John Lemon was named High School Sports Editor in 2021. He oversees coverage of 85 high schools in the Chicago suburbs. Lemon organizes a staff of 20 freelance writers, works with photographers, decides which games will be covered and photographed, designs the Local Sports pages each night, edits stories and compiles Top 20 rankings.
Before that Lemon had been the Tri-Cities High School Sports Coordinator since 2003. He was responsible for covering Batavia, Elburn, Geneva, North Aurora, St. Charles and Sugar Grove. Lemon previously held the same position overseeing DuPage County sports. He started at the Daily Herald as a freelancer in 1995. Lemon also worked at Press-Republican newspapers in St. Charles from 1995-1998.
In addition, Lemon has assisted with coverage of college football, Cubs, White Sox, Bears and Bulls. While he has covered many memorable sporting events, Lemon's favorite part of the job is getting to know high school coaches, parents, athletes and fans in the community and chronicling all the accomplishments of the area's tremendous teams and student-athletes.
Lemon graduated from the University of Illinois in 1994 with a journalism major. He worked as sports editor of the Daily Illini and covered the men's basketball team for two years, among other positions at the student paper.
Born in Memphis, Tenn., and raised in Monmouth, Ill., Lemon now lives in Lily Lake.