By Jeff Vorva
Manteno is heading to Champions Field looking for a championship.
Manteno’s junior high girls softball team earned a spot in the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 3A State Quarterfinals after beating Hickory Creek of Frankfort, 1-0, in the Sectional C Championship on September 21 at Manteno High School.
The Panthers (20-1) face Effingham Junior High (17-1) at 4:30 p.m., on September 27, at Champions Field in Normal. The semifinals, third-place game and championship games are September 28.
Normal Chiddix (20-3), Chatham-Glenwood (16-0), Manhattan (11-8), Edwardsville Liberty (16-5-1), Stanford Olympia (19-1-1), and Lake Zurich South (11-0-1) are the other seven teams in contention for a state title.
Tosi to be a Hurricane
Monee’s Ian Tosi, one of the top pitchers in the state for Mount Carmel, gave a verbal commitment to the University of Miami.
Tosi, who is a junior left-handed hurler for the Caravan, was ranked 16th in the state as one of Prep Baseball Illinois “2026 Illinois Risers” and second in the state as a pitcher in that class.
The Miami Hurricanes finished 27-30 in 2024.
Providing defense
Two area football alums did some damage for St. Xavier University on September 21 in a 55-13 win over Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan.
Zach Norred, a Manteno resident who attended St. Rita, had nine tackles, including eight solo tackles for the Cougars, who are ranked 11th in the nation in NAIA in the coaches’ poll.
Terry Elias Jr., a junior linebacker from Crete-Monee, added seven tackles, with 1.5 coming for losses.
Sports bits
•Manteno’s Maddy Gesky and Ava Peterson were named to the Manteno Invite All-Tournament team. The Panthers took third place in the tourney.
•Beecher’s Allision Sadus took second place in the TF North Invitational in cross country, as the team also took runner-up honors.
•Beecher’s Jackson Reece was medalist at the Grant Park Invitational in golf, firing a 73.