Richards’ Greg Miller had 18 points, including four 3-pointers, in a win over St. Laurence on Dec. 15. Photo by Jeff Vorva
Boys Basketball: Richards knocks Oak Forest from ranks of unbeaten
By Jeff Vorva
Correspondent
Crossover victories in the South Suburban Conference have not come easy for boys basketball teams in the Red division.
Heading into action on Dec. 14, the Blue teams displayed dominance with a 16-4 record over the Red foes.
Richards had the tall task of going on the road to face Oak Forest, the only team in the 14-team conference that had an unbeaten overall record.
But the Bulldogs opened a two-games-in-two-days stretch with a 66-65 overtime stunner over the Bengals, and the next night defeated St. Laurence, 75-56, in a non-conference game in Oak Lawn.
Although the week ended with a 77-55 setback at Brother Rice Dec. 18, it was a productive week for coach Kyle Rathbun’s team. The Bulldogs entered this week’s action at 6-4.
“We schedule tough,” Rathbun said. “We’re in this for the long haul. Our conference is very tough this year. We like to schedule some of the better teams in the area. We like the challenge. I feel like we have a really good group. We’ll play the best.”
Richards’ Bernard Sutton, right, is defended by St. Laurence’s Deshawn Parker in a Dec. 15 non-conference battle in Oak Lawn. Photo by Jeff Vorva
In the overtime thriller over Oak Forest, Deven Jiles popped in 24 points and Greg Miller added 16. Bengals senior Robbie Avila, one of the top players in the conference, scored 39.
Against St. Laurence, the Bulldogs drained 13 3-pointers as Miller led the way with 18 points, connecting on four treys. Santiago Rios and Ladarius Kelley each added 12 points.
“Back-to-backs are always tough,” Rathbun said. “We had a lot of guys play a lot of minutes against Oak Forest and they rebounded nicely after getting off to a little bit of a slow start.
“We had guys coming off the bench and that definitely helped out.”
Miller was happy his team could play at a high level during the two-game stretch.
“I was really excited to beat Oak Forest,” he said. “It was good to end their winning streak. It was tiring to play back-to-back games, but we fought through it.
“I love my team. When we play together, we’re unstoppable.”
Richards was scheduled to open play in the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic on Wednesday against Marian Catholic.
St. Laurence (4-8) opened the week with a 50-38 win over Mather. Brandon McCoy had 13 points and freshman Jacob Rice added 12.
McCoy popped in 21 points against Richards and added 24 more in Friday’s 65-55 loss to Marmion.
The Vikings take on Rolling Meadows at 1 p.m. Monday in the opening round of the 32-team Jack Tosh Tournament at York High School in Elmhurst.
Other area teams at the tournament are Stagg, Lyons, Nazareth, Sandburg, Riverside-Brookfield and Solorio.
St. Laurence’s Khalil Jones looks for a teammate in a loss to Richards on Dec. 15. Photo by Jeff Vorva
Local News
Give poor countries a break, Chuy says
From staff reports U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-4th) is one of 18 Members of Congress who recently sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, urging her to use the voice and vote of the United States at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to abolish the IMF’s surcharge policy, which requires countries with substantial…
Stop sale of dangerous drugs online, Rush says
From staff reports Legislation designed to ensure that social media platforms and websites are held accountable for failing to prevent the sale of dangerous, illegal drugs on their platforms has been introduced by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-1st). The Domain Reform for Unlawful Drug Sellers (DRUGS) Act also was introduced by U.S. David B. McKinley…
America divided, enemies united
By Ray Hanania America has been weakened by the continuing and political selfish polarization between those who support former President Donald Trump and those who support President Joe Biden. The viciousness of the fighting is weakening America’s image internationally, and nations like Russia and China are being empowered to challenge our leadership of the Free…
Fairness will energize electric vehicle charging drive
By Josh Sharp To promote electric vehicle adoption and help establish a nationwide network of EV charging stations, five governors in the Midwest region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota) agreed to join what they term the Regional Electric Vehicle Midwest Coalition. Based on the group’s initiative, the goal of this coalition is to foster increased cooperation between…
Crime will be big issue this year
By Rich Miller Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch marked his first anniversary as his chamber’s top leader with a series of news media interviews last week. One of the questions I asked was what his legislative district’s constituents were talking to him about the most. “The number one issue in my district, and this is…
$1 million Lucky Day Lotto jackpot won in Bridgeview
From staff reports If you bought a Lucky Day Lotto ticket in Bridgeview for Thursday night’s drawing, you may want to check it right away – that’s because you might be a newly-minted millionaire! Circle K gas station, located at 7050 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview, sold a $1 million winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket…
Poisoned bald eagle found in Lyons woods
By Kelly White Bald eagles are becoming increasingly more common in the Chicagoland area, and avid bird enthusiasts said this is no surprise. “I have been watching the same pair of bald eagles and their offspring for 12 years now,” Sue Delfiacco said. To Delfiacco, the pair of birds are like family. Every morning, she…
Ada Hook was a Chicago Lawn original
By Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 Last week we learned about the passing of two ladies with ties to the community: Mary Ellen St. Aubin and Harriet Jendrach. On the heels of that news, I just learned of the recent passing of another special…
Meeting those new year’s challenges
By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Hi neighbors! I hope everyone is enjoying January. This is a good time to stay inside and organize your home. Start with a room or a closet or even a drawer. I decided to start with the cabinet that I keep plastic storage…
Dove Candy shop quest a success
By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 We made it through ‘til mid-January. We celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 17. His actual birthday was Jan. 15, but we observe it on the third Monday of January each year. We celebrated…
Neighbors
New law ends parental notification in Illinois
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law on Friday that ends parental notification, a requirement that doctors notify the parents of a minor seeking an abortion. “With reproductive rights under attack across the nation, Illinois is once again establishing itself as a leader in ensuring access to health care…
Illinois jobless rate falls to 5.7%
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The unemployment rate in Illinois fell three-tenths of a point in November to 5.7 percent as employers added 19,500 payroll jobs to the economy. Preliminary data released by the Department of Employment Security and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the biggest job gains during…
Illinois jobless rate falls to 5.7%
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The unemployment rate in Illinois fell three-tenths of a point in November to 5.7 percent as employers added 19,500 payroll jobs to the economy. Preliminary data released by the Department of Employment Security and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the biggest job gains during…
Potential buyer identified for James R. Thompson Center
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Plans are moving ahead for the sale of the James R. Thompson Center at 100 West Randolph Street in Chicago. Gov. JB Pritzker announced on Wednesday plans to enter into exclusive negotiations with JRTC Holdings, LLC, for the purposes of acquiring and redeveloping the Thompson Center…
CAPITOL RECAP: JRTC Holdings will enter negotiations with state for $70 million purchase of Thompson Center
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS CHICAGO – Plans are moving ahead for the sale of the James R. Thompson Center at 100 West Randolph Street in Chicago. Gov. JB Pritzker announced on Wednesday, Dec. 15, plans to enter into exclusive negotiations with JRTC Holdings, LLC, for the purposes of acquiring and redeveloping the Thompson Center that…
Lawmakers push for nursing home reforms this spring
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Several Illinois lawmakers said this week they are determined to pass a bill in the spring that would overhaul the way nursing homes are paid through the state’s Medicaid program to address critical staffing shortages, but the state’s largest nursing home industry group is still pushing…
New law provides for licensure path of certified professional midwives in Illinois
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] Colleen Marotta has delivered hundreds of babies. Marotta, 43, of Arlington Heights, became a nurse in 2001. Ten years later, she became a certified professional midwife, or CPM. When Marotta was a CPM the law barred her from delivering babies in Illinois, forcing her to drive to Wisconsin…
Edwardsville chief on Amazon warehouse: ‘It was definitely one of our worst days’
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] In the wake of Friday night storms that left six dead at an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, a disaster proclamation was issued Monday for 28 counties in southern and central Illinois. The proclamation will bring personnel or equipment from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to assist with storm…
Reimagine Public Safety Act to drive violence intervention funds to state’s most dangerous areas
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A state program aiming to take a “comprehensive approach to ending Illinois’ firearm violence epidemic” will be expanded under a law signed Friday by Gov. JB Pritzker. The Reimagine Public Safety Act became law in June, but the expansion signed Friday clarifies guidelines in the original…
CAPITOL RECAP: Oral arguments begin in state redistricting challenges
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS CHICAGO – Oral arguments began Tuesday, Dec. 7, in three lawsuits challenging the new legislative district maps that lawmakers passed earlier this year with three federal judges asking detailed questions of all the parties in the cases. Each case centers on the question of whether Democrats in the General Assembly violated…
