ON THE SCHEDULE TODAY AT FCHS:
NO EVENTS SCHEDULED
AREA SPORTS RESULTS FROM TUESDAY:
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL
AREA HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT SCORES:
DUSTER-THOMAS PINCKNEYVILLE
Trico 56, Meridian 46 (15th Place)
Chester 46, Mt Carmel 41 (13th Place)
Christopher 46, Olney 45 (11th Place)
Carlyle 58, Okawville 35 (Consolation)
Salem 48, Jerseyville 43 (7th Place)
Pinckneyville 69, Steeleville 32 (5th Place)
Murphysboro 55, Roxana 52 (3rd Place)
Woodlawn 48, Sparta 46 (1st Place)
EFFINGHAM CHRISTMAS CLASSIC
Chicago Brooks 64, Charleston 52
Mattoon 57, Dixon 49
Newton 55, Pleasant Plains 46
Effingham 65, Central A&M 32
Centennial 58, St Anthony 41
Lawrenceville 73, Lutheran North 68
Teutopolis 70, Oregon 36
Tolono-Unity 79, Belvidere 69
Chicago Brooks 54, Newton 51
Mattoon 55, Effingham 48
St Anthony 59, Oregon 57
Luther North 66, Belvidere 44
Pleasant Plains 48, Charleston 45
Dixon 65, Central A&M 54
Teutopolis 76, Centennial 74 (semis)
Tolono-Unity 70, Lawrenceville 58 (semis)
Today (Wednesday) will be the final day of the Effingham Christmas Classic. Lawrenceville is in the Third Place game after falling to Tolono-Unity on Tuesday Night in the semi-finals. They will face Champaign Centennial, who lost a nail-biter to Teutopolis. The Shoes will face Tolono-Unity in the Championship Game at Effingham.
BREESE MATER DEI TOURNEY
Christ Our Rock vs MEL
Gibault 61, Father McGivney 47
Highland 49, Mascoutah 43 (7th Place)
St Charles West 52, Mater Dei 36
Wesclin 48, Breese Central 47 (3rd Place)
Nashville 49, Orchard Farm 46 (1st Place)
CENTRALIA HOLIDAY TOURNEY
Evanston 76, MHEA 44
Marist 75, Belleville West 36
Alton 64, Harding Acaedmy 53
Centralia 67, Chicago King 39
Miller Academy 68, Dyett 30
Wekiva, FL 55, Champaign Central 50
Cahokia 74, Julian 61
Miami South 61, Sumner 33
VANDALIA HOLIDAY TOURNEY
Nokomis 45, Macon Merdian 35
Shelbyville 43, Flora 40
Pana 65, Greenville 54 (3rd Place)
Cumberland 62, Vandalia 45 (Championship)
***NATIONAL SPORTS***
TUESDAY’S SCOREBOARD
NBA
——-
Philadelphia 76ers 139, Memphis Grizzlies 136 (OT)
Boston Celtics 129, Utah Jazz 119
Detroit Pistons 128, Los Angeles Lakers 106
LA Clippers 131, Sacramento Kings 90
The Chicago Bulls aim to avoid a third consecutive loss when they host the New Orleans Pelicans at United Center tonight. The Bulls are coming off a 136-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Monday night. Chicago is in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with a 15-and-17 record. Tonight’s game tips off at 6:00PM.
NHL
——-
New York Islanders 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2 (SO)
The Chicago Blackhawks picked up a point during a 3-2 shootout loss to the New York Islanders at United Center yesterday. Teuvo Teravainen and Nick Lardis both lit the lamp in the second period to tie the game at two, but the Hawks came up empty in the three-round shootout. Chicago is in seventh place in the Central Division with 35 points. The Blackhawks host the Stars tomorrow night.
Toronto Maple Leafs 4, New Jersey Devils 0
Montreal Canadiens 3, Florida Panthers 2 (OT)
Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Carolina Hurricanes 1
Philadelphia Flyers 6, Vancouver Canucks 3
The St. Louis Blues will try to get back into the win column when they visit the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena tonight. The Blues are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at home on Monday night. St. Louis is tied for fifth place in the Central Division with 38 points. Tonight’s game starts at 8:00PM.
College Football Bowl Games (CFP Rankings)
——-
Illinois 30, Tennessee 28 (Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl at Nashville, TN)
(Nashville, TN) — The Illinois Fighting Illini wrapped up their 2025 season with a 30-28 win over the Tennessee Volunteers in the Music City Bowl from Nissan Stadium. David Olano kicked a game-winning 29-yard field goal as time expired. Luke Altmyer passed for 196 yards and a touchdown, and he added 54 yards and a score on the ground. Illinois finished the year with a 9-and-4 record.
Louisiana Tech 23, Coastal Carolina 14 (R.T. Independence Bowl at Shreveport, LA)
TCU 30, #16 USC 27 (OT) (Valero Alamo Bowl at San Antonio, TX)
Men’s College Basketball (Top-25 Coaches’ Poll)
——-
#12 North Carolina 79, Florida State 66
#20 Tennessee 105, South Carolina State 54
#13 Nebraska 86, New Hampshire 55
#13 Louisville 90, California 70
#7 Gonzaga 99, San Diego 93
***Top Sports Headlines***
Bears Start Practicing For Week 18
(Lake Forest, IL) — The Chicago Bears begin practicing for the final week of the season from Halas Hall today. The Bears host the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field this Sunday. Chicago is in first place in the NFC North with an 11-and-5 record. The team will also release its first injury report of the week today.
Northwestern Hires Chip Kelly
(Evanston, IL) — The Northwestern Wildcats are bringing in one of the top playcallers in recent NCAA history. The program hired Chip Kelly to become its offensive coordinator yesterday. Kelly has been a head coach with the Oregon Ducks, the UCLA Bruins, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Francisco 49ers. He was also the offensive coordinator for Ohio State’s championship winning team last year, but he was fired by the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this year.
>>Motion Hearing Held For Patriots Stefon Diggs Amid Assault Accusations
(Dedham, MA) — A judge is weighing whether court records in New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs’ assault case will be sealed. This follows a motion hearing held Tuesday for Diggs, who is facing charges of strangulation and assault. The alleged victim initially declined to press charges but later filed a complaint, detailing physical assault and attempted choking. Diggs’ attorneys deny all allegations, claiming they stem from a financial dispute with the victim. The arraignment is scheduled for January 23rd. The Patriots and the NFL are monitoring the situation.
>>Steelers’ TJ Watt Aiming To Play Sunday
(Pittsburgh, PA) — The Steelers could get a huge boost ahead of their Sunday Night Football showdown in Pittsburgh. Head coach Mike Tomlin told the media that TJ Watt has a chance to play against the Ravens. The pass rusher hasn’t suited up since Week 14 after suffering a punctured lung. Tomlin didn’t rule out the possibility of using Watt in a reduced role if he isn’t 100-percent. The winner of Sunday’s game will clinch the AFC North crown.
>>Cowboys Release CB Trevon Diggs
(Frisco, TX) — The Cowboys are moving on from a two-time Pro Bowler with one game remaining in the season. Dallas has released cornerback Trevon Diggs just one game shy of completing his sixth season with the team. The 27-year-old will go through waivers and will become a free agent if he is not claimed. The move is reportedly due to a culmination of events that includes his performance. Diggs signed a five-year, 97-million-dollar contract extension with the franchise in 2023, but has played in just 21 games over the past two seasons because of knee injuries. He has totaled 240 tackles and 20 interceptions in 66 career games played.
>>Report: Colts Starting Riley Leonard At QB
(Indianapolis, IN) — The Colts are making one final change at the quarterback position. According to ESPN, Indianapolis is choosing to start rookie Riley Leonard under center in the regular season finale. Leonard is replacing veteran signal caller Philip Rivers, who returned to the NFL after a five-year retirement. Leonard was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 draft out of Notre Dame and will make his first career start against the Houston Texans on Sunday.
>>NFL Announces Finalists For 2025 Hall Of Fame Class
(Canton, OH) — The finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2025 class have been revealed. The Hall of Fame listed 15 modern-era players who will be voted on next month by its 50-member selection committee. First-year eligible finalists include New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Returning finalists include New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Willie Anderson, and St. Louis Rams wide receiver Torry Holt. The class will be announced during the NFL Honors in February, with between three to five modern-era players inducted.
>>College Football Playoff Quarterfinals Kick Off On NYE
(Undated) — The next stage in the College Football Playoff is here. Number-2 Ohio State squares off against 10th-seeded Miami in the Quarterfinal Round at the Cotton Bowl from Arlington on Wednesday. Three other matchups take place on New Year’s Day. Fourth-ranked Texas Tech battles Number-5 Oregon in the Orange Bowl from Miami, top-seeded Indiana duels ninth-ranked Alabama in the Rose Bowl from Pasadena and Number-3 Georgia clashes with sixth-seeded Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl from New Orleans. The winners will advance to the semifinals in the Fiesta and Peach Bowls.
>>Alabama WR Williams Returning For Junior Season
(Undated) — One of the top receivers in the country is returning to Tuscaloosa in 2026. Alabama wideout Ryan Williams said Tuesday that he intends to return to the team. Williams’ production dropped off exponentially in his second season with the Crimson Tide. He also has the second highest percentage of drops in the nation. The College Football Playoff continues when number nine Alabama takes on number one Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Thursday.
>>Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic To Miss At Least Four Weeks With Knee Injury
(Undated) — The Nuggets will be without their superstar center for at least the next month. Denver big man Nikola Jokic [[ yo-kitch ]] has been diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. He also reportedly is dealing with a bone bruise in the knee. The three-time MVP was injured late in the first half of the team’s loss to the Miami Heat on Monday. Jokic’s knee buckled a bit after teammate Spencer Jones stepped on his left foot during a defensive play. The 30-year-old is averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 11 assists through 31 games played this season.
>>Report: Angels, Rendon Agree To Restructured Contract
(Undated) — The Angels are restructuring one of Major League Baseball’s most controversial contracts. ESPN is reporting that Los Angeles and third baseman Anthony Rendon [[ rhen-DOHN ]] have agreed to restructure the remainder of his deal, which will essentially put an end to the former All-Star’s tenure with the team. Rendon was scheduled to make 38-million-dollars in the final seasons of a seven-year, 245-million-dollar pact that he signed in December 2019. The 35-year-old has agreed to spread those payments out over what is reportedly described as a “few years.” He has never played in more than 58 games during a season throughout his tenure with the Angels.