There were many things I talked about on Monday with Sandburg principal Jen Tyrrell. Fun stuff, like when she was one of the Southland’s best second basemen. When she played in two NCAA Tourn…

Less than 10 months after he tore the ACL in his left knee, senior Ty Schultz ran his way into Lockport history. Schultz piled up 231 yards and scored two touchdowns Saturday night to lead the Port…

Andrew senior Keke Tholl’s first base hit as a player at Michigan will certainly be a fun one. That’s because her aunt, Bonnie Tholl, will be waiting for her in the first base coachR…

Tyler Plantz knows he’s becoming part of a rather exclusive fraternity of coaches as he takes over the Providence football program. Plantz is just the third coach for the Celtics. Matt Senffn…

Kendall Pettis’ redshirt sophomore season at Oklahoma was quite the roller-coaster ride. An elbow injury limited the Brother Rice graduate early in the season, leading to some frustrating str…

When the postgame topic turned to senior quarterback Dermot Smyth, Marist receivers John Nestor and Mike Donegan suddenly became emotional Saturday afternoon. Nestor, who also plays defensive back,…

As the passing yards, rushing yards and touchdowns piled up this season for senior quarterback Jack Lausch, the Brother Rice star felt like a little kid playing pickup games with his friends. ̶…

If he had only hit the books as hard as he hit quarterbacks at Homewood-Flossmoor, Isaiah Coe would already be playing major college football. He knows that now. Although he didn’t have the g…

A big guy from Providence will be helping Cincinnati represent the little guy in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Jake Renfro, a Mokena native who starred for the Celtics, is a sophomore st…

Mother McAuley junior Ellie White hasn’t been shorted on compliments during the past three girls volleyball seasons. Mighty Macs coach Jen DeJarld — as she has many times — said a…

Marist’s Chris Lofgren went into halftime Friday night with a chip on his shoulder. The senior running back just got stuffed by Brother Rice’s defensive line on third down at the 1-yard…

The Vikings’ version of the Les Brothers has been providing big bats for a team that has scored 36 runs in the first two games.

Senior receiver Danny White knows better than most people just how good Brother Rice quarterback Jack Lausch is. So, White was confident the Crusaders were going to find a way to score the winning …

Tragedy brought Deshawndre Washington back home to play basketball at South Suburban College. It’s also fueling the sophomore guard on his journey to make it back to NCAA Division I and beyon…

Coming into the season, senior quarterback Blainey Dowling knew Mount Carmel had a team capable of winning a state title with a roster filled with talented, experienced players. If there was a ques…

If Mother McAuley volleyball standout Gigi Navarrete has said it once, she’s said it to me 50 times over the past four years. McAuley’s student fan section, otherwise known as the ̶…

Whether it was at Mount Carmel, playing for Team USA or starting his professional career last year, Kane County Cougars outfielder Alek Thomas has always felt he belonged. Thomas gets a chance to s…

CHAMPAIGN — It was a painful end to a painful season for Lincoln-Way East’s Jake Scianna. The 6-foot, 220-pound senior linebacker managed to be the heart and soul of the Griffins despit…

Fresh off appearances in the state finals, champion Mount Carmel and runners-up Lincoln-Way, St. Laurence and Joliet Catholic lead the way. Providence, Lockport, Morgan Park, Lincoln-Way West and E…

PEORIA — She had the first say on Friday. She had the first say on Saturday. Senior first baseman Eileen Donahue deserved to have her say while standing with celebrating Marist teammates in t…

Junior pitcher Cole Van Assen has heard the chatter all spring about how Brother Rice is a one-dimensional team with a great offense but suspect pitching. He used that for motivation. “I love…

Senior running back Mike Barberi didn’t need to be reminded about last season when Andrew lost by a shutout to Sandburg. He woke up Friday morning believing it wasn’t going to happen ag…

Crete-Monee coach John Konecki called it “a calculated risk.” But it worked. The Warriors started Saturday’s 38-35 upset of two-time defending Class 5A state champions Sacred Hear…

State champion Mount Carmel and state runner-up Lincoln-Way East headline the 75 players that make up the 2022 football all-area team. First team offense Lynel Billups-Williams, Crete-Monee, senior…

Andrew sophomore Tyler Roney cannot raise his left eyebrow. But he can imitate actor and former professional wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s “People’s EyebrowR…

When you look at St. Rita’s defense and check out the linebacking core, you may think you’re seeing triple. There are times where every linebacker on the field for the Mustangs has the …

Marist’s Owen Winters had faith. The junior quarterback had faith in himself after suffering through a miserable third quarter. And he had faith in Stephen Brown, his 6-foot-7 sophomore recei…

FIRST TEAM Emily Bojan, Marist, senior, catcher: Batted .415 with 30 runs, seven doubles, nine home runs and 41 RBIs. All-state. East Suburban Catholic Conference’s player of the year. Commit…

Abby Callahan has a noble definition of how she wants to be remembered in June when she graduates from Marist. “Just more for my character than anything,” Callahan said. “I would …

Early morning workouts and long, grueling conditioning days have returned for the St. Xavier football team, but junior linebacker Joey Markasovic said he’s approaching them with giddy anticip…

After evoking memories of Lockport’s golden era, senior wide receiver/defensive back Danny Martisek dug deep into his football past. It all came after Martisek’s versatile, accomplished…

Lincoln-Way West coach Brian Glynn recently discovered his ties in wrestling to Lincoln-Way Central coach Tyrone Byrd go back even longer than he knew. “I was watching an old video from my se…

PEORIA — There was a time in the Class 4A state championship game Thursday when Marist’s Abby Dunning was aiming for her second no-hitter. The last two innings, she was fighting for sur…

Senior outfielder Myles Supurgeci has spent years imagining what it would feel like to hit a home run for Mount Carmel, but until Monday, it was just a dream. “I hit a bunch of inside-the-par…

Dylan Jacobs became just the 605th American runner to break the four-minute mile. And he still lost the race. A senior at Notre Dame, Jacobs scorched the indoor track Jan. 22 at his home course for…

Top 10 Teams 1. Andrew (22-6): Thunderbolts return eight starters from Class 3A fourth-place finisher. Loyola recruit Megan Nemec (13 goals, nine assists) is an all-state midfielder. Monmouth recru…

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE Jordan Anderson, Joliet Catholic, senior, running back: 1,554 yards and 30 TDs. Committed to Illinois. Lynel Billups-Williams, Crete-Monee, junior, receiver: 82 catches for 1,443…

She can’t deny it. Marist senior Sydney Affolter gets a kick out of it when she outlifts some of the guys at the local health club. “I would go with my dad and my brother,” Affolt…

While many athletes were left without anyone to train with during the coronavirus pandemic, that was never an issue for brothers Justin and Anthony Rios. “In our household, we always say, …

Providence takes top spot, but Brother Rice, Joliet Catholic, Lincoln-Way East and St. Laurence form formidable opposition.

PEORIA — Three feet? Four feet? That part doesn’t really matter. What does matter is senior infielder Nicole Pontrelli put down the biggest bunt of her life with the precision of a surg…

For Brother Rice’s Cole Van Assen, the long wait was definitely worth it. Van Assen has been dreaming of pitching at state for years, thinking he would get his chance last season. He couldn&#…

Willie Hayes knew when he was still a high school football player at Lemont that he wanted to be a coach one day. And, all along, he knew where he wanted to be. “Probably around my junior or …

Over the last calendar year, senior pitcher TJ Schlageter has been thrown into many intense athletic situations for Joliet Catholic. It’s a lengthy list that goes on and on and on. His resume…

Top 10 Teams 1. Lemont (34-6): Is a third straight trip to state possible? Call it probable. Lemont returns core of 2022 Class 3A state championship team, including senior pitcher Sage Mardjetko (S…

Even though he already carries a full plate, Marist junior John McAuliffe didn’t flinch. Nobody knows the offense better than McAuliffe, who was a wide receiver, kick returner and part-time q…

First Team Xavier Aguilar, Bremen, senior, infielder/pitcher: Went 7-2 with 0.76 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings. Hit .507 with 10 stolen bases, two home runs, 31 RBIs. All-conference. Comm…

The Thanksgiving game plan for the Zvonar family starts with an early morning wake-up call. By 7 a.m., coach Rob Zvonar and his twin sons, juniors Trey and Tyson, and freshman son Colton will be at…

I’ve put it on my to-do list that I need to go watch Captain Marvel. No, not the movie. I’m going to see Marist senior Abby Callahan play soccer. Yep. The same Abby Callahan who was a c…

With a 20 mph wind blowing in, it was not a good day to play long ball. Marist coach Colleen Biebel gave appropriate instructions before Friday’s game against Plainfield East. “I was ha…

Crete-Monee attempted two field goals all season leading up to Saturday’s Class 6A second-round playoff game against Lemont. The Warriors failed to convert on both, which made trying three fi…

It was a big week for the Ulatowski family, and Friday night was Tommy’s turn to shine. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior quarterback ran for three touchdowns in the rain, powering the St. Rita …

The Highland pass seemed to hang in the air like a punt Saturday afternoon, but junior cornerback Gavin Hagan never took his eyes off the ball for Providence. When it finally did descend, Hagan got…

Sophomore forward Morez Johnson turned a close game in the fourth quarter into his own personal dunk contest Tuesday night. Johnson, an Illinois recruit, threw down three of his five dunks in the f…

Brother Rice’s Sean Kinard and his defensive teammates had seen enough. In the first quarter, the Crusaders spotted Marist a 14-point lead and allowed 187 yards. This after giving up 1,274 ya…

Danny Sheehan spent much of the season on Brother Rice’s junior varsity, but with a trip to state on the line, the sophomore left-hander got the ball for the biggest start of his life. Sheeha…

Mason Santiago is a defensive force playing a hybrid linebacker/defensive back position for Providence. When the Celtics need a lift on offense, he will answer the call at running back. The 6-foot-…

Batting sixth in Brother Rice’s powerful order, junior first baseman Amir Gray is not used to having to wait so long for his first trip to the plate. “I’ve always hit three or fou…

Early in Thursday night’s game, St. Rita’s Kyle James scored a memorable touchdown on a 42-yard screen pass. The senior running back/defensive back also made an unforgettable intercepti…

After a breakout performance last winter, senior guard Nick Niego was expecting to make an even bigger impact this season for Brother Rice. But Niego broke his left ankle, missed the whole summer a…

It was a stunning development. The Illinois High School Association decided Wednesday the boys and girls basketball seasons are on after all. The IHSA took a stand at a special board meeting, decid…

According to his seventh-grade science students, James Ariel was kind, welcoming, funny and enjoyed “making science important to real life.” Ariel, known as “Jimmy,” coached…

As a senior this season, George Bilecki has been Marist’s leadoff hitter. He has played a strong center field and stepped up as one of his team’s top pitchers. Perhaps his favorite of t…

A fumble on one drive. Penalties on the other. Hillcrest had two chances early to take the lead Saturday in the Class 5A state quarterfinals, driving deep into St. Rita territory to only come up em…

During tryouts, Providence coach Jim Holba had some interesting news for senior catcher Annika Hannigan. He told her she would be working this season with four pitchers. But that was only half the …

Dontrell Jackson isn’t the least bit surprised Thornton is undefeated and competing for the SouthWest Suburban Red championship. As an assistant coach last season, Jackson was well aware of t…

Evan Les has taken a circuitous route to becoming St. Laurence’s starting quarterback. He started out his high school football career as the third-stringer on the freshman team for the Viking…

Marist’s Marty Jepsen sensed it was time for him to make a statement. In Game 1 of Saturday’s state championship match against Glenbard West, the RedHawks were in a rare position &mdash…

Cannon Madej was Lemont’s bat boy when he was younger. Now, the freshman pitcher is making sure opponents do very little with their bats against his hometown team. Madej, a left-hander, is fo…

Brian Ferguson was on Indiana University’s campus in spring 2021 when he scanned his phone and was stunned. He saw a tweet about a track meet his alma mater, Marist, was hosting. The meet was…