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.

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.

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

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

Redwings plan to hang it all out at state
If anything's characterized the play of Benet sophomore doubles Madeline Carney and Kim Simmons the past two years, it has been their ability to "just go for it." That attitude earned the duo third place at Saturday's Naperville North Sectional and their first trip to the state tournament.

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.

Forest preserve district sues foundation over funds
The Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County on Tuesday unanimously approved the filing of a lawsuit against the DuPage Wildlife Foundation to protect the District's legal right to contributions made for the benefit of the District's Willowbrook Wildlife 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?

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

Boswell advances Huskies in OT

To the casual observer, the matchup of No. 2 seed Naperville North and No. 15 seed Downers Grove South might have seemed a predictable outcome.

Toll of two cities: Giant rivalry for tiny bell
In a decades-old football rivalry, the North Central College Cardinals will face off with the Wheaton College Thunder for the annual battle for the Little Brass Bell. Part of the North Central's homecoming festivities, the game will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in Naperville. NCC's dean of students expects to see a capacity crowd here.

Tigers tops in DVC over last five years
If not for a 7-6 loss at Naperville North in Week 9 of last season, Wheaton Warrenville South would be carrying a 34-game winning streak inside the DVC and closing in on a fifth consecutive league title.

Conference racecourse challenges Redhawks
Friday's DuPage Valley Conference meet at the Sugar Grove Waubonsee Community College campus wasn't just about the challenges of facing tough conference opponents. Both Naperville Centrals had to dodge tricky course conditions, too.

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

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

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

Injuries affect Neuqua, Benet

The Neuqua Valley volleyball team is going through a period of adjustment as the Wildcats carry on without setter and leader Sam Skryd, who tore her ACL over a week ago and will miss the rest of the season.

Kukuc: Player of the Week
Elmhurst's Scottie Williams, Illinois Wesleyan's Nick Nikolich and North Central's Nick Kukuc were named College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Football Players of the Week on Monday.

Prep Rewind

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.

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

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.

Spots available for Cantigny 5K
Cantigny Park, part of the McCormick Foundation, invites runners and walkers of all ages to enter the Cantigny 5K Run/Walk on Nov. 7.

For the love of the run
Sure, the races were fun for the top kids and school and yes, there was a reward for the winning school.

Galaxy soccer team finishes strong at tournament
The Galaxy Boys U12 Blue soccer team won the U13 Bronze Division of the Libertyville Octoberfest Tournament.

Not everything loves Raymond
"The Fox Trap" may have tripped him up this weekend, but it didn't snare Naperville North golfer Raymond Knoll. The freshman followed Friday's opening round of 81 at The Den at Fox Creek with a 2-over par 74 on Saturday and tied for 13th in the IHSA Class 3A State Tournament.

Redwings, Wildcats neck and neck
It was a display of picture-perfect tennis by Neuqua Valley singles player Natalie Peters. Peters, who went into this weekend's Naperville North Sectional with a 5-6 seed, defeated Metea Valley freshman Kelsey Chin 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals to earn her second straight qualification for the state tournament.

Wildcats pull off clean sweep
Neuqua Valley's boys couldn't have been any better than they were Saturday at the Upstate Eight Conference meet.

Swine flu: Risk low, cost high
Patrick Mooney: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention caution that those younger than 25 are most susceptible to the H1N1 virus. The outbreak has caused the highest number of deaths among people 25 to 49, the federal agency reports. Those age ranges will inevitably target athletes.

Prep Rewind: Waubonsie diver takes second

Taylor Eggenberger finished second with 370.4 points at the Evanston Diving Invite on Saturday. The winner managed 417.75 points.

Central finishes fourth despite low seed
The fortunes of Naperville Central and Benet volleyball teams went in opposite directions on Saturday. The Redhawks went 3-2 and finished fourth at the Autumnfest Volleyball Invitational at Glenbard East while Benet was fifth with a 4-1 record.

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.

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

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.

SPORTS WIRE: Johnson seizes control of Chase Chase

Jimmie Johnson raced to his third victory in the Chase for the Sprint Cup to take control of the championship standings.

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:

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

Benet shut out
Benet's 2-0 loss at St. Viator on Friday afternoon prevented the Redwings from sharing the East Suburban Catholic championship with Carmel, dropping Benet to third place.

Last-minute TD clips Naperville North
Wheaton North took control against Naperville North late in the fourth quarter by snuffing out a fake punt at midfield. And with 18.2 seconds remaining, a 23-yard touchdown pass sealed a 10-3 Wheaton North victory Friday night in Naperville, leaving both teams sitting on the playoff bubble.

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.

Marist's big plays sink Benet
By the time Benet finally made a big play on Friday night, it was too late to catch up to Marist, which had made every big play up to that point in a 43-12 win that got the RedHawks playoff eligible.

Redhawks keep pace in DVC
Needing a victory Friday night at West Chicago to maintain any hope of a shared DuPage Valley Conference crown, Naperville Central found itself trailing 55 seconds in after a Blake Zumpano 32-yard interception return for a touchdown of a Nick Linne pass.

Saints beat Neuqua, clinch piece of UEC title
Living on the edge seems to fit St. Charles East just fine. The Saints relied on their steely defense to pull out another squeaker on Friday night, prevailing 7-3 over Upstate Eight Conference foe Neuqua Valley.

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.

North Central wants four quarters again
It's been more than a month since the North Central College starters have played an entire game thanks to four consecutive blowout victories. That leaves the Cardinals with a lot to prove at the halfway point in the season. Wins of 55-0, 69-18, 58-0 and 83-7 have helped the Cardinals attain the top-ranked scoring offense in Division III competition and the eighth-ranked scoring defense.

Honoring the Cardinals' sports elite
Shortly before its football team's Homecoming tilt against Wheaton College, North Central College will induct its Class of 2009 into its Athletics Hall of Fame.

Lancers like to keep things grounded
Waubonsie Valley sees enough of the spread offense throughout the week in practice and on Friday nights under the lights. But tonight its defense will be seeking passing situations, hoping to shove Lake Park out of its comfort zone and into third-and-long.

In the end, it belonged to the Huskies
It should come to nobody's surprise that the usual suspects -- Evan Trychta, Chris Boswell and Mike Wiest -- were mostly responsible for Naperville North's conference-clinching victory.

Naperville North swimmers have own home again
It was an evening for the Naperville North swimming and diving program to celebrate. On Tuesday, the North girls squad christened their refurbished state-of-the-art swimming and diving pool with a decisive 129-57 DuPage Valley Conference victory over Wheaton Co-op.

Waubonsie living for the moment
Two days after Waubonsie Valley's boys golf team stunned the field at the Class 3A St. Charles East Sectional by winning with a 302, coach Dave Owles was still trying to put it in perspective.

2009 Hall of Fame biographies
A look at the hall-of-famers:

Four quarters

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

Benet faces uphill climb to postseason

When St. Joseph leaves the East Suburban Catholic Conference at the end of the academic year, it will take a certain amount of prestige from its basketball league. It's the school of Isiah Thomas, "Hoop Dreams" and two of the better players you'll see in the Big Ten this winter -- Evan Turner (Ohio State) and Demetri McCamey (Illinois).

Naperville coach chronicles 40 years of football
Jim Brown, a founder of the St. Raphael football program in Naperville, will be holding two discussions of his book, "More Than a Game: A Vehicle for Child Development."

The Lions prevail to play another day
How dominating was Lisle in its regional quarterfinal win over Islamic Foundation of Villa Park? The 9-0 score doesn't begin to indicate how much the Lions controlled the contest Oct. 13 at Wilde Field in Lisle.

Former BHS hoopster Taylor enrolls at SIU
Former Bolingbrook High School basketball player, Diamond Taylor, has enrolled at Southern Illinois University and will join the men's basketball team, according to Mike Mullins, his former Illinois Wolves club coach, via an espnchicago.com report.

Benedictine comeback falls short

Benedictine University's attempt to rally back from a large deficit late in the game versus Concordia University came up short, 24-20, on Oct. 10 in Mequon, Wis.

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.

Huet solid as Blackhawks top Predators 3-1 for 4th straight
There's no need for any goaltender controversy on these red-hot Blackhawks, not after Cristobal Huet's play in a 3-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.

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.

Defensive end just getting started
Georgia Tech is still playing for a BCS bid, while Bobby Bowden, who turns 80 next month, could have only weeks left in his reign at Florida State. On some level, those two developments can be traced back, in part, to a reserve defensive end out of Naperville North who has just three total tackles this season. Georgia Tech and Florida State combined for 13 touchdowns, 93 points, 1,071 yards of total offense and just one punt.

Upstate EIght race nearly final
Neuqua Valley will attempt to complete a clean sweep of the entire Upstate Eight Conference when the Wildcats host East Aurora at 4:30 p.m. today. Neuqua clinched the outright regular-season championship with its 4-0 win against Bartlett on Tuesday. The Wildcats have outscored their UEC foes 32-1. "Our goal is to get better every game," Neuqua coach Tony Kees said.

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

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

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

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

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

Banged-up Spartans brace for Wildcats

With Northwestern working back toward good health, now it's Michigan State that's being plagued by injuries at important positions.

SPORTS WIRE: France father, son in NASCAR's first Hall class

Founder Bill France Sr. headlined the five inductees into the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Postseason run ends for local golfers
Naperville-area golfers headed to Cog Hill No. 1 for Tuesday's Class AA St. Ignatius Sectional knowing the field would be tough. Those golfers had no idea just how tough that field would be. Despite having the full rosters from Naperville Central and Naperville North, as well as individual golfers from Benet, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley in the field, no Naperville-area golfer was able to reach the state meet.

Central girls golf team looks to future

Naperville Central's girls golf team was unable to advance anybody to the state meet Tuesday, as was the case for all Naperville Sun coverage area teams.

Redhawks derail Tigers' DVC title hopes
Chris Prince, Art Garza and the rest of the Naperville Central boys soccer team played the role of spoiler and enjoyed every minute of it.

Kuhn comes up with clutch kills for Redhawks
The Naperville Central volleyball players believe if they can get the ball to teammate Dani Kuhn, she can put it away. That's exactly what the junior outside hitter did Tuesday, especially in the clutch, as the host Redhawks topped arch-rival Naperville North for the second time this season in DuPage Valley Conference play, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20.

Redhawks mixing it up on offense
Naperville Central's first drive last week lasted only five plays and ended with a fumble that gave the ball right back to Wheaton North. But the snapshots taken on that possession revealed enough.

Waubonsie tennis team fares well at UEC meet

Though the weather was cold and damp at last Saturday's Upstate Eight Conference tennis tournament, there were more than a few rays of sunshine for Waubonsie Valley coach Phil Galow.

IHSA approves state lacrosse series
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors approved a recommendation Tuesday to adopt an official state series for boys and girls lacrosse beginning with the 2010-11 school term.

What to watch Friday night
Benet (3-4) at Marist (5-2); Naperville Central (6-1) at West Chicago (0-7); Neuqua Valley (2-5) at St. Charles East (5-2); Waubonsie Valley (4-3) at Lake Park (6-1); Wheaton North (3-4) at Naperville North (4-3)

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

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

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

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

SPORTS WIRE: Warriors' Jackson loses captain's title

''Captain Jack'' is no more.

Davies in serious condition after fatal car accident

ARLINGTON, Va. -- U.S. national team forward Charlie Davies was in serious condition Tuesday evening after a one-vehicle accident in which another person was killed.

To Bloomington in full
Time waits for no one. Apparently, neither does the Waubonsie Valley boys golf team. "We thought next year was going to be our year," said Warriors sophomore Alex Koulos, echoing the prevalent sentiment heading into Monday's Class 3A St. Charles East Sectional. It was based on the fact his team's lineup featured no seniors. "Change of plan," interjected a passing teammate, who overheard the conversation.

Tally in final seconds lifts Huskies
Soccer is always a funny game in that no matter how dominant you are during the game, if you can't finish around the goal, that dominance may not show up in a win. For 60 minutes Monday, West Aurora's boys soccer team dominated play against DuPage Valley Conference power Naperville North, with both teams still alive for the DVC title in the final week.

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

Benet faces uphill climb to postseason
When St. Joseph leaves the East Suburban Catholic Conference at the end of the academic year, it will take a certain amount of prestige from its basketball league. It's the school of Isiah Thomas, "Hoop Dreams" and two of the better players you'll see in the Big Ten this winter -- Evan Turner (Ohio State) and Demetri McCamey (Illinois).

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.''

SPORTS WIRE: Astros will interview 10 for manager position

The Houston Astros got permission Monday from the Boston Red Sox to speak with coaches Tim Bogar and Brad Mills about their open managerial job. Bogar is the Red Sox' first-base coach, and Mills is their bench coach.

Eckersley on postseason gaffes: 'it stays with you'

In Dennis Eckersley's illustrious Hall of Fame career, there were plenty of highlights.

Life lessons from the game
St. Raphael's 2009 Punt, Pass and Kick Competition at Benedictine University coincided with the recent release of a book highlighting the valuable life lessons acquired through the youth football league by longtime coach Jim Brown.

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.

Youth roundup

Something holding Redwings back from more?

For both Benet teams, the Benet Invitational offered stiff competition and a tune-up for next week's East Suburban Catholic Conference meet.

What a whammy!
On Family Weekend, North Central College had a record-setting night in running its winning streak to four Saturday at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. The Cardinals, currently ranked 14th in Division III, continued to pile on the points in very efficient fashion in setting a school record for points scored in hammering North Park 83-7.

Wildcats state a clear case
Neuqua Valley left no doubt as to who was the top team in the Upstate Eight Conference on Saturday, reeling off a dominating performance at the UEC Tournament co-hosted by South Elgin and Bartlett.

Huskies squeak out a title
It's often said that in high school tennis every position is important because they all count for one point. Naperville North proved that dramatically Saturday as they won the DuPage Valley girls tennis championship 48 to 46, and the victories in the finals by the fourth singles and third doubles picked up the two points that made the difference.

OT victory keeps league hopes alive
Naperville Central lined up with an empty backfield, two receivers split out to either side. A matter of inches would push two teams onto two different tracks toward the postseason.

Payton's coaching style somewhat unique to NFL
About 76 percent of the NFL schedule remains. Already "Monday Night Football" has set records as the most-watched program in cable television history, with nearly 22 million last week watching Packers-Vikings and quarterback Brett Favre, who turned 40 on Saturday.

Benet sweeps three races
Both Benet teams made sure they didn't host their invitational in vain Saturday at Community Park. The girls finished first with 39 team points and the boys took third with 84. Wheaton North (25) and Lincoln-Way East (69) finished first and second on the boys side.

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

Hanidu scores 4 TDs, helps North end skid
Idris Hanidu rushed for 128 mud-soaked yards and four touchdowns on Friday night to lead Naperville North to a 31-7 win at Glenbard East.

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.

SPORTS WIRE: Casey scores twice as U.S. clinches World Cup berth

Conor Casey scored his first two international goals in the second half, Landon Donovan added another and the United States clinched its sixth straight World Cup berth with a game to spare by rallying past Honduras 3-2 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

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.