By Steve Millar Correspondent When Peter Marinopoulos was a freshman, he served as the Marist wrestling team’s manager when the RedHawks would travel to tournaments. Two years later, he is finishing tournaments on top of the podium. Marinopolous, ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 3A at 195 pounds by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Sandburg’s boys team and Marist’s Jake Phillips earned sectional championships on sloppy-but-manageable courses on Saturday. A weeklong rain turned many Chicago-area courses to mush, but the Eagles and Phillips soldiered through and are heading with some momentum to this Saturday’s state cross country meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria. Sandburg, which…
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By Bob Bong Brother Rice was the only area team to advance to this weekend’s second round of the IHSA state football tournament after Saturday’s slate of games. They join five teams that advanced after Friday night’s action. The Crusaders moved on thanks to a 27-26 squeaker over Wheaton-Warrenville South on Saturday. No. 9 seeded…
Read More By Bob Bong Five area football teams won their games Friday night to advance to next weekend’s second round of the IHSA state tournament. Marist scored a 42-0 upset over higher seeded Glenbard East. Mount Carmel shut out Thornwood 20-0 in South Holland. St. Rita easily defeated Rolling Meadows 42-7. Richards knocked off Simeon 28-10.…
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With two weeks remaining in the regular season, Millar has a three-point lead over Vorva and Wally. All three picked Argo over Oak Lawn in this week’s GOTW and there is little variation in their picks overall, so the current leader is guaranteed to still be ahead come Week 9. Maholy and Whalen are lurking…
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Prep News
Moraine Valley’s Tom Diaz earns All-Conference honors
By Carol McGowan Tom Diaz is a freshman at Moraine Valley Community College, and is making big strides with their cross country team. Diaz is also a 2021 graduate of Argo Community High School, and is the first Argonaut to earn All Region honors while pursuing his cross country career. MVCC’s Men’s an& Women’s Cross…
Summit native marks decade with the Harlem Globetrotters
By Carol McGowan Saul White Jr., better known as Flip White to basketball fans, has been with the famed Harlem Globetrotters for just over 10 years, and has no intention of stopping the entertainment he provides for his fans. White, who grew up in Summit, attended Wharton School and Graves Junior High (now Heritage) in…
Here’s the skinny: Trimmed-down Lawrence helps Oak Lawn top Evergreen
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Oak Lawn senior basketball player Davion Lawrence is 45 pounds lighter than he was last season, but insists his eating habits are the same. He has, however, changed up his training habits. Heading into football last fall, Lawrence and a few fellow seniors wanted to get in the best shape…
College Report: McAuley grad Swiatek plays hero for St. Francis
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Hannah Swiatek comes off the bench for the University of St. Francis and is averaging 3.1 points per game. But when called on for the biggest shot of her college career, the 5-foot-8 junior guard from Oak Lawn delivered. Swiatek scored the winning basket in a wild 99-97 overtime road…
Evans, Adams lead Argo past Shepard on Alumni Night
By Steve Metsch Corrspondent Argo’s Davonte Evans and Will Adams both knew it was just a matter of time before the Argonauts would find a way to beat Shepard. That time came in the third quarter of a South Suburban Red matchup, when Argo outscored Shepard en rout to a 61-52 on Jan. 14. “We…
Stagg’s Laila Barakat and McAuley’s Bella Finnegan hit 1K career points; Richards’ Kortz gets 300th win
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Look what Laila Barakat started. The Stagg senior basketball star hit a milestone when she scored her 1,000th career point against Richards on Jan. 8. That was the first of three notable career accomplishments achieved the following week. It was followed by Mother McAuley senior Bella Finnegan scoring her 1,000th…
Marist wrestlers take Illini Classic crown; Shepard’s Damari Reed stays unbeaten
By Steve Millar Correspondent When Peter Marinopoulos was a freshman, he served as the Marist wrestling team’s manager when the RedHawks would travel to tournaments. Two years later, he is finishing tournaments on top of the podium. Marinopolous, ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 3A at 195 pounds by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches…
‘These bruises won’t heal’
CPS kids back in school, but bitterness remains By Tim Hadac Teachers who walked off the job in the new year returned last week after the Chicago Teachers Union rank and file voted to accept Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s offer of increased safety measures at schools. But it was a divided vote, with just 55.5% in…
Smooch from a pooch
Mutts of the Midway volunteer John Shaker smiles as he gets a smooch from Burt, a 5-year-old American Pit Bull/Boston Terrier mix. Shaker works as a transporter, driving dogs to and from veterinarian appointments. The 37-pound Burt was rescued by the non-profit Mutts of the Midway from a shelter in Texas. For several months, he…
Here’s a sure sign of spring
By Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • [email protected] Hi everyone. How have you been surviving January? This is one month I always hope flies by. If the sun is out, the temperatures are, or feel like they are in the subzero range. If it’s cloudy, which is most of the…
College Report: McAuley grad Swiatek plays hero for St. Francis
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Hannah Swiatek comes off the bench for the University of St. Francis and is averaging 3.1 points per game. But when called on for the biggest shot of her college career, the 5-foot-8 junior guard from Oak Lawn delivered. Swiatek scored the winning basket in a wild 99-97 overtime road…
Stagg’s Laila Barakat and McAuley’s Bella Finnegan hit 1K career points; Richards’ Kortz gets 300th win
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Look what Laila Barakat started. The Stagg senior basketball star hit a milestone when she scored her 1,000th career point against Richards on Jan. 8. That was the first of three notable career accomplishments achieved the following week. It was followed by Mother McAuley senior Bella Finnegan scoring her 1,000th…
Tax exemptions will be automatic, Kaegi says
From staff reports In response to the ongoing pandemic, the Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office will continue the automatic renewal of the Senior Freeze, Veterans with Disabilities and Persons with Disabilities Exemptions. The Homeowner and Senior Exemptions will continue to auto-renew every year. If a homeowner received any of these five exemptions last year…
Ailing eagle on the mend
Several blocks northwest of Garfield Ridge—just west of 47th and Harlem–motorists late last month noticed an eagle flying low and acting erratically. The Villa Park-based Chicago Bird Collision Monitors was contacted, and its volunteers found and captured the majestic bird. It was transported to a facility owned and operated by Glen Ellyn-based Willowbrook Wildlife, where…
Can’t we just fast-forward to spring?
By Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • [email protected] Hi everyone. Is it spring yet? Is the pandemic over yet? Not that I’m impatient or anything. I want to move forward past all the negative COVID-19 has brought to my life and everyone else’s life. I want to see the rebirth…
Scavenger Sale different this year, Pappas says
From staff reports Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ 2022 Scavenger Sale will look different, as the Treasurer’s Office takes steps to help small developers, homeowners and investors rebuild neighborhoods and create generational wealth. Under Illinois law, the Treasurer’s Office is required to conduct a Scavenger Sale every two years, offering at auction the taxes on…
