By Woodrow Carroll Thanks to a resounding 41-3 victory over host Northwestern Saturday, Nov. 26 in Evanston, the Fighting Illini closed the regular season with an 8-4 record. That Illini victory over means that head coach Bret Bielema, in his second season, will hold a winning record entering into his
Not all of the sports world is fascinated or focused on the big-time situations such as the Bears, big-time college football, or other premier professional gigs. Yes, they are compelling. So are high school sports, Division III small-college football playoffs, and other situations out of the glare of television and
Three members of Waubonsee Community College’s women’s volleyball program recently received honors from the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) and the NJCAA’s Region IV for their outstanding play this Fall. The Chiefs’ setter, Gianna Raimondi, was named to the All-ISCC first team, while outside hitters, Jordan Weber and Abby Colon,
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 Woodrow Carroll The University if Illinois’ 19-17 defeat at Michigan Saturday, Nov. 19 had the look of a moral victory given the host Wolverines were 18-point favorites. However, it was a defeat never-the-less. The Illini, who looked to have a lock on the Big Ten West Division championship a
The two starting quarterbacks at the two Big Ten Conference universities in Michigan are from in and close to DuPage County, northern Illinois. Starters at both the University of Illinois and Northwestern University (NU) are from out of state. Payton Thorne, 6-2. 210 junior, is the starting quarterback at Michigan
Aurora University’s James Mautino, 23, celebrates his third quarter touchdown Saturday, Nov. 12 for the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference championship.
Host Batavia High School quarterback Ryan Boe breaks free for a huge gain during the final drive against Yorkville.
The Aurora University football team is headed to the NCAA Division III football Championship for the seventh time in program history and third consecutive season. Sunday, Nov. 13, the Spartans received a Pool A berth. Aurora finished the regular season with a 9-1 overall record and went a perfect 8-0
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 Woodrow Carroll For the second week in a row, the Fighting Illini scored first and last in their Big Ten Conference football game, and, for the second week in a row, lost the game! The University of Illinois, up against the Purdue Boilermakers in a key West Division battle
SemifinalsClass 8AGame 29: Glenbard West at Lincoln-Way East, Sat., Nov. 19, 1 p.m.Game 30: Loyola Academy at York, Sat., Nov. 19, 1 p.m.Class 7AGame 29: Mt. Carmel at Chicago St. Rita, Sat., Nov. 19, 4 p.m.Game 30: Batavia at Lake Zurich, Sat., Nov. 19, 4 p.m.Class 6AGame 29: Chicago St.
This time of the year our sports overlap into start-out optimism, drive into high gear of success, and ending in disappointment. Through more than half the season in the National Football League, the Chicago Bears are four games under .500. Finding a combined optimism and accelerated determination remains the objective
By John Schutt NASCAR Cup Series championship, Phoenix Raceway, Phoenix, Ariz, Sunday, Nov. 5. The final four included Joe Logano, Ross Chastain, Chris Bell and Chase Elliott. Only one of those four could be the champion and Joe Logano won his second NASCAR (National Association of Auto Car Racing) championship.
Class 8A Game 25: Warren at Lincoln-Way East, Sat., Nov. 12, 1 p.m.Game 26: Glenbard West at Maine South, Sat., Nov. 12, 6 p.m.Game 27: Palatine at York, Sat., Nov. 12, 1 p.m.Game 28: Lyons at Loyola Academy, Sat., Nov. 12, 1 p.m. Class 7A Game 25: Chicago Brother Riceat
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 Woodrow Carroll The University of Illinois football team’s new course is recovery in the final three games in the Big Ten Conference regular season. Illinois, 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten West, will play its final home game at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 12 against Purdue, 5-4,
Aurora University quarterback Josh Swanson, 9, carries the ball Saturday, Nov. 5. Aurora won, 68-0.
The sports seasons truly cross now and bring in the opposite ends of the spectrum. World Series baseball ended Saturday, Nov. 5 with the championship of Houston over Philadelphia, and, although professional basketball started in late October, college basketball started earlier this week and high school basketball will be a
Batavia High School’s Tyler Jansey, left, and Drew Gerke, 11, tackle Hersey’s Charles Meister, 20, in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs at Batavia.
