St. Rita coach Todd Kuska addresses his troops after Friday's playoff win over Geneva. Photo by Jeff Vorva

St. Rita coach Todd Kuska addresses his troops after Friday's playoff win over Geneva. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Pigskin Wrap: Catholic League teams power through first round of playoffs

Spread the love

By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer

The Todd Kuska Era at St. Rita is coming to a close.

The retiring coach would prefer it would come two days after Thanksgiving, meaning the Mustangs would be playing in the IHSA Class 7A state championship game for a second straight season.

The 12th-seeded Mustangs took the first step in that goal with a 27-14 win over 21st-seeded Geneva in the first round Oct. 28 in Chicago. Junior running back DJ Stewart ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns.

St. Rita (8-2) will play at fifth-seeded Prospect (9-1) at 7 p.m. Friday. Prospect made it to the second round with a 62-13 win over Reavis. The Knights average 46 points per game.

The two teams faced each other in the 7A semifinals last year, with the Mustangs pulling off a 42-20 victory to advance to the state championship game. Wheaton North defeated St. Rita in the title game.

“It’s a good football team that’s been putting up a lot of points and winning a lot of games,” Kuska said of the Falcons. “I know we’re going to have to score some points. We have to be able to execute in all phases of the game.”

Against Geneva, junior Zack Clark had a 63-yard interception for a score and Alabama-bound Conor Talty kicked a pair of field goals.

CONOR scaled

St. Rita’s Conor Talty gets ready to kick his second field goal of the night for St. Rita against Geneva in the first round of the playoffs Friday night. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Early in the season, Kuska announced he would retire after this year. In 25 years at the helm, he has collected more than 200 victories and had more than 50 players go to Division I colleges, and five reach the NFL. Martin Hopkins will take over in 2023.

Kuska said he is trying to focus on football in the waning weeks.

“I just want to keep playing and keep winning,” he said. “Was this my last home game? I hope not. I haven’t really thought much about it. I’m sure as we get deeper, maybe I’ll think a little bit more about it.

“I just want to keep my mind on football. It’s like I tell the seniors, ‘this is it. How many times are you going to put on a helmet?’ So, I guess, how many times am I going to put on my whistle. I want to keep winning and keep coaching the kids and help the seniors have a big finish.”

 

CCL/ESCC
It was a banner first round for area teams in the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference.

Brother Rice, which was seeded 24th in Class 8A, pulled off a 27-0 victory over ninth-seeded Jacobs in Algonquin. Quarterback Marcus Brown had three rushing touchdowns and Randall Nauden added one. Nauden ran for 122 yards and Brown 86.

Jack Morrison had nine tackles while Henry Ivers and Christian Pierce each had eight in the shutout.

The Crusaders (6-4) host eighth-seeded Collinsville (9-1) at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Mount Carmel, the top seed in Class 8A, beat 32nd-seeded Buffalo Grove, 49-3.

The Caravan visits 17th seeded Downers Grove North at 1 p.m. Saturday. North whipped Lincoln Park, 46-0, in the first round.

In Class 8A, 18th-seeded Marist knocked off 15th-seeded Naperville North, 42-28. RedHawks running back Chris Lofgren ran for 206 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Dermot Smyth threw for 180 yards and a touchdown and ran for 118 yards and two more scores.

Marist (7-3) hosts second-seeded York (10-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Another CCL/ESCC team that knocked off a higher seed was Nazareth in Class 5A, where the 11th-seeded Roadrunners blasted sixth-seeded Glenbard South, 48-22. In a game with some big plays, Nazareth’s Justin Taylor had scoring runs of 41 and 30 yards and quarterback Logan Malachuk had a 56-yard bolt.

Nazareth (6-4) hosts third-seeded Rockford Boylan Catholic (9-1) at a time and date that were not determines by deadline.

 

Metro Suburban Red
Tenth-seeded Riverside-Brookfield had its season end at 6-4 with a 35-14 loss to seventh-seeded Kaneland in Maple Park.

 

South Suburban Red
Eleventh-seeded Richards, the SSC Red champ, dropped a 71-0 game to sixth-seeded East St. Louis Senior, a national power in Class 6A. Richards finished the season 6-4.

Reavis, seeded 28th in Class 7A, fell 62-13 to fifth-seeded Prospect to finish 5-5.

Argo, seeded 31st in 7A, lost to Hersey, 49-14, to finish 5-5.

 

Chicago Public League
Goode STEM, the fourth seed in the North bracket of Class 5A, enjoyed a 48-0 triumph over 13th-seeded Noble/Pritzker in the opening round.

Goode (9-1) faces fifth-seeded Sterling (7-2) at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Lane Tech.

In Class 3A, Catalyst-Maria had its season end at 6-4 with a 52-8 loss to Pecatonica.

 

Venerable win for SXU
Junior running back Amari Venerable returned from a preseason injury and helped lead Saint Xavier to a 52-6 road victory over Judson in a Mid-States Football Association Midwest game on Saturday.

It’s the seventh straight win for SXU, which vaulted up to No. 11 in the NAIA coaches’ rankings.

Venerable ran 11 times for 100 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Stuart Ross threw for 177 yards.

Evergreen Park native and Brother Rice graduate Jessi Plunkett had one carry for a 65-yard touchdown.

The Cougars (7-2, 5-0) hosts St. Ambrose at noon Saturday.

DJ scaled

St. Rita’s DJ Stewart, who celebrated his 17th birthday on Friday, carries the ball against Geneva in a 7A playoff opener in Chicago. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Local News

Palos Heights native Kendall Coyne Schofield and her husband, Michael Schofield, are co-sponsoring a new park in town. (Photo by Jeff Vorva)

Planned park in Palos Heights will have Olympic theme

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva The Misty Meadows subdivision in Palos Heights is getting a new park and it will be partially funded by a pair of famous local athletes. Plus, it will have an ice rink and an Olympic theme. NFL player Michael Schofield and his Olympic hockey gold- and silver-medal-winning wife, Kendall Coyne…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Clear-Ridge Reporter and NewsHound February 2, 2022

Spread the love

Spread the love

dog-outside-cold-weather-433739

Cook County Animal and Rabies Control offers pet safety tips

Spread the love

Spread the loveParts of Cook County could see up to 12 inches of snow over the next day as a winter storm moves across the area starting tonight. Cold weather creates hazardous conditions for residents and their pets. The Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control reminds residents to take special precautions to keep…

car weather safety kit

Winter storm could bring heavy snowfall

Spread the love

Spread the loveParts of Cook County could see up to 12 inches of snow over the next day as a winter storm moves across the area starting tonight. The county’s Department of Transportation and Highways is monitoring conditions and has resources on standby to keep the 1,500 lane miles the county maintains, safe for drivers.…

Police Commissioner Dan Polk said, "We want to advertise this service, let people know about it" and get the word out in the community. (File photo)

Polk insists residents should use 9-1-1 when they need help

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva With snowstorms and bad weather hitting the area, first responders and 9-1-1 operators are taxed and stretched out. But Palos Park Police Commissioner Dan Polk said that should not deter people from calling 9-1-1. He insists on it. At the Jan. 24 village council meeting, Polk made a passionate speech…

District 230 Supt. Robert Nolting said 145 districts across the state involved in a lawsuit are waiting a judge’s decision. (Photo by Jeff Vorva)

District 230 waits for judge’s decision on mask mandates

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Stagg and Sandburg students, parents and teachers are awaiting the decision of a Sangamon County judge to find out if there is any change in the mask mandate. District 230 was one of 145 districts in the state taken to court by parents who are against the mandate and believe…

thumbnail_LIHWAP FLYER

Summit approves deal with CEDA for water assistance

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Help may be on the way for some Summit residents that have trouble paying their water bills. The Summit Village Board recently approved an ordinance authorizing an agreement by, and between the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County. It’s a vendor agreement for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance…

Ryan Grace, the new village administrator, with Willow Springs mayor Melissa Neddermeyer (center), and Meghan Grace, his wife, after his Jan. 27 hiring. (Photos by Steve Metsch)

Willow Springs hires Grace as village administrator

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Citing his experience in Lyons, Willow Springs Mayor Melissa Neddermeyer said Ryan Grace was the best of five finalists interviewed for the job of village administrator. Grace, 38, had been public works director in Lyons the past four years, working on a wide range of village issues and events in…

Charisma Ehresman

Body of missing Forest View woman found

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The search for 20-year-old Charisma Ehresman of Forest View is over. The body of the young woman was found Friday evening in her vehicle in Chicago’s South Austin neighborhood, on the city’s west side, which borders Oak Park. The car had apparently been there for several days. The Cook County…

Members of the Heritage Middle School Cheer Team at their recent competition. (Supplied photos)

Heritage Middle School cheer team takes first

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Congratulations are in order for the Heritage Middle School Cheer Team. The team competed for the first time on Saturday, January 15, at Old Quarry Middle School in Lemont and took first place. It was a huge accomplishment for the team and Summit School District 104 is very proud of…

Neighbors

Lawmakers pass on oversight vote for Pritzker’s prison closure, rebuild plan

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

‘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?

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

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

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…

Communities, commission push Pritzker admin for more prison plan details

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…

Judge blocks law that would have banned newly slated candidates from ballot

Judge blocks law that would have banned newly slated candidates from ballot

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com A Sangamon County judge on Wednesday blocked the Illinois State Board of Elections from enforcing a new law that would have prevented certain General Assembly candidates who didn’t run in the March primary from getting on the November ballot. The move doesn’t void the bill in its entirety,…

“No Schoolers”: How Illinois’ hands-off approach to homeschooling leaves children at risk

“No Schoolers”: How Illinois’ hands-off approach to homeschooling leaves children at risk

By BETH HUNDSDORFER  & MOLLY PARKER  CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS investigations@capitolnewsillinois.com This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois. It was on L.J.’s 11th birthday, in December 2022, that child welfare workers finally took him away. They arrived at his central Illinois home to investigate an abuse allegation and decided…

Brushing off concerns of overspending, Pritzker signs $53.1 billion state budget

Brushing off concerns of overspending, Pritzker signs $53.1 billion state budget

By ANDREW ADAMS JERRY NOWICKI & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday signed the state’s $53.1 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year, the largest in state history.  The signing caps months of work – and tension – among top Democratic leaders in Springfield and within the…

Stalled bills: ‘Dignity in Pay Act,’ Prisoner Review Board changes fail to move

Stalled bills: ‘Dignity in Pay Act,’ Prisoner Review Board changes fail to move

By ALEX ABBEDUTO,  COLE LONGCOR & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com A bill eliminating the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities failed to pass the General Assembly ahead of its May adjournment, although sponsors say they hope to pass it when lawmakers return in the fall. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938…