To subscribe, please click here
Want a copy of today’s edition? Here’s a map of single-copy locations
Sign up for our daily newsletters
Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer looking downfield to complete a throw will be a sight Illini fans will see again in 2025.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Luke Altmyer fired up a sold-out State Farm Center crowd on Saturday evening when the Illinois quarterback announced he would return to the Illini for the 2025 season during a timeout of the Illinois-Tennessee men’s basketball game.
➜ 2. Altmyer, with 2,543 passing yards this season, has a chance to land in the Top 10 leaders in single-season passing yards at Illinois. Jeff George (2,738 in 1989) at No. 10 and Wes Lunt (2,761 in 2015) at No. 9 are within range during the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31.
➜ 3. Win in 2025 like Illinois has in 2024 and Altmyer could become the first QB to lead the Illini to consecutive winning seasons since Nathan Scheelhaase in 2010 and 2011.
Illinois celebrates its Braggin’ Rights win against Missouri in 2023.
Numbers game: 6
days until the next installment of the Braggin’ Rights series happens. Illinois (7-3) is off until the noon tip on Sunday at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis, with Missouri (9-1) set to host Jacksonville State (6-4) at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Illinois leads the all-time series 34-20 and has won six of the last 10 meetings, including a resounding 97-73 victory last December.
Keison Peoples and the Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin boys’ basketball team hosts St. Joseph-Ogden in a marquee nonconference game on Monday night.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. St. Joseph-Ogden at Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin boys’ basketball. Two area small-school programs who are familiar with one another and off to strong starts meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday night at Wilcox Gym in Bismarck.
➜ 2. Champaign Central at Unity boys’ basketball. A quality nonconference game at the Rocket Center in Tolono at 7 p.m. Tuesday, with the host Rockets trying to take down the bigger-school Maroons.
➜ 3. Watseka Holiday Tournament. The final two nights of the 12-team boys’ basketball tournament are Monday and Tuesday. La Salette squares off against Kankakee Bishop McNamara at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the championship game.
Mahomet-Seymour girls’ wrestling coach Jeff Castor.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Mahomet-Seymour girls’ wrestling coach Jeff Castor:
âžœ 1. My favorite sports team is … the Chicago Bears.
âžœ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … my coaches during my time wrestling for Mahomet-Seymour: Marty Williams, Jim Risley and Rob Porter.
âžœ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … stalling in a wrestling match.