Local Sports News
De La Salle tabs Harold Blackmon as next football coach
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent A pair of familiar coaches from the area have landed in new spots. Harold Blackmon, who has been head football coach at St. Laurence and Oak Lawn, has been named coach at De La Salle. George Shimko, a former girls basketball coach at Queen of Peace and St. Laurence, will serve…
Red Stars, rugby will highlight big weekend at SeatGeek
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Things will get busy in Bridgeview this weekend. The Chicago Fire II will host its season opener against Toronto FC II at 6 p.m. Friday, March 22 at SeatGeek Stadium. The following day, the Chicago Red Stars make their 2024 home debut against Seattle at 3 p.m. Rugby invades the stadium…
Red Stars Report | Cooks provide recipe for success in Red Stars’ win over Utah
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Lorne Donaldson era is already Cook-ing. The new Chicago Red Stars coach enjoyed a victory in his debut with a 2-0 triumph over Utah in the NWSL season-opener for both teams on March 16 at America First Field in Sandy, Utah. The game was the first in franchise history for…
College Sports Wrap | Morton College OF Angelo Luna slugs two grand slams in one day
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area college baseball sluggers had a grand time on March 16. Former St. Laurence standout Angelo Luna, a sophomore outfielder at Morton College, hit two grand slams and drove in 10 runs over two games as the Panthers beat Highland, 7-3 and 18-5, in a doubleheader at home. Luna has crushed…
College Notebook | Ex-Mount Carmel wrestler Sergio Lemley takes fourth in Big Ten
By Mike Walsh Correspondent One reason the Michigan wrestling team has been successful this season is freshman Sergio Lemley. At the Big Ten tournament, Lemley won three of his five matches to finish fourth at 141 pounds. The Wolverines placed second with 123.5 points behind conference champion Penn State (170.5). In the consolation semifinals, Lemley,…
Softball | Sandburg tops Richards, Crete-Monee to begin rebound season
By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent With a blank slate, unblemished record and all goals still theoretically intact, beginning of the season for any sports team offers — if nothing else — hope. Teams are looking to start fresh and either rebound from a season that failed to meet expectations, or build on the success from and…
High School Baseball | Oak Lawn tops Crete-Monee in season-opener
High school baseball season got underway March 11, and Oak Lawn started the season with a 12-5 victory over Crete-Monee at Ozinga Field in Crestwood. For the Spartans, senior Brett Gatch had two hits including a home run while driving in four runs. Senior Kyle Bader had two triples and three RBI, and senior Charlie…
Boys Basketball | DePaul Prep holds off Mount Carmel for Class 3A title
By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Competing for and winning state championships are not new for Mount Carmel. Except in basketball. The Caravan football and wrestling teams have already won state titles this school year — the second consecutive championship for the former and the second in three seasons for the latter — but the basketball program’s…
Chicagoland Christian Conference teams meet in 1A third-place game
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Chicago Catholic League made headlines when Blue powers Mount Carmel and DePaul met in the boys basketball IHSA Class 3A state championship game. But the first-year Chicagoland Christian Conference also had a banner season. The league, which features local program Chicago Christian, had two teams in the Class 1A final…
St. Laurence names Roshawn Russell new boys hoops coach
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent St. Laurence announced on March 8 that Roshawn Russell will replace Byron Burt as the Vikings boys basketball coach. Russell was Burt’s assistant this season, in which the Vikings won the Chicago Catholic League White and a Class 3A regional title. Russell previously coached at St. Rita and owned a 72-42…
Sandburg grad Kendall Coyne Schofield lends voice to ‘Inside Out’ sequel
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Lewis Black. Amy Poehler. Paula Poundstone. Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And Kendall Coyne Schofield? Yes, Schofield — known for her international hockey prowess — joins those celebrities and others in Disney/Pixar’s film “Inside Out 2,” which will be released in theaters June 14. In a news release, the…
Red Stars Report | Mallory Swanson is back on the pitch and ready for a big season
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Red Stars’ season opens March 16 and star player Mallory Swanson can’t wait. The prolific scorer, who during the offseason signed an NWSL-record deal that will pay her $400,000 a year through 2028, missed all but two two games for the Red Stars last season with a torn left patellar…
College Basketball | St. Xavier men’s, women’s players earn all-conference honors
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Three SXU men’s basketball players earned all Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference honors. Senior guard Cedric Johnson claimed all-CCAC first team honors and junior forward Andre Brandon was named to the second team. Freshman forward James Stevenson was named CCAC Freshman of the Year in addition to being on the all-freshman team.…
College Men’s Volleyball | SXU’s Oviedo has big day versus old mates at Concordia Irvine
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Saint Xavier men’s volleyball team have played such a tough schedule this season that the Cougars are ranked 11th in the nation despite entering this week with a 7-8 record. The NAIA team finished 1-2 during a recent California trip after being swept by No. 3 Vanguard University and No.…
Morton College qualifies for nationals in fourth straight season
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Four for IV. For the fourth consecutive season, the Morton College women’s basketball team won the Region IV championship on March 9 to qualify for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II national tournament. The Panthers beat Carl Sandburg, 102-59, at Rock Valley College to to clinch their spot at…
Boys Basketball UIC Supersectional | Mt. Carmel headed to state semifinals for first time since ’85
By Jason Maholy Sports Editor Mt. Carmel overcame a cold-shooting night and oulasted St. Patrick in overtime to win the UIC Supersectional to earn a trip to the IHSA Class 3A state semifinals. The 56-46 victory sent the Caravan to the final four for the first time since they won the Class AA state championship…
Boys Basketball Class 3A Playoffs | Thornton tops Brother Rice to advance to UIC Supersectional
By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Brother Rice went toe-to-toe with Thornton in a hostile environment, but the Wildcats did what potential state championship teams do and played their best ball late to pull out a 61-54 win in the Class 3A Thornton Sectional title game. The game was played at the Wildcats’ home gym in Harvey,…
College Sports Wrap | Morton women to play for Region IV title
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area college basketball teams are rapidly getting eliminated from the postseason, but one team that usually can be counted on in making a deep postseason run is the Morton College women’s team. The Panthers waltzed through the Region IV quarterfinals with a 93-54 win over Elgin Community College on Feb. 29…
Girls Basketball Class 4A State Championship | Loyola finishes unbeaten, denies Nazareth a second straight state title
By Randy Whalen Correspondent Even through the disappointment of a close state championship game loss, Olivia Austin was nothing but grateful. Between basketball and volleyball, the Nazareth senior played in five state title game over the past three years. Unfortunately for her and the Roadrunners, the ending to the most recent of those wasn’t what…
Area Sports Roundup | Stagg grad Max Strus drains legendary buzzer-beater
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Registration for the Max Strus Basketball Camp in July goes live on March 28, and campers may want to talk to the former Stagg star about his heroics in a Cleveland Cavaliers’ victory last month. Strus, who is in his first season with Cleveland after three years with the Miami Heat,…
Abbey Murphy leading NCAA women’s hockey in goals
By Mike Walsh Correspondent The 2023-2024 college hockey season has been memorable thus far for Evergreen Park resident Abbey Murphy. Murphy, a Mother McAuley graduate who is a junior at Minnesota, was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Forward of the Month for November and December. In November, Murphy tallied six goals and three assists…
Red Stars reportedly seeking Chicago stadium
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Signs are indicating the Chicago Red Stars will be moving out of SeatGeek Stadium. The Bridgeview-owned facility, formerly known as Toyota Park, has been the home of the NWSL franchise since 2016. The Red Stars’ lease with Bridgeview runs through December 2025. Where they play after that it’s anyone’s guess, but…
Boys Basketball Class 3A Sectionals | Evergreen Park’s historic ends with loss to Thornton
By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent The 2023-2024 Evergreen Park boys basketball team had one of the greatest seasons in program history. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, that season has come to an end with a 77-47 loss to Thornton in the semifinals of the Class 3A Thornton Sectional on Feb. 27. Evergreen Park was coming off its…
Boys Hoops Wrap | Curie, Rice and Marist among area regional champs
By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent The original March Madness got underway last week across Illinois, and several area teams were crowned regional champions. Teams still alive in Class 4A are Marist and Curie, and in Class 3A are Brother Rice, De La Salle, Evergreen Park and Mount Carmel. CLASS 4A Marist (29-4) cruised to a…
Boys Basketball Class 3A Playoffs | Evergreen Park tops Hillcrest for first regional title since 1974
By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Some Evergreen Park players have deep roots in the community, but it was a newcomer that carried the Mustangs to a monumental win. Senior guard Tre Dowdell put up a game-high 30 points and Mustangs rolled to a 74-60 win over Hillcrest in the Class 3A Evergreen Park Regional championship game…
Local News
Capacity crowd speaks out against Evergreen Park dispensary
By Joe Boyle Additional chairs had to be brought out to seat an overflow crowd of Evergreen Park residents who attended a meeting April 15 regarding a proposed cannabis dispensary for the village. And many who were in attendance voiced their opposition to having a dispensary in Evergreen Park. Most of the people cited safety, traffic…
Bridgeview approves auto repair shop
Moves up time for May 1 village board meeting By Steve Metsch Bridgeview is getting a new automotive repair shop. The village board at its April 17 matinee meeting approved a special use permit that will allow a repair shop at 9010 S. Beloit Ave. There was no discussion among trustees. The board followed the…
Summit Fire Department blood drive draws a crowd
By Carol McGowan The Summit Fire Department, along with the Village of Summit, and the Argo Summit Lions Club held a blood drive this past Saturday, and it drew a crowd that even impressed the American Red Cross. It took place from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. with non-stop donors walking through the door. Fire…
Hodgkins toasts village businesses
By Carol McGowan Hodgkins Mayor Ernest Millsap and the Board of Trustees celebrated the village’s businesses at its annual Business Appreciation Breakfast on April 10. Over 100 people gathered at the Hodgkins Administration Center for a hearty breakfast hosted by the village. Representatives from many businesses that are located in or that work within the…
First Secure Bank to host American Eagle gold coin sale
From staff reports First Secure Bank & Trust of Palos Hills announced its annual May sale of 1-ounce and ¼-ounce American Eagle Gold Coins, produced by the U.S. Mint, will take place from 10 a.m.to noon on Saturdays, May 4, May 11, May 18 and May 25. The sale will take place at First Secure…
Oak Lawn trustee says village needs state grocery tax
By Joe Boyle An Oak Lawn trustee said that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposal to eliminate the state’s grocery tax will be costly for the village. Trustee William “Bud” Stalker (5th), accompanied by Mayor Terry Vorderer, recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Springfield where they learned more about the governor’s proposal to eliminate the grocery…
Palos Heights recognizes volunteers
By Nuha Abdessalam Palos Heights handed out awards last week recognizing the services provided by volunteers through the years. The proclamations, which were read aloud during the city council meeting April 16, were a testament to the city’s volunteers and were handed out as part of Volunteer Recognition Week. Volunteers were cited for their efforts…
SD218 puts on annual Arts Extravaganza
By Kelly White The arts have become a major portion of the curriculum Community High School District 218. Showcasing those many talents, the Friends of CHSD 218’s Education Foundation proudly hosted its 15th annual Arts Extravaganza on April 5 at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island. “The Arts Extravaganza is a great event which showcases…
Palos Park passes $16 million budget
By Jeff Vorva The Palos Park Village Council approved the 2024-25 budget, which totals a little more than $16.3 million at the April 22 village council meeting. According to village documents, it represented an increase of a shade over $603,000 from last year. The village is expecting $13.4 million in revenue and $1.86 million in…