Local Briefs: A hole in one
Scott Mickelson used a 5-iron to ace the par-3, 147-yard 10th hole at Phillips Park on Oct. 18. Witnesses were Tim Carlson and Matt Bartlett.

Hard work gives Noah a real shot
Of everything Joakim Noah did on the court Saturday night in the best performance of his career, one move excited everyone connected with the Bulls, from the players to the coaches to the front office personnel.

Foxes surprise with 2nd in 2A
The Yorkville girls' cross country meet headed to the IHSA state Class 2A meet at Detweiller Park Saturday hoping for a top-5 finish. The Foxes got it, and then some. Led by All-State performances from Ali Hester and Esther Bell, Yorkville scored 124 points to pick up a team trophy with a second-place performance. The Foxes, who placed 12th a year ago, finished just six points behind team champion Springfield.

Three run to All-State honors
The state cross country meet is all about survival of the fittest. The first mile is typically run at a breakneck pace. For example, in Saturday's Class 3A meet, eventual winner Lukas Verzbicas of Sandburg, who was attempting to break Craig Virgin's 37-year-old course record of 13:50, took the field out in a blistering 4:28 before tiring and finishing in 14:07.

Lanark Eastland flexs muscles, ends Newark's year
Who'll stop the reign? That's the toughest question to answer after watching defending Class 1A state volleyball champ Lanark Eastland live up to its billing by dispatching Newark Saturday night 25-9, 25-11. Winning the South Beloit Super-Sectional sends the Cougars back to the Final Four at Illinois State University next weekend.

Spartans see winning streak snapped
Concordia-Chicago rode the legs of Khyree Copeland and a 28-point first quarter to a 44-27 victory over the Spartans on Saturday at Vago Field, dropping Aurora University back below .500 and keeping the Cougars locked in a three-way tie for first-place in the Northern Athletics Conference.

Brunt work: O-line blamed
The Bears' offensive line has been under siege of late, but it's only one part of a unit that has been dysfunctional as a whole. The offense is running the ball like it did last season -- not well enough -- and quarterback Jay Cutler has been smacked around some behind a line that has gone from using three new starters this season to two after the Josh Beekman switcheroo last week.

Defense-led Wildcats hand Hawkeyes first loss
Corn-shucking cynics have insisted all season that the passwords at Kinnick Stadium have been ''lucky'' and ''charmed.'' But no one knew those words would pass from No. 8 Iowa to Northwestern in the blink of a Hawkeye on Saturday.

Bulls don rally caps again
They're not the Cardiac Kids just yet, but the Bulls are making a habit of comeback victories at home. Four days after overcoming an 18-point deficit in the second half en route to defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, the Bulls erased a nine-point deficit and survived some shaky free-throw shooting down the stretch to earn a 93-90 victory Saturday against the Charlotte Bobcats at the United Center.

Bowman, Hawks should be united in seeking center

Stan Bowman will attend his first NHL general managers meeting this week in Toronto as the Blackhawks' GM. The groundwork for trades often is created at the meeting, but after the Hawks went 8-4-1 in October, it didn't seem Bowman would be very interested in tweaking his roster.

Golden against Gophers

MINNEAPOLIS -- As defensive end Clay Nurse rumbled off the field, he shouted it out loud. Almost snarled it.

More Navy blues

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame's Fiesta Bowl bid and Jimmy Clausen's Heisman Trophy hopes were sunk with a 23-21 loss Saturday to Navy.

Panthers' upset bid turned away
For four quarters, the Oswego defense dictated the tone of Friday night's game against Providence Catholic in a second round Class 6A playoff game. Unfortunately, overtime between the Panthers and Celtics gave Providence the opportunity to run tailback Timothy Hanrahan from the 10-yard line.

Marmion out-executed by Prairie Ridge
Now you see it, now you don't. And therein lies the problem with stopping a well-run option attack in high school football. That's what Marmion Academy's defense found itself up against Friday in its 31-7 loss to Prairie Ridge in a second-round IHSA Class 6A playoff game.

Geneva gels too late against WW South
Jim Owczarski: As Wheaton Warrenville South was forced into yet another second-half punt, the Geneva defensive coaches couldn't contain themselves any longer. While the hard reality is that the Vikings are going home, 30-16 losers to the Tigers Friday night in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs, the statement wasn't wishful hyperbole.

North Stars hang on, advance to quarters
With one spectacular defensive play, senior linebacker Dominic Imbordino lifted St. Charles North into the state quarterfinals for the first time in school history. Imbordino came up with a season-saving interception with 43 seconds left in the game to lift the North Starts to a thrilling 20-14 victory Friday night over Elk Grove in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs.

Blackhawks come up short in a Colorado shootout
DENVER -- The Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche appear destined to play long games. They went nine rounds into a shootout in the Hawks' first game at the United Center this season before the Hawks pulled out a victory, and Friday the shootout went eight tension-packed rounds. The Avalanche took this one 4-3, with Chris Stewart making the decisive conversion before Dustin Byfuglien shot wide on his attempt to send the shootout to a ninth round.

Perfect situation for Wildcats
Sometimes in Iowa, merely believing is enough. A part-time play-by-play man for a Davenport radio station went on to Des Moines, and later Ronald Reagan became the 40th president of the United States.

Williams' Sox remake begins with Teahen
Chris Getz and Josh Fields are Royals, Mark Teahen is the White Sox starting third baseman, Jermaine Dye is all but gone, talks with free agent-to-be Scott Podsednik have disintegrated, and Gordon Beckham is the new starting second baseman.

Briefs: Au women in NAC tourney
The Aurora University women's soccer team defeated Dominican 1-0 in double overtime Friday to capture the 2009 Northern Athletic Conference tournament championship.

Youth sports roundup
Faith Christian Academy of Geneva advanced to the finals of the 2 Rivers Conference eighth-grade B volleyball tournament for the second straight year.

Where is the buzz for the second round?
Jim Owczarski: Here we are in the second round of the IHSA playoffs, and it feels like something's missing. A little buzz, perhaps. A little excitement. Not that having a resurgent Marmion Academy program, a scrappy Oswego squad and a frighteningly consistent Geneva team isn't any fun — any football at this time of year is.

Newark claims title with win over H-BR
Perhaps Katie Larson's new nickname should be "the monster." The junior on Newark's girls volleyball team had a monster game, as she posted nine kills in the 26-24, 25-17 win against Little Ten Conference rival Hinckley-Big Rock in the Class 1A sectional final at Serena Thursday.

Local teams clash in Class 2A race
The IHSA Class 2A boys state cross country meet is shaping up to be a local trophy quest between evenly-matched Kaneland and Marmion.

Yorkville in hunt for team trophy
Led by sophomores Ali Hester and Esther Bell, Yorkville could bring home a team trophy and several individual medals at Saturday's state cross country meet if last week's Class 2A East Peoria Sectional title is any kind of gauge of the young squad's talent.

Huskies trample Eagles from the opening kick
In basketball, it's called run 'n' gun. The Northern Illinois football team unveiled run 'n' stun Thursday in its 50-6 rout of Eastern Michigan on national television at Huskie Stadium. For the second straight game, tailback Chad Spann (11 rushes for a career-high 174 yards) and quarterback DeMarcus Grady (10-104) topped the 100-yard rushing mark.

NIU's Grady more than just a running quarterback
He may be considered a "running quarterback," but Northern Illinois sophomore DeMarcus Grady is showing he could be much more. His coach, Jerry Kill, has said he could throw. He's beginning to prove it.

St. Charles East hangs on to beat York
After dropping the second set 18-25 to York in the title match of the Geneva Class 4A Sectional, the St. Charles Saints stayed composed, changed the lineup a bit and took control for a 25-22, 18-25, 25-19 win and their third consecutive sectional title.

Riddle me this: Who is Cutler?
Rick Telander: Who is Jay Cutler? Do you know? Do you have any real sense of the most-spotlighted athlete in our city at this time? I don't. And if you're honest, I think you'll admit you don't, either.

With Teahen aboard, will Beckham move to 2nd?

The trade that dragged on yesterday, finally got done today. The White Sox acquired Mark Teahen and cash from the Royals in exhange for Chris Getz and Josh Fields.

Hawks flunk history
Even in these difficult economic times, attendance hasn't been much of a problem for the NHL as a whole. But it has been an issue for the Blackhawks' first two November opponents.

Marmion's Johnson tops in Aurora area
To say Tim Johnson was a model of consistency this season would be understatement. He was a coach's dream. Every time coach Jen Konen's Marmion golf team teed off in an 18-hole event, she could have simply written "70-something" next to the 2009 Beacon-News Boys Golf Player of the Year's name on the lineup card.

Huskies ready to work on short rest
If red isn't one of Jerry Kill's favorite colors, it probably should be. Not because of the red jerseys his Northern Illinois University players wear, but how the 5-3 Huskies are performing in the red zones -- those areas between the goal and 20-yard lines on each end of the field.

Defense cannot rest in Aurora area
In a game decided along the line of scrimmage, it is the skill positions that reap the rewards of fame in victory. Quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers dominate headlines and storylines.

Area runners look for strong finish
Three local cross country teams return to Detweiller Park in Peoria for the Class 3A State Finals this weekend, all looking to improve on last year's finishes.

Turner sticks to the plan; won't scale back offense

With some distance from the victory Sunday over the Cleveland Browns, offensive coordinator Ron Turner finally was able to specify his frustration.

A title for Joe G.
Chris De Luca: Sure, the New York Yankees' 27th World Series championship will go down as one more trip down memory lane for Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. It means a long-awaited ring for baseball's all-time highest- paid player, Alex Rodriguez.

Clausen toughs it out after toe injury setback
Quarterback Jimmy Clausen suffered a bit of a setback with the turf toe he has played through the last five games. He aggravated his injured right foot in the third quarter of the victory over Washington State.

Healthy start, happy Deng
John Jackson: After fighting for an offensive rebound, scoring inside and drawing a foul against a bigger player in the fourth quarter of the Bulls' dramatic comeback victory Tuesday night, Luol Deng took a couple of steps and let out a scream that would have registered high marks on the noise meters shown on the United Center scoreboard.

SPORTS WIRE: Dodgers pitcher accidentally shot

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Vicente Padilla is recovering from a bullet wound in his leg after a target shooting instructor accidentally shot him.

Air Jordan shoe flap costs UCF Adidas deal

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A fight over the shoes Michael Jordan's son will wear at Central Florida has cost the school any future sponsorship with Adidas.

Cadets control action but fall short in double OT
Anybody that watched Marmion's soccer team take on Freeport in the Class 2A Barrington Super-Sectional would get the impression the Cadets dominated the pace of play all night. But in soccer, that is not always what determines the winner. Unfortunately for Marmion, that was the case Tuesday.

Kaneland's Dudzinski commits to Holy Cross
Kaneland High School senior David Dudzinski said Tuesday he has chosen Holy Cross over Loyola of Chicago in announcing his verbal commitment to the Patriot League school.

Rosary's run ends with loss to Joliet Catholic
Sectional semifinal matches are supposed to be thrilling and nail-biting. Tuesday's faceoff between No. 4 seed Rosary and No. 1 Joliet Catholic was neither. Both sides showed a lack of excitement, yet the Angels managed to come out ahead with their 25-15, 25-16 win over the Royals at St. Francis.

York comeback shocks Vikings
After the first game of the Class 4A Geneva Sectional matchup between the host Vikings and York, it appeared Geneva and star outside hitter Lauren Wicinski were headed for a tussle with defending state champion St. Charles East in the sectional final.

Lyons finally solves Wildcats
Neuqua Valley's quest for a perfect season and a state championship has come to an end. Lyons Township ruined everything with a 1-0 victory against Neuqua in a Class 3A supersectional match played Tuesday night at Benedictine University.

Little Ten rivals set for showdown
Little Ten Conference volleyball stepped up big Tuesday night with league champ Hinckley-Big Rock and runner-up Newark advancing to Thursday's title match of the Class 1A Serena Sectional.

Saints overwhelm Stars, head to sectional final
On a big stage against its biggest rival, St. Charles East again demonstrated the intensity and skill that made it state champion a year ago. The Saints were simply too much for St. Charles North on Tuesday, winning 25-16, 25-17, and putting themselves on the doorstep of winning the Geneva Class 4A Sectional.

Will the real 'D' stand up?
Mike Mulligan: The progress of the Bears' defense has been treacherously betrayed by the man running it. The supposed improvement in the NFL rankings this year -- they jumped from 16th to 11th after beating woeful Cleveland on Sunday -- is nothing but a mirage. Sure, you take progress where you find it, even in a hollow run up the table to the defense's highest ranking since the Super Bowl year.

Bulls gut out a win

It was a strange day all around for the Bulls, from the sudden flu that benched Tyrus Thomas to their stunningly bad start in the game with the Milwaukee Bucks to the remarkable finish that staved off an embarrassing loss.

Clausen's choice clouds ND future
Neil Hayes: The decision that will most impact the future of Notre Dame football will not be made by President John I. Jenkins, athletics director Jack Swarbrick, coach Charlie Weis or the small group of influential alumni who have served as behind-the-scenes power brokers in the not-so-distant past.

Guyton, Schultz are Beacon-News co-Players of Year
It doesn't get much better than this -- just one place, in fact. Kaneland junior Hayley Guyton and Somonauk freshman Jessica Schultz each finished second at the recent state meets -- Guyton in Class 2A, Schultz in Class 1A -- and have earned Beacon-News co-Players of the Year honors in girls golf. "I've never met her," Guyton said of Schultz, "but that's awesome for a freshman."

Cadets' success known world-wide
The success Marmion's football program is experiencing saw its beginning five years ago. The Cadets welcomed a new home as their stadium was dedicated, though the lights would be installed years later. And new coach Dan Thorpe came on board.

Shabbona Lake fulfills fishing needs
The Shabbona Sportsman's Club has devoted thirty years to perfecting one of Illinois' finest fishing lakes. Best of all? They like to talk about it.

Briefs: Sandwich boy advances in Punt & Kick
Sean Smith, 9, of Sandwich was a champion in his age group at the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick sectional round held in Woodridge on Oct. 18.

Pairings for Class 6A and 7A
This weekend's Class 6A and 7A pairings.

Bears dread the red zone
When Bob Babich was the Bears' defensive coordinator, it was always difficult to figure out where he started and Lovie Smith ended. The two were in lockstep. The perception is that since Smith replaced Babich as the play-caller, Ron Turner's role as co-head coach/offense has been reinforced.

Back off the Cliff
Chris De Luca: Even the Serbian cab driver who swears he has been following baseball for only one week had an opinion on Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel's World Series rotation.

Rusty Rose trying to get groove back
Bulls point guard Derrick Rose wants his groove back, and fast. Rose was the last player to leave the floor after practice Monday at the Berto Center in Deerfield.

Hawks optimistic Toews' injury still day-to-day
The Blackhawks always have maintained that Jonathan Toews is ''day-to-day'' with concussion-like symptoms, but he still hasn't returned to the ice.

SPORTS WIRE: Harangody tops preseason list

Notre Dame senior forward Luke Harangody should get used to being on top of lists.

Quiet leader: Former Oswego standout Teah Gant
In a large ballroom at a Chicago airport hotel, there are faces in the crowd most basketball fans would recognize. Tom Izzo. Bruce Weber. Gene Keady. Coaching stars, present and past. Sitting at one large round table in the middle of the room is the face of an athlete not nearly as famous as those coaches mentioned above. Yet her impact on the program she represents is just as irreplaceable.

Rosary takes another title
As spectators' shrill whistles and coaches' silent hand gestures encouraged swimmers forward in the Metro Catholic Conference swim meet, a familiar champion emerged from the frothy water Saturday morning at Vaughan Athletic Center.

Fire gives Revs a head start

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - On an afternoon filled with chances, the Fire let the biggest one slip through its grasp.

Cutler takes hits - on field and verbally; Payton honored

Bears coach Lovie Smith likes to talk about how losses don't leave a good taste in his mouth, but Sunday's 30-6 win over the Cleveland Browns probably didn't taste too good to Jay Cutler, who was swallowing blood after a blow to the chin from the helmet of Cleveland linebacker Kamerion Wimbley in the second quarter.

Eager-ly awaited news: 'Close to 100 percent'
Concussion is a word rarely uttered in the hockey world, but Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville used it without reservation in describing the problems that kept Ben Eager on the sideline the last four weeks.

More like a Brownout
There will come a point in this season when offensive coordinator Ron Turner no longer will be able to preach patience and say the offense needs to execute better.

Aurora Christian girls head to state
The Winnebago cross country team won Saturday's Class 1A Aurora Christian Sectional with 88 points, followed by Oregon (117), Aurora Christian (157), Rockford Lutheran 9177) and Byron (189). All five teams advance to the finals Saturday at Peoria's Detweiller Park.

Narrow miss for Waubonsie in loss to DGS
Downers Grove South found a way to grind out 10 needed points in the second half and stood breathless as it saw a 40-yard field goal by Waubonsie Valley with 28 seconds remaining sail wide left. That allowed the Mustangs to squeak out a 22-21 win in a Class 8A first-round playoff game at Benedictine University.

Marmion soccer wins first sectional title
For the first time in the history of the Marmion soccer program, the Cadets earned a sectional title. They topped conference rival Wheaton Academy 2-1 to win the Class 2A Hampshire Sectional.

North Stars exact revenge against Storm
St. Charles North made the most of a rare second chance Saturday. Two weeks after losing to South Elgin in overtime, the North Stars returned to the scene of that defeat and ended the Storm's season with a 28-16 win at Millennium Field in the first round of the Class 7A state playoffs.

St. Charles East bows out in opener
Five turnovers and second-half offensive woes doomed the St. Charles East on Saturday, as they fell to Rockton Hononegah 26-7 in round one of the Class 7A state playoffs.

Spartans overpower Knights with ground game
The battle between a pair of 6-3 Western Sun Conference rivals never really materialized Saturday night as Sycamore ran roughshod over Kaneland 40-13.

Stiff defense pushes Vikings to Round 2
On the scoreboard, Geneva's 36-8 win over Shepard on Saturday in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs would look like the Vikings had an offensive explosion.

Aurora Christian falls to Winnebago
Aurora Christian's season may not have ended on a deflected pass that wound up in the hands of Winnebago linebacker Michael Sojka, but the turnover late in the first half of the Indians' 28-14 Class 3A first-round victory over the Eagles proved the catalyst for that end.

Vikings pull hat trick on Bulldogs
Give the Batavia volleyball team credit for reaching Saturday's regional final at Addison Trail after having to fight back to defeat Wheaton-Warrenville South on Thursday. But given a third chance to knock off Western Sun Conference champion and No. 2 seed Geneva, the Bulldogs were out of mojo as the Vikings (35-2) took the regional title 25-19, 25-11.

Bears look lackluster in 30-6 win over Browns
Don’t mistake a 30-6 victory over the down-and-out Cleveland Browns on Sunday at Soldier Field for progress because, if anything, it was a step backward offensively a week after the Bears were beaten into humiliation in Cincinnati.

Sweet beginning turns to sour finish for Plano
Big plays and untimely turnovers proved too much for Plano to overcome Friday night in Geneseo. The Maple Leafs scored on three runs of 60 yards or more, erasing an early 16-point Reapers lead with five touchdowns of their own to advance to the second round of the Class 4A playoffs with a 33-16 win.

Panthers stand their ground in the mud
It almost slipped away in the mud at Fred Carlton Field, but the Oswego defense wouldn't let it go. They held off Bloomington 28-26 on Friday in a first-round Class 6A playoff game and move on to next week's second-round matchup with Providence.

Marmion runs past Huntley in first round
The Marmion ground attack, benefiting from the synthetic turf field at Aurora Christian, pounded out 375 yards on 39 carries Friday and scored five touchdowns to lead the Cadets to a 42-20 victory over Huntley in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.

Ricketts outline game plan for owning Cubs

Thomas Ricketts spent $845 million for, among other assets, a baseball team that in a good year will record a profit of around $30 million.

Saturday football playoff capsules
A look at today's upcoming playoff games.

'We'll win World Series'
Three years ago this month, in a prelude to a sale as it turned out, John McDonough took over as Cubs president and declared, ''It's time to win a World Series.'' Since then, time, a half-billion dollars in payroll commitments and McDonough have passed through an organization still waiting on a World Series with the urgency of a five-beer buildup at the back of the line for a Wrigley Field trough. Next!

From rousing to routed
It would have been unrealistic to expect Friday night's matchup between the Bulls and Boston Celtics to duplicate the excitement of last season's epic first-round playoff series. But no one -- especially the Bulls coming off a rousing win the previous night -- expected an epic blowout instead.

Bowl fates on line for Wildcats, Lions
Legends will haunt and hover about both sidelines at Ryan Field today. For Penn State, it will be Joe Paterno -- hallowed, iconic, long ago canonized by the most ardent spirits of Happy Valley -- in search of a sustained surge into November and a few breaks to get his No. 12 Nittany Lions on the marquee of a BCS game.

Sharp's dagger gets it done

The Blackhawks washed away the bad taste of a shutout loss at Nashville in a hurry. They concluded the first month of the season with a rousing 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in one of those rare matchups of NHL Original Six franchises Friday night at the United Center.

A-Rod whiff total mounts; no boos yet

PHILADELPHIA -- After breaking out of his postseason slump by driving in 12 runs during the first two rounds of the playoffs, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has been silent in the first two games of the World Series, going 0-for-8 with six strikeouts.

Plano, Geneseo football ties span decades
Two hours and 100 miles may separate Geneseo and Plano, but the towns have been interconnected on the football field since the 1960s -- even though this is the first time the Reapers and the Maple Leafs will play each other.

Jittery Blackhawks out of sync
Host Neuqua Valley came into regional volleyball play Thursday with a chip on its shoulder, senior outside hitter Nikki Federico said. Upset-minded West Aurora had early jitters, coach Kari Nicholson said, and the Blackhawks never did get their passing in rhythm in a 25-18, 25-11 setback.

Aces help hand Rosary easy victory
Coming off two regular-season matches during which it made numerous unforced errors, the Rosary volleyball team made a concerted effort in practice not to hurt itself from here on in. It showed in the Royals' first-round playoff matchup Thursday night against Kankakee in the Class 3A Aurora Central Catholic Regional.

Late charge ignites Bulldogs
Down a set, with its season in the balance, Batavia's girls volleyball team had to find a way to fight back in its Class 4A Addison Trail Regional semifinal against Wheaton Warrenville South on Thursday.

Panthers stumble against Raiders
The Oswego girls volleyball team simply couldn't get anything going against Glenbard South on Thursday. Every time the Panthers seemed to get an opportunity, the Raiders gained momentum or went on a run to push ahead.

Marmion carries 14-match streak into sectional final
After losing to Wheaton Academy 14 matches ago, Marmion's soccer team wanted nothing more than to see the Warriors again in a sectional championship match. The Cadets got their wish, as the two top seeds meet at 4 p.m. Saturday in the Class 2A Hampshire Sectional final.

Area roundup
A roundup of local results.

Youth roundup: Faith Christian advances
A roundup of area youth sports.

Zips a shot in arm for Huskies

They may be a bit banged up seven games into the season, but the Northern Illinois football team starts a three-game home stand Saturday that should be just what the doctor ordered. In visiting Akron, the Huskies face a team that's hurting even more.

Football capsules
Capsules of tonight's games.

Rugged road ahead
There was a slight twinge of bewilderment in Dave Keely's voice Saturday night shortly after the Class 6A playoff bracket was released. In the moment, something looked a little off. The upper bracket in which the 7-2 Oswego Panthers were placed featured an astounding nine teams with eight wins or more. Only one (Oak Lawn) was 5-4.

Positive vibes flowing through Big Ten hoops country
Tom Crean was so excited for this season to start that his wife had to remind him to put on a show for the fans at Hoosier Hysteria, not run conditioning drills. And that's the coach of the last-place team. It was that kind of a year in the Big Ten in 2008-09.

Waubonsie Valley seeks consistency
The brackets are driven by numbers -- enrollments, wins and playoff points -- and how those totals interact. This year 22 5-4 teams did not qualify, the IHSA essentially telling them to turn in the uniforms and begin end-of-season meetings -- perhaps wondering how to schedule stronger out-of-conference opponents.

Cadets earn much-awaited rematch
Ever since losing a heartbreaker to Wheaton Academy earlier this season, Marmion knew the only way to earn a rematch was for both teams to reach the Class 2A Hampshire Sectional finals. With the Cadets' 4-3 comeback win over Lakes in the semifinals Wednesday, that rematch is now a reality. Wheaton Academy easily handled Antioch 6-0 Tuesday to set up a matchup of the top two seeds.

5 keys to Bulls' success
Usually there's somewhat of a consensus among the newspapers, magazines and Web sites that produce NBA previews. The projected conference standings are remarkably similar, and a team's ranking generally doesn't vary more than two or three spots. That's not the case with the Bulls. Depending on the preview, they're ranked anywhere from fourth to 10th in the Eastern Conference.

Lovie on guard over lineup

With the Bears facing the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, coach Lovie Smith paid tribute to Browns coach Eric Mangini with a vow of silence about a rumored change at left guard.

Reversal of fortune
Last season, Geneva's boys soccer team met Schaumburg in the sectional semifinals and beat them to advance. The two teams met again Tuesday in the Class 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional and the result was the complete opposite. The second-seeded Vikings, the only top-eight seed still alive in the sectional, were handed a 2-0 defeat by the Saxons to end their season at 18-5-2. Schaumburg, the No. 12 seed (lowest at the sectional), remained red hot with its ninth straight win.

Short, strange trip over for Indians
First they were out, then they might have been in, but now it's official: the Sandwich Indians' football season is over.

Area roundup
IMSA placed second behind tournament champion Rockford Christian.

Bahena gives LWC boot
Lincoln-Way Central coach Dan Radz could only shake his head after watching his team fall 4-0 to Eisenhower in Tuesday night's Class 3A Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional semifinal, but it wasn't because the Knights had lost.

Four ways to fix the season: Salvage job starts here, now
Mike Mulligan: The Bears are finished in everyone's mind but their own. A dreadful defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals is sure to awaken self-doubt and invite a collapse of confidence, but the perfect elixir comes in the form of the Cleveland Browns, who turn up Sunday at Soldier Field.

World Series champion is ...
This is the blueprint the White Sox hoped -- and needed -- to follow: Win a World Series one year to end a frustrating dry spell, then return to the same stage the next October. It's easier said than done, but here are the Philadelphia Phillies facing the last team to pull off the feat, the New York Yankees.

Alamodome away from home for ND
Notre Dame will try to make the Alamodome feel like home Saturday, when the Irish ''host'' Washington State (1-6) in San Antonio: The band will make the trip. Mike Collins, who is the public-address announcer at Notre Dame Stadium, will work the game.

Agassi admits using crystal meth in 1997

NEW YORK -- Andre Agassi's upcoming autobiography contains an admission that he used crystal meth in 1997, the year he dropped to No. 141 in the rankings.

Bringing the Negro Leagues to life
Dave Hoekstra: Baseball historians often read between the lines to grasp the essence of the Negro Leagues. They were formed out of necessity in 1920 in Chicago when black players were excluded from the Major Leagues because of racial discrimination. After Jackie Robinson broke the color line in 1947, the leagues continued until 1955.

Six-rotation
K.C. Johnsen's only regret is that he didn't make the move sooner. "She's just a very good, athletic kid," the Geneva volleyball coach said of senior middle blocker Kelsey Augustine. "She's very quick, very fast, moves so well and has long arms so she covers a lot of ground on defense."

Cadets, Vikings ready for matches
Marmion's soccer team is preparing for Wednesday's Class 2A Hampshire Sectional semifinal match against Lakes, and is relieved it advanced to this point.

Conservation congress back on the beat
People with a passion for the outdoors reconvened last weekend in Springfield as the latest version of Illinois' Conservation Congress.

Talking about practice
Tommie Harris was right. It wasn't his chronic left knee woes that prevented him from playing in the 45-10 massacre Sunday at Cincinnati. Instead, it was a more restrictive authority, coach Lovie Smith, who ruled he would sit out practice last week and the game.

Huet getting on a roll
It's much too early to tell if the Blackhawks made the right decision last summer in signing Marian Hossa to a long-term contract and allowing Martin Havlat to move on to the Minnesota Wild.

Captain Kirk again
Although the roster has undergone many changes, the one constant in the Bulls' locker room the last few years is Kirk Hinrich being named a team captain after the annual players' vote.

Notebook: Illinois, NU, ND, nation
Mikel Leshoure will be the first option at running back when Illinois returns home against Michigan on Saturday (2:30 p.m., Ch. 7), coach Ron Zook said.

Cubs look safe at home

Don't start pricing timeshares in Southwest Florida for Cubs spring training trips yet.

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL | EAGLES 27, REDSKINS 17: Play-calling shuffle doesn't help Redskins

LANDOVER, Md. -- Sherm Lewis might want to go back to bingo. Better yet, he might want to apply for a job as the Philadelphia Eagles' play-caller. It's a much easier job with someone such as DeSean Jackson on your side.

SPORTS WIRE: Barkley wants to become GM, but on his terms

Charles Barkley thinks he can do better than some of the general managers he criticizes on TV.

East Aurora Old Timers welcome 1984 squad
The East Aurora Old Timers' organization has a simple motto and a sole membership requirement. Men who played varsity football at East High 25 years ago or longer are eligible as members, and all definitely will tell you that "if you are once a Tomcat, you are always a Tomcat."

Bears humiliated by Benson, Bengals
Cedric Benson said last week that ''my dreams are coming true'' with the Cincinnati Bengals, but he didn't mention anything about nightmares beginning for the Bears.

Deng ready for next step
The primary goal for Luol Deng in the preseason was proving he was healthy after missing essentially six months with a stress fracture of the lower right leg. Mission accomplished on that front. The 6-9 forward played in all eight preseason games and participated in every practice, including the two-a-day sessions the first week of training camp.

Bring it on: Area teams ready for playoffs
Saturday's IHSA playoff pairings selection was more interesting than in years past and created drama up and down the eight-class system. First, the IHSA (at the request of the Chicago Public League) allowed the top two teams in each of the Chicago conferences into the playoffs instead of the usual one, creating more teams.

Redhawks' late rally ousts West
Naperville Central's brand-new, $1 million synthetic turf field was broken in on Saturday afternoon as the playing surface for the Plainfield North Regional final. Two late goals by Naperville Central's Chris Prince -- including the game-winner with 90 seconds left -- gave the Redhawks a surprising comeback and a regional title.

Saints secure outright UEC title
All season long, first-year St. Charles East football coach Mike Fields has reminded his players they only need to be "one point better" on game day. On Saturday in the crosstown classic against St. Charles North, they took him quite literally and won 14-13.

D-C's Manfrin rolls to individual title
Dundee-Crown junior Anthony Manfrin entered Saturday's St. Charles North Class 3A Boys Cross Country Regional at Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve as the heavy favorite despite missing the early part of this season with an injury. Manfrin didn't disappoint.

Cadets dig out from one-goal deficit
Five minutes into the second half of the Class 2A Burlington Central Regional final Saturday, players from heavily favored Marmion found themselves in a position they hadn't been since Sept. 21: trailing in a game.

Wildcats complete hat trick vs. Warriors
Neuqua dominated its District 204 rival for a third time and scored an impressive 3-0 victory over Waubonsie Valley to claim a Class 3A regional championship on Saturday afternoon at Metea Valley.

Wahl pushes Vikings to title
Geneva's Brady Wahl didn't do everything for his team Saturday, although at times it seemed like it. Combined with a strong defense that made life easy for goalkeeper Ryan Ward, Wahl led the Vikings to a 2-0 victory over St. Charles East to win the Class 3A regional hosted by the Saints.

Vikings muster sweep
Geneva runners Kevin McDowell and Kevin Sparks spend a lot of time running shoulder to shoulder -- they are good friends and training partners. So it was no surprise they were doing so Saturday with about a half-mile to go at the Class 3A West Aurora Regional.

Foxes boys, girls come out on top
Yorkville dominated the team standings at the Class 2A Sandwich Cross Country regionals Saturday.

Tough to keep them separated
The Class 2A Aurora Central Catholic Regional was supposed to be close, with four of the top teams in the state vying for the regional title. But few expected it would end as close as it did, with just four points separating first through fourth places Saturday at Oakhurst Forest Preserve.

Marmion 'D' earns an 'A' vs. Montini
Marmion beat Montini Catholic for the first time since 1998 with an 18-7 victory cemented the Cadets' status as a legitimate playoff contender and as one of the best defensive units in the area.

Oswego grabs share of title
"Last week wasn't our night," said Oswego coach Dave Keely, referring to his team's loss to Minooka that dropped them into a tie for first place in the Southwest Prairie Conference. It was the Panthers' night Friday in their 27-0 win over a Romeoville team desperate to lock up a playoff spot.

Waubonsie breezes past East Aurora
The Waubonsie Valley football team is used to two things by now: winning and playing in cold and rainy conditions. The Warriors made it four straight wins by beating East Aurora 42-6 on Friday.

West RB hits 1,000 in loss to WW South
No matter what route West Aurora's football season has taken this fall, there has been one constant. That constant has been senior running back Leon Spears. And he capped off his excellent career in Friday's 61-0 season-ending loss at Wheaton Warrenville South by eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

Kaneland secures postseason spot
Up 7-0 with 5:28 remaining in regulation, Kaneland kicker Chad Swieca had the opportunity to put Kaneland up by two possessions on a soggy senior night in Yorkville. The freshman made his field goal, giving the Knights a 10-0 win and a berth in the playoffs.

Underdog Chargers give St. Francis a scare
St. Francis spotted ACC an early touchdown, then took control of the line of scrimmage in the second quarter and rallied for a 14-7 victory in Suburban Christian Blue action.

Adams shines for PFS in win over Oswego E.
It's becoming all too familiar for the Plainfield South football team. For the second straight year, the Cougars finished 5-4 and will likely miss the playoffs after a 40-15 win over Oswego East.

Geneva pulls away from Batavia in fourth
One of the great rivalry games in the state played out at Bulldog Stadium in Batavia to conclude the regular season Friday. It was a much closer affair than most may have predicted, considering Geneva was 7-1 coming in and Batavia was 2-6.

Kill: RedHawks' record deceiving
College football coaches know it's wise to let sleeping dogs lie. That's why it's not surprising to hear Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill give this assessment of first-year coach Michael Haywood's Miami (Ohio) team.

Run ends in round of 16 for tennis hopefuls
Emily Reuland of Rosary was playing the best tennis of her career in the state tournament this week, but it came to an end in the Sweet 16 Friday.

AU trainer saves basketball player's life
Terry Smith knew the drill. And because he did, Aurora University basketball player Liz Pearlman and her family are able to thank him today. "For years you say, 'Thank God, I never had to use it,'" the AU athletic trainer said of his skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Vikings polish off perfect WSC season
Geneva's girls volleyball team has nine seniors on the roster this season, and the Vikings entered Thursday's Western Sun Conference finale, and senior night, with a perfect WSC record. One of those seniors, Lauren Wicinski, made sure the WSC season was capped off right.

Royals face must win vs. Storm
At long last, Larkin and South Elgin will meet on the gridiron tonight at Memorial Field. The stakes couldn’t be much higher for the first-ever football showdown between the Royals and Storm, who despite being separated by only four miles, haven’t encountered one another due to the Upstate Eight Conference’s unbalanced schedule.

High School football preview
The crosstown showdown between the Saints and North Stars was originally scheduled for tonight, but had to be moved after East was closed for three days due to a flu outbreak. The Saints lead the all-time series 5-4 and have won four of the past five meetings between the schools.

'Mini-state meet' on tap at Oakhurst

Saturday's Class 2A Aurora Central Catholic Regional at Oakhurst Forest Preserve could be called a mini-state meet, with four highly ranked teams battling for a trip to the loaded Belvidere Sectional the following week.

Vikings begin title defense Saturday

Two-time defending state champion Geneva on Saturday begins its quest for a third state title when it headlines the Class 3A West Aurora Regional at Waubonsee Community College.

Calendar

Rosary senior settles into comfort zone

Emily Reuland loves playing tennis indoors.

Exorcise program

It's been a long time since Marmion has had a Friday night like this one.

Don't panic about Bears' running game
Mike Mulligan: With the Bears playing the Cincinnati Bengals and Cedric Benson on Sunday, it's a perfect time for one of those ''Where Are They Now?'' features about former Bears running backs. Benson has resuscitated his career and ranks third in the NFL in rushing this season. Matt Forte ... whatever happened to that guy?

Stakes raised for final week of football
The final week of the IHSA regular season is an interesting one for many teams — some are riding high and ready to win a conference title or finish the season unbeaten. Others whose season is lost are looking for a nice send-off for seniors and the continued development of underclassmen.

Area’s best prepared for final push
For Emily Reuland, Brooke Henry and Kayla Fujimoto, traveling to Mount Prospect for the state tournament has become — like falling leaves — a rite of autumn. They look to go out with a bang when the state meet begins today at various courts near Prospect High School.

ACC volleyball wraps up conference title
Believe it — the Aurora Central Catholic girls volleyball team is this year's Suburban Christian Conference champion in the Gold Division under first-year coach Jeanne Czipri.

Powerful St. Francis too much for Rosary
The Rosary volleyball team made the most of its final regular season match against St. Francis, but a valiant showing was not enough to overcome the formidable Spartans.

AU can't afford another loss
Without a doubt, Aurora University's 24-21 loss at Concordia-Wisconsin a week ago was crippling.

Area roundup: Kaneland volleyball falls
DeKalb d. Kaneland 29-27, 25-22 — Jessica Lubic had 18 assists, eight digs and four aces for the Knights (13-15, 6-8).

Local briefs: All-DVC boys soccer
Four West Aurora seniors and one junior earned spots on the all-DuPage Valley Conference boys soccer team.

Youth sports: Soccer
St. Rita Green 3, St. Mary DeKalb 1 — Eric Lifka and Brian Bravo (two goals) scored for the Crusaders. Jacob Bush posted the win in goal for St. Rita (6-3).

Cedric Benson claims Bears tried to blackball him
Cedric Benson is a different player on the field for the Cincinnati Bengals than he ever was for the Bears. Off the field, the mercurial fourth pick from the 2005 draft remains the same person. Benson speaks what's on his mind, says what he believes to be the truth and doesn't care who is listening or what they think of his opinion.

Cubs land a heavy hitter in Jaramillo

No hitting coach ever has been credited with leading a team to the World Series. And not even Rudy Jaramillo's best groups of hitters have taken him there.

It's on: Waubonsie vs. Neuqua Part III
The anticipated matchup between Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley will take place Saturday, but it certainly wasn't a sure thing. In the nightcap of a Class 3A Waubonsie Valley Regional doubleheader, the host Warriors held on to defeat Plainfield Central 2-1.

Clay's molded into complete QB
Kenny Clay has only a few seconds to process everything. In Waubonsie Valley's spread offense, the quarterback must make decisions at the line of scrimmage. From the shotgun, he will count how many defenders are in the box -- seven or eight? -- and notice where they are positioned, figuring out whether to run inside or outside.

Position change works wonders for West
When one loss can end a season, sometimes coaches can be forced into drastic measures. When Batavia's boys soccer team dramatically tied fifth-seeded West Aurora in Tuesday's Class 3A Plainfield North Regional semifinal, Blackhawks coach Joe Sustersic had one of those moments.

Rookie Niemi earns start in goal
The Blackhawks' goaltender saga took a new twist Tuesday when rookie Antti Niemi was named the starter for tonight's game against the Vancouver Canucks at the United Center.

Rose better, but still not ready to go
The Bulls didn't do any work on the court Tuesday, instead using their allotted practice time for film review and weight training. So technically, Derrick Rose didn't miss another session.

How did Illinois get so bad?
How did it get this bad? How did Illinois go from the Pasadena Express to the Stupor Chief in less than two years?

Tomcats end on sour note

BOLINGBROOK -- After last week's series of losses, the Benet boys soccer team won when it counted -- in regional play.

Oswego reaches title game
GRAYSLAKE -- The Oswego boys soccer team defeated Hampshire 4-0 Tuesday in the Class 2A Grayslake Regional semifinals.

Cadets cruise into championship game

BURLINGTON - Marmion Academy's soccer team took care of business Tuesday, making short work of North Chicago in a 7-0 blowout to open Burlington Central Class 2A Regional play.

Picking up where she left off
Only 17 games into her college career, Claire Hanold already holds the single-season school record for shutouts. She notched her ninth Friday in a 1-0 victory over Providence. This comes after she recorded 73 to break the state high school record at Waubonsie.

IMSA pushes past Newark
Perhaps Ayse Cetinkaya was in a hurry to end the match against Newark. Perhaps the starter on IMSA's girls volleyball team wanted to display her serving skills on the Titans' senior night. Whatever the case was, Cetinkaya served up the final five points of Game 2 against the Norsemen in IMSA's 25-14, 25-21 win Monday.

5-4 is a scary place to be
When the IHSA expanded the football playoffs to eight classes in 2001, teams that finished 5-4 became playoff eligible.

Lovie won't rule out changes in O-line
Of all the problems the Bears' offense had Sunday night in Atlanta, the turnovers in the red zone trumped them all.

Addition of Ebbett puts end to 'Skille shuffle'
Jack Skille's days of shuttling between the Blackhawks and Rockford on an almost daily basis are over. Skille, the Hawks' first-round draft pick in 2005, will remain an IceHog.

Like night and day for Cutler
Brad Biggs: Our Bears beat writer plays Monday quarterback and makes his observations about the 21-14 loss to the Falcons last night in Atlanta.

Eagles' Oleson eyes return to state
Running wasn't always an enjoyable pastime for Aurora Christian harrier Sarina Oleson. It was just something she did with her family -- who loves to run. Her dedication to the sport is beginning to pay off, as Oleson is currently ranked as one of the Top 10 runners in Class 1A by Dyestat.com heading into the IHSA state series. She finished 31st last fall, just missing out on All-State honors.

Hawks' Sharp helps ailing child
Patrick Sharp has been a consistently good player for the Blackhawks since he was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers midway through the 2005-06 season. To at least one family in the Hawks' growing fan base, however, Sharp is an even better person.

Rose getting closer -- but so is the regular-season opener
Point guard Derrick Rose, who has been sidelined since Oct. 2 with an injured right ankle, is getting close to returning but continued to sit Sunday as the Bulls conducted an open practice for season-ticket holders at the United Center.

Comeback bid fails, Bears lose to Falcons 21-14
Jay Cutler is the only quarterback to come into the Georgia Dome and defeat the Atlanta Falcons since the arrival of hot-shot quarterback Matt Ryan last season.

Reactions over Yorkville dam concerns
Bob Maciulis: There was quite a flurry of reactions to last week's column concerning the canoe and kayak chute that is part of the new dam on the Fox River at Yorkville.

Substitutes need a chance to learn, shine
Bill Kindt: Practically every coach comes face-to-face with this dilemma at least once during a career, that being - when to put the cork in the bottle.

State 'a great experience' for young Warriors
Things didn't go as his team planned or hoped, but Waubonsie Valley boys golf coach David Owles figures the players will learn from it. "We went in not just wanting to show up, so the way we played as a team was disappointing, but the whole weekend was a great experience," he said after his club shot 651 to finish ninth at the IHSA Class 3A State Tournament at The Den at Fox Creek.

Foxes dominate ACC
Seeing that it is only the second season Yorkville has fielded a boys soccer team, the Foxes will have no problem spending five hours in a bus Tuesday. No. 14 seed Yorkville won its first postseason game ever, 8-0 over 19th-seeded Aurora Central Catholic, in the Class 2A Lakes Regional quarterfinal Saturday. The Foxes' reward is a trip to Lake Villa and back to face the No. 3 seeded hosts from Lakes Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Doubles final becomes a 'Sister Act'
Not only were the highly-touted Oswego East sisters Jourdan and Kylee Jackson in the final, but they were going up against the Henry sisters, Brooke and Haley, from West Aurora. In the match of the sectional, the Jacksons played inspired tennis in the third set to claim their second sectional title 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.

Marmion overpowers the competition
Led by Zack Young and Ben Kanute, Marmion Academy dominated the Suburban Christian Conference cross country meet Saturday at a soggy Oakhurst Forest Preserve to win the conference title and head into next weekend's Class AA regional on a high note.

Area roundup
A roundup of local results.

Kaneland's Guyton finishes second in state
Two local players narrowly missed titles Saturday at the Class A and Class AA girls state golf tournaments.

Paradise's two goals lift Wolves
The Plainfield North soccer team withstood the wind-aided, first-half barrage from Oswego East by stubbornly sticking legs in the way of multiple shots within the box.

Batavia doubles team falls short of state
Batavia doubles team Kim Sweeney and Hannah Potter and Metea Valley freshman Kelsey Chin fell just short of qualifying for next week's state tennis tournament Saturday.

Two special teams set for battle
Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett wanted to escape the wet and cold after practice Friday afternoon, but they couldn’t. Special-teams coordinator Dave Toub was bellowing at them to line up from across the Halas Hall practice field.

Heat's still on Huet

The United Center boo birds came after Cristobal Huet again Saturday night, and with some reason. The Blackhawks' goaltender let in two bad goals, and they led to a 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars and the end of the Hawks' four-game winning streak before a sellout crowd of 20,424.

Running game puts Vikings on sure WSC footing
Jim Owczarski: On Thursday afternoon, Geneva coach Rob Wicinski likened the current Kaneland defense to the unheralded groups that won a Western Sun Conference title in 2006 and helped the Knights claim back-to-back state titles in 1997 and 1998. But the Geneva offensive line and running back Michael Santacaterina found a groove late in the game and ground out a 27-24 overtime victory over the Knights.

Waubonsie Valley cashes in on turnovers
Waubonsie Valley's football team knew that even if it lost Friday's Upstate Eight Conference game against Lake Park, it could still win next week against East Aurora to become playoff-eligible. Waubonsie forced four turnovers, converting all of them into points, in taking down the UEC-leading Lancers in convincing fashion, 36-14 on Friday.

Larkin runs away from East Aurora
In all likelihood the road to the playoffs for Larkin will have to go through South Elgin.However, before the Royals could focus on that game, they needed to take care of business Friday. And they did just that with a 58-14 Upstate Eight Conference rout of East Aurora at Memorial Field.

Batavia's offensive line dominates DeKalb
You can forget about time of possession. DeKalb won that battle hands down. That also goes for first downs and number of plays from scrimmage. The Barbs had those covered too. The thing is, football games come down to the final score and Batavia was all over that to the tune of 40-6 Friday night at Bulldog Stadium.

Spartans muffle Eagles' win streak
The Aurora Christian football team had been on a roll since a 41-8 loss to Montini three weeks ago. But the train is slightly off the track now. The Eagles' rough first half against visiting St. Francis set them too far back to recover in a 35-20 loss.

Reapers run into Wildcats' buzzsaw
The showdown for the Interstate Eight Small Division title quickly became a mismatch Friday as Wilmington steamrolled Plano on the way to a 49-22 decision.

West rally comes up two points shy
Trailing by two touchdowns, West Aurora completed an impressive drive, then took advantage of a Rams turnover to score again. But the attempt at a two-point conversion came up short, allowing Glenbard East to escape with a 35-33 triumph and keep its shot at a postseason berth alive.

Oswego surrenders ground in SPC race
With chilly temperatures and a muddy field, Friday's matchup between Oswego and Minooka showed all the potential of a smash-mouth football game. But in the end, it was Minooka that did all the smashing, as the Indians' 34-14 win evened the standings between the teams at 5-1 in Southwest Prairie Conference play with one week to go in the regular season.

Huskies ignore the past
It sounds like Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish prefers recent history over taking a trip in the wayback machine. The Huskies come off a bye week tonight in the Glass Bowl, taking on Toledo, a team that has given them fits over the years.

Irish can't wait to settle scores
James Aldridge's first rushing yards at Notre Dame came on Oct. 15, 2005, when the now-senior fullback was among the mass of students who made their way onto the field in celebration of what they thought was an Irish victory over then-No. 1 USC.

Down the stretch they come
It's been awhile, but the Western Sun Conference is a horse race this year -- and tonight's game at Kaneland is the start of an exciting home stretch. Not since 2006 has the conference been this close this late in the year, and not coincidentally, that was also the last time Geneva had lost in WSC play.

Knights' Guyton takes third swing at state
A foursome carrying area hopes to the girls state golf tournaments in the Carbondale area this weekend features three fresh faces and a seasoned veteran. Kaneland junior Hayley Guyton is making her third straight appearance at state and hopes to continue her climb up the standings after tying for 68th place as a freshman and taking 42nd last year. She will be joined in the Class 2A field at Hickory Ridge Golf Course in Carbondale by the Batavia duo of sophomore Tara Cullerton and junior Megan Ramp.

Bobcats' Schultz perfecting her follow-through
Maybe the precocious kid was on to something. Five years ago this month after covering a girls regional at Wedgewood Golf Course in Joliet, where Somonauk senior Nicci Schultz had claimed medalist honors, I wrote:

Local group packing golf bags for state
Seven local individuals from Class 1A and 2A and one team from 3A, Waubonsie Valley, are heading to Bloomington this weekend for the state boys golf tournaments.

West shakes off 'rough spell'
In a match that was good for what ails them, the West Aurora volleyball team dispatched Glenbard North 25-18, 25-21 on Thursday to climb back to the .500 mark on the season.

Blackhawks take troubles out on Tigers
After seeing its chances for a DuPage Valley Conference championship go by the wayside in agonizing fashion Monday, West Aurora's boys soccer team took out its frustrations on a suddenly reeling Wheaton Warrenville South squad in the regular-season finale Thursday.

Area roundup
A roundup of local results.

Game of the week: Kaneland vs. Geneva
The Vikings are one of the few teams in the area that seem to be able to keep the Knights passing game under control. But in last week's loss, Rochelle exploited some holes in the Vikings secondary.

Tonight's games
A preview of tonight's games.

Former Bear quarterback Douglass feels blessed
Rick Telander: Former Bears quarterback Bobby Douglass looks good these days. At 62, he's reflective and sturdy. A bout with squamous-cell throat cancer two years ago blasted him. ''I went from 260 pounds down to 185, didn't eat for four months -- I looked like I was dying.''

Robinson's development a bright spot for Tomcats
Sitting in Bill Bryant's office, Bryan Robinson sat quietly as his coach talked about his talent and his mistakes. He didn't revel in praise, didn't sour at criticism. He took it all in, looking down at his hands. For East Aurora, they're a good pair to be in.

East Aurora's Kanneh full of potential
Growing up in the West African country of Liberia, East Aurora freshman Abraham Kanneh's development as a soccer player could be likened to a baseball player growing up in the Dominican Republic. Tales of now-famous baseball players playing in the streets with milk cartons as gloves in the Dominican are similar to Kanneh's stories of playing soccer as a young child.

Sisters bond on the court
When Oswego East's Jourdan Jackson takes the court at the West Aurora Sectional starting Friday, she'll be like many of her fellow participants in having family present for encouragement.

Spartans face critical conference test
There is no getting away from the obvious. This Saturday is the most important day of the season for the Aurora University football team.

Area roundup
A roundup of local results.

Youth roundup
A roundup of youth sports events.

Bears offense waiting for Cutler, Olsen to click
Greg Olsen's production was supposed to skyrocket with the arrival of Jay Cutler, a Pro Bowl quarterback, but it hasn't happened yet.

Hawks defeat Oilers 4-3; rookie Niemi starts in goal

Coach Joel Quenneville's decision to start rookie Antti Niemi in goal in Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers did raise the issue of a goaltender controversy on the Blackhawks.

Notre Dame's chalk talk greets USC
Of the millions of words that will be written about No. 25 Notre Dame's annual meeting with No. 6 USC on Saturday, none may be more scrutinized than those inscribed in chalk this week on campus sidewalks.

Bulls young frontcourt has potential
John Jackson: The word ''potential'' is a dangerous adjective in sports when applied to a young player. Sometimes it means that player is a future star; other times it's simply a euphemism for ''hasn't accomplished anything yet.''

Bulldogs put up fight
Batavia's girls golf team knew that it was probably slotted third heading into Tuesday's Class AA St. Ignatius Sectional at Cog Hill No. 1, with the top two teams advancing to this weekend's state meet. That didn't stop the Bulldogs from putting on one heck of a battle.

Tomcats hold off Saints
By no means does the East Aurora boys soccer team like ties -- but it is something that has happened to the Tomcats quite a bit this year. On Tuesday, for the second consecutive game against an Upstate Eight Conference team from St. Charles, the Tomcats posted a 1-1 tie -- this time against St. Charles East. They did it at East Aurora on Senior Night, where sox seniors were honored.

Vikings on a mission
Overlook no one. That's been the mantra for the Geneva High School volleyball team in its pursuit of another Western Sun Conference title and the players didn't have to be reminded Tuesday as they claimed a 25-17, 25-19 victory.

Mr. Everything for the Blackhawks
Anybody that saw West Aurora senior Leon Spears at the state track and field meet in the spring knew that the Blackhawks had quite a weapon coming back at running back this season.

Fall City of Lights tournaments
The city of Aurora's Youth Services department in partnership with the Fox Valley Park District and many of Aurora's middle schools concluded its fall tournament series Oct. 8. More than 1,400 students participated.

Bears do not need a T.O.
Rick Telander: Since fantasy football is taking over the world, why not bring its principles to the real NFL. The Buffalo Bills are terrible, their offense is horrid, their coaching staff is stupid and wide receiver Terrell Owens is so overpaid and under-used that he might as well be bronzed and placed by Lake Erie above a plaque reading: ''IF YOU WANT TO DISAPPEAR FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH, COME TO BUFFALO AND HANG OUT WITH DICK JAURON.''

Weis hopes victory against USC will impress recruits
Beating USC for the first time would be a feather in Irish coach Charlie Weis' cap, but he doesn't need any more head-wear accessories as motivation against the No. 6 Trojans on Saturday.

Khabibulin, Huet trying to find their grooves
Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet each played in 41 games for the Blackhawks last season, and neither was happy about it. The Hawks had the NHL's best-paid goaltending tandem, and that led to both goalies being relegated to part-time players.

Hinrich aims to put lost season behind
No one on the Bulls' roster has been with the team longer than guard Kirk Hinrich, but it's almost like this season is a fresh start for the seven-year veteran. For a variety of reasons, last season was a lost year.

SPORTS WIRE: Warriors' Jackson loses captain's title

''Captain Jack'' is no more.

'Why not now?'
Time waits for no one. Apparently, neither does the Waubonsie Valley High School golf team. "We thought next year was going to be our year," said Warriors' sophomore Alex Koulos, echoing the prevalent sentiment heading into Monday's St. Charles East Class 3A Sectional.

Yorkville misses out on state trip again
The Yorkville golf team suffered heart break for the second consecutive year in sectional play as the Foxes finished two shots out of earning a trip to the state finals as a team.

Waiting pays off for Cadet golfer
After posting a 77 at Monday's Class 2A Wheaton Academy Sectional, Marmion senior Tim Johnson was faced with the agonizing prospect of having to wait for the rest of the scores to come in to find out if he would advance to his first-ever state meet.

Eagles' golfer makes his day, trip downstate
Aurora Christian boys golfer Jake Ettelbrick had to wait until all 107 golfers were done competing at the Class 1A Somonauk Sectional Monday.

Blackhawks dominate, but Huskies win
For 60 minutes Monday, West Aurora's boys soccer team dominated play against DuPage Valley Conference power Naperville North, with both teams still alive for the DVC title in the final week. But despite that dominance, it took a goal from Naperville North's Kyle Lindberg with 32 seconds left in the match to give the Huskies a 1-0 win.

Having strong feet, ankles is helpful for athletes
Run faster, jump higher, be quicker with more agility! Sounds great doesn't it? Strengthening your feet and ankles is one of the best ways to improve all aspects of sports performance. It also will reduce chances of sprained ankles, the most common of injuries.

Area roundup
A roundup of local sports results.

Portage law for canoes is changing
For centuries, the operative response to flowing water was, 'Dam it!' Dams were critical, of course, in many parts of the country because they provided power for what was a relatively primitive culture.

Bears WR Davis say it's business, not personal
If attention is what Rush Limbaugh is seeking in his preliminary bid to be a minority partner of an ownership group that purchases the St. Louis Rams, consider it mission accomplished.

Blackhawks complete epic comeback, beat Flames

First it was a shootout victory that went a club-record nine rounds in their first game of the season at the United Center. In their second, it was a comeback from a five-goal deficit. What will those Blackhawks do next?

Area man takes the fight to cancer with marathon
You see, for every person cancer invades, it awakens a sleeping giant like Matt Brown. In the early months of 2008, the North Aurora resident was dragged into the fight of his life when he was diagnosed with the blood cancer Hodgkin lymphoma.

Bears seek to improve at closing games
When the Bears looked back at their 2008 season and uttered the phrase ''woulda, coulda, shoulda'' when it came to the playoffs, there were any number of places they could have started.

Wanjiru in grand old time
With a wave of his hand, Sammy Wanjiru nearly showboated away history and $100,000 Sunday. But, by all of one second, the 22-year-old Kenyan set the Chicago and American marathon records in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon with a time of two hours, five minutes and 41 seconds.

Former No. 1 pick Skille trying to find his way
It hasn't been easy being Jack Skille. The Blackhawks' first-round draft pick in 2005 (seventh overall) is in the unusual position of making too much money. That's actually been hurting his career development.

Winning prep programs hard to maintain
We understand that sports, even at the high school level, are all about winning.

Reaching the finish line is what matters
For Jennifer Bartos, her third time running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon was the charm.

Sandburg takes Stampede title
Battling the elements and finding inner strength was the name of the game Saturday during the annual Blackhawk Stampede at Waubonsee Community College. As the last major competition before area high school cross country teams head into conference and state series competition, the Stampede is a chance to see where they stack up. With nearly 25 schools battling for team honors, it literally was a stampede at the start as teams battled to surge to the lead before a sharp left turn about 200 yards into the race bottled up runners in the muck.

Metea Valley makes noise at UEC meet
The fledgling Metea Valley girls tennis program made quite the impression Saturday at the Upstate Eight Conference Tournament, hinting at its very bright future. Freshman Kelsey Chin continued her stellar play, taking the eventual No. 1 singles champion from Neuqua Valley, Emily Meyers, to three sets and grabbing the third-place title in the flight.

West doubles team claims DVC championship
Lizzie Griffin and Nicola Pajonkova might be a little unorthodox as a doubles tennis team, but nobody doubts their effectiveness. The West Aurora senior duo braved the miserable weather and the formidable opposition to win the DuPage Valley Conference (DVC) No. 2 doubles championship and lead the Blackhawks to a third-place finish in the conference team standings.

Geneva repeats as WSC champions
Bundled up in sweatshirts and sweatpants, the girls' tennis teams competing in the Western Sun Conference tournament Saturday probably wished there was, ironically, more western sun to combat the effects of a numbing cold that toyed with the player's mental toughness.

Six turnovers spell doom for Mooseheart
Had actor Erik Estrada hung around to watch the game on Saturday afternoon, he would have seen Mooseheart commit six turnovers -- including three in the fourth quarter -- en route to a 6-3 loss to Chicago Hope Academy.

Tournament ends on a high note for Panthers
The Oswego and Waubonsie Valley soccer teams were greeted by a crisp, cool morning Saturday, but once the second half got started, the two teams provided plenty of heat offensively. The squads combined for five goals in the second 40 minutes of play, with Oswego scoring three times to close out the Waubonsie Valley Invitational with a 4-2 win.

Versatile Cadets rout Foxes
With a short bench for Saturday's non-conference match against Yorkville, Marmion's soccer team had the opportunity to show that its players can play just about any position on the field.

Area roundup: Kaneland tops DeKalb
Kaneland 35, DeKalb 6 -- Quarterback Joe Camiliere tossed two touchdown passes and ran for another as the Knights (5-2, 4-1) rolled to a Western Sun Conference win. Blake Serpa added two short touchdown runs for Kaneland, and teammate Taylor Andrews hauled in seven passes for 161 yards. Camiliere completed 14 of 21 passes for 267 yards.

Hawks' red carpet night

The Blackhawks pulled out all the stops to win their home opener Saturday, even resorting to dressing out four of their long-retired legends to inspire an overflow crowd of 20,655 at the United Center.

Still no answers for struggling Illini
llinois finally scored a touchdown before the fourth quarter. And the defense dug in its heels and pitched a second-half shutout against Michigan State. But the Illini still lost 24-14 to Michigan State on Saturday after trailing 24-0. That left them 1-4 overall, 0-3 in the Big Ten -- and feeling low, but grimly determined.