Richards’ Myles Mitchell signs with North Dakota State
Myles Mitchell is one of the state’s premier running backs, with a bright future with one of the nation’s best FCS programs. But the path hasn’t always been easy for the Richards senior, who made his college commitment to North Dakota State official during a signing ceremony on Dec. 4. “Eighth grade was kind of…
Brad Johnson Jr. finds range, leads Curie past Lane
Facing what was literally a tall task against Lane on Dec. 5, Curie was in serious need of a spark. Brad Johnson Jr. provided it. Led by 6-foot-10 Penn recruit Dalton Scantlebury, Lane is one of the area’s biggest teams. Curie was undersized by comparison in the Public League Red Shield opener and trailed by…
Southwest Regional Publishing basketball roundup, Dec. 2-3
Dec. 3 Boys Andrew 72, Argo 50: Darron Greer Jr. led the Argonauts (2-2) with 14 points. Evergreen Park 70, U-High 58: Keshaun Vaval had 25 points to lead the Mustangs (3-1). Lonnie Mosley added 17 points and Camryn Dandridge grabbed 14 rebounds. Lemont 65, Stagg 35: Omar Barakat scored 17 for the Chargers (0-4).…
Football signing day: Local recruits
Here is a list of football players in the Southwest Regional Publishing coverage area committed to Division I schools. Please email additions or corrections to mikeclarkpreps@gmail.com. Brother Rice Tyler Lofton, RB, Illinois State Jimmie Maxson, WR, North Dakota Charlie Stec, Edge, Western Illinois Lyons Tyler Chambers, OL, Northern Illinois Travis Stamm, WR, Illinois State Marist…
Michael Oliver Jr. offers veteran presence for new-look Curie
There are a lot of new faces at Curie this winter. Gone are the five senior starters from a 31-3 team that won the Public League title and lost by two points to eventual Class 4A champion Homewood-Flossmoor in the Elite Eight. But veteran coach Mike Oliver is back and so is his son, junior…
Boys basketball notebook: Kassam Saleh, Argo aiming high this season
Kassam Saleh is ready to set the tone for Argo. “As time goes on you gain the most experience on the team and become that leader for everyone else,” said Saleh, a senior guard. “They follow you.” The Argonauts finished runner-up in the John McBride Classic at Stagg, falling 50-44 to Plainfield South on Nov.…
Will Johnson helps Sandburg finish second at Spartan-Ram Classic
Will Johnson likes where he is, but knows he has to go farther. Johnson earned a spot on the all-tourney team as Sandburg finished runner-up in the Spartan-Ram Classic with a 53-41 loss to Crete-Monee in the title game on Nov. 29 at Oak Lawn. “I shot the ball well,” said Johnson, a 6-2 junior…
Charles Barnes’ leadership a key for young De La Salle
As one of the veterans on a young De La Salle boys team, Charles Barnes knows he must be a leader. That’s a role the 6-foot-5 junior forward embraces wholeheartedly. Barnes’ leadership skills were on full display in Saturday’s third-place game of the De La Salle/St. Ignatius Windy City Turkey Classic at De La Salle.…
Mount Carmel named top football program in IHSA since 1974
Mount Carmel’s football team edged out Joliet Catholic for the No. 1 spot in the Illinois High School Association’s top 50 teams in the first 50 years the organization sponsored state championships in the sport. Before the poll was released, the Caravan and Joliet Catholic had each won 15 state championships. After the poll was…
Running couple races to victories at Orland Park Turkey Trot
The husband-and-wife team of Andrew Bowman and Sydney Devore-Bowman won their first race together at the Detroit Free Press Marathon in October. “Before that, it never happened,” Bowman said. “We both won the marathon in Pittsburgh, but in different years.” They enjoyed winning together so much, they did it again. The Ferndale, Mich., couple won…
Jack Elliott’s seven touchdowns help Mount Carmel win 16th state title
NORMAL — Mount Carmel has won state titles in several different decades under several different coaches and running several different offenses. But maybe never have the Caravan won a championship quite like this, overcoming so many hurdles. “The big challenge for us (is) no Mount Carmel team has won state (after) losing three games,” coach…
Logan Malachuk, Nazareth win third straight Class 5A state title
NORMAL — When the pandemic came, the players left Nazareth. With no prep football in Illinois in fall 2020 because of COVID, star quarterback JJ McCarthy transferred to national power IMG Academy in Florida. Other players moved elsewhere, including Iowa and Indiana, in order to continue their careers. When the football calendar returned to normal…
Life is good for Kansas City Royals mainstay Michael Massey
It’s been a busy and happy couple of months for Michael Massey. In the span of a few weeks, the Brother Rice graduate and Kansas City Royals second baseman had a successful postseason debut, came home to help his brother, Evergreen Park coach Andrew Massey, with a youth camp and married his fiancee, Jane. Just…
Area roundup: Mother McAuley named No. 1 in IHSA volleyball
To almost no one’s surprise, Mother McAuley was named as the state’s top girls volleyball program in the first 50 years the Illinois High School Association sponsored the sport. The IHSA compiled the list and for McAuley, the numbers have been staggering: 26 state trophies, including 17 state championships. The Mighty Macs have enjoyed four…
Girls basketball notebook: Olivia Barsch, Marist flip script
Last season was something of a trial by fire for Olivia Barsch and several of her Marist teammates. Playing a demanding schedule with a roster that featured four freshmen and only one senior, the RedHawks finished 10-22. But one week into this season, they’re almost halfway to that win total after going 4-0 to win…
Logan Malachuk, Jake Cestone lead Nazareth back to state
As Nazareth quarterback Logan Malachuk took a knee on the final snap, wide receiver Jake Cestone was lined up near midfield just in case something happened. Once Cestone saw that everything was indeed fine, he celebrated the Roadrunners’ 40-21 Class 5A semifinal victory over St. Francis on Nov. 23 in memorable fashion: with a well-executed…
Kenny Jager’s running powers Chicago Christian to semifinal win
At 5-foot-7, height isn’t something that Chicago Christian running back Kenny Jager has much of. In terms of heart, however, the senior running back possesses that in abundant amounts. Last Saturday afternoon, Jager carried 37 times for 217 yards and three touchdowns as the Knights defeated host Farmington 34-20 to earn Chicago Christian’s first trip…
Richards’ season ends with semifinal loss to East St. Louis
EAST ST. LOUIS – Often the end is sudden, unexpected. Great plans are made and then upended. So it was on Saturday for Richards. The Bulldogs walked into Clyde C. Jordan Memorial Stadium hopeful, knowing they were playing a fleet favorite in the East St. Louis Flyers, but believing they had a chance in the…
Kenny Jager, Christian Flutman lead Chicago Christian to Class 2A state title
NORMAL – They’ve been playing football at Chicago Christian since 1968, when the Knights, long a basketball power, kicked off with a sophomore team. The varsity squad began in 1969. The IHSA began the state football playoffs five years later. For a long time, Chicago Christian and football championship games were mutually exclusive concepts. Friday,…
Southwest Regional Publishing basketball roundup, Nov. 27
Boys Benet 66, De La Salle 47: Charles Barnes had 19 points for the host Meteors (2-1) in the pool-play loss at the De La Salle-St. Ignatius Tournament. De La Salle will play for third place at home at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Brother Rice 79, Zion-Benton 25: Jack Weigus’ 18 points led the two-time defending…
Southwest Regional Publishing basketball roundup, Nov. 26
Boys Argo 54, Stagg 50: Kassam Saleh scored 16 points and Syncere Westbrook had 15 as the Argonauts (2-0) edged the host Chargers (0-2) at the McBride Classic. Domas Narcevicius scored a game-high 18 for Stagg. De La Salle 68, King 48: Charles Barnes scored 19 points to help the Meteors move to 2-0 overall…
Southwest Regional Publishing basketball roundup, Nov. 22-25
Nov. 25 Boys Argo 67, Nazareth 64: Kassam Saleh had a game-high 22 points and Darron Greer Jr. added 15 as the Argonauts edged the Roadrunners in the McBride Classic at Stagg. Matthew Callahan’s 1 points led Nazareth. Brother Rice 67, Thornwood 45: Marcos Gonzales scored a game-high 18 points as the Crusaders opened play…
Jack Elliott throws five TD passes as Mount Carmel rolls past St. Rita
It wasn’t that Mount Carmel defeated St. Rita in the Class 7A state semifinal between the two teams that was so surprising. After all, in nine postseason meetings, the Caravan have won eight times. Rather, it’s the dominant way in which Mount Carmel won that was striking. St. Rita – which shut out Quincy in…
Mike Walsh’s Football Top 10, Week 14
1. MOUNT CARMEL (10-3) Last week: 7A, Beat St. Rita 43-24 This week: vs. Batavia Comment: Mount Carmel defeated Batavia in the state title game in 2022 and the semifinals last season. Caravan looking for 16th state championship. 2. ST. RITA (10-3) Last week: 7A, Lost to Mount Carmel 43-24 This week: Season over Comment: In nine playoff matchups all-time,…
Southwest Regional Publishing basketball roundup, Nov. 20-21
Girls Nov. 21 Hillcrest 62, Shepard 55: Jessica Manley scored a game-high 32 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the host Astros, who dropped to 1-2 overall and in pool play of the Bobby Bolton Tip-Off Classic. Marist 55, Evergreen Park 20: Lucy Cosme’s 12 points led a balanced attack for the RedHawks, who are…
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…
Can’t we just fast-forward to spring?
By Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Hi everyone. Is it spring yet? Is the pandemic over yet? Not that I’m impatient or anything. I want to move forward past all the negative COVID-19 has brought to my life and everyone else’s life. I want to see the rebirth…
Scavenger Sale different this year, Pappas says
From staff reports Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ 2022 Scavenger Sale will look different, as the Treasurer’s Office takes steps to help small developers, homeowners and investors rebuild neighborhoods and create generational wealth. Under Illinois law, the Treasurer’s Office is required to conduct a Scavenger Sale every two years, offering at auction the taxes on…
Give poor countries a break, Chuy says
From staff reports U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-4th) is one of 18 Members of Congress who recently sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, urging her to use the voice and vote of the United States at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to abolish the IMF’s surcharge policy, which requires countries with substantial…
