Geneva gels too late against WW South
Jim Owczarski: As Wheaton Warrenville South was forced into yet another second-half punt, the Geneva defensive coaches couldn't contain themselves any longer. While the hard reality is that the Vikings are going home, 30-16 losers to the Tigers Friday night in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs, the statement wasn't wishful hyperbole.

Falcons make their presence known
Wheaton North showed Oct. 31 how playoff seeds can quickly become meaningless.

'D' Bulls top LeBron
Would you believe the Bulls won for a second straight game because of their -- ahem -- defense? Believe it.

Glenbard South's quickness overwhelms
With its home field unplayable because of rain, Glenbard South used fellow district school Glenbard North's artificial turf to derail the Rochelle Hubs 35-14 in Class 5A action at Weber field in Carol Stream on Dec. 31.

Hilltoppers make quick work of first-round foe
Running backs Adam Bruere and Pierre Washington Steel had touchdown runs to help top-seeded Glenbard West down No. 16 Rockford Guilford 28-0 in Class 7A first-round play.

Tigers shake off last season's first-round blues
What a difference a year makes.

Spartans spare no one
WHEATON -- There's a reason why Kelsey Robinson, a 6-foot-1-inch senior on the St. Francis girls volleyball team, is heading to Tennessee next year.

WW South boys soccer looks back at season
All the Wheaton Warrenville South boys soccer team wanted was a shot at the best. The Tigers received their chance on Oct. 31 when they met top-ranked Neuqua Valley in the championship match of the Class 3A Naperville North Sectional.

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.

Vikings pull hat trick on Bulldogs
Give the Batavia volleyball team credit for reaching Saturday's regional final at Addison Trail after having to fight back to defeat Wheaton-Warrenville South on Thursday. But given a third chance to knock off Western Sun Conference champion and No. 2 seed Geneva, the Bulldogs were out of mojo as the Vikings (35-2) took the regional title 25-19, 25-11.

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.

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.

wild ride into the playoffs
One play decided two teams' destinies.

Hilltoppers run the table, hit 9-0
Glenbard West, ranked No. 2 by the Chicago Sun-Times, unleashed a potent ground game as running backs Adam Bruere and Pierre Washington Steel scored two touchdowns as the Hilltoppers overcame a 7-0 deficit to down host Lyons Township 28-7 on Oct. 23.

Falcons hot, reach sectional final
Wheaton North's boys soccer team was not among the favorites to reach a sectional final as the regular season came to an end.

Tigers prevail in four overtimes to reach final
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.

Area tennis players wrap up successful seasons
It was only a short time after Wheaton-Warrenville South's senior doubles team of Andrea Kerwin and Melanie Milling lost their fourth-round match and ended their illustrious high school tennis careers Oct. 23.

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.

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.

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: 

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.

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.

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.

The DVC throne is nearly theirs
Wheaton Warrenville South turned a potential classic DuPage Valley Conference matchup into a rout as the Tigers dominated Glenbard North 35-7 at Weber field in Carol Stream on Oct. 16.

It's a fifth-place finish for WW South
The Wheaton Warrenville South girls golf team placed fifth in the Class AA state golf meet that wrapped up Oct. 17 at Hickory Ridge Golf Course in Carbondale.

The Falcons taste this sweet victory
Wheaton North and Naperville North appeared headed toward overtime, unless someone made a difference in special teams or gained enough separation to make a big play.

Even mud doesn't stop Hilltoppers
For Downers Grove North coach John Wander and his Trojans, it must have felt like it was David versus Goliath as they prepared for undefeated Glenbard West on Oct. 16.

Glenbard West heads to state after sectional title
When the dust and the rain cleared, what seemed like a marathon tennis sectional was finally completed Oct. 19 and Glenbard West won the Downers Grove South Sectional championship 26 points to 23 over the host Mustangs.

Three area teams advance to regional finals
On Tuesday night, Wheaton Warrenville South fans found out that football is not the only game of inches.

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.

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.

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.

Raiders stay in hunt for league title
It looked like a team in the hunt for a conference title. Glenbard South led just 14-7 at halftime against a short-handed Yorkville team Oct. 9 in Glen Ellyn but scored on three straight possessions to open the second half and pulled away to a 34-14 Western Sun Conference victory.

Undefeated Hilltoppers continue enjoying the view from first place
They remain king of the hill. Glenbard West sits alone atop the West Suburban Silver Conference as the undefeated Hilltoppers used home field advantage to knock off visiting York 42-7 on Oct. 10 on a sloppy Duchon Field.

WW South girls tennis wins conference
The cold weather at the DuPage Valley Conference tennis tournament Oct. 10 bothered Emma Li a little in her first match but not enough to keep the Wheaton Warrenville South freshman from winning that match 6-2, 6-0 and going on to win the DVC championship at No. 1 singles.

Redhawks off to postseason with OT win
A matter of inches would push Naperville Central and Wheaton North onto two different tracks toward the postseason. On fourth down, the Redhawks were inside the 1-yard line, and they were going for it against Wheaton North. The sneak worked, and with a 26-23 overtime victory on Friday night, Central clinched a Class 8A spot in the postseason.

No question about this one
Wheaton Warrenville South dominated on both sides of the ball in its crosstown meeting with host Wheaton North as the Tigers rolled to a 45-0 victory Oct. 2.

Precisely what the Tigers needed
It took a perfect shot to remove the Naperville North boys soccer team from the ranks of the unbeaten.

Falcons look for consistency as postseason approaches
The one ingredient that is missing and preventing the Wheaton North boys soccer team from excelling on the field is consistency.

Raiders take control in the second half
"It's fun to play in the rain, isn't it?" Glenbard South coach Dan Starkey asked his players as he gathered them for a postgame talk.

Doubles aces ready for rematch at DVC meet
It's one match that Andrea Kerwin and Melanie Milling would like to have back.