Boys Basketball | Marist unbeaten heading into clash with Marian Catholic
By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Four quarters were not enough time to determine a winner between Marist and St. Laurence in a Chicago Elite Classic matchup. The RedHawks prevailed, doubling up the Vikings in overtime to take home a 49-44 win and improve to 6-0. The game was played December 1 at Credit Union 1 Arena…
Boys Basketball | Stagg off to a strong start, dr
By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Stagg has started the season strong, opening by winning the title at their own John McBride over Thanksgiving weekend. The Chargers won the championship game, 49-45, over Plainfield South. Senior guard Connor Williams was named MVP of the tournament, and teammates David Ortiz and Domas Narcevicius were named to the All-Tournament…
College Report | SXU football falls in quarterfinals
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer For three quarters, Saint Xavier went nearly toe-to-toe with the No. 1-ranked football team in the nation. Justin Pringle had returned a kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown to bring the Cougars to within three points of Northwestern (Iowa), the top-seeded team in the NAIA playoffs and the defending national…
Area Sports Roundup | Richards grad Sean Lewis ready to air it out in San Diego
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The rollercoaster ride continues for Sean Lewis. The Richards alum went from being the head coach at Kent State to the offensive coordinator at Colorado, one of the most talked about college football programs in the country this season because of Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders. He was then demoted…
Girls Hoops | Sandburg and Oak Lawn to host holiday tournaments
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The field has been finalized for the third Sandburg Holiday Classic, which is the only girls basketball holiday tournament in the area to feature 16 teams. The host Eagles will be joined in the event, to be held Dec. 27-29, by area teams Oak Lawn, Richards, Argo and Riverside-Brookfield. Also…
Mount Carmel beats Downers Grove North for 15th state title
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Mount Carmel’s plan was to open and close the season in Normal. They wanted to open the 2023 campaign by beating then-nationally ranked East St. Louis in a neutral-site game at Hancock Stadium at Illinois State University, then return 13 weeks later and a win a state championship. Mission accomplished…
Cold Turkey Trotting | Young runners heat up Orland Park race held in freezing temps
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The temperature may have been freezing, but the winners were not complaining. The 35th Orland Park Turkey Trot, held per tradition on Thanksgiving, started in 30-degree weather. And the young champs embraced it. Jack Krusinski, 16, of Palos Heights, won the 2.5 mile event with a time of 14:01.04. The…
Area Sports Roundup | Cougars get revenge on Marian, earn date with top seed
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The Saint Xavier defense made sure to get some revenge for a couple of losses in recent years to Marian University. The Cougars racked up 10 sacks, 15 tackles for losses, three forced fumbles and two interceptions in a 31-21 victory over Marian in the second round of the NAIA…
Girls Hoops | St. Laurence stages huge comeback to win Beecher Tourney
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer This is not the way to start a championship game. But it’s a pretty good way to finish it. St. Laurence fell behind Rich Township, 19-0, in the Beecher Fall Classic final on Nov. 22. While it could have been easy for rookie coach Claire Austin and her troops to…
St. Laurence falls to Rochester, takes second in Class 4A
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer As a four-year varsity player at St. Laurence, Corey Taubr experienced three losing seasons before the Vikings made a stunning postseason run this year. They made it to the IHSA Class 4A final, where they lost 59-38 to Rochester on Nov. 24 at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois…
Nazareth tops Joliet Catholic for historic title win
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Nazareth football coach Tim Racki was bummed out. The Roadrunners had completed an historic season by defeating Joliet Catholic for the IHSA Class 5A championship, becoming the first team in IHSA history to enter the playoffs 4-5 and win a state title. They are also the first team to win…
St. Rita bests Kenwood for Prep Bowl title
By Mike Walsh Correspondent Nine is just fine as far as St. Rita is concerned. On Nov. 24 at Lane Stadium, the Mustangs defeated Kenwood 21-7 to win the 93rd Prep Bowl, the annual matchup between the Chicago Catholic League and Chicago Public League champions. The win gave St. Rita (8-5) its ninth Prep Bowl…
St. Rita beats Marist behind trio of Maxson TDs, will battle Kenwood in Prep Bowl
By Mike Walsh Correspondent St. Rita advanced to the Prep Bowl with a 24-14 win over Marist behind 168 receiving yards and three touchdowns from Jimmie Maxson III. The Mustangs will face Kenwood at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14 at Lane Stadium for the Prep Bowl championship. Maxson tallied on passes of 13, 23 and…
Mt. Carmel blasts Batavia, will face DG North for 7A championship
By Mike Walsh Correspondent It’s fitting that Mount Carmel will end its season in the same venue it began in late August. By virtue of a 64-26 dismantling of Batavia in an IHSA Class 7A semifinal on Nov. 18 in Chicago, the Caravan (12-1) advanced to the 20th state championship game in their history. Mount…
Nazareth enacts vengeance on St. Francis, will play for second straight state title
By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent After an 0-4 start to the season, Nazareth went on an improbable run to land a playoff spot. Then, they made the most of their opportunity. The Roadrunners defeated Wheaton St. Francis, 38-31, in the IHSA Class 5A semifinals on Nov. 18 and will play for a second consecutive state championship.…
St. Laurence outlasts Wheaton Academy, advances to first state title game since 1979
By Tim Cronin Correspondent BURBANK – Many years from now, when the members of the 2023 St. Laurence Vikings possess a few gray hairs and perhaps a bit of a paunch, they’ll be able to regale listeners of their comeback season — one that followed a 3-6 campaign and which few outside of their locker…
Area Sports Roundup | Sandburg grad, former Bears OL Schofield signs with Lions
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Michael Schofield got the best of both worlds. On one hand, the former Sandburg and Michigan star offensive lineman wanted to squeeze out one more NFL season – his 10th – in 2023. When he hadn’t signed with team by August, he worked at Sandburg as a volunteer football coach…
College Roundup | Richards grad opens and closes for Moraine Valley
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Former Richards standout Deniza Fuentes has proven she can open and close games. The 5-foot-5 freshman guard not only opened things up on Nov. 16 in a nonconference game against the College of DuPage, she added a steal at the end of the game to seal a thrilling 63-61 road…
Girls Basketball | Big day for Reavis, Lopez
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer It was a big day for the Reavis girls basketball team. It was an even bigger day for Isabel Lopez. The Rams crushed Bremen, 51-29, on Nov. 18 to claim the title of the inaugural Chicago Christian Thanksgiving Tournament in Palos Heights. Lopez, Lilly Hernandez and Ella Frixen were named…
Back-to-Back Macs! | Mother McAuley tops Benet for second straight 4A title
By Randy Whalen Correspondent When the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the start of the 2020 girls volleyball season from August to spring of the following year, it also delayed the debut of Ellie White. When that season got underway in March 2021 with a home victory over Joliet Catholic, White became the first freshman to start…
Girls Swimming | Sandburg’s Maya Dobra leads contingent of Eagles headed to state
By Randy Whalen Correspondent Maya Dobry came into her final high school swimming sectional relaxed. “I just came in with no expectations,” the Sandburg senior said. “I just wanted to come in, have fun and do what I had to do.” What Dobry did was qualify for the IHSA girls swimming state finals in four…
Football Class 8A Playoffs | York edges Lyons on walk-off FG
By Mike Walsh Correspondent Score one – three, actually – for the concept of positive mental visualization. With one second remaining in the IHSA Class 8A second-round matchup between York and Lyons, Dukes kicker Damian Glodz was asked by his coaches to do one thing: Make a 30-yard field goal to win the game. The…
Postseason Report | Mother McAuley tops Normal West to punch ticket to state
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Mother McAuley has 16 state championships in girls volleyball, but it’s been a while since the Mighty Macs have gone back-to-back. The last time it happened was 1994 and 1995, when they won Class AA titles. The Macs could make it happen again this weekend as they participate in the…
Football Class 6A Playoffs | Glenwood outlasts Richards in OT
By Jason Maholy Sports Editor After one quarter of the second-round playoff matchup between Richards and Glenwood, it appeared the game might be a defensive struggle. The Bulldogs scored on the game’s opening drive, but beyond that the two teams through the first 12 minutes of their IHSA Class 6A battle combined for three punts…
Boys Soccer | Lyons takes 2nd in Class 3A
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Lyons boys soccer coach Paul Labbato knows the difficulty of reaching the state finals. So, even though his troops were angry and disappointed after finishing second in the state in Class 3A on Nov. 4, he knows taking home a runner-up trophy is a huge accomplishment. “As a coach, you…
Moraine Valley’s Tom Diaz earns All-Conference honors
By Carol McGowan Tom Diaz is a freshman at Moraine Valley Community College, and is making big strides with their cross country team. Diaz is also a 2021 graduate of Argo Community High School, and is the first Argonaut to earn All Region honors while pursuing his cross country career. MVCC’s Men’s an& Women’s Cross…
Summit native marks decade with the Harlem Globetrotters
By Carol McGowan Saul White Jr., better known as Flip White to basketball fans, has been with the famed Harlem Globetrotters for just over 10 years, and has no intention of stopping the entertainment he provides for his fans. White, who grew up in Summit, attended Wharton School and Graves Junior High (now Heritage) in…
A heavenly sound
In what is arguably the most ornate and beautiful house of worship on the Southwest Side—St. Joseph Church in Back of the Yards–the Polonijna Orkiestra Chicago played liturgical music selections last Sunday. Founded in 2011, the orchestra is designed to teach young musicians Polish music and culture. St. Joseph parishioner Konrad Pawelek served as conductor…
Crime images spark outrage in Gage Park
Robbed at gunpoint in his own garage By Tim Hadac Home-security camera images of a 48-year-old Gage Park man being robbed at gunpoint in his own garage outraged a number of Southwest Siders this week. Images showed the man driving his car down the alley in the 5500 block of South Richmond at about 3:50…
Cruz booted from SD 229 school board in Oak Lawn
By Dermot Connolly There is a vacancy on the Oak Lawn Community High School District 229 School Board, after members voted 6-1 last week to remove Robert Cruz for allegedly violating his oath of office, school board policy and state statutes. Cruz, a property developer, was elected to the District 229 board in April 2021.…
Tax exemptions will be automatic, Kaegi says
From staff reports In response to the ongoing pandemic, the Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office will continue the automatic renewal of the Senior Freeze, Veterans with Disabilities and Persons with Disabilities Exemptions. The Homeowner and Senior Exemptions will continue to auto-renew every year. If a homeowner received any of these five exemptions last year…
Warrant issued for suspected shooter in Worth double homicide
By Bob Bong Worth police have an arrest warrant for a man suspected as the shooter in a double homicide January 10 at the Crossing Bar and Grill in Worth. Worth police are working with numerous law enforcement agencies to seek the man, who was not identified. Police said the suspect is not the same…
Oak Lawn officials rip governor, legislators over crime
By Joe Boyle Two Oak Lawn officials are calling for Gov. J.B. Pritzker and local legislators to re-evaluate a police reform law that they say has resulted in a rise in crime. Trustee Alex Olejniczak (2nd) served as mayor pro-tem during the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting Tuesday night in place of Mayor Terry Vorderer, who could…
Troop 1441 Scout earns Eagle rank
From staff reports A journey that began years ago for Adrian Ayala recently culminated in Boy Scouting’s highest honor. Ayala, a member of Boy Scout Troop 1441 (sponsored by the St. Mary Star of the Sea Holy Name Society) was honored at an Eagle ceremony at Duggan Hall on Jan. 13. The Eagle rank is a…
Hog Wild to open Monday in Oak Lawn
By Kelly White Dining choices will get a boost in Oak Lawn with the arrival of Hog Wild. The restaurant is scheduled to open Monday, January 17, at 4040 W. 111th St. That’s a week later than originally scheduled. “We are very fortunate here in Oak Lawn to have attracted Hog Wild,” Oak Lawn Mayor…
Home security cameras could be big help to Orland cops
By Jeff Vorva Residents of Orland Park could have a hand in solving crime in the village. The board of trustees unanimously approved to move forward with a voluntary security camera registration program at its Jan. 4 meeting. It’s expected to start on Feb. 1. This program gives citizens and businesses a chance to assist…
Ailing eagle on the mend
Several blocks northwest of Garfield Ridge—just west of 47th and Harlem–motorists late last month noticed an eagle flying low and acting erratically. The Villa Park-based Chicago Bird Collision Monitors was contacted, and its volunteers found and captured the majestic bird. It was transported to a facility owned and operated by Glen Ellyn-based Willowbrook Wildlife, where…