House Minority Leader Tony McCombie spent the days before the start of the Illinois House’s Spring Session talking with Northwest Illinois residents at Traveling Office Hours in Winnebago, Lena, and Pearl City, as well as presenting local Northwest Illinois high school athletes with recognition for their recent achievements.
Byron Tigers 3A State Football Champions
McCombie joined the Byron Tigers on January 6 in recognizing their win against the Tolono Unity Rockets to capture the IHSA 2025 3A State Football Championship.
Byron’s undefeated season wrapped up with a bow on top, winning 56-50 and the title of the best high school football team in 3A of 2025. Jeff Boyer’s Tigers have made the championship game every other year since 2021, continuing that trend in 2025. They won all three appearances in the battle for the title: 2021, 2023 and 2025. Congratulations Byron Tigers!
Winnebago Girls Cross Country State Champions
On January 14, House Minority Leader McCombie joined the incredible young women of the Winnebago Girl’s Cross Country team to present them with certificates for a season that will go down in Winnebago history
The Winnebago Girls Cross Country team captured their 14th IHSA State Championship in Peoria this November, winning the 1A title with a team score of 150, placing all five top runners in the Top 50, and finishing a full 60 points ahead of Shelbyville. That’s dominance.
Huge credit to Coach Joe Erb and his wife Janice, whose dedication, leadership, and heart have built one of the strongest programs in the state. And thank you to Athletic Director Patrick Brule and Kim Bronkema for supporting excellence at Winnebago High School.
This team represents everything we love about high school athletics…discipline, teamwork, grit, and pride. Congratulations on an unforgettable season and a legacy of success!
Lena-Winslow 1A State Football Champions
The Lena-Winslow Panthers Football team were honored on January 15 with recognition by Leader McCombie for capturing their 7th state championship since 2010, defeating the Brown County Hornets in the IHSA Class 1A 2025 State Championship, – 58–13; cementing their place as one of the most successful programs in Illinois high school football.
The Panthers placed second in both the 2023 and 2024 IHSA Class 1A state championship games prior to this year’s title win.
This latest title reflects years of sustained excellence, strong coaching, disciplined athletes, and unwavering community support.