Before we fully flip the calendar to 2025, WRMJ Sports is looking back at the year that was 2024 on our airwaves.
Below is a look (and listen) at our top ten sports broadcasts from 2023, compiled by WRMJ’s Ty Taylor.
Happy New Year!
No. 10 – Kendra Lewis throws no-hitter, hits homer in Rockridge softball finale
June 1, 2024 – Kendra Lewis threw a no-hitter and hit a three-run home run in her final at-bat at Rockridge to lead the Rockets to a third place finish in Class 2A softball in June. Rockridge beat Auburn 4-0 at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria in the IHSA 3rd Place Game.
Lewis struck out seven and walked three batters over seven hitless innings. Her three-run homer came in the bottom of the sixth to extend the Rockridge lead to 4-0.
The Rockridge softball program earned its ninth state trophy in program history with the third place finish. During Lewis’s four-year run at Rockridge, the Rockets went 134-5-1 and won three state championships.
A memorable final game in an unforgettable softball career for Kendra Lewis starts our list.
No. 9 – Macomb stuns state title favorite Manual with sectional semifinal comeback
Feb. 28, 2024 – Macomb shocked Manual with a 41-40 upset win in the semifinals of the 2A Canton boys basketball sectional in February.
The Bombers trailed 34-16 midway through the third quarter before closing the game on a 26-5 run. Macomb senior Dion Doyle sunk a pair of free throws with six seconds left in regulation to give the Bombers a lead for the first time all night.
Macomb went on to upend Rockridge in the sectional championship and then fell in the super-sectional to Williamsville.
Each year we cover the entire local boys basketball sectional, which is why we were at this game. Lucky for us, we were able to document one of the wildest finishes in recent IHSA postseason basketball history.
No. 8 – Rockridge defense suffocates Eastland-Pearl City in first-round win
Nov. 2, 2024 – Rockridge beat Eastland-Pearl City 22-8 in the first round of the IHSA 2A football playoffs.
The Rockets led 22-0 at halftime and allowed zero first downs and just six total yards over the first two quarters.
Cullen Schwigen accounted for all three Rockridge touchdowns, which broke Rockridge’s single-season TD record (32). He connected with Landon Wheatley on a 7-yard TD pass in the first quarter and rushed for two scores in the second quarter. Schwigen completed 10-20 passes for 98 yards and rushed for 77 yards.
Rockridge outgained the Wildcatz 335-97 in the win.
The Rockets closed another successful football season with a loss to Farmington in the second round of the playoffs.
No. 7 – Rockridge hands state-ranked Monmouth-Roseville first loss
Oct. 18, 2024 – Rockridge knocked off Monmouth-Roseville 28-18 on the road in Week 8 of the high school football season.
The win snapped a season-opening seven-game winning streak for the Titans, which had picked up a 31-3 win over Princeton in Week 5.
Monmouth-Roseville took an 18-14 lead with 7:32 left in the 3rd quarter. Trevor Dye returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a TD to put Rockridge ahead 21-18. Cullen Schwigen finished 15-22 passing for 221 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for 20 yards and a score in the win.
No. 6 – Mercer County rallies to beat Princeville in OT, win LTC
Feb. 6, 2024 – Mercer County stormed back to beat Princeville for the second time in three days in this one, 58-57 in overtime.
The Golden Eagles trailed 57-53 with under 40 seconds left in the game. Lucas Collison made a three-pointer to cut the deficit to one. Princeville then traveled with 16 seconds on the clock. Jude Hofmann scored on the ensuing possession for Mercer County to take the lead with six seconds remaining.
The win all but sealed Mercer County’s second consecutive Lincoln Trail Conference (LTC) championship in boys basketball. It was the Golden Eagles’ 13th straight win in a streak that would reach 17 before being snapped by Rockridge in the regional championship.
No. 5 – Ridgewood beats Illini Bluffs to win first-ever softball state title
June 1, 2024 – Ridgewood won a softball state championship for the first time ever by beating Illini Bluffs in the IHSA 1A state title game 3-1 at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.
Illini Bluffs took a 1-0 lead two pitches into the game on a lead-off home run from Sara Finn. After that, Ridgewood starting pitcher Mya Brown allowed just one hit the rest of the game.
The Spartans scored twice in the bottom of the third when Kerrigan Lewis crossed the plate on a passed ball and Brown drove in a run by reaching on an error to go ahead, 2-1. Ridgewood added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out pinch hit RBI single by Brynlee Wirt.
Brown struck out the side in the seventh to clinch the state championship. She took the win, giving up one run on two hits in seven innings with 13 strikeouts.
It’s the fourth straight year WRMJ has called a state championship softball win.
No. 4 – Sherrard snaps 13-game boys basketball losing streak against Rockridge
Dec. 6, 2024 – Sherrard never trailed in a 38-35 win over Rockridge to open TRAC West play.
The Tigers led 9-2 at the end of the first quarter and extended the advantage to 11-2 early in the second. The Rockets answered with a 9-0 run to tie the game 11-11 before Sherrard scored the final four points of the first half to hold a 15-11 halftime advantage.
Rockridge cut its deficit to one point three times in the second half, including once in the final minute of the game, but never tied it.
Sherrard snapped a 13-game losing streak to Rockridge and ended the Rockets’ 35-game TRAC winning streak.
No. 3 – Rockridge outlasts Peoria Notre Dame to return to Sweet 16
Feb. 27, 2024 – Rockridge returned to the Sweet 16 for the third straight year in boys basketball with a 31-28 win over Peoria Notre Dame in the semifinals of the IHSA 2A Canton Sectional.
The Rockets trailed 21-17 at the end of the third quarter but outscored the Irish 14-7 in the fourth to rally for the win.
Landon Bull scored a game-high 11 points for Rockridge in the win.
This was the second consecutive classic postseason game the Rockets played in 2024. You’ll see the first one in a couple of spots.
No. 2 – Rockridge softball beats Beecher again, advances to state for 6th straight year
May 27, 2024 – Rockridge qualified for its sixth consecutive IHSA Softball State Finals with a 6-2 win over Beecher in the 2A Eastside Centre Super-Sectional in East Peoria.
The Rockets opened the scoring in the state title rematch with back-to-back hits from Taylor Dieterich and Kendra Lewis in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Beecher knotted the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third on an RBI single from Elena Kvasnicka.
It was a 1-1 game until the top of sixth inning when Rockridge scored two runs on a Stella Riley bunt that the Bobcats defense threw the ball away twice on. The Rockets led 3-1 entering the seventh and were able to add three insurance runs in the frame. Charley Perkins delivered an RBI single and Morgan Hofer blasted a double to right-center field with two outs to bring home two runs and extend the Rockridge lead to 6-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, Beecher got four straight singles to make it 6-2 and brought the tying run to the plate with two outs. Lewis was able to get Taylor Norkus to ground out to shortstop to end the game.
The win extended Rockridge’s IHSA record postseason winning streak to 27 games, which was snapped the next game.
Rockridge went on to fall 1-0 in 10 innings in the state semifinals to Carterville, two wins shy of the first 4-peat in IHSA softball history.
No. 1 – Rockridge wins overtime thriller over MerCo to claim regional title
Feb. 23, 2024 – Rockridge won its fourth consecutive regional championship by beating Mercer County 43-40 in overtime Friday.
The Rockets opened the game on a 6-0 run. Mercer County answered with a 10-0 run to close the first quarter and led 10-6 after one period. The Golden Eagles extended the lead to 16-9 at half and held a 27-22 advantage heading into the fourth.
Caleb Cunico tied the game for the Rockets with a three-pointer with under a minute to go in regulation, which sent the game to overtime tied at 36. Rockridge took their first lead since the first quarter in the extra frame and never trailed in overtime.
Cunico led the Rockets with 11 points. Baylen Leemans and Landon Bull each added 10 points for Rockridge.
John Hoscheidt’s final call of a classic game deserves a number-one ranking on any list.