Normal Community, Notre Dame Lead Central Illinois High School Sports Charge on Saturday

Saturday brought a full slate of non-conference action across Central Illinois, and several programs made sure their names were remembered.

In baseball, Normal Community, Dunlap, Washington, and Tremont all came away with victories in their respective matchups. The day belonged partly to Washington on the soccer pitch, though not in the way they might have expected. After falling behind early, Washington's boys soccer team delivered a remarkable comeback against Normal Community.

Washington trailed 1-0 at the half and found themselves locked in a back-and-forth battle through the opening moments of the second half. Then, with roughly 20 minutes remaining, something clicked. Washington struck five times in quick succession to overturn the deficit and run out 7-1 winners in what became the most eye-catching result of the day.

Notre Dame's girls soccer team turned Kick Out Cancer Night into a celebration, dismantling Dunlap 6-0. The star of the show was Ava Lafollette, who tallied a first-half hat trick to set the tone. The Irish never looked back, keeping the shutout intact and making a statement on and off the pitch.

In softball action, Metamora, Pekin, and Brimfield all picked up wins at their respective tournaments. The Diamond羚 rounded out a productive weekend for Central Illinois programs across multiple sports.

On the track, Metamora's boys took the team title in their meet while Eureka claimed the girls championship. Central Catholic's Isaiah Whitaker stood out in the field event, dominating the pole vault to highlight an otherwise competitive afternoon of track and field.

Away from the prep scene, Illinois State football gave fans a glimpse of the 2026 squad in its annual spring game. Team Red came out on top in overtime, edging Team Blue 23-20 in a contest that offered both coaching staffs plenty to evaluate as they build toward the fall.