MC FANS

Mount Carmel beats Downers Grove North for 15th state title

By Jeff Vorva / November 27, 2023 /

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…

Read More

St. Rita bests Kenwood for Prep Bowl title

By Jason Maholy / November 25, 2023 /

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…

Read More

Mt. Carmel blasts Batavia, will face DG North for 7A championship

By Jason Maholy / November 20, 2023 / Comments Off on 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…

Read More

Football Wrap | Nazareth lays waste to Glenbard South, advances to 5A quarterfinals

By Jason Maholy / November 14, 2023 / Comments Off on Football Wrap | Nazareth lays waste to Glenbard South, advances to 5A quarterfinals

By Mike Walsh Correspondent There’s just something about playing postseason football that suits Nazareth very well. Saturday afternoon in LaGrange Park, the Roadrunners (6-5) rolled into the Class 5A quarterfinals with a 42-0 victory over Glenbard South. Quarterback Logan Malachuk threw two TD passes, including a 17-yarder to Jake Cestone. Malachuk also scored on a…

Read More

College Notebook | JJ McCarthy keeps balling for Wolverines

By Jason Maholy / November 14, 2023 / Comments Off on College Notebook | JJ McCarthy keeps balling for Wolverines

By Mike Walsh Correspondent The plaudits are piling up for Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The former Nazareth star was named the Big Ten’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week for Oct. 23, sharing the award with Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. The LaGrange Park resident was also selected to the Davey O’Brien Great Eight…

Read More
richards high school logo2

Richards tops Reavis for 22nd straight time, enters playoffs on seven-game win streak

By Jason Maholy / October 22, 2023 /

By Mike Walsh Correspondent Among are public schools, Richards has arguably the richest tradition when it comes to football. The Bulldogs have won two state titles (1988, 1989), 34 league championships and qualified for the playoffs 37 of the past 38 seasons. That includes this year, in which Richards enters the postseason on a seven-game…

Read More
Rice Rita 2 e1698033438677

Brother Rice tops St. Rita to clinch playoff berth

By Jason Maholy / October 22, 2023 / Comments Off on Brother Rice tops St. Rita to clinch playoff berth

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Brother Rice entered its final regular-season matchup needing fifth win to be eligible for a spot in the IHSA playoffs. Their opponent, St. Rita, had won the week before to avoid being in the same situation. But with the goal of a deep playoff run and the opportunity to earn a…

Read More

Football Wrap | Evergreen Park tops Eisenhower, likely earns playoff spot

By Jason Maholy / October 10, 2023 / Comments Off on Football Wrap | Evergreen Park tops Eisenhower, likely earns playoff spot

By Mike Walsh Correspondent In his first year as the head coach at Evergreen Park, Jim Ramazinski has had plenty of items to address on his to-do list. One of them, however, was not finding a bell-cow running back. Senior Antonio Clay-Jones is a three-year starter who is both talented and reliable. One week after…

Read More
State Golf Boys MtCarmel

IHSA Golf State Finals | Mt. Carmel takes 3rd in Class 2A; Nazareth girls take 7th in 1A

By Jason Maholy / October 10, 2023 / Comments Off on IHSA Golf State Finals | Mt. Carmel takes 3rd in Class 2A; Nazareth girls take 7th in 1A

By Tim Cronin Correspondent The IHSA state golf championships were not kind to most area boys players, but the Mount Carmel boys team finished third in Class 2A. The 2A tournament was held Oct. 6-7 at Weibring Golf Club in Normal. Mount Carmel seniors Ryan Walsh and Michael O’Keefe tied for ninth place in the…

Read More
FootballWrap SXU AmariVenerable

Football Wrap | Brother Rice rolls St. Viator in home opener

By Jason Maholy / September 25, 2023 / Comments Off on Football Wrap | Brother Rice rolls St. Viator in home opener

By Mike Walsh Correspondent From Maine South and Loyola in the northern suburbs to St. Ignatius just west of Chicago’s Loop to Marist five or so minutes south on Pulaski Road, Brother Rice has spent a lot of travel time in 2023. After opening the season with four consecutive road games due to scheduling and…

Read More

Prep News

Marist’s Stephen Brown finishes with a dunk in the RedHawks’ 49-44 overtime win over St. Laurence on Dec. 1. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

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…

Stagg senior Connor Williams, seen here in a Dec. 2 game against Bolingbrook, has helped Stagg jump out to a fast start this season. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

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…

Saint Xavier running back Amari Venerable tries to break a tackle in a loss to Northwestern (Iowa) in the NAIA quarterfinals. Photo courtesy of Saint Xavier University Department of Athletics

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…

Richards grad Sean Lewis is the new football coach at San Diego State. Photo courtesy of San Diego State University Athletics

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…

Argo's Alizza Quinones gets ready to pass the ball against Andrew at last year's Sandburg Holiday Tournament. The Argonauts are scheduled to return to this year's tournament in Orland Park. Photo by Jeff Vorva

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 players celebrate with their fans after winning the Class 7A state title on Nov. 25 in Normal. Photo by Jeff Vorva.

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…

Chicago's Scott Johnson runs in a holiday outfit in the 35th running of the Orland Park Turkey Trot. Photo by Jeff Vorva

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…

CRRNH_MDWCoolKids02_121323

Cool Kids see Santa

. Several dozen special-needs boys and girls were let in early at the Midway Chamber of Commerce’s annual Snack With Santa, held earlier this month at Mayfield Banquets. The special time was the brainchild of the Midway Cool Kids Club, a social club founded earlier this year by Geno Randazzo of All Exterior Contractors. The…

Screen Shot 2023-12-07 at 3.53.35 PM

Nazareth Academy girls’ art on religious Christmas cards

. From staff reports Two local girls are among four students at Nazareth Academy whose works of art are available on the CSJ (Congregation of St. Joseph) Ministry of the Arts website for free download Christmas cards. “These four incredible art students have become part of the tradition honored by the CSJ Sisters to spread…

Marist’s Stephen Brown finishes with a dunk in the RedHawks’ 49-44 overtime win over St. Laurence on Dec. 1. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

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…

Stagg senior Connor Williams, seen here in a Dec. 2 game against Bolingbrook, has helped Stagg jump out to a fast start this season. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

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…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Clear-Ridge Reporter and NewsHound December 6, 2023

Saint Xavier running back Amari Venerable tries to break a tackle in a loss to Northwestern (Iowa) in the NAIA quarterfinals. Photo courtesy of Saint Xavier University Department of Athletics

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…

Richards grad Sean Lewis is the new football coach at San Diego State. Photo courtesy of San Diego State University Athletics

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…

Argo's Alizza Quinones gets ready to pass the ball against Andrew at last year's Sandburg Holiday Tournament. The Argonauts are scheduled to return to this year's tournament in Orland Park. Photo by Jeff Vorva

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…

CRRNH_TimHadacColPix_120623

Unique, cheerful, local crafts at Hale Park

. By Tim Hadac Editor Clear-Ridge Reporter & NewsHound . I’ve never been one to decorate for Christmas, just for the sake of decorating. And I’m not a fan of many of the things we see these days. I’ll take a pass on Christmas decorations that involve images of celebrities, pro sports logos, off-color jokes,…

Screen Shot 2023-12-01 at 11.37.21 PM

Keeping fighters flying

  Garfield Ridge native Brandon Tapia recently graduated from U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training with honors – a recognition earned by only the top 10% of each class. After Air Force BMT, airmen begin technical training to learn the technical skills needed to perform in their career field specialties. The field Tapia will be…

Featured Games