southtownstar.suntimes.com

Boys Volleyball: Lincoln-Way East, Brother Rice reach sectional final

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:36:00 -0500

Having pushed Lincoln-Way East to three games in both regular-season meetings, Sandburg finally looked to have the Griffins figured out Friday night. Even trailing five points in the third game, East’s Nate Royer wasn’t about to let it happen. “We thought about it a little, but our team’s been through a lot of three game matches,” Royer said. “When we’re down, we try and calm down, knowing we can get through it.” Royer led the comeback charge, helping lift host East to a 25-19, 24-26, 25-22 win over the defending state champs in Sandburg. Lincoln-Way East will play Brother Rice …

Girls Soccer Sectional: Lincoln-Way North tops Providence

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:31:13 -0500

After knocking off the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively, in Lemont and Lincoln-Way West, Cinderella Providence put a scare into the top-seeded hosts in Friday’s Class 2A Lincoln-Way North Sectional title game. The Cesario sisters, though, weren’t about to let the Phoenix fall short of its first sectional crown in program history. Kristi and Lexi Cesario each scored and Lincoln-Way North held off seventh-seeded Providence’s second-half surge for a 2-1 win in Frankfort. North (18-7-1) will meet Normal University High in Tuesday’s Normal West Supersectional. Providence closed at 9-14-1. “We’ve been wanting to do this — have both …

Girls Soccer Sectional: Lockport falls to Naperville North

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:31:13 -0500

Zoe Swift scored early in the second half and Sarah Feder added an insurance goal with just under 10 minutes remaining Friday to lift Naperville North to a 2-0 victory over Lockport in the Class 3A Naperville North Sectional title game. Swift utilized her speed to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead, running down the left sideline to catch up to the ball and putting a shot past Lockport backup goalkeeper Alyssa DeYoung with 34:29 remaining. DeYoung replaced starting keeper Cortney Jerzy, who was involved in a collision at the end of the first half and was taken away on …

Boys State Tennis: Marian Catholic’s Childers reaches semfinals

Fri, 25 May 2012 22:26:00 -0500

Once Julian Childers was able to slay his fears, beating the competition was no problem. Despite a shaky start Friday, the Marian Catholic senior won both of his matches at Hersey to qualify for the semifinal round in the Boys State Tennis Tournament. Two more victories would make Childers the first male from an area school to win a state crown in the sport. Yet he was loathe to contemplate that possibility. “I don’t think about going to the finals,” Childers said. “If I get too far ahead, I’ll lose my focus. I just have to take it one point …

Boys State Track And Field: No drama for Crete-Monee’s Hulbert

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:34:15 -0500

CHARLESTON, Ill. — Rashad Hulbert was just looking for a drama-free Friday afternoon. A four-time state medalist in the hurdles and the defending Class 3A champ in the 300s, the Crete-Monee senior cruised into the finals of both events on a hot, muggy afternoon at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium. Hulbert qualified first in the 110s at 14.25 seconds and second in the 300s with a time of 37.40. “I was just trying to stay smooth,” Hulbert said. “I wasn’t too worried about time, just (to) get to the finals.” That will change on Saturday, when Hulbert has his sights …

High School Sports Roundup for May 26, 2012

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:36:00 -0500

Boys Volleyball De La Salle Sectional: St. Rita defeated Oak Park 23-25, 25-20, 25-20 in the first semifinal. The Mustangs (24-14) will take on Mount Carmel (15-16) in the championship after the Caravan swept Morton 25-20, 25-8 in the second semifinal. Baseball Class 4A St. Rita Regional Brother Rice 6, St. Ignatius 0: Sean McGrath (5-6) pitched a complete game (2-hitter) and also swatted a solo homer (2 RBI) to lead Brother Rice (22-14) in the semifinal. Brian McQuillan also knocked in two runs for the Crusaders. …

SouthtownStar Athletes on Campus: Kevin Callahan hits it big at Illinois Wesleyan

Fri, 25 May 2012 20:10:00 -0500

Illinois Wesleyan junior third baseman Kevin Callahan has parlayed a tremendous 2012 season into several postseason honors. The Brother Rice graduate was named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Player of the Year, chosen to the 2012 D3baseball.com NCAA Division III All-American First Team, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Central Region Position Player of the Year and was a co-winner of Illinois Wesleyan’s Most Valuable Player Award. Callahan finished the season with a .355 batting average, 42 runs, 17 doubles, 11 home runs, 54 RBI, a .654 slugging percentage and a .458 on-base percentage. The 54 RBI tied …

Baseball: Andrew flexes muscles, drubs Richards

Fri, 25 May 2012 02:13:58 -0500

With a strong breeze blowing directly out Thursday, Pat Elget and his Andrew teammates couldn’t help but talk home runs before their Class 4A semifinal game against Richards. Elget put that long-ball talk into action, clubbing a three-run homer in the first inning to lead No. 5 seed Andrew to a 9-3 win over No. 10 Richards at the Richards Regional. The Thunderbolts (26-10) advance to Saturday’s regional final against Marist (25-11). “Pat’s homer kind of set the tone for the game,” Andrew coach Dave DeHaan said. “Up and down our line-up, we got contributions.” Elget’s blow staked the Thunderbolts …

U-23 Women’s Soccer sign-up

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:30:01 -0500

The Chicago Coast U-23 Women’s Soccer team is looking for a few additional players to complete its roster for this summer’s ISSA league play. The eight-week session starts June 12, and games will be played in Orland Park on Tuesday nights. Information: (708) 717-4017 or crohanr@comcast.net. Provided to the SouthtownStar …

Baseball: St. Rita, St. Laurence on probation

Fri, 25 May 2012 02:13:43 -0500

The Illinois High School Association announced Thursday that no further suspensions were warranted from Friday’s brawl between St. Rita and St. Laurence. The IHSA also said both baseball programs will be on probation until the end of next season. “Both schools have been sent a probation letter that states if either are involved in anything remotely close to what transpired (Friday) it would bring serious consequences,” IHSA executive director Marty Hickman said. “Both schools accepted responsibility for what happened and that’s part of the reason there are no further consequences.” St. Rita had two coaches and one player suspended. St. …

Boys State Tennis: Marian Catholic’s Childers remains in hunt for title

Fri, 25 May 2012 02:13:28 -0500

Battling heavy winds and warm temperatures, Marian Catholic’s Julian Childers just wanted to get through the first day of the Boys State Tennis Tournament. The senior won all three of his matches Thursday, advancing to Friday’s round of 16. “I felt like I played pretty good despite it being super windy,” Childers said. “It’s hard to play in conditions like that, but you have to grind through it.” Childers earned a 3-4 seed after winning his third straight sectional title last weekend. All three of his wins Thursday came in two sets, including a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Lyons’ Alex …

High School Sports Roundup for May 25, 2012

Thu, 24 May 2012 21:42:00 -0500

Baseball Class 4A Mount Carmel Regional Oak Lawn 11, Argo 1: Bob Kametas (2-for-3) doubled and knocked in five runs to lift Oak Lawn in the six-inning semifinal. Class 4A Oak Forest Regional Rich Central 8, Tinley Park 5: Brandon Fowler, Ryan Calvin and Jordan Smith clubbed home runs for Rich Central (21-16) in the semifinal. Tinley Park finished 19-17. Class 4A Providence Regional Lincoln-Way East 10, Lincoln-Way Central 8: Kevin Duffin (4-for-4, 2 doubles) hit a three-run homer and totaled four RBI to spark Lincoln-Way East (21-12) in semifinal play. Rick Amaya had a double and three RBI for …

Recchia delivers for ThunderBolts

Fri, 25 May 2012 02:13:36 -0500

Before Thursday, Crestwood native Mike Recchia had never pitched at Standard Bank Stadium, though he does remember tripling off the wall while playing for Shepard in a game against Eisenhower. Recchia made more fond memories Thursday, tossing six shutout innings as the Windy City ThunderBolts completed a three-game sweep of the Schaumburg Boomers with a 6-2 win. “It was very fun,” Recchia said. “My curveball wasn’t there in the beginning, but I felt like I got stronger as I went on and my hitters put up runs early and often.” After the T-Bolts (5-1) won the first two games of …

Disabato: Swami makes his playoff baseball picks

Thu, 24 May 2012 02:12:27 -0500

Didn’t the high school baseball season just begin? Wasn’t it a just the other day the SouthtownStar bestowed its preseason No. 1 honor on St. Laurence? No other season travels at warp speed like prep baseball. The postseason has started, and unlike recent years, there really isn’t a prohibitive local favorite in Class 3A and 4A to advance to lovely Silver Cross Field in Joliet on June 8. Thus, the Swami had his work cut out when making playoff predictions. The Swami — that would be yours truly for those new to the scene — has a history of making …

College Baseball: Joliet Junior College wins NJCAA national title

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:58:01 -0500

TYLER, Texas — Exactly what a championship game should be. Dakota Brown (Minooka) tripled home the tying run in the bottom of the 10th inning Wednesday night and scored the winner on a sacrifice fly by Luke Andrade (Lincoln-Way West) to give Joliet Junior College a heart-stopping 6-5 victory over Niagara (N.Y.) for its third NJCAA Division III World Series championship under coach Wayne King. Brown’s heroics helped cap a final three innings that were the ultimate roller coaster of emotions. The Wolves were up 3-2 and one out away in the ninth. But Niagara mustered the game-tying and go-ahead …

Baseball: Brawl results in suspensions for St. Rita, St. Laurence

Thu, 24 May 2012 02:12:20 -0500

It may not be a final verdict, but for the time being, the IHSA has agreed with baseball powers St. Laurence and St. Rita on their self-imposed penalties in the wake of Friday’s brawl. “We will have some players and coaches sitting today’s (Wednesday’s) games,” IHSA assistant executive directory Craig Anderson said. “(Executive director) Dr. (Marty) Hickman is out of the office (Wednesday) and we will do a final review the information and video (Thursday). If more is to come, it will happen (Thursday).” St. Rita first baseman Rick Faron and coach Mike Zunica received two-game suspensions and assistant coach …