Argo Wrestling busy over winter break
By Carol McGowan While many students enjoyed time off during the school’s winter break, Argo wrestlers were hard at work competing in an all level tri meet. They beat both DeLaSalle High School and Riverside-Brookfield teams and it came down to the last match to decide the winner. The Argonauts battled to the end and…
Boys Basketball: Highs and lows for Oak Lawn
By Steve Millar Correspondent During a week that Oak Lawn coach Jason Rhodes knew would present a huge challenge for his team, the Spartans started with a big win over a top South Suburban Conference contender. Then the league’s greatest perennial power provided proof that Oak Lawn still has a lot of work to do.…
College Report: Division I schools listening to Heard
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Tadriana Heard is ready for a second round of Division I basketball. The former Argo star is playing her second season for Morton College, and heading into this week’s action was first in the nation among National Junior College Athletic Association players with 64 3-pointers. She was also 10th in…
Boys Basketball: Evergreen Park riding out toughest stretch of schedule
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer So, how did Evergreen Park get to 9-6 over in its first 15 games? The Mustangs took a rollercoaster ride. In a nutshell: They started the season with four consecutive wins, lost the next three, won five straight and then dropped three in a row. The latest three-game losing streak…
Girls Basketball: Sandburg falls to LW Central in champ game of Holiday Tournament
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Two years ago, a group of promising freshmen were bumped up to the varsity at Sandburg, joining an already stellar sophomore in Erin O’Connell. The team went through some growing pains in 2019-20 but flirted with 20 wins, finishing 19-12. Then there were some pains of playing an abbreviated schedule during…
St. Rita takes 5th at Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic
By Steve Millar Correspondent St. Rita’s youth was evident in some mistakes the Mustangs made down the stretch in the fifth-place game of the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic. But the Mustangs’ talent won out in the end. Sophomore guard Jaedin Reyna went coast-to-coast and scored on a drive to the basket with 2.5 seconds left…
Lions take 2nd at Tosh Holiday Classic
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Glenbard West won the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic. That made sense. The Hilltoppers are ranked No. 1 in most state and Chicago-area polls. But not much else about this tournament made a lot of sense, especially when it came some of the seven area teams involved or, in two cases (Riverside-Brookfield…
Murphy joins Schofield on U.S. women’s hockey team
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Abbey Murphy lists Kendall Coyne Schofield as her sports role model. Now, she will be a teammate of Schofield on the biggest stage for women’s hockey. Team USA Hockey announced its Olympic roster over the weekend and two-time medal winner Schofield, a native of Palos Heights and a Sandburg graduate, will…
The Year in Review: A look at our favorite local sports stories from 2021
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent OK, the top local sports story of 2021 is the same top story as it is for everybody. COVID-19. The virus, or more accurately, the pandemic caused by virus, changed the landscape of just about everything. Its effect on local sports was huge the first four or five months of the…
Pro Soccer Report: House lose coach to Fire, Red Stars gain young talent
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent There are three professional soccer teams that play in Chicago and all three will have new coaches in 2022. The Chicago Fire relieved coach Raphael Wicky of his duties toward the end of the season and replaced him with Ezra Hendrickson. The Chicago Red Stars are in the process of interviewing…
Oak Lawn coaching and teaching legend Skip Sullivan remembered
By Jeff Vorva If anyone earned the moniker of “Mr. Oak Lawn” in regard to high school sports it would be Skip Sullivan. Sullivan died at age 70 on Nov. 25. He coached and taught at Oak Lawn Community High School for 41 years and had an impact on many Spartans. “He’s been such a…
Girls Basketball: Lockport plays Grinch, steals win from Stagg
By Randy Whalen Correspondent There was some confusion about the number of points Gail Korbitz scored against Lockport last week. The 6-foot-1 inch Stagg senior forward had 21 points, according to the scoreboard. But she finished with a career-high 23 points. “She had a great game,” Chargers coach Bill Turner said. Unfortunately for Stagg, the…
Girls Basketball: Oak Lawn off to strong start, takes 2nd at Lady Spartan tourney
By Randy Whalen Correspondent Mia Kennelly has not forgotten the impact the program’s seniors had on her the past three seasons. Now, as the Spartans’ only senior, she has embraced the role of being a leader. “It’s been very different being the only senior on the team,” Kennelly said. “But I like helping the younger…
St. Rita sophomores star in win over Marist
By Steve Millar Correspondent After missing a loss to Carmel on Dec. 11 because of an illness, Jaedin Reyna was ready to get back on the court and make a difference. “It definitely fired me up to come back and help the team,” said Reyna, who was not happy St. Rita lost without him. “I…
Start fast, finish strong: Niego hits five threes in 1st, Rice rolls past Richards
By Steve Millar Correspondent Ahmad Henderson took his punishment in stride and was ready to play when the opportunity arose. Henderson, Brother Rice’s star junior point guard, did not start against Richards on Dec. 17 because he arrived a few minutes late to the team’s pre-game activities. “I just had the same mindset as if…
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…
College Report: Ex-Crusaders go bowling; Rettke helps Badgers win NCAA volleyball title
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Brother Rice graduates are dotting several college football rosters during this bowl season, which got started on a wild note with a former Crusader in the middle of the action. John Richardson, a redshirt sophomore kicker from Orland Park, booted two field goals and five extra points for Northern Illinois in…
Fifteen area players commit on early signing day; Lausch chooses Northwestern
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The last-minute offer from Northwestern had Brother Rice senior Jack Lausch weighing some options. He was already a preferred walk-on for baseball and football at Notre Dame and for a long time, that appeared to be his college destination. Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald came in and made an offer to the…
Argo wrestling off to a great start
By Carol McGowan The boys wrestling season at Argo High School is off and running. The team dominated on all levels recently, competing in opening week of SSC Conference competition in a quad winning all three meets vs. Shepard, TF North and Tinley Park. On Saturday, December 4, varsity wrestlers finished in second place as…
Boys Basketball: Chicago Christian is a work in progress
By Jason Maholy Sports Editor Most teams, in particular those coming off successful seasons, lose some of their best or most experienced players to graduation from one year to the next. Rare it is that a team loses all of its best and most experienced players. The top 11 guys on the roster, for example.…
Boys Basketball: Riverside-Brookfield rolling in the early going
By Jason Maholy Sports Editor After entering the season with high expectations, a talented and experienced Riverside-Brookfield team has not disappointed. The Bulldogs won eight of their first nine games and came into this week on a roll as winners of five straight. During that streak they have barely been challenged, averaging nearly 78 points…
Boys Basketball: Mt. Carmel, Brother Rice each win twice over weekend
By Steve Millar Correspondent The Ciaravino brothers are making a huge impact for Mount Carmel in their first varsity season. Anthony, a junior guard, and Angelo, a sophomore forward, are both in the starting lineup for the Caravan and producing at a high level. Anthony is not surprised. “We kind of had an idea of…
Girls Basketball: Harris, Chivers lead Marist over McAuley
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Marist went up against the best and came away with a big loss. Bolingbrook, the Class 4A state runner-up in 2020 and the No. 1-ranked team this preseason by MaxPreps, defeated the RedHawks, 67-46, on Nov. 30. Since then, the RedHawks (7-1) have won four straight, including a 69-54 home victory…
College Sports Report: Trinity Christian soccer player Uhl earns 2nd conference POY of 2021
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Trinity Christian College soccer player Brianna Uhl became a three-time player of the year in 2021, and because of the unique circumstances spawned by the COVID-19 pandemic won the same award twice in the same calendar year. The 2020 season — usually played in autumn — was because of the pandemic…
Worth seeks new direction for Water’s Edge golf course
By Joe Boyle Worth officials hope that the third time is the charm with a proposal for new management of the Water’s Edge golf course. Two representatives from Orion, which is based out of Kansas City, Mo., attended the Worth Village Board meeting on Tuesday night to respond to questions and provide a vision for running the…
2 killed in Worth bar shooting
By Bob Bong Worth Mayor Mary Werner confirmed Monday afternoon that two people were shot and killed and a third wounded in a shooting early this morning at the Crossing Bar and Grill, 6959 W. 111th St. in Worth. Werner said the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force was assisting Worth police with the investigation.…
Argo Wrestling busy over winter break
By Carol McGowan While many students enjoyed time off during the school’s winter break, Argo wrestlers were hard at work competing in an all level tri meet. They beat both DeLaSalle High School and Riverside-Brookfield teams and it came down to the last match to decide the winner. The Argonauts battled to the end and…
Argo Alumni Night returns
By Carol McGowan The tradition of Alumni Night at Argo Community High School returns on Friday, January 14. The Alumni Dinner, at which the school provides a free buffet dinner to alumni, will take place from 5-8 p.m. in the Bulow Auditorium. Many of all ages have gathered in the past for great food and…
Palos 118 hosting Community Feedback Forums Monday, Tuesday
Palos School District 118 will host a series of community forums for the public on Monday and Tuesday, January 10 and 11, as part of its first phase of strategic planning. The Palos 118 school board is engaging the entire school community in discussions that will lead to identifying the attributes and skills all Palos…
Bobby Rush to retire after 15 terms
From staff reports U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, the state’s longest serving member of Congress, announced Tuesday he would not seek re-election this year, stepping down after almost 30 years of representing Chicago’s South Side and southwest suburbs. Rush, 75, formally announced that he will not run for a 16th term in Congress, but vowed to…
Stagg health team earns fourth straight Blue Ribbon award
By Jeff Vorva District 230 Supt. Robert Nolting likened the Stagg Health Education department to the New England Patriots. For the fourth straight year, Stagg won the Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence in Education from the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Staff members said Stagg was the first school in Illinois…
Palos Heights: Business owners must choose whether to comply with mandates
By Jeff Vorva Palos Heights is not cracking down on businesses that violate Cook County COVID-19 mandates regarding proof of vaccinations. But the city will help if asked. Among the mandates, which started Monday, businesses including restaurants and gyms must have patrons show proof of vaccinations, which is a controversial topic for some. The Village…
Mayor reads hate mail before diving into COVID and crime issues
By Jeff Vorva Before Tuesday’s village board meeting, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau said he received a disturbing email. The mayor, who shoots from the hip when it comes to his beliefs is a controversial public figure and figures to get hate mail. This one was especially nasty. “I figured that since I got this…
Stepson charged in Evergreen Park murder
By Bob Bong A 24-year-old Chicago man has been charged with first-degree murder in the New Year’s Eve shooting of his stepfather in Evergreen Park. Brandon K. Kizer, 24, of the 8100 block of South Loomis in Chicago, was charged Sunday with first-degree murder in the death of Anthony Young, 52, on the morning of…
Honored for service to business
Fabis earns UBAM award By Dermot Connolly The United Business Association of Midway recently honored founding member Mary Fabis with a Lifetime Membership Award for Outstanding Service for her 35 years of work with the business organization she continues to serve as a board member. Fabis, now 92, has owned and operated Archer Travel agency…
She was a ‘Munchkin by marriage’
Mary Ellen St. Aubin dies at age 101 By Joan Hadac Mary Ellen St. Aubin once said that if her life could be summed up in a movie title, it might be It’s a Wonderful Life. That life came to a conclusion late last month. Mrs. St. Aubin was 101 years old. “I’ve enjoyed my…
Fire and ice
December was unseasonably dry and warm, but it was cold enough late in the month to form icicles on a Bedford Park Fire Department truck– even after it returned from a blaze that gutted a warehouse in the 6500 block of South Lavergne, just steps south of Clearing. The weather forecast for this weekend calls…
