Nov. 18--Football
Hud Venerable stepping down as Lincoln-Way Central coach, AD
When Hud Venerable agreed two years ago to take over Lincoln-Way Central's struggling football program, his intent was to see the program return to prominence.
Life, however, has a way of getting in the way of even the best-laid plans.
Family matters have forced Venerable to cut short the task of further guiding the Knights. His father died in December and mother-in-law in January, leaving behind spouses in the Bloomington-Normal area who aren't getting any younger.
With that said, Venerable thought it was best to retire as athletic director and coach at the end of the school year and head back to Bloomington-Normal.
"The administration knew I was going to retire as athletic director two years ago," he said. "I was going to play it year by year from a coaching standpoint. But my mom is in her 80s and Darby's (Hud's wife) dad is in his 80s. We need to go back to our family. Bloomington-Normal is home to us."
- Pat Disabato
Providence eyeing Miles Boykin's return for Class 7A semifinal
Providence coach Mark Coglianese is pleased his team was able to overcome the absence of receiver Miles Boykin on Saturday against Wheaton Warrenville South to post a 23-6 win.
Boykin dislocated the pinkie finger on his left hand during the Celtics' Class 7A second-round win over St. Rita.
Coglianese, though, would prefer to have Boykin, a Notre Dame recruit, on the field when the Celtics square off against Catholic Blue rival Mount Carmel at noon Saturday in a semifinal at Gately Stadium. Boykin has totaled 55 catches for 866 yards and 18 touchdowns.
"Having Miles on the field forces some opponents to double-team him and it opens up things for us to do some other things," Coglianese said. "We're hoping he can play on Saturday. We're a more dangerous team. We're going to monitor him during the week and see how he feels."
- Pat Disabato
Boys basketball
Larkin conversation in boys basketball begins with Christian Negron
While Larkin coach Deryn Carter views his team as rebuilding on the fly, he has one very capable base for that rapid reconstruction.
After an offseason when sophomore Christian Negron received scholarship offers from Bradley and DePaul, the 6-6 wing is now starting to draw even bigger collegiate attention.
"Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Northwestern have all started showing interest," Carter said. "Indiana has called.
"He will be a mainstay, and that will come about because he works his butt off with all the talent he has to go with it."
Negron, who averaged 9.5 points, 7.5 assists and blocked 58 shots as a freshman, honed his game in the Mac Irvin AAU program to the point where some scouting services rank him in the top five among the state's sophomore class.
"He did a great job as a freshman player and proved himself, but now we need different things from him because this is not the same team," Carter said. "Overall, I'd say people will be surprised at the strides he's made as a player."
- Gene Chamberlain
Dundee-Crown a victim of circumstances in boys basketball
It's one thing when a team loses a handful of seniors and needs less-experienced players to step up and develop, and quite another with what has happened to Dundee-Crown.
The Chargers lost key players to graduation like Cordero Parson, Nick Munson and Connor Steinmetz, but found out during the summer that 6-4 forward Juwaun Stewart was transferring back to Larkin, his original school. Then came the week before practice started, and coach Lance Huber found out returning senior Malik Dunner, the Ball State-bound football star, had decided to not go out for basketball this year.
So the Chargers are starting out with an uphill fight.
"Losing those two doesn't help but I'll coach and we'll try to get better through hard work," Huber said. "That's one thing we do have is a lot of kids who are willing to work hard and grind."
Nash Young, another possible player, suffered a torn ACL in football.
- Gene Chamberlain
Girls basketball
Teniya Page takes reins for top-ranked Marian Catholic
Teniya Page is all about meeting challenges.
She's been successful as a starting guard at Marian Catholic, where as a sophomore she helped the Spartans to the Class 4A state championship and as a junior to third place.
Grateful? You bet.
"I feel blessed that the amount of work that both I and my teammates have put in has paid off the past couple of years," she said.
Satisfied? Not hardly.
"I'm not really trying to think about the past right now," she said just a few days from the opening of the 2014-15 season. "We want to get back to state. With new players it's going to take some time to get there."
- Tony Baranek
East Aurora energized by twin sister transfers Alexis and Anysha Wiggins
East Aurora is keeping its expectations modest and immediate.
"Our biggest goal is to improve each and every day," said Lee Clayborn, entering his second season as the Tomcats coach, "and be competitive."
That seems reasonable. East Aurora is coming off a 4-20 season, but returns 10 players -- four of them starters. Sprinkle in a couple of promising newcomers and two sister transfers from West Aurora, and Clayborn has cause for optimism.
"We gain a lot of experience. Our girls know what to expect," Clayborn said. "Last year, honestly, our youth showed. We lost some games that were close. With the experience of all the girls back we will be a lot deeper."
Senior guard Jasmine Shepard, who averaged 9 points a year ago, is the Tomcats' leading returning scorer, and Clayborn notes one of the better on-ball defenders. Also back from the starting lineup is sophomore guard Arie White, who averaged eight points, and 6-1 junior center Cesuliyat Abekola, who averaged 6 points and 7 rebounds.
- Joshua Welge
Rosary returnees want to make it hurt so good
What is Jessie Wilcox's wish list for her Rosary team?
For starters, she'd like to see it whole.
The Royals were hit hard by injuries in the last year. In December, Megan Conlin, who was leading Rosary in scoring and rebounding, went down with a torn ACL. Right around the same time, Rosary lost promising freshman Mary Kate Bakala to a stress fracture in her back.
"It hit us like a ton of bricks," Wilcox said. "Down two starters it was one of those things of, 'Where do we go now?' Looking back, although it hurt us at the time, it only made us stronger."
Rosary recovered to finish 14-15 -- then lost point guard Quincy Kellett for the summer when she suffered a concussion the first week of practice.
The Royals appear to be healing as they ready for their season opener Tuesday at IMSA in the Hoops Happenings Tournament.
Conlin, a senior forward who averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds prior to injury, rehabbed her ACL in time to quality for state tennis in October. The swelling in her knee is limiting practice time, but she should be ready to go when the season starts.
- Joshua Welge
