Northern Illinois likely wrecks Notre Dame’s season
The Northern Illinois football team pulled off the biggest win in school history and the biggest stunner of the 2024 college football season thus far with a 16-14 win over 5th-ranked Notre Dame on Sept. 7 in South Bend. Three former area players are on the Huskies’ roster. Former Shepard star Roy Williams, a 6-foot-6,…
NFL Players Fathers Association honors Hall of Famer Steve McMichael
The Chicago Bears honored former defensive tackle and newly inducted Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve McMichael during the team’s home opener on Sept. 8 at Soldier Field. Three days earlier, McMichael he was honored by the National Football Players Father’s Association. The new vice president of that group is Orland Park Fire Chief Michael…
Girls Volleyball | St. Laurence strong on and off the court
The St. Laurence girls volleyball players are competitive on and off the court. On the court, the Vikings made it to Class 3A Supersectional play the past two seasons before ending those campaigns with losses to Joliet Catholic in 2022 and St. Ignatius in 2023. They are off to a big start this year, with…
Red Stars honor Olympians, then fall to Orlando
The Chicago Red Stars honored their four Olympians before the team’s Sept. 8 match with Orlando, but when went out and dropped a 1-0 decision to the first-place Pride in an NWSL game in front of an announced crowd of 7,291 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. Olympic gold medalists Mallory Swanson and Alyssa Naeher, who…
Playoffs in doubt for Fire after loss to D.C.
Even playing in its former digs at SeatGeek Stadium couldn’t help the Chicago Fire. The Fire, playing for their MLS playoff life, took another step backward in a 2-1 loss to D.C. United in front of an announced crowd of 16,426 on Sept. 7 in Bridgeview. The Fire’s regular home is Soldier Field, but the…
Football | Lyons top Wheaton Warrenville South in Jon Beutjer’s return to alma mater
Back when he was breaking state and national passing records at Wheaton Warrenville South, Jon Beutjer proudly wore orange and black. Beutjer, the prolific passer who led the Tigers to the 1998 Class 6A title, was back in Wheaton last week; however, this time he was wearing royal blue and gold as the head coach…
Football | Sandburg’s Shelton throws 4 TDs in rout of Oak Forest
Whenever his team needs a lift or a teammate needs a pat on the back, Anthony Shelton is there to provide it. Shelton, Sandburg’s senior quarterback, can also throw touchdown passes. On Sept. 6 in Orland Park, Shelton threw four of them as the Eagles defeated Oak Forest, 43-12. Shelton was 15-of-16 passing for 283…
Stagg runs over Oak Lawn behind Olaf Kozub’s 351 yards and 4 TDs
After running wild in Stagg’s season-opening victory, Olaf Kozub bested that effort in Week 2 to help the Chargers to a second straight win. Kozub, a junior running back, totaled 351 yards from scrimmage, including 19 carries for 285 yards rushing (15 yards per carry) and scoring runs of 1, 29 and 65 yards in…
Football | Argo blanks Bloom for second straight shutout
Two games. Two wins. Zero points allowed. Life is good for Argo and head coach Phillip Rossberg. “A 2-0 start is nice,” Rossberg said. “We’ll take that.” On Sept. 6 in Summit, the Argonauts welcomed Bloom in a non-conference matchup. Anchored by the efforts of running back Steven Holmes and a strong defensive showing, Argo…
Football | Richards scores late to edge Crete-Monee
Richards senior Austin Synoga was short on words to describe the final 30-ish seconds of the Bulldogs’ season-opener against Crete-Monee. “It was unreal,” said Synoga, who played the hero in a 27-26 victory over the Warriors on Aug. 30 in Crete. “When I got the pick I didn’t even celebrate. I didn’t know what to…
Football | St. Rita rides big second half to win over Sandburg
Roughly 11 months ago, St. Rita running back Nick Herman got his first varsity start when he filled in for injured starter DJ Stewart in a pivotal Chicago Catholic League crossover against St. Laurence. Herman ran for 155 yards and a touchdown, helping the Mustangs to their only win — and clinching a spot in…
Girls Volleyball | Marist’s Berg, Berry earn all-tourney honors at Mizuno Crimson Classic
Marist, which was ranked 22nd in the nation by maxpreps.com, lost to Lincoln-Way East, 25-20, 25-17, in the semifinals of the Mizuno Crimson Classic at Plainfield North. The RedHawks recovered to beat Oak Park-River Forest in the third-place match. Sandburg finished 12th in the 32-team tournament, while Riverside-Brookfield was 14th and Nazareth 20th. Marist’s Taylor…
Gilrs Volleyball | McAuley tops St. Laurence again for Metea Valley-Oswego East title
Mother McAuley and St. Laurence had to travel to Aurora to face each other for the first time this season. For the second consecutive season, the two area powers met in the Metea Valley/Oswego East Tournament championship, and for the second consecutive season, the Mighty Macs won, this time 25-21, 25-19, to repeat as tourney…
Girls Volleyball | Shepard and Chicago Christian split Heights battles
Who won the Battle of Palos Heights in girls volleyball this season? No one. Shepard traveled to Chicago Christian on Aug. 27 and the Astros pulled off a 25-22, 25-23 thriller. The two neighboring rivals squared off again on Aug. 31 in the quarterfinals of the Gold Bracket at the 13th Chicago Christian Knight Invite,…
Red Stars face Orlando in first home game since Olympic break
Pro soccer is returning to SeatGeek Stadium with two games over the weekend after a hiatus due to the Olympics. The Chicago Fire will make their second of three appearances in Bridgeview this season when they host DC United at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 in an MLS battle. The following day, the Chicago Red…
Reavis’ Chavez, Richards’ O’Shea are Mega stars at Conkey Woods
Santiago Chavez of Reavis won the boys division of the South Suburban Conference Mega Meet in boys cross country on Aug. 29 at Conkey Woods in Palos Heights. Chavez won with a time of 15:55.6 in the 3-mile race. James O’Shea of Richards was runner-up with a time of 15:583. Also in the top 10…
Windy City Ram Classic | Marist blanks T.F. North, will face Lemont in semifinals
And then there was one. The 32-team 2024 Boys Windy City Ram Classic soccer tournament was chock-full of area teams, but only Marist survived the first three rounds to make it to the semifinals. The RedHawks had an easy win in the first round with a forfeit over Mansueto on Aug. 28. In the round…
Football | Chicago Christian beats Herscher, wins opener for eight straight season
The Chicago Christian defense forced eight turnovers and the offense exploded as the Knights began their season with a victory for the eighth consecutive campaign. Niko Griggs posted 8 ½ tackles, Brock Sperling had three tackles-for-loss, Christian Flutman snagged two interceptions and Caden Boersma also had a pick for Chicago Christian. Flutman also threw for…
Football | Olaf Kozub romps for 224 yards and 2 TDs as Stagg tops Joliet Central
So far, so good for Stagg, which began new coach Jacob O’Connor’s tenure with a win over Joliet Central on opening night of the 2024 season. Displaying a versatile offense that saw six players score rushing touchdowns, the Chargers beat the Steelmen 49-20 in a non-conference matchup Aug. 30 in Palos Hills. Stagg junior running…
Sandburg grad Tommy Windt looks back at baseball career
After more than 20 years of playing baseball, Tommy Windt has hung up the spikes. Windt, an Orland Park resident and Sandburg graduate, started playing T-ball at age 2 and went on to play youth league and travel baseball before taking the field in high school for the Eagles, then in college at South Suburban…
Football | Joliet West tops Shepard on opening night for second straight season
While Shepard suffered 36-15 loss to Joliet West commence the 2024 season, Astros coach John Rone found at least one encouraging aspect of his team’s performance. “I don’t think the final score shows how well our defense played,” Rone said. “They caused turnovers and got sacks. We also had a goal-line stand. “The defense just…
Football | Steven Holmes runs for 4 TDs as Argo defeats De La Salle
Last season, Argo made the state playoffs in consecutive campaigns for the first time in program history On opening night in Chicago’s Bronzeville community, they Argonauts took their first step toward securing a third straight postseason berth, defeating De La Salle 45-0 in a non-conference matchup at Parente Field. Argo senior running back Steven Holmes…
Football | Marist rides Jake Ritter’s 4 TD passes to win over Morgan Park
Marist quarterback Jake Ritter threw four touchdown passes as the host RedHawks prevailed, 29-26, over the Mustangs on opening night. Ritter threw scoring passes to Stephen Brown (24 yards), John McAuliffe (15 yards), Brendan Doran (13 yards) and Brendan Curran (4 yards).
Football | Brother Rice gets 3 TDs from Tyler Lofton, shuts out Phillips on opening night
The host Crusaders got two touchdown passes by C.J. Gray (9-of-11 passing, 62 yards) and three rushing scores from running back Tyler Lofton (1, 6 and 23 yards) as they rolled over Phillips, 50-0, on opening night in Mount Greenwood. Lofton finished with 57 yards on seven carries. Gray threw touchdown passes to Jaylin Green…
Football | St. Laurence scores fast and furiously in opening night win over Noble
St. Laurence, the Class 4A runner-up in 2023, began the new campaign with a convincing victory 72-8 victory over Noble in Burbank. The Vikings scored touchdowns on their first four plays and led 50-0 after one quarter. St. Laurence quarterback Chase Kwiatkowski, a transfer from Lake Station (Indiana) tallied on a 12-yard run and threw…
Walker teacher Eva Manzke honored by farm bureau
By Carol McGowan School District 104 teacher Eva Manzke was recently honored by the Cook County Farm Bureau for her work with teaching students about agriculture. Students at Walker Elementary in Bedford Park, and Manzke herself were surprised when Principal Amanda Venegonia said they were gathered to honor Manzke, as she had been selected as…
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…
