Granite City Daily Brief: February 7, 2026

Warriors hockey skates into MVCHA semifinals

Granite City’s varsity hockey team is moving on in the Class 2A MVCHA playoffs after a hard-fought 5–3 win over Bethalto in Game 3 of their quarterfinal series at Wilson Park Ice Rink. Granite City made special teams count, cashing in three times on the power play to put the game out of reach despite being outshot.

Ben Wilson opened the scoring, with Alex Vaughn adding two goals and Ayden Cooper and Lukas Shepard each finding the net to round out Granite City’s offense. Bethalto piled up shots and cut into the lead behind goals from Jackson Albright and two from Brock Greene, but frequent penalties in the third period stalled any comeback push.

With the series victory, Granite City advances to face second-seeded Edwardsville in the 2A semifinals on Monday at East Alton Ice Arena. The winner will move on to the league finals, keeping Granite City’s postseason hopes very much alive.

Granite City hosts girls wrestling regional

Dozens of high school wrestlers from across the Metro East are on the mats this weekend for the Granite City Regional, which runs February 6–7. The event brings together 29 girls programs, including Collinsville, Triad, O’Fallon, Belleville West and host Granite City, along with an Edwardsville squad coming in off a 14–0 regular season.

The regional is the first step in the postseason path for competitors. The top four finishers in each weight class will qualify for the North Mac Sectional scheduled for February 13–14. From there, athletes will aim to book spots at the state tournament in Bloomington at the end of the month.

With a deep field and several returning regional champions in the brackets, local fans can expect full bleachers and plenty of tightly contested matches through Saturday evening.

Dead of Winter event just up the river

For residents looking for something a little different today, the 27th annual Dead of Winter gathering is taking place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Franklin Lodge in nearby Alton. The free event focuses on ghost stories, regional folklore and the supernatural, with talks, vendors and author meet-and-greets throughout the day.

Organizers are also collecting nonperishable food donations, turning the spooky theme into a chance to support local pantries. With Granite City just a short drive from Alton, the festival gives residents another option for a Saturday outing beyond the rink and the wrestling gym.

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