Evergreen Park's competitive dance team is heading back to the state meet after winning its first sectional. Evergreen Park High School photo
Area Sports Roundup: Evergreen Park dancers make history with first sectional crown
By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer
Evergreen Park was the only team from the area to place in the state’s top 12 in competitive dancing last season.
The Mustangs, who finished a program-best sixth in the state in Class 1A in 2021, are seeking an even better showing this year.
Evergreen Park made history by winning the Geneva Sectional Championship on Jan. 21, earning the program’s first sectional championship. They return to Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington for the two-day IHSA state championships beginning Friday, Jan. 27.
At Geneva, coach Marion Castillo’s Mustangs earned an 82.93 score, a fraction ahead of runner-up Glenbard South’s 82.70.
Nazareth also qualified for state with a fifth-place finish (80.73).
In Class 2A at Geneva, Argo qualified for state by finishing third (85.72) in one of two brackets. In the other 2A bracket, Marist earned a trip to state with a sixth-place finish (81.10).
In Class 3A, Sandburg took fifth at Geneva with an 86.37.
At Warren, Lyons qualified in Class 3A with a fifth-place finish (85.70).
Magnificent seven?
The Saint Xavier football team has brought in seven transfers for the 2023 season.
One of the headliners is former Joliet Catholic quarterback Aiden Voss, who played the 2022 season at Iowa Central Community College.
On a field that can be seen from Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field on the SXU campus, Voss was the signal-caller in JCA’s wild 56-49 win over Brother Rice in 2021. The Hilltoppers finished the season perfect and won the IHSA Class 4A state championship.
Other newcomers are linebacker Clark Dilger (Lincoln-Way East/McKendree), linebacker Braxton Geller (returning to SXU after attending Purdue Northwest in 2022), defensive lineman Marcus Griffin (Nazareth/Grand Valley State), running back Tyreese Lee (Eisenhower/College of DuPage) and quarterback Tyler Turner (Phillips/Wayne State) and wide receiver Tywon Lee (Hillcrest/no college football at South Suburban College in 2022)
“We brought in some very talented players at semester, so we’re off to a great start in our recruiting season and it’s nice to get Braxton back, too,” Cougars coach Mike Feminis said. “I truly believe that competition makes everyone better and I can’t wait to get going with our strength and conditioning program. I’m also looking forward to spring ball and watching all of these guys compete. It’s going to be fun.”
Scholarship for EP star
Evergreen Park awarded its first Don Ferchau Mustang Defensive Player of the Year award to senior Asael Rubalcava.
Rubalcava earned a $1,000 scholarship for his efforts. He had 91 tackles, five tackles for losses, three interception, two forced fumbles and a sack.
“He led us in most defensive stats and made numerous game-changing plays during the course of the season,” Mustangs coach Jerry Verde said.
Ferchau was a former head coach at Evergreen Park and died in 2019 at 95 years old. Former Mustangs player Nick Mizaur and his wife, Candace, funded the scholarship.
Aloha!
Connor Talty, a kicker/punter from St. Rita who will play this fall at Alabama, helped lead Team Mauka to a 22-17 win over Team Makai in the Polynesian Bowl in Honolulu on Jan. 20. Talty kicked a 33-yard field goal to knot the game at 10-10 with 27 seconds left in the first half.
Local News
Man charged with child abduction in Stickney Township
Spread the loveFrom staff reports A Chicago man was charged last week with child abduction and luring of a minor after Cook County Sheriff’s Police detectives found he attempted to lure a minor into his vehicle, said Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart. According to police, about 4:43 p.m. on Monday, April 22, officers responded…
Worth Library celebrates 60th anniversary
Spread the loveBy Kelly White The Worth Public Library has been around for decades. Resting in the heart of the village at 6917 W. 111th St., the library held an event focusing on its rich background story on April 23 with a historical photo exhibit. “It’s amazing because this library is still so important to…
Rose Zubik, Woman’s Club veteran, installed as 3rd District president
Spread the love Rose Zubik, of Palos Heights, the new president of the 3rd District General Federation of Women’s Clubs-Illinois, lights a candle during the installation ceremony held April 27 at Fox’s Restaurant in Orland Park. Heather Linehan, the outgoing president, is beside her.By Dermot Connolly A longtime member of the Palos Heights Woman’s Club…
Shots fired in Chicago Ridge Commons parking lot
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Shots were fired Wednesday night in the parking lot at Chicago Ridge Commons mall. Police said they received reports of the shooting about 9:45 p.m. No injuries were reported. Multiple witnesses told police four men were walking through the parking lot from the XSport Fitness area. They approached two vehicles…
Hair salon with a ‘flair’ marks first year in Chicago Ridge
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Melissa Kowalski wanted to do something meaningful to mark the first-year anniversary of her Flair With Hair Salon in Chicago Ridge. “We did not have a grand opening last year so I wanted to do something really special,” Kowalski said. “We wanted to say thank you to our clients.” Kowalski,…
Palos East fifth-grader wins Scholastic Storyworks writing contest
Spread the loveGabriel Chowaniec, a fifth-grader at Palos East Elementary School, has been named a winner of the Scholastic Storyworks Magazine writing contest. Gabriel, who is a student in Cathy Casey’s fifth-grade classroom, was named one of only five winners nationally for the December 2023/January 2024 competition. Garbriel’s submission for the nonfiction story “The Shattered Land,” “showed a strong understanding of the text along with the ability to author a well-organized…
Shepard celebrates Autism Week
Spread the loveBy Kelly White World Autism Acceptance Week is organized by the National Autistic Society in the first week of April and aims to raise awareness about the challenges autistic people face across all areas of society. Not missing out the opportunity to celebrate all-inclusion was Shepard High School, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos…
Obituaries May 2, 2024
Spread the loveJOANNE GALLAS Joanne Gallas, a beloved figure in her community and a dedicated homemaker, passed away recently, leaving behind a legacy of kindness and devotion. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Joanne dedicated her life to nurturing her family and enriching the lives of the many students she encountered through her work with the Chicago…
Billions of cicadas get ready to raise a racket
Spread the loveBy Kelly White If you haven’t heard the buzz yet, you will soon. With 2024 marking a big year for periodical cicadas in Illinois, billions of the red-eyed buggers will soon be making an appearance. Periodical cicada broods XIII and XIX will be emerging throughout much of the state at the same time.…
Neighbors
Capitol Briefs: Senate advances elections bill, measure targeting ‘predatory’ lending
By PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would put more controls on certain kinds of high-cost loans to small businesses cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday. Senate Bill 2234, known as the Small Business Financial Transparency Act, targets a relatively new kind of nontraditional lender in the credit…
Law enforcement community honors fallen officers at Illinois Capitol
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Six fallen police officers were honored at an annual memorial service outside the State Capitol Thursday. The Illinois Police Officers Memorial occurs annually on the first Thursday of May to honor officers who died in the line of duty and to support their families. “No one…
Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions
By JERRY NOWICKI HANNAH MEISEL & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Supermajority Democrats in the Illinois House moved quickly Wednesday to push through a change to state election laws that partially limits ballot access and adds three nonbinding referendums to the 2024 general election ballot. It’s a move that caused minority party…
After 3 years, state poised to enforce law aiming to end lending discrimination
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that sought to wipe away the last vestiges of racial discrimination and redlining in America’s home mortgage industry. The idea was simple. By requiring lenders – primarily banks – to make…
Capitol News Illinois partners with ‘Illinois Lawmakers’ program to bring it back to air
Capitol News Illinois announced today it will produce the long-running “Illinois Lawmakers” program this spring, in partnership with longtime host and producer Jak Tichenor. “This new partnership is absolutely critical to providing Illinois residents with reliable, independent, in-depth, up to date coverage from the Illinois Capitol after many newspapers and broadcasters shuttered their Statehouse bureaus over…
Election officials to weigh whether Darren Bailey and GOP operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated
By ANDREW ADAMS & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A year and a half after Republican Darren Bailey lost his campaign to challenge Gov. JB Pritzker, state election officials are weighing whether he illegally colluded with conservative radio show host and political operative Dan Proft in the 2022 campaign. The State Board…
Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans
By PETER HANCOCK and JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Immigrant rights advocates on Friday continued to push for one of their top budget priorities: full funding for state-run health care programs that benefit noncitizens, regardless of their immigration status. Those programs offer health coverage for low-income individuals who would otherwise qualify for…
As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois. The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…
Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…