Jay Taft
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Articles by Jay Taft
Sparked by Boylan's pair of All-Staters, Rockford-area runners step up
Sparked by Boylan's pair of all-staters, and some other strong performances up and down the lineup, Rockford-area runners stormed in and out of Peoria for the IHSA boys and girls state cross country meets on Saturday, taking advantage of the perfect conditions to run strong races.
Stockton, Byron, Rochelle win, charge into football state quarters
Stockton took control and turned a close football playoff game into blowout real fast on Saturday. And two other Rockford-area teams, Byron and Rochelle, followed suit in other classes as well.
Fenwick stuns Hononegah in Brian Zimmerman's final game as head coach
ROCKTON ― Hononegah couldn't drum up enough fire power to compete with a fast and powerful Fenwick football team in Saturday's Class 6A playoff showdown, and Brian Zimmerman's final game as Hononegah's head coach did not end the way he had envisioned.
Harlem is only NIC-10 football team to win on busy playoff Friday
Harlem has found a new weapon this postseason as its defense came through once again, launching the Huskies into the Class 6A state quarterfinals with a 17-7 win over Burlington Central on Friday night.
IHSA football scores, highlights for all Rockford-area playoff teams
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Nov. 6, 2026, 5:01 p.m. CT The new IHSA playoff format has us into the second round, and eight Rockford-area football teams are still alive and in the running for state championships. Now is the time for Rockford-area teams to prove themselves, and you can find all the scores here. More Rockford-area football: Top 10 playoff stars to watch in next Rockford-area football games Our editors independently choose our recommendations.
Stockton KOs Rockford Christian, one step closer to 3rd straight state
Stockton is now just one step from its third straight IHSA volleyball state tournament berth, and it came at Rockford Christian's expense.
Top 10 playoff stars to watch in next Rockford-area football games
Who are the stars? It's playoff football time, and that's when the stars really come out to shine. And when it comes to Rockford-area playoff football this year, there are some very bright ones.
Rockford Christian, Stockton volleyball win, set up match in sectional finals
Rockford Christian and Stockton have both been striving to get back to the state volleyball tournament all season long, and now they've inched ever so close and will play each other in Thursday's sectional finals to put one of them on the doorstep. "We're not afraid to talk about it," Stockton's Taylor Haas said after leading her team to a dominant two-set victory over Indian Creek in Tuesday's second 1A sectional semifinal of the night.
Check out the complete playoff football schedule for Rockford-area teams
Nov. 3, 2026, 3:30 p.m. CT It's on to the next round for nine Rockford-area football teams, all with an eye on the top prize: an IHSA state football championship. One of the Rockford area's defending state champions, Lena-Winslow, bowed out last week, which was the second week of the new IHSA playoff format, but it was called the first round. The other Rockford-area defending state champ, Byron, kept chugging right along.
Winnebago girls, Belvidere North's Judah Binger grab sectional cross country titles
Now, it comes down to one. The IHSA cross country season has been whittled down to its final race, and that's only for the elite. The Rockford area qualified seven teams and seven other local individuals out of the sectionals on Oct. 31 and into this week's state meet. Now it's time to see who can finish strong.
VOTE for your favorite Rockford-area athlete of the week for Oct. 26-31 Original
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Updated Nov. 2, 2026, 4:45 p.m. CT As the fall sports season really wind down, we have another great batch of stars for you to vote on on the Rockford Register Star high school Athlete of the Week poll for the week of Oct. 26-31. Go to our athlete of the week poll below and vote now.
Big Byron, Forreston wins key Rockford-area football playoff roundup
One of the defending state champions from the Rockford area, Lena-Winslow, fell to rival Forreston in a playoff football showdown on Halloween afternoon, while the other, Byron, easily soared into the next round.
Led by Harlem's dramatic comeback, top NIC-10 football teams move on
MACHESNEY PARK ― Harlem rallied; Hononegah downshifted; and Guilford rose to the occasion. And even Belvidere North stayed hot and followed suit. The top teams from the NIC-10 found their way into the next round of the IHSA football playoffs all using a different method of hauling in Round 1 wins on Friday, Oct. 30.
IHSA football Round 1 scores, highlights for Rockford-area playoff teams Original
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Oct. 30, 2026, 5:01 p.m. CT We are into the new-age IHSA Round 1 for Rockford-area playoff football teams, which is when the top seeds step back in after a bye week, to face those who made it through the battle that was the Opening Round. Now is when Rockford-area teams can really prove themselves, and this is where you can find all the scores.
Top 5 phases of the game to watch in Rockford-area playoff football
The Opening Round is over, and now it's time for the rest of the teams to jump into the fray as we hit the First Round of the new IHSA football playoffs.
Former Harlem soccer star Stevan Ljubicic shines at NIU as a freshman
Former Harlem star Stevan Ljubicic didn't waste any time in becoming a soccer star at the next level.
Former Harlem soccer star Stevan Ljubicic shines at NIU as a freshman
Former Harlem star Stevan Ljubicic didn't waste any time in becoming a soccer star at the next level. After a dominant and highly decorated career as the Harlem Huskies soccer standout, Ljubicic quickly worked his way into the rotation as a striker for the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team as a freshman this season. Almost as quickly, he earned a Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week award earlier this week.
Boylan's loss in overtime ends soccer season for Rockford-area teams
After Boylan bowed out, the boys soccer season has come to a close in the Rockford area, which means there will be no local teams taking part in the first IHSA boys soccer state tournament at Guilford early next month. "What a game," Boylan head coach Edwin Munoz said after his team's 1-0 loss on Wednesday night, "and we came so close; so close."
Here's top 10 postseason Power Rankings for Rockford-area volleyball teams
Who will take over this volleyball postseason, and who will be the last Rockford-area team standing?
Winnebago falls, leaving only Boylan in boys soccer postseason action
Winnebago's boys soccer team bowed out of the Class 1A postseason Tuesday night with a 2-0 loss to Mendota, leaving only Boylan. And the Titans were scheduled to take on Crystal Lake South at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday inside Sportscore II in the Class 2A Boylan Sectional semifinals. The winner will face the winner of the Crystal Lake Central-Geneva match in the Boylan Sectional championship at 6 p.m. Friday.
IHSA First Round playoff football schedule for Rockford area
The Opening Round is over, and now it's on to the official First Round of the new IHSA football playoff format as we continue to whittle things down. And plenty of Rockford-area teams will be looking to build momentum.
IHSA First Round playoff football schedule for Rockford area
The Opening Round is over, and now it's on to the official First Round of the new IHSA football playoff format as we continue to whittle things down. And plenty of Rockford-area teams will be looking to build momentum.
VOTE for your favorite Rockford-area athlete of the week for Oct. 19-24 Original
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Oct. 26, 2026, 11:45 a.m. CT As the fall postseasons really kick in, it's time for you to go and vote on another strong batch of stars in the Rockford Register Star high school Athlete of the Week poll for the week of Oct. 19-24. Go to our poll and vote now. The poll will stay open until noon on Friday, Oct. 30.
Rockford-area cross country running stars charge into sectionals
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Oct. 26, 2026, 11:09 a.m. CT The cross country regionals went down on Saturday all across Northern Illinois, with 19 Rockford-area teams and dozens of individuals moving on to next weekend's sectionals, where state bids will be on the line. The IHSA boys and girls sectional cross country meets will be on Halloween, with the state cross country finals on Nov. 7 at Detweiller Park, just north of Peoria.
Peyton Hillabolt sparks Hononegah to NIC-10 girls swim title, momentum
ROCKFORD ― Hononegah, led by star swimmer Peyton Hillabolt, earned its fourth straight NIC-10 team championship, and its sixth in seven years, on Saturday, launching the Rockford-area swimmers and divers into the postseason.
Zavian McElroy rushes for 284 to boost Belvidere North past Freeport
BELVIDERE ― Belvidere North and halfback Zavian McElroy were not going to be denied an extension in this year's new playoff experience, and they eventually downshifted and pulled away for a 42-29 opening-round win over NIC-10 foe Freeport on Friday, Oct. 23.
IHSA football opening round scores, highlights from Rockford area Original
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Oct. 23, 2026, 5:01 p.m. CT The new IHSA football playoff format begins to unfold this weekend as the first "Opening Round" of action kicks in with 10 games that include Rockford-area playoff teams. The top teams in each class received a bye this week under the new playoff format, but the rest battle it out for a chance to get to play those top seeds. Now, it's time for all that to begin to unravel.
Freeport's Angelina Sala leads Rockford-area tennis stars at state
The IHSA girls state tennis tournament rolled into the second day for one singles player and one doubles team in Class 1A from the Rockford-area qualifiers, while the rest saw it all come to an end sometime during the day on Thursday, Oct. 22.
Rockford-area 2026 high school volleyball postseason schedule, scores
The girls high school volleyball postseason has arrived, and the standout teams from the Rockford area are looking to make their climb all the way to the state championship match. More Rockford-area sports: Boylan fends off Belvidere North to secure control of NIC-10 volleyball Stockton has finished second in Class 1A the past two years, and Rockford Christian took fourth in 2A last year as well. Who will be making the push down the stretch this year?
Rockford-area 2026 high school volleyball postseason schedule, scores Original
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Oct. 23, 2026, 3:03 a.m. CT The girls high school volleyball postseason has arrived, and the standout teams from the Rockford area are looking to make their climb all the way to the state championship match. It's a long climb, though. More Rockford-area sports: Boylan fends off Belvidere North to secure control of NIC-10 volleyball Stockton has finished second in Class 1A the past two years, and Rockford Christian took fourth in 2A last year as well.
Complete Rockford-area football playoff schedule for the Opening Round
The opening round of the new era in IHSA football playoffs has arrived, and while the top seeds will sit this one out with a bye week, the rest will battle for the right to continue on this Friday and Saturday.
Complete Rockford-area football playoff schedule for the Opening Round
The opening round of the new era in IHSA football playoffs has arrived, and while the top seeds will sit this one out with a bye week, the rest will battle for the right to continue on this Friday and Saturday. More Rockford-area sports: Boylan fends off Belvidere North to secure control of NIC-10 volleyball A total of 18 Rockford-area teams are in the playoffs. Eight of those teams are off this week after earning byes, while 10 will play on Oct. 23 or Oct.
Vote for your team to watch among the 18 Rockford-area football playoff hopefuls Original
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Oct. 22, 2026, 3:04 a.m. CT The IHSA football playoffs are kicking in this week, with 18 Rockford-area teams vying for state titles right out of the gates. And since at least most of them believe they can win one, we wanted to let you vote on which team you think actually can. Or, at least what team you are most looking forward to watching this postseason.
Top 3 Rockford-area playoff football games to watch Friday, and one Saturday
Oct. 21, 2026Updated Oct. 22, 2026, 3:03 a.m. CT The new playoffs have arrived for the Illinois high school football season. Now let's see what kind of drama they can drum up. "I think it's just creating more opportunities," Freeport coach Anthony Dedmond said, "and it's going to create some surprises." Some games are set up for surprise more than others, but anything can happen this time of year. Especially now.
Boylan fends off Belvidere North to secure control of NIC-10 volleyball
Boylan rallied past Belvidere North on Tuesday, Oct. 20, to take control of the NIC-10 volleyball race with just one match to go, and the Titans locked in a whole bunch of momentum as the postseason approaches fast.
NIC-10 boys soccer champs from Jefferson lead area teams into postseason
The Jefferson J-Hawks secured the program's first NIC-10 championship last week, and then on Monday they eliminated East to kickstart their boys soccer postseason run. One they hope will be a long one.
VOTE for your favorite Rockford-area athlete of the week for Oct. 12-17 Original
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Oct. 19, 2026, 12:00 p.m. CT After another solid week of action, it's time for you to vote on the Rockford Register Star's Athlete of the Week poll for the week of Oct. 12-17. Go to our poll and vote now.
In new IHSA playoff era, two-win Rockford East football squad gets in
A two-win East E-Rabs squad is into the postseason for the first time since 2021. "We just show up and play," East's head coach Gary Griffin said from his couch Saturday night after it was announced that his 2-7 E-Rabs are in. "I didn't think..well, I kind of knew that if we pulled off one of those last three we could get in. And here we are."
Led by Harlem's Mia Besevic, Rockford-area tennis stars hit state
There were four Rockford-area singles' stars and four power-packed doubles teams to advance to state out of a pair of local sectionals this weekend, and now the girls tennis season comes down to one final tourney. And Harlem's Mia Besevic is leading the charge.
Find out which Rockford-area stars were top performers from Week 9
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Updated Oct. 17, 2026, 12:37 a.m. CT The Week 9 stars came out to play Friday night, and many will be back in action for the playoffs, which means this was just the first curtain call. As we get set for the playoffs, here are some of the top Week 9 performers from the Rockford area.
Hononegah finally bows out in girls flag football state quarterfinals
The season came to a close for the Hononegah girls flag football team in the IHSA state quarterfinals on Friday night as they fell 27-6 to Mt. Prospect in Willowbrook, one step from the final four of flag football. Hononegah (22-3) saw its 13-game winning streak come to a halt, but the game was closer than the final score appeared.
Stockton's two-headed RB monster helps secure NUIC title from Forreston
STOCKTON ― Stockton used the one-two punch of Morgan Haas and Carter Blair, and a late goal-line stand, to hold off Forreston in a Week 9 game that had a postseason feel to it.
Check out Week 9 football live scores, updates for Rockford area
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Oct. 16, 2026, 5:01 p.m. CT It's Week 9 of the high school football season, which means some Rockford-area teams will be playing their last games of the season, while others will be getting ready for the playoffs. And for all your live scores and live updates from around the Rockford area for this Week 9, keep coming back right here. Our editors independently choose our recommendations.
13 is lucky number for Hononegah girls flag football en route to state
Hononegah soars to state in girls flag football Led by sophomore QB Layla Demke, Hononegah is the last Rockford-area girls flag team still alive State quarterfinals are in at Willowbrook on Friday, with winners advancing to Saturday The Hononegah girls flag football team won its 13th game in a row earlier this week to soar to the state quarterfinals, scoring 13 points for the third time in four playoff games, and finding a way to stay alive.
Harlem's Mia Besevic, Hononegah conference champs ready for postseason
Deep Hononegah got the upper hand in the final team standings, but Harlem's Mia Besevic won the program's first ever conference title at No. 1 singles over Erica Flohr at last weekend's NIC-10 girls tennis conference meet. Now it's time to see who's got their "A" game at this weekend's Harlem Sectional, and beyond.
VOTE for the Rockford-area athlete of the week for Oct. 5-10 Original
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Oct. 12, 2026, 12:00 p.m. CT The fall seasons are grinding through and there were plenty of stars that stepped up last week, which means it's time vote on the Rockford Register Star's Athlete of the Week for the week of Oct. 5-10. Go to our poll and vote now.
Football titles, win streaks lead off Rockford area's Week 8 takeaways
Jay Taft Rockford Register Star Oct. 12, 2026, 3:02 a.m. CT No matter how many teams are allowed in the playoffs, this is always the time of year that high school football players start thinking about the future. Even if they're not supposed to start thinking about the future yet. More Rockford-area football: Which Rockford-area football teams helped themselves out in Week 8?
Byron's Brandt sisters lead way for Rockford-area showing at state golf
Rockford-area golfers stepped up at the state level again this year. Especially the ones from Byron.
Hononegah soars in girls flag football sectionals, but not Harlem
Hononegah's girls flag football team advanced to the Antioch Sectional finals with a comeback win in the waning seconds early on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 10, but there will be no rematch after one of their rivals, Harlem, lost in the other sectional semi later in the day.
Which Rockford-area football teams helped themselves out in week 8?
Even with the new IHSA playoff format, some Rockford-area football teams were battling for playoff spots in Week 8 of high school football. And because of Braxton Fausett and the rest of the undefeated Harlem Huskies' stars ― who really only played for about a half on Thursday night ― one Rockford-area team was denied its playoff berth early on in Week 8. Others fared better. But Fausett threw for 216 yards and one touchdown in just over two quarters of play as Harlem steamrolled East 35-14 on Oct.
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