Lake Zurich advances to Class 7A quarterfinals
Max Methling kicked three field goals, and Jacob Brinlee’s nine-yard touchdown run with 1 minute 56 seconds left gave Lake Zurich a 30-28 victory over Crystal Lake South on Saturday in the Round of 16 of the IHSA Class 7A prep football playoffs. The Bears are now 8-3 and will play on the road against either Prospect or Wheaton North in the quarterfinals next weekend.

Lakes bows out of football playoffs with 42-17 loss
Things looked rosy early on in the first football playoff home game in Lakes High history. The Eagles, playing before a packed house, led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, capitalizing on two fumbles by the visiting Woodstock Blue Streaks. But once Woodstock began securing the ball, it was all downhill for the home team as the Streaks, showing equal ability to pass and run, eliminated Lakes in this second–round Class 5A game 42-17.

Poor start dooms Vernon Hills
Glenbard South scored the first 33 points of the game, then held on for a 33-27 victory over Vernon Hills here on Saturday in the Round of 16 in the IHSA Class 5A prep football playoffs. The Cougars finished their season 8-3 while Glenbard South will face either Woodstock or Lakes in the quarterfinals next weekend. Early mistakes doomed the visitors, who used an interception and fumble recovery to post two early scores.

Warren falls to Loyola Academy in second round
What we learned on the gridiron this weekend is that while the North Suburban Conference Lake Division plays a pretty good brand of football, it’s just not the same as what they’re doing in the Chicago Catholic League’s Blue Division. Loyola Academy’s 21-7 win over Warren High on Saturday in the Round of 16 of the IHSA Class 8A playoffs meant that the Catholic League’s elite division’s four playoff qualifiers went a combined 8-0 over the first two weekends of postseason play.

Highland Park ousted by Cary-Grove

The game was played at Lake Forest High because that school has artificial turf, and Highland Park’s worn-out gridiron does not.

Hlavin leads Lake Forest to conference title

VERNON HILLS – Sophomore sensation Mika Hlavin won two individual events and led off two winning relay teams to lead Lake Forest High to the team title in the North Suburban Conference girls swimming meet that was held here Saturday.

Antioch’s Poss sixth in state meet

Poss averaged just under 6:00 per mile for the three-mile race, which was won by Woodstock junior Kayla Beattie in 17:14.

Stevennson freshman Levy earns top-10 finish at state

Levy averated 5e:53 per mile in the three-mile race. Of the nine girls who beat her, five of them were seniors.

Lake Forest’s Mynatt is top area runner at state

He averaged 5;02 per mile for the three-mile race.

Mt. Carmel beats Stevenson 23-16
Markell Brown and the Mount Carmel defense heard the talk all week that they needed to step up and deliver. With Stevenson facing a fourth-and-3 with just over a minute to go, a big rush by Brown forced an incompletion and gave the Caravan a 23-16 victory in the second round of the IHSA Class 8A playoffs Friday night at Gately Stadium.

A gym (d)Andi
Three minutes. That's all the time Andi Potkonjak spent on the hardwood last season before suffering the dreaded ACL injury that ended what should have been a breakout season for the then-sophomore at Antioch High. Despite losing a key piece of the hoops puzzle, the Sequoits still were respectable, finishing 14-14. And now, with Potkonjak almost fully recovered and back at point guard, this season's outlook couldn't be brighter.

Grayslake-based team fourth in tournament

Westlake Christian Academy's girls volleyball team placed fourth in a field of 13 high school that competed in the Association of Christian Schools International Tournament in Sycamore.

Different look in 2010
Chris Getz and Josh Fields are now Royals, Mark Teahen is now the White Sox's starting third baseman, Jermaine Dye is all but gone, talks with free agent-to-be Scott Podsednik have disintegrated, and Gordon Beckham is now the new starting second baseman.

Sweet 16 finish for Prais at state

He averaged 5:11 per mile for the three-mile race, and of the 15 runners who beat him, eight were seniors.

Zion takes hands-on approach in stadium dealings
Day: When Northern League commissioner Clark Griffith declared at Thursday's official groundbreaking ceremony for the new baseball stadium in Zion that will be used by the Lake County Fielders, that the Fielders would win a championship in the near future, it drew cheers from the hundreds of dignitaries and fans in attendance. While the scheduled first pitch at the new stadium is just seven months away, there is still much work to be done before "Play Ball!" can be called by an umpire in Zion.

Group takes LEAD role in war against drugs
Schools throughout our area have been holding red-ribbon events in recent weeks to draw attention to the never-ending fight against drugs. Joining that fight in the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff area is LEAD -- Linking Efforts Against Drugs. Last weekend, LEAD hosted its second annual Red Ribbon Run -- a 3.1-mile race and two-mile fun walk that started and ended at Elawa Farms Park in Lake Forest.

Prep standings

area standings

Highland Park school wins Lakeside championship

Edgewood Middle School in Highland Park won the Lakeside Conference seventh-grade soccer tournament that was held recently at the Libertyville Sports Complex.

Gurnee-based Wave win tourney

The Gurnee-based Warren Township Girls Softball's travel program, the Wave, had a successful fall program, with the age 14-under team finishing first and the 12-under team finishing second in the Pumpkin Classic in Glenview.

Antioch-based Bandits excel in 12-under tourney

The Antioch-based Bordertown Bandits' age 12-under travel softball team finished fifth recently in the NSA-sanctioned Kankakee Blast tournament.

Renegades team finishes season in style

The Waukegan-based Renegades age 18-under travel softball team completed its fall season in style, winning a round-robin tournament it hosted last weekend.

Robert Morris women's team is on season-long roll

The women's bowling team at Waukegan-based Robert Morris University won the Boilermaker Classic hosted by Purdue University last weekend.

Local club qualifies three for Border Wars

Three members of the Fox Lake/Antioch-based Lakeland Predators Youth Wrestling Club excelled in a recent tournament at North Central College in Naperville, and earned the right to compete in the Illinois/Michigan Border Wars Tournament.

Play ball!

NORTHERN LEAGUE

For Cutler, no receiver envy
CHICAGO -- There's no truth to the notion Jay Cutler will turn green with envy, if not Cardinals red, at the sight of the receivers on the other side when the Chicago Bears host Arizona on Sunday.

Turner is back running strong
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Michael Turner did some self-scouting last week to find out why he wasn't breaking off big runs for the Atlanta Falcons.

Deng steps up on both ends
CLEVELAND -- Luol Deng scored 15 points and helped stop LeBron James on a drive in the final seconds as the Chicago Bulls ended Cleveland's three-game winning streak with an 86-85 win over the Cavaliers on Thursday night.

Meet the new Queen Bee
She hasn't even begun her first season as head girls varsity basketball coach at Zion-Benton, and already Tanya Johnson seems to have things backward. "I'm the lucky one here," said the Hall of Famer following Tuesday's practice. From the outside looking in, quite the opposite would appear to be true. It's the players and their families who are blessed.

Lake Division powers dominate
Lake Zurich and Lake Forest were the last two North Suburban Conference teams standing in this year's IHSA boys soccer tournament. So, it was fitting that the Bears and Scouts each had six players named to the North Suburban All-Conference Team that was announced recently.

Cutler says problems go beyond offensive line
Jay Cutler had every reason to be just a little sore after the Chicago Bears' last game, the way he was running for cover if not big gains.

Lilly has shoulder surgery
Chicago Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly, who's been one of the team's most consistent starters the last three seasons, had surgery on his left shoulder and no timetable has been set for his return.

Hersey ends Mundelein's season
This one will hurt for a while. But once the pain of being wiped out by state super-power Hersey on Tuesday night in the IHSA Class 4A Stevenson Sectional semifinals subsides, the members of Mundelein High's girls volleyball team will look back at their 2009 season and the following four words surely will come to mind: A job well done.

Lake Forest soccer team denied trip to Final Four
Lake Forest High's defense had been spot-on with no goals allowed during its four-game win streak in the IHSA Class 4A boys soccer playoffs. But two defensive lapses in the first half of Tuesday's Round of 8 super-sectional here at Loyola University against defending state-champion New Trier proved costly to the Scouts in a 2-1 loss.

Deng helps club avert disaster

CHICAGO -- Luol Deng scored 24 points while grabbing a career-high 20 rebounds, and the Bulls rallied from 18 down to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 83-81 on Tuesday night.

Antioch youths are pin-ball wizards
Based on what is happening in the Youth League at Antioch Lanes, you have to think that Antioch and Lakes -- the two high schools in the area -- need to start thinking in terms of adding the sport of boys bowling to their athletic programs. One reason why: In the age 12-over division, 14-year-old Ryan Reitmayer bowled 257-234-229--720. He's also the youngest known bowler in the U.S. to roll a perfect game in a Sport League.

Utley, Lee help Phils avoid elimination
Chase Utley hit two home runs to raise his World Series total to a record-tying five, Cliff Lee won again and the Philadelphia Phillies staved off elimination with an 8-6 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 5 on Monday night. The Phillies hung on to close their deficit to 3-2. The Yankees scored three times in the eighth inning and put two runners on in the ninth before Derek Jeter grounded into a double play.

School based in Grayslake competes in tournament

Westlake Christian Academy in Grayslake finished its prep soccer season recently by playing in the Association of Christian School International tournament in Sycamore.

Soccer showdown

THE INSIDE SCOOP

Five-week camp starts next month in Libertyville

The Lake County Blitz Youth Football Training Camp will be based out of the Libertyville Sports Complex for the second straight year, and this year's five-week weekend camp will begin in December.

Spooktacular effort by Devils in big meet

The Gurnee-based Blue Devil Swim Club competed recently in the Scout Spooktacular youth swim meet in Lake Forest.

Grayslake North graduate sets fast pace at CLC

Grayslake North High graduate Nick Lane came up huge for the College of Lake County in Saturday's NJCAA Region IV (northern half of Illinois) men's cross-country meet at Waubonsee Community College.

Bears have room to improve
Jay Cutler was on the run and bleeding for much of the game, yet he insisted afterward he was fine. No reason to worry.

The sons also rise
Living six doors away from each other since the sixth grade, Vernon Hills High football stars DaVaris Daniels and Evan Spencer have found enough in common through the years to become best friends. Juniors on a successful 8-2 Cougars team that has already racked up an IHSA Class 5A playoff win, the pair are also sons of prominent NFL fathers. DaVaris' dad is Washington Redskins defensive end Philip Daniels and Evan's dad is Bears running-backs coach Tim Spencer.

Cleveland in a word: Non-competitive
Pounded the previous week and losers of two straight, the Chicago Bears couldn't afford to go down again. Good thing for them that Derek Anderson and the Cleveland Browns were in town. Jay Cutler threw for 225 yards, Matt Forte ran for two touchdowns and the Bears (4-3) beat the bumbling Browns 30-6 Sunday. "It's good to get a win at home but offensively we've got to get to work," Cutler said.

Pair of bowlers are in the Zone

Two bowlers rolled 300 games in league play recently at Brunswick Zone in Hawthorn Lanes.

Waukegan-based Seahorses gear up for big home meet

The Waukegan-based Northern Lake County YMCA Seahorses youth swimming team had several top performances in a recent meet against the Central Lake County YMCA.

Robert Morris bowling teams are on a roll

The Waukegan-based Robert Morris University men's bowling team claimed its second championship in three tournament starts this season, defeating defending national champion Wichita State in the match-play finals of the Illinois Bowling Professionals Association Collegiate Classic in Addison last weekend.

Prep football standings

Weekend warriors

WEEKEND WARRIORS

Vernon Hills rolls 48-0 over Chicago Brooks
Scoring touchdowns the first five times they touched the ball, the Vernon Hills Cougars enjoyed a Class 5A opening round football blowout with a 48-0 win over the Brooks Eagles of the Chicago Public League. Six different Vernon Hills players scored on the day, as the Cougars (8-2) rushed to a 42-0 halftime lead and a merciful running clock for the visitors.

Warren dominant in playoff opener
Some would say it was over a week ago, which is when the IHSA announced pairings for the Claass 8A (big schools) football playoffs and matched area powerhouse Warren with Chicago Curie from the Chicago Public League in the first round. The game on the field went just as everyone expected. Warren scored the game’s first 35 points, led 35-7 at halftime, and moved the game into running-clock mode with 3:57 left in the quarter en route a 49-7 beatdown of the Condors.

Highland Park capitalizes on fortunate draw

Instead, the Giants improved to 7-3 on the season and won for the seventh straight time by wiping out unheralded Chicago Mather 39-7.

Red-hot Lake Forest beats Deerfield

Way back in early September, Deerfield High’s boys soccer team came into Lake Forest and went home with a 2-0 win over the home team and the championship trophy from the Lake Forest Invitational tournament.

Lakes capitalizes on luck of draw

CHICAGO – Lakes High’s high-flying Eagles took advantage of a fortuitous draw and drilled Senn High from the Chicago Public League 40-20 here Saturday in the first round of the IHSA Class 5A football palyoffs.

Defense does it for Lake Zurich

ROLLING MEADOWS – Lake Zurich High’s defensive unit held high-powered Rolling Meadows in check and the Bears’ offense produced enough points to earn a 16-6 victory over Saturday in the first round of the IHSA Class 7A football playoffs.

Antioch’s Poss finishes third in sectional

Though the Beattie sisters from Woodstock – Kayla and Elise – dominated the race, Poss was a dominant third, finishing 18 seconds ahead of the fourth-place runner.

Big day for Lake Zurich, Lake Forest, Round Lake

Qualifying for state from the Schaumburg Sectional were Lake Zurich’s team (fifth place overall), plus Lake Forest’s steady Henry Mynatt and Round Lake junior sensation Juan Carrera.

Lakes’ Prais qualifies for state meet

Sadly, when the IHSA Class 2A (smaller-size schools) state meet is held next Saturday in Peoria, Lakes High’s Ryan Prais will be running alone.

Libertyville, Stevenson girls qualify for state

SCHAUMBURG – The IHSA Class 3A (large schools) girls sectional cross-country meet here on Saturday at Busse Woods looked a lot like the Mid-Suburban Conference meet.

Mundelein, Lake Zurich advance to volleyball sectional

Mundelein will face MSL champ Hersey in the 6 p.m. semifinal, followed by NSC champ Lake Zurich against Palatine Fremd, with those two winners squaring off on Thursday in the sectional finals.

Wauconda advances to Vernon Hills Sectional

The Bulldogs punched their ticket to the sectional by beating Vernon Hills 25-22, 26-24 on Saturday in the finals of the Chicago Senn Regional.

Lake Forest’s 20-game winning streak stunned

After beating New Trier 1-0 and 2-1 during the regular season, the Scouts could not complete the three-game sweep and lost the match that counted the most, 1-0 to the Trevians here in the finals of the state field tournament that was hosted by Oak Park-River Forest High.

Prospect's ground game too powerful for Carmel
When the triple-option is your offense, it's tough to come from behind, especially when an opponent jumps out to a 19-0 lead. That was the predicament the Carmel Corsairs found themselves in on the way to a 33-13 loss to the Prospect Knights in Friday's first-round IHSA Class 7A football playoff game. Even when they were down by that margin, Carmel, which was just 2 for 7 passing with one interception, felt that it's best bet was to run the ball.

Girls from Lake Forest win race against time

The girls cross-country team at Deer Path Middle School in Lake Forest made a bit of school history earlier this month.

Waukegan teen bowls 300 ... for FOURTH time
Don't know if there's such a thing as a quota on the number of perfect games that can be rolled by residents of one city. But if there is, we now know the reason why so few of the rest of us have been fortunate enough to post a 300 game. Michael Hersman is hogging them all.

Boston rolls past Bulls

BOSTON -- Paul Pierce scored 20 of his 22 points in the third quarter, and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 118-90 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night in the teams' first matchup since last spring's thrilling seven-game playoff series.

Sharp's late goal hands Habs another road loss

CHICAGO -- Patrick Sharp scored with 4:10 left to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Friday.

Sequoits survive without 'A' game
After dusting off Chicago Lake View 25-2, 25-3 in the first IHSA Class 3A girls volleyball regional semifinal at Antioch High on Thursday, Prairie Ridge and its coaches took a seat to watch their Saturday title-game opponent. The third-seeded Wolves (26-9) must have left Antioch pretty confident, as the Sequoits did not display their "A" game" in a 25-15, 25-16 victory over Grayslake North in the second semifinal.

Yankees even Series at 1-1
Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui shook the New York Yankees from their lumber slumber and sent the World Series to Philadelphia all tied up. Teixeira and Matsui hit solo homers off familiar foe Pedro Martinez, backing a sharp performance by A.J. Burnett and giving the Yankees a 3-1 victory over the Phillies in Game 2 on Thursday night.

This week's playoff games

THIS WEEK'S PLAYOFF GAMES

Prep stats

Statistics Through Saturday's games. Based on reports from area coaches. To report scores and stats, fax to (847) 249-7202 or e-mail dmasterson@scn1.com

IHSA girls volleyball

IHSA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Bulldogs extend fun season

With a record jut a big over .500, there are many who would consider this Waukegan High girls volleyball season a bit of a disappointment. The club boasts four really good players: Victoria Drasler, Sarah and Amy Angelos, and my personal favorite, Katie O'Conner. But the big season didn't happen.

Fielders to open in Winnipeg

The Zion-based Lake County Fielders minor-league baseball team will get one of its longest road trips of the year out of the way early when it opens its first season in the Northern League on Thursday, May 20, in Winnipeg, Canada.

Rose impressive in season opener
CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose scored 13 points and had seven assists to lead the balanced Chicago Bulls to an impressive 92-85 season-opening victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

Rinne gets first shutout of the season for Preds
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Pekka Rinne made 22 saves for his first shutout of the season and fifth overall, and Joel Ward scored on a second-period power play in the Nashville Predators' 2-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.

Spirit of competition
They came, they cheered (and pom/danced), and they conquered. So it went at Grayslake North High last Saturday when the two Grayslake high schools -- North and Central -- co-hosted Spirit Quest 2009/Pretty In Pink. This was a huge poms/dance, and cheerleading competition for the squads who support youth football teams in the area.

Scouts take out top-seeded Palatine
At the high-school level, a soccer game is 80 minutes long. But within that long time frame, there are plenty of snapshots. So it was at Stevenson High in Lincolnshire on Wednesday as Lake Forest High continued its stunning postseason run by stunning top-seeded Palatine 1-0 in the semifinals of the IHSA Class 3A (big schools) sectional.

Rose eager to build on last season's success

If not for the ankle injury that hampered Derrick Rose for much of the preseason, the main topic surrounding the Bulls as they approach the season opener Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs would be how much better the second-year point guard will be this season.

Lee, Utley lead the way for Phillies in opener

NEW YORK -- Cliff Lee and Chase Utley got the Philadelphia Phillies off to a fast World Series start.

Harris returns to practice

Back at practice, Tommie Harris appeared to be in a good mood as he walked off the field giggling with linebackers Lance Briggs and Jamar Williams.

Antioch's success is result of total team effort

People who've played the game will tell you that football is the ultimate team sport.

Waukegan boys get chance to make big splash

Waukegan's School Board voted 4-2 on Tuesday to reinstate a boys swim team at the high school.

Scouts aiming for another state title
With the artificial surface at Illinois Benedictine University's football stadium the site of this weekend's IHSFHA state field-hockey finals, Lake Forest High didn't mind moving Tuesday's quarterfinal-round contest against Lake Forest Academy from the picturesque lawn in front of its school to the turf surface at its football field on the west side of town.

Deer present a moving target
<b id=red>Abderholden </b>Hunting season starts soon, but this is also the most dangerous time of the year for deer/car collisions.You might not realize it, but Lake County is No. 6 on the list of Illinois counties for deer/car collisions with 553. Last year in Illinois, there were a total of 24,212 deer/car crashes and 758 injuries, including two deaths in a single car/deer crash.

A-Rod, Howard are ready for prime time
NEW YORK -- Ryan Howard thought about the World Series and his eyes widened.

Key to success in school's weight room
Waukegan High first-year football coach Derek Dewitt knew this year was going to be a tough one. "We only had three seniors on the roster who had four years of experience," said Dewitt, whose inaugural team completed a 1-8 season on Saturday with a 21-14 loss to Niles West, a team that entered the contest with the identical record as the Bulldogs. "I knew it was going to be a rough road."

Z-B football needs to be in a win-win situation
Bonato: It's time for Lonnie Bible to earn whatever portion of his athletic director's salary is designated for providing some TLC to Zion-Benton High's football program. Now that it appears he has the right man -- Bob Strickland -- in place to head the grid program, it's paramount that Lonnie put the team in the best possible position to take the next step forward. And that would be making the IHSA playoffs.

Tryouts Friday for Waukegan's boys travel program

Final tryouts for the Waukegan Stars travel boys basketball program will be held on Friday from 7-9 p.m. at Hinkston Park.

All-conference honors for CLC

Freshman Alyssa Sowers (Zion-Benton High grad) finished 10th in the women's race to earn all-conference honors in the Skyway Conference cross-country meet that was held last Saturday at Waubonsee Community College.

Smith, Harris not on same page
Bears coach Lovie Smith wants to see defensive tackle Tommie Harris practicing more often before he puts the Pro Bowler into a game.

Amazing Kane goal thrills home crowd
CHICAGO -- Patrick Kane scored a spectacular third-period goal just 3:25 after Minnesota had made it a one-goal game and the Chicago Blackhawks went on to win 3-1 Monday night, dropping the Wild to 0-8 on the road.

The Elite Eight
There are a half-dozen, plus two more things you need to know about our survivors of a wet and wild prep football regular season. The number one thing to know is that the best place to be in the 32-team bracket is on the same line as the name of a school from the Chicago Public League. As a general rule, they play pretty sorry ball, which could mean that Christmas came early this year to Warren, Highland Park, Vernon Hills and Lakes.

Defense embarrassed, and it's not alone
No need to rub it in. Everyone knew what Cedric Benson had just done. He got his revenge, all right. Benson ran for a career-high 189 yards and a touchdown against the team that let him go, and Carson Palmer threw five touchdown passes -- four during Cincinnati's dominant first half -- in a shocking 45-10 victory Sunday that will go down as one of the worst days in Bears history.

Weekend prep warriors

ANTIOCH SEQUOITS

Prep football area standings

AREA STANDINGS

Special teams touchdowns doom Waukegan
Waukegan Bulldogs special teams yielded a 65-yard kickoff return and an 80-yard punt return, both for touchdowns, as the home-team dropped its final contest of the year, 21-14 to the Niles West Wolves. Both Central Suburban South teams entered the game with identical 1-7 overall marks, and each team was 0-4 in conference. At least five good passes were dropped by Bulldog receivers, including one that would have kept the final drive of the game alive.

Deerfield girls second in state tennis tourney
Deerfield High senior Julia Fellerhoff finished her prep tennis career in style, reaching the singles finals in the IHSA state playoffs before losing here Saturday to a freshman from Morgan Park Academy. Fellherhoff, who was expected to lose in the quarterfinals, KO’d second-seeded Nida Hamilton of Hinsdale Central 7-6, 6-2 in the quarterfinals and Tina Harazin of Lyons 7-5, 7-5 in the semifinals before bowing to Chicagoan Jerricka Boone 6-2, 6-3.

Eight area teams qualify for IHSA playoffs

That’s how things shaped up, as the IHSA announced pairings for its prep grid playdowns, that will start with games next Friday and Saturday.

Saturday prep boys soccer results

Tim Kretuz and Brendan Seeger each scored twice, and Nick Janus and Tim Kreutz had two assists each.

Mynatt leads Lake Forest to regional title

Lake Forest High senior Henry Mynatt splashed his way to victory on Saturday in the IHSA Class 3A regional boys cross-country meet hosted by the Scouts.

Deerfield diver stars in eight-team meet

DEERFIELD – Deerfield High diver Erin Purdy made a big splash in the Warriors’ pool here Saturday, winning the diving by 58 points in the Deerfield Invitational girls swimming meet.

Stevenson star runs to glory
When you're a human tank like Stevenson's Mark Weisman, you leave tread marks on your opponents, regardless of the terrain. The 235-pound Air Force Academy-bound senior led the visiting Patriots to a 26-14 North Suburban Conference Lake Division showdown road win over the Warren Blue Devils on Friday night, toting the ball 43 times for 237 yards and 4 touchdowns on a muddy field.

Sullivan, Fellerhoff advance into quarters

Two area singles players reached the quarterfinals of the IHSA State Girls Tennis Meet on Friday.

Da Coach joins in on fun and fund-raising
St. Martin De Porres High School in Waukegan was a winner on Thursday when a fund-raising event for the school turned out to be a big success. The smiling faces on everyone involved in the event at Mickey Finn's in Libertyville told the story of a success event of fun and football, featuring Da Coach -- Mike Ditka, and other guests associated with the sport.

Mulloy earns field hockey honor

Lakes High senior Katie Mulloy was recently chosen the Illinois High School Field Hockey Association (IHSFHA) Goalie of the Year for her standout season with the Eagles.

LFC teams will join fight against cancer today

Eleven years ago, the Lake Forest College's athletic department became involved with the Coaches vs. Cancer program, in part, because of a personal battle with cancer among a few staff members.

Prep football standings

Prep Football

Millburn West girls rule at eighth-grade level

Coaches, players and parents of the eighth-grade girls volleyball team at Millburn West Middle School in Lindenhurst surely were smiling with the results of this past season.

Mundelein High hosting Monday night tourney

Though the official start of the high-school basketball season is still weeks away, the sound of bouncing balls will reverberate throughout Mundelein High on Monday night.

Robert Morris women catch a loss on pitch

Playing one of its better overall games this season from start to finish, the women's soccer team at Robert Morris University in Waukegan lost 2-0 to College of Lake County in a match at Dugdale Park in Waukegan.

'Turner the Burner' says he's not flamed out

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Michael Turner doesn't want to talk too much about Atlanta's inconsistent rushing attack.

Inspired Benson ready for old team
CINCINNATI -- Every time Cedric Benson takes a handoff, he'll be carrying a grudge along with the ball.

Mundelein paints Libertyville out of playoff picture
When it was over, and victory was assured, Mundelein High’s football players celebrated in the most fun way they could: By sliding around in the mud. Mundelein hadn’t won a North Suburban Conference Lake Division game against anyone but Zion-Benton in longer than most Mustang fans can remember, and Libertyville needed a win to finish 5-4 and advance to postseason play.

Carmel defense smothers Nazareth Academy
Quarterback Brian Serio came up huge for the Corsairs, as Carmel routed Nazareth Academy from near LaGrange 35-7 to secure a tie with Joliet Catholic for the East Suburban Catholic Conference football title. Both teams finished 6-1 in the league. Joliet beat Carmel during the season, but it was a non-league game. Next year, when the teams play, it will count in the standings.

Zee-Bees finish with stunning win over Lake Forest

ZION -- Zion-Benton High scored the game’s first 35 points, completely shut down Notre Dame-bound QB Tommy Rees, and basically played like a playoff team as the Bees humbled Lake Forest 35-14 in the season finale for both teams on Friday.

Antioch reaches five-win plateau

Antioch is eligible for postseason play, but because its nine opponents have not accumulated many victories, the chances of the Sequoits practicing on Monday are slim.

Rams finish season with 4-5 record

Last week, the Rams crushed Grayslake North. The four wins is the most by a Ram team since the school split into Central and Grayslake North four years ago.

Hockey team wins club tournament

With so much happening on the athletic front at Lake Forest Academy recently, it hasn't been easy to keep an eye on the bouncing ball.

Choose your weapon
Ground war or aerial assault. Stevenson can beat you either way. But, can it beat Warren tonight? When the two Goliaths of the North Suburban Conference collide tonight in Gurnee and the mud finally stops swirling underfoot, the victor in this tussle of titans might be the team that eschews the muck and takes to the air. Both Stevenson and Warren have huge, powerful players in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Waukegan-based team wins 18-under tourney

A Waukegan-based youth softball team recently won the age 18-under division of play in a National Softball Association-sanctioned World Series Qualifier.

Students go the distance to support good health

You have to chuckle at the thought of what those who live in homes near Lake Forest High were thinking when, seemingly, school "let out" three hours early last Friday and all the students were running around.

Fielders pluck 12 from other teams in league

The Zion-based Lake County Fielders picked 12 players -- two each of the other six teams -- in the Northern League dispersal draft on Thursday.

Take the LEAD in Red Ribbon road run

The second annual LEAD Red Ribbon Race will be held on Sunday, Nov. 1, in Lake Forest.

Robert Morris bowlers are on target

The men's and women's bowling teams at Waukegan-based Robert Morris University each posted top-10 finishes last weekend in tournament action in the Dayton, Ohio, area.

Registration is Saturday for Gurnee program

Registration will be held on Saturday for players who want to be part of the Gurnee Youth Baseball program next summer.

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?

Pryor under fire at OSU; Iowa riding high
Terrelle Pryor is under fire at Ohio State, so one of his best friends jumped to his defense -- although it may not have come out exactly the way he wanted.

Irish finding a lot of ways to get top wideout the ball
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Golden Tate is always excited to see what Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis has in store for him.

Put cancer on ice (and other good ideas)
Breast-cancer awareness moved from the volleyball court to the ice rink in Gurnee on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, as Warren High’s boys and girls hockey programs joined the fight against the dreaded disease by holding a pair of fund-raising hockey games.
The contests were played at Warren’s home facility, Rinkside Sports in Gurnee Mills.

North Chicago heavyweights flex muscles in new league
Based on what’s happening this fall at the youth level, a new era of success is about to begin at North Chicago High The Heavyweight Division in the Chicagoland Youth Football League is divided into three groups, and the North Chicago-based Flames are dominating the their half of the Ultimate Division

Grayslake-based under-11 girls team increases its ‘net’ worth

They know how to put the ball in the net.

Beach Park team dominant at its level

One of biggest successes is the program’s Pac-10 (B-level) team, which has strung together eight wins and will go for its ninth on Saturday at 9 a.m. at Zion-Benton High against Mount Prospect’s No. 2 team.

State senior tourney starts three-week run at Bertrand Lanes

The event is held in a different city each fall.

Three-week camp begins next week at Waukegan High

The camp will start next Monday and continue through Nov. 15, and will culminate with the Ultimate Championship Wrestling Tournament.

Free clinic set for Sunday at Round Lake

This program is for boys currently in school grades 4-8 who attend schools that feed into Round Lake High.

Fox Lake-based athletic teams to hold registration

The Fox Lake-based Grant Township Area Athletic Association will hold registration for a variety of programs on Saturday.

Food for thought
On Sunday night, Bears fans sat in front of their TV sets and, in so many words, booed Roberto Garza and the rest of Chicago's offensive line for a sorry performance in a loss at Atlanta. On Tuesday morning, however, Garza, the team's starting right guard heard nothing but cheers as he visited with students at Juarez Middle School in Waukegan.

Da Coach heads lineup at Thursday FUNraiser
Da Coach, Mike Ditka, will be in Libertyville on Thursday to help raise money for St. Martin De Porres High, a tiny (200 students), private school located on Waukegan's south side. Ditka will swap stories with current Bears linebacker Nick Roach, former NFL standout Dave Casper, and Gary Potempa.

Runners go the distance to support drug-free living
Libertyville High's annual Fall Red Ribbon Classic 3.1-mile walk/run and one-mile fun run was held Sunday at the school.

Blue Devils strong-arm Waukegan in regional

A strong arm is a big plus for a quarterback. It's a must for a top-notch pitcher in baseball.

Marathon man
Whether running up Pikes Peak or in a 100-mile event, Lindenhurst long-distance runner John Gunn loves to set the bar high. "As a runner, I try to do things that are unique," said the 48-year-old father of seven. Gunn recently completed his latest personal challenge by running the Chicago Marathon, his fourth 26.2-mile event in as many weeks.

Angels win 5-4 thriller
Jeff Mathis hit a two-out double in the 11th inning to drive home the winning run and the Los Angeles Angels survived a second straight thriller, beating the Yankees 5-4 Monday and trimming New York's lead in the AL championship series to 2-1. In a game full of missed chances for both sides, the Angels eventually rallied to hand the Yankees their first loss of this postseason.

Youths smash through 600 barrier at Sunset Lanes

It used to be that you could find the bowling stars of tomorrow by checking out the youth bowling league in your town today.

Major League scores rolled at Bertrand Lanes

The pins took a beating recently in the Major League at Bertrand Lanes in Waukegan, as three bowlers rolled 700 series.

Adams starts over with Bears
Defensive end Gaines Adams didn't live up to his billing in Tampa Bay. Now, the former first-round pick is getting another chance in Chicago.

Earnhardt in the dumps over another poor season
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Nobody is trying to sugarcoat the trainwreck that is Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s season.

Solo flight
Round Lake High cross-country runner Juan Carrera, a junior, is one of the top runners in Lake County, as attested by his third-place finish in Saturday's field of 95 at the North Suburban Conference meet at Warren High. The next Round Lake runner finished 57th. "Juan is always at least two minutes better than the next guy on his team," coach Kevin Brady noted.

Turner's late TD is decisive
Michael Turner rushed five yards for a touchdown with 3 minutes 10 seconds to go in the game, and Atlanta's defense stopped the Bears near the goal line in the final minute as the Falcons posted a 21-14 victory on Sunday night. Turner, a graduate of North Chicago High, had been held in check most of the night, but he popped clean on the game-winning run.

Warren grad is Illini dunk champion

CHAMPAIGN -- They aren't talking football at the University of Illinois anymore.

Prep football area standings

PREP FOOTBALL

Prep girls tennis

PREP GIRLS TENNIS

Weekend warriors

WEEKEND WARRIORS

Clean sweep for Lake Forest in regional
Lake Forest High’s girls tennis team was perfect in the IHSA Lakes Regional, finishing 1-2 in both singles and doubles to build some momentum for this coming week’s state tourney in the Arlington Heights area. Freshman sensation Maddie Lipp won the singles crown, beating teammate Katie Zordani 6-4, 6-2 in the finals.

Lake Zurich boys capture North Suburban Conference meet
The Lake Zurich Bears boys cross country team captured Saturday’s North Suburban Conference meet held at Warren High School, with the first-place team’s Andrew Morrison overtaking Lake Forest’s Henry Mynatt to win top individual honors by 8 seconds. Lake Zurich finished well ahead of the second-place team from Lake Forest, 39-79, placing three runners in the top 10.

Libertyville girls take North Suburban Conference Cross Country meet
The Libertyville Wildcats girls cross country team captured Saturday’s 13-team North Suburban Conference meet, besting second-place Lake Zurich 51-111. The Stevenson Patriots took third place with 113. Erin Poss of Antioch finished 24 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor, Mackenzie Levy of Stevenson to take top individual honors. Megan Moore of Lake Forest was third and Gabby Nystrom of Warren was fourth.

Carmel keeps its share of first in ESCC

Both teams are 5-1 in the league with one game remaining.

Central Suburban League cross country results

Prep Boys Cross Country

Lake Zurich perfect in NSC Lake matches

The Bears (22-6 overall) will play at Vernon Hills in the league Championship Game that matches the Lake and Prairie Division winners.

Prep girls golf Saturday results

Here Saturday, the senior stamped herself as a contender to win state by dominating a strong field in the Highland Park Regional.

Grayslake Central beats Vernon Hills in boys soccer

The Grayslake Central Rams advanced in their own boys regional soccer play, ousting Vernon Hills 5-1 on Saturday.

Lakes sharp in final tuneup for IHSA playoffs

The Eagles will take a 9-6-6 record into Tuesday’s IHSA Class 2A regional semifinal at home against Yorkville.

IHSA Class 2a golf tournament results

Horan, Miller post top-eight finishes at state 

Lake Forest, Carmel finish 3-4 at state

St. Viator of Arlington Heights successfully defended its team title, shooting 308-303—611 to easily defeat second-place New Trier by eight shots.

Central casting
They celebrated together -- players and fans -- with neither group even considering departing until long after the final horn sounded. That's what this victory meant to Grayslake Central High on Friday night. In a season in which its sister school was the school dreaming about the playoffs, Grayslake Central played a dream game smashing Grayslake North.

Pink is back for Lakes, Antioch
Lakes High's volleyball players were hit with the sobering facts on Thursday during practice. No, those facts had nothing to do with spike, blocks and serving. They were all about breast cancer and the Eagles' upcoming "Volley for the Cure" fund-raising match against visiting Antioch on Friday.

Eagles get win No. 5

The Lakes Eagles, behind a 238-yard rushing performance from Andrew Tubek, blew open a close game with a 21-point third quarter en route to a 38-22 prep football victory over rival Antioch on Friday night in Lake Villa.

Horan, Miller three back in Class AA tournament

CARBONDALE -- Lakes senior Abbie Horan and Stevenson freshman Stephanie Miller both fired 3-over-par 75s on the opening day of the IHSA State Girls Golf Meet at Hickory Ridge Golf Club in Carbondale.

Carmel in contention for state title
Carmel High's boys golf team finds itself within striking of a state championship after the first round of the IHSA Class 3A state tourney on Friday.

Webcam will zero in Sunday on Flames, Spartans

When the Round Lake Spartans and North Chicago Flames square off on the artificial-playing surface at Carmel High in Mundelein on Sunday night, it literally will be a battle of heavyweights.

Coaching legends grace sideline in Beach Park

The Beach Park-based Bears program isn't even 1-year-old yet, but it's already had its home field graced with two men who most definitely are living legends when talk refers to youth football

A defection-free offseason needed for IndyCar
After Dario Franchitti picked up about $1.2 million in bonus cash and other prizes to commemorate his IndyCar Series championship, three of his pursuers finally caught him.

Burton, RCR trying to turn things around
CONCORD, N.C. -- Jeff Burton can find plenty of reasons why Richard Childress Racing has struggled this season.

Dodgers rally to tie series
LOS ANGELES -- A grounder off a fielder's glove. A bunt that slipped by two players. The Los Angeles Dodgers' latest postseason rally began in the weirdest, wackiest way.

Cutler, Ryan add passing balance to their teams
ATLANTA -- Jay Cutler and Matt Ryan have quickly passed their way into the records of two franchises known for running the ball.

Warren improves to 7-1 with big win over Cats
Warren High piled up plenty of numbers offensively in a 42-21 victory over host Libertyville, but it was the Blue Devils’ defense which stepped up in the second half to preserve the win. Quarterback sacks in the fourth quarter from Gary Eppinger and Jon Duncan prevented the Wildcats from pulling the upset, while senior running back Greg Kennedy found the end zone three times in the final period to seal the victory.

Highland Park wins CSL-North title
Jordan Reisner rushed 28 times for 172 yards and 3 touchdowns as Highland Park wrapped up the Central Suburban League North Division title with a 22-16 win over rival Deerfield. Deerfield is 5-3 and will make the playoffs even if it loses to Glenbrook North next week.

Vernon Hills beats Grant to win NSC Prairie title

The contest was moved to Carmel’s artificial-turf field because Vernon Hills’ doesn’t have an artifiical-turf field.

Waukegan blanked by powerful New Trier

The good news is that the three-week stretch of non-winnable games is over, and Waukegan High’s football team can return to practice on Monday focused on winning its season finale against Niles West.

Loss knocks Lake Forest from playoff contention

Lake Forest’s playoff hopes for this season were ended on Friday at Lake Zurich, as the host Bears forced six turnovers in a 42-14 victory over the Scouts.

Zee-Bees post first league win in two years

The Zee-Bees (2-6, 1-4) grabbed a 14-0 first-half lead on a pair of touchdown runs by quarterback Eric Pasiewicz of 41 and one yards. The last score was with 1:03 left in the second quarter.

Deerfield puts its best foot forward
Somebody needs to hang a star in whatever corner of Deerfield High's boys locker room is occupied by the school's cross-country team. This feel-good story actually starts back on Sept. 2, when many area schools converged on Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda to compete in the Lake County Invitational cross country meet.

Waukegan-based team gets off to fast start
The Waukegan-based Lake County YMCA Seahorses youth swim team kicked off its 2009-2010 season last weekend with a big effort in a meet against the Hastings Lake YMCA Stingrays of Lindenhurst.

Playoff push
The IHSA state playoffs are still two weeks away, but there will be a playoff atmosphere tonight at numerous prep football stadium with conference championships and playoff berths potentially on the line. Even the expected cold and rainy weather won't be able to dampen the enthusiasm of the big crowds expected at several of the top games. Here is a quick look at the area's key games tonight.

Waukegan-based team wins 12-under tourney
The Waukegan-based Gold Dawgs age 12-under travel softball team rocked the house at the Tidal Waves Fall Tournament in Crystal Lake, winning five straight games to capture the tourney title. The Dogs beat the Elk Grove Heat 6-3, Triple Play Screamers 15-4, Bolingbrook Fury 8-0, Crystal Lake Tidal Waves 6-2, and Triple Play Terror in the championship game 14-1.

Te'o adjusting quickly at LB

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Manti Te'o needed just one start to show everyone why Notre Dame coaches are so excited about their freshman linebacker.

Nine unbeatens left near halfway point
Almost halfway through the college football season, there are nine unbeaten teams. Because several of the schools eventually will play each other, including Cincinnati and South Florida on Thursday night, no more than six can finish the season without a loss.

McCoy, Bradford become friends despite rivalry
NORMAN, Okla. -- When Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford injured his shoulder last month, one of the first people he heard from was Colt McCoy.

Big road win for Cats at South Florida
TAMPA, Fla. -- Tony Pike threw two touchdown passes before spraining his left wrist and backup Zach Collaros ran 75 yards for a score to lead No. 8 Cincinnati to a 34-17 victory over No. 21 South Florida on Thursday night.

Solid second period lifts Hawks to win
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Dustin Byfuglien and Tomas Kopecky scored in a 28-second span early in the second period to help the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Nashville Predators 3-1 on Thursday night.

Lake Zurich continues reign atop conference
For 26 glorious minutes Wednesday night, it appeared possible that Round Lake High's boys soccer team could end Lake Zurich High's reign atop the North Suburban Conference.In that span, the Panthers had three outstanding chances at one end, Panther keeper Jose Landa was flawless at the other.

Grayslake Central High teacher goes the distance for her Best Buddies
Grayslake Central High science teacher Shanna Piggott competed in the Chicago Marathon last weekend and was the 214th female to finish. Her time of 3 hours and 15 minutes qualified her to run in the Boston Marathon next April. Piggott did not run just for herself. She raised more than $800 for Best Buddies in Illinois.

Hawks beat the 'Wall'
CHICAGO -- Nikolai Khabibulin excelled in his first game against his former Chicago teammates, but couldn't prevent the Edmonton Oilers from losing 4-3 to the Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

Weekday Warriors
Antioch Sequoits

Lakes sharp in tuneup for Volley for the Cure match
Regardless of what happens on the court Friday night at Lakes High, the match between host Lakes and rival Antioch will be a huge success.

Which prep coaching job would you want? Or not want?
News you can use ... or maybe not.

Lake Forest Nicked up in win over
One thing all coaches fear as the regular season winds down and the IHSA playoffs approach is an injury to a key player in a non-conference game. Sadly, that's just what happened to Lake Forest High's powerhouse boys soccer team on Tuesday night as premier defender Nick Grube suffered a bad cut to his right-ankle area and was taken of the field.

Two Mundelein teams win tournament titles
Two teams from the Mundelein Travel Soccer Association won championships last weekend at the annual Libertyville Oktoberfest tournament. The under-15 girls and under-12 girls squads both brought home big trophies from the prestigious event.

Amazing night for Hawks
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?

Healthier Bears look to ease painful memory
Rested after a much-needed bye, the Chicago Bears had some time to heal over the weekend.

Local exhibit earns award from museum group
A golf exhibit developed by the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Historical Society recently received an Award of Excellence from the Illinois Association of Museums.

Tryouts for Gurnee-based travel teams are Oct. 25
Girls currently in school grades 5-8 who want to be part of the Warren Junior Blue Devils travel basketball program need to circle Oct. 25 on their calendars.

Weekday Warriors
Grant Bulldogs

Rays prevail in 11-under league
The Wadsworth-based Lake County Devil Rays captured the title in the age 11-under division of the Arlington Heights Fall Ball Baseball League, beating the Palatine Bulldogs 3-2 in a seven-inning thriller.

Prep golfers battle each other and elements
Temperatures near freezing with howling winds and a chance of snow flurries.

Inside edition
Skateboard guru Lou Perez says he's an empty warehouse away from bringing the first indoor skate park to the area. "I'm looking for something in the Antioch area," said the owner of the 3-year-old LoLo Skate Co. "There are a lot of skaters here and in the Chicago area who would come to an indoor park on a regular basis."

Lake Forest capitalizes on home-course advantage
Lake Forest fired a season-best 1-over-par 289 on Monday to capture its own sectional championship and earn the Scouts their 13th trip to the IHSA state finals in the last 14 seasons. Carmel posted a second-place 309 to qualify for the state meet as a team for the first time since 1980.

Fielders grab veteran pilot to manage new team

The Zion-based Lake County Fielders minor-league baseball team has named Fran Riordan as the team's first-ever manager.

Expansion draft for Fielders will be Oct. 22

The Lake County Fielders' first-ever roster will begin to take shape when the club gets to pluck a dozen players from rosters of the six existing clubs on Oct. 22 in an expansion draft.

Grayslake Central qualifies for state

Grayslake Central High earned its first trip to an IHSA state golf tourney since 1957 when the Rams placed second at the Class 2A Wheaton Academy Sectional on Monday at Pheasant Run in St. Charles.

State tourney to feature area's dynamic duo
The dynamic duo of area high-school golf continued its season-long string of solid performances on Monday.

Clutch Phillies reach NLCS
DENVER -- Chase Utley ducked near second base. The rest of the Philadelphia Phillies never flinched.

Hawks rally from five-goal deficit to win in overtime
CHICAGO -- Brent Seabrook scored 26 seconds into overtime and the Chicago Blackhawks completed the biggest comeback in team history, rallying from a five-goal deficit to beat the Calgary Flames 6-5 on Monday night.

Chicago Cubs file for Ch. 11 to speed team's sale
The Chicago Cubs filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, a step that will allow their owner to sell the baseball team in an $845 million deal. The Cubs' filing is part of the Tribune Co.'s plans to sell the team, Wrigley Field and related properties to the family of billionaire Joe Ricketts.

Champions at heart
Lake Forest College's football team may have started its season with five straight losses, but those setbacks came before the Foresters added 4-year-old Benny Watters of Lake Forest to the roster and named him a captain. With Benny on the team, LFC is undefeated -- 1-0 -- thanks to a 28-14 Homecoming victory over winless Lawrence College (Wis.) on Saturday afternoon.

No Homecoming miracle for Waukegan

No, Homecoming 2009 at Waukegan High did not end with a miraculous victory by the school's football over Maine South on Saturday afternoon.

Clean sweep for Scouts in NSC tournament
Rain wiped out play on Thursday and Friday in the North Suburban Conference girls tennis tournament. But nothing could stop Lake Forest High on Saturday, as the Scouts dominated the tournament by winning every division of play. Freshman Maddie Lipp was the singles star of the day, winning the No. 1 singles title with ease.

Wadsworth-based team wins 11-under Fall Ball title
The Wadsworth-based Lake County Devils Rays age 11-under travel baseball team won the Mundelein Baseball Fall Ball Tournament title recently. The club beat top-seeded Mundelein and third-seeded Vernon Hills by identical 10-4 scores to win the championship.

Kenyan breaks course record
Temperatures were low, but spirits were high as 34,792 participants set out to run 26.2 miles on a cold morning. They left from Grant Park moments after the sun rose over Lake Michigan by foot, wheelchair and hand-cycle for the 32nd running of the Chicago Marathon. A record was broken, a new champion was crowned and 33,419 people met their goal of completing the marathon Sunday.

Round Lake, Lake Zurich to play for NSC championship
It seems as though ever since Lake Zurich High joined the North Suburban Conference, the Bears have owned the sport of boys soccer.

Weekend warriors
WEEKEND WARRIORS

Three-week camp to begin Oct. 26 at Waukegan High
The Waukegan Youth Wrestling Club will hold a three-week youth camp for grade-school students beginning later this month at Waukegan High on Brookside.

Waukegan travel program will hold tryouts Friday

Tryouts for the Waukegan Stars travel basketball program's seventh- and eighth-grade boys and girls teams will be held next Frdiay at 6:30 p.m. at Hinkston Park.

Maine South rolls over Waukegan
The good news on Saturday was that it didn’t rain on Waukegan’s Homecoming parade. At least a half-dozen other high schools haven’t been nearly as lucky this month as Mother Nature dampened Homecoming festivities throughout the area. The bad news is that the opponent for Waukegan’s Homecoming football game was state super-power Maine South.

Lake Zurich win 20-team meet at Wheeling
Lake Zurich High’s boys cross country team won the 20-team Wildcat Invitational hosted by Wheeling High on Saturday morning. The Bears finished with 4-10-14-19-24—71 to easily beat second-place Belvidere North, which had 94. The top area finisher was Libertyville High senior Mitchel Neubauer, who finished second, seven seconds behind Paul Zeman of Belvidere North.

Lake Zurich wins own eight-team tourney

Lake Zurich beat Fenwick 25-11, 25-12 in a championship-match blowout after registering pool-play wins over Rolling Meadows, Fenwick and Lake Zurich’s JV team, and then topping Waukegan in the semifinals.

Libertyville second in 18-team meet

Barrington won the meet with 2-6-10-24-25—67 while Libertyville finished with 9-11-17-18-36—91.

Z-B goes 4-1 in CL Invitational

The Bees, 13-10 overall, beat Elk Grove, Wauconda, Lakes and Harvard to go 4-1 in the six-team, round-robin event that was won by the home team.

Grayslake Central continues run of solid play

The Rams have now won four of their last five matches.

Eagles rush to glory
The shortest player on the field stood tallest at Lakes High on Friday night. Andrew Tubek, a 5-foot-6, 145-pound running back, rushed 16 times for 121 yards and scored 4 touchdowns, leading the Eagles to an important 45-7 victory over Round Lake. The victory on Homecoming moved Lakes to 4-3 overall and kept them alive in their bid to make the playoffs.

Devils' defense dominant
As far as Homecomings go, this was the perfect game. It only took the Warren Blue Devils 13 plays to put three first-quarter touchdowns on the board en route to a 42-0 North Suburban Conference, Lake Division win over Zion-Benton Friday night. The game kept the Blue Devils, the defending conference champs, in the hunt for another NSC crown.

Robert Morris golfers finish fourth in tourney in Missouri

The men's golf team at Waukegan-based Robert Morris University played its best golf of the season this week at the Hannibal-LaGrange Fall Invitational in Missouri.

Bears piling up sacks along with wins
The Chicago Bears still have a ways to go before they instill the sort of fear that gripped opponents back in 1985, or during the days of Dick Butkus.

Teixeira homer lifts Bombers
NEW YORK -- Mark Teixeira hit a leadoff homer in the 11th inning to give the New York Yankees a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night and 2-0 lead in their AL playoff series.

Antioch rushes past Warhawks
After a couple of recent stumbles, Antioch High’s football team went back to basics on Friday night. The Sequoits ran the ball 52 times, gained 384 yards, rushed for 7 TDs, and threw zero passes in a 47-26 victory over pesky North Chicago. The Warhawks simply had no answer for Antioch’s punishing offensive line, which completely dominated the contest.

Stevenson uses big third quarter in victory
Three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter helped Stevenson rally from a one-point halftime deficit to remain unbeaten with a 36-22 victory over visiting Libertyville on Friday. The Patriots trailed 15-14 at halftime, but dominated the third quarter with three scores from Mark Weisman, Matt Harris and Nate Johnson to build a commanding 36-15 lead heading into the final period.

Carmel gains tie for first in ESCC

The Corsairs (5-2 overall, 4-1 in the ESCC) also become playoff eligible with the win.

Lake Forest keeps playoffs hopes alive

The high-scoring Lake Forest Scouts kept their playoff hopes alive by holding off visiting Grant 38-35 on Friday in a non-conference game.

Let's get fired up!
This is Homecoming Week at Lakes High, and though Thursday's miserable weather washed away the planned bonfire, it didn't damper the enthusiasm of the Eagles who packed the school gym for a pep rally. Lakes' football team is currently 3-3 and very much on track to qualify for the IHSA playoffs.

Scary good
Waukegan High's girls volleyball team wore a variety of neon-colored ribbons in their hair and most of their makeup was right out of the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" Thursday night. While the sight was a little scary, the result was perfect, as Waukegan powered past the Wolves 25-16, 25-18 in the Central Suburban League South Division matchup.

Fun, fireworks on tap for tonight

Antioch High's football game at home tonight against North Chicago will feature a couple of fun activities that weren't held last week because of rain.

Both a captain AND courageous

Lake Forest College's football team will host Lawrence University on Homecoming this Saturday.

Students will go distance in Wellness event

More than 500 students at Lake Forest High are expected to participate in a fund-raising event sponsored by the school's Wellness Department next Friday.

Holiday tree, greens sale will boost hockey program

Lake Forest High's ice-hockey program is holding its Christmas Tree & Holiday Greens Sale again this year.

Tryouts are Saturday for travel program in Waukegan

The Waukegan Raiders travel youth baseball program will be fielding teams next spring/summer at the 10-under, 11-under, 13-under and 14 under levels.

Honey Bears are grid program's No. 1 fans

Considering it's a first-year program, the Beach Park-based Bears youth football program has had tremendous success on the grid as a member of the Northwest Youth Football League.

Big second period gives Wings home win
DETROIT -- Kris Draper and Johan Franzen scored 1:34 apart late in the second period to put Detroit ahead and Chris Osgood made 31 saves to help the Red Wings hold on for a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in a rematch of Western Conference finalists on Thursday night.

Dodgers rally past Cards; Rockies tie series with Phils
LOS ANGELES -- All that Matt Holliday needed to do was make the catch, and the Cardinals would have tied the series.