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Tuesday, February 9, 2010
THE big story attracts TV news
The Super Bowl was history. The New Orleans Saints had beaten the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 to solidify their position as one of this year's best sports stories, regardless of what happens between now and Dec. 31. From the comfortable perch of the living room sofa, I decided to switch from post-Super Bowl programming to the local news. First Channel 9, then Channel 7. From each, a vivid reminder of one of the best sports stories to emanate from our area in years. Two more challenges to fight back the tears.
Edwards has a date with the doctor
Sitting on a chair at halfcourt, with a pair of padded crutches laying safely at her side, Bolingbrook junior Falon Edwards dribbled a basketball like Curly Neal of Harlem Globetrotters fame.
In the foreground, Edwards' Raider teammates finished running sprints at the start of Monday's practice. Dressed in her school clothes, still wearing her winter jacket, Edwards bounced the ball to the rhythm of an inner beat.
Hendry helps Hammers turn up heat
Former Joliet JackHammers slugger Ryan Sienko was stunned Monday night when he was announced as the first inductee to the JackHammers' Hall of Fame.
Wilmington falls to Plano
The girls basketball season came to an end for Wilmington on Monday.
The Wildcats dropped a 32-23 decision to Plano in the Class 2A Seneca Regional.
Martz's offense must keep Bears' defense off field
Neil Hayes: Forgive Lovie Smith for allowing the search for Ron Turner's
replacement to drag on, but this was a critical hire not only because
the new offensive coordinator will be in charge of Jay Cutler's
development. With all due respect to Rod Marinelli, who was promoted to defensive
coordinator Friday, the new offensive coordinator could be the person
who makes the biggest impact on the defense next season.
Peyton's place takes hit
Rick Morrissey: -Peyton Manning got set up. Almost immediately after the Colts won the
AFC Championship Game, the discussion in the media turned to his
legacy. If he won a second Super Bowl, the thinking went, he would be
considered among the best quarterbacks ever. But damn if the fluff wasn't used to hang him after the Saints upset the Colts on Sunday night.
Thomas' Bulls time likely about finished
John Jackson: Forget his profanity-laced tirade at Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro after
the game on Friday in Atlanta for a moment. The biggest sign that Tyrus
Thomas is utterly clueless was that he chose that game -- one of his
worst with the team -- to explode and whine about playing time.
Cubs and Sox pack their bags for spring training
The Cubs and the White Sox packed up for spring training in Arizona on Monday. The Cubs will travel to Mesa and the Sox will make the trip to Glendale. Here's a list of what the Cubs will be trucking out to their training facility, what's already on site and the workout schedules for both teams.
Goal tenders' assembly line
Cristobal Huet still might be the Blackhawks' No. 1 goalie, but coach Joel Quenneville seems to be giving Antti Niemi every opportunity to win the job.
SPORTS WIRE: Vizquel gets Aparicio's No. 11
The White Sox are taking Hall of Fame shortstop Luis Aparicio's No. 11 out of retirement for newly acquired 11-time Gold Glove winner Omar Vizquel. Vizquel said he will wear the number as a tribute to his Venezuelan countryman.
Well worth the risk for Hawks Olympians
The concerns are obvious for those NHL teams with players participating in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver later this month. There are the additional risks of injury and fears that players might tire down the stretch.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Waters takes her game to another level
Stephanie Waters threw caution to the wind – and her opponent to the mat. She hit a five-point move in the first 30 seconds of her freestyle title matchup against Cumberlands' Lisa Martinez in the recent Women's College Wrestling Association Championships.
Lemont defends state cheerleading title
Lemont High School's cheerleading squad captured its second straight state title Feb. 6. It won the Medium Division at the state finals held at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington.
New Orleans' Super Bowl win is big.. easy? No way
Sean Jensen: He strode to the makeshift news-conference table, the sly smile on his
face, the Lombardi Trophy in his arms, and New Orleans Saints coach
Sean Payton passed on the vacant chair. The coach with deep Illinois roots had just elevated himself among the elite NFL coaches of all time
Patrick finishes strong
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Bobby Gerhart's record-setting sixth victory at Daytona International Speedway was overshadowed by the successful stock car debut of IndyCar star Danica Patrick, who finished sixth Saturday in the crash-filled ARCA race.
Martin, Dale Jr. secure front row
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Rick Hendrick, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. spent the last month talking about how those in-house, offseason moves would make a difference.
JCA has strong showing at Yorkville
YORKVILLE -- Joliet Catholic Academy had two champions and a pair of second-place individual finishers at Saturday's 2A Yorkville Regional wrestling tournament.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
'Z' marks the winning spot for Minooka
Trevon Zabala was the surprise winner of a match he though he lost. A.J. Juarez exorcised some old demons. And Carlos Garcia completed Joliet Township's sweep of the gold medals in the first three weight classes at the Normal West Regional.
For Minooka, the fourth seed who turned out to be No. 1 provided a final-round spark.
The magic continues to point South
In Saturday's toughest girls sectional on the planet, the Plainfield North Sectional at Brunswick Zone, Plainfield South led a significant portion of the day and wound up second, thus qualifying for next weekend's state meet at Cherry Bowl in Rockford.
Plainfield C. nabs first-ever crown
Plainfield Central's wrestling team was the favorite to win its first regional title heading into Saturday's Class 3A West Aurora Regional.
On the mat Saturday, they proved it.
The Wildcats dominated the meet, winning with 211 points, 45 points ahead of second-place West Aurora. In the process, Central sent 10 of its 14 wrestlers to next week's Glenbard North Sectional.
What happened? Examining the 3-year fall at Halas Hall
After the Bears lost to the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI in
February 2007, they vowed to return. And while not many were betting on
it, they had the right to dream big. They were good, young and signed. What happened to the Bears?
History powers Lockport
When Joe Williams took over as the head coach of the Lockport wrestling program 20 years ago, he had a goal to build the Porters into a perennial power.
Williams certainly has done that, except with all the talent in the Joliet area, the Porters were never able to obtain an elusive regional title.
Until Saturday.
'Vandy', Celts jolt Benet
Providence Catholic's Brianne Vandenberg was cool under pressure on Saturday.
The 5-foot-8 senior made two free throws with 2.5 seconds left to give Providence a 45-43 win over Benet Academy in East Suburban Catholic Conference play.
Hannemann mans up at the foul line
Until Saint Xavier University's Erin Hannemann hit a pair of free throws with 1.3 seconds left, the St. Francis women's basketball team remained right in the hunt behind a down-but-never-really-out effort.
Poole powers Minooka to title
Minooka is no stranger to the girls state bowling tournament.
The Indians have advanced to the state tourney six times over the last eight seasons with Frank Yudzentis as coach.
However, this year, they will go as sectional champs for the first time in that span.
Wilmington is No. 1 at Peotone
Complete domination.
That was the scenario at Saturday's Class 1A Peotone Regional where Wilmington posted 10 first-place finishes and three seconds.
Wilmington easily won the eight-team championship with 233 points. Manteno was second with 133.5 and Peotone finished third with 103.5.
Ziemnik, Oswego too much for JCA
Joliet Catholic Academy had no answer for Andrew Ziemnik on Saturday.
Ziemnik, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior, scored 31 points and grabbed 20 rebounds to power Oswego to a 67-57 nonconference victory over the Hilltoppers (8-14).
Lemont cheerleaders win state
The Lemont cheerleaders claimed a first place and Lockport took a second Saturday at the State Competitive Cheerleading Meet held at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
Minooka rebounds against Yorkville
With its two senior leaders on the bench, it was a freshman and sophomore who rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter for Minooka.
Sophomore Ben Heide and freshmen Jake Hogen combined for 7 of Minooka's 12 fourth quarter points and each iced the game as Minooka was able to rebound for a 52-48 nonconference win over Yorkville on Saturday.
Plainfield N. stumbles in fourth
Plainfield North followed a familiar course during a 44-43 nonconference loss to Naperville North on Saturday.
Like they have done in nearly all of their losses, the Tigers (17-5) struggled through a bad stretch, rallied to take a lead, then lost a close decision.
Lewis topples Parkside
ewis University used a 10-2 run midway through the second half to pull away from Wisconsin-Parkside for a 64-53 win in GLVC play on Saturday.
Saints looking to deliver Manning some knockout hits
Sean Jensen: New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has been trying
to make people forget about his controversial comments since telling
104.5 ''The Zone'' in Nashville that the Saints needed to deliver some
''remember me'' shots on Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
Bulls play strong to the finish
The losing streak ended as the Bulls found a way to win the fourth quarter despite being outshot and outrebounded. Luol Deng scored 25 points, Derrick Rose scored 24, and the Bulls found
a groove in the fourth quarter in a 95-91 victory over the Miami Heat
before a sellout 22,352 on Saturday night at the United Center.
Antti to the rescue
Antti Niemi was supposed to return to the Blackhawks' net when the St. Louis Blues visited the United Center last week. He couldn't do it then, and the Hawks lost. Niemi got to face the Blues on Saturday at Scottrade Center, however, and showed from the outset that he has recovered from the stomach flu.
SPORTS WIRE: Danica finds joy in sixth
Bobby Gerhart's record-setting sixth victory at Daytona International Speedway was overshadowed by the successful stock car debut of IndyCar star Danica Patrick, who finished sixth Saturday in a crash-filled ARCA race.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
South rises again in Plainfield
The 15-point halftime lead was gone with 1 minutes 35 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Certainly Plainfield South had led long enough. It was time for Plainfield North to take control of Friday night's Southwest Prairie Conference and District 202 battle.
Lockport rally ends up short
Kyle Ward finished with a game-high 21 points, but it wasn't enough. The Porters tried to rally from an 18-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter, but they fell short in a 49-45 loss to Sandburg in the Southwest Suburban Blue.
Bolingbrook survives Knights' three-pointers
Bolingbrook High School survived a first-quarter barrage of 3-pointers from Lincoln-Way Central and went on to defeat the Knights 66-53 Friday night in Southwest Suburban Conference play.
Delivery by Delbert
In practice, Delbert Williams played strong enough defense to earn a start.
Then, he went out and pitched a near-perfect game.
Williams, a 5-foot-11 senior guard, sank all eight of his shots en route to scoring a game-high 19 points in Joliet Township's 66-46 boys basketball victory over Lincoln-Way East on Friday night.
Shimko's KO to end half powers PFN
Friday night's first half for the Plainfield North girls basketball
team developed like an episode of "Lost." That is, until sophomore
guard Kristen Shimko beat the buzzer from the top of the key for a
3-ball wakeup call.
Stagg rolls past L-Way West
Stagg arrived late due to inclement weather, but unfortunately for Lincoln-Way West, the Chargers did not fail to show up at the opening tip. In a 60-40 Southwest Suburban Red victory, Stagg jumped out to an 11-0 lead before two Robert Hubbard free throws dented the Warriors' scoring column with 4:25 left in the first quarter.
Tucker powers JCA
JOLIET -- The first quarter of Friday's basketball game between Joliet Catholic Academy and Carmel was a sign of things to come.
Plainfield E. rules day
MINOOKA -- Instead of an upperclassmen showcase on Minooka's Senior Night, it was youthful Plainfield East which painted a picture of its future.
Long scoring droughts doom Providence
NEW LENOX -- A handful of lengthy scoring droughts -- including one stretch that lasted well over nine minutes in the first half -- put Providence Catholic in a hole it couldn't dig out of in a 49-37 Chicago Catholic League loss to Brother Rice on Friday night.
Feisty Romeoville falls just short
Romeoville coach Jeff Bambule knows one day it is going to happen.
Friday, however, like most nights since the start of the new year, wasn't that night despite the Spartans leaving everything on the floor and still coming up on the short end of a 69-68 overtime loss to Southwest Prairie Conference co-leader Oswego East.
Reed-Custer stops Coal City with 'D'
BRAIDWOOD -- Playing probably its top defensive game of the season, the Reed-Custer boys basketball team stymied Coal City at every turn on Friday.
Plainfield Central topples Oswego
PLAINFIELD -- After three early losses in the Southwest Prairie Conference, Plainfield Central knew winning the league title was going to take some work ... by the Wildcats.
Dwight improves to 22-1
DWIGHT -- There may be no stopping the Dwight boys basketball team in the Interstate Eight Conference.
Marinelli promoted to coordinator
CHICAGO -- Unable to find outside help, the Bears have promoted Rod Marinelli to defensive coordinator while rounding out their coaching staff.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Vandenberg big for Providence
On the opening tipoff, all 5-foot-7 of Joliet Township forward Dominique "Scooby" Carr won the battle of inches against Providence's 6-2 Danielle Barry as the Steelmen started off with the can-do spirit of Scooby Doo. With 1.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter Thursday night, though, Barry won the battle of the body. The junior center drew a charge on driving JT senior guard Jennifer Jorman to send the nonconference game into overtime.
But Providence still pulled out a 52-47 victory.
The question -- to 3 or not to 3?
Old guys like me remember basketball when there was no 3-point shot.
In those days, the ability to get the ball inside was all-important. Do that, and you increase your chances of scoring two points, you increase your chances of getting fouled and getting to the free throw line, and you increase your chances of winning.
If you happened to be a good outside shooter, or if outside shooting was an element of your game, you still mattered, of course.
Local talent bids for state berths
This round went to the daughter.
But Dad will get a second chance -- when it counts most.
Coach Art Cwudzinski brought his Lockport girls bowling team to Pioneer Lanes on Wednesday for a dual meet against Plainfield Central, which is coached by Connie McGrath. Yes, she is former Lockport standout bowler Connie Cwudzinski, Art's daughter and a 2000 graduate.
Lemont sending half dozen to next level
Six Lemont seniors signed national letters-of-intent Wednesday.
Among them were Pat Driscoll and Connor Nagle, who helped the Indians' football program to 34 victories over the past three seasons. Driscoll signed to attend Western Michigan University, while Nagel will compete for Truman State.
Turpel's 37 power Lewis women
Jenny Turpel was on the offensive mark for the Lewis University women's basketball team on Thursday.
Turpel scored a career-high 37 points to power the Flyers to an 85-51 romp over St. Joseph's (Ind.) in GLVC play at the Neil Carey Arena.
The 50 best Bears of all time
No longer the scourge of the National Football League, the Bears still maintain an unmatched legacy of players who have made a profound and unique impact on the league. George Halas was a founding father whose innovations pointed the rest of the league in the right direction. Red Grange legitimized and popularized the NFL with a 1925 barnstorming tour. Sid Luckman ushered in the modern passing era.
Much more than a game
Rick Morrissey: I confess to some Katrina fatigue. I'm not proud of it, but there it is, naked and unflattering. You've probably been hearing and reading the words of the New Orleans Saints, who have carried a 2005 hurricane and a still-recovering city with them all the way to the Super Bowl.
Prescription for Noah: Take a break
John Jackson: During the tip-off to begin the game Wednesday night in Philadelphia, Bulls center Joakim Noah never jumped. Maybe he was caught off guard by the referee's toss, or maybe the thought of the pain he would experience by jumping distracted him for a split second and he reacted too slowly.
Hawks' plan: Get back to the basics
Sometimes the simple play is the best play. That's what the Blackhawks are focusing on getting back to after back-to-back losses against the Carolina Hurricanes and St. Louis Blues. ''The bottom line is we have to get results,'' Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said after practice Thursday at the United Center.
Here's all you need for a Super day
Best I can tell, one Manning or the other will be taking his team to the Super Bowl for the rest of our natural lives. Meanwhile, it appears that the Saints will get to the Super Bowl once every 42 years or so; the next time they make it there, Brett Favre might be their quarterback.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Lockport stages three-fold celebration
Niko was the man. And Audrey and Dani were the women. That was the case at Lockport High School on Wednesday as Niko Foltys, Audrey Mantari and Dani Wydra announced their college choices on National Signing Day.
Wildcats' Davis, Trevino make healthy choice
In the old days of starvation diets and sauna-like workout rooms, Nathan Davis and Nicoli Trevino could have lost their appetites for wrestling as easily as they lost a couple pounds.
Now, the two Plainfield Central standouts are gearing up for the postseason on a high note, their own body makeovers complete.
Warriors 'D' clamps down
Joliet's Steelwomen (6-16) were a hard-luck squad coming into Waubonsie Valley on Wednesday, having already lost to nine ranked teams this season.
The hard luck continued as they ran into another of the area's excellent teams, and left with a sound 59-27 beating at the hands of the Warriors, now 20-2.
Bolingbrook program strikes gold
The national-letter-of-intent signing ceremony that Bolingbrook
football coach John Ivlow conducted Wednesday morning at the school was
nothing short of a dream come true.
For USF, no keeping up with Jones
The University of St. Francis men's basketball team put up a valiant
fight, but in the end dropped a 67-58 decision to Robert Morris on
Wednesday night at the Rec Center.
Senior guards pave way for USF
Senior guards Anna Sears and Jacqie Storm scored 27 and 22 points to
lead the streaking University of St. Francis women's basketball team to
its 10th straight win with an 87-75 decision over CCAC rival Robert
Morris at the Recreation Center.
Providence trio moving on
While some other members of the Celtics' Class 6A state runnerup football team continue to weigh their options, Pete Houlihan, Joe Sawicki and Alec Pickett finalized their intentions Wednesday on national letter-of-intent signing day.
It's still the big dance
Sean Jensen: Former Bears Mike Singletary and Jim McMahon have an impressive collection of titles, awards and records between them. But much to their chagrin, neither can escape the inevitable and invariable inquiries about ''The Super Bowl Shuffle.''
Hawks cool off at home
The Blackhawks followed the Bulls' bad example Wednesday. They also found the first game back after a successful road trip frustrating. Both teams left the United Center when an ice show took over the building for two weeks.
Noah quick recovery
Before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night at the Wachovia Center, Derrick Rose said he was happy the Bulls were playing so quickly after squandering their recent momentum with a flat home performance. ''I'm glad we have a back-to-back, so we can get right back out there,'' Rose said.
Wildcats take a Chance among their 17 signees
According to coach Pat Fitzgerald, the class of 17 football recruits announced by Northwestern on Wednesday ''adds speed and toughness and fills needs.'' The signees, who have a combined grade-point average of 3.5, feature players from 10 states and include Loyola Academy defensive lineman Chance Carter, who lives in Evanston.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Lincoln-Way East takes 'Brook to the limit
Lincoln-Way East has not been in a lot of tight games this year. Tuesday's Southwest Suburban Conference Blue game against Bolingbrook didn't figure to be close. However, youthful Lincoln-Way East led for the first 31:45, only to fall to Bolingbrook 64-60 in overtime. The Raiders outscored the Griffins 8-4 in the extra session to sweep the season series. Bolingbrook won 59-49 at home two months ago.
Claire clears the way to Morris win
Going hard to the basket can be as advantageous as holding the winning lottery ticket in your hand. Moving from block to block, Morris junior Leslie Claire cashed in the pivotal numbers of that proverb Tuesday night.
Henry enjoys a senior moment
Bolingbrook guard Nicosia Henry, the only one of the Raiders four seniors that has been on the varsity the past four seasons, made her final home game a good one as she scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds as Bolingbrook eased past Lockport 57-33 to clinch at least a tie for the Southwest Suburban Blue Tuesday night.
Turnovers plague Providence in defeat
Too many turnovers and missed free throws proved to be a downfall for the Providence Catholic boys basketball team.
The Celtics dropped a 61-57 decision to Leo in Chicago Catholic league play on Tuesday.
LWC falters in loss to Sandburg
The first few minutes of Tuesday's game against Sandburg went well for Lincoln-Way Central.
The Knights held Sandburg scoreless for 2:32.
Sam Mampe gave Central a quick 3-0 lead when he hit a 3-pointer.
But Sandburg went on a 10-0 run, never looked back and recorded a 49-36 win over the Knights in Southwest Suburban Red play.
Doyle, Minooka stop JCA
When little Lyndsay Doyle took the ball and game in her own hands, big momentum shifted Minooka's way.
Oh, Henry: Big man lifts Morris
Kevin Henry couldn't be stopped.
He scored five baskets. He made 7-of-9 free throws. And he totaled 17 points in Morris' 59-45 boys basketball victory over Reed-Custer on Tuesday night.
Plainfield E. rally falls short in loss
After starting the game on a 12-0 run, it came down to a 3-point attempt by Deontre Brown for Plainfield East on Tuesday night. Unfortunately for the Bengals, Brown's 3-pointer went through every part of the rim except the bottom as St. Charles East fought back to take the 49-44 nonconference decision.
Balanced JJC stops Harper
Andy Supergan continues to be super. Brian Bradley showed signs of coming alive on the offensive end. Jon Bartlett did his thing under the basket.
But it was the all-around play of 6-1 guard Justin Reed that excited JJC coach Joe Kuhn following the Wolves' 81-68 victory over Harper on Tuesday night.
Warner offers advice to Cutler
Sean Jensen: Kurt Warner knows about riding the Mike Martz roller coaster better than anybody else. Warner warned Bears quarterback Jay Cutler to buckle up but added that—with faith—the ride can be positive and enlightening.
Lovie's new Bears staff: Three men and a maybe
Mike Mulligan: The joke about Lovie Smith's first Bears staff in 2004 was that it was the team's least-experienced group of NFL coaches since George Halas assembled his first staff during the formation of professional football. Virtually everyone involved was either newly promoted or new to the NFL.
There's no 'I' in Peyton
Rick Telander: How do you stop this guy? Well, pretty much you don't. Peyton Manning is a boulder rolling down a hill, slowed by a twig here or there, but basically relentless in his path to greatness. Some, though not Manning himself, would say he's already there. ''Your question had a lot of 'I's' phrased in it,'' Manning replied to an early questioner on Media Day.
Hawks coach works his magic again
It's a simple game played as practice comes to an end. But it shows a playful side of Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville that many don't get to see. Quenneville, 51, will line up one-on-one against his players, usually one of his defensemen, and then battle for control of the puck. It's usually a physical showdown accompanied by smiles and laughter.
Bulls 5-game win streak halted
On second thought, maybe the Bulls' road trip wasn't long enough. After building momentum and confidence by winning the final five games of a tough seven-game road trip (all against above-.500 teams), the Bulls laid an egg in their homecoming Tuesday by dropping a 90-82 decision to the Los Angeles Clippers at the United Center.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tuck stands tall to order up close win
By now, very little surprises Bolingbrook junior Taylor Tuck about her, uh-hum, little sister Morgan. Sunday night's 49-48 victory over Milwaukee Vincent, though, provided a tall tale for the family's collection.
Plainfield South wins one for Brander
Plainfield South athletic director Bob Yanello, master of ceremonies for Monday's boys state bowling championship celebration, grabbed the attention of the packed gymnasium when he said:
"These guys cheated."
Yanello went on to explain that the IHSA allows five bowlers per team for each game at the state tournament.
JCA's Simpson to skate for Colgate
Joliet Catholic Academy senior girls hockey player Jocelyn Simpson has committed to continue her academic and athletic careers at Colgate University.
Martz promises Bears will have revamped offense
If history and the testimony of a Super Bowl-winning coach is any
indication, the Bears' offense improved dramatically when Mike Martz
was named offensive coordinator Monday. ''I would stake my entire reputation on their offense improving when he
takes over,'' former Eagles and Rams coach Dick Vermeil said.
Brees heeded call of storm-ravaged New Orleans
Rick Telander: Saints quarterback Drew Brees is familiar with storms. So the near-torrential rain Monday in South Florida didn't much faze him. ''Hey, it is what it is,'' he said philosophically after his team had
been bused 30 miles north from its outdoor practice field at the
University of Miami in Coral Gables to the Dolphins' indoor facility in
this suburb southwest of Fort Lauderdale. ''Weather the storm.''
More points = more wins for Bulls
If you search long enough, chances are you can find a statistic to support almost any position on any subject. Still, there's no disputing this simple statistical fact: The Bulls are winning more games because they are scoring more points. It's almost as if coach Vinny Del Negro received a Christmas gift of a better offense.
For Hawks, it's about finding silver lining
For Blackhawks fans who enjoy playing around with different line
combinations, the imminent return of center Dave Bolland should keep
them quite busy. Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said over the weekend that Bolland could
return ''maybe Wednesday'' against the St. Louis Blues, the game the
center was targeting.
SPORTS WIRE: Ex-Sox SS Cabrera signs with Reds
The Cincinnati Reds made a couple of roster moves Monday, signing former White Sox shortstop Orlando Cabrera to a one-year, $3.02 million contract with an option for 2011 and trading outfielder Willy Taveras to the Oakland Athletics as part of a four-player deal.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Buckner wows 'em at Old Timers banquet
Bill Buckner could not resist. Sitting a couple of seats from him was Bill Haller, the longtime, highly respected American League umpire and pride of Lockport. "Can you believe some of the calls the umpires made?," he said.
Success breeds more success at JCA
With three state volleyball titles since 2003 and a third and fourth tossed in for good measure, five supersectional titles and nine consecutive regional crowns, there is little doubt the Joliet Catholic Academy girls volleyball program is the top sports program of any kind in the greater Joliet area.
USF women win ninth straight
NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- Katie Carls and Kellie Fazio each scored 19 points and led five players that scored in double figures as the streaking University of St. Francis women's basketball team won its ninth straight game with an 86-67 CCAC win over Holy Cross College on Sunday afternoon.
AFC finds Miami nice
MIAMI -- In its new role as a warmup to the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl became a series of wind sprints.
Colts' Freeney may not play on Sunday
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Dwight Freeney's injured ankle is "really bad" and could keep him out of the Super Bowl, a person close to the All-Pro defensive end told The Associated Press in an e-mail Sunday night.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
14-for-14: Minooka flexes its muscle
A little blemish carried the Minooka wrestling team a long way.
Eight days after dropping a dual meet to 2A powerhouse Marmion Academy, 3A kingpin Minooka was re-energized and refocused.
The Indians crowned five individual champions and produced top-three finishes in all 14 weight classes en route to taking home the Southwest Prairie Conference title on Saturday at Plainfield North.
Filardi fuel fires up Minooka
Bill Scheibe: The quiet, unassuming niche that Minooka senior Monique Filardi has carved out can seem as monotonous as delivering the mail to the same house on the same block every single day of the week.
'The Minooka Miracle' at Echo Lanes
The Minooka girls bowling team pulled a "Minooka Miracle" to share the Southwest Prairie Conference girls bowling title Saturday afternoon. Plainfield Central was third with 66, Plainfield North fourth with 62 and Plainfield South fifth with 60, followed by Oswego, Romeoville and Plainfield East.
St. Francis runs streak to eight
Senior Jacqie Storm and sophomore reserve Jen Andes scored 14 points each Saturday to lead University of St. Francis to its eighth straight victory with a 68-60 CCAC triumph over Indiana University South Bend.
PFS, Lockport's Anderson claim titles
What a day for the Joliet area at the boys state bowling tournament.
Plainfield South captured the team state championship Saturday at St. Claire Bowl, while Lockport junior Kyle Anderson claimed the individual state title.
Balanced Porters finish in second
Led by senior Mollie Sloyan's 1,251 six-game series, the Lockport girls bowling team finished in second place during Saturday's 33rd annual Dixon Invitational.
USF topples IUSB
Trailing by eight points with a little over seven minutes remaining in the game, University of St. Francis reeled off a game-ending 22-8 run to storm back and even its CCAC record with a 75-69 road win over Indiana University South Bend on Saturday .
Wolves rack up No. 20
The wins continue to pile up for 13-year Joliet Junior College men's basketball coach Joe Kuhn.
Kuhn watched Saturday as the Wolves dominated Rock Valley College 97-63 in N4C action at Wills Gymasnium.
Lewis can't stay with USI
There was no moral victory for the Lewis University men's basketball team on Saturday.
The Flyers hung around for much of the game, before falling to Southern Indiana 80-57 in GLVC action at Neil Carey Arena.
Briefs: Lewis U. to host baseball banquet
Lewis University will start the 2010 baseball season in style by hosting the annual First Pitch Baseball Banquet on Saturday at the University Dining Hall on campus.
Comets soar to top of conference
Wilmington's perch atop the Interstate Eight Conference wrestling mountain ended at the conference tournament Saturday.
Reed-Custer won six individual championships and outscored Wilmington 247.5-230 to end the Wildcats' five-year run of conference titles.
Bears' Devin Aromashodu ready to lend a helping hand
Bears receiver Devin Aromashodu ''arrived'' in the colloquial sense when he caught seven
passes for 150 yards, including the 39-yard game-winner, on ''Monday
Night Football'' against the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings. But at least in his mind, Aromashodu arrived in the formal sense
Saturday, when he hosted his first football camp at Miami Springs High,
where he starred for longtime coach Buddy Goins.
Hawks end 8-game road trip on losing note
The game Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes would be ''a
different challenge mentally'' and ''a good test'' for the Blackhawks. Those were the prophetic words of Hawks coach Joel Quenneville hours before the teams played at the RBC Center. The Hurricanes scored twice in the third period and got a stellar
39-save effort by Cam Ward to post a 4-2 victory against the Hawks.
Streaking Bulls find right formula
After 13 days, eight flights, seven games, three time zones and a host
of bus rides, the Bulls finally arrived home early Saturday. Forward
Luol Deng no doubt summed up the feelings of everyone in the team's
traveling party. ''I haven't missed home as much as I have this trip,'' Deng said. ''I
don't know why, but I'm just looking forward to going home.''
McCamey's runner at buzzer saves Illini
The original plan called for a backdoor play. But option B didn't turn out to be all that bad. Demetri McCamey made a floater at the buzzer Saturday to lift Illinois to a 72-70 victory against Indiana. Weber said he generally doesn't approve of McCamey attempting a floater, but he'll make an exception for this game-winner.
SPORTS WIRE: Serena ties King with 12th Slam win
Serena Williams won her second consecutive Australian Open championship, ending Justine Henin's hopes of a Grand Slam title in her return from retirement with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory Saturday in Melbourne.
Detroit, Simon nudge UIC
Chase Simon picked up his second double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead host Detroit to a 76-73 victory Saturday against UIC.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Lockport lands in 1st place
With Landon Gamble out of the lineup for a second straight week, the Lockport boys basketball team turned it up on defense and came away with a 44-32 victory over Lincoln-Way East in a Southwest Suburban Blue matchup Friday night.
Fisher lands the biggest plays of all
The kid who works in the background, leaving the glamor jobs to his teammates, wakes up this morning the reason the Bolingbrook boys are back in the thick of the Southwest Suburban Blue race.
Lockport's Anderson, PFS on fire
When Lockport junior Kyle Anderson shot 1,461 for the highest sectional score in the state last week, the question was whether he could repeat in the boys state tournament.
Bulls win fifth straight
NEW ORLEANS -- Luol Deng scored a 26 points, including a putback with 0.2 left in regulation to force overtime, and the Bulls outlasted the New Orleans Hornets 108-106 on Friday night.
Plainfield N. trips Romeoville
In basketball, size does matter. It certainly did for Plainfield North's boys team Friday night in a 72-58 Southwest Prairie Conference win over Romeoville.
Presniakovas the one for PFS
Plainfield South sophomore Ed Presniakovas' performance left quite the impression on Minooka coach Scott Tanaka. Presniakovas, along with teammates Christian Davis and Darryl Watson, left quite the impression on the scoreboard.
Hanley-led PFC stops Plainfield E.
Plainfield Central blew open a close game after a quarter and went on to post a 71-59 victory over Plainfield East in Southwest Prairie Conference play on Friday.
Irvin powers GSW
ST. ANNE -- This time, the Gardner-South Wilmington boys basketball team got it done at the buzzer behind Chris Irvin.
Storm knows drill for upstart USF
Layups. Yes, layups. Those were the shots that actually captured the eye of Jacqie Storm as an underclassmen basketball player at Sandburg High School, showing just how funny of a thing a reputation can be.
JCA's Palacios shows off his best moves
On the rare occasions when all four boys are home, the Palacios family room turns into a rec room. Furniture is shoved aside. A mattress is tossed down on the floor. And a wrestling tag-team match breaks out.
Plainfield C. on beam in win
Plainfield Central raced to an early lead and was never headed in a 57-45 Southwest Prairie Conference win over District 202 rival Plainfield East during Hall of Fame night Friday at Central.
Providence takes down St. Francis
Providence Catholic built an early lead, never trailed and went on to defeat St. Francis de Sales 56-51 in Chicago Catholic League play on Friday. Providence (7-14, 3-6) jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead on a 3-pointer by Jon O'Donnell and a basket by J.R. Galick.
H-F doubles up LWC
It was double trouble for Lincoln-Way Central as Homewood-Flossmoor doubled up the Knights 80-40 on Friday night in Southwest Suburban Blue action.
Shooting woes hurt L-Way West in loss
The first-quarter shots simply would not drop for the Lincoln-Way West boys basketball team on Friday. During the first quarter against Thornridge, West made only 2-of-18 shots.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Area powers seek consistency
Will the consistently good boys basketball teams in the Joliet area please stand up?
That's the question observers are asking as the second half of the season gathers steam. Several of our large-school teams can be very good on a given night, but finding consistency has been an issue.
Swing the thing as JT outshoots LWC
It's called a swing pass, the theory being that the ball swings to set up the better shot. The Joliet Township girls basketball team built its playground of threes Thursday night by feeding those swings to senior guard Keairra Collins.
With the fingers of her hands dangling at her side, ready to handle the dish, the 5-foot-7 Collins stepped up to the plate and swung for the fences in the first quarter. She scored 11 of her team-high 13 points, connecting on a trio of treys.
Buckner: I would have been tempted
Bill Buckner knew the pain.
He played major league baseball for 20 years, and in addition to other hurts, he spent about two-thirds of the time battling a severe ankle injury.
That he finished with 2,715 hits and a .289 career batting average is testament to how great a player he really was.
But like most major leaguers, he was driven to be the best he possibly could be.
Lewis extends win streak to 7
For the Lewis University women's basketball team, seven was a lucky number.
The Flyers won their seventh straight GLVC game with a 68-55 triumph over Kentucky Wesleyan on Thursday night at the Neil Carey Arena.
Supergan powers JJC men
Seneca's Andy Supergan continues to get better and better.
And Supergan's play is paying basketball dividends for the nationally ranked Joliet Junior College men.
Supergan, who played at Seneca, scored a college career-high 26 points, grabbed 13 and helped JJC to a 73-72 nonconference victory over Daley College on Thursday.
JCA grad Benson progressing with Twins
As a senior at Joliet Catholic Academy four years ago, Joe Benson had options.
He could have gone on to college to play baseball, gone to college to play football or signed a professional baseball contract after being selected in the June 2006 amateur free-agent draft.
Lewis sings the second-half blues
Kentucky Wesleyan showed why it is ranked No. 16 among the nation's Division II teams.
The Panthers went on a 13-4 run late in the game to put away Lewis University 77-65 in GLVC play Thursday at the Neil Carey Arena.
'Cats 2000 grid team to be cited
Although the greatest football season in Plainfield High School District 202 history was nearly a decade ago, it is still fresh in the mind of coach John Jackson.
Pro Bowl takes Bears rookie Knox beyond his goal
Like any receiver, Bears rookie Johnny Knox established 1,000 yards as a preseason goal. But the fifth-round pick didn't imagine the Pro Bowl was a possibility. ''I had a lot of goals set before the season,'' Knox said, ''but, honestly, this was not one that I set. Not for my rookie year. But I'm glad it worked out for me.''
'Selfish' Rose all about the team
Carol Slezak: The light has turned on for Derrick Rose. He has developed a selfish streak. And, no coincidence, the Bulls are in the midst of their best stretch in what feels like forever. This is the Rose we have been waiting for -- perhaps too impatiently. He is, after all, still a 21-year-old kid, in just his second pro season.
Brouwer the savior in OT
The Blackhawks assured themselves of a winning record on their eight-game road trip thanks to a dramatic victory Thursday night on the rink of their biggest enemy. In a meeting of the two best teams in the NHL, the Hawks squeezed out a 4-3 victory against the San Jose Sharks on Troy Brouwer's goal, his second of the game, 1:23 into overtime.
Tim Tebow: A case of ad nauseam
Rick Telander: You gotta say this about Tim Tebow: The dude doesn't mind being scrutinized. You'd think that if there were more to learn about the former star Florida quarterback -- from his NFL-suspect arm to his proselytizing charm -- than what we have learned in the last four years, it would need to come from the CIA.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Sullivan's retirement means void at USF
When University of St. Francis director of athletics Dave Laketa
describes Pat Sullivan, he speaks of the man who not only built the
foundation for the Saints' athletic program, but built the skyscraper
as well.
A Hunter comes back to the game
Cut the cord. Doctors acquire that skill set in medical school and Kailey Hunter, then a nursing student at the University of Illinois in Chicago, believed she had already severed her relationship with basketball.
Novak's shooting powers Peotone
Stacy Novak made three 3-pointers in the second quarter and went on to
score 11 points in Peotone's 44-35 girls basketball victory over
Reed-Custer on Wednesday night.
Providence heats up, shoots past JCA
Brianne Vandenberg sent herself and her senior teammates out in style.
Vandenberg scored 11 of her game-high 13 points in the second half as Providence celebrated senior night by pulling away for a 57-42 victory over Joliet Catholic Academy in an East Suburban Catholic Conference clash Wednesday night.
JCA unable to finish
It's hard to blame Joliet Catholic Academy boys basketball coach Jeremy Izzo if he was a little emotional after a 65-55 East Suburban Catholic Conference loss to Nazareth Academy Wednesday at home.
MACK WORKS LIFETIME TO
In high school wrestling circles, he is well known as a Hall of Fame coach.
In the hallways at Joliet Central and in the community where he has made it his life's work to mentor children, he is more affectionately known as a Hall of Fame human being.
Hawks' problem: Where's tough-guy image?
Rick Morrissey: Most of us can tell the  difference between a professional hockey player and a choirboy. I don't actually know any choirboys, but I'm guessing the vast majority of them are in possession of all of their teeth and many of their brain cells.
Bulls reach .500 mark
The Oklahoma City Thunder slowed the Bulls' momentum once this season; the Bulls weren't about to let it happen again. They reached the .500 mark for the first time since Nov. 22 with a 96-86 victory Wednesday over the Thunder at the Ford Center.
Cubs in Dawson's heart, Expos on his cap
Andre Dawson wanted to have a Cubs logo on his Hall of Fame baseball cap. Instead, he will be enshrined July 25 as the second -- and likely last -- Montreal Expo. The newest Cooperstown member learned of the Hall of Fame's decision Tuesday, arguing to the end for his preference to be immortalized as a Cub.
Illini in balancing act
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Illinois coach Bruce Weber still hasn't found a go-to guy. But in a 77-67 win over Penn State before 8,085 fans Wednesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center, he didn't need one.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Li'l Doyle a big shot for Minooka
Sometimes, passing the ball and passing the ball and passing the ball like a repetitive point-guard robot does not work as well for Minooka senior Lyndsay Doyle.
She has to shoot.
Deja vu: Minooka rallies past Morris
With the departure of Morris from the Southwest Prairie Conference after last year, some might think that the battles with rival Minooka would lack some of the intensity and fervor of past conference meetings.
Johnson pushes LWE past Joliet
Taylor Johnson scored a career-high 21 points, including the go-ahead basket, as Lincoln-Way East held off Joliet Township 52-46 in a Southwest Suburban Conference Blue Division clash on Tuesday.
Oak Forest stops Lincoln-Way West
You might say that the Lincoln-Way West boys basketball team was in a funk.
That's because Oak Forest's Matt Funkhouser did a number on the Warriors during Tuesday's nonconference.
IHSA drug-test results clear Maine S.
The Illinois High School Association has compiled the results of its Performance-Enhancing Drug Testing Program for the fall of 2009. There were zero positive test results among the 141 tests conducted by the Association during the fall sports seasons, which included girls swimming & diving, boys soccer and football.
Champion Iaconelli will give tips to H.S. anglers
On the heels of a remarkably successful inaugural Illinois High School Association's statewide team bass tournament season last year, one of the premier outdoors shows in the nation returns to pair high school tournament anglers with one of America's best-known fishing professionals.
Losing out to Cable guy
Rick Morrissey: The Raiders. The Oakland  Raiders. The Raiders who finished 5-11 last season and had one of the worst offenses in the NFL. The Raiders who still haven't announced whether their coach will be back in 2010 for the last year of his contract.
Easy in Edmonton
Just four seasons ago, the Edmonton Oilers were in the Stanley Cup finals. When they hosted the Blackhawks on Tuesday, though, they were the worst team in the NHL with 38 points.
Nady a physical away from spot in Cubs OF
The Cubs have agreed to terms with free agent Xavier Nady on a one-year contract to be their fourth outfielder, baseball sources say, with the $3.3 million deal expected to be finalized this week once Nady passes a physical.
Bulls' Rose budding right before our eyes
John Jackson: Earlier this season, close games were the bane of the Bulls' existence. They simply didn't make enough plays down the stretch to win tight games. But that has changed recently, and there was no better example of that than the Bulls' 98-93 victory Monday against the San Antonio Spurs.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sing ready to go if opportunity knocks
If that time has not arrived, it may soon. Brandon Sing has been playing professional baseball since he graduated from Joliet West High School in 1999. He has posted numbers at various levels that suggest he can take his cuts on the major league level.
Martz solid O-coordinator, but Bears aren't calling
Neil Hayes: The buzz surrounding the Bears at the Senior Bowl relates to Mike Martz
and his candidacy for the vacant offensive coordinator position, if
he's a candidate at all. Martz, who
has said he's interested in coaching Jay Cutler in Chicago, and the Bears
seem like such a great fit for so many reasons, yet his dusty phone
never rings.
Openings remain in USBC
Squad opening remain for the 70th annual Joliet Area USBC Bowling Association Handicap Tournament at Riverfront Lanes in Wilmington, according to director Chuck Sellars. The openings are as follows:
IHSA drug tests find no violations
The Illinois High School Association has compiled the results of its
Performance-Enhancing Drug Testing Program for the fall of 2009. There were zero positive test results among the 141 tests conducted
by the IHSA during the fall sports seasons, which included girls
swimming and diving, boys soccer, and football.
Thome doesn't get call to return to Sox
Ozzie Guillen had to make the final decision on veteran slugger Jim
Thome, and on Monday he finally did. The Thome chapter is over on the
South Side.
“It came down to getting enough at-bats,’’ Guillen explained. ''I don't want a season where Jim sits three or four days in a row and
the media comes up to him and asks, 'You're not playing?' This thing
will become a soap opera. It's about at-bats.
Flip side to Hawks' success
Carol Slezak: You can't see it, but you know it's there. The Blackhawks are wearing a
big target on their backs. They've become the hunted. Every other NHL
squad wants to prove itself against them now -- on the scoreboard and
otherwise. This is what it's like to be on top.
'The heart monitor just stopped'
The injuries suffered in a national-championship collegiate basketball career and three years in the NBA left Bo Ellis' fingers gnarled, twisted and in need of surgery.
Northbrook club sending 3 skaters to Olympics
When Brian Hansen, Lana Gehring and Mitch Whitmore take the ice next month, area sports fans will reminded that the trio got their start in Northbrook. They will make their Winter Olympics debuts in Vancouver as members of the United States speedskating team. But before competing for Team USA, the trio represented the Northbrook Speedskating Club.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saints down Vikings in OT for first Super Bowl trip
Sean Jensen: Who dat in the Super Bowl? That would be the New Orleans Saints. With a remarkable 31-28 overtime victory against the Minnesota Vikings,
the Saints figuratively removed the paper bag many fans sported during
the franchise's dark days.
Season will put Williams-Guillen relationship to the test
They’ve described their relationship as “two brothers.’’ Not the norm as far as major-league general manager and manager are concerned. Especially a GM and manager whose big personalities are only overshadowed by their even bigger egos.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Lockport's Oster rises to challenge
Jameson Oster was reminded of what it is like to be behind. A.J. Juarez led from start-to-finish.
The two emerged as individual standouts on the final day of competition Saturday in the Southwest Suburban Conference wrestling tournament.
Oster, the Lockport junior who is ranked No. 1 in the state in the 125-pound weight class by The Illinois Best Weekly, defeated Stagg's fourth-rated Kevin Moylan 13-5 to capture his second straight conference title.
Consistent Plainfield S. rolls to state
Not much the Cougars or anyone else could have done about SPC
representative Oswego on this day as the Panthers rolled 3,352 in their
three afternoon games for a stunning 6,522 total en route to claiming
the Lockport Boys Sectional title.
Oshita, PFC rule Minooka tourney
Led by Chelsea Oshita's medalist performance, the Plainfield Central
girls bowling team captured top honors in the 14-team Minooka
Tournament at Channahon Lanes.
'Brook punches ticket to state tourney
The Bolingbrook High School boys bowling team has established itself as one of the best in the area over the last four years.
But, what have been missing are regular appearances at the state meet.
Providence wins Catholic League
Providence Catholic won the Chicago Catholic League tournament championship on Saturday.
The Celtics had 227 points. Second-place Mount Carmel posted 221.5 points.
Bruce Douglas makes his point in Plainfield plan
Bill Schiebe: Basketball and religion, walking hand in hand with God's message, have been the footprints in the sand for former Quincy High School and University of Illinois point guard Bruce Douglas.
Wolves fall to Triton
For the Joliet Junior College men's basketball team and coach Joe Kuhn, this was one that got away.
Despite leading by eight points with 4:49 remaining, the Wolves dropped a 76-73 decision to Triton in N4C action at Wills Gymnasium on Saturday.
Bench comes up big for USF
University of St. Francis basketball coach Pat Sullivan called on his bench early Saturday afternoon and the bench delivered in a big way leading the Saints to an 89-76 CCAC victory over Holy Cross College (Ind.).
Quentin's happy, healthy and ready for right field
It was a new-look Carlos Quentin on Saturday at SoxFest: He was smiling. Now, the White Sox are hoping their talented, oft-injured outfielder
can return to his 2008 form and finally step back and enjoy the game
rather than be the tightly wired overthinker once described by former
teammate Jermaine Dye as "weird.''
Big finish = big Northwestern victory over Illinois
Northwestern stormed back from an eight-point deficit in the second
half and knocked off Illinois 73-68 on Saturday night before a sellout
crowd of 8,117 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
It was the Wildcats' first win against their in-state Big Ten rival
since Jan. 14, 2004, in Illinois coach Bruce Weber's first game in the
series.
Vikings big on local product Childress
Brothers Mark and Zygi Wilf, the owners of the Minnesota Vikings,
squashed one of the persistent questions looming over their club when
they signed coach Brad Childress to an extension Nov. 19. ''As an organization, you have to stand up for what you believe in, and
we believe in coach Childress,'' Mark Wilf said last Sunday.
Bulls finally come up big with back-to-back wins
Back-to-back games, especially the second night, haven't been kind to
the Bulls, but they scored their most impressive set of wins on
consecutive nights in perhaps the most challenging back-to-back on the
schedule. A day after a solid win in Phoenix, the Bulls fought off fatigue for a
104-97 victory Saturday night over the Houston Rockets at the Toyota
Center.
Winning Wildcats better late than ever
During timeouts Saturday night, Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips paced the concourse at Welsh-Ryan Arena, his head down, a pained look on his face. It looked as if he were trying to decide how to tell his wife he had just bought the sports car they had decided they couldn't afford.
SPORTS WIRE: MVP Kafka leads East victory
Andrew Quarless caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka with six seconds remaining, lifting the East to a 13-10 win over the West on Saturday in the annual showcase for college football all-stars looking to make an impression on NFL scouts.
Kobe better than MJ? Just hear me out
Let's cut to the chase (because I know a lot of you have the attention span of a tsetse fly and the rest of you already have wandered out of this sentence to go do a Sudoku puzzle):
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Wild & crazy battle goes to Lockport
Just in time for Friday night's huge Southwest Suburban Blue matchup against ancient rival Joliet Township, the Porters' big man, 6-foot-5 senior center Landon Gamble, was shelved with an illness that included a fever which reached 103 degrees.
Marks scores high for PFC
Derrick Marks was on the mark for Plainfield Central during a cross-town clash against Plainfield South on Friday night.
The 6-foot-3 junior guard scored 29 points, including 13 of 14 from the free-throw line, in the Wildcats' 59-54 Southwest Prairie Conference triumph.
Griffins fight off L-W Central rally
Lincoln-Way East coach Rich Kolimas believes that the "strength of our team is in the numbers." On Friday, those numbers were good for the Griffins, especially the final score as East fought off a late Lincoln-Way Central rally and beat its district rival 65-53.
New twist: Hanley gets a little help
JOLIET -- Contortionists would struggle to shape their bodies the way that Plainfield Central's Brigid Hanley can in scoring position. Remember, however, that even the famous Harry Houdini had help from his family.
Smith keys Spartan win over Minooka
There were no donation buckets outside Romeoville High School's gym, but there might well have been with two of the Southwest Prairie Conference's neediest teams facing each other Friday night.
Harris' 47 too much for Plainfield N.
A 23-point lead was not enough for the Plainfield North boys basketball team on Friday. North faltered in the second half and eventually dropped a 75-72 overtime decision to Oswego East in Southwest Prairie Conference play.
Burchett powers Providence 'W'
Building leads late into the second half has not been a problem for the Providence Catholic boys basketball team. Keeping those leads has been another thing, however.
Quick start fuels Minooka victory
MINOOKA -- A quick start fueled the Minooka girls basketball team to a 49-26 victory over Romeoville in Southwest Prairie Conference play on Friday.
Friday, January 22, 2010
JT-Lockport -- say no more
Almost exactly a month ago, Joliet Township and Lockport met at 11:30 a.m. on a Saturday in what effectively was the championship game of the Plainfield North Holiday Tournament.
They could have met a week later at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, but the schedule and trail of results there did not cooperate.
Tuck takes 'Brook to 41 in a row
While freezing rain has been the bane of Chicago-area weather the past couple of days, Bolingbrook's Morgan Tuck has been a stone-cold nuisance to opposing defenses the last two years.
Women's softball team to take on Hammers
The Joliet JackHammers will play the Chicago Bandits women's softball team in an exhibition game this summer. The "Bandits and Boys" game announcement came while both clubs also are talking about the possibility of moving the softball team's regular season games to Joliet in 2011.
At Providence, it's spelled victor-Zeeee
NEW LENOX -- When he first started, Dan Zelazik viewed wrestling as a wintertime conditioning activity. His thoughts were trained on springtime and his first athletic love -- baseball.
Lewis wins again
ROLLA, Mo. -- Lewis University sophomore guard Chris McClellan scored a career-high 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting to propel the Flyers to their third straight win with a 74-69 GLVC victory over Missouri S&T on Thursday.
GLVC will add football in 2012
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Great Lakes Valley Conference has developed a timeline for adding football as a sponsored championship sport in the conference.
LeBron top vote-getter for NBA All-Star game
NEW YORK -- Allen Iverson was voted to start in the All-Star game Thursday, while Steve Nash and Tim Duncan made late moves to claim starting spots for the Western Conference.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Doh! Romeoville's kid
Donny Simpson is learning to control his emotions.
He also is taking on the look nowadays of a complete wrestler. He is thinking more, snorting less.
And the Romeoville senior can point back to a loss at the Stagg Tournament as the straw that broke the camel's back, that led to him dropping his bull-in-the-china-shop mentality.
Hammers to take on softball team
The Joliet JackHammers will play the Chicago Bandits women's softball team in an exhibition game this summer. The "Bandits and Boys" game was announced Thursday while both clubs also are talking about the possibility of moving the softball team's regular season games to Joliet in 2011.
Strike 'n Spare II may catch fire
In a word, Lockport boys bowling coach Jeff Wyatt described this Saturday's sectional at Strike 'n Spare II this way.
"Tough."
That might even be an understatement.
Club warms up lanes
The Joliet Area 500 Club held its 16th annual "Winter Warm-Up" at Town
& Country Lanes last Sunday, with 36 members bowling for cash.
A wish for new Hammers' manager
Dick Goss: As the new manager of the Joliet JackHammers, Chad Parker has spent some of his winter getting accustomed to our city.
Last weekend's 31st annual Wish Upon A Star Benefit Softball Game in the Show at St. Joseph's Park provided him the opportunity to meet and talk with many of the avid local fans who will be among his biggest supporters.
Bad Rex: Grossman sells condo for $700K loss
Former Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman has never had this costly of a turnover: He just sold a condo in Chicago's Trump International Hotel & Tower for a nearly $700,000 loss.
Helwich at top of Lewis baseball recruit list
Lewis University baseball coach Tim McDonough has announced Lincoln-Way
Central's Tom Helwich, Lemont's Mark Kornacker and Andrew's Tom Durkin
as the first three members of his 2011 recruiting class.
L-Way East staves off Tinley Park
For three quarters, Lincoln-Way East played its best basketball of the year.
The Griffins vaulted to a 52-28 lead, then held on to defeat Tinley Park 67-60 on Wednesday night.
New position becoming second nature for Beckham
Beckham had been out and about one afternoon when he noticed a text message from White Sox teammate and good friend Chris Getz: ''There are rumors that I'm getting traded.'' ''I read it, and I was like, 'What? C'mon,''' Beckham recalled this week. ''I was thinking it was just another one of those wild baseball rumors, so I sent a text back to Chris and told him, 'Don't worry. No way that's happening. You're too valuable.''' Getz was traded to the Kansas City Royals on Nov. 6.
What Super Bowl matchup does America want?
Jim O'Donnell: Who does America love? In a season of restoked TV ratings for the NFL, which of the four possible pairings for Super Bowl XLIV will most gas the meters for CBS on Feb. 7? Does it include the team from the north country, led by its nature-defying new Norse god?
Late rally not enough for Bulls
This time, the Bulls brought their focus and intensity, but apparently forgot their shooting touch for a good portion of the game Wednesday night. The result was another road loss as a spirited late rally fell short in a 104-97 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. ''Our guys fought,'' Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said.
Quenneville gives nod to Niemi
For those in favor of promoting backup goaltender Antti Niemi, the Blackhawks' 4-1 loss Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators only fueled their fire. Starter Cristobal Huet allowed four goals on 18 shots against the Senators, and coach Joel Quenneville characterized the outing as ''OK'' after the game.
FCC ends loophole favoring cable companies
Cable TV companies will no longer be able to use a federal loophole to withhold sports networks and other popular programming that they own from satellite providers and other rivals. The Federal Communications Commission voted 4-to-1 on Wednesday to close the so-called "terrestrial loophole" in a 1992 federal cable law.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Condon has company in JCA victory
Joliet Catholic's girls basketball team confronted Plainfield Central on JCA's home turf Tuesday night and routed their foes 72-36 in nonconference play.
'Brook reserves come to the rescue
Bolingbrook girls basketball coach Anthony Smith had seen enough.
So 2:11 into Tuesday night's game against Joliet Township, he pulled his starters.
For the rest of the game.
But led by a game-high 16 points from Falon Edwards, the Bolingbrook bench came through and went on to defeat the Steelmen 44-31 in a Southwest Suburban Conference Blue Division matchup.
Joliet girls roll by Lockport bowlers
The Joliet Township girls bowling team prepped for Saturday's Southwest
Suburban Blue Tournament with a 2,014-1,946 victory over Lockport on
Tuesday at Strike 'n Spare II.
Providence falls in fourth again
For a third straight game, the Providence Catholic boys basketball team let one get away.
Leading 45-35 after three quarters, the Celtics opened up a 46-35 advantage early in the fourth quarter.
Plainfield N. loses in OT
Plainfield North mounted a furious comeback to send its non-conference game against Richards Tuesday into overtime.
However, a top of the key jumper by Adonis Bailey with 1.8 seconds left in the extra session allowed Richards to post a 73-71 victory.
Slow start hurts Plainfield East
An early deficit was too much for the Plainfield East boys basketball team to overcome on Tuesday.
Despite a solid effort, East dropped a 67-51 nonconference decision to Naperville Central.
Bradley caps late rally in JJC road win
It took a while for the Joliet Junior College men's basketball team to get going Tuesday night, but when they did, they got the job done.
Lockport's Brian Bradley hit a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left to lead JJC to an 88-85 win over N4C rival Madison Area Technical College.
Olivet staves off St. Francis bid
For the first 30 minutes, University of St. Francis gave No. 19 Olivet Nazarene all it could handle Tuesday night.
But the CCAC-leading Tigers then went on a 14-0 run over the next 4 1/2 minutes and took control of the game that they went on to win, 60-45, at McHie Arena.
'Sleepy' Hawks fall
By being one of the best, the Blackhawks can expect the best from their opponents. It just comes with the territory. The Hawks would be the first to tell you that they weren't at their best Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators.
Flu bug putting Bulls to the test
John Jackson: To put it mildly, the start of the Bulls' two-week road trip hasn't gone as well as anyone hoped. There was the 17-point loss to the undermanned Golden State Warriors in the opener on Monday, plus steady downpours and periods of heavy rain in both the Bay Area and here, with more rain scheduled for the next stop in Phoenix.
Little-known freshmen fuel Boilers
Something had to give when Illinois tried to run its record at Assembly Hall to 11-0 on Tuesday against No. 13 Purdue. The Boilermakers were determined to end a surprising three-game Big Ten losing streak that had left coach Matt Painter questioning his team's toughness. Purdue won this battle of wills 84-78.
Cubs face big gap in arbitration road
The Cubs remained as much as $800,000 away from a contract agreement with shortstop Ryan Theriot and nearly that much with closer Carlos Marmol as the deadline for filing salary-arbitration figures passed Tuesday without deals for the team's top two eligible players.
Dempster pitches for foundation
It was a reunion in the off-season for the Cubs players, management, friends and family when about 500 came out to support Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Dempster and his wife, Jenny, at the Dempster Family Foundation Official Launch Party Sunday night at River North hotspot Hub 51. The Foundation benefits a cause dear to the Dempsters' hearts as their daughter Riley -- who was born last April -- is affected with DiGeorge syndrome.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
JT takes a ride down Collins St.
During the pregame warmups Monday, the fire alarm sounded at Joliet West. In the fire drill that followed, Joliet Township senior Keairra Collins salvaged the night like Kobe Bryant starring on the big stage.
Ward block makes Porters' day
Ed Ward was all over the court for Lockport on Monday at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Boys Day of Hoops at Joliet Central High School.
JT wins despite 2nd-half blahs
Joliet Township put the finishing touches on the second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Boys Day of Hoops with a 46-37 victory Monday night over Plainfield South.
'Brook girls get best of Montini
The Bolingbrook girls basketball team faced something at Monday's McDonald's Shootout that they aren't used to seeing of late.
Stiff competition from an Illinois team.
Lemont does no wrong vs. JCA
"They're tall."
"They're athletic."
"They're a good basketball team."
Observers tossed the compliments in Lemont's direction Monday after the Indians opened the second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Boys Day of Hoops at Joliet Central with a stunning 70-36 victory over Joliet Catholic Academy.
The followup to that high praise? "How could they have been 5-10?"
Providence lets another 'W' slip away
Providence basketball coach Greg Smith has seen this rerun before, and it's not getting any better to watch.
Providence let an 11-point fourth quarter lead slip away and dropped a 70-69 heartbreaker to Rock Falls in the Martin Luther King Jr. Boys Day of Hoops on Monday.
'Brook posts statement win
Things weren't going well for the Bolingbrook Raiders, as the boys basketball team came into the week on a four-game losing streak. But Monday afternoon Bolingbrook showed the type of team it can be by stunning Hillcrest 66-60 in the Second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Boys Day Of Hoops at Joliet Central.
Sox counting on Rios to rebound after rough 2009
Five swings. That's all it took for Greg Walker to take a deep sigh of relief and realize that the enigma looked to be back to an All-Star. No holes. No mechanical flaws. No signs of a player who was carrying the weight of the South Side on his shoulders. And now the White Sox hitting coach is only looking ahead. 'This was the first I had seen him,'' Walker described of the three-day hitting session last week with Alex Rios in Miami. 'But to be honest, it took the first five swings in the cage to show me that he had passed the eye test."
Athletes' heart problems can be tricky to diagnose
Two renowned heart specialists warned about jumping to conclusions
after the death of Bears defensive end Gaines Adams and lamented the
cruel statistics surrounding sudden cardiac death. ''It's tragic. But shocking? It's not infrequent that the first
manifestation is sudden death, and that's the tragedy -- that at times
we never had a chance to diagnose it,'' said Dr. John Beshai.
Goalie rotation shouldn't deter Hawks fans' joyride
Carol Slezak: The Blackhawks are playing so well, it's tough to find any weaknesses
in this team. But this is Chicago, where fans have learned never to
take anything for granted. There must be something to worry
about, right? The Hawks are leading the league in wins, but the prevailing fear is
that they can't win the Stanley Cup with Cristobal Huet in goal.
Flat Bulls miss prime opportunity against Warriors
The Bulls are on the road the next two weeks because ''Disney on Ice''
has taken over the United Center, but the opener of the seven-game road
swing had a circus-trip feel. The Bulls certainly were clownish Monday in dropping a 114-97 decision
to a Golden State Warriors team playing with only eight players.
Carmody looking for mo' of same
Coming off an upset of then-No. 6 Purdue on Saturday, Northwestern coach Bill Carmody is hoping the Wildcats can use the momentum tonight (6, BTN, 92.5-FM, 92.7-FM, 99.9-FM) when they visit No. 21 Ohio State.
Weber knows it'll be hard to lick wounded
Some truths are self-evident. Never be the coach who follows a legend. Road teams always get the short end of the whistle. And never play a team with its back to the wall if you can avoid it.
Orange brushes aside Irish
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Wesley Johnson scored 22 points and Andy Rautins 21, including five three-pointers, to lead No. 5 Syracuse to an 84-71 victory Monday against Notre Dame. It was the Orange's third Big East victory on the road in the last six days.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Murphy set among best
Jennifer Murphy paid her dues, playing a defensive role as a junior as Joliet Catholic Academy won the 2008 Class 3A state championship. As a senior, Murphy's perseverance -- and leadership -- paid off.
Heart attack claims Bears DE Gaines Adams, 26
Shock and disbelief met news that Bears defensive end Gaines Adams died
Sunday morning after going into cardiac arrest because of an enlarged
heart, according to the Greenwood (S.C.) County deputy coroner Marcia
Kelley-Clark. Adams, 26, went into cardiac arrest at his family's Greenwood home. He died at 7:21 Chicago time.
Niemi outstanding in goal as Hawks edge Detroit
Goalie Antti Niemi made another case for more ice time Sunday, winning
a heart-stopping duel with fellow rookie Jimmy Howard as the Blackhawks
took a 4-3 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Niemi stopped 35 shots to Howard's 26 as the Hawks improved to 2-0 on their eight-game road trip.
Unforgettable journey for Humphrey
It was all about the journey.
And what a journey it was.
For the Humphrey Middle School eighth-grade girls basketball team, this past season was a journey that had the happy ending.
Jets shock Chargers
SAN DIEGO -- Maybe Rex Ryan already knows the score of the AFC championship game, too.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Bears defensive end Gaines Adams dead at 26
Bears’ defensive end Gaines Adams, 26, died this morning of an enlarged heart, a Greenwood County deputy coroner said. He’d been taken to the emergency room at Self Regional Hospital in Greenwood, S.C., and died at 7:20 a.m. Chicago time. An autopsy showed he died of cardiac arrest caused by an enlarged heart, and the death was ruled natural, Deputy Coroner Marcia Kelley-Hays said.
It takes a Villa(ge) for L-Way W.
She doesn't sport the multi-colored hair, the multitude of piercings nor the multiple tattoos, but Lincoln-Way West junior Samantha Villa earned her Dennis Rodman comparisons Saturday afternoon by battling like the bad boy. The funky, freaky Rodman wore No. 91 as a rebounding machine with the Bulls. The earnest, energetic Villa wears No. 10 for the Warriors and was a perfect answer to the dilemma surrounding junior guard Kaitlyn Ray's sore back.
Former Chicago athletes join in fun
Bob Avellini and Rich Nye may not be the most famous athletes in Chicago professional sports history.
Nonetheless, both left a mark on the Windy City sports scene.
Blackhawks beat Red Winds 4-3 in shootout
Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp scored in the shootout to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. Troy Brouwer had a goal and an assist and Patrick Kane and Sharp also had goals for Chicago. Antti Niemi stopped 35 shots.
PFS stamps its Brand(er) on SPC
The way Plainfield South dominated Southwest Prairie Conference boys
bowling action this season, you would think it had an extra competitor
during each meet.
Johnson triggers JT surge
AJ and JT ruled the day. Lockport's body of work carried the season.
Adam Johnson averaged 242.5 for six games and pulled away to take individual medalist honors at the Southwest Suburban Blue Conference bowling tournament. He also led the Joliet Township boys to the tourney title on Saturday at AMF Bolingbrook Lanes.
JJC bounces back behind Bartlett
Four days after falling behind by 26 points in the first half of an eventual loss to College of DuPage, the Joliet Junior College men's basketball team turned the tables.
The Wolves jumped out to a huge lead and went on to mangle Milwaukee Area Technical College 97-71 on Saturday afternoon.
Rowe leads Lewis' boat vs. UIndy
Lewis' Donald Rowe posted a season-high 20 points to lead four
players in double figures as the visiting Flyers claimed an 84-78 GLVC
victory over Indianapolis on Saturday night.
Owusu powers JCA to ESCC win
Behind solid team defense and a 20-point output from Vanessa Owusu, the Joliet Catholic Academy girls basketball team got its first East Suburban Catholic Conference win of the year Saturday afternoon, defeating Nazareth 52-37.
Providence king at Geneseo
It's not always about the individual champs.
Providence's wrestling team proved that Saturday, winning the 17-team Geneseo Invitational despite having just one individual winner.
Minooka falls twice in Galesburg
After a long bus ride, the Minooka boys basketball team started out hot
Saturday against East Moline United in the Galesburg MLK Shootout.
Cubs fans might be delusional, faith undeniable
Rick Morrissey: After 101 years without a World Series title, nobody loses like Cubs fans do. They lose in bulk. They lose in hi-def. They lose in a million jagged ways. There is nobility in that, in them. I have made fun of Cubs fans and,
trust me, will again. But they continue to be the undisputed stars of
the Cubs Convention.
Vikes D-coordinator Frazier a hot coaching candidate
Low-key by nature, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie
Frazier doesn't show off his Super Bowl ring from the 1985 Bears or
boast about his role on one of the most memorable teams in NFL history
to his players. But Frazier, who led the Bears with six interceptions that season, can't escape his past.
Streaking Bulls focus on road grip
Derrick Rose made the big shot Friday night, and the Bulls guard hopes
it can inject a shot of confidence in the team at the start of a
seven-game road trip Monday afternoon at Golden State. The Bulls will not return home until Feb. 2, when they host the Los
Angeles Clippers. In the meantime, ''Disney on Ice'' will take over the
United Center.
It's money ball at DePaul
Does competing in the Big East mean committing to a money race? That is
among the questions dogging DePaul in its struggles to compete in men's
basketball since joining the conference in 2005. Of the five schools from Conference USA that joined the Big East, the
Blue Demons' 20-48 regular-season record through last season is better
than only South Florida's 11-57 mark.
Beat the champions: Top scores
The following bowlers recorded the best series with handicap in their league play during the 49th annual Chicago Sun-Times/BPA Beat The Champions contest held Dec. 6-12. A list of qualifiers is being compiled for the sectionals, which will be Feb. 13, 14, 20 and 21. Bowlers listed here do not necessarily advance. Advancing bowlers will be notified.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Lockport cools off Lincoln-Way Central
When you more or less live and die with the 3-point shot, going 0-for-17 from long range in the first half against a strong opponent is likely to be a problem. Lincoln-Way Central suffered that misfortune Friday night.
Oswego, Ziemnik top Plainfield S.
A quick 5-0 lead was not enough for Plainfield South to build on as the Cougars fell 61-56 to Oswego in Southwest Prairie Conference play on Friday. Oswego gained a 21-15 lead after one quarter and led 34-27 at halftime.
Lockport pins down a rivalry victory
NEW LENOX -- Chris Tragos pumped out his chest and flashed a wide smile in the direction of his teammates sitting in folding chairs on the edge of the wrestling mat.
Fans show '84 Cubs love after 25 years
If the members of the 1984 Chicago Cubs had hit as many out of the park as they did during their banter Thursday night, they'd certainly have made it to that long-elusive World Series. The line of fans stretching out the door of The Baseball Card King showed Jody Davis, Bob Dernier, Jay Johnstone, Keith Moreland and Steve Trout that they're still loved 26 years later.
Blackhawks rally past Columbus in 6-5 win
Jonathan Toews scored twice in the third period and added an assist as the Chicago Blackhawks rallied to sweep a home-and-home series against the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 6-5 victory on Saturday.
Andrew Ladd, Marian Hossa and Troy Brower each had a goal and an assist, and Ben Eager also scored for Chicago, which blew a 3-1 lead and trailed 4-3 heading into the third period.
Bulls guard finally stabs in winner in 2nd overtime
Showing that there's no place like home, Derrick Rose poured in a
career-high 37 points in the Bulls' final home game of January, and
they needed every one of them. Rose, who had nine rebounds and six assists, hit the game-winner with
5.4 seconds to play in the second overtime as the Bulls edged the
Washington Wizards 121-119 before 20,304 on Friday night at the United
Center.
Michigan State breezes past Illinois
Kalin Lucas shook off a slow start and scored 20 points, leading No. 7 Michigan State to a 73-63 victory over Illinois on Saturday.
The Spartans (15-3, 5-0 Big Ten) broke a first-place tie in the conference.
Demetri McCamey scored 15 points for the Fighting Illini (12-6, 4-1) and didn't get much help.
Cubs Convention shows the weight's off for 2010
Chris De Luca: The Cubs didn't just shed the dead weight known as Milton Bradley this
offseason -- they also peeled off all those unwanted pounds that helped
kill their promising 2009 season. Turns out a look in the mirror after
an 83-78 disappointment led to some drastic measures.
Rose carries Bulls past Washington
CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose scored a career-high 37 points and hit the go-ahead basket with 5.4 seconds left in the second overtime Friday night as the Bulls overcame an inspired effort by the Washington Wizards for a 121-119 victory.
Lemont downs Shepard
LEMONT -- Veteran Lemont girls basketball coach Bill Bozue didn't like what he saw from his team during Friday's first- half performance against Shepard.
L-Way W. hangs tough vs. Thornton
NEW LENOX -- At one click glance at the final score, one may think that Lincoln-Way West didn't belong in the same gym as Thornton on Friday night.
H-F sends 'Brook to 4th straight loss
Bolingbrook High School's struggles continued on Friday as the Raiders suffered their fourth straight loss, a 61-51 decision, to Southwest Suburban Conference rival Homewood-Flossmoor.
Plainfield C. runs away late
Like a prized thoroughbred, Plainfield Central stalked Romeoville for
3˝ quarters during their Southwest Prairie Conference game on Friday.
Friday, January 15, 2010
No easy roads for area 5s
As we hit this point in the boys basketball season, the question arises with more frequency:
Do any of our area teams have a chance to advance to anywhere special in the postseason?
Of course, there are two parts to an answer. One is how good we feel our teams are, and the other is how difficult, or easy, of a path our better teams have been assigned by the IHSA.
Chicago landlord suing former Cub Milton Bradley
Add his landlord to the list of people who don’t like former Cubs rightfielder Milton Bradley, dumped by the team last month. Bradley signed a lease for a luxury Magnificent Mile condo just as the
baseball season was starting, but his landlord says he walked out on
the $15,000-a-month lease in the fall.
Ryan's hope helps JT get past Lockport
Sixteen seconds after Lockport forced a final tie at 8-8 on a putback by senior forward Alyssa Garcia, Joliet Township senior Morgan Ryan checked in off the bench wearing No. 50 and -- in the process -- knocked the Porters down like a Chicago Bears linebacker.
Jarosz keys Lewis
Lockport's Justin Jarosz came up big time for the Lewis University men's basketball team on Thursday.
West gives LWE boost over LWC
Amanda West finished with a game-high 12 points as Lincoln-Way East doubled up Lincoln-Way Central 44-22 in a Southwest Suburban Blue game on Thursday.
Schuh fits for Lincoln-Way North
Erynn Schuh paved the way for Lincoln-Way North on Thursday.
Schuh's 14 points and 6 rebounds powered North (14-3, 5-1) to a 48-37 victory over Lincoln-Way West in Southwest Suburban Red play.
Peavy gives Sox an ace lift
Sun-Times exclusive: There was a time when Jake Peavy thought he wanted to be a Cub. More than a few witnesses saw him singing ''Go, Cubs, Go'' during the 2008 winter meetings in Las Vegas. There was a time when Peavy felt like he wanted to stay a Padre. After all, he exercised his no-trade clause in rejecting a deal last May that would've sent him from San Diego to the South Side. But Peavy acknowledged that the Cubs and Padres were more like temporary urges.
Gold Rush: Ditka worth his weight
Carol Slezak: Mike Ditka is 70 years old now, but he can still command an audience. His piercing eyes, fiery personality and passion were all on display Thursday when he was introduced as a member of the Chicago Rush ownership group.
Bears hire Mike Tice as offensive line coach
The Bears apparently are stockpiling former NFC North head coaches. Mike Tice was hired Friday, giving the Bears’ beleaguered offensive and
defensive lines the distinction of being coached by former head coaches
in the division. The former Minnesota Vikings head coach will oversee the offensive line
while former Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli, the assistant head
coach, is slated to coach the defensive line.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Lemont grapplers flying
He wrestles a mountain of a man every day in practice.
Then, after he steps into the center ring on Game Day, he snaps his opponents in half almost as if they were matchsticks.
Lemont senior Angel Cabral has an advantage working for him in his bid to repeat as the Class 2A heavyweight state champion.
By George, we will miss this guy
I was talking with a friend who was working that night for WJOL Radio. We were awaiting the start of a Morris-Joliet Catholic football clash at Memorial Stadium.
Resin bags a win for Morris
Alexa Resin scored 8 of her 15 points in the second half of Morris'
53-47 girls basketball victory over Gardner-South Wilmington on
Wednesday night.
PFS bowls up storm with heavy hearts
The Plainfield South boys bowling team rolled one of the top series in state history earlier this month.
Competing against Oswego East at the Parkside Bowling Center in Aurora, Plainfield South turned in a 3,460.
Piniella's winning formula: Addition by subtraction
No Roy Halladay? No Chone Figgins? No fill-in-the-blank-check slugger for the middle of the order? No problem, Cubs fans. The Cubs might not have added much to their second-place team this winter, but manager Lou Piniella and the boys bring a new math to the 2010 equation, heavy on subtraction and with an emphasis on chemistry.
Bears still seeking but not yet finding
Mike Tice will begin his two-day interview with Lovie Smith today, the day after Ken Zampese ended his, as the revolving door at Halas Hall continued to spin on the ninth day of the Bears' search for assistant coaches.
Against ailing Celtics, Bulls hope for road health
The Bulls don't leave for their longest road trip of the season -- a seven-game trek through three time zones -- until Sunday, but the game tonight in Boston begins a brutal stretch of 10 of 12 games on the road. Normally, beginning such a stretch at TD Garden would virtually ensure a rough start, but the Bulls might be facing the Celtics at just the right time.
Brouwer prospers on high-profile line
Imagine you are Blackhawks winger Troy Brouwer. The player who centers your line is one of the youngest captains in the NHL. The winger opposite you leads your team in points and is considered the face of USA Hockey. That's life -- at least on the ice -- for Brouwer, the third part of a very productive first line.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
JJC winning streak comes to a halt
Joliet Junior College was riding an eight-game winning streak entering Tuesday night's North Central Community College Conference matchup against College of DuPage. The Wolves were 15-2 overall and building momentum halfway through a season whose climax will feature JJC hosting the Region IV tournament in late February. Go figure sports sometime.
Barone a big one for St. X
Point guards represent the pipeline to basketball success, and junior Alex Barone has been better than those barrels of oil that regularly pour out of the Middle East for NAIA Division I No. 2-ranked Saint Xavier.
Hustle and flow always were important aspects for Barone, who began an Allen Iverson-like journey as a three-year varsity starter at Joliet Catholic. She transferred to Marian as a senior, sparking the Spartans to a third-place Class AA finish.
Joliet Township unveils a new weapon
Morris Dunnigan, a 6-foot-1 freshman guard, drilled a 3-pointer to open the
fourth quarter in Joliet Township's 56-48 victory over Romeoville on
Tuesday night.
Balance leads JCA past Marist
A balanced scoring attack led Joliet Catholic Academy's boys basketball
team to a decisive 70-54 East Suburban Catholic win over Marist on
Tuesday night.
LWE rolls past Sandburg
The Lincoln-Way East girls basketball team scored a big win Tuesday night, beating Southwest Suburban Red rival Sandburg 48-40.
L-Way C. knows the score in win
Lincoln-Way Central seniors Ashley Gibson and Hilary Soderborg had no idea what the score was.
That may have been a good thing.
Gibson and Soderborg each scored huge baskets down the stretch as Lincoln-Way Central regrouped and went on to a 41-39 victory over Lockport in a Southwest Suburban Blue game Tuesday night.
Irvin leads GSW past Indian Creek
Chris Irvin did what leaders do in Gardner-South Wilmington's 43-39 nonconference boys basketball win over Indian Creek on Tuesday.
Martz could be Bears' fall-back guy
Mike Mulligan: To hear some tell it, the Bears need to unfurl an ''Abandon All Hope'' banner in front of Halas Hall these days as welcome/caution for visiting coaching candidates. Media-driven skepticism seems to have everyone in the NFL closing ranks around one predestined fact: whoever the Bears hire as their offensive coordinator will be a fallback failure, while the new defensive coordinator will be an ineffectual puppet.
102 seasons and counting for Cubs fans
Carol Slezak: It's Cubs Caravan time, which means the fan convention is just a few days away, which means hopes for the upcoming season soon will reach a fever pitch. Ah, tradition. Cubs ownership finally might have changed hands, but the Ricketts family seems to be in no hurry to break with the past.
McCamey's there from start to finish
After coming off the bench for just two games, Demetri McCamey is scrapping his plan to be Sixth Man of the Year. ''That sixth man is probably over with,'' Illinois' star-crossed star said Tuesday after leading the Illini past Penn State in a 54-53 nail-biter.
Things are shaping up for Bolland, Hawks
Dave Bolland taking the ice Tuesday for the first time since undergoing back surgery in November underscored the fact the Blackhawks are as healthy now as they've been all season. Cam Barker, who missed the last four games with an upper-body injury, and Marian Hossa, who sat out a 3-1 loss Sunday with a lower-body injury, also skated at the United Center.
Noah's point- production on the rise
For much of the season, whether Joakim Noah could register another double-double was usually determined by whether the Bulls center could get his point total into double figures.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The spin is in for a win by Minooka
Denis Savard, the Blackhawks' Hall of Fame center, perfected the spin-o-rama in hockey. Minooka forward Ryan Edwards-Cunnigham made that highlight-reel move part of her tapestry of double-figure points.
One more coach for Will
A few short years ago, Bolingbrook senior guard Will Walker was selected The Herald-News' boys basketball player of the year in the Joliet area.
An explosive scorer for the Raiders, he was headed to DePaul, where he would play for the Blue Demons in the Big East Conference. Nice player, many thought, but a league as physical and as strong as the Big East would eat the slender 6-foot Walker alive.
Verdun, Coal City down Dwight
Coal City senior standout Kirsten Verdun scored 21 points to power the Coalers to a 47-30 win over Dwight in Interstate Eight Conference girls basketball on Monday. Krista Watson had 6 points for the Coalers (17-3, 8-1).
Local team grabs place in history
Joliet has long been known as the "City of Champions," but the entire Joliet area has actually contributed to the name. "Area of Champions" would better describe sports competitors in Joliet and the surrounding suburbs and towns. Bowlers in the local associations have brought much good publicity to the Joliet area on both the state and national level.
Yaklich's dream a reality
Joliet Township boys basketball coach Luke Yaklich's dream is now a reality.
Yaklich, who is in his third season at JT, has envisioned a basketball camp for the youth of the Joliet area, and he along with the Joliet Park District has accomplished just that.
McGwire admitted steroid use, now it's Sosa's turn
Chris De Luca: If Mark McGwire can come clean about steroid use -- even if he's doing it just so he can be Tony La
Russa's new hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals -- it's time for Sammy
Sosa to stop pretending his outrageous home-run numbers could be tied
to nothing 1more powerful than Flintstones vitamins.
DePaul needs to get out of Allstate Arena
Rick Morrissey: The biggest problem at DePaul isn't coaching, talent or a wickedly competitive conference. The biggest problem is a building. Allstate Arena, besides having the ambience of a self-storage facility
off the interstate, sits 15 miles from DePaul's Lincoln Park campus.
That means school spirit has to hitch a ride to Rosemont. If that's not
a killer for a college basketball program, it's at least debilitating.
Bears search hits snag or 2
While they hosted their top defensive coordinator candidate on Monday,
the Bears suffered two setbacks in their search for an offensive
coordinator. The Bears, who formally interviewed former defensive backs Perry Fewell
on Monday, were also informed that USC offensive coordinator Jeremy
Bates canceled his scheduled interview for today and that the Green Bay
Packers rebuffed their request to speak to quarterbacks coach Tom
Clements.
Bulls get that groovy feeling in win over Pistons
Some folks at the United Center headed for the exits midway through
the fourth quarter -- but this time it wasn't disgust that prompted
them to try to beat the postgame traffic. The Bulls experienced their first bona fide blowout victory of the
season Monday night with a 120-87 win over the
reeling Detroit Pistons.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Morris grad Dergo makes 'unbelievable' run
University of Illinois wrestling coach Jim Heffernan hit on the word -- unbelievable.
He was referring to John Dergo's performance at the Midlands.
Dergo, a 2006 graduate of Morris High School, beat three two-time All-Americans in a row en route to capturing the 184-pound title on Dec. 30.
Warriors close with hot streak to finish at 17-9
After somewhat of a yo-yo regular season that saw these Coal City Warriors eighth-grade girls carve a 10-7 regular-season mark, the landscape vastly improved. Or, should that be the record vastly improved? But the Warriors went on a tear to close 17-9.
Cubs must fill in the blank now that Lilly is out
Marlon Byrd isn't going to make or break the Cubs' season. But Carlos Zambrano might. That was the way it was set up when the big right-hander's $91.5
million contract was drawn up in 2007, and it never has been more true
than now, with the Cubs looking at starting a potential crossroads
season with one All-Star lefty tied behind their backs.
Lovie's buddies a sure ticket to one-and-done in 2010
Rick Morrissey: We can waste a lot of time envying the swiftness with which the Seattle
Seahawks dispatched Jim Mora and ate the $12 million left on his
contract. Or we can save ourselves a lot of frustration and instead focus on the
wonderful possibility of Smith hiring his pals for the Bears' vacant
coordinator jobs.
'Brook drops 3rd straight
SPRINGFIELD -- After going 3-1 in the Big Dipper Classic, Bolingbrook boys basketball coach Rob Brost thought the Raiders were headed in the right direction.
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