The varsity Orland Park Pioneers team had a huge 2022 season. Photo by Jeff Vorva

The varsity Orland Park Pioneers team had a huge 2022 season. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Area Sports Roundup: Orland Park Pioneers honored; local hoops teams win Thanksgiving tourney titles

Spread the love

By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer

Two youth football teams teams were honored by the Orland Park Village Board for winning Super Bowl championships in their respective divisions.

The Orland Park Pioneers’ varsity and super lightweight players received awards and recognition Nov. 21 from the board and Mayor Keith Pekau, who has the distinction of playing Pioneer football in the organization’s first year in 1976.

Todd Shelton and Chris Stefanos shared the head coaching duties for the varsity team. They were assisted by Bill Sigel, Jason Buechele, Jack Shelton, Jim Rodriguez and Pat Clifton.

The varsity team has gone 32-1 over the past three seasons and 22-0 the previous two campaigns. It was a three-time River Valley Super Bowl champ and a Wednesday Night Super Bowl winner.

Varsity members include Brody Wantroba, Toddy Shelton, Ethan Krueger, Barret Sigel, Nolan Rodriguez, Jordan Masino, Chase Czerwonka, Jake Tomczak, Jack Clifton and Matthew Durkin.

Also on the roster are Jake Buechele, Devin Stefanos, Quinn Durkin, Jake Drew, Carson Conrad, Sean Ruisz, Henry Selof, Briggs Corona, Zayne Salah and Jad Jaber.

Others include Egan Kelly, Kendall McDowell, Luke Kruszynski, Cade Koehler, Jax Arocho, Nolan Torgerson, Logan Kondziolka, Taylor McDoniel, Cash Phillips and Othman Mizyed.

Rounding out the team are Will Beeler, Adam Danko, Mohammad Ghadban, Ibrahim Jaffal, Shafik Yasin, Rami Agha, David Klimaszka, Blake Wagner, Rocco McCarthy, Stephen Caxton-Idowu and Keegan Kirk.

The super lightweights, coached by Al Krokos and assistants Pat Richardson, Adam Sutter, Ray Morandi, Matt Wilkinson, Chuck Kakos and Mark Garrity, became the first team in Pioneer history to win both a River Valley Championship and a Wednesday Night Championship during the same season.

Members of the super lightweight squad include Thomas Sutter, Jack DuBois, Taylan Morandi, Zane Judeh, Blake Schuler, Luke Krokos, Cole Baldridge, Austin Flynn, Zachariah Ballouta and Jase Enstrom.

Also on the roster are Vincent Spizzirri, Wyatt Kipper, Cayden Caldwell, Carter Erwin, Ellis Hubbard, Michael O’Connor, Lucca Morandi, Jason Erwin, Noah Cordoba and Christopher Medina, Jr.

Others on the squad are Shane Sternberg, Andrew Richardson, Jordan Ulaszek, Gavin Garrity, Arthur Slabenak, Anthony LaPapa, Christian Paulsen, Scott Gumienny, Frank Wilkinson and Laith Hammami.

Rounding out the team are Cody Godlewski, Nick Pomonis, Yousef Yasin, James Okrasinski, Nolan Burke, Aaron McCarthy, Michael Ordman, Thomas Richardson, Nathan Campos, Jude Morrar, Rayder Slabenak, Owen Garrity, Maximus Bauer and Adam Krokos.

SUPER LIGHTWEIGHTS scaled

The Orland Park Pioneers Super Lightweight team was honored at a recent Orland Park Village Board meeting. Photo by Jeff Vorva

 

Cornucopia of champions
The Oak Lawn boys basketball team shocked Mount Carmel, 76-68, on Nov. 25 to win the Spartan/Ram Classic. The Spartans’ Xavier Sulaiman was the tournament MVP and teammate Ayham Salah made the all-tournament team.

Evergreen Park won the Lisle Thanksgiving Tournament. Nolan Sexton and Ulises Cardenas were named to the all-tournament team.

Marist won the District 218 Thanksgiving Tipoff Classic with a 61-50 win over Richards on Nov. 25. Kaden White led the RedHawks with 13 points.

Brother Rice won the Bill VandeMerkt Classic at Riverside-Brookfield. Ahmad Henderson was the tournament MVP and teammates Tre Dowdell and Khalil Ross were on the all-tournament team.

Lyons won its own tournament with a 58-51 triumph over Lincoln-Way East. Penn recruit Niklas Polonowski had 22 points for the Lions.

 

Milestones
Saint Xavier’s Maia Fawcett hit the 1,000-point mark in an 83-48 win over Waldorf on Nov. 25. She is the 22nd player in Cougars women’s basketball history to hit that mark.

Former Argo and Morton College player Tadrianna Heard recently scored her 1,000th collegiate point for Purdue Northwest.

 

King-sized honor
Longtime Lyons wrestling coach Mark King was recently honored by having his name attached to the school’s wrestling accomplishment board. It is now known as the Mark King Wall of Fame.

King has served as a head coach or assistant for 50 years.

Local News

Julia Bianchi heads back on defense shortly after delivering a first-half goal for the Chicago Red Stars on March 23 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Red Stars top Seattle, open season with two wins for first time in franchise history

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Last year’s last-place finish notwithstanding, the Chicago Red Stars have had a pretty rich history of success. The franchise has seven NWSL playoff appearances and has finished runner-up twice (2019, 2021), and prior to 2022 had finished no lower than fourth in the league ‘s regular season standings for…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

College Football | Marian (Indiana) and St. Francis highlight Saint Xavier 2024 home slate

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Saint Xavier has released its 2024 football schedule, which has the Cougars opening the season in Michigan. SXU will travel to the Detroit suburb of Southfield to play Lawrence Tech on Sept. 7 in a Mid-States Football Association crossover. The Cougars’ home opener kicks off at noon on Sept.…

Morton's Nariah Clay was named to the NCJAA Division II all-tournament team as the Panthers finished fifth in the nation. Photo courtesy of Morton College Department of Athletics

Morton College women’s hoops takes fifth in nation

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent For the second year in a row, the Morton College women’s basketball team finished fifth in the country. The Panthers closed out the 2023-24 campaign in Joplin, Missouri, with a 75-67 victory over Iowa Western on March 23 in the consolation championship game at the NJCAA Division II National…

Marist's Jack Meader (left) and Nathen Toth face each other during a block attempt against Downers Grove North in the semifinals of the Marist Invitational on March 23. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Boys Volleyball | Marist tops Lockport for Gold at RedHawks Invite

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent Marist enjoys getting its season going by hosting a tournament that is now in its 20th year. They had a good time again this season, going unbeaten over five matches in two days to win the Marist RedHawks Invitational for the sixth consecutive time. The RedHawks ended the tournament…

Rich Miller

Public wants free lunch, pollster finds

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Rich Miller . As we’ve discussed before, the competition for scarce state dollars is particularly fierce this year in Springfield as various groups elbow each other for money while large surpluses and revenue increases start to dry up. A poll taken by respected national Democratic pollster Normington Petts in late February…

CRRNH_CosmoPhotoMDWArmory_032724

City wants to buy armory at MDW

Spread the love

Spread the love. Has been vacant since 2017 .  By Tim Hadac For decades, it served military purposes, as well as Chicago’s gateway for Presidents stopping off in the city. But the Army National Guard Midway Armory, 5400 W. 63rd St., has been mostly vacant since 2017, when the Illinois Army National Guard ceased operations…

summit police logo

2 charged in Summit junkyard burglary

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Two men have been charged in connection with a break-in last month at the Pick-n-Pull used auto parts store and junkyard in Summit. George Ainalakis, 39, of Carol Stream, was arrested February 26 at the business, while Chad Wickert, 40, of Brookfield, was arrested March 13 by Hodgkins police. Police…

Mary Ellen Fox --Photo by Cosmo Hadac

A successful career serving thousands

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Tim Hadac Editor Clear-Ridge Reporter & NewsHound (708)-496-0265 . Most folks work for years at their jobs, expecting and receiving little fanfare, then retire quietly. Garfield Ridge resident Mary Ellen Fox planned to retire from her 30-year job in the City Clerk’s Office quietly; and she did, earlier this year. But…

Priscilla Steinmetz, of Orland Park's Bridge Teen Center, has fun March 7 at Congressman Sean Casten's desk in Washington. (Bridge Teen Center photo)

Casten secures $11M for district; invites Bridge Teen founder to State of Union

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Congressman Sean Casten is bringing some big bucks home. Casten (D-6th) announced that he helped secure more than $11 million in federal funding for local community projects. Included in that bounty is: $1.28 million to Evergreen Park for water main replacement. $500,000 to La Grange for storm and sanitary sewer…

Forest View Village Clerk Laura McGuffey (left) swears in Maria Guzman as a full-time police officer while Chief Bianel Zarate looks on. (Photos by Carol McGowan)

Forest View swears in new police officers

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The Village of Forest View has a new full-time police officer and a newly promoted corporal on the force. In front of a full-house at their February 27 Board of Trustees meeting, Clerk Laura McGuffey did the honors swearing-in Maria Guzman as a full-time officer, and promoting Officer Jorge Sanchez…

Neighbors

Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance

Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance

By HANNAH MEISEL & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear the case of actor Jussie Smollett, who was convicted for staging a hate crime against him in 2019 in a case that drew criticism for Cook County’s top prosecutor. Smollett made what turned out to be…

Illinois teacher shortage persists, survey finds

Illinois teacher shortage persists, survey finds

By PETER HANCOCK  Capitol News Illinois  phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com  SPRINGFIELD – Illinois continues to suffer from a shortage of teachers and other education professionals, although recent efforts by the state to ease the strain have made an impact.  That’s according to the latest annual survey of school officials from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools,…

Bills in state Senate would further regulate battery storage and disposal

Bills in state Senate would further regulate battery storage and disposal

COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Two bills that would regulate battery disposal and storage are awaiting action from the full Illinois Senate after unanimous committee approval.   Senate Bill 3481, sponsored by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, would require facilities that store electric vehicle batteries to register with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency…

Prisoner Review Board chair, member resign in wake of boy’s fatal stabbing by released inmate

Prisoner Review Board chair, member resign in wake of boy’s fatal stabbing by released inmate

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The longtime chair and a relatively new member of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board have resigned, Gov. JB Pritzker’s office announced Monday. The governor’s office announced the pair’s resignations within hours of each other nearly two weeks after Crosetti Brand was released from Stateville Correctional Center. Brand is…

Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify

Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify

By ALEX ABBEDUTO   Capitol News Illinois  abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com  The night before Rebecca Hooks started at the Illinois State Police Academy in 2002, she spoke on the phone with her father and her brother – both of whom worked in law enforcement.  Her father encouraged her, telling her she was strong and could get through the…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

Capitol Briefs: Insurance reforms advance as Pritzker announces California trip

Capitol Briefs: Insurance reforms advance as Pritzker announces California trip

By PETER HANCOCK, JENNIFER FULLER & ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposal for sweeping reforms in the state’s health insurance industry passed out of a committee Thursday and will soon make its way to the full House for consideration. Pritzker first outlined the proposal in his State of the…