St. Rita tops Homewood-Flossmoor, vying for first sectional title
By Steve Millar
Correspondent
St. Rita’s Morez Johnson knows how deflating it is for an opponent when it plays strong defense and forces the Mustangs into a missed shot, only for Johnson to grab the rebound and score.
“Those second-chance points hurt the other team a lot,” Johnson said after St. Rita defeated Homewood-Flossmoor in the semifinals of the Class 4A Thornwood Sectional. “It’s a momentum boost for us and it definitely hurts them.”
Johnson, a 6-foot-9 sophomore forward who is already committed to Illinois, did it time and again against the second-seeded Vikings, leading third-seeded St. Rita to a 68-58 win on March 2.
Johnson had 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Mustangs (23-11), who advanced to take on top-seeded Kenwood in the sectional championship game at 7 p.m. tonight.
St. Rita has never won a basketball sectional title.
Junior guard Kaiden Space added 17 points for the Mustangs. A pair of freshmen also came up big: Amari Edwards scored 11 points off the bench and Melvin Bell chipped in eight points.
St. Rita avenged a 61-59 loss to H-F (21-8) on Dec. 23 at the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic.
The Mustangs had to hold on late after the Vikings cut a 40-31 halftime deficit to 54-50 early in the fourth.
“A team like H-F, with a lot of seniors, they don’t want to go out,” Space said. “Nobody does in the playoffs. It’s hard to close out these games, but I definitely trust my teammates to make plays and do what we need to do to finish the game down the stretch.”
St. Rita may have caught a big break, as well.
With one of St. Rita’s star sophomore forwards, James Brown, already having fouled out, Johnson appeared to pick up his fifth foul with 4:18 to play.
However, the official scorer ruled it was only Johnson’s fourth foul.
“I was definitely nervous, I’ll say that,” St. Rita coach Roshawn Russell said. “I’m glad they overturned it.”
Johnson, who contested that the foul was not on him, was walking to the bench when he got the reprieve.
“I thought I was going to have to sit down,” Johnson said. “I thought I let my team down. I’ve got to be way smarter. I can’t put myself in that situation again.”
Johnson took advantage of the second chance with back-to-back baskets. He again crashed the offensive glass, coming up with a tip dunk to stretch the lead to 64-54 with 1:30 to go.
Early on, St. Rita was sparked by its guards.
Space has stepped up huge since his fellow backcourt starter, Jaedin Reyna, left the team near the end of the regular season.
Space scored 23 points in a regional final win over Morgan Park.
He scored 12 points in the first half against H-F.
Edwards, meanwhile, came off the bench to score all 11 of his points in the second quarter. He knocked down three 3-pointers.
“The guy’s as tough as they come,” Russell said of Edwards. “I don’t care about his height (5-foot-7). He’s one of the best players in the freshmen class. That kid’s got it.”
Now, the Mustangs are in the Sweet 16.
“This is far as St. Rita basketball has ever gone in the playoffs,” Space said. “It’s been a good ride and I’m proud of every single one of these guys. It’s a great moment right now.”
Local News
Time for Ken Griffin to answer a few questions
Spread the loveBy Rich Miller Richard Irvin is a Republican. Period. Irvin might not be enough of a Republican for the purists. Democrats might want to weaken Irvin in the Republican primary for governor by pointing to some of the nice things he’s said about Democrats (including the governor) over the years. But Richard Irvin…
Income inequality tearing at social fabric
Spread the loveBy Jim Nowlan Household incomes in America have become more and more unequal over recent decades, as measured by the Gini Index of Inequality. American society has also become more sharply polarized, as measured by Donald Trump’s continuing, intense support in small town and rural America. I know why, or at least know…
Tabares backs West Lawn Branch Library
Spread the love Twenty-third Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares (left) recently toured the renovated West Lawn Branch Library, 4020 W. 63rd St.,, with new branch manager Mina Duarte. Details about the renovation’s may be found in the West Lawn column in the January 28 Greater Southwest News-Herald. –Supplied photo
Chuy backs Starbucks unionization
Spread the love U.S. Rep Jesús “Chuy” García (D-4th), white mask, recently stood with those who support unionization of Starbucks workers, outside a shop in the city. Workers are attempting to organize under the banner of Chicago and Midwest Joint Board, Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. –Supplied photo
‘Grizzled’ sophomores help Naz beat Marist
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Nazareth’s “grizzled veterans” have won 19 of their first 20 games. The Roadrunners’ were victorious in a big East Suburban Catholic Conference showdown with Marist, with two sophomores doing most of the damage in a 53-42 win in LaGrange Park on Jan. 19. Nazareth improved to 19-1, 4-0.…
Postseason Sports Report: Area stars ready for state bowling and dancing
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The first two IHSA state tournaments for winter sports will take place this weekend, and an army of area athletes will be competing in both. The boys bowling and competitive dance championships will be held Friday and Saturday, with the bowlers heading to St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon…
Strus tops former coach in Stagg’s win over Sandburg
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer Marty Strus has nothing but good things to say about his former high school coach, John Daniels. “He’s meant a ton to me,” Strus said of the coach he faced off against last week when his Stagg Chargers took on Sandburg. “He meant a lot to me as…
Palos Area Chamber dedicated to promoting area
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Dedicated to helping local area businesses strive is the Palos Area Chamber of Commerce. The chamber was formed in 1949 when a small group of merchants joined together for the purpose of advancing economic, industrial, professional, cultural, and civic welfare of the Palos Heights area. For 68 years, the Palos…
We need real solutions to crime
Spread the loveBy Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Crime and safety concerns are the number one topic of all the calls and texts I receive. It seems that many politicians offer no solutions except the usual lists of ways to keep safe. I think everyone knows about locking…
Neighbors
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…
Pritzker signs bill creating new Department of Early Childhood
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Tuesday creating a new cabinet-level state agency dedicated to early childhood education and development. The new Department of Early Childhood, which will become operational in July 2026, will take over programs currently housed across three state agencies, including funding for preschool…
Speaker Welch rebuffs lawsuit from would-be staff union as ‘forum shopping’
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is urging a Cook County judge to dismiss a lawsuit members of his staff filed against him last month seeking to force recognition of their union. In a new filing Monday, attorneys for Welch argued the Illinois Legislative Staff Association has no…
Advocates say SCOTUS ruling paves way for law ensuring abusers have guns confiscated
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com After the U.S. Supreme Court last week upheld a federal law that bars those under domestic violence-related restraining orders from owning guns, victim advocates say Illinois lawmakers should pass a measure to ensure firearms are actually confiscated in those situations. The legislation has been stalled for more than…
Communities, commission push Pritzker admin for more prison plan details
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Jimmy Soto spent more than 42 years wrongfully imprisoned in Illinois Department of Corrections facilities. In 2020, he was moved to the “F-House” at Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, a condemned unit, not because he was being punished, but because it was where the facility was housing individuals…
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…
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…