SXU receiver Justin Pringle is brought down by Indianapolis defender Larry Burks as Pringle scores a touchdown Saturday. Photo by Jeff Vorva

SXU receiver Justin Pringle is brought down by Indianapolis defender Larry Burks as Pringle scores a touchdown Saturday. Photo by Jeff Vorva

College Football: Big second half lifts Indy over Saint Xavier

Spread the love

By Jeff Vorva
Correspondent

University of Indianapolis football players came to Saint Xavier with heavy hearts.

The Greyhounds suffered an emotional setback in when former teammate Koebe Clopton was shot and killed the morning of Thursday, Sept. 2. Clopton left the team in March, but stayed at the school as a student and had many friends on the team.

“Everybody loved him,” Indy coach Chris Keevers said. “He’s Koebe. He’s just a good person and a wonderful human being. It’s just a sad thing. It was a very tough Thursday.”

Keevers had the tough task of getting his Greyhounds, ranked 14th in the nation by NCAA Division II coaches, ready for a season opener against upset-minded St. Xavier, an NAIA team. The Cougars hosts took a 10-0 lead before Indy rallied for a 34-10 victory Saturday night at Deaton Field.

For SXU (0-1) the first 16 minutes of the game couldn’t have gone better.

Cougars quarterback Stuart Ross hit Justin Pringle with a 32-yard touchdown pass and a 37-yard Peyton Benes field goal gave the hosts a 10-0 lead with 14:15 left in the first half.

The offense was clicking. The defense was clicking. Players and fans were going nuts.

“Everything was working out,” said Ross, who threw for 306 yards and ran for 41 more. “With the weapons he have and the offensive line we have and the running backs we have, I thought we would be able to do it the entire game. But I messed up a few things, so I’ll blame myself.”

SXU 93 and 2 scaled

SXU’s Jaden Chandler (left) and Steven Meyer celebrate the defense stopping Indianapolis on a fourth-down play during Saturday’s season-opener. Photo by Jeff Vorva

The Greyhounds stormed back to tie it 10-10 at halftime. The Greyhounds got into their groove in the second half, piling up 27 points including a 96-yard drive on their first possession to set the tone.

“Here’s the deal — you play a team like that, you have to play four quarters,” SXU coach Mike Feminis said. “We fumbled the ball and gave them some gifts. You can get away with it against a subpar team. Not a top 15 Division II team.

“This is what we’re going to see if we’re going to make a run in the [NAIA] playoffs. This is a Morningside. This is a Marian. This is a St. Francis Indiana. But I’m encouraged by this. We played two great quarters, minus the turnovers, and we’re going to be just fine.”

Indianapolis averaged 45 points per game and 518 yards per game in an abbreviated spring season. The Greyhounds have won seven of nine Great Lakes Valley Conference titles since the league’s inaugural season in 2012.

SXU had a 389-353 offensive yards advantage. Mason Gray, a Chicago Ridge resident who prepped at Bremen and transferred from Tiffin, had six catches for 99 yards. Pringle added four for 72.

The Cougars have a week off before heading to Siena Heights for an 11 a.m. game Sept. 18. Siena Heights lost its opener, 2017, to Olivet Nazarene.

ITURBE scaled

Mike Iturbe, a Shepard graduate, was one of the 2021 seniors who played his final season for SXU in the spring. He was among those honored before SXU’s game against the University of Indianapolis on Sept. 4. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Local News

CRRNH_ByrneSpellingBee_032923

Frank Schuch, you’re the b-e-s-t

Spread the love

Spread the love. . By Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • [email protected] So many signs of life as we pull out of this pandemic, like early-blooming daffodils after a long, harsh winter. One of those signs is the return of the annual spelling bee at Byrne Elementary School, after a…

CRRNH_GSCookiesforCops_032923

Sweet surprise for police

Spread the love

Spread the love Everyone likes cookies, especially when they’re Girl Scout cookies delivered by a sweet, smiling Scout–as illustrated by police at the Eighth District station last week. Officers, detectives and sergeants were delighted to grab one of 20 boxes of Thin Mints, S’mores, Do-si-dos, Samoas and other varieties from Charlotte Caughey of Brownie Troop…

Blaire and Brooke Bestwina, owners of The Feed Store, sell thousands of birds each year. --Supplied photo

Egg prices drive chicken interest

Spread the love

Spread the loveSome becoming backyard farmers By Kelly White Complaints about the price of eggs have been so common in recent months, some folks who have never considered backyard farming are now thinking of buying a hen or two. To help educate people about the matter, The Feed Store, 5408 S. Harlem, is also hosting…

Mallory Swanson of the Red Stars opened the season with a goal in a 3-2 loss to San Diego on Saturday, March 25. Photo by IMAGN

Pro Sports Report | Alex Morgan converts PK and Wave tops Red Stars in opener

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Two of the best scorers in the NWSL made great first impressions to begin the 2023 season. The Chicago Red Stars’ Mallory Swanson, coming off a scoring explosion in the SheBelieves Cup earlier in the year, scored a tying goal on a penalty kick in extra time in…

Morton College's Mia Simpson, shown during a game earlier this year, helped the Panthers to a fifth-place finish in the nation and surpassed 1,000 career points. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Area Sports Roundup | Morton College takes 5th in nation

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer For three quarters, Janiah Jones’ stats were bland. The Richard Bland College guard had just two points. But she lit things up in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 of her team’s 18 points to help Bland stun Morton College, 69-63, in the quarterfinals of the National Junior College…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Track and Field | Oak Lawn’s Robert Wagner gets jump on season with highest leap at Top Times

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Tim Cronin Correspondent BLOOMINGTON — Robert Wagner, with a name straight out of Hollywood, starred in the high jump at the Illinois Top Times meet, held March 25 at Illinois Wesleyan University. The only thing missing for the Oak Lawn senior was a spotlight — and, from Wagner’s viewpoint — breaking his…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

College Notebook | Richards grad Abby Mallo swinging a hot stick for Billikens

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Mike Walsh Correspondent Welcome to Division I softball, Abby Mallo. Mallo, a Richards graduate playing at Saint Louis University, was chosen the Rookie of the Week by the Atlantic 10 Conference for the week ending March 19. Mallo, a freshman, hit safely in all four games that week, recording a .429 batting…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Baseball | Brother Rice seeking spark after two-loss week

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Steve Millar Correspondent Brother Rice is missing some big pieces from the team that finished third in the state in Class 4A last season. Multi-sport superstar Jack Lausch graduated and moved on to play quarterback at Northwestern. Catching star Zion Rose, a potential high Major League Baseball draft pick this summer, transferred…

dvn stickney-sign

Stickney wins $550,000 grant from county for roadwork

Spread the love

Spread the loveThe Cook County Board of Commissioners approved funding last week for transportation-related projects in Stickney and the South Side of Chicago. These projects are part of the county’s Department of Transportation and Highways. These projects are designed to boost economic development, build up regional transportation and improve the quality of life throughout Cook…

Amber Tacker, RN, clinical coordinator (from left), David Trondsen, chaplain, Angela Seitz, dietitian, and Cathy Lasak, RN, manager of patient care, were thrilled to get a visit from Buddy, an Old English Sheep Dog, at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital. (Photo supplied by Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital)

Buddy returns to Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital

Spread the love

Spread the loveTherapy pets have been proven to be an effective tool for lifting the spirits of hospital patients of all ages. Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital last week announced the return of the pet therapy program that had been on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Buddy, an Old English Sheep Dog, and his handler…

Neighbors

Advocates call on regulators to reject natural gas rate increases

Advocates call on regulators to reject natural gas rate increases

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – Consumer advocates, environmentalists and Chicago residents gathered in front of the Chicago offices of Peoples Gas this week to call on the Illinois Commerce Commission to reject a proposed rate increase from the gas utility. Several advocacy groups, including the Citizens Utility Board, Blacks in Green…

Secretary of state backs proposal allowing noncitizens to receive standard driver’s licenses

Secretary of state backs proposal allowing noncitizens to receive standard driver’s licenses

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House advanced a measure last week that would allow noncitizen residents who are currently eligible for a “temporary visitor driver’s license” to instead obtain a “standard” driver’s license that can be used as identification. Lawmakers created the temporary visitor driver’s license, or TVDL, in…

Native American history, repatriation measures advance in Illinois House

Native American history, repatriation measures advance in Illinois House

By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to increase recognition of indigenous history and culture, lawmakers are considering measures to repatriate Native American remains and teach Native American history in public schools. Last week, lawmakers approved both measures that seek to address past harms inflicted on the Native American community…

Indoor vaping, cat declawing could be banned under recently passed bills

Indoor vaping, cat declawing could be banned under recently passed bills

By JERRY NOWICKI & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate passed 68 bills this week while the House had advanced 284 as of Friday morning with hundreds more to go before their adjournment for the week. It was the first in a two-week stretch of legislative deadlines for bills to…

Lawmakers approve kindergarten reform, plan to address childhood literacy

Lawmakers approve kindergarten reform, plan to address childhood literacy

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – Lawmakers are looking at several ways to improve learning outcomes and access for young students in Illinois. On Thursday, members of the House of Representatives approved a proposal that would require school boards in Illinois to provide full-day kindergarten starting with the 2027-2028 school year. The…

Former Madigan political director details push by speaker’s office for key ComEd bill

Former Madigan political director details push by speaker’s office for key ComEd bill

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – As was the case with many big legislative efforts in Springfield, former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s staff was deeply involved in negotiations over what would become the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2015 and 2016. FEJA had many backers in environmental circles and organized labor…

House narrowly passes bill allowing all-gender bathrooms

House narrowly passes bill allowing all-gender bathrooms

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would allow businesses, universities and other building owners to designate multi-occupancy all-gender bathrooms if they choose to do so. The bill passed on a vote of 60-40, the bare minimum number of “yes” votes needed for passage…

House narrowly passes bill allowing all-gender bathrooms

House narrowly passes bill allowing all-gender bathrooms

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would allow businesses, universities and other building owners to designate multi-occupancy all-gender bathrooms if they choose to do so. The bill passed on a vote of 60-40, the bare minimum number of “yes” votes needed for passage…

House narrowly passes bill allowing all-gender bathrooms

House narrowly passes bill allowing all-gender bathrooms

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would allow businesses, universities and other building owners to designate multi-occupancy all-gender bathrooms if they choose to do so. The bill passed on a vote of 60-40, the bare minimum number of “yes” votes needed for passage…

Advocates push for tax credit aimed at increasing affordable housing

Advocates push for tax credit aimed at increasing affordable housing

By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers are considering bills that would create a new tax credit for affordable housing, referred to as the “Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit.” The legislation, contained in the identical House Bill 2044 and Senate Bill 1737, would mirror a federal program administered by the Illinois Housing…