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…
St. Joe’s closing for good
. Once was the largest Catholic parish in the area . By Tim Hadac More than a century of service to Roman Catholics in the westernmost section of Garfield Ridge, as well as suburban Summit, comes to an end this month as the lights go out for good at St. Joseph Church, 7240 W. 57th…
Orland Park uses home-rule to avoid state law on paid leave
By Jeff Vorva The Village of Orland Park has decided not to follow a state mandate requiring paid leave for most workers in Illinois. The village board on Nov. 20 approved a lengthy ordinance that basically says it will opt out of the Paid Leave for All Workers Act that takes effect on January 1.…
Santa Claus is coming on a fire truck
. By Alexis Bocanegra Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (773) 949-1509 • grcl.alex23@gmail.com . In less than two weeks the Christmas countdown begins. So what does that mean? Santa Claus is coming to town! For many of us, the preparation and anticipation start the day after Halloween. When the weather starts to get…
Shots fired at Orland Park home
Orland Park police responded last week to a call of shots fired at a home in the 17500 block of Coronado Drive. Police said they received the call about 10:40 p.m. on November 15. Upon arrival, officers discovered that an unknown vehicle approached a residence and fired multiple rounds from a handgun into the residence…
Play It Smart With Holiday Eating
Food Safety A Must During Any Gathering Eating is a huge part of any holiday celebration or get-together. But if you’re not careful with preparation and treatment of your special feast, your party could go from festive to misery before you even get the decorations packed away and the tree taken down. Food poisoning cases…
Orland Park community service officer injured directing traffic
An Orland Park Police Department community service officer was struck by a vehicle directing traffic Thursday night at Ashburn Baptist Church, 15401 Wolf Road, as parishioners were leaving a gospel music concert. As one of the community service officers attempted to stop traffic that was moving southbound on Wolf Road, the lead vehicle failed to…
Hundreds march against migrant plans
. Rip Johnson, Ramirez over tent encampment . By Tim Hadac Hundreds of Brighton Park residents—most either immigrants or children of immigrants—took to the streets last week to rip Mayor Brandon Johnson, as well as 12th Ward Ald. Julia Ramirez, over plans to erect a tent encampment for as many as 2,000 migrants on a…
Salute to those who served
. Three members of a rifle team fire a salute skyward to honor all military veterans. The salute was part of a Veterans Day program held Saturday, Nov. 11 at the Rhine VFW Post 2729. – Greater Southwest News-Herald photo by Cosmo Hadac
CHA’s LeClaire Courts will be rebuilt, developer vows
. Long-delayed project may break ground in 2024 . By Tim Hadac Four years after officials announced the coming rebirth of the LeClaire Courts CHA housing projects—and two years after construction was supposed to begin–no shovel has even touched dirt. “I know you’ve heard this before [in past public meetings], but we are making tremendous…
Kennedy grid star is all-city
. In Kennedy High School’s first year in the Chicago Public Schools’ newly-revived flag football league, junior Andrea Íñiguez earned all-city honors. A wide receiver on offense and a safety on defense, she finished with one touchdown reception, two interceptions and 10 flag pulls (tackles) for the Crusaders. She is a 2021 graduate…
Introducing a new neighborhood correspondent
. By Alexis Bocanegra Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (773) 949-1509 • grcl.alex23@gmail.com , (Editor’s note: this week we are most pleased to welcome a new, monthly correspondent to the Clear-Ridge Reporter & NewsHound. We’ve asked her to introduce herself with a few paragraphs. Our other monthly correspondent, Patti Tyznik, is taking this…
Comings & Goings: McCord Gallery Holiday Shoppe opens tonight
By Bob Bong As the Christmas shopping season gets closer, McCord Gallery readies its annual Holiday Shoppe. The holiday spirit will be flowing when McCord holds the grand opening of its annual Holiday Shoppe tonight, Friday, November 17, from 6-8 p.m. The gallery is filled with hand-crafted artisan gifts for family, friends or yourself. On…