more

The Concussion Legacy Foundation has created the first ever national concussion education day, scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 13. On Team Up Day, millions of athletes will hear a speech from their coach, captain and medical team that encourages them to Team Up & Speak Up to Fight Concussions, with... Read more

Many senior citizens tend to believe they have been pushed to the side and forgotten about. On Sunday, August 21, 2016, more than 300 male student-athletes from 64 Chicago-area high schools (list below) came together to recognize and bring awareness to social, health and economic issues that aff... Read more

The NFHS Network School Broadcast Program (SBP) makes it easy for students to produce live video broadcasts by providing the software, tools and training they need for free. With the NFHS Network’s proprietary technology, schools can produce and distribute high quality events throughout the ye... Read more

The NFHS Network is no longer strictly for laptops, tablets and phones! Watch IHSA action straight from your living room on the NFHS Network App, available on the App Store on Apple TV (Compatible with Apple TV 4th Generation model only). It's simple: download the free app through the App Stor... Read more

In July, 2016, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) announced its newest educational course as a part of its NFHS Learn series: Concussion For Students. Concussion for Students, developed in Partnership with the Barrow Neurological Institute, has been designed specific... Read more

When Lane Tech senior Larissa Seibt arrived for her lifeguard shift on Sunday morning at Leone Beach in Chicago, the Pepperdine University-bound standout thought it was going to be a quick check-in before starting her day.But the Chicago-resident had some special visitors waiting for her with a pair... Read more

The Illinois High School Association and MaxPreps released the 2016 football schedules for this fall.The IHSA Football State Finals (November 25-26) return to the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium in Champaign/Urbana in 2016. Click the link below to view the schedules by conference and school... Read more

Romeoville High School girls soccer players Olivia De La Rosa and Betsy Ramirez were surprised with Dell laptops for “Making A Difference On and Off The Field” earlier this June. Betsy, a senior, takes care of children during service at her local church and also volunteers at multip... Read more

Murphysboro is heading to the IHSA Baseball State Finals for the first time since 1966 after a Super-Sectional win over Teutopolis on Monday. Amidst the postgame excitement, the moment that stood out to Murphysboro Athletic Director Len Novara was the sportsmanship displayed by the "T-Town" team and... Read more

History was made at the 2016 IHSA Girls Track & Field State Finals on Saturday, May 21, 2016, as Glenbard West (above) was crowned the first-ever IHSA Combined Team State Champion. Combined team state champions are determined by taking the traditional IHSA state final scoring system and combi... Read more

The Crete-Monee High School girls' soccer team recently received a prestigious honor for its community service efforts, which CMHS head coach Kathy Siefert expanded on below: "As part of the Pepsico Showdown, teams are asked to take part in community service. The Crete-Monee girls soccer team spe... Read more

On Monday, April 18, 2016, the Illinois High School Association held its annual honors banquet to recognize some of the top high school students in the state who excel both in academics and extracurricular participation. The 2016 IHSA All-State Academic Team presented by Caterpillar featured 26 m... Read more

Alternate team members of the Wilmington High School cheerleading team took control of the IHSA GoPro camera to give fans an unprecedented vantage point of their school performing in the 2016 IHSA Cheerleading State Final prelims at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington on Friday, February 5, 2016. ... Read more

Sarah Pooler, the Senior Community Manager for the Lakeshore Division of the American Cancer Society announced in March that for the sixth consecutive year Zeigler-Royalton High School's Coaches vs. Cancer program has led all schools in Illinois for funds raised in support of the American Cancer Soc... Read more

Ottawa Township High School was named the winner of the second annual IHSA Class 3A/4A Student Section Showdown on Saturday, March 19, 2016. Representatives from each of the four Class 3A/4A finalists: Edwardsville, Lincoln-Way West, Ottawa & Prospect (pictured above) – were on hand at ... Read more

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) recently announced one National winner and eight Section winners for the 2016 NFHS Spirit of Sport Award. The Illinois High School Association’s (IHSA) nominee, Woodstock North senior student-athlete Wolfgang Kemp (right with ... Read more

The Rockridge High School and Hales Franciscan High School basketball teams are forever linked together by the events that decided their contest on Friday, March 11, 2016, at the Peoria Civic Center’s Carver Arena. The finish below epitomized the reason the IHSA Boys Basketball State Finals... Read more

Breese Central High School was named the winner of the second annual IHSA Class 1A/2A Student Section Showdown on Saturday, March 12, 2016. Representatives from each of the four Class 1A/2A finalists: Breese Central, Dwight, Frankfort and Olympia (pictured above) – were on hand at the IHSA ... Read more

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) recently announced one National winner and eight Section winners for the 2016 NFHS Heart of the Arts Award. The Illinois High School Association’s (IHSA) nominee, Rockridge senior student Gabe Stanforth (right with IHSA Execut... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has announced the finalists for its second annual Student Section Showdown, with the winners to be announced at America’s Original March Madness, the upcoming IHSA Boys Basketball State Finals at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria. The IHSA Student... Read more

A fundraising event called "Gameball Run" benefiting the Children's Hospital of Illinois, was started by the Morton High School boys' basketball program four years ago and has since grown into a massive community event that raised over $62K in 2015-16. For more on the amazing program, read t... Read more

Wolfgang Kemp is the 2015-16 IHSA nominee for the NFHS Spirit of Sport Award: There are few better days in the life of a high school student than that final day of school in mid to late December. The sense of euphoria that results when coupling the relief of completing final exams with the e... Read more

Gabe Stanforth is the 2015-16 IHSA nominee for the NFHS Heart of the Arts Award: Rockridge High School principal Katy Hasson occasionally forgets some of the details regarding her students. That is understandable when you consider that all told, over 600 students from grades six through twelve ... Read more

CLASS 3A/4A School Entries Click for Class 1A/2A entries BATAVIA DOG POUND BROTHER RICE CRUSADER CRAZIES DOWNERS GROVE SOUTH EDWARDSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL - FINALIST GLENBROOK NORTH HIGH SCHOOL HOFFMAN ESTATES HIGH SCHOOL LAKES ROYAL RUSH LASALLE-P... Read more

CLASS 1A/2A School Entries Click here for 3A/4A entries BREESE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL - FINALIST DWIGHT TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL - FINALIST FRANKFORT COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL - FINALIST OLYMPIA HIGH SCHOOL - FINALIST Read more

IHSA Assistant Executive Director Stacey Lambert announced the 26 members of the 2016 IHSA All-State Academic Team presented by Caterpillar on Tuesday, February 16, 2016: “This group is the best of the best,” said Lambert. “They embody the IHSA’s mission, excelling in th... Read more

Geneseo High School senior Hunter Grau, the defending IHSA Class 2A Individual Wrestling State Champion at 138 pounds, made the day of a young man with Down Syndrome last week with a random act of kindness following his IHSA Regional title. For more on Hunter's selfless act, watch the video below... Read more

The story below and photo above are provided courtesy of the Bureau County Republican and reprinted with their consent. The story originally ran on January 15, 2016: KEWANEE — Sport gave way to life and death Thursday, Jan. 14, at Kewanee High School. The Boiler Girls were up 46-14 on th... Read more

The Chicago Bears honored the 2015 IHSA Football State Champions, as well as the Chicago Bears Weekly High School All-Star Players & Coaches from 2015, with a special moment of recognition during halftime of their December 13 game against Washington at Soldier Field. The moment was elevated even... Read more

The YouTube channel Speech Hub recently caught up with Homewood-Flossmoor graduate Donyae Lewis to reflect on his high school speech experiences. Donyae was the IHSA Speech-Individual Events state champion in the Informative Speaking category in 2013. See the interview with Donyae below, ... Read more

As a part of the 2015 IHSA Student Leadership Conference, the IHSA announced that the IHSA Student Section Showdown will return for its second installment during the 2015-16 school year. The inaugural contest took place in 2014-15, with Central A&M High School in Moweaqua and Prospect High Sc... Read more

The YouTube channel Speech Hub recently caught up with Downers Grove South graduate Dan Leahy to reflect on his high school speech experiences. Dan won two IHSA state titles in Speech-Individual Events (Humorous Duet Acting in 2012, Original Comedy in 2013), helping Downers Grove South to the tea... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) held its biannual Student Leadership Conference on Monday, September 28, 2015, as over 700 students from around the state descended upon the Peoria Civic Center to attend the free event. The conference featured keynote speaker Harvey Alston, a nationall... Read more

On Friday, October 9, 2015, Rockford Lutheran senior running back James Robinson set the new state career rushing record during a 56-19 victory over Byron. He concluded the contest with 8,681 career rushing yards. Robinson set the new career mark on a 25-yard run on third down with 7:52 remaining... Read more

While traveling to the First to the Finish Invitational in Peoria last weekend, the Genenseo High School boy’s cross country team endured a harrowing set of circumstances that could have turned tragic if not for the heroic actions of head coach Don Fredericks (right). The Maple Leaf bus fou... Read more

Glenbard East senior wide receiver Rebecca Deluca-Lane made a historic touchdown in the Rams 56-12 Week 3 victory over East Aurora on September 11. When the Rams completed a long pass deep in East Aurora territory, Rebecca ‘s teammate fumbled the ball, which hit an opposing player and bounc... Read more

On Friday, September 4, Stillman Valley High School was scheduled to host Richmond-Burton High School in a varsity football contest. The JV game was completed that evening, however, the varsity game was cancelled as word reached the high school that a serious car accident involving Stillman Valley s... Read more

On Friday, September 4, when LaSalle-Peru High School hosted Galesburg High School in a non-conference football matchup, the LPHS administration planned a special moment of silence to honor a pair of Galesburg students who lost their lives in an August car accident. LPHS Principal Deb Nelson and ... Read more

"As the Illinois High School Association’s football administrator, my inbox on Monday mornings in the fall is often filled with messages asking me to review calls or judgments made by officials during the course of that weekend’s contests. Just this weekend, I received an email from M... Read more

The Lincoln-Way High School District announced in August that it will close its north campus high school at the conclusion of the 2015-16 school year. When North faced neighboring Richards High School in a Week 1 football tilt, Richards High School teacher and cheerleading coach Crystal Miguez and h... Read more

St. Bede Academy Athletic Director Tom McGunnigal shared this photo from the LaSalle News Tribune of St. Bede and Amboy High School players and coaches gathering together during their Week 1 game after a St. Bede player suffered a severe leg injury. McGunnigal reflected, saying: "As injured pla... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced today that varsity high school football teams throughout the state will wear Play Smart. Play Hard. helmet decals (shown above) throughout the season in a show of solidarity amongst coaches and players. “Communities throughout Illinois r... Read more

The number of participants in high school sports increased for the 26th consecutive year in 2014-15 – topping the 7.8 million mark for the first time – according to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Association... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced  on May 12, 2015 the launch of the Play Smart. Play Hard. campaign focused on furthering the IHSA’s commitment to enhancing the safety of Illinois’ student-athletes and collaborating with others who share that mission. The campai... Read more

Wilson Sporting Goods, Co., in collaboration with the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), announced today it has named eight Illinois high school basketball teams to its “Legion of Champions” program. The Legion of Champions program, started in late 2014, is designed to acknowledge ... Read more

Prospect High School (Mt. Prospect) was named the inaugural winner of the IHSA Class 3A/4A Student Section Showdown on Saturday, March 21, 2015. Representatives from each of the four Class 3A/4A finalists – Morton (Berwyn/Cicero), Normal Community, Ottawa Township & Prospect (pictured a... Read more

Central A&M High School was named the inaugural winner of the IHSA Class 1A/2A Student Section Showdown on Saturday, March 14, 2015. Representatives from each of the four Class 1A/2A finalists - Central A&M, Dwight, Hinckley-Big Rock & Olympia (pictured above) – were on hand at ... Read more

St. Rita of Cascia High School senior Ethan Gray has been selected as the 2015 national recipient of the “National High School Heart of the Arts Award” by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). The National High School Heart of the Arts Award was created by ... Read more

Following his team's exciting 56-52 victory over Prophetstown in the 2015 IHSA Class 1A Girls Basketball Semifinals, Central A&M coach Tom Dooley intially shied away from talking about his team's triumph so he could first speak about the coach on the opposing bench, Prophetstown's Don Robinson. ... Read more

Class 3A/4A School Entries Click here for info on finalists  &   here for Class 1A/2A Entries Andrew T-Bolt Storm: Barrington Big Red: Bradley-Bourbonnais Red Surge: Champaign Central Bleacher Bums: Chicago University High School: East M... Read more

IHSA Class 1A/2A School Entries Click here for info on finalists  &  here for Class 3A/4A entries Breese Central High School: Carlinville Blue Crew: ***FINALIST*** Central A&M: ***FINALIST***  Dwight Township High School:   Freeburg: ... Read more

The Chicago Bears honored the 2014 IHSA Football State Champions, as well as the Chicago Bears Weekly High School All-Star Players & Coaches from 2014, with a special moment of recognition during halftime of their December 21 game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. The moment was elevat... Read more

The O'Fallon High School Band received the honor of being selected to play in the 2015 Rose Parade, as a part of the festivities associated with the Rose Bowl and Tournament of Roses. The Rose Parade took place on January, 1, 2015. The video below shows the Panthers band marching through the streets... Read more

The IHSA Student Advisory Committee (SAC) is holding the Student Section Showdown contest to determine the student section in the state with the best spirit and sportsmanship. Student sections will have the remainder of the 2014-15 basketball season to submit a video (up to three minutes) that shows... Read more

Sandburg's student section packs the season-opening football game Washington's Orange Crush creates whiteout conditions Murphysboro students amidst flags and confetti Andrew's T-Bolt Storm Read more

The Central Suburban League recently conducted a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative challenging students to produce videos chronicling sportsmanship at their respective schools. New Trier High School Assistant Athletic Director Deb Ofcky recalled how the idea came to be: “About a y... Read more

The Mahomet-Seymour High School dance team has ridden an incredible two-year wave of success that started with the program’s first-ever IHSA state championship a year ago. “We are very fortunate to have had two consecutive years of success,” said head coach Mahomet-Seymour dance... Read more

The Chicago Bears honored the 2013 IHSA Football State Champions with a special moment of recognition during halftime of their December 29 game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. Photos of players and coaches from each title team running onto the field are courtesy of photographer Bill ... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) held its Student Leadership Conference on Monday, September 30, as over 700 students from around the state descended upon the Peoria Civic Center to attend. The conference featured keynote speaker Harvey Alston, a nationally renowned motivational speake... Read more

Glenbard North's zombie nation Andrew High School on Homecoming Students interact with keynote speaker Harvey Alston at the IHSA Student Leadership Conference Herscher fans at the Class 1A Boys Soccer State Finals New Trier swimming moves closer to state title Downers Grove... Read more