Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars will miss three big guns during World Cup qualifying
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Having world-class players on your team is a blessing. But during times like these, it can also be a curse. World-class players help NWSL teams win games. They also miss chunks of time during the season because of their commitments to playing in international competitions. For much of July, the…
Stagg grad Laila Barakat leaves her mark on program
By Randy Whalen Correspondent Laila Barakat entered her freshman year of high school basketball with a plan. She left as one of the most accomplished and successful players in Stagg girls basketball history. “Coming in my freshman year, I knew what goals I wanted to achieve,” said Barakat, who was a four-year varsity player for…
Area Sports Roundup: Lightning strikes at Shepard
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer There was a lot of rain and a little bit of thunder at the Illinois Lightning Track and Field Club’s open track meet, which was held at Shepard on June 25. The meet was open to everyone, from children as young as 4 (one 3-year-old also participated) to adults. More…
World Wiffle Ball Championship returning to south suburbs
The 43rd World Wiffle Ball Championship is returning to Memorial Park in south suburban Midlothian on July 16-17. “We’re excited to gear up for this year’s Championship at Memorial Park in Midlothian. We can’t wait to see old and new Wifflers alike this summer come together to beat some plastic,” said Mike Baniak, Commissioner of…
Pro Soccer Report: Kowalksi, Pugh score for Red Stars in draw at KC
Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The Chicago Red Stars suffered a big blow on defense when defender Kayla Sharples was ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Sharples’ replacement in the starting lineup on June 18 was Amanda Kowalski. The Arlington Heights native decided to add some offense to her game,…
Area Sports Roundup: Troy Grevengoed leaving Richards to coach volleyball at Chicago Christian
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer As the girls volleyball coach at Richards, Troy Grevengoed coached against Chicago Christian when two of his daughters played there. He has also watched his daughters from the stands as a fan. Now, he enters a third phase. Grevengoed is the new girls volleyball coach at the Palos Heights private…
Club America, Pumas match at SeatGeek officially sold out
PRIMETIME Sports announced Friday that the Pretemporada MX 2022 Clásico match between Club América and Pumas to be played on Sunday, June 19, at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview is officially sold out and Saturday’s Clásico Tapatío match is working towards a sellout. The two-day event hosts Liga MX’s two biggest derbies at SeatGeek Stadium. The…
Baseball Class 4A State Finals: Brother Rice takes third with romp over McHenry
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Some view state third-place games as a waste of time. It’s usually the game nobody wants to be involved in after having their dreams of winning a state championship crushed by a loss in the semifinals. But the third-place game in the IIHSA Class 4A baseball state tournament produced a…
Area Sports Roundup: Notre Dame’s Dylan Jacobs wins national championship in 10,000 meters
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Add a national championship to Dylan Jacobs’ already impressive list of accomplishments in 2022. The Orland Park resident and Sandburg graduate broke a four-minute mile on Jan. 22 and set an American college indoor record in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 13:14.04 seconds on Feb. 12. On June…
Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars blank Orland to finish brutal stretch unscathed
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer The Chicago Red Stars finished the busiest stretch of their season unbeaten. The five-games-in-16-days logjam ended with a 1-0 victory over Orlando on June 11 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. Mallory Pugh drilled her fifth goal of the season in the 10th minute for the Stars (4-1-3), who entered this…
Softball 4A State Championship: Marist falls short in bid for repeat
By Randy Whalen Correspondent If someone would have told Emily Bojan that she would come up in the bottom of the seventh with an opportunity to tie or win the state championship game in her final high school at-bat, she’d love to be in that situation every time. But unfortunately, the Marist senior catcher hit…
Young Roadrunners win first baseball title to cap a huge sports season at Naz
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer Nazareth’s athletic class of 2024 could go down as the best in school history. The Roadrunners’ girls volleyball team finished first in the state in the fall. Two sophomores were among the eight players who were on the court during the Class 3A state championship game. The girls basketball team…
Softball: Marist returns to state to defend 2021 title
By Randy Whalen Correspondent The night before their biggest game of the season, Marist’s players absorbed some superpowers. From their bats. “We slept with our bats [the night before],” said junior left fielder Isabel Cunnea. “It was uncomfortable but it got us ready.” The RedHawks scored all their runs via the longball — five home…
Baseball: Nazareth tops St. Ignatius, punches ticket to state
By Steve Millar Correspondent Some observers may had thought Nazareth was a year or two away from being a state tournament-caliber team. After all, the Roadrunners started four sophomores and a freshman with a trip to state on the line June 6. Sophomore outfielder/pitcher Nick Drtina, though, knew all along what his team was capable…
Postseason Softball: St. Ignatius one-ups St. Laurence in supersectional heartbreaker
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer It took a near perfect game — and a close play at the plate — to eliminate St. Laurence from its historic season. St. Laurence pitcher Sarah Klonowski and St. Ignatius hurler Ellie Giles were throwing zeroes through five innings in the Class 3A Rosemont Supersectional at the Parkway Bank…
Postseason Roundup: Lincoln-Way East tops Marist in battle of volleyball powers
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer For the first time since 2014, no area boys volleyball advanced to the Elite Eight. In the past seven postseasons, either Marist, Sandburg, Brother Rice or St. Rita made it to the quarterfinals. This year, Marist was the last team standing, but dropped a wild 23-25, 25-22, 25-21 decision to…
Pro Soccer Report: Pugh continues hot run, helps Red Stars top OL Reign
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Despite missing the first two games of the season, Chicago Red Stars standout Mallory Pugh entered this week’s action in a three-way tie for second in goals scored in the NWSL. Pugh scored her fourth goal of the season to help the Red Stars (3-1-2) beat OL Reign, 1-0, in…
Baseball: Nazareth conquers Vikings for sectional crown
By Steve Millar Correspondent With many players back from a team that finished third in the state in Class 3A last season, senior outfielder Angelo Luna knew the Vikings were ready to win many games this year. The recipe for success, according to Luna, was simple. “We just practice a lot, trust in that and…
Baseball: Marist rolls to regional title, will face St. Laurence in sectional semifinals
By Steve Millar Correspondent Marist’s players are not happy with how the regular season went, but the playoffs present an opportunity for a fresh start and a chance to make it a special year. “We know we’re good enough to make a run,” junior shortstop/pitcher Cal Sefcik said. “We definitely had our ups and downs…
‘The right gig’: Marist alum Renee Chimino to succeed Mary Pat Connolly
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Renee Chimino was like many people who thought Mary Pat Connolly was going to coach at Marist forever. But Connolly recently announced her retirement, and Chimino was hired to take her place last week. Chimino is a Marist graduate who played on Connolly’s best squad, the 2007-08 team that finished…
Postseason Roundup: Chicago Christian’s Jelderks is state high jump champ; Sandburg 3200 relay takes title
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer It was as easy as 1-2-3. Actually, it was more like it was easy as 1A-2A-3A. Two area individuals and a relay team emerged from the IHSA state boys track meet over the weekend as champions — one in each classification. Luke Jelderks of Chicago Christian won the Class 1A…
Pro Soccer Report: Pugh scores again in Red Stars draw; Fire II offense gets hot
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Chicago Red Stars coach Chris Petrucelli doesn’t mince words when it comes to describing star player Mallory Pugh. “Quite frankly, I think she’s the best player in the league,” the first-year coach said. “There’s nobody I would rather have, honestly. I’m lucky I get a chance to work with her…
Boys Volleyball Sectionals: Marist tops Br. Rice, will face LW East in sectional finals
By Randy Whalen Correspondent Michael Bos had just put down what was probably the biggest block of his high school career. It sent Brother Rice team into a frenzied celebration. The Crusaders hadn’t won the match, but they had moved to a third set against the top-ranked team in the state. Rice eventually fell short,…
Girls Soccer: De La Salle tops Bremen for program’s first regional title
By Steve Millar Correspondent De La Salle coach Carlos Nunez has seen his teams come up a bit short in the postseason repeatedly over the years. The Meteors had never won a regional championship in girls soccer. Until this year, that is. “I’ve been in every single one that we’ve lost in,” Nunez said. “We’ve…
Pro soccer report: Pugh tallies twice return in Red Stars’ win over Orlando
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Mallory Pugh gave a sample of what could be a big 2022 season when she scored four goals in the exhibition Challenge Cup series. But the Red Stars scoring threat missed the first two games of the NWSL season with an injury, and the team split decisions against Louisville and…
City Championship to Hubbard Cadets
The cadets of the Gurdon S. Hubbard High School JROTC Drill Team competed in the Chicago Public School JROTC All Service City Championship Drill Meet on 10 December 2011 and won their 2nd overall championship in 3 years. Competing against their strongest rivals, Taft High School and the Marine Math and Science Academy, as well…
Community Alert: Increases of ÒRuse Burglary” attempts in Orland Park and surrounding areas
ÒRuse Burglary” is a term used by police to describe burglaries that occur when criminals attempt to distract a person or people from their home so that an accomplice can enter from another door and steal cash, jewelry and other items. The offenders like to target elderly residents. {{more}} There was a recent attempt in…
Time To Clean Up MWRD’s Political Filter
For far too long, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Great Chicago has been a reservoir for retired, do-nothing government officials who were rewarded with spots on the board in return for their party loyalties. Or, it has been a place where ambitious candidates with political clout have tried to launch their power dynasties. The…
More Post Office Reductions
But No Changes Are Occurring on Southwest Side for Now With possible unprecedented cuts to first-class mail next spring, residents could see slower delivery for the first time in 40 years, eliminating the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day. {{more}} Faced with a massive nationwide infrastructure that is no longer financially sustainable,…
Toys for Tots Drive Collects 25,000 Toys
Motorcyclists and spectators came out in full force on Sunday, Dec. 4 for the 34th Annual Chicagoland Toys for Tots parade. Close to 6,000 motorcycles lined-up on 87th and Western to take the 20-mile ride down Western Avenue to donate toys for needy children across Chicagoland. {{more}} Nearly 25,000 toys were collected by the Marine…
Gage Park And Kennedy Help Combat Crime
Weekly meetings to help combat crime in and around Chicago Public Schools will take place with police district commanders. Mayor Rahm Emanuel unveiled a high school version of CompStat, the crime-fighting strategy promoted by Police Supt. Garry McCarthy. {{more}} So far, the only two schools who are partaking in this program, according to Chicago Lawn…
New Ward Map May Affect The Fifteenth Ward
Several proposals have been suggested to remap the aldermanic wards. Chicago aldermen are trying to figure out how to divide the city’s map to reflect the new census numbers. According to reports, the black population has declined by 181,000, whites have dropped by 53,000, and Latinos have grown by 25,000. {{more}} Hispanics are slated to…
Blagojevich To Serve 14 Years
Topinka, Lisa Madigan and Jesse White Comment on Verdict Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka on Wednesday released the following statement in response to U.S. District Judge James Zagel sentencing former Gov. Rod Blagojevich to 14 years incarceration: ÒWith his ruling today, Judge Zagel has ensured that the Rod Blagojevich years will end as they should:…
Child with Special Needs Is on ‘Nutcracker’ Stage
Sophia Jablonski did not want to just sit and watch others perform in the spotlight. The 11-year-old Orland Park resident has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. However, that did not prevent her from recently performing as an evil witch in a Children’s Company ballet version of ÒHansel and Gretel” at Lockport High School.…
Oak Lawn 229 May Modify Some Programs
The Dec. 1 meeting of the Oak Lawn Community High School Board of Education focused on looking to the future of various programs and school curriculum modifications. On an annual basis, according to School Superintendent Michael Riordan, the school Curriculum Committee reviews all of the course offerings for the coming school year. The Curriculum Committee…
“Boot Campaign” Surprises Wounded Soldier With New Home
Boot Campaign unites with its partner charity, Military Warriors Support Foundation, to surprise a wounded soldier and his family with a new home. The home giveaway will be featured in the “Christmas Wish” special on NBC Chicago’s Weekends with Whitney, airing on Chicago’s NBC 5. 2 on December 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th.…
Tax Cut Package Triggers The House vs. Senate Dynamic
It’s a fairly common Statehouse phenomenon that bills will zoom out of the Senate or the House and then flame out in the other chamber. People in the other chamber just don’t always care as much as the people who first sponsor the bills. Often, they also don’t want to be pushed around by the…
