Nazareth coach Tim Racki is taking his sixth team to a state championship football game at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Photo by Jeff Vorva.
Area Sports Report: Nazareth finishes run to Class 5A state title game
By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer
Nazareth has played in five state championship football games.
But the Roadrunners never took a road this bumpy to get there.
After opening the season 1-3 and at one point being 2-4, they had to run the table just to make it to the playoffs.
Mission accomplished. They beat Leo, Montini and Benet to squeeze out an 11th-seed out of 16 teams in the Class 5A North bracket.
They needed four more wins to get to the title game.
Mission accomplished again, as Nazareth beat Rockford Boylan, Morgan Park and top-seeded Sycamore, 10-7, the latter victory coming on the road Nov. 19.
The Roadrunners (9-4) take on Peoria (12-1) at 10 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. They will be gunning for their fourth state championship.
Zach Hayes’ 33-yard field goal in the second quarter and his 7-yard touchdown reception from Logan Malachuk in the fourth quarter helped Nazareth pull off the win. Hayes also kicked the extra point and had an interception on defense.
Peoria had an offensive explosion in its 76-56 victory over Morris in the other semifinal game. The teams’ combined point total is the 12th-highest scoring game in IHSA history.
ROADRUNNING TO THE TITLE GAME
A look at Nazareth’s state title games:
YEAR CLASS SCORE SITE
2014 6A Nazareth 26, Lemont 7 Champaign
2015 5A Nazareth 42, LW West 21 DeKalb
2017 6A Prairie Ridge 28 Nazareth 21 DeKalb
2018 7A Nazareth 31, St. Charles N. 10 Champaign
2019 7A Mount Carmel 37, Nazareth 13 DeKalb
Cougars win
Several area college teams were involved in national tournaments last week.
Saint Xavier’s women’s volleyball team (24-8) knocked off Central Methodist in the NAIA Opening Round 15-25, 18-25, 25-21, 29-27, 15-9 on Nov. 20 in Fayette, Missouri. The Cougars will play in the 24-team National Championship Tournament that begins Nov. 30. They will open against Eastern Oregon at 10 a.m. and follow up with a 10 a.m. battle with Cornerstone.
Against Central Methodist, senior Chloe Memenga had 19 kills and 16 digs, senior Molly Hackett slammed down 17 kills and sophomore setter Kaleigh Ritter added a season-high 51 assists.
Cougars lose
The Cougars football team had a rougher time of it Saturday with a 41-7 setback against Marian (Indiana) in the NAIA Championship Series First Round in Indianapolis.
Stuart Ross hit Amari Venerable for a 20-yard touchdown strike to knot the game at 7-7 with 8:27 left in the half, but Marian went on to score 34 straight. SXU finished the season 9-3.
More national matters
Moraine Valley Community College’s women’s volleyball team went 0-2, dropping a pair of five-set heartbreakers in the National Junior College Athletic Association in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Freshman Brooklyn Condon had 34 kills in the two matches while Shepard grad Kaila Butvilas added 21.
Morton College made it to the NJCAA Men’s Soccer finals and ran into an old foe in the championship game.
Skyway Conference foe Prairie State beat Morton, 1-0, at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona to finish 19-1-1. During the regular season, Morton beat Prairie State 4-3 on Sept. 13 and 2-1 in overtime in overtime on Nov. 6.
Former Sandburg and Notre Dame distance runner Dylan Jacobs, now at Tennessee, finished fourth in the NCAA National Cross Country meet with a time of 28:58 in the 10K race in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
St. Laurence bows out
The Vikings football team was eliminated from the Prep Bowl playoffs with a 30-18 loss to Fenwick in the semifinals on Nov. 17.
Vinny Enoch and Tommy Fus had touchdown runs and Evan Les threw a TD pass to Kaden McHugh for the Vikings (4-7).
Wright sticks with Stars
Arin Wright, a defender who has been with the Chicago Red Stars since 2015, re-signed with the club for a two-year deal.
Local News
Oak Lawn trustee says village needs state grocery tax
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle An Oak Lawn trustee said that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposal to eliminate the state’s grocery tax will be costly for the village. Trustee William “Bud” Stalker (5th), accompanied by Mayor Terry Vorderer, recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Springfield where they learned more about the governor’s proposal to eliminate…
Palos Heights recognizes volunteers
Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Palos Heights handed out awards last week recognizing the services provided by volunteers through the years. The proclamations, which were read aloud during the city council meeting April 16, were a testament to the city’s volunteers and were handed out as part of Volunteer Recognition Week. Volunteers were cited for…
Boys Volleyball | Richards weathering struggles after run of success
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent After a tough weekend at the Smack Attack tournament, Richards got back into the win column with a two-set victory over Eisenhower in a South Suburban Red match. The Bulldogs made quick work of the Cardinals, winning 25-16, 25-15 on April 23 in Oak Lawn to snap a five-match…
SD218 puts on annual Arts Extravaganza
Spread the loveBy Kelly White The arts have become a major portion of the curriculum Community High School District 218. Showcasing those many talents, the Friends of CHSD 218’s Education Foundation proudly hosted its 15th annual Arts Extravaganza on April 5 at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island. “The Arts Extravaganza is a great event…
Gaming licenses to be tougher to get in Orland Park
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva It’s going to take longer to receive gaming licenses in Orland Park. The village board passed an ordinance April 15 that would allow table service businesses open at least 36 consecutive months to apply rather than the previous 18 months, and extended the probationary period to 18 months instead of…
Palos Park passes $16 million budget
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva The Palos Park Village Council approved the 2024-25 budget, which totals a little more than $16.3 million at the April 22 village council meeting. According to village documents, it represented an increase of a shade over $603,000 from last year. The village is expecting $13.4 million in revenue and $1.86…
Fire damages Al Bahaar Restaurant in Orland Park
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Orland Fire Protection District firefighters responded to a fire Monday evening at the Al Bahaar Restaurant, 39 Orland Square Dr. At first, restaurant owners suspected the fire alarm was triggered by a malfunction, but as firefighters inspected the restaurant to reset the fire alarm, they detected a burning smell. “What…
Orland Park bans ‘gas station heroin’
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Products with what some people call “gas station heroin” will not be allowed to be sold in Orland Park. At the April 15 meeting, the village board voted 6-0 (with trustee Michael Milani absent) to prohibit kratom novel synthetic and psychoactive drug businesses to be sold in the village. “If…
Year of growth | Evergreen Park enjoying inaugural boys volleyball season
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent After almost 70 years of existence as a high school, Evergreen Park finally has a boys volleyball team. The Mustangs are playing their inaugural season with a junior varsity squad, with some matches being played at the varsity level. Head coach Brian Zofkie is leading this group with assistant…
Neighbors
As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois. The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…
Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…
Bears pitch $3.2B stadium plan, but Pritzker still ‘skeptical’ despite team’s $2B pledge
By DILPREET RAJU & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Chicago Bears laid out a $3.2 billion plan for a new domed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront on Wednesday afternoon, painting pictures of future Super Bowls and other major public events while pinning their hopes on yet-to-be-had conversations with the governor and lawmakers. The Bears…
Regulators weigh future of gas industry in Illinois, while clamping down on Chicago utility
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Natural gas is fueling a fight between consumer advocates, a powerful utility company and the state. Amid competing advertising campaigns, accusations of mismanagement and state decarbonization efforts, the Illinois Commerce Commission is starting a process that will shape how the state regulates the increasingly controversial industry. …
Komatsu mining truck named 2024 ‘coolest thing made in Illinois’
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A mining truck manufactured by Komatsu was crowned the winner of the 2024 “Makers Madness” contest, earning the title of “the coolest thing made in Illinois” at the Governor’s Mansion Wednesday. The truck was one of more than 200 entries in the 5th annual contest hosted…
Giannoulias calls for disclosure of lobbyist contracts
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – For decades, lobbyists in the Illinois Statehouse have been required to report how much they spend wining, dining and entertaining lawmakers. Currently, though, there is no law requiring lobbyists to disclose how much they are paid by corporations, industry groups or other special interest organizations. That…
Illinois Senate advances changes to state’s biometric privacy law after business groups split
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – It’s been more than a year since the Illinois Supreme Court “respectfully suggest(ed)” state lawmakers clarify a law that’s led to several multi-million-dollar settlements with tech companies over the collection of Illinoisans’ biometric data. On Thursday, a bipartisan majority in the Illinois Senate did just that,…
Illinoisans can now get documents notarized online
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinoisans who need a notary public can now access those services online through a new “E-Notary” portal launched by the secretary of state’s office. This process is one of the latest initiatives of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ ongoing effort to modernize the office and its services. Notaries…
Prairie Band Potawatomi becomes 1st federally recognized tribe in Illinois
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Nearly 200 years after Native Americans were forced out of Illinois, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation has become the first federally recognized tribal nation in the state after a decision from the U.S. Department of the Interior last week. The move represents the first victory in the tribe’s…