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Mother McAuley junior Abbey Williams delivers a pitch during last week’s 18-1 loss to Benet. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Softball | Mother McAuley seeks to right ship

From Staff Reports The 2024 season is off to an uneven and somewhat rocky start for Mother McAuley. The Mighty Macs opened the spring with consecutive losses — 9-3 to Oak Forest on March 11 and 18-1 to Benet on March 13 — before getting off the schneid with an 18-1 win over Stagg on…

Evergreen Park senior Nolan Sexton (right) will play in the Illinois Hoop Prospect Senior All-Star Games at Joliet Junior College. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Boys Basketball | Players from Evergreen Park and Brother Rice to ball at prospect showcase

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Five players from the area have been invited to play on the South Suburban Team at the Illinois Hoop Prospect Senior All-Star Games scheduled to be played March 24 at Joliet Junior College. Brother Rice’s Zavier Fitch and Ty Wooten join Evergreen Park’s Nolan Sexton, Marist’s Darshan Thomas and Stagg’s Connor…

George Shimko, who coached the Queen of Peace girls basketball program and its de facto successor St. Laurence, has been named head coach of the Mustangs girls basketball program. Supplied photo

Girls Basketball | George Shimko takes reins for Mustangs

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent One longtime area basketball coach will succeed another at Evergreen Park. George Shimko, who brought success to the girls basketball programs at Queen of Peace and St. Laurence, has been named the new girls hoops coach at Evergreen Park. He will succeed Bruce Scaduto, who retired after 27 years with the…

Harold Blackmon (right) is welcomed to De La Salle by Meteors athletic director Tom White. Photo courtesy of De La Salle

De La Salle tabs Harold Blackmon as next football coach

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent A pair of familiar coaches from the area have landed in new spots. Harold Blackmon, who has been head football coach at St. Laurence and Oak Lawn, has been named coach at De La Salle. George Shimko, a former girls basketball coach at Queen of Peace and St. Laurence, will serve…

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Red Stars, rugby will highlight big weekend at SeatGeek

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Things will get busy in Bridgeview this weekend. The Chicago Fire II will host its season opener against Toronto FC II at 6 p.m. Friday, March 22 at SeatGeek Stadium. The following day, the Chicago Red Stars make their 2024 home debut against Seattle at 3 p.m. Rugby invades the stadium…

Chicago Red Stars players celebrate a goal against Utah in the season-opener for both teams on March 16. The Red Stars won, 2-0. Photo courtesy of Chicago Red Stars

Red Stars Report | Cooks provide recipe for success in Red Stars’ win over Utah

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Lorne Donaldson era is already Cook-ing. The new Chicago Red Stars coach enjoyed a victory in his debut with a 2-0 triumph over Utah in the NWSL season-opener for both teams on March 16 at America First Field in Sandy, Utah. The game was the first in franchise history for…

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College Sports Wrap | Morton College OF Angelo Luna slugs two grand slams in one day

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area college baseball sluggers had a grand time on March 16. Former St. Laurence standout Angelo Luna, a sophomore outfielder at Morton College, hit two grand slams and drove in 10 runs over two games as the Panthers beat Highland, 7-3 and 18-5, in a doubleheader at home. Luna has crushed…

Sergio Lemley (top), who won three state championships at Mount Carmel, finished in fourth place at the Big Ten tournament during his freshman season. Photo courtesy of University of Michigan Athletics

College Notebook | Ex-Mount Carmel wrestler Sergio Lemley takes fourth in Big Ten

By Mike Walsh Correspondent One reason the Michigan wrestling team has been successful this season is freshman Sergio Lemley. At the Big Ten tournament, Lemley won three of his five matches to finish fourth at 141 pounds. The Wolverines placed second with 123.5 points behind conference champion Penn State (170.5). In the consolation semifinals, Lemley,…

Sandburg sophomore Zoe Trunk high-fives teammate Grace Torgerson (12) after the former scored a run during the Eagles’ 9-1 win over Richards to open the 2024 season. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Softball | Sandburg tops Richards, Crete-Monee to begin rebound season

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent With a blank slate, unblemished record and all goals still theoretically intact, beginning of the season for any sports team offers — if nothing else — hope. Teams are looking to start fresh and either rebound from a season that failed to meet expectations, or build on the success from and…

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High School Baseball | Oak Lawn tops Crete-Monee in season-opener

High school baseball season got underway March 11, and Oak Lawn started the season with a 12-5 victory over Crete-Monee at Ozinga Field in Crestwood. For the Spartans, senior Brett Gatch had two hits including a home run while driving in four runs. Senior Kyle Bader had two triples and three RBI, and senior Charlie…

Mount Carmel’s Grant Best goes in for a layup during the first quarter of the IHSA Class 3A state championship game against DePaul Prep. The Rams defeated the Caravan, 49-41. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Boys Basketball | DePaul Prep holds off Mount Carmel for Class 3A title

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Competing for and winning state championships are not new for Mount Carmel. Except in basketball. The Caravan football and wrestling teams have already won state titles this school year — the second consecutive championship for the former and the second in three seasons for the latter — but the basketball program’s…

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Chicagoland Christian Conference teams meet in 1A third-place game

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Chicago Catholic League made headlines when Blue powers Mount Carmel and DePaul met in the boys basketball IHSA Class 3A state championship game. But the first-year Chicagoland Christian Conference also had a banner season. The league, which features local program Chicago Christian, had two teams in the Class 1A final…

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St. Laurence names Roshawn Russell new boys hoops coach

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent St.  Laurence announced on March 8 that Roshawn Russell will replace Byron Burt as the Vikings boys basketball coach. Russell was Burt’s assistant this season, in which the Vikings won the Chicago Catholic League White and a Class 3A regional title. Russell previously coached at St. Rita and owned a 72-42…

Kendall Coyne Schofield, shown cutting a ribbon at a park named after her in 2022, is the voice of a character in a Disney/Pixar movie. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Sandburg grad Kendall Coyne Schofield lends voice to ‘Inside Out’ sequel

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Lewis Black. Amy Poehler. Paula Poundstone. Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And Kendall Coyne Schofield? Yes, Schofield — known for her international hockey prowess — joins those celebrities and others in Disney/Pixar’s film “Inside Out 2,” which will be released in theaters June 14. In a news release, the…

Red Stars scorer Mallory Swanson is ready to get back on the field after missing most of 2023 with an injury. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Red Stars Report | Mallory Swanson is back on the pitch and ready for a big season

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Red Stars’ season opens March 16 and star player Mallory Swanson can’t wait. The prolific scorer, who during the offseason signed an NWSL-record deal that will pay her $400,000 a year through 2028, missed all but two two games for the Red Stars last season with a torn left patellar…

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College Basketball | St. Xavier men’s, women’s players earn all-conference honors

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Three SXU men’s basketball players earned all Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference honors. Senior guard Cedric Johnson claimed all-CCAC first team honors and junior forward Andre Brandon was named to the second team. Freshman forward James Stevenson was named CCAC Freshman of the Year in addition to being on the all-freshman team.…

Saint Xavier senior setter Christian Oviedo (18), seen here in a match against The Master's University, had 35 assists and eight digs in the Cougars' four-set victory over Concordia University Irvine. Ovideo transferred to SXU from Concordia Irvine. Photo courtesy of Saint Xavier University Department of Athletics

College Men’s Volleyball | SXU’s Oviedo has big day versus old mates at Concordia Irvine

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Saint Xavier men’s volleyball team have played such a tough schedule this season that the Cougars are ranked 11th in the nation despite entering this week with a 7-8 record. The NAIA team finished 1-2 during a recent California trip after being swept by No. 3 Vanguard University and No.…

Morton's women's basketball team won the Region IV tournament on March 9. Morton College photo

Morton College qualifies for nationals in fourth straight season

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Four for IV. For the fourth consecutive season, the Morton College women’s basketball team won the Region IV championship on March 9 to qualify for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II national tournament. The Panthers beat Carl Sandburg, 102-59, at Rock Valley College to to clinch their spot at…

Mount Carmel's Cameron Thomas moves the ball against St. Patrick on March 4 in a supersectional win that sent the Caravan to the Class 3A semifinals. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Boys Basketball UIC Supersectional | Mt. Carmel headed to state semifinals for first time since ’85

By Jason Maholy Sports Editor Mt. Carmel overcame a cold-shooting night and oulasted St. Patrick in overtime to win the UIC Supersectional to earn a trip to the IHSA Class 3A state semifinals. The 56-46 victory sent the Caravan to the final four for the first time since they won the Class AA state championship…

Brother Rice guard Marcos Gonzalez drives to the basket during the Crusaders' loss to Thornton in the IHSA Class 3A Thornton Sectional Final. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Boys Basketball Class 3A Playoffs | Thornton tops Brother Rice to advance to UIC Supersectional

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Brother Rice went toe-to-toe with Thornton in a hostile environment, but the Wildcats did what potential state championship teams do and played their best ball late to pull out a 61-54 win in the Class 3A Thornton Sectional title game. The game was played at the Wildcats’ home gym in Harvey,…

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College Sports Wrap | Morton women to play for Region IV title

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area college basketball teams are rapidly getting eliminated from the postseason, but one team that usually can be counted on in making a deep postseason run is the Morton College women’s team. The Panthers waltzed through the Region IV quarterfinals with a 93-54 win over Elgin Community College on Feb. 29…

Nazareth dropped a 44-40 decision to Loyola on March 2 to finish second in Class 4A. Photo by Randy Whalen

Girls Basketball Class 4A State Championship | Loyola finishes unbeaten, denies Nazareth a second straight state title

By Randy Whalen Correspondent Even through the disappointment of a close state championship game loss, Olivia Austin was nothing but grateful. Between basketball and volleyball, the Nazareth senior played in five state title game over the past three years. Unfortunately for her and the Roadrunners, the ending to the most recent of those wasn’t what…

The Cleveland Cavs started selling shirts of Max Strus' half-court game-winning shot at the end of February.

Area Sports Roundup | Stagg grad Max Strus drains legendary buzzer-beater

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Registration for the Max Strus Basketball Camp in July goes live on March 28, and campers may want to talk to the former Stagg star about his heroics in a Cleveland Cavaliers’ victory last month. Strus, who is in his first season with Cleveland after three years with the Miami Heat,…

Abbey Murphy, an Evergreen Park resident who plays at Minnesota, is the top goal-scorer in NCAA DI women’s hockey. Photo Courtesy of University of Minnesota Athletics

Abbey Murphy leading NCAA women’s hockey in goals

By Mike Walsh Correspondent The 2023-2024 college hockey season has been memorable thus far for Evergreen Park resident Abbey Murphy. Murphy, a Mother McAuley graduate who is a junior at Minnesota, was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Forward of the Month for November and December. In November, Murphy tallied six goals and three assists…

New Red Stars general manager Richard Feuz is ready for the 2024 season to get rolling. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Red Stars reportedly seeking Chicago stadium

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Signs are indicating the Chicago Red Stars will be moving out of SeatGeek Stadium. The Bridgeview-owned facility, formerly known as Toyota Park, has been the home of the NWSL franchise since 2016. The Red Stars’ lease with Bridgeview runs through December 2025. Where they play after that it’s anyone’s guess, but…

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Community pride is flying high

. By Patti Tyznik Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • ptyznik@gmail.com . It’s a “banner day” in Garfield Ridge! If you take a look around the neighborhood, you’ll see brand new Garfield Ridge community signs hanging from the light posts running along Archer. What a wonderful way to highlight the neighborhood…

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Man accused in McCook murder to plead not guilty

By Steve Metsch Sisto Brito, the man charged with murdering a Blue Island man in McCook in February, will plead not guilty at his upcoming arraignment, his attorney said. A brief status hearing was held Friday morning before Associate Cook County Circuit Court Judge Mohammed M. Ghouse in Room 103 of the Bridgeview Courthouse. Ghouse…

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Off-duty Oak Lawn cop shot five times

By Bob Bong An off-duty Oak Lawn police sergeant was shot five times Monday afternoon during an argument at a trucking business in the 10800 block of South Central Avenue where he was working security. Police said an employee arrived at MN89 trucking about noon on Monday and got into an argument with other employees…

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Casten, Garcia face primary foes in congressional primaries

By Bob Bong Incumbent 6th District Congressman Sean Casten has another primary campaign on his hands. In 2022, he and fellow incumbent Marie Newman squared off in a heated campaign after they were both thrown into the newly drawn district, which runs from Orland Park to Lombard. This time, he’s facing off with newcomer Mahnoor…

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Retired Chicago cop Vasquez takes on incumbent Rep. Rashid in 21st District

By Steve Metsch A one-term state representative and a retired Chicago police officer will square off in the March 19 Democratic primary for the 21st House District. Incumbent Abdelnasser Rashid, 34, of Bridgeview, is challenged by Vidal Vasquez, 62, of Chicago’s Garfield Ridge community. This isn’t Vasquez’ first foray into politics. He ran an unsuccessful…

John Banuelos shoots his gun during the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. (Photos
courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office)

Summit man charged for shooting at January 6 insurrection

By Bob Bong A man living with his sister in Summit was arrested by FBI agents last Friday for shooting a gun during the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. John Banuelos, 39, was taken into custody Friday morning more than three years after an angry crowd descended on the…

Bridgeview Mayor Steve Landek (from left), Dist. 217 winner Jacques Moses, Dist. 217 Supt. Dr. William Toulios, Talerico-Martin Bakery owner Bob Talerico, Dist. 109 Supt. Dr. Blair Nuccio, Dist. 109 Winner Kelley Shue, Dist. 109 Asst. Supt. Crystal Skoczylas, Summit Mayor Sergio Rodriguez. (Photo by Carol McGowan)

Bridgeview, Argo-Summit, Justice Lions celebrate Super Sunday

By Carol McGowan The Bridgeview Community Center was filled with nearly 250 people on Sunday as the Bridgeview, Argo-Summit, and Justice Lions Clubs held Super Sunday. Sponsored by the Village of Bridgeview, and Bridgeview Mayor Steven M. Landek, Super Sunday brought out the biggest crowd for an enjoyable afternoon of celebration and fun. The annual…

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SD122 parents demand answers on school psychologist’s status

By Nuha Abdessalam A petition demanding the firing of a school psychologist at Ridgeland School District 122 for posting Islamophobic social media messages has gathered more than 1,400 signatures. The petition on change.org is “calling for the removal of the schoo psychologist Laurie Hoke for sharing posts and comments that are explicitly racist, Islamophobic, hateful,…

A participant dives in the pool and splashes volunteers from Worth School District 127 who took part in the eighth annual Polar Plunge Saturday in the parking lot of the Marrs-Meyer American Legion Post 991. (Photos by Joe Boyle)

Volunteers raise $18,000 at Worth FOP Polar Plunge

By Joe Boyle The temperatures were hovering near 50 degrees, but Worth Mayor Mary Werner said it was still going to be a challenge. “They took the temperature of the water and it was 46 degrees. That is still cold,” the mayor said. The eighth annual Worth Fraternal Order of Police Polar Plunge was held…

Shepard High School, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights, honored Special Olympics Illinois with a unique school-based Polar Plunge that took place right on campus on March 7. (Supplied photos)

Shepard takes plunge for Special Olympics Illinois

By Kelly White Shepard High School has been diving into great things once again this academic year. The high school, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights, honored Special Olympics Illinois with a unique school-based Polar Plunge that took place right on campus on March 7. “This is one of my favorite days of the year.…

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