By Bobby Narang The Illinois High School Association individual boys State wrestling tournament featured several marquee match-ups last weekend. The three-day tournament on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign, pitted the best in the State, including two nationally-ranked wrestlers from Kane County. St. Charles East junior Ben Davino and
By Bobby Narang The 2022-2023 girls high school wrestling season is reaching the final stages. The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) individual State meet is less than two weeks away, but this season has proven to be a smashing success for the sport. One year ago, the IHSA’s inaugural individual
By Bobby Narang Marmion Academy junior Michael Phillips is seeking a different outcome this Winter. After an injury forced Phillips to give up his dream to land a spot in the Class 3A State wrestling tournament last year, he plans on achieving his goal this season. So far, Phillips is
By Bobby Narang East Aurora High School (EAHS) girls basketball head coach Lee Clayborn has a deep knowledge of his program’s history. The Tomcats entered their final three weeks of the regular season with momentum. Clayborn, an EAHS alum, said he won’t need to research the history of his program,
By Bobby Narang The Jim & Sylvia Roberts Night of Hoops provided a late-season glimpse into the upcoming high school boys basketball playoffs. The annual event, with Batavia High School host, featured four high-profile games Saturday, Jan. 21. In the opener, York High School relied on a late run to
By Bobby Narang The Martin Luther King (MLK) holiday weekend featured some quality girls high school basketball in Chicagoland. The 33rd Annual Coach Derril Kipp’s Hoopfest was the marquee event. Played over a three-day span, with two days dedicated to the tournament, the high-profile event was must-see basketball with high
By Bobby Narang The holiday high school basketball tournament season is a key moment in the schedule for teams throughout the State. The four-class State system hits the mid-point of the season and allows a true indicator of teams in the hunt for a championship. • On the girls side,
By Bobby Narang Entering the holiday tournament season, the West Chicago High School girls basketball team remains one of the surprise stories in Chicagoland. The Wildcats (13-4, 4-3, Upstate Eight Conference) won just eight games last season, and through two months of the season are off to their best start
By Bobby Narang With the holiday high school basketball season in full swing, Downers Grove North is emerging as a dark-horse candidate. After Glenbard West dominated the boys basketball West Suburban Silver Conference on the way to the program’s first State championship last season, Downers Grove North is looking to
By Bobby Narang York High School head basketball coach Mike Dunn is ready for another stab at winning the prestigious Jack Tosh Holiday Classic this season. The 32-team tournament is one of the top events of the holiday season in the State and features two games played at the same
By Bobby Narang York High School senior quarterback Matt Vezza made the most of his time on varsity. The York senior quarterback showed what he could do in the fourth game of his junior season last year by helping guide York to a difficult road victory over Downers Grove North.
By Bobby Narang The Illinois eight-class high school football playoffs wrapped up with a bang Saturday night, November 26, on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign. The two-day championship weekend featured four games Friday followed by four more games Saturday. • IC Catholic added to its growing
By Bobby Narang The end of November always signals a special time of the season in high school sports in Illinois. With the first week of boys basketball starting on the Monday week of Thanksgiving, it is followed by State football eight-class football championships on the weekend. It’s a busy
By Bobby Narang Without hesitation, York High School senior quarterback Matt Vezza can pinpoint the low moment of his football career. He has a little more problems picking up the best moment of his career. Maybe that’s because the Vezza-led Dukes have reinvigorated the Elmhurst community with many milestones in
By Bobby Narang York High School head football coach Mike Fitzgerald wondered how his team would handle adversity in the second-round playoff Saturday, Nov. 5. The Dukes, a relative newcomer to big-time football, were playing at State powerhouse Marist in Chiago, but had to overcome unusual heavy winds that hampered
By Bobby Narang The West Suburban Silver Conference is showing its strength in the playoffs this season. Filled with big schools with the capability to be among the best in the State, the West Suburban Conference (WSC) Silver is led by the strong play of York and Glenbard West High
By Bobby Narang The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) football playoffs are finally here. For the second straight season, the playoffs are a welcome return to normality in the Fall. The IHSA released the eight-class football pairings Saturday evening, with Lincoln-Way East, 9-0, as the No. 1 seed in largest
By Bobby Narang The sense of urgency hit the Nazareth Academy High School football team after the conclusion of week seven Saturday, Oct. 8. The Roadrunners have become a playoff staple under the direction of head coach Tim Racki over the past decade. Missing the playoffs is not an option,
By Bobby Narang The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) boys soccer season is hitting the final lap of the regular season. One year ago, York claimed the top prize in Class 3A with an historic run, by defeating Fremd, 4-0, in the championship game to win the program’s first State
By Bobby Narang Two of the biggest high school football games in the Chicago suburbs took place Friday night, September 30. In week five, feature games billed State powerhouse Glenbard West at up-and-coming York, and the annual Naperville North- Naperville Central game at North Central College in Naperville was on
