Nov. 25--Football
Disabato's notes: Mount Carmel returning an abundance of talent
It wasn't quite the time or way coach Frank Lenti wanted Mount Carmel's season to end, falling 42-21 to Providence on Saturday in the Class 7A semifinals.
The loss denied the Caravan, who won Class 8A in 2012 and 7A in 2013, of a state championship three-peat.
However, reaching the 7A semifinals was quite an achievement, especially when Mount Carmel was sitting at 2-4.
"Nobody expected us to be in the semifinals," Lenti said. "The kids started listening to what the coaches had been telling them."
-Pat Disabato
Boys basketball
Thornwood presses issue, turns back H-F
Thornwood may have been feeling one sort of pressure early, but Homewood-Flossmoor was experiencing a different kind late on Monday night.
The latter was Thornwood's aggressive defense, which helped the Thunderbirds come from nine points down in the fourth quarter to win 70-68 in a pool-play opener of the Chicago Heights Classic at Marian Catholic.
Chelby Frazier scored 20 points and Darrion Robinson, a transfer from Thornridge making his Thornwood debut, added 19 for a team projected to be one of Chicagoland's best this winter.
The Thunderbirds led by seven early at 15-8, but H-F rallied back to go up 32-26 at the half.
-Mike Clark
Hinsdale Central's Matt Rafferty teams with Thomas Ives in opening victory
HINSDALE -- Quarterback Matt Rafferty to wide receiver Thomas Ives was a popular passing combination on the Hinsdale Central football field this fall and apparently they're able to transfer that magic to the hard court.
Rafferty and Ives played the inside-outside game to perfection Monday night, teaming up to score 30 points in the Red Devils' 74-61 victory over Sandburg in the Hinsdale Central-Lyons Thanksgiving Tournament at Hinsdale Central.
"Me and Raff spend a lot of time together off the court and off the field," Ives said. "We have good chemistry and know where each other is going to be and we just make plays."
-Rob Valentin
Lake Zurich basketball holds on in opener against Waukegan
FOX LAKE -- Lake Zurich stormed to an early double-digit lead, then held on for dear life down the stretch to beat Waukegan 62-57 in the first game of the Grant Thanksgiving boys basketball tournament Monday night.
The Bears (1-0) trailed just once the entire first half -- on Waukegan's first basket of the game -- then led by 14 points three different times before intermission.
"I liked our first half," Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher said. "But we got a little careless with the ball as the game went on, and Waukegan started effectively trapping us. They're an extremely athletic team, and that threw us out of our rhythm a bit."
The Bears led 31-23 at halftime, then 47-41 at the end of the third quarter, thanks in part to the hot shooting of senior guard Jack O'Neill (career-high 17 points). He added four assists, and was 3-for-5 from three-point range.
-Tim Froehlig
Stevenson basketball gets season started with rout of Argo
HINSDALE -- And so it begins.
The Stevenson boys basketball team's pursuit of a dream season -- and a state championship -- kicked off Monday night in the Hinsdale Central-Lyons Thanksgiving Tournament. The Patriots were never challenged, rolling to a resounding 80-36 win over Argo at Hinsdale Central.
"We talked about [a state title] and our ranking before the season, but those don't matter right now," said Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose. "We want to win right here and take this step. We can't look forward."
The Patriots (1-0), who finished third in the Class 4A state tournament last season, led 24-12 after the first quarter and 38-18 at halftime. The Argonauts (0-1) were never able to put a run together, even when Stevenson pulled its starters in the fourth.
Patriots senior point guard Jalen Brunson missed his first two shots before knocking down three straight 3-pointers to put Stevenson up 19-8. The Villanova recruit became more of a facilitator, taking just five shots the rest of the way to finish 5-of-10 shooting. Brunson spent his time making sharp moves to the basket and then even sharper passes to his wide-open teammates on the perimeter.
"I just play it by feel," Brunson said. "At the beginning they were sagging off and I felt my shot so I kept shooting. After that my teammates were making plays and I just fed them."
- Rob Valentin
Glenbrook North boys basketball 2014-15 season preview
Glenbrook North had played in the Proviso West Holiday Tournament since 2003, but the Spartans had to scramble to find a new holiday tournament when the event downsized. They wound up committing to play in DeKalb's Chuck Dayton Holiday Tournament.
"In the long run, I think the DeKalb tournament is going to be better for us," Weber said.
- Eric Van Dril
Carmel boys basketball 2014-15 season preview
An October phone call changed the trajectory of coach Zack Ryan's first season. "Chris Duff is back," Ryan said. "Obviously I'm happy." Duff started for the Corsairs as a sophomore last season. He transferred to Waukegan at the end of the school year, only to return to Carmel in October. Due to IHSA transfer rules, Duff will sit out the Corsairs' first game on Monday. But when he takes the court, Duff becomes a game-changer for Carmel. An athletic 6-2 shooting guard who can score inside and out, Duff enters the year with an offer from Western Illinois.
"When you have a guy who is a Division I talent in a system where we are playing a faster pace, it will really help him," Ryan said. Junior guard Shareif Bailey (5-10) is the only other returning player who saw varsity minutes a year ago.
- Jon Kerr
Girls volleyball
Girls Volleyball Player of the Year: Mother McAuley's Ryann DeJarld a great role model
Ryann DeJarld has an extensive checklist of role models she watched play at Mother McAuley during her years growing up as the daughter of Mighty Macs coach Jen DeJarld.
"Caitlin Strimel was definitely one," she said. "I always wanted to wear No. 2 because of her. When I was little I loved Morgan Ingersoll and Sarah Niedospial. They baby-sat me. Caitlin Balsam was a really great role model as an outside hitter. And Carli Weiler was just awesome.
"Susie Hayes ... I mean, I loved all of the players and watching them and I learned from them in their mannerisms and how they carried themselves on the court. I definitely wanted to be like them someday."
It's a sure bet that DeJarld's name now is on more than a few checklists.
DeJarld, the 2014 SouthtownStar Girls Volleyball Player of the Year, leaves behind a legacy of leadership -- and numbers -- for future Mighty Macs to try to match.
- Tony Baranek
Girls Volleyball Coach of the Year: Joliet Catholic's Christine Scheibe guided amazing turnaround
Lineup changes. Tough love. Meditation. Prayer.
Christine Scheibe pretty much emptied her bag of coaching tricks to mold Joliet Catholic into a team that could contend by the time the Class 3A state playoffs came along.
And wouldn't you know it? She was in the hospital when it happened.
"The Oswego tournament weekend," she said, laughing. "My husband (Bill) was the one who actually realized it first. He and my assistant (Rhyen Staley) coached and when he came to me he said, 'They've got it. They figured it out.'
"I was skeptical because I wasn't there, but yeah, they got it that weekend at the Oswego tournament."
- Tony Baranek
Girls basketball
Rich South upsets Marian Catholic; Joliet Catholic stops Bloom
Rich South senior Tierra Webb gave a quick answer when asked if people think the Stars are for real this season.
"They'd better," she said. "Because we are."
They more assuredly were in Monday's semifinal at the Rich South Galaxy, stunning Marian Catholic 60-57.
Webb had 19 points, Tierney Lockett 14, Dasia Evans 13 and Meagan Howard 10 as Rich South (3-0) punched a ticket into Tuesday's championship game against Joliet Catholic.
Joliet Catholic defeated Bloom in the other semifinal 62-52.
-Tony Baranek
Carmel girls basketball 2014-15 season preview
Carmel won its first-ever Class 3A sectional last season behind the play of a strong senior core. Kathleen Felicelli, Leah Lach and Cassidy Kloss have graduated. Senior Emma Rappe, the team's leader in minutes played last season, returns. The 6-foot post player will take on an even greater role with the Corsairs this season. "I worked a lot in the offseason on playing the guard position. People see me in the post but I can step out and play guard," Rappe said. An AAU season with the Lake County Challengers has improved Rappe's ball handling and shooting skills.
What Carmel lacks in experience it makes up for in size. Junior Emily Casale, a 6-2 post player, also returns. "She's been doing well around the basket and finishing around the rim. She's a little more varsity ready and it shows," coach Kelly Perz said. Sam Melillo, a returning senior, is expected to contribute at point guard.
- Jon Kerr
