By Bobby Narang The Northern Illinois University (NIU) football team took a pair of losses before the season even reached August. The Huskies suffered a heavy financial loss and had two of their non-conference games dropped last week when the Big Ten Conference announced it was limiting all Fall sports
By Woodrow Carroll If we are fortunate an abbreviated version of the 2020 Major League Baseball season will get under way Friday, July 24. Let no civil unrest nor a nasty virus stand in the way of the Boys of Summer. Both of Chicago’s Major League Baseball teams will open
The Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) recently named the Dick Durrant Academic Athlete of the Year award winners for 2019-2020. Waubonsee Community College earned four of the five co-winners of this prestigious award, given annually to the male and female student-athletes in the ISCC who attain the highest grade point
Quandary! That word sums up the near future in sports, from middle school through all of the professional ranks. Tentative might be another good word. Where do we go from here, a function of the COVID-19 situation in which professional teams start the trek to play in a season with
Aurora Central Catholic is the site of a baseball game July 8 of Illinois Indians (blue shirts) vs. Dirt Bags (white uniforms), both travel teams.
By Bobby Narang Late last week, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) released its guidelines for Phase 4 of Illinois’ reopening plans. Called the Return to Play guidelines, the IHSA allowed contact days to begin Monday. The return to play guideline is a major step for high schools throughout the
By Woodrow Carroll Sometimes being in the right place at the right time is what is needed. For others, a blend of skill and timing come together and bring championship success. For Harold “Sam” Samorian, the right mix was clearly at the high school level. Let us turn the clock
In essence this week’s reflection is a college notebook. More accurately, it is a focus on excellence, with the late football coach Bob Reade, and, wrestling coach, Justin Pearch. A starting note includes a realization that COVID-19 reached into Division III football, 2019 National champion North Central College in Naperville.
By John Schutt NASCAR Cup Series, Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered By Big Machine Records, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, Ind. Sunday, July 5. This famous track is owned by the Penski organization with a recent purchase. The Fourth of July weekend was busy with an Indy Car race on
By Bobby Narang Matthew Weerts is heading out west to find his mojo. Technically, the Batavia High School soon-to-be-senior linebacker found his football mojo a long time ago. Weerts, whose nickname is “Mojo,” committed to the University of Arizona in late June. The 6-4 and 224-pounder had many offers, including
By Woodrow Carroll To the historian, the word dynasty usually refers to a succession of royal, or powerful families that held power for an extended period of time. In modern times, dynasty often refers to a sports franchise that reigned supreme for an extended period of time. With Chicago as
“I’m excited. It was my dream job.” Steve Schafer, three-year starter and two-time all-conference basketball selection at Batavia High School, succinctly wrapped up his perspective on his recent selection as the next head basketball coach of Augustana College of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). “In 19 years
Waubonsee Community College inducts three members into its athletic Hall of Fame, from left, Maxzine Rossler, John Bell, and Robin Reder.
By Bobby Narang There’s been a shortage of good news on our community athletic front since the middle of March, but last week the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) quietly sneaked in some positive news. The IHSA announced that girls wrestling state series will start in the 2021-2022 school year,
By Woodrow Carroll Major League Baseball’s first World Series in 1903 was between Boston and Pittsburgh in a best-of-nine series won by Boston, five games to three With a lack of interest, there was no meeting between the best teams in the American and National Leagues in 1904. Starting in
Late, last-minute agreement? Just in time? There will be Major League Baseball this year, if there is no flare up in COVID-19. At least late Tuesday this week the owners and the players association decided on a 60-game schedule, continuation of Spring training with reporting Wednesday, July 1, and the
By John Schutt NASCAR Cup Series, Geico 500, Talladega Superspeedway, Lincoln, Ala., Monday, June 22. The race with limited fans due to COVID-19 was marred with a racial incident aimed at the only black NASCAR Cup driver, Bubba Wallace, Jr. Sunday. A noose was found hanging in his pit stall.
By Bobby Narang The boys basketball high school State tournament will return to Champaign. The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) board of directors voted to accept the Champaign-Urbana bid to be the host for the State basketball tournament beginning with the 2020-2021 season all the way through the 2022-2023 season
By Woodrow Carroll In the 1990s when the Chicago Bulls captured six National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in a span of eight seasons, there was no clear-cut rival to the Bulls. The Bulls, in championship series, 1991-1993, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland TrailBlazers, and Phoenix Suns in the first
Little action on the field, yet, and will Major League Baseball twiddle its thumbs and fritter away the season? Meanwhile, high school basketball and college football make news off the field. • The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) will make a return to Champaign-Urbana for boys basketball State tournament games
