Change in the air this season
Neuqua Valley senior Dwayne Evans is looking forward to playing small forward, like he will in the Atlantic 10. The 6-foot-5-inch Saint Louis University recruit will be facing the basket more and won't have to inbound the ball after a make, allowing him to run the floor.

Extra points: Bauman signs with Eastern Illinois
During the early signing period, the Eastern Illinois University men's tennis team announced Thursday that Naperville Central senior Kevin Bauman signed a national letter of intent.

Cardinals believing in themselves
Both North Central College basketball programs begin their 2009-2010 campaigns tonight amidst low outside expectations.

Five-goal second period fuels Hawks' rout of Flames
The Blackhawks got their six-game road trip off to a rousing start Thursday night, crushing the Calgary Flames 7-1 in a game that was all but decided after the second period.

Silent Bears ready to put up
It's time to put up, so the Bears are going to shut up when it comes to the NBC pregame show Sunday night. That's the message coach Lovie Smith delivered.

3 strikes and you're out: Time to get it right at ND
Neil Hayes: Let's not overcomplicate a process that already should have begun at Notre Dame. If Jack Swarbrick decides Brian Kelly is his top candidate, he should make the Cincinnati coach an offer. Notre Dame's athletic director should give him an exclusive, 48-hour negotiating window after which any potential deal will be withdrawn.

Small's next step could be a big deal
Eric Small had already transferred out of Missouri State and Joliet Junior College by the time he arrived at Minnesota, where only one assistant remained to help him finalize his living arrangements.

SUN-TIMES EXCLUSIVE Bears put NBC on mute

In a sign of how difficult things have become in the Bears' world, the beleaguered team stunned a network giant Wednesday by rejecting NBC's request for prime-time access to coach Lovie Smith, quarterback Jay Cutler and general manager Jerry Angelo.

Passive Rose has to get aggressive
Point guard Derrick Rose is so disgusted with his play, he could pull his hair out. Check that. He apparently will take the opposite approach. ''I probably won't get a haircut,'' he said Wednesday after practice at USC's Galen Center.

And away they go: Trip presents stiff test

The big contract extensions apparently coming soon to Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith could be a distraction to the Blackhawks as they begin a six-game trip tonight against the Calgary Flames. None of the players want that.

Homecoming for Wisconsin QB

Prophetically -- as seam-gazing seers from Amos Alonzo Stagg to Kirk Herbstreit have understood the game's mystic -- the parents met at a sign-up desk for a touch-football league.

Daley reappoints nephew to sports agency

Mayor Daley on Wednesday re-appointed his nephew and former campaign finance chief to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority mapping plans for a retail development near U.S. Cellular Field.

Huskies, Wildcats battle to end
No matter which team won the girls basketball season-opener between Naperville North and Neuqua Valley on Tuesday, youth would have been served. At the end it was the young, inexperienced and vertically challenged Huskies who were standing at the end with a scrappy 47-45 win over the young and inexperienced, but taller and more physical Wildcats.

Powers signs with Kentucky
Stephen Powers and Matthew Anderson have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the University of Kentucky men's golf team in the fall of 2010, head coach Brian Craig announced Tuesday.

Hey, Bears, running is passé
Mike Mulligan: Leave the power running game on the bus and hand the ball to Jay Cutler. That's the best solution for the Bears with seven games left in a fast-fading season. Wide-open passing games are flourishing around the league, and the Bears need to get on board. Their insistence on fitting Cutler into an offensive philosophy, instead of just letting him take over, is preventing them from joining the fun. Doubt it?

Illini's Paul keeps up good work
It might be true, as coach Bruce Weber says, that Illinois' starting five isn't set. But the way things are going, his two precocious freshmen, Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson, are looking rock-solid.

Only one direction for Weis: 'Full speed ahead'
By the time Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis held his weekly news conference Tuesday, he had lost neither his job, nor his sense of humor. Weis was asked if he believed a decision had been made by the ND powers that be about his future.

SPORTS WIRE: Kansas City's Greinke captures AL Cy Young

Kansas City Royals ace Zack Greinke was named the American League Cy Young Award winner on Tuesday.

Steelers fan: Bears fan poisoned me

A Pittsburgh man said he's gone blind and lost some of his memory since he accepted a drink from a Chicago Bears fan in a Michigan Avenue bar following the team's victory over the Steelers.

Why no miniature golf on Golf Channel?

These are 23 (more) facts, tried and true, about the widening world of sports TV:

Scroggins to set Champs target

Mike Scroggins played ''follow the leader'' when he succeeded Norm Duke as U.S. Open champion in April.

Antonacci named player of the week
Augustana's David Lee, along with North Central's Stewart Charles and Joe Antonacci were named College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Football Players of the Week on Monday. A sophomore wide receiver out of Neuqua Valley High School, Antonacci finished with 180 return yards in North Central's 49-24 win over Elmhurst, returning five punts for 65 yards (13.0 yards per return) and two kickoffs for 115 yards Saturday.

Harris: Bears have no room for error
So it has come to this: We're in mid-November, and the Bears are talking about running the table. Sitting at 4-5 after losing four of their last five games, the Bears probably would have a good shot at the postseason if they went 6-1 down the stretch. But the odds of that happening in a season that seems to be spinning out of control are not good.

A lot not right with writers' vote
Years from now, no one will care that Gordon Beckham was fifth in the 2009 American League Rookie of the Year voting. He deserved to be runner-up, though in the scheme of things, you can ask teammate Alexei Ramirez how much that honor is treasured two years into your big-league career.

Frosh stars Paul, Richardson take charge
Illinois will only be playing its second game when it takes on Northern Illinois tonight. But a pattern already is emerging with Bruce Weber's best recruiting class: When it comes to taking charge, you can't tell the freshmen from the juniors without a scorecard.

How ya like Wie now?
Michelle Wie's critics said she didn't know how to win. They said she might never win. They said she didn't deserve the acclaim, fame or endorsements. What are they going to say now?

Road trip challenge to Hawks

About all the Blackhawks did Monday was send Bryan Bickell back to Rockford again and savor their seven-game winning streak at the United Center. After a day off the ice, they return to practice today at Johnny's Ice House.

SPORTS WIRE: Warriors deal Jackson to Bobcats

The Golden State Warriors found a home for disgruntled swingman Stephen Jackson on Monday, trading him to the Charlotte Bobcats in a four-player deal. The Bobcats sent shooting guard Raja Bell and forward Vladimir Radmanovic to the Warriors for Jackson and guard Acie Law.

Hawks' comeback win makes it 7 straight at home
The Blackhawks have had some big wins in the first six weeks, but the 4-3 overtime victory Sunday over the San Jose Sharks was a real eye-opener. The Hawks overcame a two-goal deficit against the best team in the Western Conference in the last game of a four-game homestand.

Waubonsie girls optimistic about season
Waubonsie Valley sophomore Keiera Ray and her new coach Kim Connell agree that Ray is at about “75 percent back” from the torn ACL that sidelined Ray late last season. Both Ray and Connell are optimistic about this year’s Warriors team, which is young, but experienced, athletic and skilled.

Lysacek brings crowd to feet
From Kim Yu-na's record-setting performance to Neuqua Valley grad Evan Lysacek's powerful free skate, it was a great late Saturday night for world champions at Skate America.

Area girls basketball preview capsules

North Central not allowed into NCAA playoff party
North Central College was on the outside looking in when the NCAA unveiled the Division III football playoff bracket Sunday afternoon.

Second to one, and Neuqua will take it
To appreciate Neuqua Valley's second-place finish in its own sectional on Saturday, one has to understand what the Wildcats were up against.

Hairston returns home, reflects on World Series
Jerry Hairston Jr. had an idea his life was about to change -- he just wasn't exactly sure how. It opened a path toward the Canyon of Heroes, where New York once celebrated Dwight D. Eisenhower's World War II victory and Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon.

Lovie needs to lose patience with offense

Bears coach Lovie Smith learned a lot from his mentor, Tony Dungy, but he has been remarkably more patient than Dungy with his offense.

On balance, a good win for Bulls
The Bulls have had better defensive efforts, and this might have been their sloppiest game of the season (season-high-tying 21 turnovers). But, for a change, they made a few shots -- enough at least to overcome another slow start and pull away (sort of) for a 94-88 victory Saturday night over the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center.

Just 1 more pitt fall for Irish
As much as Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis wanted to make this game about his team, the 27-22 loss to No. 8 Pittsburgh will serve as more evidence for those who want Weis' tenure as Irish coach to end.

Grabavoy PKs Fire out of playoffs
A Chicago-area kid broke the hearts of his hometown club Saturday night, then celebrated not far from where he first made his mark as a high school star. Lincoln-Way Central alum Ned Grabavoy converted the seventh shot of a lengthy penalty shootout that decided the Eastern Conference final at Toyota Park, pushing Real Salt Lake past the Fire and into next Sunday's MLS Cup in Seattle.

Penalty-killers doing the job Allowing fewer power plays key to Blackhawks ranking No. 1 in NHL

Forgive Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville for being a bit superstitious considering his team has killed 17 consecutive power plays and hasn't surrendered a power-play goal in six games.

DESTINATION: NOT DETROIT

CHAMPAIGN -- Few would argue that Northwestern might have been the happiest 7-4 team in the Football Bowl Subdivision on Saturday. But please don't use the words ''lucky,'' ''charmed'' or ''soft schedule.''

Illinois' dreams dry up; Zook left looking all wet

CHAMPAIGN -- Illinois' too-little, too-late attempt to salvage an oil spill of a season is officially over. Not that it ever was based in reality.

SPORTS WIRE: Tiger up Down Under, wins Aussie Masters

Tiger Woods won the Australian Masters for his seventh victory of the year, closing with a 4-under-par 68 for a victory that record crowds came to see at Kingston Heath in Melbourne.

Neuqua Sectional swimmers braving the rapids
Right on down the line, area girls swimming and diving coaches agree that today's Neuqua Valley Sectional is a gauntlet. Might as well call it a mini-version of the state meet. "Every year it's tough," Oswego co-op coach Deryl Leubner said. "(The) Naperville (schools are) a hotbed for swimming, plus throw in Neuqua Valley and Rosary."

Kafka leads Wildcats over Illinois 21-16
Mike Kafka threw for 305 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score and Sherrick McManis made a last-minute interception to preserve Northwestern's 21-16 win Saturday over Illinois.

Raiders ready for night of fun
The Bolingbrook boys basketball team will present Raider Madness on Nov. 21. It will be the public's first chance to see the Raiders 2009-2010 team in action.

Blackhawks take advantage of home ice while they can
Home-ice advantage won't belong to the Blackhawks much longer, but they're certainly enjoying it for the time being. The Toronto Maple Leafs became the Hawks' sixth straight victim at the United Center on Friday night, falling 3-2 before 21,036 -- the largest crowd of the season.

Irish have plenty to fix, starting with red-zone woes
Notre Dame's trip to No. 8 Pittsburgh lost significant luster when the Irish dropped out of the Associated Press Top 25 after being upset by Navy at home last Saturday. Still, ABC will beam this prime-time game to most of the nation.

Bears can't figure out what's going wrong
The Bears talked a lot about finding out what kind of team they are in November, when the NFL season takes a turn toward the serious, and what they've discovered is pretty grisly.

Illini's Brandon Paul breaks record with 22 points
CHAMPAIGN -- The first shots were fired in the battle for Illinois' fifth starting job Friday night. And Brandon Paul virtually made them all. Draining the first four shots of his college career -- three three-pointers and a transition basket -- the 6-4 freshman from Warren sparked the No. 23 Illini to an early lead and an easy 96-69 victory over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in their season opener.

Bears' season sets in West
Lovie Smith's team has played a brand of undisciplined and sloppy football that has been the undoing of a campaign that began with such great expectations.

Neuqua's sectional a tough one for swimming
For the past five years, the IHSA girls state champion has gone through the Neuqua Valley Sectional. Rosary has taken the state title the past three years and Naperville Central won it the two years before that.

NCC stays in reach of another league title
With a win on Saturday against Elmhurst College, the North Central Cardinals will grab a share of their fourth consecutive College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship.

Hilltoppers keep Hononegah at bay
All-purpose back J.T. Mesch scored three touchdowns to lead Glenbard West to a 27-14 victory over Hononegah as the Hilltoppers scored all their points in the opening half to defeat the host Indians on Nov. 7 in a second-round Class 7A playoff game in Rockton.

Wannstedt knows what Weis is going through
Dave Wannstedt was brought home with open arms as Pittsburgh's coach in 2004. But some of those same arms were ready to yank the welcome mat out from under him three years later.

Kane, Byfuglien going for some rings tonight
Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien insist that the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at the United Center is just another regular-season game. For them, though, it might be a bit more than that.

Bulls veterans Salmons, Hinrich struggling

Through eight games, the Bulls are a respectable 4-4. That's not great, not bad and about where they were expected to be considering the issues they had heading into the regular season.

Close call
True to form, Ball State kept it close. Northern Illinois, veering from its recent winning script, still managed to hold on Thursday for a 26-20 Mid-American Conference victory. It keeps the Huskies (7-3, 5-1) one game behind West Division leader Central Michigan.

SPORTS WIRE: Scott fired, GM to coach Hornets

The New Orleans Hornets fired Byron Scott only nine games into the season Thursday and replaced him with general manager Jeff Bower, hoping the man who put the current roster together can get more out of it.

Regret turns into heart-felt relief
About 20 months ago, I wrote here expressing great regret that, despite severe heart troubles, I couldn't be placed on the national heart transplant list. Other health problems -- prostate cancer and a brain tumor -- had disqualified me. But now -- thousands of pills and months of tests, treatment and interviews by dozens of doctors at three hospitals later -- my prayers and those of the many who have been praying for me finally have been answered.

Newest college recruits sign letters of intent
The early signing period for basketball and several other sports began Wednesday and will continue through Nov. 18. These local athletes have signed -- or are expected to sign -- a National Letter of Intent. The names were provided by high school athletic department administrators.

Stakes climb for Smith
Lovie Smith likes to say November goes a long way toward defining a football season, and fewer regular-season games in his tenure have more significance than tonight's meeting with the 49ers at Candlestick Park. The Bears have had bigger games in November under Smith.

Bulls' end game is plain offensive
This time, there was no need for a video review at the end of the game to determine a winner. In fact, the Bulls probably would prefer if the final six minutes of the 99-89 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre were never viewed again.

Extra time, as usual

Long, nail-biting games have become commonplace when the Blackhawks face the Colorado Avalanche, and Wednesday's meeting at the United Center was typical of that.

Illini like Richardson's intensity

It's risky to put too much on the shoulders of a freshman. But D.J. Richardson, Illinois' 6-3 guard from Peoria Central by way of a Nevada prep school, keeps tempting us to do that.

Evans will meet Majerus in St. Louis
In case you missed it, the college basketball season tipped off with North Carolina trying to defend its national title and Isiah Thomas hoping to restore his reputation at Florida International.

Dye has been cast
Jermaine Dye isn't ruling anything out. After all, at 35 years old and with 14 major-league seasons under his belt, the free-agent outfielder has seen crazier things happen. ''First of all, I could come back to the Sox,'' Dye said in a phone interview Tuesday.

'We can destroy their guys up front'—49ers' Davis
So much for the fear factor with the Bears' defense. Not only have members of the unit had their helmets handed to them two of the last three weeks, but now an offensive star for a team coming off four straight losses is talking smack.

If the truth hurts, Irish prefer silence
Neil Hayes: Evidently, being honest and forthright while answering questions is not something Notre Dame captains should do. If they puppet whatever coach Charlie Weis says, even if it's less than the full truth, they are leaders.

Bulls go from ecstasy to agony
For a moment Tuesday night, the United Center erupted in euphoria as it appeared the Bulls extended their comeback and winning streaks with a miracle finish on a Brad Miller prayer at the buzzer.

Bolland shelved by back surgery shelves Bolland

The Blackhawks lost Marian Hossa and Adam Burish to surgery before their first regular-season game. Now they've got their first surgery patient of the regular season.

SPORTS WIRE: Wade's 41 help Heat soar to 6-1

Dwyane Wade scored 41 points and the Miami Heat remained in first place in the Southeast Division by holding off the Washington Wizards 90-76 on Tuesday night.

Neuqua hits milestone in stride
The Neuqua Valley girls swimming and diving team's recent victory for the Upstate Eight Conference championship was a historic win for the Wildcats. It brought the school's athletic program its 100th conference title in only 12 years of competing in varsity sports.

North central back on track
Millikin's Luke Hockaday, Illinois Wesleyan's P.J. Cummings, North Central College's Joe Schneiderbauer and Carthage's Tyler Funk were named College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Football Players of the Week on Monday.

Contrite Harris vows to atone for ejection
Tommie Harris nearly got it right with a perfunctory apology Monday, the day after he was kicked out of a game for punching Cardinals lineman Deuce Lutui four plays into a blowout loss.

Hoops preview: Can Big Ten make Final Four?
The Big Ten is up, or so we think, with two Final Four contenders among six ranked teams. The Final Four is just down the road, in Indianapolis. But it will be a long and winding road. Because in a sport where one or two players who step up and make things happen can make such a huge difference, you never know where the road will lead.

A triumphant return
Apparently all it took to get the Blackhawks' power play working was the return of Jonathan Toews. The team captain returned from a six-game layoff to recover from a concussion and was on the ice for two third-period goals with the man advantage. Toews scored the second of the two, and they led to a solid 4-1 victory Monday over the Los Angeles Kings at the United Center.

Del Negro praises Luol Deng's three 'D'
Small forward might be the most challenging defensive position in the NBA. Night in and night out, you face a talented, versatile player capable of putting up big numbers.

Figgins out of Sox' range

Shortly after saying he's in the hunt for ''that ideal leadoff guy,'' general manager Ken Williams shot down speculation that speedy free agent Chone Figgins is on the White Sox' radar.

SPORTS WIRE: Iverson reportedly mulling retirement

Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley said he's not sure what guard Allen Iverson's future plans are, but he hopes Iverson returns to the team soon.

Neuqua adjusted its way to another title
Neuqua Valley's second boys cross country state title in the past three years may not have been possible had the team not faltered at the end of last year's meet. The Wildcats captured first in Class 3A Saturday at Detweiller Park in Peoria with 99 points. Neuqua's seemingly free-flowing success hasn't been without its obstacles, though.

Area lacrosse team earns a perfect fall
The Fox Valley Lacrosse Club went 8-0 in the True Lacrosse Middle School West Fall Ball League. The squad won the championship game on Nov. at Edison Middle School in Wheaton.

Glenbard South holds off Vernon Hills for 5A win
Most teams might pack it in trailing 33-0. But Vernon Hills High School rode the right arm and legs of DaVaris Daniels to nearly pull off a stunner, falling 33-27 to host Glenbard South Saturday in an IHSA Class 5A playoff game.

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.

Over and done for Naperville Central
Naperville Central turned Marist into a ball-control, field-position type of team, and it still wasn't enough to advance in the Class 8A tournament. That's not Marist's identity -- it headed into Saturday night averaging around 37 points per game behind a future Football Bowl Subdivision quarterback. But it found a way to win on Saturday night in Chicago.

Neuqua takes North's place atop standings
Saturday's reversal of fortunes in the boys 3A state race highlighted a Naperville-heavy day at Detweiller Park. Last year, Naperville North won the boys team title and Neuqua finished fourth. This year, the Wildcats claimed the championship and the Huskies finished seventh. The Naperville North girls and Naperville Central's Amanda Fox both continued their excellence also -- on the state's biggest stage. Neuqua Valley's Aaron Beattie, a senior, ran the fastest time of any Naperville boy in the state race.

Bears to honor Neuqua flag-football team today
Neuqua Valley students won this year's Chicago Bears flag football championship. Twelve juniors and one senior took the title during the first weekend of November at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, capping a 9-0 intramural league season.

Downers South ends Raiders' season
With 1 minute, 37 seconds left to go in the Class 8A Round 2 playoff game in Bolingbrook, Downers Grove South's Chandler Whitmer snuck into the end zone behind his right guard for what would be the game-winning score in the Mustangs 22-19 victory over the Raiders.

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.

FIRE 2, REVOLUTION 0: Conference final next thanks to Blanco goal

Cuauhtemoc Blanco's days with the Fire aren't done yet. He has at least one more game.

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.

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.

Redhawks aim to cool off Marist
Naperville Central scouted Marist last week and studied two more games off the film exchange. That was probably all it needed to see. Most likely, it can't match Marist score for score. Its offensive profile suggests that it won't, so it will think about Saturday's second-round Class 8A playoff game in other terms.

Neuqua, North again among elite
Both Naperville North teams and the Neuqua Valley boys squad will head down to Detweiller Park in Peoria for Saturday's state meet. The Naperville North boys finished 2008 as the Class 3A champions, edging out York by a point. Neuqua Valley finished fourth a year ago, as did the North girls.

Benet's defense leads way to victory
Volleyball is often all about passion and adrenaline And Thursday, top-seeded Benet, turned its passion and adrenaline into superb defense to win the Lockport Township Sectional championship with a 25-23, 25-20 victory over Hinsdale Central, the second-seeded team.

Neuqua Valley earned more than win
It was truly an historic touch by Neuqua Valley sophomore Maggie Maxstadt. When Maxstadt finished ahead of the field in the final leg of the 400-yard freestyle relay, she gave the Wildcats the Upstate Eight Conference Championship 280 to 276 points over St. Charles North on Saturday.

Falcons make their presence known
Wheaton North showed Oct. 31 how playoff seeds can quickly become meaningless. The Falcons (6-4) traveled to No. 2 Rockford Boylan as a 15th seed in Class 7A. North quarterback Reece Butler threw for 129 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons upset the previously undefeated Titans, 17-13.

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

With Teahen aboard, will Beckham move to 2nd?

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

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

'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.

UEC will look different in 2010
These are the final days of Upstate Eight Conference football before it takes a new shape. It has two teams remaining in the IHSA playoffs, as well as 9-1 Geneva, which will leave the Western Sun and join the league at the end of the academic year.

Shinsplits a treatable condition
The fall high school sports season is in full swing and with it is the prevalence of shin pain in athletes' lower legs.

Fox moves quickly early in her career
Most seniors would happily take what Amanda Fox has accomplished this year. The fact she has had all of her success as a Naperville Central sophomore makes her cross-country achievements all the more uncanny. Fox won Saturday's Class 3A girls St. Charles East Sectional.

All-East Suburban Catholic Conference
All-East Suburban Catholic Conference players.

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

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

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

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

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

SPORTS WIRE: Dodgers pitcher accidentally shot

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

Air Jordan shoe flap costs UCF Adidas deal

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

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.

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.

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

Changes fuel Central's postseason run
Naperville Central began the season with three running backs for a spread system that sometimes doesn't even require one. The Redhawks knew they wouldn't run many two-back sets. They rotated players and divided the carries, or they could always go empty backfield.

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.

Overtime loss stings Cardinals
The North Central College football team is ranked 20th in this week's American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division III Top 25 Poll.

Special teams
A roundup of special teams selections.

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.

Illini have hope for Hawthorne

Where does Terry Hawthorne's touchdown-saving tackle rank?

Illini's Hawthorne eager to play both ways

Ron Zook has had the same thought you've had: With all the speed true freshman Terry Hawthorne has, why not get him the ball on offense?

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.

It's never too late to change
Fremd put the ball in the hands of its best player, which is what you have to do this time of year. And in the playoffs emotion can carry you only so far, as Naperville North found out during what became Larry McKeon's final game as Huskies head coach. There were several lessons learned during the first weekend of the state tournament, and plenty of talking points to highlight in the film room across the next several days.

Hasse commits to Austin Peay
Naperville North senior center Matt Hasse gave a verbal commitment to Austin Peay on Monday, ending a quick recruiting process and solidifying himself as a Division I prospect.

Naperville, Wheaton schools' border wars continue
If not for the two Wheaton schools, both Naperville North teams easily could have won their respective regional titles at DuPage River Park.

Wildcats celebrate 'special team' despite loss
It was a year that the Neuqua Valley girls volleyball team got over one of its long-standing obstacles, but came up one match short of putting its other stumbling block to rest.

Neuqua ready to sweep again
Neuqua Valley already has been asked to defeat an opponent for a third time this season. The Wildcats accomplished that feat when they dismantled Waubonsie Valley for a third time in the regional championship. Now, Neuqua is being asked to do it again -- only this time the stakes are even higher and the opponent is a bit more dangerous.

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

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

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

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

SPORTS WIRE: Harangody tops preseason list

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

St. Raphael JV football team concludes season
On a cool and rainy recent Saturday evening, the St. Raphael JV Redwings took on the St. Al/St. Pat Celtics under the lights at Lemont High School. The Redwings lost a hard fought contest 12-0.

Participants also learn at school fundraiser
SS Peter and Paul, in conjunction with Western DuPage Special Recreation Association, hosted its third annual volleyball fundraiser Tuesday at the Naperville school. The event pitted the two eighth-grade teams of each gender, sandwiched around an enlightening wheelchair basketball demonstration.

Fire gives Revs a head start

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

Cutler takes hits - on field and verbally; Payton honored

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

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

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

McKeon walking off the field one final time
Naperville North football coach Larry McKeon circled his players, tapping their helmets and gathering himself for one final postgame speech. This was the program he built from the ground up, in his own image. Across 27 seasons, the Huskies head coach systemically changed North football.

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

Fox, Jermann race to sectional titles
Runners at Saturday's Class 3A St. Charles East Sectional had to contend with biting winds, quicksand-like mud and a hilly LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve course. All of those impediments still were not enough to derail top area cross-country runners.

Neuqua beats WW South in sectional final
Wheaton Warrenville South and Neuqua Valley played to a draw after 80 minutes of regulation and four 10-minute overtimes sessions before Neuqua took matters into its own hands and scored a 4-2 victory in penalty kicks to earn a 2-1 win Saturday afternoon to claim the Class 3A Naperville North Sectional championship.

Benet pulls away from N. Central in final
In the first set, you couldn't tell the first-seeded girls volleyball team in the sectional from the eighth-seeded team. The underdog, Naperville Central, battled sectional favorite Benet, point for point Saturday, before a Benet burst at the end gave the Redwings a 25-22 victory.

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.

Vikings survive muddy road to state
Blustery conditions and a muddy, nasty track greeted the field at the Class 3A St. Charles East sectionals Saturday, but Geneva advanced both its boys and girls squads to next week's state meet in Peoria.

N. North's power too much for Waubonsie
As the underdog No. 6 sectional seed facing No. 3 Naperville North, Waubonsie Valley shot out to an early lead in the first game of the Class 4A Joliet Township Regional final Saturday. Behind the early strength of Martha Stewart (eight kills), Alexandra Simmons (three blocks), and Nicole Salmon, the Warriors jumped to leads of 6-1 and 13-7.

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.

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.

>Don't waste Sundays on NFL

Every Sunday, I sit in a bar, look up at multiple TV screens and wonder, ''What am I doing with myself?''

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.

Fremd shoves back against North attack
Fremd shoved back against a vintage Naperville North attack to remain undefeated and a No. 1 seed in the Class 8A state tournament. Running back Evan Wright began taking direct snaps out of the Wildcat formation, and the Vikings scored 22 unanswered points. The 6-foot-1-inch, 193-pound senior wore down North's defense, gashing it for 124 yards in a 22-14 victory on Friday night in Palatine.

'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.

Ricketts outline game plan for owning Cubs

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

'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.

Momentum leads NCC into Illinois Wesleyan
North Central's offense added the Wildcat formation to its playbook last week, meaning defenses won't be able to put all their focus on quarterback Aaron Fanthorpe as the Cardinals adjust to life without injured running back Dominic Sulo.

Slate set for Redwings, Redhawks
It's going to be an all-Naperville-area matchup when Naperville Central faces Benet in Saturday's finals of the Bolingbrook Volleyball Regional. Naperville Central, the No. 8 seed, overcame a 25-19 first-set loss to ninth-seeded Hinsdale South, and came back to win sets two and three 25-13, 25-13.

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

Will there be an encore for McKeon?
Larry McKeon had dodged questions about his retirement -- though there were indications before the season even began that this would be the end -- but the time is apparently right for the Naperville North coach after 231 wins, 23 playoff appearances and two state championships.

Tigers' stripes pose challenge
Between Neuqua's Tony Kees and WW South's Guy Callipari the two combine to have more than 40 years of varsity experience, but neither has a state championship.

Labels don't impede Metea
Metea Valley doesn't yet officially field a varsity cross-country team, but that won't stop two boys and two girls from competing this Saturday at the St. Charles East Sectional.

Ferguson: From Orchesis to starting swimmer
The development of senior Hillary Ferguson this season has been a bit of serendipity for the Waubonsie Valley girls swimming program.

2009 All-DVC
Here are the picks:

Lockport sectional will be top heavy
The five Naperville-area girls volleyball teams hold five of the top eight seeds in the Lockport Sectional as regional play begins tonight. Benet is seeded No. 1, followed by Naperville North at No. 3, Neuqua Valley No. 5, Waubonsie Valley No. 6 and Naperville Central No. 8.

Central prepared, to say the least
After running suicide sprints and shooting their free throws, a group of Naperville Central players would start lifting weights and throwing passes in the gym. Once basketball practice ended, they would focus on football, out of the fear of being at a competitive disadvantage. "We didn't want to get behind people," said Redhawks senior tight end Cam Brate.

Neuqua's 23rd straight win didn't come easy
Give extra space to a player with the talent that Neuqua Valley's Bryan Ciesiulka possesses and more than likely he'll make the opposition pay. Naperville Central discovered that the hard way Wednesday night.

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.

Class 8A playoffs
Here are the upper and lower brackets for the high school Class 81 football playoffs.

North's nemesis victorious again
If it weren't for the play of senior goalie Mike Wiest, Naperville North would not have been the No. 2 seed in the sectional or made it to the sectional semifinals.

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.

Local boy Hairston off to World Series
Patrick Mooney: Jerry Hairston Jr. scored the final run in Game 2 of this year’s ALCS for the Yankees. Will the Naperville North graduate’s name be immortalized in the World Series, or will his place there be celebration enough for the ones who know him best?

Neuqua, Redhawks ready for showdown
The four teams that qualified for the Naperville North boys soccer sectional in No. 1 Neuqua Valley, No. 2 Naperville North, No. 3 Wheaton Warrenville South and No. 4 Naperville Central have a combined record of 75-9-9 entering tonight's semifinal doubleheader. The Wildcats, who are ranked as high as No. 2 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, will have to earn their way out of the sectional.

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

Class 8A playoffs
The playoffs schedule.

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

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

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

Agassi admits using crystal meth in 1997

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

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

Playoff questions begin
There are 256 teams still practicing this week, which leads to at least 256 more questions, ranging from X's and O's to where and when these postseason games will be played.

Both Warriors squads advance to sectionals
Both Waubonsie Valley squads earned sectional berths with their regional performances over the weekend. The girls finished fourth at the West Aurora Regional in Sugar Grove and the boys took fifth. Individually, David Groeber (16:17.2) finished third overall in the boys race. Joe Brant's 12th place came in 16:52. In the girls race, Geneva filled out all of the top five individual spots. Warriors runner Ashley Bruner led Waubonsie with her 19:46 race.

Communities rally around Federico
When former volleyball college All-American and coach Christine Federico goes into Loyola Hospital next month for a bone marrow transplant, she will take comfort from the support she's received from friends, associates and the public.

Fanthorpe's big game leads to honors
North Central College's Aaron Fanthorpe, Augustana's Aaron Setchell and North Central's Shaun Wild were named College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Football Players of the Week on Monday.

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

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

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

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

Cubs look safe at home

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

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

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

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

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

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.

For whom the bell tolls
Against third-ranked Wheaton College on Saturday, No. 13 North Central College found itself in a rare position early: trailing. The Cardinals recovered from a seven-point deficit -- their first since their season opener against Ohio Northern -- to take sole possession of first place of the CCIW after a 27-7 upset of the previously undefeated Thunder.

Linne, others baffled by lack of Division I interest
Patrick Mooney: Recruiters from Illinois, Ohio State and Notre Dame have already mined suburban Chicago for verbal commitments from Class of 2010 quarterbacks. Mid-American Conference programs have also extended offers to additional quarterbacks in the area. Nick Linne was on the fringe of that market, but removed himself weeks before the start of the football season.

Area teams make state football playoffs
The IHSA announced the state football playoff pairings and seeds Saturday night. The following area teams made the cut: 

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

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

Huskies hover high
Tyler Jermann and Amanda Fox are quickly becoming household names for Naperville cross-country fans. And both Naperville North teams continue to cement their places in Illinois' rich running history.

Tillman on covering Chad and being a dad
Shadowing Chad Ochocinco, Charles Tillman’s expected assignment today, won’t be an easy task, but the Bears cornerback can put it in perspective.

NU's record comeback defeats Indiana

In the end, the game marked the biggest comeback in the history of Northwestern football.

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.

Natick carries Panthers past Redhawks
Evin Natick rushed for 208 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Panthers to a 27-14 win over Naperville Central, breaking the tie with the Redhawks for second place in the DuPage Valley Conference.

Huskies keep playoff berth in sight
Entering its season finale at 4-4, the situation for Naperville North was clear Friday: win and likely make the playoffs for a 13th straight year, or lose and miss out on the postseason. North took matters into its own hands with a 41-0 shutout of winless West Chicago.

Benet falls from soccer playoffs
The offensive struggles for the Redwings resurfaced during Benet's 1-0 loss against Wheaton Warrenville South in the Bolingbrook Regional championship played on a cold, wet and windy Friday afternoon.

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

Maroons dominated in loss to Wildcats
Joe Ippolito and the Neuqua Valley Wildcats were left to ponder how differently the 2009 campaign could have gone if they had turned in results like the one they had in the season finale against Elgin.

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

'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.

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.''

A big Friday night for the Redhawks
There's no reason for Naperville Central to come out flat Friday night. Memorial Stadium reopens for its first game this season, meaning all these ceremonies will be crammed into about a three-hour window: senior night, homecoming and a 10-year reunion of the 1999 state championship team.

Four Quarters
Quick hits on tonight's games, which are scheduled to kick off at 7:30.

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

Plenty of story lines on this one
North Central College coach John Thorne said on Thursday that running back Dominic Sulo will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, signaling the end of his record-setting career and adding to the list of Cardinals injuries that already included his twin brother Derek.

The weather pays a visit

Emily Meyers of Neuqua Valley won her first-round match of the state tennis meet 6-0, 6-0 and that was that for the first day.

Calendar

Childs going way ahead of schedule

Neuqua Valley junior freestyler Amanda Childs has improved so much this year that her coach Mac Guy is thinking that she can score in state.

Prep Rewind

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.

State tradition has Wildcats excited
Aileen Hoffman is the only one of Neuqua Valley's four state-tennis qualifiers who has never been there before. While her teammates had plenty to tell her about the excitement at state and the experience of competing against the best players, they also told her about the cheesecake.

Linebacking tradition continues at Naperville North
In recent years, Naperville North has sent linebackers to programs like Nebraska, Georgia Tech and Harvard. It is a glamour position and the tradition continues through a set of linebackers with a broad base of skills.

Upset bids nearly spoil sectional
The discussion surrounding the Class 3A Downers Grove South boys soccer sectional before the postseason began was about the quality of teams that were featured in the draw from top to bottom.

NCC roundup: Sulo out against Wheaton College
Running back Dominic Sulo will not play against third-ranked Wheaton College on Saturday due to a right knee injury, according to North Central Sports Information Director Clark Teuscher.

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.