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Monday, November 9, 2009
JT, JPD team up for basketball league
Joliet Township High School boys basketball coach Luke Yaklich has been interested in providing kids an opportunity to learn basketball in a fun atmosphere.
"In the past we did not have the right scenario facility-wise," he said.
But now, his dream is about to be realized.
Don't overlook Wilmington's defense
There's no doubt that Wilmington's offense looked impressive Saturday night in a 57-26 thumping of St. Joe-Ogden in the second round of the 3A playoffs. Averaging more than 10 yards a carry is certainly impressive. So is a quarterback that goes 5-for-5 for 111 yards.
Kurt Busch wins; Johnson crashes
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Jimmie Johnson's drive to history took a hard hit against a wall and Kyle Busch ran out of gas trying to complete an unprecedented NASCAR trifecta.
USF's Smith, McElyea qualify
LOCKPORT - Freshman Sean Smith and junior Michael McElyea placed second and eighth to qualify for the NAIA Championships and lead the University of St. Francis men's team to a second-place finish among 10 teams in the CCAC Cross County Championships at Dellwood Park.
Bucs top Pack for first win
TAMPA, Fla. -- Wearing one of those ghastly creamsicle jerseys that are an ugly reminder of Tampa Bay's past, rookie Josh Freeman gave the Buccaneers plenty of reasons to be optimistic for the future.
Hard work gives Noah a real shot
Of everything Joakim Noah did on the court Saturday night in the best performance of his career, one move excited everyone connected with the Bulls, from the players to the coaches to the front office personnel.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
JCA topples Oak Forest
Lainey Wyman is a back-her-up-against-a-wall kind of volleyball player. The minute the stakes are raised, she raises the level of her game. Wyman, a 6-foot-2 junior middle hitter, was all over the floor in Joliet Catholic Academy's 25-17, 25-9 victory over Oak Forest on Saturday afternoon during the 3A Oswego Supersectional.
Wilmington overpowers St. Joe-Ogden
The sign on the press box at Wilmington High School'sfootball field reads, "Beware of what comes out of the woods." St. Joe-Ogden can attest to that after Wilmington laid a 57-26 whipping on the Spartans on Saturday night that, believe it or not, was worse than the score indicates.
Bolingbrook shocked by Downers South
In the final eight minutes of the game, Downers Grove South scored twice to rally past host Bolingbrook 22-19 in Saturday night's Class 8A second-round playoff game.
Fickle bounce leads to Minooka's end
In what many figured would be a David vs. Goliath matchup, the Minooka
Indians put in their best effort to continue their Cinderella run
against state powerhouse East St. Louis.
Lemont overcomes the ultimate Brown out
The Lemont Indians, despite losing standout tailback Danny Hayes to a shoulder
injury and chasing Morgan Park's DaRon Brown all over the field, scored early and often in
posting a 49-26 victory in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs.
Fake field goal lifts ball-hogging JCA
Joliet Catholic Academy's field goal unit, featuring holder Jonathan Jaworski, caught Cahokia by surprise for the game's first touchdown in the first quarter Saturday, and before it was over, the Hilltoppers took 35-12 Class 5A victory.
Mendota rains on Morris' day
Mendota intercepted four passes and recovered a fumble as the Trojans
defeated the Redskins 35-0 in a Class 4A second-round playoff game on
Saturday.
Coal City has no answer for R-Burton
A week after derailing Peotone 40-7 in the opening round of the Class 4A state playoffs, Richmond-Burton completed their swath through the Interstate Eight Large, thumping Coal City 44-6 Saturday.
Redemption = Providence
Bill Scheibe: Mere minutes into the fourth quarter of Friday night's Class 6A
second-round playoff football game against host Oswego, Providence
tailback Tim Hanrahan sat in silence on the bench, not thinking about an uncharacteristic fumble.
Lockport boys 12th, girls 17th
The Joliet area's heaviest representation in the state high school
cross country meets at Detweiller Park was in the Class 3A races, and
area boys and girls made good showings in both.
Hoffman hitting lifts USF
Second-seeded University of St. Francis swept third-seeded Illinois
Tech Saturday afternoon to capture first place with a 3-0 record in its
pool in the opening round of the CCAC Volleyball Championship
Tournament.
USF can't buy basket in second half of setback
University of St. Francis got outscored by a combined 35 points in the
second halves of its two games at the Davenport Panther Invitational
this weekend, with Saturday's 67-53 loss to Kuyper College dropping the
Saints to 1-2 in the new season.
USF feels sting of deja vu
University of St. Francis has experienced that mood swing far too often
during the 2009 season and had its balloon popped yet again on Saturday
when the Saints failed to convert on a point-after touchdown (PAT) to
force overtime for the second time in just over a month.
Local briefs: Happy day for Hague
Lewis University junior Kathryn Hague kept her cross country season
alive as she qualified for the NCAA Women's Championships with a
seventh-place finish of 22:29 at the 6K NCAA Midwest Regional on
Saturday.
Brunt work: O-line blamed
The Bears' offensive line has been under siege of late, but it's only one part of a unit that has been dysfunctional as a whole. The offense is running the ball like it did last season -- not well enough -- and quarterback Jay Cutler has been smacked around some behind a line that has gone from using three new starters this season to two after the Josh Beekman switcheroo last week.
Defense-led Wildcats hand Hawkeyes first loss
Corn-shucking cynics have insisted all season that the passwords at Kinnick Stadium have been ''lucky'' and ''charmed.'' But no one knew those words would pass from No. 8 Iowa to Northwestern in the blink of a Hawkeye on Saturday.
Bulls don rally caps again
They're not the Cardiac Kids just yet, but the Bulls are making a habit of comeback victories at home. Four days after overcoming an 18-point deficit in the second half en route to defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, the Bulls erased a nine-point deficit and survived some shaky free-throw shooting down the stretch to earn a 93-90 victory Saturday against the Charlotte Bobcats at the United Center.
Bowman, Hawks should be united in seeking center
Stan Bowman will attend his first NHL general managers meeting this week in Toronto as the Blackhawks' GM. The groundwork for trades often is created at the meeting, but after the Hawks went 8-4-1 in October, it didn't seem Bowman would be very interested in tweaking his roster.
Golden against Gophers
MINNEAPOLIS -- As defensive end Clay Nurse rumbled off the field, he shouted it out loud. Almost snarled it.
More Navy blues
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame's Fiesta Bowl bid and Jimmy Clausen's Heisman Trophy hopes were sunk with a 23-21 loss Saturday to Navy.
NFL back to L.A.? No, thank you
So I just got back to Los Angeles, which is where I live -- well, you don't really ''live'' in L.A. so much as you float through a surreal strip-mall-and-freeway-exit life -- and there is talk, once again, of the NFL coming back to town within a year or two or 200.
Bears are who they are—a mediocre team
Two-and-a-half seasons removed from their Super Bowl appearance, the Bears are who they never imagined they would be—just another mediocre football team.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Providence has close call against Oswego
In Friday night's Class 6A second-round playoff game against Oswego, Providence had to get it done in overtime. And sure enough, they had enough in the tank to remain alive.
Five turnovers spell end for LW East
Five turnovers spelled disaster for Lincoln-Way East in a 17-16 loss
to O'Fallon in the second round of the 7A playoffs on Friday night. The victory moves O'Fallon (8-3) on to face East St. Louis or Minooka in next weekend's quarterfinals. Lincoln-Way East (9-2) is eliminated from the second round for the second straight season.
JCA victory ranks as one for the ages
Ron Kremer: Few high school sporting events ever rise to the level of the
volleyball matchup between No. 1-ranked Joliet Catholic Academy and No.
2-rated Wheaton St. Francis.
Blackhawks come up short in a Colorado shootout
DENVER -- The Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche appear destined to
play long games. They went nine rounds into a shootout in the Hawks'
first game at the United Center this season before the Hawks pulled out
a victory, and Friday the shootout went eight tension-packed rounds. The Avalanche took this one 4-3, with Chris Stewart making the
decisive conversion before Dustin Byfuglien shot wide on his attempt to
send the shootout to a ninth round.
Perfect situation for Wildcats
Sometimes in Iowa, merely believing is enough. A part-time play-by-play man for a Davenport radio station went on to Des Moines, and later Ronald Reagan became the 40th president of the United States.
Williams' Sox remake begins with Teahen
Chris Getz and Josh Fields are Royals, Mark Teahen is the White Sox starting third baseman, Jermaine Dye is all but gone, talks with free agent-to-be Scott Podsednik have disintegrated, and Gordon Beckham is the new starting second baseman.
Local briefs: USF women top Lambuth
University of St. Francis roared back from a seven-point halftime
deficit and upset NAIA Division I ninth-ranked Lambuth, 65-61, on the
first day of the Union Bulldog Classic Friday afternoon.
Hunting heads toward 'bad old days'
Outdoors: Long before Carly Simon sang about "these are the good old days,"
America's outdoorsmen used the phrase to describe those wonderful,
muted memories of days in the field long, long ago.
USF's Sullivan has to wait for No. 500
Four St. Francis players scored in double figures but a second-half
scoring barrage by Grace Bible College (Mich.) was too much as the
Eagles overcame a 5-point halftime deficit and defeated the Saints
80-66 in the first round of the Davenport University Men's Basketball
Panther Invitational on Friday night.
Friday, November 6, 2009
JCA tops St. Francis
Joliet Catholic Academy coach Christine Scheibe didn't have to say much
to her team as it faced elimination at match point of the second game
of Thursday's Class 3A St. Francis Sectional final with the host
Spartans.
Providence atop list of area title hopefuls
Dick Goss: The Joliet area has nine teams remaining in the state high school football playoff hunt, with second-round games on tap this weekend. And so far, we still have the potential to send a team to the championship game in any of the six classes from 3A through 8A.
JCA's Wyman, Warren step to the fore
Ron Kremer: With the season on the line, Joliet Catholic Academy volleyball coach
Christine Scheibe had the presence to look at senior leader Annemarie
Hickey for some guidance.
Riddle me this: Who is Cutler?
Rick Telander: Who is Jay Cutler? Do you know? Do you have any real sense of the most-spotlighted athlete in our city at this time? I don't. And if you're honest, I think you'll admit you don't, either.
Hawks flunk history
Even in these difficult economic times, attendance hasn't been much of a problem for the NHL as a whole. But it has been an issue for the Blackhawks' first two November opponents.
'D' Bulls top LeBron
Would you believe the Bulls won for a second straight game because of their -- ahem -- defense? Believe it.
SPORTS WIRE: Harden, Pods among free agents
Cubs right-hander Rich Harden and outfielder Reed Johnson, along with White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik and backup catcher Ramon Castro,were among 79 major-league baseball players who filed for free agency Thursday, the first possible day.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Lemont places
We live in a world enamored by numbers, whether the topic is the stock
market's rise or fall, how many touchdowns or interceptions the Bears'
Jay Cutler has thrown or how many years since the Cubs last won the
World Series.
Joliet 3, St. Louis 1 -- let's build on that
Lincoln-Way East upheld the honor of the Joliet area last week when the
Griffins opened the Class 7A state high school football playoffs with a
35-7 win over Belleville West. Joliet Catholic Academy did the same
with a 48-7 thumping of Troy Triad in 5A, and Minooka joined in with a
44-25 win over 7A foe Edwardsville.
Area runners focus on Detweiller Park
A state championship may or may not be looming, but several area girls
and boys cross country teams will be looking to shine on the big stage
Saturday when the state cross country meets are run at Detweiller Park
in Peoria.
Olivet sweeps USF volleyball in first-place battle
Olivet Nazarene swept three straight games from University of St.
Francis and captured the CCAC regular-season championship over the
second-place Saints on Tuesday night. The Tigers won by scores of
25-12, 25-22 and 25-19.
USF's Sullivan wins No. 499
Sophomore forward Greg Leavell and junior center Bruce Watson -- who
both transferred to University of St. Francis this year from
Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich. -- lit up the scoreboard for 24
and 21 points, respectively, to lead the Saints to a 94-84 win over
Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.) in USF's season opener Wednesday
night at the Rec Center.
This Hammers' trade is special
Brandon McArthur has been acquired by the Joliet JackHammers for the
playing rights of Michael Moore. But it hardly ranks as your average
trade.
A title for Joe G.
Chris De Luca: Sure, the New York Yankees' 27th World Series championship will go down as one more trip down memory lane for Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. It means a long-awaited ring for baseball's all-time highest- paid player, Alex Rodriguez.
Clausen toughs it out after toe injury setback
Quarterback Jimmy Clausen suffered a bit of a setback with the turf toe he has played through the last five games. He aggravated his injured right foot in the third quarter of the victory over Washington State.
Healthy start, happy Deng
John Jackson: After fighting for an offensive rebound, scoring inside and drawing a foul against a bigger player in the fourth quarter of the Bulls' dramatic comeback victory Tuesday night, Luol Deng took a couple of steps and let out a scream that would have registered high marks on the noise meters shown on the United Center scoreboard.
Analyst Ozzie: 100 days to spring training
NEW YORK -- With his gig as a World Series analyst for Fox coming to a close, Ozzie Guillen suddenly found himself Wednesday thinking about his real job as White Sox manager.
Lilly optimistic after surgery on shoulder
The Cubs' effort to rebound from a disappointing 2009 season already took its first hit this week when their best pitcher from last season underwent arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Corey Krakowski shines at Indians' deep safety
Bill Scheibe: He trained during the offseason, a cold and bitter winter followed
by a warm and soothing summer, to be Minooka's quarterback. Mitch
Brozovich, the junior achiever and heir apparent, was supposed to be
shelved by labrum shoulder surgery. That didn't happen, so deep safety Corey Krakowski went back to being the quarterback of the defense.
Nine lives for our area entering Round 2
Dick Goss: As I reviewed the matchups in the nine second-round playoff football games involving area high schools, a thought occurred.
Honestly, virtually every game can go either way.
Blocked: Huskies fall short of finals
Benet, the top-seed in the Lockport Sectional was stretched by Downers
Grove North in Tuesday's sectional semifinals, but the Redwings
survived to play another day.
Hickey helps JCA set up battle
Annemarie Hickeya 5-foot-9 senior outside hitter, racked up seven of her match-high 13 kills in the first game of Joliet Catholic Academy's 25-15, 25-16 victory over Rosary in a semifinal match in the Class 3A Wheaton St. Francis Sectional on Tuesday night at St. Francis' Spyglass Athletic Center.
Dwight spikes way to sectional final
Kolby Hoffman had 12 kills and Chaney Tambling 9 as Dwight advanced in
the Class 1A Woodland Sectional volleyball tournament Tuesday night
with a 25-22, 25-15 semifinal victory over Colfax Ridgeview.
Peoria ND ends super Lemont run
If you continue along the state series trail in a given sport, one thing is certain. Sooner or later, you will face the best. That was the fate that befell the Lemont High School soccer team Tuesday afternoon as the Indians were matched against defending state champion Peoria Notre Dame in the Class 2A Notre Dame Supersectional.
Lemont falls under St. Francis' spell
Behind 14 kills and four aces from senior outside hitter Kelsey Robinson, Wheaton St. Francis ended Lemont's season with a 25-16, 25-14 victory in the semifinals of the St. Francis Class 3A sectional Tuesday night.
Will the real 'D' stand up?
Mike Mulligan: The progress of the Bears' defense has been treacherously betrayed by the man running it. The supposed improvement in the NFL rankings this year -- they jumped from 16th to 11th after beating woeful Cleveland on Sunday -- is nothing but a mirage. Sure, you take progress where you find it, even in a hollow run up the table to the defense's highest ranking since the Super Bowl year.
Bulls gut out a win
It was a strange day all around for the Bulls, from the sudden flu that benched Tyrus Thomas to their stunningly bad start in the game with the Milwaukee Bucks to the remarkable finish that staved off an embarrassing loss.
Clausen's choice clouds ND future
Neil Hayes: The decision that will most impact the future of Notre Dame football will not be made by President John I. Jenkins, athletics director Jack Swarbrick, coach Charlie Weis or the small group of influential alumni who have served as behind-the-scenes power brokers in the not-so-distant past.
It's Pedro's party; we're all invited
Chris De Luca: There was no World Series game Tuesday, just a workout before the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees resume play with Game 6 tonight. But that didn't mean there was no entertainment. All you need is a microphone, Yankee Stadium as the backdrop and Pedro Martinez live and on stage.
SPORTS WIRE: 3 softball players found dead
Three missing North Dakota college softball players were found dead Tuesday in a Jeep pulled from a pond, and police said they believed the women were in the vehicle when they made two desperate calls to friends for help.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Surf & turf: USF'S Goolsby rides wave
When one of John Goolsby's last college football wishes recently was granted, the only thing missing was the genie in the bottle. Goolsby, the former Morris High School standout, threw a single-game school-record tying four touchdown passes in the University of St. Francis' 62-20 victory over Olivet Nazarene on Oct. 24.
JCA looks to avoid speed bump at Cahokia
Speed on speed.
That is what is brewing for Saturday's Class 5A football second-round playoff matchup between Joliet Catholic Academy and Cahokia, one of nine weekend games involving area teams.
Homer runs toward state success
Success breeds success.
One can see it all over the sports arena. There is Florida football, Duke basketball and many local high school teams in this immediate area that year-in and year-out experience success, especially in football.
Briefs: Malak sisters have MGM Grand time
Two Lemont sisters, 14-year-old Lanaea Malak and her 10-year-old
sister Breanna, recently placed in the Toyota Arenacross Nation
Championships at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Bears dread the red zone
When Bob Babich was the Bears' defensive coordinator, it was always difficult to figure out where he started and Lovie Smith ended. The two were in lockstep. The perception is that since Smith replaced Babich as the play-caller, Ron Turner's role as co-head coach/offense has been reinforced.
Back off the Cliff
Chris De Luca: Even the Serbian cab driver who swears he has been following baseball for only one week had an opinion on Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel's World Series rotation.
Rusty Rose trying to get groove back
Bulls point guard Derrick Rose wants his groove back, and fast. Rose was the last player to leave the floor after practice Monday at the Berto Center in Deerfield.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Lemont claims superlight, varsity titles
It was a good day for the home team Sunday in the River Valley Conference Youth Football League Super Bowls.
The Lemont Hornets won two of the four games, taking the superlight championship 18-12 over the Joliet Raiders and the varsity title 12-6 over Frankfort Blue.
Cutler takes hits - on field and verbally; Payton honored
Bears coach Lovie Smith likes to talk about how losses don't leave a good taste in his mouth, but Sunday's 30-6 win over the Cleveland Browns probably didn't taste too good to Jay Cutler, who was swallowing blood after a blow to the chin from the helmet of Cleveland linebacker Kamerion Wimbley in the second quarter.
Eager-ly awaited news: 'Close to 100 percent'
Concussion is a word rarely uttered in the hockey world, but Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville used it without reservation in describing the problems that kept Ben Eager on the sideline the last four weeks.
More like a Brownout
There will come a point in this season when offensive coordinator Ron Turner no longer will be able to preach patience and say the offense needs to execute better.
McMurray snaps 86-race winless skid
TALLADEGA, Ala. -- NASCAR demanded drivers be on their best behavior at Talladega Superspeedway, where a ban on bump-drafting sanitized what's usually one of the most spectacular races of the season.
Just like old times: Favre wins at Lambeau
Brett Favre still knows how to win big games at Lambeau Field, even if this one came for the enemy and to a chorus of boos.
For the second time in less than a month, Brett Favre sliced up his former team and stuck it to the franchise that cast him aside as the Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 38-26 at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Ferguson, defense pack punch for JCA
JCA held Troy Triad to negative yardage until a fourth-quarter drive
and junior wingback Josh Ferguson danced and juked his way to four long touchdown runs as
the Hilltoppers opened the Class 5A playoffs Saturday afternoon with a
48-7 thumping of Triad at Memorial Stadium.
Return to glory for Lockport XC teams
A year ago both the Lockport boys and girls cross country teams missed going to state. This year, the Porters are back. Lockport advanced both its boys and girls teams to state, each with
fourth place finishes, in the Lockport Class 3A sectional Saturday at
Dellwood Park.
Morris leaves Chicago with another win
For the second straight year, Morris visited Chicago's Hanson Stadium in the first round of the playoffs. And, for the second straight year, the Redskins left Hanson Stadium
with a win, this time 19-6 over Chicago Raby in the first round of the
4A playoffs.
Nothing scary for Coal City in win
The seventh-seeded Coal City Coalers jumped out to a 20-0 lead and coasted from
there on their way to a 30-7 victory over visiting Dunlap in a
first-round, IHSA Class 4A state playoff game Saturday night.
Great ride ends for Plainfield North football
The Plainfield North Tigers drew powerful Chicago St. Rita in the first round of the
Class 7A playoffs and were sent home to pack their gear after a 40-14
loss to the Mustangs on Saturday night.
Lemont's Driscoll has his act down Pat
Ron Kremer: Yeah, yeah. Pat Driscoll knows the drill. The third-year defensive line starter on Lemont's football team knows
the first man to the opposing ballcarrier is supposed to wrap him up.
The second is then free to go for the strip.
Reed-Custer does Wilmington a favor
Dick Goss: The regular season is one thing. Once you enter the high school football playoffs, everything begins anew. That's the way Wilmington High School viewed its situation Friday
night, when neighboring rival Reed-Custer came calling for a Class 3A
opening-round battle.
Defense crucial in Wilmington win over R-C
Bill Scheibe: Isolated on an island at cornerback, and staring straight into the
facemask of 6-foot-2, 215-pound fullback Jim Benson being split wide,
Wilmington senior Justin Gruca transformed into Just(in) Time Gruca.
Nine lives for Joliet Catholic volleyball
With senior middle hitter Claire Randich carrying the load, the Joliet
Catholic Academy volleyball team's tradition of winning regional titles
continued Saturday afternoon.
Bears look lackluster in 30-6 win over Browns
Don’t mistake a 30-6 victory over the down-and-out Cleveland Browns on Sunday at Soldier Field for progress because, if anything, it was a step backward offensively a week after the Bears were beaten into humiliation in Cincinnati.
Lemont turns it on, tops Bremen in PKs
In the championship game of the Class 2A Lemont Sectional -- which was
moved away from the Indians' off-campus soccer facility to Lincoln-Way
West -- Lemont prevailed in penalty kicks over Bremen 1-0.
Celtics ousted in 2nd overtime
Edwardsville's Cameron Lauchner launched a perfect free kick from about 30 yards out on the
right side and Nick Marshall leaped into the air and converted a header from
in front of the left post to give the Tigers a 2-1 victory over
Providence Catholic in double overtime.
Huskies zip past Akron in second half
The Northern Illinois football team ran 20 more plays, held the ball
for 14 more minutes and had two runners top 100 yards rushing in
Saturday's 27-10 win over Akron in gusting, swirling winds at Huskie
Stadium. Somehow, though, NIU entered the fourth quarter trailing the Zips 10-6.
Defense powers JJC past DuPage
Joliet Junior College football coach Jeremy Richardson "guaranteed" a
victory Saturday against College of DuPage in the first round of the
Region IV playoffs.
Bears give Vasher a try in game vs. Browns
One of the problems the Bears have had on defense the past few seasons is that they haven't gotten production from some of the players they have paid. Not commensurate to the checks that were written by the club, anyway.
Hawthorne's chase and tackle gives boost to Illini
Who knew? Looking for a spark, Ron Zook has been juggling quarterbacks and cornerbacks, offensive linemen and kickers, safeties and tailbacks. Who knew that one tackle by one true freshman who went to his first training camp a wide receiver and came out as a cornerback would do the trick?
Goalie mask turns 50
Fifty years ago today, hockey changed forever. On Nov. 1, 1959, Jacques Plante became the first NHL goalie to wear a facemask, beginning the end of an era in which goalies -- including Blackhawks legend Glenn Hall -- did things that are incomprehensible today.
Game film vs. Celts gets thumbs down
BOSTON -- Instead of traveling to Miami immediately after the game Friday night -- as they often do -- the Bulls' itinerary called for them to stay over and practice before departing for Florida.
SPORTS WIRE: West returns, Cavs tip Bobcats:
Delonte West scored 13 points in his delayed season debut, Mo Williams added 24 and LeBron James 14 as the host Cleveland Cavaliers, back at full strength, rolled to a 90-79 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Minooka answers the call
With state powerhouse East St. Louis High School looming as the
potential challenge in the second round, the Minooka Indians (8-2) took care of
their own business with a 44-25 win over Edwardsville on Friday night
in the opening round of the 7A playoffs.
Linne lifts Central past Lockport in playoffs
Naperville Central senior quarterback Nick Linne threw four touchdown passes —
three to senior tight end Cam Brate — as the Redhawks scored 14
unanswered points in the second half to pull away from Lockport, 28-16,
Friday night in a Class 8A first-round playoff game.
'Brook survives first-round scare
On a night when the wind was a big factor, and field position was high
on the priority list, the Bolingbrook High School coaching staff took a
half-time gamble that paid off as the Raiders defeated Lyons Township
17-10 in the opening round of the 8A playoffs.
Time for Lemont's other stars to shine
Cody Kamberos ran for 101 yards on 5 carries and scored a touchdown in
Lemont's 37-0 victory over Lincoln-Way North in the opening round of
the 6A playoffs on Friday night. Lee Taylor caught 5 passes for 56
yards, including a 14-yard TD grab.
Wilmington meets Reed-Custer challenge
The high school football playoffs are an entirely different animal. Oh, yes, favored Wilmington (10-0) did what was expected Friday night,
eliminating Interstate Eight Conference and neighborhood rival
Reed-Custer 33-7 in a Class 3A opener, setting up next week's home game
against St. Joseph-Ogden.
Providence rolls over Harlan in opener
NEW LENOX -- After battling and clawing its way to an 8-1 regular season finish and a Chicago Catholic League Blue Division championship, the Providence Catholic Celtics found that they had to get into the state playoffs before they could get a breather.
Van Gennep, Starke spark East blowout
Behind a balanced offensive attack, the Lincoln-Way East football team
rolled to an easy 35-7 win over Belleville West in the opening round of
the Class 7A playoffs Friday night.
Peotone rocked by Richmond-Burton
It's hard to find much good to say after your football team loses 40-7,
but Peotone coach Kevin Greene was able to Friday night after his Blue
Devils fell to Richmond-Burton by that score in the first round of the
4A playoffs.
Local briefs: USF women snap skid
Freshman outside hitter Jazzmyne Robbins authored 12 kills to lead
University of St. Francis to a three-game sweep of CCAC rival Calumet
College of St. Joseph (Ind.) on Thursday night at the Recreation Center.
'We'll win World Series'
Three years ago this month, in a prelude to a sale as it turned out, John McDonough took over as Cubs president and declared, ''It's time to win a World Series.'' Since then, time, a half-billion dollars in payroll commitments and McDonough have passed through an organization still waiting on a World Series with the urgency of a five-beer buildup at the back of the line for a Wrigley Field trough. Next!
From rousing to routed
It would have been unrealistic to expect Friday night's matchup between the Bulls and Boston Celtics to duplicate the excitement of last season's epic first-round playoff series. But no one -- especially the Bulls coming off a rousing win the previous night -- expected an epic blowout instead.
Bowl fates on line for Wildcats, Lions
Legends will haunt and hover about both sidelines at Ryan Field today. For Penn State, it will be Joe Paterno -- hallowed, iconic, long ago canonized by the most ardent spirits of Happy Valley -- in search of a sustained surge into November and a few breaks to get his No. 12 Nittany Lions on the marquee of a BCS game.
Sharp's dagger gets it done
The Blackhawks washed away the bad taste of a shutout loss at Nashville in a hurry. They concluded the first month of the season with a rousing 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in one of those rare matchups of NHL Original Six franchises Friday night at the United Center.
A-Rod whiff total mounts; no boos yet
PHILADELPHIA -- After breaking out of his postseason slump by driving in 12 runs during the first two rounds of the playoffs, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has been silent in the first two games of the World Series, going 0-for-8 with six strikeouts.
Lincoln-Way C. comes up on short end
NEW LENOX -- The 266-mile trip to O'Fallon from New Lenox probably seemed a lot shorter to the visiting Panthers than did the short walk to the locker room for the Lincoln-Way Central Knights.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Plainfield North pulls switch on Lockport
A change will do you good.
That certainly could be the theme song for the Plainfield North girls volleyball team. The Tigers have made some changes that have worked out for the better and those continued in a 25-19, 25-21 victory over Lockport Thursday night in the semifinals of the Class 4A Oswego East Regional.
Primed for the playoffs
The nine Friday night high school football playoff games involving area schools are likely to be played in rain and wind. Let's take a look at a sampling of our playoff quarterbacks who caught my eye during the season, beginning in Class 8A.
JCA, Lemont off to flying starts in 3A
The Joliet Catholic Academy girls volleyball opened defense of its 3A
state title with a 25-7, 25-7 victory over Morris in the regional
semifinal play on Thursday night at Morris.
Minooka hops to victory thanks to Hopper
Strong net play by outside hitter Dariyan Hopper and middle hitter
Caleigh Hill led Minooka to a 25-18, 25-13 victory over
Bradley-Bourbonnais in the opening round of the 4A Minooka Regional on
Thursday.
Lewis lands two on GLVC squad
The GLVC announced on Thursday that Lewis University's Nestor Hernandez
and Zac Bond have been named to the All-GLVC Men's Soccer First Team,
as voted on by the conference coaches.
Troy Triad at JCA
#11 Troy Triad (7-2) at #6 JCA (7-2)
Class: 5A
Kickoff: 3 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Meyers is main middle man for Plainfield North
Please forgive, if you can, Plainfield North middle linebacker Matt
Meyers for the first two letters of his last name. It is one of those
few times he ever will be associated with, or even mention, the
objective pronoun of "me."
Morris sitting pretty for foray into 4A
Morris finishes 5-4 to qualify for the state high school football
playoffs, gets in as the largest Class 4A school rather than landing in
5A, and then the Redskins draw Chicago Raby for an opening-round
opponent at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hanson Stadium.
DeFilippis: Right place, right time
Kevin DeFilippis picked a great time to score his first two goals of the season.
DeFilippis scored twice as Providence Catholic edged out Normal Community 2-1 in a double-overtime thriller in the 3A Edwardsville Sectional on Wednesday at Illinois State University's Adelaide Street Field.
2010: Hammers play 50 at home
The Joliet JackHammers have announced their 2010 regular-season
schedule, which includes 50 home games. The Hammers will begin play
Friday, May 21, in Fargo, N.D., against the defending Northern League
champion Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.
Pashos injury stings 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers took a big blow to their already struggling
offensive line Tuesday, losing right tackle Tony Pashos for the season
with a broken left shoulder blade. Pashos is a former Lockport High School all-stater.
Huston solves problem
Christine Scheibe is returning home with a team intent on once again bringing it all home.
Her Joliet Catholic Academy volleyball team boasts a 34-1 record and is ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 9 in the nation heading into postseason play.
Positive vibes flowing through Big Ten hoops country
Tom Crean was so excited for this season to start that his wife had to
remind him to put on a show for the fans at Hoosier Hysteria, not run
conditioning drills. And that's the coach of the last-place team. It was that kind of a year in the Big Ten in 2008-09.
5 keys to Bulls' success
Usually there's somewhat of a consensus among the newspapers, magazines and Web sites that produce NBA previews. The projected conference standings are remarkably similar, and a team's ranking generally doesn't vary more than two or three spots. That's not the case with the Bulls. Depending on the preview, they're ranked anywhere from fourth to 10th in the Eastern Conference.
Lovie on guard over lineup
With the Bears facing the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, coach Lovie Smith paid tribute to Browns coach Eric Mangini with a vow of silence about a rumored change at left guard.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Rise of Phoenix
After winning state titles as the defensive coordinator at both Providence Catholic and Lockport, George Czart became Lincoln-Way North's first head coach for the 2008 season, then compiled his depth chart. In consultation with the Lincoln-Way East coaching staff, Czart started a star search. He called the concept "crushing," but Czart identified the program's No. 1 athlete and made him the Phoenix quarterback.
Bahena gives LWC boot
Lincoln-Way Central coach Dan Radz could only shake his head after watching his team fall 4-0 to Eisenhower in Tuesday night's Class 3A Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional semifinal, but it wasn't because the Knights had lost.
South may rise again -- but not this year
The state high school football playoffs lump schools of similar enrollment into each of the eight classes.
The idea is that everyone begins the playoffs on somewhat of an equal playing field.
Lemont pours on the offense in rout of JCA
Scoring goals in the rain.
That certainly was what the Lemont soccer team was doing Tuesday night. Senior forward Dillon Perez scored a pair of goals as the Indians scored early and often and went on to a 7-0 victory over Joliet Catholic Academy in the Class 2A Lemont Sectional semifinals.
USF playoff bid falls short
University of St. Francis' bid for the eighth and final spot in the CCAC women's soccer post-season championship tournament fell just short and the Saints' season came to an end with a 1-0 loss to Cardinal Stritch Tuesday afternoon at the Galowich YMCA field.
Tait Erikson file
Quarterback Tait Erikson helps lead Lincoln-Way North's 'amazing' ride from worst to first -- times two
Four ways to fix the season: Salvage job starts here, now
Mike Mulligan: The Bears are finished in everyone's mind but their own. A dreadful defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals is sure to awaken self-doubt and invite a collapse of confidence, but the perfect elixir comes in the form of the Cleveland Browns, who turn up Sunday at Soldier Field.
World Series champion is ...
This is the blueprint the White Sox hoped -- and needed -- to follow: Win a World Series one year to end a frustrating dry spell, then return to the same stage the next October. It's easier said than done, but here are the Philadelphia Phillies facing the last team to pull off the feat, the New York Yankees.
Alamodome away from home for ND
Notre Dame will try to make the Alamodome feel like home Saturday, when the Irish ''host'' Washington State (1-6) in San Antonio: The band will make the trip. Mike Collins, who is the public-address announcer at Notre Dame Stadium, will work the game.
Bringing the Negro Leagues to life
Dave Hoekstra: Baseball historians often read between the lines to grasp the essence of the Negro Leagues. They were formed out of necessity in 1920 in Chicago when black players were excluded from the Major Leagues because of racial discrimination. After Jackie Robinson broke the color line in 1947, the leagues continued until 1955.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Keeping it all in the Celtics family
The line stops here?
Nope.
After senior defensive back/wide receiver Cody Cleveland plays in his final football game for Providence Catholic High School, the family name will remain a part of Celtic lore for the foreseeable future.
Long trips aside, area optimism abounds
As I composed the accompanying chart that details the starting times
for this weekend's opening-round games involving area schools in the
state high school football playoffs, I could not help but think about
what may be in store for next week.
Stenberg stands out
Former Lockport High School standout Mark Stenberg returned home from a
recent trip south of the border with another achievement to mark on his
burgeoning wrestling resume.
Lewis-ND game on TV
Lewis University athletic director Dan Schumacher announced that
Sunday's men's basketball exhibition game between the Flyers and
Division I Notre Dame will be aired live on Lakeshore Public Television.
USF's Goolsby named Player of the Week
University of St. Francis senior quarterback John Goolsby has been
named the Mid-States Football Association/Midwest League Offensive
Player of the Week after firing a USF school record-tying four
touchdown passes in the Saints' 62-20 victory over rival Olivet
Nazarene Saturday night.
Talking about practice
Tommie Harris was right. It wasn't his chronic left knee woes that prevented him from playing in the 45-10 massacre Sunday at Cincinnati. Instead, it was a more restrictive authority, coach Lovie Smith, who ruled he would sit out practice last week and the game.
Huet getting on a roll
It's much too early to tell if the Blackhawks made the right decision last summer in signing Marian Hossa to a long-term contract and allowing Martin Havlat to move on to the Minnesota Wild.
Captain Kirk again
Although the roster has undergone many changes, the one constant in the Bulls' locker room the last few years is Kirk Hinrich being named a team captain after the annual players' vote.
Notebook: Illinois, NU, ND, nation
Mikel Leshoure will be the first option at running back when Illinois returns home against Michigan on Saturday (2:30 p.m., Ch. 7), coach Ron Zook said.
Cubs look safe at home
Don't start pricing timeshares in Southwest Florida for Cubs spring training trips yet.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Seed not important as Homer wins state
They were not even the No. 1 seed in the regional tournament.
But taking that slight, the Homer Junior High School baseball team parlayed winning the regional, then the sectional, into a trip to the Illinois Elementary School Association Elite Eight.
Ibarra's goal powers Lewis
No. 21 Lewis and Rockhurst played to a scoreless tie for 80 minutes Sunday.
However a late goal by Jose Ibarra of Romeoville gave the Flyers the only score they needed as the Flyers topped the Hawks 1-0.
LaRussa closer to decision on future
ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa took a flight from his West Coast home to St. Louis on Sunday for further talks about his future. There was a report, too, Mark McGwire might join him as a coach.
Hamlin charges for late win
MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Denny Hamlin didn't need to do anything funny to exact his revenge from Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville Speedway. He just drove right by him.
Bears humiliated by Benson, Bengals
Cedric Benson said last week that ''my dreams are coming true'' with the Cincinnati Bengals, but he didn't mention anything about nightmares beginning for the Bears.
Deng ready for next step
The primary goal for Luol Deng in the preseason was proving he was healthy after missing essentially six months with a stress fracture of the lower right leg. Mission accomplished on that front. The 6-9 forward played in all eight preseason games and participated in every practice, including the two-a-day sessions the first week of training camp.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Man-child Indians cash in win over P'field C.
Bill Scheibe: In a cramped storage shed underneath the Plainfield Central visitors'
bleachers, offensive coordinator Frank Yudzentis stepped into the
middle of the team's postgame circle and captured Minooka's moment
perfectly Friday.
JCA corners market for title
Senior Mitch Cunnea scored off a corner in the first half and JCA made
it stand up for a 1-0 win over Illiana Christian as the Hilltoppers
captured the title of its own Class 2A regional Saturday afternoon.
Oh, brother! LWC shuts down LWE
Freshman goalkeeper Mike Dybala came up with some huge saves and his
older brother, senior striker Chris Dybala, scored the first goal as
Lincoln-Way Central toppled Lincoln-Way East 2-0 in the Class 3A
regional final Saturday afternoon at Lincoln-Way North.
Physical play back in vogue at Minooka
Dick Goss: Minooka High School last participated in the state football playoffs in 2003. That Minooka team, coached by current Plainfield South coach Mike Briscoe, was tough. Those Indians went toe to toe with the big boys, never backing down.
The trademark is back.
Ivlow puts stamp on Bolingbrook team
Ron Kremer: After watching Bolingbrook beat Lincoln-Way Central to capture a share
of its third straight conference football championship, I was struck by
one of those lightning-bolt type thoughts that every now and again
jolts my mind and renews my sense of purpose.
Lockport girls, boys take regional title
For your Saturday morning entertainment, how about a nice traipse through the mud? The runners at the Class 3A Bolingbrook High School boys and girls
regional cross country meets at DuPage River Park enjoyed the
experience, especially those who advanced to next week's sectional at
Dellwood Park.
Lincoln-Way East, Minooka pack in wins
At this time last year, Minooka's Joe McAsey was on the football field for the sophomore team. The last time the Lincoln-Way East girls took the starting line at
Channahon Community Park, Nicole Nepote was on the frosh-soph team. On Saturday, each was a key ingredient in their teams' recipe for
success at the Class 3A Minooka Regional as each rolled to second-place
finishes.
Goolsby, USF light up the scoreboard
On a night when senior quarterback John Goolsby tied a single-game
passing record and the University of St. Francis football team matched
a 17-year-old scoring record, there was another record coach Mike
Uremovich was proud to see his academic All-America lineman set.
Playoff capsule: No. 1 L-Way East
For those who have not been paying attention, Lincoln-Way East is in 7A
this season, not 8A. And as much as we hear about the strength of 7A,
the fact remains, nobody in 7A wants to see Lincoln-Way East coming.
Playoff capsule: No. 2 Providence
Providence Catholic, the No. 2 seed in the 16-team upper bracket,
perhaps is as much of a favorite to win a state title as anyone in our
area.
Playoff capsule: No. 3 Minooka
Our area apparently has joined the Southwestern Conference, and that
includes top-ranked East St. Louis, which Minooka could face in Round 2.
Playoff capsule: No. 4 L-Way Central
Whew! Lincoln-Way Central got the No. 4 seed in an eight-team quadrant
of the upper bracket, and as such, the Knights are the only 6-3 team in
7A to secure a home game.
Playoff capsule: No. 4 Lemont
Lemont is the two-time defending runnerup in 6A and this time is locked
into what appears to be a quality 16-team upper bracket. The
Playoff capsule: No. 6 JCA
Welcome, Hilltoppers, to the deep South. JCA, the No. 6 seed in the
16-team upper bracket, not only opens against No. 11 Troy Triad,
champion of the Mississippi Valley Conference, but guess what looms in
Round 2?
Playoff capsule: No. 7 Coal City
Coal City, the No. 7 seed in the 16-team lower bracket, stumbled around a bit in mid-season but seems to have righted the ship.
Area briefs: L-Way West girls reach sectionals
The Lincoln-Way West girls cross country team had a successful showing
in its first varsity regional Saturday, taking second place in the
Class 2A Sandwich Regional and advancing to next week's East Peoria
Sectional.
Shout-out for shutout
Center Jonathan Toews and defenseman Brent Seabrook played in all 82 regular-season games last season and were big reasons the Hawks amassed 104 points and advanced to the Western Conference finals.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Minooka beats P'field C. in mud bowl
You line up two high school football teams together that have been improving all season. You have plenty riding on the outcome for both sides. What do you get? Friday night's thriller at Plainfield Central, where Minooka clinched
the Southwest Prairie Conference championship with a thrilling 21-13
victory.
'Brook's Martin makes L-Way C. feel sick
Jamel Martin wasn't feeling very good, but the senior tailback put aside his illness and
helped Bolingbrook gain a share of the Southwest Suburban Blue football
crown. He rushed for 172 yards on 23 carries and scored 4 touchdowns in
a 26-13 victory over Lincoln-Way Central on Friday night at Lashmet
Field.
JCA routs ND for share of ESCC
Joliet Catholic Academy claimed a share of the East Suburban Catholic
Conference title Friday night by routing Niles Notre Dame 55-14 at
Memorial Stadium.
Providence pulls off late win over Mt. Carmel
Junior quarterback Joey Houlihan engineered a Catholic League Blue championship
drive that pulled Providence Catholic from near certain defeat to an
electrifying 17-14 win over Mt. Carmel.
Oswego stops Romeoville ride
After averaging over 33 points per game and scoring at least 20 points
in every outing, Romeoville's football team was shut down on Friday
night.
PFN runs past district rival PFE
The Plainfield North High School football team completed its regular
season with an impressive 43-0 Southwest Prairie Conference win over
neighborhood District 202 rival Plainfield East Friday night.
Adams shines for PFS in win over Oswego E.
It's becoming all too familiar for the Plainfield South football team.
For the second straight year, the Cougars finished 5-4 and will likely
miss the playoffs after a 40-15 win over Oswego East.
7th win slips through Lockport's fingers
Lockport was stunned by a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns as Sandburg
rallied for a 14-10 win in an old-fashioned Southwest Suburban Blue
battle Friday night.
L-Way East wraps up title share
Lincoln-Way East (8-1, 6-1) played near flawless football in the opening
half, rolled to a 28-0 lead at the break and then claimed a share of
the Southwest Suburban Blue title with a 35-14 win.
Maldonado on mark as Morris makes it in
For the second straight season, the Morris Redskins found themselves in
a do-or-die situation entering Week 9 of the high school football
season. And for the second straight season, the Redskins got the job done.
Football roundup: Lemont cruises to conference title
With 8:55 left in the first half -- just over 15 minutes into the game
-- Lemont led Bremen 41-0. They cruised from there, winning the
South Suburban Blue game 41-6 to clinch at least a tie for the
conference title.
Providence gets its payback
Providence Catholic High School's boys soccer team got the rematch it
wanted with Joliet Township, and the Celtics didn't waste it.
Local briefs: Altansarnia, Foster advance
Plainfield Central High School sophomore Ali Foster and Plainfield
North sophomore Jackie Altansarnia both advanced to the third round of
the weather-abbreviated Girls State Tennis Tournament before being
eliminated Friday.
Point is, tall guys take over for Bulls
To save time in his pregame remarks Friday night, Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro simply listed the point guards playing -- Lindsey Hunter -- instead of the usual practice of naming the injured players sitting out.
ND needs to stop losing streak to BC
Notre Dame is at the halfway point of its season and, given its 4-2 record, likely will have to go 6-0 from here on out to even be considered for a BCS bowl invitation.
Center of ascension
The Blackhawks acquired Andrew Ebbett at just the right time. He'd be an able fill-in for Jonathan Toews if the team captain can't play tonight against the Nashville Predators at the United Center.
'Healthy' Tommie Harris out for Bengals game
Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said Thursday morning on WSCR-AM (670) that defensive tackle Tommie Harris ''is healthy.'' A statement on Harris' health hasn't been that inaccurate since coach Lovie Smith announced at the start of training camp that Harris was ''100 percent healthy.''
Newman takes the pole at Martinsville
Twice in the first five races of NASCAR's season-ending, 10-race Chase
for the championship, Juan Pablo Montoya's frustration because of
something that happened on the track has been aimed at Mark Martin, a
fellow contender for the title.
Friday, October 23, 2009
One for the JCA book of memories
Whenever a group of seniors play together on their home court for the final time, it's always special.
Especially when you're the top-rated team in the state.
Such was the case for Joliet Catholic Academy Thursday night. The defending Class 3A state champion Angels celebrated senior night by doing what they have done so often this season, winning a match in two games, with a 25-12, 25-16 victory over Providence.
Playoff questions about to be answered
The long-awaited Week 9 has arrived.
As much fun as it is to speculate on which area high school football teams will qualify for the playoffs, and which will be in which class, this is the weekend when we will know for sure.
No. 14 Saint Leo chops USF down to size
SAINT LEO, Fla. -- NCAA Division II No. 14 Saint Leo University handed University of St. Francis its third straight loss on the Saints' fall break Florida trip with a three-game sweep on Thursday night.
Joliet absorbs draft-day losses
JOLIET -- The Northern League expansion draft was held Thursday and two JackHammers have found a new home in Lake County with the Fielders.
Don't panic about Bears' running game
Mike Mulligan: With the Bears playing the Cincinnati Bengals and Cedric Benson on Sunday, it's a perfect time for one of those ''Where Are They Now?'' features about former Bears running backs. Benson has resuscitated his career and ranks third in the NFL in rushing this season. Matt Forte ... whatever happened to that guy?
Rose may take court against Wizards
After being listed as day-to-day for nearly three weeks with a lingering injury to his right ankle, Bulls point guard Derrick Rose finally returned to the practice court Thursday.
Reeling continues after tough hit on Toews
Vicious, but clean. That's the universal assessment of the hit that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell delivered on Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews late in the game Wednesday at the United Center.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
P'field C. linebacker has been defensive ‘Superman’
Bill Scheibe: Superman's cape has been the subject of several genres, including a Jim
Croce song. Like it or not, Plainfield Central middle linebacker Ryan
Carr inherited that type of handle after playing 10 varsity games last
year.
Lincoln-Way Central outlasts Marist
C.J. Zuraitis took one for the team. He was chasing down a 50/50 ball with 4:57 left in the fourth overtime
of Lincoln-Way Central's 2-1 victory over Marist in a 3A regional
semifinal on Wednesday night. He collided with Marist keeper Michael
Duddleston inside the goalie box.
P'field N. sophomores can play some tennis
Dick Goss: Plainfield North High School sophomore Jackie Altansarnai against Plainfield Central sophomore Ali Foster. All you need to see are a couple of volleys to understand you are watching something special.
Cedric Benson claims Bears tried to blackball him
Cedric Benson is a different player on the field for the Cincinnati Bengals than he ever was for the Bears. Off the field, the mercurial fourth pick from the 2005 draft remains the same person. Benson speaks what's on his mind, says what he believes to be the truth and doesn't care who is listening or what they think of his opinion.
Cubs land a heavy hitter in Jaramillo
No hitting coach ever has been credited with leading a team to the World Series. And not even Rudy Jaramillo's best groups of hitters have taken him there.
Vancouver rallies to beat Hawks 3-2
Remember that epic battle between the Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks in Game 6 of their playoff series last May? Well, Wednesday's first meeting since then wasn't anything like the postseason game.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Area doubles teams form parade to state
Joliet Catholic Academy girls tennis coach Charlie Berta was facing a potential dilemma.
His season-long lineup featured a couple of very good singles players in freshman Harley Hutchinson and junior Jessie Bertino.
Wilmington packs the power with Bailey
Fifteen times, Wilmington junior Jeremy Bailey has reached the end zone this year. The sturdy 5-foot-9, 196-pound wingback/outside linebacker has scored 15 touchdowns through rushes, another on a pass reception and, finally, the capper on a fumble return.
Gritzman rallies Lockport past JT
The Lockport girls volleyball team had more seniors than it did home matches this season.
So the Porter seniors, playing in their sixth and final regularly scheduled home match, went out in style by rallying for a 22-25, 25-22, 25-16 victory over Joliet Township in a Southwest Suburban blue match Tuesday evening at Lockport Central.
LW West's Villa takes 1 for team
The scream that Lincoln-Way West junior Samantha Villa let out when she drove for a loose ball in Game 2 and landed on her right elbow was ear-splitting.
It was nothing, however, compared to the screams that all of the Warriors let out after they scored a shocking 12-25, 25-23, 25-23 Southwest Suburban Red victory Tuesday over Lincoln-Way North.
Providence, JT set up regional rematch
Providence scored two early goals as it defeated Minooka following a JT 3-1 win over Bradley Bourbonnais in 3A regional semifinals on Tuesday. The stage is now set for the Celtic-Steelmen rematch in the Minooka Regional final at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Plainfield N. edges PFC; JCA clinches tie
Relying on seniors, the Plainfield North volleyball team maintained the lead in the Southwest Prairie Conference race.
Kylee Koon contributed 11 kills and 2 aces and Kylee Baker, the Ball State recruit, chalked up 10 kills and 12 digs as the Tigers slipped past host Plainfield Central 27-25, 22-25, 25-13.
Jamnik goal gives JCA a lift
JOLIET -- For much of the first half, the Joliet Catholic Academy boys soccer team was knocking on the door in a 2A regional semifinal against Rich South.
Rookie Niemi earns start in goal
The Blackhawks' goaltender saga took a new twist Tuesday when rookie Antti Niemi was named the starter for tonight's game against the Vancouver Canucks at the United Center.
Rose better, but still not ready to go
The Bulls didn't do any work on the court Tuesday, instead using their allotted practice time for film review and weight training. So technically, Derrick Rose didn't miss another session.
How did Illinois get so bad?
How did it get this bad? How did Illinois go from the Pasadena Express to the Stupor Chief in less than two years?
Chelios signs with the Wolves
CHICAGO -- Chris Chelios, the 47-year-old defenseman who spent 25 years in the NHL, signed Tuesday with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.
Rollins comes through for Phils
PHILADELPHIA -- They were one out from defeat. A moment later, Jimmy Rollins put the Fightin' Phils within one win of the World Series.
Judson lowers boom on USF
ELGIN -- Judson took control early and pulled away to a 7-1 CCAC men's soccer victory over University of St, Francis Tuesday afternoon at Dawson Field.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
JTHS reveals plan for Silver Cross Field
A new plan connecting Silver Cross Field to Joliet Central High School was is in the works.
School officials now propose practice fields and greenery in the area between the school and stadium. Silver Cross Field would be made available for Joliet Central football and soccer.
JT primed to give best shot in regional
"We played poorly and they played well," Joliet Township High School boys soccer coach Eduardo Contreras said of last Thursday's 3-1 loss to Bolingbrook, which prevented the Steelmen (19-1-2) from outright possession of the Southwest Suburban Red championship, instead sharing the crown with the Raiders, and spoiled the unbeaten season.
Will County Open at T&C Nov. 14-15
Some of the area's best male bowlers will be competing Nov. 14-15 at Town & Country Lanes for a chance to win an estimated top prize of $800 and a paid entry into the 67th Lumber Liquidators U. S. Open, scheduled Feb. 21-28 in Indianapolis.
Coaching now Wehrle's gig
By day, he works as an estimator and project manager for a commercial roofing company. By night, he runs the Wehrle-bird offense.
Matt Wehrle, in his first year as the quarterbacks coach at Minooka High School -- his alma mater -- has helped the Indians lift off the ground with more and more regularity in recent weeks.
Adams starting over with Bears
New DE finds second chance after Tampa LAKE FOREST -- Defensive end Gaines Adams didn't live up to his billing in Tampa Bay. Now, the former first-round pick is getting another chance in Chicago.
A walk-off winner for Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- When Derek Jeter led off Game 3 with a homer into the bullpen, this AL championship series seemed uncomplicated. Power hitting and steady pitching appeared to be driving New York to the World Series.
Arrest coming in UConn stabbing
STORRS, Conn. -- A Bloomfield man will be arrested in the stabbing death of a University of Connecticut football player, his lawyer said Monday night, as police continued to sort out what happened during a fight outside a school-sponsored dance over the weekend.
JJC men roll to victory
JOLIET -- The Joliet Junior College men's soccer team ended its regular season on a high note Monday, defeating Waubonsee Community College 5-2.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Like night and day for Cutler
Brad Biggs: Our Bears beat writer plays Monday quarterback and makes his observations about the 21-14 loss to the Falcons last night in Atlanta.
Q&A with JT's Davonte Thomas
Davonte Thames: I started playing for the Joliet Titans when I was in
third grade. I started because my big brothers (Titus and Michael) both
played football, and my mom asked me if I wanted to play, too. I was
going to do wrestling instead.
Hawks' Sharp helps ailing child
Patrick Sharp has been a consistently good player for the Blackhawks since he was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers midway through the 2005-06 season. To at least one family in the Hawks' growing fan base, however, Sharp is an even better person.
Rose getting closer -- but so is the regular-season opener
Point guard Derrick Rose, who has been sidelined since Oct. 2 with an injured right ankle, is getting close to returning but continued to sit Sunday as the Bulls conducted an open practice for season-ticket holders at the United Center.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Coal City surges past Reed-Custer
Bill Scheibe: Helmets are worn in football for various reasons, including the
players' safety and protection. Coal City defensive end Kyle Krause
came up with another application during the fourth quarter Friday.
JCA doubles pleasure in chilly sectional
The three matches contested under the lights Saturday night in
Romeoville told pretty much the story of a long, cold day at the
Bolingbrook Sectional Girls Tennis Tournament.
L-Way N. takes the fifth -- win
One goal down, one to go for the Lincoln-Way North football team.
The Phoenix (5-3, 5-0) picked up their fifth win of the season Saturday afternoon, defeating Southwest Suburban Red rival Thornridge 26-6.
Foltys, Pancoska lead Lockport
The combination of seniors Niko Foltys and Max (Pancake) Pancoska sure
sounded good for Lockport's football team. The duo came through in a
big way to score on a pair of blocked punts as the Porters pulled away
to defeat Joliet Township 41-6 in a SouthWest Suburban Blue matchup
Saturday afternoon at Joliet West.
Home cooking suits Lockport boys
Maybe it was home field advantage, maybe it wasn't. Either way,
Lockport won the boys title at the Southwest Suburban Blue cross
country meet Saturday at Dellwood Park.
JJC gets defensive in N4C victory
After a couple of weeks of watching the scoreboard light up like a slot
machine, Joliet Junior College football coach Jeremy Richardson was
more than happy with Saturday's 13-7 win over Harper.
A top-5 for 3 area entries in state golf
The three Joliet area entries in the boys state golf tournaments --
Providence Catholic High School, Joliet Catholic Academy and Lemont --
all had arrived in the Bloomington-Normal area with hopes of claiming a
state championship.
JCA routs McAuley for Autumnfest crown
For Joliet Catholic Academy's senior volleyball players, Saturday afternoon's championship match of the Glenbard East Autumnfest Tournament was a long time coming.
This one wins Tournament of Strange
John Jackson has been coaching football for a long time now.
You would think he has seen it all.
Perhaps after what transpired Friday night in Romeoville, that indeed is the case.
Memory of David McKay on display
At midfield, moments after Lincoln-Way East beat Lincoln-Way Central, players from both teams took a knee. Lincoln-Way Central athletic director Hud Venerable marched the Dave McKay Gridiron Grail trophy out for presentation to the Griffins' captains.
Plainfield E. rallies for first varsity win
You've got to hand it to Plainfield East's football team.
Trailing 12-8 in the final minute after losing seven straight games, it would have been easy for the Bengals to consider Friday night's game over.
Lincoln-Way East win 4th sectional tennis title
It's a four-peat in sectional girls tennis for Lincoln-Way East.
The Griffins' Leah Pascarella won the singles championship of the Lincoln-Way North Sectional 6-1, 6-1. In the third-place match, North's Selena Smith topped Lincoln-Way Central's Lauren Papa 6-1, 6-0.
Two special teams set for battle
Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett wanted to escape the wet and cold after practice Friday afternoon, but they couldn’t. Special-teams coordinator Dave Toub was bellowing at them to line up from across the Halas Hall practice field.
Heat's still on Huet
The United Center boo birds came after Cristobal Huet again Saturday night, and with some reason. The Blackhawks' goaltender let in two bad goals, and they led to a 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars and the end of the Hawks' four-game winning streak before a sellout crowd of 20,424.
New role: Thomas turns teacher
Tyrus Thomas has been called many things during his time with the Bulls, but many would be surprised to learn that ''mentor'' is among them.
Irish simply run out of magic
Once again, it wasn't time for Notre Dame to beat USC. Not even when a video review Saturday gave the Irish one more second to try and at least send the game into overtime. But the final play of a 34-27 loss -- the eighth straight for the Irish to the Trojans -- ended with both quarterback Jimmy Clausen's pass and Duval Kamara on the ground in the end zone.
What, Stern worry?
I like NBA referees as much as the next basketball junkie -- who doesn't delight in watching Joey Crawford T-up Jerry Sloan? -- but as they sit at home these days watching ''Forget Paris'' on DVD, I have one bit of career advice for them:
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Coalers win it at the wire
You wouldn't expect any less when these two teams get together. Coal City and Reed-Custer locked horns in their annual Interstate Eight Large neighborhood battle, and it came down to the wire. As often happens when two evenly matched football teams meet, special teams made the difference.
L-Way East delivers knockout blow
Austin Copley delivered the biggest hit. Copley's knockout blow forced a second-quarter fumble in Lincoln-Way East's 35-12 victory over district rival Lincoln-Way Central on
Friday night at Lashmet Field. Pat Meehan recovered the loose ball on
the Knights' 7.
Morris 'D' dials up a win
Defense was the name of the game Friday night as Morris slugged out a 31-7 NCIC Reagan win over Streator.
It's Plainfield C. on one wild and crazy night
A veteran official came over to the chain gang and said, "This game has
more weird, unique penalties than any one I've ever seen." A fellow reporter on the sideline must have remarked a half-dozen times, "You ain't seen nothin' yet."
Minooka takes control of SPC race
Minooka exchanged their glass slipper for a ticket to the playoffs. Looked at as the surprise team of the Southwest Prairie Conference,
Minooka silenced their doubters with a convincing 34-14 win over
previously conference unbeaten Oswego.
JCA defense matches 'tough' MC
Although Joliet Catholic Academy rolled up 372 yards rushing in its
28-6 East Suburban Catholic Conference win over Marian Catholic Friday
night, the Hilltoppers' defense received the game ball from coach Dan
Sharp.
Geever's 3 TDs lead 'Brook
Brad Geever threw for 3 touchdowns in the game, including one in the
fourth quarter, as Bolingbrook rallied to remain in a first place tie
in the SouthWest Suburban Blue with a 26-13 victory over Sandburg on
Friday night in Orland Park.
Reapers run into Wildcats' buzzsaw
The showdown for the Interstate Eight Small Division title quickly
became a mismatch Friday as Wilmington steamrolled Plano on the way to
a 49-22 decision.
State golf: JCA fights through bad weather
The conditions were the same for everyone -- atrocious. The Joliet Catholic Academy boys golf team did not get off to a
particularly good start in Friday's opening round at the Class 2A state
tournament at Weibring Golf Club.
Irish can't wait to settle scores
James Aldridge's first rushing yards at Notre Dame came on Oct. 15, 2005, when the now-senior fullback was among the mass of students who made their way onto the field in celebration of what they thought was an Irish victory over then-No. 1 USC.
Bears trade for Tampa DE Adams
Turns out all the rumors about Terrell Owens coming to the Bears were a bit misplaced. The Bears did swing a deal for a high-profile player, but it was defensive end Gaines Adams, the fourth pick of the 2007 draft, who should immediately help a pass rush in need of a boost.
Healthy Tyrus Thomas gives feel-good performance
The talk of the first week of training camp was the play of Tyrus Thomas. Bulls insiders were raving about the energy and effort he showed --something that wasn't a constant during his first three NBA seasons.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Area loaded for bear as playoffs near
With two games remaining in the regular season, the playoff scenario for area high school football teams is becoming clear.
If the playoffs were to begin today, a few more than half the teams statewide with a 4-3 record would be in, the rest would be out. The determining factor, of course, is playoff points (opponent victories).
Plainfield North takes control in SPC
Minooka outside hitter Dariyan Hopper had an answer for every Plainfield North attack. Well, almost every attack. Kylee Baker and Kaisley Fisher proved to be too much for the Indians to handle as North grabbed the Southwest Prairie Conference by the horns as the Tigers defeated Minooka for a thrilling 25-23, 18-25, 25-19 volleyball win.
'Hammers offer Rush a piece of Joliet pie
The Joliet JackHammers have reached out to conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh to become an investor in the franchise. Now that he will no longer be part of the group looking to purchase the St. Louis Rams, he may have some funds available to invest somewhere else.
Bleier message rings true to his form
Rocky Bleier emphasized that a person's attitudes impact people, both positively and negatively. The former Notre Dame and Pittsburgh Steelers running back, who recovered from career-threatening wounds he suffered in Vietnam, was the guest speaker Thursday night at the annual Brown & Gold Night at the University of St. Francis Recreation Center.
Hickey, Schoenstedt serve up winner for JCA
A little strong serving took the Jolliet Catholic Academy girls volleyball team a long way Thursday night.
Annemarie Hickey and Katie Schoenstedt served as the catalysts in JCA's 25-13, 25-18 East Suburban Catholic Conference victory over Fenwick.
'Brook opts for Cruz control
On Teacher Appreciation Night, with the Bolingbrook High School boys
soccer team looking for a piece of its first conference championship in
more than 10 years, Arturo Cruz came up big for the Raiders.
JCA at Marian
JCA (5-2, 4-1) at Marian (6-1, 4-1)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
Ranked: JCA is No. 4 in Class 5A, Marian is honorable mention in 8A.
De La Salle at Providence
De La Salle (6-1, 5-0) at Providence (6-1, 4-0)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
Ranked: Providence is No. 1 in Class 6A, De La Salle is No. 8 in 7A.
Lincoln-Way East at Lincoln-Way Central
Lincoln-Way East (6-1, 4-1) at Lincoln-Way Central (6-1, 4-1)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Ranked: Lincoln-Way East is No. 7 in Class 8A, Lincoln-Way Central is honorable mention in 8A.
Reed-Custer at Coal City
Reed-Custer (5-2, 3-1) at Coal City (5-2, 2-2)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
Ranked: Neither team is ranked.
Former Bear quarterback Douglass feels blessed
Rick Telander: Former Bears quarterback Bobby Douglass looks good these days. At 62, he's reflective and sturdy. A bout with squamous-cell throat cancer two years ago blasted him. ''I went from 260 pounds down to 185, didn't eat for four months -- I looked like I was dying.''
Bears' linebackers coach holds unit together
Rod Marinelli has been given ample credit for his work with the Bears' defensive line through the first quarter of the season, and perhaps overlooked has been the job done by Bob Babich in his return as the linebackers coach.
Heisman hopes on line for ND's Jimmy Clausen vs. USC
Neil Hayes: Jimmy Clausen was ridiculed for arriving in a stretch Hummer at a news conference held at the College Football Hall of Fame to announce his intention to play for Notre Dame. No surprise there. It was a scenario straight out of the Public Relations Disaster Field Guide.
Thomas eyeing big step forward
For Bulls power forward Tyrus Thomas, the worst part of sitting out nearly two weeks with an injury wasn't the pain in his right hip. It was the frustration that the injury lingered, keeping him on the sidelines about a week longer than expected.
Power play battle
LOS ANGELES -- Carlos Ruiz hit a go-ahead, three-run homer and the Philadelphia Phillies led the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 through six innings of Game 1 of the NL championship series on Thursday night.
SPORTS WIRE: Uchimura tops world gym; U.S. champ Horton falters
Kohei Uchimura of Japan ran away with the men's title at the world gymnastics championships Thursday night in London, adding it to his silver medal from the Beijing Olympics. He scored 91.500 points, more than 2½ ahead of Daniel Keatings, who delighted the O2 Arena crowd by giving Britain its first all-around medal.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Comets turn back the clock with Benson
Reed-Custer on a roll after senior switch Throwback uniforms and NFL
games with "Turn Back the Clock" themes are all the rage. To hear
Reed-Custer coach Dean Cappel tell it, Jim Benson would fit right into
that mode, except he might show up wearing an old-school leather helmet.
Area golfers primed to tackle state's best
A discussion in the clubhouse during Monday's Class 2A boys sectional golf meet at Broken Arrow concerned the number of teams that qualify for state, now that there are three classes rather than two.
Lewis merits a Bucio rating
The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
For the third time in as many tries this month, the Lewis University men's soccer team has defeated a ranked opponent, as the Flyers claimed a 1-0 non-conference road victory over No. 8 Truman State at the Truman State Soccer Pitch on Wednesday afternoon.
Notre Dame's chalk talk greets USC
Of the millions of words that will be written about No. 25 Notre Dame's annual meeting with No. 6 USC on Saturday, none may be more scrutinized than those inscribed in chalk this week on campus sidewalks.
Bulls young frontcourt has potential
John Jackson: The word ''potential'' is a dangerous adjective in sports when applied to a young player. Sometimes it means that player is a future star; other times it's simply a euphemism for ''hasn't accomplished anything yet.''
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Oh, houlihan brother, where art thou NOW?
Let's first go back two weeks ago to Providence Catholic's 42-7 victory over Fenwick at Matt Senffner Field. Junior quarterback Joey Houlihan answered the immortal question, "Oh, brother, where art thou now?" Pete Houlihan was simply everywhere. He returned an interception 24 yards for a touchdown, snapping a 7-7 tie. Eleven seconds into the second quarter, he returned another interception for a second score.
JT remains unbeaten, edges Lockport
For the first 20 minutes or so, the offensive attack for the Joliet Township soccer team was as cool as the temperature outside. But the Steelmen started to warm up with a big goal just before half and continued their magical undefeated season with a 2-0 win over Lockport before a chilly senior night crowd Tuesday at Joliet West.
Bengals share in Mike Zimmer's grief
The fourth quarter was starting, and the game was getting crazy. In the Cincinnati Bengals defensive huddle, players blocked out the raucous Baltimore crowd and reminded each other that a lot more was at stake than first place.
They were playing for someone special.
Schedule, work ethic play in JCA's favor
Joliet Catholic Academy is not the favorite heading into this weekend's Class 2A Boys State Golf Meet at Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State University in Normal.
Nor have the Hilltoppers earned that distinction.
Gill's two goals lift Plainfield C.
Tyler Gill scored 2 goals and Gio Delira registered his 10th shutout in
Plainfield Central's 5-0 high school boys soccer victory over
Romeoville on Tuesday.
Road-tough JCA overpowers Marist
In a matchup between unbeaten volleyball teams in the East Suburban
Catholic Conference, Joliet Catholic Academy got the jump on Marist.
Oh, deer, the hunt is on
Joliet wears its mantle as the "City of Champions" with humility and pride, the envy of other towns.
We also have a deer herd at our doorstep that is the envy of hunters across the globe.
Lewis inflicts a little bit of Pyne
Lewis University junior Casey Pyne fired the tournament's low round and
led the Flyers to the team title in the Lewis Mixed Fall Classic on
Tuesday at Prairie Bluff.
Bears do not need a T.O.
Rick Telander: Since fantasy football is taking over the world, why not bring its principles to the real NFL. The Buffalo Bills are terrible, their offense is horrid, their coaching staff is stupid and wide receiver Terrell Owens is so overpaid and under-used that he might as well be bronzed and placed by Lake Erie above a plaque reading: ''IF YOU WANT TO DISAPPEAR FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH, COME TO BUFFALO AND HANG OUT WITH DICK JAURON.''
Khabibulin, Huet trying to find their grooves
Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet each played in 41 games for the Blackhawks last season, and neither was happy about it. The Hawks had the NHL's best-paid goaltending tandem, and that led to both goalies being relegated to part-time players.
Hinrich aims to put lost season behind
No one on the Bulls' roster has been with the team longer than guard Kirk Hinrich, but it's almost like this season is a fresh start for the seven-year veteran. For a variety of reasons, last season was a lost year.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Road trip to state
The way Joliet Catholic Academy boys golf coach Mark Hansen sees it, the FBI might as well forget it. They're never going to get him. "My thumbprints are gone," he deadpanned. Hansen spent his Columbus Day at Broken Arrow Golf Club, rubbing the copper clear off the lucky penny he found in the parking lot at last week's regional.
Lincoln-Way East finishes second to H-F
It's two steps down, one to go for Homewood-Flossmoor's girls golf team.
As expected, the Vikings romped to the Class AA sectional title Monday at Coyote Run Golf Course in Flossmoor, beating Lincoln-Way East by 45 strokes.
Ex-Lockport standout passes life test
He put the air under Lockport's wings long before the passing game took grip in high school football.
Spiro "Air" Voulgaris threw the ball early and often in a two-year run as the starting quarterback at Lockport from 1984-85. He led the Porters to a 14-6 record, including a trip to the 6A state playoffs in his senior year.
Peotone ace rubs Embree board
Steve Embree brought a calm and cool mindset into the fray that nearly matched the playing conditions.
He had a job to do in the 1A Somonauk Sectional on Monday at Edgebrook Golf Course.
And he wasn't going to let his nerves get the best of him.
Bears WR Davis say it's business, not personal
If attention is what Rush Limbaugh is seeking in his preliminary bid to be a minority partner of an ownership group that purchases the St. Louis Rams, consider it mission accomplished.
Blackhawks complete epic comeback, beat Flames
First it was a shootout victory that went a club-record nine rounds in their first game of the season at the United Center. In their second, it was a comeback from a five-goal deficit. What will those Blackhawks do next?
Bulls injury updates: Rose, Thomas still day-to-day
Because the injuries to Derrick Rose and Tyrus Thomas have lingered longer than initially expected, everyone -- reporters, coaches and players -- are finding new ways to ask and answer the same questions on a daily basis.
Notes: Illinois, Northwestern, nation
Arrelious Benn said Monday that he ''probably shouldn't have gone back in'' after taking a blow to the head while returning Illinois' first kickoff 27 yards against Michigan State on Saturday, ''but I felt the team needed me, and that was on my mind at the moment.''
Monday, October 12, 2009
Bears seek to improve at closing games
When the Bears looked back at their 2008 season and uttered the phrase ''woulda, coulda, shoulda'' when it came to the playoffs, there were any number of places they could have started.
Wanjiru in grand old time
With a wave of his hand, Sammy Wanjiru nearly showboated away history and $100,000 Sunday. But, by all of one second, the 22-year-old Kenyan set the Chicago and American marathon records in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon with a time of two hours, five minutes and 41 seconds.
Former No. 1 pick Skille trying to find his way
It hasn't been easy being Jack Skille. The Blackhawks' first-round draft pick in 2005 (seventh overall) is in the unusual position of making too much money. That's actually been hurting his career development.
Career sparked by our man 'Park'
My father, Dale G. O'Connell Sr., taught me how to compete in sports.
My friend, Dave Parker, showed me how to write about sports.
In Brief
A reader's guide to the Herald-News sports section:
Sunday, October 11, 2009
L-Way Central runs to head of pack
The Lincoln-Way Central football team controls its own destiny.
With no returning starters on offense, the Knights weren't expected to be contenders in the Southwest Suburban Blue. Now, if they win out, they will be conference champions.
Raiders' Arm(stead) race
On the first play from scrimmage to start the second half Friday night, Lincoln-Way East senior wingback Kevin Starke sliced between the Bolingbrook linebackers and sped right through the pair of safeties.
And the race was on.
USF upset bid falls short again
Tough, close, heartbreaking losses are becoming a way of life for University of St. Francis football this season.
The Saints dropped their third game by four points or less and their second against ranked opposition in the last two Saturdays with a 24-20 setback at NAIA No. 13 McKendree University.
The quest for respect
Not only is John Ivlow a good football coach, he is clever as well.
Ivlow was a guest on the Pigskin Preview show Thursday night on WJOL Radio, where I am a regular in the studio with Edgy Tim and Mike from the Brook.
Little plays, big results
When the Minooka football team returns to practice Monday, look for the players to be skipping around with an extra hop in their step.
The Indians' confidence level is soaring following a 56-22 victory over Romeoville on Friday night.
JCA repeats as Mizuno Cup champion
It was a rematch of last year's Mizuno Cup Tournament championship
match. It also featured the defending Class 4A and 3A state champions
in host St. Charles East and Joliet Catholic.
Too much Therriault
Grand Rapids Community College found the end zone on their first four
possessions and Joliet Junior College had no answer for sophomore
quarterback Casey Therriault.
Porters 8th at Mizuno
Without senior setter/middle hitter Dana Raber due to an injury
suffered the night before, the Lockport volleyball team battled to an
eighth-place finish Saturday at the St. Charles East Mizuno Cup.
Minooka boys order one of each
One freshman, one sophomore, one junior and one senior pulled together to make one fantastic showing.
Freshman Joe Santillo ran to a 17th-place finish in the 60th annual Sterling Invitational on Saturday. He was clocked in 16:11 for 3 miles.
JT coach tied up in homecoming
Now, Eduardo Contreras can identify with that famous line Judy Garland delivered in The Wizard of Oz. Garland, playing the role of Dorothy in the age-old motion picture classic, mutters in a dream, "There's no place like home."
Hawks' red carpet night
The Blackhawks pulled out all the stops to win their home opener Saturday, even resorting to dressing out four of their long-retired legends to inspire an overflow crowd of 20,655 at the United Center.
Still no answers for struggling Illini
llinois finally scored a touchdown before the fourth quarter. And the defense dug in its heels and pitched a second-half shutout against Michigan State. But the Illini still lost 24-14 to Michigan State on Saturday after trailing 24-0. That left them 1-4 overall, 0-3 in the Big Ten -- and feeling low, but grimly determined.
Red-flag football
Mike Mulligan: A funny story came out of Seattle regarding the only replay challenge against the Bears this season. Seahawks coach Jim Mora threw the red flag after a Johnny Knox touchdown early in the third quarter gave the Bears a 14-13 lead they never relinquished in Week 3.
Injured Rose hates having to sit out
Officially, Derrick Rose is listed as day-to-day with an injury to his right ankle. Of course, the Bulls' starting point guard has been classified as day-to-day for about a week, and it could be another week before he's ready to play. ''It's getting better,'' Rose said Saturday night before the Bulls' 98-86 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Resch Center.
Before he was king: Doc tells Lebron James story
Dave Hoekstra: LeBron James understands sense of place. Because his life has moved so fast. By age 18, the native of Akron, Ohio, was the No. 1 pick in the 2003
NBA draft. He went straight to the Cleveland Cavaliers from St.
Vincent-St. Mary High School and signed a $90 million Nike shoe
contract before his professional debut. He does not have to be on this press trip to promote the documentary "More Than a Game," which opens Friday.
Chicago Marathon: On your mark, get set, go
The weather question for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon today is whether it will be too cold or just right for setting a world record. With a forecast for temperatures in the 30s at the start, the marathon certainly will be different from the heat-plagued races of the last two years.
Yankees rate as team to hate
Like many non-New Yorkers, I root against the Yankees. It's been a losing proposition in recent years -- last season was the first time they missed the playoffs since the 20th century.
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