The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to announce its seventh class of recipients of the IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award. The 2019-20 honorees include two of the longest active media members in the state, alongside a legendary preps writer. Fowler Connell is 95 years young and ... Read more

The 2019 IHSA Football State Championship games will air live on statewide television via Quincy Media Inc.’s IHSA TV Network on Friday and Saturday November 29-30. The eight state title games will be contested at Huskie Stadium on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Fans ... Read more

The Illinois High School Football Coaches Association (IHSFCA) has released its All-State Football Teams in Class 1A through Class 8A for the 2019 season. The All-State teams are nominated by and voted on by IHSFCA member coaches, and the team members are honored by the IHSFCA prior to the IHSA Foot... Read more

The City of DeKalb, the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau & Northern Illinois University are excited to welcome high school football fans to the 2019 IHSA Football State Championship games on Friday and Saturday, November 29-30! All of the action will be unfolding on the Northern I... 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

The Illinois High School Association celebrated 50 years of the IHSA Cross Country State Finals being run at Detweiller Park in Peoria on Saturday, November 9, 2019, in conjunction with its partners at Peoria High School and the Peoria Park District.The festivities added a special aura to an event t... Read more

The IHSA annually recognizes Honorary Officials at the IHSA Cross Country State Finals to honor their contributions to the sport of high school cross country in Illinois. The 2019 IHSA Cross Country State Finals on Saturday, November 9, 2019 mark the 50th running of the event at famed Detweiller ... Read more

During his award-winning career at the Peoria Journal Star, Kirk Wessler covered every aspect of the IHSA Cross Country State Finals in Peoria. Kirk took on the monumental task of recapping the past 50 years of the state meet at Detweiller: 50 Years of Running In Peoria If anyone tries to tell you... Read more

By Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, NFHS Executive Director Case studies have revealed that kids want to participate in high school sports because they are fun. Being a part of a team gives them an identity, a sense of self-worth and, in some cases, a reason for engaging in academics. They are included, acc... Read more

Throughout the 2019 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

A longstanding IHSA tradition gets a new home, and a new twist, as the IHSA prepares to unveil its 2019 IHSA Football Playoff Pairings on Saturday, October 26. The IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show, which will reveal the brackets and first round match-ups of all 256 playoff qualifiers across eig... Read more

Please note that the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) does not conduct or vote in any rankings or polls for any sports, nor do polls or rankings factor into State Series assigning. The Associated Press produces statewide class-by-class polls throughout the season in Football, Boys Basketball ... Read more

By Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, NFHS Executive Director Some of the top football matchups featuring Ohio teams this past Friday night were Mentor vs. Shaker Heights, Cleveland St. Ignatius vs. Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, Cincinnati St. Xavier vs. Massillon Washington and Northwestern vs. Ohio State... Read more

By Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, NFHS Executive Director When it comes to the long-term effects of concussions in sports, there is a wide range of information published – almost on a daily basis. Unfortunately, much of the media coverage as it relates to high school sports – and particularl... Read more

By Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, NFHS Executive Director When the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey was released by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in August, many headlines across the country focused on the drop in the number of boys playing 11-player f... Read more

         The NFHS has partnered with Eknowledge, tabbing the interactive e-learning products provider as its official partner in SAT & ACT testing preparation. The NFHS is proud to make this servicee available to IHSA schools and students via an exclusiv... Read more

By Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, NFHS Executive Director Recent articles have documented the rising costs of club sports, with one noting that about 62 percent of “travel ball” parents will go into debt to involve their kids in year-round sports. A USA Today article in 2017 suggested tha... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to once again support the Concussion Legacy Foundation's Team Up Speak Up initiative during National Team Up Speak Up Week from September 8-14, 2019. The goal of Team Up Speak Up is for as many athletes as possible to hear a simple speech. T... Read more

The IHSA is excited to share that Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby is helping us prepare the next generation of youth sports officials in Illinois. IVCC is offering basic fundamental classes and sport specific classes in Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Baseball & Softball. Da... 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. Inappropriate adult behavior at high school athletic events in Illinois has reached epid... Read more

Loyola (#5) outlasted conference rival Brother Rice (#210) 13-3 in the 2018 IHSA Class 8A state title game. Both schools rank in the Top 300 in program wins in state history. State historians Kev Varney and Tom Sikorski have compiled their annual list of the winningest high school football progra... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and digital broadcast partner the NFHS Network are proud to announce a new partnership with Quincy Media, Inc. that will create a statewide television and digital network to carry IHSA State Final broadcasts live during the 2019-20 school year and will con... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Officials Conference celebrates 20 years on Friday and Saturday, July 19-20, as the 20th annual event will once again unfold in East Peoria. The conference will be hosted at the East Peoria Embassy Suites and East Peoria Community High School. The theme of... Read more

The Illinois Coaches Association (ICA) has released its All-State Teams for the 2019 IHSA season. The Class 1A-4A First Teams are listed below. For the complete ICA All-State Teams, click here. CLASS 1A Sydney Baalman, Calhoun Claire Maulding, Casey-Westfield Emily Crompton, Chris... Read more

The Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) has released its All-State Teams for the IHSA 2019 season: CLASS 1A Mark Branz, Gibault Harmon Clifton, North Clay Luke Couch, Marquette-Ottawa Cole Franks, AlWood Braedon Fyock, Forreston Trent Glidewell, Goreville Dylan Hil... Read more

One of the most legendary coaches in high school history, long-time St. Joseph High School boys basketball coach Gene Pingatore passed away on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at the age of 83. Pingatore is the IHSA’s all-time winningest boys basketball coach with a career record of 1035-384, which... Read more

The Illinois High School Association and MaxPreps have released the 2019 Illinois high school football schedules for this fall. The 2019 season culminates with Destination DeKalb, as the IHSA Football State Finals (November 29-30) return to Northern Illinois University's Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.... 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 were recognized at halftime of the 2019 IHSA Girls Lacrosse State Championship game at Hinsdale Central High School. IHSWLA FIRST TEAM A... 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

On Monday, April 15, 2019, 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 2019 IHSA All-State Academic Team presented by Caterpillar featured 26 membe... Read more

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) annually bestows the highest accolade in high school sports and activities upon 12 individuals with enshrinement into the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame. The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to announce that pio... Read more

Photos courtesy of Dispatch/Argus (Beal) and Visual Image Photography (Liddell) The Chicago Tribune has named its 2019 Illinois Ms. and Mr. Basketball Award winners based on a statewide vote by coaches and media. Rock Island senior Breanna Beal won her third consecutive Ms. Basketball award, ... Read more

Saturday, Mach 16, 2019 proved to be a special day for the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), as the IHSA recognized two students at IHSA State Final events in Central Illinois.Joined by her family, Riley Maher (above), the IHSA nominee for the NFHS Spirit of Sport Award (click here to read Ri... Read more

Peoria’s WMBD TV Sports Director Kurt Pegler was honored with his IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award on Friday, March 8, 2019, at Bradley University’s Renaissance Coliseum in Peoria. The Renaissance Coliseum was hosting the IHSA Class 3A Boys Basketball Sectional Final between Peoria... Read more

Fremd High School in Palatine was named the winner of the fifth annual IHSA Class 3A/4A Student Section Showdown on Saturday, March 16, 2019, marking the first-ever Student Section Showdown victory for the group affectionately known as the Army of Darkness. Representatives from each of the Class ... Read more

The Associated Press has released its IHSA Boys Basketball All-State Teams for the 2018-19 season. The Class 1A and Class 2A Teams were released on March 7, 2019, by the AP. CLASS 1A FIRST TEAM NAME, SCHOOL (HT., YR., POS.) POINTS Connor Heaton, Moweaqua Central A&M (6-5, Jr., G) 106 Chri... Read more

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

Belvidere North High School Student Johnathon Giesecke is the 2018-19 IHSA nominee for the NFHS Heart of the Arts Award and has been named the NFHS winner for Section 4: The thought of public speaking can be a daunting task for anyone, let alone a teenager. It would appear to be the opposite fo... Read more

Okawville High School was named the winner of the fifthannual IHSA Class 1A/2A Student Section Showdown on Saturday, March 9, 2019, giving the Rockets their third consecutive straight title in the contest. Representatives from each of the Class 1A/2A finalists: Elwmood, Oakwood, and Okawville &nd... Read more

On Friday, March 15 and Saturday, March 16, Special Olympics Illinois athletes, Unified Partners, and coaches from across the state will gather at the March Madness Experience Hall at the Peoria Civic Center as part of the IHSA State Basketball Tournament. To compete in the tournament, athletes m... Read more

NBC Sports Chicago - THE Home of the #AuthenticFan - will be airing LIVE cross-platform coverage of the 2019 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Boys Basketball State Championships on Friday, March 8 & Saturday, March 9 (Class 1A & 2A) and Friday, March 15 & Saturday, March 16 (Class... Read more

Below are the entries in the 2019 IHSA Student Section Showdown… CLASS 1A/2A ENTRIES EASTLAND HIGH SCHOOL ELMWOOD HIGH SCHOOL - FINALIST OAKWOOD HIGH SCHOOL - FINALIST OKAWVILLE HIGH SCHOOL - 1A/2A CHAMPION! CLASS 3A/4A ENTRIES ANTIOCH HIGH SCHOOL ... Read more

The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) has released its IHSA Girls Basketball All-State Teams for Class 1A and Class 2A. All-State honorees who were present at Redbird Arena for the state finals were recognized on the court. CLASS 1A - FIRST TEAM ... Read more

The Associated Press has released its IHSA Girls Basketball All-State Teams for the 2018-19 season. The Class 1A and Class 2A Teams were released on February 21, 2019, by the AP. The Class 3A/4A Teams were released on February 28, 2019. CLASS 1A FIRST TEAM NAME SCHOOL HT YR POS. PTS. Anaya... Read more

Current Northwestern University lecturer Melissa Isaacson is an award-winning sportswriter who has worked for ESPN and was a beat writer for the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls during her decorated 30-plus year career. Long before Isaacson authored books like Transition Game: An Inside Look at ... Read more

The Illinois High School Association is proud to announce that its nominee for the 2018-19 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Sprit of Sport Award is O’Fallon High School senior Riley Maher (right). The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) d... Read more

NBC Sports Chicago - THE Home of the #AuthenticFan - will be airing LIVE cross-platform coverage of the 2019 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Girls Basketball State Championships on Friday, February 22 & Saturday, February 23 (Class 1A & 2A) and Friday, March 1 & Saturday, March 2... Read more

The Illinois High School Association honored one of great behind-the-scenes contributors in the history of the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals at the tourney’s 2019 edition. Prior to the Grand March and state championship matches on Saturday, February 16, Barry Mink was recognized in... Read more

Four Grand Marshals, who have combined to contribute more than 140 years to the sport of wrestling, will lead the annual Grand March of Finalists Saturday night before the championship bouts of the 81st IHSA Individual Wrestling State Final Tournament. First held in 1975, the annual March of Finali... Read more

Quincy’s KHQA TV Sports Director Chris Duerr was honored with his IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award on Saturday, February 2, 2019, at Notre Dame High School in Quincy. The presentation followed a contest featuring West Hancock coop, who nominated Chris for the honor and whose administrati... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to announce its 2018-19 Officials of the Year in 22 IHSA sports. To be considered for this honor, an official must first be nominated by an Officials Association recognized by the IHSA. IHSA staff members then vote on the winners based on factors ... Read more

Earlier this year, the IHSA staff selected the individuals listed below as the Illinois Coaches of the Year in their respective sports. Coaches of the Year are selected based on the results of the 2017-18 school year, as well as other elements such as career success, sportsmanship and contributions ... Read more

NBC Sports Chicago - THE Home of the #AuthenticFan - will be airing LIVE cross-platform coverage of the 2019 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Girls Basketball State Championships on Friday, February 22 & Saturday, February 23 (Class 1A & 2A) and Friday, March 1 & Saturday, March 2... Read more

When it comes to high school basketball in Illinois, the only thing that comes to close to America’s Original March Madness is December’s holiday tournament season. The Pontiac Holiday Tournament debuted in 1926 and is credited with being the first high school holiday tournament in the c... Read more

Veteran high school sports reporter Marty Maciaszek was honored with his IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award on Friday, December 7, 2018, at Wheeling High School following the varsity girls basketball contest against visiting Hersey High School.Marty received his award from Wheeling Assistant Pri... Read more

Past IHSA student-athlete Chris Blanchard served as a pallbearer in the funeral proceedings of President George H. W. Bush. Blacnhard is pictured above at the head of casket, to the right of President George W. Bush. Blanchard, who began his high school career at Deland-Weldon High School and gra... Read more

After 39 years as the head football coach at Newman Central Catholic High School in Sterling, Mike Papoccia has announced his retirement. The legendary coach exits with a career record of 340-99 and five state championship victories in seven trips to the title round. Papoccia is shown above i... 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

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) will once again feature its IHSA Greatest Games Championship Series as a part of the 2018 IHSA Football State Championship broadcasts on NBC Sports Chicago (channel finder) on Friday and Saturday, November 23-24. NBC Sports Chicago and NBC Sports Chicag... Read more

The Illinois High School Football Coaches Association (IHSFCA) has released its All-State Football Teams in Class 1A through Class 8A for the 2018 season. The All-State teams are nominated by and voted on by IHSFCA member coaches, and the team members are honored by the IHSFCA prior to the IHSA Foot... Read more

The following individuals will be honored for their contributions to the sport of high school cross country in Illinois as the 2018 IHSA Cross Country Honorary Officials at the State Final Meet on Saturday, November 3, 2018: GINA DAILEY Gina Dailey has been an employee of Peoria Public Schools ... Read more

Don Chipman, the long-time sports editor of the Cass County Star-Gazette and voice of Beardstown athletics on WRMS radio, was honored with his IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award on Friday, October 12, 2018, during pre-game of Beardstown High School's varsity football contest.Surrounded by family... 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

The Illinois Athletic Trainers Association (IATA) is helping bring awareness to the importance of having a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) present at high school football games in 2018. The IATA is teaming up with several IHSA football programs, who are placing IATA logos on their helmets to cal... Read more

New Windsor native Steve Spivey, who has officiated IHSA basketball and football for over 30 years, recently told his story of farming and football to the Illinois Farm Bureau and its magazine Partners. Click the video above to hear how Steve balances harvest and his passion of officiating. ... Read more

An emotional night turned historic at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield on Friday, September 21, 2018, when the Cyclones defeated visiting Rochester High School 45-6 on the gridiron. Dubbed the “Leonard Bowl”, the game pits legendary Sacred Heart-Griffin coach Ken Leona... Read more

The Chicago Bears announced that they will hold their first-ever Crucial Catch event at a high school football game when they head to Springfield on Friday, September 21 for the ninth annual Leonard Bowl. Crucial Catch is a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the NFL to bring awarene... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to announce its sixth class of recipients of the IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award. The 2018-19 honorees include a pair of veteran TV sports directors on the preps scene in Chris Duerr of Quincy’s KHQA-TV and Kurt Pegler of Peoria&rsquo... 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

State historians Kev Varney and Tom Sikorski have compiled a list of the winningest high school football programs in state history. The Top 300+ programs by wins are listed below: RANK WINS  SCHOOL  YEARS ... 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 High School Association (IHSA) will hold its 19th annual Officials Conference on Friday and Saturday, July 20-21 in East Peoria. The event will unfold at the East Peoria Embassy Suites and East Peoria Community High School. The theme of this year’s conference is “Choose Grea... Read more

At its annual conference in South Dakota in June, the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) honored its National Coaches of the Year, a group that included Barrington High School girls’ golf coach Jodi Schoeck (above, top left). Schoeck was recognized by the NHSACA afte... Read more

On Monday, July 2, 2018, legendary Marshall High School girls’ basketball coach Dorothy Gaters was inducted into the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the NFHS Summer Meeting in Chicago. Gaters is the winningest high school basketball coach in state history (boys or g... 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 2018 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' Memoria... 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

Dick Goss, the long-time sports editor of the Joliet Herald News, was honored with his IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award on Saturday, June 9, 2018, at the IHSA Class 3A & 4A Baseball State Finals at Route 66 Stadium in Joliet. Dick, who was nominated for the award by Providence Catholi... 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 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) annually bestows an honor, regarded as the highest achievable accolade in high school sports and activities, upon 12 individuals with their respective enshrinement into the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame. The Illinois High... Read more

Eight players who won IHSA Boys Basketball State Championships have also gone on to win NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championships. See the list below and click the IHSA title years to see these stars in action when they were in high school via the IHSA Archives: IHSA BASK... 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 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 ... 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

Bill Stone, who was covered high school sports for a number of publications in Illinois for over 30 years, was honored with his IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award on Friday, February 16, 2018 at the IHSA Girls Gymnastics State Finals at Palatine High School. Bill was nominated for the award b... Read more

Below is the 2018 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Final video that played on the jumbotron at the State Farm Center prior to the Grand March. The video is produced by Video Infinity: 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

Four Grand Marshals, who have combined to contribute more than 140 years to the sport of wrestling, will lead the annual Grand March of Finalists Saturday night before the championship bouts of the 80th IHSA Individual Wrestling State Final Tournament. First held in 1975, the annual March of Fina... 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

Earlier this year, the IHSA staff selected the individuals listed below as the Illinois Coaches of the Year in their respective sports. Coaches of the Year are selected based on the results of the 2016-17 school year, as well as other elements such as career success, sportsmanship and contributions ... Read more

Twelve leaders in high school activity programs across the country have been selected to receive National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Citations. An award designed to honor individuals who have made contributions to the NFHS, state high school associations, athletic directo... 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

On Saturday, January 27, 2018, the St. Francis High School (Wheaton) dance team allowed the IHSA to follow them from warm-ups through their final performance of the season at the 2018 IHSA Dance State Finals at Grossinger Motors Arena. Thanks to the Spartans dance team for allowing us the access,... Read more

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

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Chess State Series will forge new ground on Saturday, January 27, when the Association conducts its first-ever Sectionals in the activity. The eight Sectionals will be hosted at Belleville (East), Chicago (De La Salle), Hinsdale (Central), Mahomet (M.-... Read more

Twenty-three high school coaches from across the country have been selected as 2017 National Coaches of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association. The NFHS, which has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982, honors coach... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to announce its 2017-18 Officials of the Year in 20 IHSA sports. To be considered for this honor, an official must first be nominated by an Officials Association recognized by the IHSA. IHSA staff members then vote on the winners based on factors ... Read more

Lincoln High School honored legendary boys’ basketball coach Neil Alexander on January 6, 2018, when the school dedicated its gymnasium court in his honor. Alexander coached the Railsplitters to a 45-25 win over Harlan High School that evening. Since taking over the Lincoln program in 1990-... Read more

Photo courtesy of the Peoria Journal Star Long-time Peoria Journal Star Sports Editor Kirk Wessler (above left) will be inducted into the United States Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame as a part of the festivities at the 2018 NCAA Final Four. While he is being honored for his work ... 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

When it comes to high school basketball in Illinois, the only thing that comes to close to America’s Original March Madness is December’s holiday tournament season. The Pontiac Holiday Tournament debuted in 1926 and is credited with being the first high school holiday tournament in the c... Read more

The radio voice of high school sports in the greater Effingham area for nearly four decades, the beloved play-by-play man of 97.9 XFM and KJ Country 102.3 FM, Greg Sapp, was honored with his IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, at Effingham High School. Greg, who ... Read more

NFHS National High School Hall of Fame member Joe Newton, one of the most successful high school coaches ever, passed away on December 9, 2017. Media stories on his passing, visitation, life and career will continue to be posted here: Chicago Tribune ... Read more

Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Announces Hall of Fame Class, Annual Award Winners The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) has announced its annual award winners, including its Hall of Fame Class for 2018. High school coaches and players among the honorees included: HOF COAC... 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

On, December 1, 2017, Illini Central High School honored it’s 2013 IHSA Class 1A Boys Basketball State Championship team. The Illini Central community also paid tribute to since retired head coach John Giesler, who will be inducted into the IBCA Hall of Fame this spring. In late July, Coac... Read more

Destination DeKalb produced some amazing games and endings as the 2017 IHSA Football State Championship games unfolded at Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Stadium on Friday and Saturday, November 24-25, 2017.The IHSA was in the middle of action during some of the the deciding moments: ... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) will debut its new IHSA Greatest Games Championship Series as a part of the 2017 IHSA Football State Championship broadcasts on NBC Sports Chicago (channel finder) on Friday and Saturday, November 23-24. NBC Sports Chicago and NBC Sports Chicago Plus wi... 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

A documentary film chronicling the 2016 East St. Louis Senior High School football season, 89 Blocks, will debut to a national audience on FOX on November 26. 89 Blocks is scheduled to air at 4:30 PM following the Chicago Bears game. The Flyers 2016 season culminated with an IHSA Class 7A State C... 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 following individuals will be honored for their contributions to the sport of high school cross country in Illinois as the 2017 IHSA Cross Country Honorary Officials at the State Final Meet on Saturday, November 4, 2017: PAUL BEIERSDORF Paul Beiersdorf is a swimmer by trade and a part of the... Read more

As the son of Chicago Bear legend and NFL Hall of Famer Walter Payton, Jarrett Payton has long been associated with the gridiron, from delivering his father’s Hall of Fame induction speech at age 12 to a media career covering the game that continues today. Payton was introduced to the world... 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

Throughout the 2017 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. Coach of the Week is sponsored by ... Read more

Photo courtesy of the Belleville News-Democrat The man in the white hat. For 40 of his 55 years as a football official, Rich Herndon has been that guy — the referee and crew chief — working on high school gridirons all over Southern Illinois. But following Civic Memorial&rsquo... Read more

The IHSA family is saddened to announce the passing of H. David Fry, former executive director of the Association, at his home in Chatham this morning (Oct. 23, 2017). Mr. Fry took an unusual route to his position on the IHSA staff. He grew up in Conrad, Montana, where he was a three-sport athlet... 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

US Lacrosse and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced a partnership centered around officials development efforts in the IHSA’s newest sports, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, on October 4, 2017. “We’re excited to work together with the IHSA to help ensure ... Read more

Prior to its game against Springfield Southeast on Friday, September 29, 2017, Sacred Heart-Griffin High School surprised legendary head football coach Ken Leonard by announcing that the Cyclones home field will now be known Ken Leonard Field. Leonard has led Sacred Heart-Griffin to the IHSA stat... 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

Tuscola High School football has one of the oldest and most successful traditions in the state, especially in the modern playoff era. The program ramped up in 1994 when it began an 18-year playoff streak that included five state championship game appearances, as well as state titles in 2006 and 2009... Read more

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library’s Oral History Program is proud to release a new collection of interviews telling the story of high school sports in Illinois through the words of students, coaches, referees, broadcasters and administrators. "For more than a hundred years high schoo... 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

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to announce its fifth class of recipients of the IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award. The 2017-18 honorees include a Will County prep sports writing legend in The Herald-News sports editor Dick Goss, the voice of high school sports in the great... 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

Photo by Ryan Michalesko courtesy of the Southern Illinoisan On Friday, August 25, 2017, Carbondale High School and Murphysboro High School met for their historic 100th football contest between the two rival high schools who are separated by 11 miles. For more on the history of the rivalry an... 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

Before he was a legendary high school wrestling coach at Chicago Catholic League rivals Mt. Carmel High School and Brother Rice High School in Chicago, Bill Weick (above, right) was one of the nation’s top wrestlers. Weick, who won an IHSA state title at Tilden High School (1949, 155 lbs) and... 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

In an effort to re-emphasize that Friday nights in the fall should be reserved for high school football, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has adopted a resolution that urges schools and teams at the college and professional levels to honor that longstanding tradition ... 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

State historians Kev Varney and Tom Sikorski have updated their list of the winningest high school football programs in state history entering the 201 IHSA season. The Top 262 programs by wins are listed below: 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 (IHSA) will hold its 18th annual Officials Conference on Friday and Saturday, July 21-22 in East Peoria. The event will unfold at the East Peoria Embassy Suites and East Peoria Community High School. The theme of this year’s conference is “Embrace Hig... Read more

On Sunday, July 2, 2017, IHSA official Bill Laude was inducted into the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the NFHS Summer Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island. Laude is one of the most decorated officials in IHSA history. In his 50-year career he is one in a handful of offic... 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

Being selected to work an IHSA State Final is a culminating moment for an IHSA official in any sport. In the 100+ year existence of the IHSA, approximately 500 officials have been selected to state finals in two sports. When you look at officials who have worked a state final in three different spor... 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

Tammy Deter’s decorated coaching career as the softball coach at Morrison came to a conclusion after the Fillies won the Class 2A third-place game at the 2017 IHSA State Finals. Deter announced her retirement following a career that included 518 victories, five state final appearances, and th... 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

The following individuals will be honored for their contributions to the sport of high school track & field in Illinois as the 2017 IHSA Boys Track & Field Honorary Referees at the Spring Spectacular on Saturday, May 27, 2017: KEVIN DOOLEY Kevin Dooley was a three-year varsity track &... Read more

As a part of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, IHSA Track & Field and Cross Country official Jamero Rainey shared the reason why he officiates high school track and XC: 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

The following individuals will be honored for their contributions to the sport of high school track & field in Illinois as the 2017 IHSA Girls Track & Field Honorary Referees at the Spring Spectacular on Saturday, May 20, 2017: GLENN COTHERN Glenn Cothern is one of the most dedicated a... 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

During the Opening Ceremonies of the 2017 IHSA Girls Badminton State Finals at Eastern Illinois University on May 12, 2017, the IHSA and the Illinois High School Badminton Coaches Association took the time to honor three legends of IHSA Badminton. Prospect High School head coach Jean Rezny (left)... Read more

The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) has named its Girls Basketball Coaches of the Year for the 2016-17 season. The following individuals are being honored by the IBCA: Douglas Althoff, Nashville Community HS Amanda Aydt, Mattoon Bob Becker, Morto... Read more

The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) has named its Boys Basketball Coaches of the Year for the 2016-17 season. The following individuals are being honored by the IBCA: Ron Ashlaw, Waukegan HS Nick Beard, Williamsville HS Dan Beebe, Aurora Christian HS Lee Bennet... Read more

As the story goes, in 1979, Randy Wolken was essentially forced to take the softball head coaching job at St. Joseph-Ogden in order to secure the boys’ basketball coaching position. Nearly 40 seasons later, Wolken is now the winningest softball coach in state history, and added another mile... Read more

Several players from IHSA schools are expected to be selected during the 2017 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday, April 27 and concludes on Saturday, April 29 in Philadelphia. Continue to check the running tally below of drafted players, as well as those who are expected to be drafted or join teams... 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

The NFHS Network, the nation’s leading high school sports media company, is hosting its third annual NFHS Network Awards on Wednesday, April 26, 2017, as it recognizes and honors some of the top high school broadcasters and broadcasts in the nation. The Awards show will air live at 1:00 PM ... 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

As a part of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, IHSA Cheerleading and Dance official Shaunda Brown recently shared the reason why cheer and dance are so important to their high school communities. 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

The Mekeel family has cemented its status as trailblazers among the IHSA wrestling and officiating communities. The family first made history at the 2015 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals (click for story), when patriarch Don was joined by son Ryan in officiating the state tournament. The as... 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 18th annual IHSA Officials Conference is slated for July 21-22 in East Peoria, with Embassy Suites in East Peoria serving as the host (reserve room here by June 29). On April 1, the IHSA released an informational brochure for the event, which is annually attended by over 500 IHSA officials, w... 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

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 Chicago Tribune has named its 2017 Illinois Ms. and Mr. Basketball Award winners based on a statewide vote by coaches and media. Rock Island sophomore Breanna Beal is the 2017 Ms. Basketball honoree after leading the Rocks to a Sectional Final, just two wins shy of a berth in the state finals... Read more

The IHSA is proud to partner with Caterpillar, who has been a huge part of America’s Original March Madness playing in Peoria for over 20 years! The Caterpillar commercial below shows what can happen when Cat gets involved in a game of “H-O-R-S-E” between a group of local high s... Read more

As a part of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, Warren Township High School girls' lacrosse player Raven Townsend recently shared the reason why she competes in lacrosse: “I play lacrosse to feel the feelings of victory, hardship, determination, and the alliance of my teammates. There is nothing li... 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

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 Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) has released its IHSA Girls Basketball All-State Teams for Class 1A, Class 2A, Class 3A and Class 4A. All-State honorees who were present at Redbird Arena for the state finals were recognized on the court. &... 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

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

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

Below is the 2017 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Final video that played on the jumbotron at the State Farm Center prior to the Grand March. The video is produced by Video Infinity: 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

Four Grand Marshals, who have combined to contribute more than 140 years to the sport of wrestling, will lead the annual Grand March of Finalists Saturday night before the championship bouts of the 80th IHSA Individual Wrestling State Final Tournament. First held in 1975, the annual March of Finali... 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

In 2016, history was made at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals when Washington High School’s Punke brothers, all four of them, qualified for the state final tournament. Chicago’s Hope Academy high school takes the family participation award at the 2017 state meet thanks to th... 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

St. Joseph (Westchester) head boys’ basketball coach Gene Pingatore added another milestone to his legendary career on February 11, 2017, when he won his 1000th career IHSA game with a 81-71 victory over St. Rita in the first round of the Chicago Catholic League Tournament. Pingatore was al... Read more

A jack-of-all-trades media member in Southern Illinois, Jim Muir was known as the voice of high school sports at WQRL radio in Benton, where he retired as Sports Director at the conclusion of the 2016-17 school year. Muir's coverage went beyond radio, however, as he also spent time as a columnist... Read more

John Keilman, ChicagoTribune: Bowen High is a neighborhood school in a neighborhood that has seen better days. All the familiar urban ills can be found outside this stately South Chicago behemoth — long-shuttered factories, a shrinking population, unemployment, drugs and violence. But in... Read more

The Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA) has announced its 2017 Hall of Fame class, which will be honored at the 2017 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals at the State Farm Center in Champaign on Saturday, February 18 prior to the Grand March. 2017 IWCOA Hall of Fame Class... 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:

Glenbrook North High School girls’ tennis coach Peggy Holecek has been named the National High School Girls Tennis Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Holecek is the 16th coach in state history to win national honors (complete list) and the th... Read more

On Monday, January 16, 2017, the Teutopolis High School girls’ basketball team notched a 74-31 victory against Wesclin High School that was also the 1,000th in program history. Teutopolis became the second girls’ basketball program in state history to achieve 1,000 program wins. M... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to announce its 2016-17 Officials of the Year in 20 IHSA sports. To be considered for this honor, an official must first be nominated by an Officials Association recognized by the IHSA. IHSA staff members then vote on the winners based on factors ... Read more

On January 5, 2017, the Jerseyville High School vs. Carlinville High School girls’ basketball contest had a family feel to it, at least for the three individuals in the black and white striped shirts. The officiating crew that worked that evening’s game featured veteran official Chuck Ra... Read more

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

Curie High School’s Dr. Sandra Leconte was recently recognized with the Music Educator Award presented by the NFHS Music Association. On Tuesday, December 13, 2016, IHSA Assistant Executive Director Susie Knoblauch took part in a ceremony at Curie where she presented the award to Dr. Lecont... Read more

Taylor Bell wrote the book on IHSA history, literally and figuratively. The legendary Chicago Sun Times writer has published two of the preeminent accounts on the storied tradition of IHSA boys’ basketball and football. The two books, Sweet Charlie, Dike, Cazzie and Bobby Joe; and  Dusty,... Read more

On December 5, 2016, Dan Sharp announced his retirement as the head football coach at Joliet Catholic Academy following 20 seasons, 199 victories, and six IHSA state championships. Joliet Catholic Academy owns a state-best 13 football state championships. Sharp concludes his career with a record... Read more

At the conclusion of the 2016 season, Montini football coach Chris Andriano announced the conclusion to his legendary 38-year coaching career. Andriano will retire after leading the Broncos to six IHSA football state titles, while winning 300 total games in his career. Montini recently enjoye... Read more

The IHSA Football State Championships return to Memorial Stadium on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign-Urbana on Thanksgiving weekend, as the Class 1A-4A title games unfold on Friday, November 25 and the Class 5A-8A state championship games follow on Saturday, November 26. Making it to ... Read more

At the 2016 IHSA Cross Country State Final meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria, the IHSA honored Chris Perry, the long-time state final meet manager for the historic event. Perry was presented with an award by former IHSA administrator Ron McGraw, while the following bio on his career was read over... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to partner Wilson Sporting Goods, as the Chicago-based company is the Official Ball of the IHSA. The Wilson GST football has been a fabric of high school football in Illinois and across over the country for decades, but Wilson continues to show... 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

The following individuals will be honored for their contributions to the sport of high school cross country in Illinois as the 2016 IHSA Cross Country Honorary Officials at the State Final Meet on Saturday, November 5, 2016: CURT & ANITA DURHAM The husband-wife tandem of Curt and Anita Dur... 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

Argenta-Oreana High School played the 2016 season in memory of long-time volunteer coach Duane Hupp, who passed away suddenly during a vacation in July. The Bombers and head coach Chad Eisenmenger completed the regular-season 8-1 after winning just three combined games the previous two seasons, a... 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

The radio voice of high school sports in the greater Freeport area for over 40 years, the renowned play-by-play man of Big Radio, Don Werntz, was honored with his IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award on Friday, October 7, 2016 at Forreston High School. Don, who was nominated for the award by Dura... Read more

Throughout the 2016 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 $2,0... 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

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Football Playoff Pairing Show returns to CSN Chicago for its sixth season in 2016. CSN Chicago, the home for the most games and the most comprehensive coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox, will air the show live from 8 p.m. to 10 p... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to celebrate 100 years of the IHSA Boys Golf State Final Tournament in 2016 with a series of stories chronicling the history, memorable players, and storied programs that have made the last 100 years so special.Fans and players past, present and f... Read more

This is one in a series of stories celebrating 100 years of the IHSA Boys Golf State Finals. Click here to view the other stories and here to order commemorative 100-year state final gear and pin flags. IHSA Marks a Century of Boys Golf By: Robert Pruter High school golf in Illinois dates back ... Read more

This is one in a series of stories celebrating 100 years of the IHSA Boys Golf State Finals. Click here to view the other stories and here to order commemorative 100-year state final gear and pin flags. State Finals Have Hosted Many Greats by: Jim Ruppert Back in the day, post-World War II, B... Read more

This is one in a series of stories celebrating 100 years of the IHSA Boys Golf State Finals. Click here to view the other stories and here to order commemorative 100-year state final gear and pin flags. Small’s Influence Felt Far and Wide by Fred Kroner Mike Small’s name is synony... Read more

This is one in a series of stories celebrating 100 years of the IHSA Boys Golf State Finals. Click here to view the other stories and here to order commemorative 100-year state final gear and pin flags. Interview with Coach Mike Nisen by Matt Troha Mike Nisen, affectionately known as “B... Read more

This is one in a series of stories celebrating 100 years of the IHSA Boys Golf State Finals. Click here to view the other stories and here to order commemorative 100-year state final gear and pin flags. Pieper Built Monmouth’s Golf Dynasty by Barry McNamara From 1985 to 1995, the domina... Read more

This is one in a series of stories celebrating 100 years of the IHSA Boys Golf State Finals. Click here to view the other stories and here to order commemorative 100-year state final gear and pin flags. Interview With Dick Lounsberry by Matt Troha Dick Lounsberry began his high school golf co... Read more

This is one in a series of stories celebrating 100 years of the IHSA Boys Golf State Finals. Click here to view the other stories and here to order commemorative 100-year state final gear and pin flags. State Championship Reflections from Mason Jacobs: In 2007, Massac County senior Mason Jacobs ... Read more

This is one in a series of stories celebrating 100 years of the IHSA Boys Golf State Finals. Click here to view the other stories and here to order commemorative 100-year state final gear and pin flags. State Championship Reflections from Drew Pierson Drew Pierson was the IHSA Class AA individua... Read more

This is one in a series of stories celebrating 100 years of the IHSA Boys Golf State Finals. Click here to view the other stories and here to order commemorative 100-year state final gear and pin flags. State Championship reflections from Joe Carlson: Joe Carlson was a major part of two of St. V... Read more

This is one in a series of stories celebrating 100 years of the IHSA Boys Golf State Finals. Click here to view the other stories and here to order commemorative 100-year state final gear and pin flags. State Championship Reflections from Ryan Graff Ryan Graff won the IHSA Class AA individual st... Read more

This is one in a series of stories celebrating 100 years of the IHSA Boys Golf State Finals. Click here to view the other stories and here to order commemorative 100-year state final gear and pin flags. Records & PGA Tours Players Compiled by IHSA Staff Most state titles by a team 9, W... 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

On Friday, October 7, 2016 Neuqua Valley High School honored the only Athletic Director in the school’s history by renaming Wildcat Stadium to Barb Barrows Stadium. Barrows started as the school’s athletic director when it opened in 1997 and will retire at the conclusion of the 2016-1... 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

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

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to announce its fourth class of recipients of the IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award. The 2016-17 honorees include IHSA TV icon Dave Bernhard, a Southern Illinois prep sports staple in WQRL’s Jim Muir and the voice of high school sports ... Read more

The Sangamo Conference is ready to join the likes of Big Ten Conference, SEC and ACC. While that statement may cause a double-take initially, it’s true, as the 11-team conference in the greater Springfield area is following in the footsteps of its collegiate brethren on the broadcasting front.... 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

Led by an encouraging report in football participation nationwide, the number of participants in high school sports increased for the 27th consecutive year in 2015-16 according to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associat... Read more

State historians Kev Varney and Tom Sikorski have updated their list of the winningest high school football programs in state history entering the 2016 IHSA season. The Top 262 programs by wins are listed below: RANK WINS  S... Read more

NFHS National High School Hall of Fame member Joe Newton, one of the most successful high school coaches ever, has announced that the 2016 season will be his last leading the York High School boys cross country team. York High School’s press release announcing the news is listed below, whil... Read more

On Saturday, July 2, 2016, legendary St. Francis High School girls volleyball coach Peg Kopec was inducted into the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the NFHS Summer Meeting in Reno, Nevada. Kopec is the winningest coach in state history regardless of sport and led the Spar... Read more

On July 5, 2016, legendary Maine West girls basketball coach Derril Kipp passed away after battling pancreatic cancer. Kipp leaves behind an incredible legacy that includes coaching the 1987-88 Maine West squad (pictured above, Kipp far left) to the IHSA Class AA state title. Kipp's squads from 1987... Read more

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) will hold its 17th annual Officials Conference on Friday and Saturday, July 22-23 in East Peoria. The event will unfold at the East Peoria Embassy Suites and East Peoria Community High School. The theme of this year’s conference is “Excellence ... 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

On June 13, 2016, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) conducted its recognition ceremony for its 10th annual class of IHSA Distinguished Service Award winners. Members of the IHSA staff, Board of Directors and past honorees gathered to recognize the honorees and their families. The 2016 hono... Read more

Press release courtesy of the Illinois High School Shrine Game: The Illinois Coaches Association and the Shriners of Illinois will host the 42nd annual Illinois High School Shrine Game on June 18th at Tucci Stadium on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Kick-off for the 42nd annual game i... Read more

The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) has announced the rosters and coaches for its  annual All-Star games, which will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at Pontiac Community High School. Admission for one session (either both girls or both boys games) is $5 and admission for both ... Read more

The Lake Zurich High School boys’ volleyball team gathered at an early season practice in 2016 and was charged by head coach Lesly Ravencraft with coming up with team goals and mottos for the season. One of the ideas submitted by senior captain Nick Meyer was the motto “Play4DA”... 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

The following individuals will be honored for their contributions to the sport of high school track & field in Illinois as the 2016 IHSA Boys Track & Field Honorary Referees at the Spring Spectacular on Saturday, May 28, 2016: GEZA EHRENTREU Geza became an IHSA licensed official 39 yea... Read more

The following individuals will be honored for their contributions to the sport of high school track & field in Illinois as the 2016 IHSA Girls Track & Field Honorary Referees at the Spring Spectacular on Saturday, May 21, 2016: LARRY FOSTER A veteran high school teacher, coach and offici... Read more

History will be made at the 2016 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Girls Track & Field State Finals this weekend (May 19-21) at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. For the first-time in state history, the IHSA will crown a Combined Team State Champion, which is determined by comb... Read more

The Illinois Athletic Directors Association (IADA) held its annual conference in East Peoria from April 29-May 2, culminating with its awards banquet at the Embassy Suites Hotel on the evening of April 30. Outgoing President, Champaign Central High School Athletic Director John Woods, presided over... Read more

The National Federation of State High School Associations publishes its magazine High School Today to highlight great achievements of high school sport and activity participation around the country, while also offering professional development for students, teachers, coaches, administrators, parents... 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

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 Chicago Tribune has named its 2016 Ms. and Mr. Basketball Award winners based on a statewide vote by coaches and media. Benet Academy senior guard Kathleen Doyle is the 2016 Ms. Basketball honoree after leading the Redwings to back-to-back IHSA Class 4A State Championships. Morgan Park Hig... Read more

Ivan Stone and Brad Halverson share a passion for basketball. They became friends on the court playing together in Caterpillar’s employee basketball league every Thursday night. Both work in the Peoria area. Ivan is a painter at Caterpillar’s East Peoria track-type tractor facility and... Read more

On Friday, March 11, 2016 inside the Peoria Civic Center’s Carver Arena, Rockridge High School’s Carson Frakes hit one of the most incredible shots in the history of the IHSA Boys Basketball State Tournament. CSN CHICAGO BROADCAST (PXP Dave Bernhard & analyst Mark Lindo on the cal... 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 Illinois High School Association’s March Madness Experience is a fun-fueled interactive family basketball fest held in the exhibit halls of the Peoria Civic Center adjacent to Carver Arena, which is the home of America’s Original March Madness, the IHSA Boys Basketball State Final to... Read more

The Centralia High School boys' basketball program is one of the most storied in the state, having reached the IHSA State Finals 24 times (the first coming in 1909), which has resulted in three state championships. That type of long-term success led the school to become the winningest high school pr... Read more

Lincoln High School junior Hailie Williams knocked down 11 three-pointers to be crowned the 2016 Queen of the Hill in the Country Financial Three-Point Showdown. Williams won the Class 3A field as a part of the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals at Illinois State University's Redbird Arena on Friday... 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

The annual tournament of high school boys basketball teams in Illinois, sponsored by the IHSA, grew from a small invitational affair in 1908 to a statewide institution with over 900 schools competing by the late 1930's. A field of teams known as the "Sweet Sixteen" routinely drew sellout crowds to t... 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

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and Illinois Wrestling Coaches & Officials Association (IWCOA) took time out to honor Dr. Joseph Pedersen during the 2016 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals at the State Farm Center on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign/Urbana. Joe has ... Read more

Below is the 2016 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Final video that played on the jumbotron at the State Farm Center prior to the Grand March. The video is produced by Video Infinity: 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

If Libby Johnson isn’t the biggest high school wrestling fan in the state of Illinois, she may be the most dedicated. Sitting in Section 140 of the State Farm Center, Libby celebrated her 91st birthday on Saturday, February 20, 2016 watching the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals, just as ... 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

The Punke family made history at the 2016 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals, as the four brothers from Washington High School all qualified for the state tourney in the same year, marking the first time that has occurred in state history. The Punke brothers include (pictured from left to rig... Read more

Four Grand Marshals, who have combined to contribute more than 140 years to the sport of wrestling, will lead the annual Grand March of Finalists Saturday night before the championship bouts of the 79th IHSA Individual Wrestling State Final Tournament. First held in 1975, the annual March of Fina... Read more

During her 29-year career as an Illinois High School Association administrator, Ola Bundy shepherded girls athletics from the early days of the Girls Athletic Association (GAA, a precursor to the IHSA adding girls’ sports) and postal tournaments to a full-scale, 12-sport, interscholastic state... Read more

The Chicago Tribune has picked its top 20 high school gyms in Illinois in its Gym Dandies series. Click here to read more about the historic hardwoods that made the cut. The Tribune's list includes: -Argo -East Aurora -Elgin -Evanston -Quincy -Farragut -Glenbrook South -Hinsdale Central&n... Read more

Marty Hickman joined the IHSA staff in 1991 and became the organization's sixth Executive Director in 2002. After 25 years at the IHSA, he will retire on January, 15, 2016. In the fall of 1972, I started my high school athletic career on a football field at New Berlin High School in New Berlin, ... Read more

Since the IHSA began endorsing pink-themed Volley For The Cure volleyball matches for member schools in 2008 to help raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research, IHSA girls’ volleyball teams have raised over $1.5 million dollars for Susan G. Komen For The Cure. While the total donatio... Read more

As the United States honors its military Veterans today (November 11, 2015), the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced two new initiatives aimed at recognizing and giving back to military veterans who also serve as IHSA Officials. The first is a new patch for officials who are U.S. Mi... Read more

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) recently chronicled the IHSA State Cross Country meet in a story on its website, calling it “one of the nation’s best”. The story, which includes interviews with legendary state champions Craig Virgin and Dana Miro... 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

The Illinois High School Football Coaches Association (IHSFCA) and the Shriners of Illinois are teaming up to raise awareness of and funds for Shriners Hospitals for Children. The IHSFCA and members of the Shriners International fraternity will collect donations at select IHSA high school footbal... 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

State historians Kev Varney and Tom Sikorski have updated their list of the winningest high school football programs in state history entering the 2015 IHSA season. The Top 200 programs by wins are listed below: RNK WINS  SCH... Read more

The Illinois High School Association is proud to celebrate 100 years of the IHSA Boys Tennis State Final Tournament in 2015 with a series of stories chronicling the history, memorable players, and storied programs that have made the last 100 years so special. Click the links below to read more... Read more

The Illinois High School Association is proud to celebrate 100 years of the IHSA Boys Tennis State Final Tournament in 2015 with a series of stories chronicling the history, memorable players, and storied programs that have made the last 100 years so special: by Robert Pruter Tennis was pion... Read more

The Illinois High School Association is proud to celebrate 100 years of the IHSA Boys Tennis State Final Tournament in 2015 with a series of stories chronicling the history, memorable players, and storied programs that have made the last 100 years so special: by Scott Johnson, IHSA Staff T... Read more

The Illinois High School Association is proud to celebrate 100 years of the IHSA Boys Tennis State Final Tournament in 2015 with a series of stories chronicling the history, memorable players, and storied programs that have made the last 100 years so special: by Chuck Morrison, Head Coach at Ni... Read more

The Illinois High School Association is proud to celebrate 100 years of the IHSA Boys Tennis State Final Tournament in 2015 with a series of stories chronicling the history, memorable players, and storied programs that have made the last 100 years so special: by Michael Maratea, Head Coach, Tin... Read more

The Illinois High School Association is proud to celebrate 100 years of the IHSA Boys Tennis State Final Tournament in 2015 with a series of stories chronicling the history, memorable players, and storied programs that have made the last 100 years so special: Al Kuhn, Evanston (Twp.) "Some r... Read more

The following individuals will be honored for their contributions to the sport of high school track & field in Illinois as the 2015 IHSA Boys Track & Field Honorary Referees at the Spring Spectacular on Saturday, May 30, 2015: CRENDEN KELLER Crenden Keller took a roundabout way to becoming ... Read more

The following individuals will be honored for their contributions to the sport of high school track & field in Illinois as the 2015 IHSA Girls Track & Field Honorary Referees at the Spring Spectacular on Saturday, May 23, 2015: SANDY JENKINS Sandy Jenkins has dedicated much of her life to y... 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

It took a community effort to build the library of films, VHS and Beta tapes, and DVDs that fill the shelves and closets of the Illinois High School Association, and that are slowly but surely being digitized for uploading to YouTube. There, the videos can live forever, if the fates and Google allow... Read more

Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Assistant Executive Director and resident historian Scott Johnson has unearthed the earliest video of the famed IHSA Boys Basketball State Tournament, courtesy of H.V. Porter. The video consists of on, and off the court, action from the 1932-1936 IHSA State Fi... Read more

Each year at the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals, the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and the BN Sports Commission work together to bring past state champion teams back to Redbird Arena to reunite and be recognized. At the 2015 Class 3A & 4A finals on Saturday, Mar... Read more

Four Grand Marshals, who have combined to contribute more than 140 years to the sport of wrestling, will lead the annual Grand March of Finalists Saturday night before the championship bouts of the 78th IHSA Individual Wrestling State Final Tournament. First held in 1975, the annual March of Fina... 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

Already the winningest basketball coach in Illinois High School Association (IHSA) history, boys or girls, legendary Marshall High School coach Dorothy Gaters added another milestone to her amazing career when she tallied her 1,000th career victory with an 84-22 victory over Thornwood on November 18... Read more

After a student-athlete awareness meeting earlier this year, the Joliet West freshman football team took Athletic Director Steve Millsaps' challenge by learning and then performing the school fight song to earn a pizza party. The Joliet West varsity football team has sung the song five times afte... Read more

Aurora resident Steve Solarz has teamed up with The History Press to publish his new book, Aurora’s East-West Football Rivalry, documenting Illinois’ longest running high school football series. East Aurora High School and West Aurora High School first met on the gridiron in 1893 and hav... Read more

State historians Kev Varney and Tom Sikorski have compiled a list of the winningest high school football programs in state history. The Top 200 programs by wins are listed below: ... Read more

Four Grand Marshals, who have combined to contribute more than 140 years to the sport of wrestling, will lead the annual Grand March of Finalists Saturday night (Feb. 22) before the championship bouts of the 77th IHSA Individual Wrestling State Final Tournament. First held in 1975, the annual March ... Read more

When Mike Maloney was hired as the head football coach at Johnsburg High School prior to the 2012 season, he sought not only to instill the norms that most new coaches bring into a program, such as schemes and playbooks, but also traditions that would help unite his team and community. One such trad... Read more