Marist’s Elisa Ward (right), and Mother McAuley’s Bella Finnegan and their teams will be a part of the Coach Kipp Hoopsfeast Saturday and Monday. Photo by Jeff Vorva
Local Sports Notebook: Four area girls teams headed to Hoopsfest
By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer
Four area girls basketball teams will participate in the 32nd running of the Coach Kipp Hoopsfest.
This year’s tournament, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, takes place Saturday at Montini High School and Monday at Benet Academy.
Sandburg is scheduled to play Downers Grove North in the 12:30 p.m. game on Saturday, Marist is scheduled to face off with York at 6:30 p.m. and Argo is scheduled to battle Plainfield North at 8 p.m.
In Monday’s action, Mother McAuley is scheduled to face Wheaton North at 2:30 p.m.
The tournament is run by Jim O’Boye, the longtime football public address announcer at St. Rita.
An honor and a loss
Former longtime Marist basketball coach and player Gene Nolan brought his new team, Naperville North, back to his old stomping ground.
Before the game, he was honored with having his No. 22 jersey retired.
During the game, however, the RedHawks were not as kind. Marist, coached by Nolan’s former assistant Brian Hynes, pulled off a 49-43 victory. Xavier Sulaiman led with 17 points and Kaden White scored 13.
Nolan coached at Marist for 18 seasons and racked up a 330-193 record.
U can watch Red Stars
The Chicago Red Stars will be on local TV in 2022.
The team has entered a partnership with Univision Chicago and select games will be broadcast under the “U” umbrella of WMEU (Channel 48.1) and WCIU (Channel 26.2).
“The Red Stars are thrilled to partner with Weigel Broadcasting Co. and Univision to bring the amazing talents of our world-class players into more Chicagoland homes,” said Vicky Lynch, chief business officer of the Red Stars. “Giving this increased access to our fans has been a priority for us, so we are delighted to deliver this to them.
“These broadcasts will also elevate the club in the eyes of future corporate partners, leading more brands to join us in leveling the playing field for our players.”
Following the reception of Univision Chicago’s broadcast of last season’s Red Stars match against Portland, the Spanish-language media company decided to continue their partnership with the team into 2022.
“Both of our organizations share some common values like diversity and inclusion, women’s empowerment, as well as children and family,” said Doug Levy, president and general manager of Univision Chicago. “We love the way this team plays to win, and we are optimistic about our future together. We look forward to working together with the Chicago Red Stars to bring our audiences and our communities some of the most exciting soccer action in Chicago.”
Weigel Broadcasting, the parent company of Univision, also broadcasts Chicago Sky games.
The TV schedule will be announced after the NWSL announces its schedule.
The U is seen on Xfinity 230|360, RCN 610, WOW 170, Dish 48, Spectrum Charter 191 and U-Verse 24.
Stagg-ering weekend
Stagg enjoyed a banner weekend in sports as the Chargers’ Laila Barakat became the fourth girls basketball player in school history to hit the 1,000-point mark, doing so in a 67-40 victory over Richards.
That came a day after the boys team upended Lockport, 51-48, in a road SouthWest Suburban Conference crossover game. Alex Vassilakis led the Chargers (5-8) with 14 points and Alex Gamboa added 12. Lockport fell to 8-5.
Local News
Brother Rice’s 11-game win streak ends with loss to Leo
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer In seemingly a blink of an eye, Brother Rice picked up as many losses as it had all season. The Crusaders headed into last weekend’s action with a 21-2 record and was 10-0 in the Chicago Catholic League Blue. But Friday night, they suffered a 56-50 setback to…
Evergreen Park High School student excels at multiplying
Spread the loveBy Kelly White An Evergreen Park Community High School student has been adding up his future. Sophomore Xarles “Chaz” Barnes recently discovered a unique talent of being able to multiply any two numbers ranging from 1-100 simply in his head. Barnes said he does not memorize the answers, they just come to him…
Area Sports Roundup: Six area girls bowling teams headed to sectionals
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer Six area girls bowling teams are headed to sectionals. Reavis and Stagg won IHSA regional titles last Saturday, and four other teams have advanced to this weekend’s action. Reavis won its own regional at Palos Lanes in Palos Hills with a 5,378 in six games, well ahead of…
Marist cheerleaders takes 2nd in state
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer After Marist’s cheerleaders watched a video of their state finals performance on Feb. 5, there were some long faces and tears as the girls filed out of the video room and into the cooling-off room. After a long meeting, there were more long faces. “I’ve had better days,”…
Balanced Nazareth wins East Suburban Catholic
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Correspondent Moments before the opening tip in the East Suburban Catholic Conference tournament title game, Carmel coach Ben Berg said his team was playing with house money.” Berg was referring to how Corsairs — 4-3 in conference play entering the tourney — were not expected to be playing in the…
Playing the race card remains popular
Spread the loveBy Ray Hanania Former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke is freed from a system that protects real criminals. Van Dyke went through the criminal justice system for shooting Laquan McDonald, a drugged-up, weapon-carrying thug with a history of violence who refused to listen to police after curfew in Chicago. Van Dyke was…
Need more free speech, not enforced silence
Spread the loveBy Thomas Knapp “They can have Neil Young or [Joe] Rogan. Not Both.” Thus the ultimatum from legendary musician Young, over his concerns with what he deems “misinformation” on the subject of COVID-19 vaccines, to streaming service Spotify. Spotify, unsurprisingly, chose Rogan. It invested an estimated $100 million in bringing the Joe Rogan Experience podcast…
Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School packs meals for needy during holidays
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Wishing everyone to have the best holiday season, Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School students packed meals for those in need before they went on Christmas break. The school, 5345 W. 99th St., Oak Lawn, hosted its annual Feed6 Meal Packaging event on December 4, where students gathered together, while socially distanced, with…
McCord shows off Stagg student artworks
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Stagg High School art students proudly had their work showcased at a local gallery. McCord Gallery & Cultural Center, 9602 W. Creek Road, Palos Park, featured the art of Stagg’s most creative until January 28. “Having my work as part of an art show in an art gallery like McCord is significant to…
Enjoy fiscal bliss while it lasts
Spread the loveBy Rich Miller I think by now you can see why Gov. JB Pritzker’s campaign spent so much money over the past month or so on TV and digital ads touting the state’s improved fiscal position. Illinoisans have been (accurately) fed fiscal horror stories about their state for decades. I don’t have to…
Neighbors
State highway shootings decline as critics sue over ‘dragnet surveillance’
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois State Police say an automated license plate reader program has helped the agency identify witnesses or suspects in 82 percent of highway shooting cases this year, including all eight that resulted in a death. But as the state looks to further expand its network of more than…
Just weeks before Republican National Convention, Illinois GOP chair announces resignation
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Halfway through the 2024 election cycle and just a few weeks away from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Illinois GOP Chair Don Tracy on Wednesday announced his resignation as head of the state Republican Party. Tracy, who’d held the job since February 2021, explained his resignation in…
As Illinois session ends, lawmakers’ attempt to reinstate wetland protections fails
by JENNIFER BAMBERG Investigate Midwest jennifer.bamberg@investigatemidwest.org In 2006, 19-year-old Jessica Whinston inherited 20 acres of land that her grandparents once farmed in Quincy, Illinois. The land had sat dormant since the 1980s and was overgrown, but Whinston and her husband Bradley worked to turn it into a productive farm. The couple were eventually able to…
Elections board dismisses illegal campaign coordination complaint, declines to clarify law
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – State elections officials on Tuesday indicated they were unlikely to step in to clarify what constitutes illegal campaign coordination after voting to dismiss a complaint alleging such coordination in the 2022 campaign for governor. At their monthly meeting in Chicago, Illinois State Board of Elections members…
Illinois’ ban on ‘bump stocks’ remains in place despite U.S. Supreme Court decision
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – An Illinois law banning the sale and use of “bump stocks” and other devices that increase the firing power of semiautomatic weapons remains in place, at least for now, despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision Friday striking down a federal ban on such items. “Illinois law…
Lawmakers pass on oversight vote for Pritzker’s prison closure, rebuild plan
By HANNAH MEISEL & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – For the last two decades, each time a governor has moved to close a large state-run facility like a prison or mental health center, a legislative oversight panel has voted on the plan. That changed on Friday – at least for now –…
‘We don’t really know what we’re voting on,’ top Dem says of Pritzker’s prison plan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com LINCOLN – On the eve of a scheduled vote to advise Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on plans to close and rebuild a pair of dilapidated state prisons, hundreds filed into a junior high school gymnasium Thursday evening clad in matching green T-shirts. Printed on the shirts was a…
Illinois child tax credit: who gets it, how much is it?
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com In the final hours of their spring legislative session, Illinois lawmakers approved a tax credit of up to about $300 for families with young children. The credit is available to Illinoisans with children under age 12 who qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC. Although…
Members of House speaker’s staff sue over ongoing unionization conflict
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Members of a would-be union representing staffers in House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s office filed suit against their boss on Friday, asking a Cook County judge to force recognition of the union. The Illinois Legislative Staff Association, which formed in the fall of 2022, claims Welch’s…
Elections board urged to dismiss complaint that Bailey illegally coordinated in 2022 campaign
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com A hearing officer is recommending the Illinois State Board of Elections dismiss a complaint that alleged conservative radio host and political operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated with former Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey during his 2022 campaign for governor. Proft, a one-time gubernatorial candidate himself, is behind an…