Chicago Sports

IHSA State Football Playoffs

Semifinals

Class 8A

(5) Glenbard West at (1) Lincoln-Way East, Sat. 1

(6) Loyola at (2) York, Sat. 1

Class 7A

(1) Mount Carmel at (12) St. Rita, Sat. 4

(18) Batavia at (11) Lake Zurich, Sat. 4

Class 6A

(4) St. Ignatius at (2) Prairie Ridge, Sat. 2

(6) East St. Louis at (1) Lemont, Sat. 2

Class 5A

(11) Nazareth at (1) Sycamore, Sat. 2

(4) Morris at (3) Peoria, Sat. 2

Class 4A

(13) Providence at (3) St. Francis, Sat. 2

(2) Sacred Heart-Griffin 56, (4) Rochester 42

Class 3A

(6) Byron at (4) IC Catholic, Sat. 3

(4) Tolono Unity at (3) Williamsville, Sat. 2

Class 2A

(6) Tri-Valley at (1) Maroa-Forsyth, Sat. 1

(2) Johnston City at (1) St. Teresa, Sat. 3

Class 1A

(10) Forreston at (1) Lena-Winslow, Sat. 2

(2) Camp Point Central at (1) Ridgeview-Lexington, Sat. 2

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Billy Donovan benched a star in crunch time

Friday night’s Chicago Bulls game should have been a win for Billy Donovan and the crew. The Bulls entered the game losers of three straight. The team should have bounced back against a bad Orlando Magic team that had won just four games before playing the Bulls. The Bulls wasted the opportunity.

DeMar DeRozan had a great night scoring. The five-time All-Star went 16-30 from the field as he scored 41 points in the loss. He covered Zach LaVine, another Bulls All-Star player who couldn’t find the basket against the Magic. LaVine finished 1-14 with just four points.

It wasn’t a great night by LaVine. And Donovan decided to pull him in crunch time against the Magic. After the game, LaVine gave a surprising answer about how he felt about the benching. According to Cody Westerlund at 670 The Score, LaVine said afterwords he disagreed with the Donovan benching him at the end of the game:

“That’s Billy’s decision. He’s got to lay with it. Do I agree with it? No. I think I can go out there and still be me even if I missed some shots. That’s his decision, and he has to stand on it.”

Billy Donovan might regret that decision

The Bulls wound up losing to the Magic by one point. So in hindsight, the plan didn’t work out for the Bulls. It’s an expensive lesson to teach LaVine, as the Bulls lost a game to a team they needed to beat in the early season. There’s no excuse for losing to the Magic. They need to beat less competition as they’re struggling with good teams as Lonzo Ball continues to rehab.

Billy Donovan’s coaching seat is getting warmer by the game. There’s no reason why the Bulls’ record is this bad in November. The Bulls have most of their main roster from last season’s playoff team. LaVine, who signed a max contract this offseason, needs to play better than he did Friday night. However, Donovan needs to ride with his best players in crunch time. That decision looks even worse as it culminated in the Bulls’ tenth loss of the early season.

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Zach LaVine is no stranger to bad night’s at the office.

The amount of times it led to his benching, however, especially in crunch time? Well, the Bulls guard can count that on one hand. Maybe one finger, and hopefully not the same one he seemingly wanted to flash in his coach’s direction after the Friday loss to Orlando.

“You play a guy like me down the stretch,” LaVine said in the wake of the Magic winning their first road game of the entire season. “Do I like the decision? No. Do I have to live with it? Yeah. Be ready to put my shoes on and play the next game.”

With the 13-3 Celtics coming to town on Monday, he’d better be more than just ready to lace the shoes up and play the next game.

Welcome to life as a max contract player, Mr. LaVine.

The lights are brighter, the expectations higher, and the scrutiny rabid.

First, it’s important to point out that coach Billy Donovan’s decision to sit LaVine in the wake of a dismal 1-for-14 shooting night, was the right one. Trailing by four with 3:43 left, Donovan went with second-year guard Ayo Dosunmu, and for the next three minutes and 38 seconds it looked brilliant.

The Bulls not only chased Orlando’s lead down, but took a four-point lead after a Dosunmu blocked shot. It appeared Dosunmu would play hero again, as he stymied Jalen Suggs from driving to the hoop with the clock ticking down. However, credit the Magic guard for hitting a ridiculous step-back three with five seconds left.

A shot that gut-punched the Bulls into a fourth-straight loss, but also left them answering questions of why they suddenly had the most expensive cheerleader in the Midwest sitting on their bench with the game on the line?

“I was trying to do what was best for our team in that moment,” Donovan said of his decision. “That’s my job and my responsibility. To me, I don’t look at it as anything else other than a one-off game.”

It needs to be.

In all likelihood, expect LaVine to come out against Boston and have a good showing. That’s just how he’s wired. The issue with this Bulls roster, however, remained they need great from LaVine, not just good.

And great on both ends of the floor.

Considering where LaVine is in his return from an offseason clean-up surgery on his left knee, that’s all but asking for the impossible.

Which leads to the real question the front office has refused to answer – or simply might not want to answer: Did they actually know LaVine’s knee was still an issue when they inked him to a five-year, $215-million deal last summer?

LaVine told the media right after he signed that the knee “was great,” and executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas never expressed that the knee was a concern. Yet, hours before the regular-season tipped off in Miami, it was announced that LaVine would miss that game and start the year on a knee management schedule.

A schedule that Donovan called “expected.”

Now, 16 games into this 2022-23 campaign, LaVine has been playing and practicing on a more regular basis, but obviously isn’t right.

“[LaVine] doesn’t have any issues, but you could still see – and I think everybody can see – there are times he’s going to the rim and he’s not finishing like he normally has,” Donovan said. “I really believe that will come back as he gets more and more playing time, more and more games underneath his belt.”

The Bulls better hope so.

It’s been easy for the fan base to blame Nikola Vucevic for his inconsistencies or pile on Patrick Williams for too many games in a witness protection program rather than looking like a No. 4 overall draft pick, but if the Bulls are ever to be more than mediocre under the life of this contract that falls directly on Karnisovas and LaVine.

Being a max guy is life changing, but also comes with a lease of expectations.

LaVine is finding out that this month’s rent is already past due.

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It took Fire defender Wyatt Omsberg three seconds to know something was wrong.

Late in the Fire’s 1-0 victory June 18 against D.C. United, Omsberg jumped for a header but landed awkwardly on his left foot. He initially was just upset that he couldn’t finish the game, but he realized pretty quickly that it was something more serious.

Unfortunately for the Fire, Omsberg was right. He tore ligaments in the foot and needed surgery, ending his breakout season.

After spending his career mostly as a backup, Omsberg took advantage of his chance to start and formed a dependable center-back pairing with captain Rafael Czichos. In an instant, however, Omsberg’s 14th game of the year turned into his last.

”It was tough for me,” Omsberg told the Sun-Times. ”I felt like I had worked so hard for so many years to get to that position, and I had grabbed it and had a pretty bright start. It was kind of everything I had worked for, and to have it taken away that fast . . . it was tough.”

Omsberg gave himself a couple of days to sulk and feel frustrated, but that phase didn’t last long. He soon realized he had to turn his focus toward rehabbing and getting healthy as quickly as he could.

Now Omsberg is ”really optimistic” he’ll be ready for training camp in January. During his recovery, Omsberg said it was important to stay as close to the team as possible. No, he wasn’t playing or practicing, but he maintained his connection to the squad, which kept his spirits high during a trying period.

”From the second I got hurt to, ‘OK, now it’s going to be a long-term injury,’ everyone was always so supportive in the locker room, just always asking how I’m doing, how’s my recovery process going,” Omsberg said. ”Pretty much every day, people would ask me how I was doing. [It was] to the point where I would kind of get annoyed because, ‘I’m not able to walk right now. I’m in a cast. Not much has changed in the past 24 hours.’

”But everyone was always super-nice, and the whole team — coaching staff, support staff, players — really kept me going and kept me staying positive throughout the whole process.”

Even with his injury, Omsberg figures to be a key part of the roster next season. The Fire picked up his 2023 option, and there was little doubt about his status. That’s a far cry from where he was a year ago, when he had started 15 games over four seasons with the Fire and Minnesota United.

Beyond just getting healthy, Omsberg’s goal is to build off his strong 2022 season, even if it was cut short.

”That first half of the season gave me a taste of what it’s like,” Omsberg said. ”I’m hungry for more. I don’t want to just get back to that point. I’m hungry for more and want to achieve more individually and as a group. Certainly, we want more.”

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Dylan Cease didn’t win the American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday. Justin Verlander did, as expected, and by a unanimous vote among baseball writers.

The 26-year-old Cease is way behind the 39-year-old three-time winner in years but not far off in performance. He was second in Cy Young voting after a remarkable season in which Cease’s 2.20 ERA ranked second to Verlander and his 227 strikeouts were second to Gerrit Cole. Cease made 32 starts, four more than Verlander.

To see the White Sox’ ace on MLB Network’s Cy Young show, flanked by his girlfriend and twin brother and surrounded by family and friends before the results were announced, was to see not only a more accomplished pitcher after his fourth season but a thinking-man’s pitcher with a gifted arm and a more secure, mature individual.

“As the years have gone on, I have gotten a lot more comfortable with a lot of things that go along with being a big-league baseball player,” Cease said after enjoying a meal with the guests at his Cy Young announcement gathering. “It’s as simple as little things like getting used to the travel, things you’re not used to experiencing in the minor leagues. I was comfortable this year, and performing and producing always feels good.

“But it’s a team game, so if the team is not doing well, it’s hard to really, I guess, not be a part of that negative feeling, as well.”

Negative feelings? What about not being chosen for the All-Star Game? Cease had every right to kick and scream, but he quietly acknowledged the inexplicable snub (he was eighth in the majors in ERA and third in strikeouts at the time) and used it as motivation. Meanwhile, the Sox had one of their most disappointing seasons in memory, finishing 81-81 and keeping Cease from a chance at personal postseason payback after he recorded just five outs in his start in Game 3 of the Sox’ 2021 AL Division Series loss to the Astros.

“I try to be as positive as I can and just be grateful to be there,” Cease said. “A lot of times, it’s just that feeling of gratitude and [it’s] surreal still being a major-league baseball player. It really is hard to imagine, especially watching the game growing up, enjoying baseball and to reach the peak like that.”

The Sox have a new manager in Pedrol Grifol and will have several new coaches to be announced, but pitching coach Ethan Katz and bullpen coach Curt Hasler will return, for which Cease is grateful. Cease thanks Katz for taking him “to the next level.”

“I really owe a lot of my success to Ethan and Has,” Cease said. “Ethan from Day 1 came in and had a plan to help me, and we work really well together. He was able to give me information and put me in the right direction.”

Cease’s fastball command improved under Katz’s watch, and his slider was one of the most unhittable pitches in baseball. A big knucklecurve and a changeup round out a formidable four-pitch mix.

“His progression has been evolving for a couple of years now,” Katz said. “Just watching the day-to-day work. The conversations we have, the belief and trust in his stuff. He has grown a lot.”

Katz said Cease’s ability to control the running game saved him multiple runs. He deciphered reports on his outings, used them to his benefit and had clear conversations with Katz from start to start, Katz said.

“So he grew a lot, and he is still growing,” Katz said. “There is still some stuff — I said this a lot — that he’s still evolving, even with the year he had.”

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Anybody else remember the Bulls’ rousing win in Miami to open the season? What fun that was. But then they lost to the Wizards, got run out of the gym by the Cavaliers and, well, here we are almost a month later with a team that appears to be — at best — just kind of OK.

In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter, we asked respondents to sum up the Bulls’ problems in one of four words: ability, chemistry, effort or health. Plain old ability was the most popular answer, though respondents didn’t stop there.

“They can’t beat the good teams,” @JBIRD1268 commented. “Replay of last year.”

Going further, @sonofrpc predicted the Bulls “won’t contend for a title until the ’30s, at minimum.” Twitter might not make it to the 2030s, but we like the NBA’s chances.

We also asked for your opinions about Bulls coach Billy Donovan as well as your plans — if you have any — to catch the Bulls live this season. On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: Sum up the Bulls’ problems in one word:

Upshot: We hear all the time about the Bulls having “three All-Stars,” but are Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic really that special of a trio? That doesn’t even get into the players — we’re looking at you, Patrick Williams — surrounding them. Is it really about talent most of all? Whatever it is, this group doesn’t play enough defense and clearly doesn’t bring it every night.

Poll No. 2: What’s your take on Bulls coach Billy Donovan?

Upshot: As @JeffreyCanalia astutely points out, “He’s not Phil Jackson, but he’s not anyone from Iowa State, either.” That was a one-two punch to the cheeks of Tim Floyd and Fred Holberg, in case you needed help figuring it out. Donovan — due in part to his national championships as a college coach — gets a lot of respect, but squeezing far less than the maximum from this Bulls group isn’t going to help his rep.

Poll No. 3: How many Bulls games will you go to this season?

Upshot: Got a few hundred bucks stashed between your mattress and box spring? You’ll need every bit of it — and then some — to take your family of four to a game at the United Center. And that’s just once. And that’s to see a Bulls team that appears to be — at best — just kind of OK. Wait, did we say that already?

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Well, it’s almost Thanksgiving, the holiday you both love and dread. Yes, you love to eat and eat and eat until you drift into a tryptophan coma, but it’s the awake time you dread. They’re all there. Every relative you avoid all year long, all in one room. Look, there’s Uncle Scott. Over there is Aunt Melissa. The cousins, Max and Minnie, are there too. OMG! What will I talk to them about?

The Quizmaster is here to help save the afternoon/evening more than the Butterball Hotline. Each week, the quiz provides you with knowledge and fun. This week, I’m suggesting not to talk about politics or religion. Talk about some of the meaningless topics you learn from the quiz. You will find your relatives entertained, distracted or bored enough to go and talk to someone else. I will enjoy my tofurkey knowing that I helped you this holiday. Now you enjoy the quiz.

1. Which of these Thanksgiving baseball names is false?

a. Turkey Stearnes

b. Pie Traynor

c. Frank ”Turkeyfoot” Brower

d. Yammy Trump

2. Nov. 11 was Singles Day in China. Singles Day is an unofficial Chinese holiday and shopping season that celebrates people who are not in relationships. In 2022, Amed Rosario led the majors with 134 singles. Since 2020, Trea Turner has led the majors with 307 singles. One batter led Chicago in singles in 2022 and also led in singles from 2020 to 2022. Who is he?

a. Tim Anderson

b. Ian Happ

c. Nico Hoerner

d. Jose Abreu

3. One of the great fielding center fielders of the last decade, Kevin Kiermaier, has a special relationship with Chicago. What is it?

a. Kiermaier’s older brother, Dan, is the head groundskeeper for the Cubs.

b. Kevin went to college in Chicago.

c. Kevin stole four bases in a game against the Sox, his career high.

d. Kevin hit a leadoff home run against the Cubs and another against the White Sox.

4. On Nov. 8, HBO celebrated its 50th anniversary. Last spring, their iconic show ”The Wire” celebrated its 20th anniversary. Which team(s) play their home games in the city where ”The Wire” takes place?

a. White Sox/Cubs

b. Yankees/Mets

c. Rays

d. Orioles

(Be a part of the quiz. Send me a date or just a year, and I will try to craft a quiz question around it. It could be a birthdate, an anniversary or just a random date, and I will credit you in the quiz with your first name and last initial. Type ”YEAR” in the subject line in your email, and let’s see what happens.)

5. Chicago’s own Murph was kind enough to contribute a terrific date to share: May 1, 1951. It has great symmetry (5/1/51), and it also offers an amazing piece of trivia (which I also love). On that date, the Yankees topped the Sox 8-3 at Comiskey Park. In that game, three future Hall of Famers hit home runs (one hit his first). Which three?

a. Yogi Berra

b. Minnie Minoso

c. Nellie Fox

d. Phil Rizzuto

e. Mickey Mantle

6. Regular reader Bill S. sent me the date Feb. 2, 1876, and asked me to use it in a question. This is a great one — and not just because it was the first day I wore long pants. What happened of significance on that date?

a. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley was born.

b. The National League was born.

c. Charles Comiskey was born.

d. Orval Overall was born.

7. Jim A. was kind enough to suggest 1951 as the basis for a question, and I am grateful to respond. In 1951, who hit arguably the most famous regular-season homer of all time? It has become known as ”The Shot Heard ‘Round the World.”

a. Jonas Salk

b. Ralph Branca

c. Bobby Thomson

d. Edward Jenner

8. Regular Bill F. sent in 8/8/88 for a question. This was the date, as you might recall, that the baseball gods decided, ”Not quite yet.” That was the scheduled date for the first official Cubs night game at Wrigley Field. The next night, Bill got to sit in the seats of the Sun-Times’ own Toni Ginnetti because the game the previous night was rained out. When the Cubs took the field on the night of Aug. 9, they beat the New York Mets and the pitcher who ended his career with more victories than any other born and raised in Hawaii. Who was he?

a. Ron Darling

b. Sid Fernandez

c. Shane Victorino

d. Don Ho

9. Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who wrote a very famous poem, wrote letters for 17 years campaigning to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. What poem did she write?

a. ”Take Me Out to the Ball Game”

b. ”Casey at the Bat”

c. ”Mary Had a Little Lamb”

d. ”You Can’t Kill an Oriole”

ANSWERS

1. Turkey Stearnes and Pie Traynor are in the Hall of Fame. Frank Brower played in the 1920s, and his nickname was ”Turkeyfoot.”

2. Jose Abreu had 256 singles in 2020-22, and exactly half of them — 128 — came in 2022 to lead the White Sox and the Cubs. I hope the big guy can stay in Chicago.

3. Dan Kiermaier is the head groundskeeper for the Cubs. Perhaps his free-agent brother will join him in the Friendly Confines.

4. ”The Wire,” which I consider to be the greatest series to air on television, takes place in Baltimore. In one scene, Detective McNulty takes his kids to the market and quizzes them on the numbers of Orioles players as they stroll around. There is also a great Gus Triandos mention that is NSFW. Watch it for the first time or watch it again. It really holds up well.

5. Mike, this was great fun. In this game, Minnie Minoso hit his first homer as a White Sox. He had one in 1949 for the then-Indians. Yogi Berra hit his first homer of the season and the 76th of his career. Nellie Fox went 0-for-4. Phil Rizzuto went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles. Mickey Mantle homered off Randy Gumpert for his first career homer.

6. This was great Bill; I thank you for playing. According to baseball historian John Thorn, 2/2/1876 ”marks the beginning of the National League and thus Major League Baseball, both structurally and statistically.”

7. Jonas Salk and Edward Jenner each developed vaccines (shots) that were world-changers — polio and smallpox, respectively. Ralph Branca threw the pitch that Bobby Thomson, who played two seasons with Cubs, hit to win the pennant for the New York Giants. Thomson is the only Glaswegian to play more than 10 seasons in the majors. Thank you, Jim, for this fun suggestion.

8. ”El Sid,” Sid Fernandez, had 114 victories and 96 losses from 1983 through 1997. Thanks for that one, Bill.

9. Sarah Josepha Hale, who wrote ”Mary Had a Little Lamb,” had her wish come true when President Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday. My feeling is he did it to stop the spam from Ms. Hale.

This Thanksgiving, I thank my editor Chris De Luca and the great Sun-Times sports design team who assemble this madness each week. And a very special thank you to each of you, who are so kind to read and play the quiz every Saturday.

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Even with all eyes on quarterback Justin Fields and the rest of coordinator Luke Getsy’s emerging offense, it’s still hard to ignore a nagging issue with the rebuilding Bears: What’s the deal with this defense?

When coach Matt Eberflus was introducing the H.I.T.S. principle as a first-year defensive coordinator with the Colts in 2018, this was the time of the season it really started to kick in.

The Colts allowed 376.2 yards and 23.3 points per game in the first nine games but 292.7 yards and 14 points per game in the final seven. The Colts finished 10th in the NFL in points allowed and 11th in yards allowed.

The Bears have been heading in the opposite direction in their first season under Eberflus and defensive coordinator Alan Williams. In the first seven games, the Bears’ defense was encouraging, if not actually good: 12th in the NFL in yards (330 per game) and tied for seventh in points (18.9 per game). Even the worst game — 27 points allowed against the Packers in Week 2 — would have been good enough to win any of the last three games.

But since defensive end Robert Quinn was traded Oct. 26 and linebacker Roquan Smith was dealt Oct. 31, the bottom has dropped out. In the last three games — the last two without both those players — the Bears’ defense has allowed 381 yards and 33.7 points per game.

Even the Bears’ second-half excellence has faded since Quinn and Smith left. The Bears allowed only five points per game and two total touchdowns in the second half in the first seven games. They’ve allowed 14 points per game and six total touchdowns in the second half in the last three.

This seems like new territory for Eberflus and definitely is in one aspect: With Smith and Quinn gone and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad out with an injury, four rookies started against the Lions (cornerback Kyler Gordon, safety Jaquan Brisker, linebacker Jack Sanborn and defensive end Dominique Robinson).

”Those guys getting the work that they’re getting is invaluable,” Eberflus said. ”Those guys are getting experiences they can’t replicate [in practice] and that they need to get. Every year’s different. You’re dealing with a different skill set, a different bunch of guys you’re working with on defense or offense or kicking, and it’s our job to make sure we put the best product out there.”

As much as any coach, Eberflus is willing to give rookies and inexperienced players a chance. Gordon and Brisker are second-round draft picks who were all but handed starting jobs the moment they arrived at Halas Hall. Robinson, however, not only was a fifth-round pick but a long-term project because he had played only 16 games on defense after playing receiver at Miami (Ohio).

And Sanborn is an undrafted free agent who was impressive during the preseason on defense and special teams. With Smith traded, Eberflus has more experienced options in Matt Adams and Joe Thomas, but Sanborn has earned the opportunity.

There’s no telling where this thing will go, but the Bears are giving themselves the best chance to grow. The only position where a veteran who doesn’t figure to be on the next playoff team is playing in front of a young player is right tackle, where Riley Reiff has supplanted Larry Borom.

Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis playing ahead of rookie receiver Velus Jones might fit that category, but you can’t take as many chances on offense, where mistakes can impair Fields’ development — or get him injured.

On defense, however, Eberflus is more willing to take some lumps now for a bigger payoff later — and maybe even this season.

”You’re building a foundational floor,” he said. ”The H.I.T.S. principle, we want to build on that. Obviously, we want to take the ball away more. We’re going to work diligently to get those things done. But the experience those guys are getting is invaluable.”

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KEY MATCHUP

The Falcons were at their best this season — 2-2, with close losses to the Saints (27-26) and Rams (31-27) — when versatile running back Cordarrelle Patterson was healthy. The former Bears wide receiver/kick returner was averaging 113 total yards per game and 5.9 rushing yards per carry in four games until he went on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Patterson hasn’t been as productive since returning in Week 9 — 18 carries, 62 yards (3.4 average) and two receptions for 11 yards in two games. But he’s a threat for a breakout game as he continues to get back into his athletic rhythm.

Patterson’s versatility puts every defender — and literally, every defender — on alert, but rookie linebacker Jack Sanborn figures to be in the middle of it. Sanborn had 12 tackles, two sacks and an interception that was nullified by a disputed penalty against the Lions last week — his second NFL start since entering the lineup following the trade of Roquan Smith.

TRENDING

The Bears not only lead the NFL in rushing yards (201.7 per game), but they have rushed for 237 yards or more in their last five games — an average of 246.0 yards per game. (The Ravens have the next-highest rushing average in that span at 197.5 yards per game).

Justin Fields is a big part of that, of course. The second-year quarterback has rushed for 555 yards on 62 carries (9.0 average) in those five games. But even without Fields’ production, the Bears still would rank 12th in the NFL in that span (135.0 rushing yards per game) and 10th in yards per carry (4.9).

Running back Khalil Herbert, who is averaging 64.3 rushing yards per game and 6.0 yards per carry, is on injured reserve with a hip injury. Rookie Trestan Ebner is expected to replace him as a complement to David Montgomery.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Fields is coming off back-to-back games of 178 rushing yards against the Dolphins (an NFL regular-season record for a quarterback) and 147 last week against the Lions.

The Falcons have yet to face a quarterback even close to that kind of running threat. Quarterbacks have just 23 carries for 89 yards (3.9 average) in 10 games this season.

But Fields also should have opportunities in the passing game. The Falcons’ defense is 32nd and last in the NFL in passing yards allowed (280.1 yards per game). In his last three games, Fields is averaging 147.0 passing yards but has a 108.9 passer rating (seven touchdowns, one interception).

X-FACTOR

Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool, acquired in a trade with the Steelers on Nov. 1, has three receptions for 21 yards in two games. The 6-4, 238-pound Claypool is expected to play a bigger role in his third game, but what that means in a formative offense is an unknown.

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Over the last 18 months, Seattle Thunderbirds general manager Bil La Forge had regularly called Prince Albert Raiders GM Curtis Hunt about the possibility of trading for defenseman Nolan Allan.

On Wednesday, the two WHL organizations finally agreed on a deal. The Thunderbirds packaged three players and six WHL draft picks to acquire Allan, whom the Blackhawks selected with their 2021 first-round pick.

All of a sudden, two of the Hawks’ top prospects are teammates — and potentially more than that. There’s a good chance that Allan and Kevin -Korchinski, the Hawks’ seventh overall pick in 2022, will play the majority of the season on a pairing together.

And that fact isn’t being overlooked by their new (shared) junior team. During the negotiations, La Forge told Hunt, “We might as well get these guys together. They could play together for the next 15 years.”

Allan and Korchinski complement each other well.

The Hawks believe Korchinski could be one of the NHL’s next great offensive defensemen based on his elite skating, passing and reading-the-play abilities. He looked fantastic in NHL development and training camp, and he has 21 points in 14 games for Seattle this season, upping his production rate from his already-impressive 65 points in 67 games last season.

“Kevin has picked up right where he left off last year,” La Forge said. “He’s a dynamic offensive defenseman. He’s doing more defensive-type stuff for us this season out of necessity. We didn’t have the same defensive defensemen to start this year that we had last year. So he’s killing more penalties, he’s playing in more defensive situations and he’s handled it very well. We’re really happy with his development.”

Allan will help fill that defensive-defenseman void created by Blue Jackets prospect Samuel Knazko and Jets prospect Ty Bauer leaving the Thunderbirds to turn pro over the summer.

His NHL upside isn’t as high as Korchinski’s, but he’s big, physical, responsible and knows exactly how to shut down plays. He has learned how to contribute offensively, too, notching 41 points in 65 games last season and 11 in 16 games this season for Prince Albert before the trade.

“In our league, [Nolan] can do a little bit of everything,” La Forge said. “He’s a great defender. He’s shown the ability to play all special teams and eat a ton of minutes, especially late in the game.

“I’ve seen him score some nice goals, especially lately. That part of his game is developing. At this level, you have a calling card, and then your job in order to get to the NHL is to improve the other parts of your game. He has definitely done that.”

The Hawks already have sent development coaches to Seattle this fall to work with Korchinski, and they’ll presumably establish even more of a frequent-flier route now. Korchinski and Allan finding success together could provide a tantalizing glimpse into what the Hawks’ future defensive corps might look like.

More prospect updates

Sam Rinzel, the other defenseman the Hawks picked in the first round in 2022, is on a much slower path toward the NHL — which the team knew would be the case when choosing him. He has seven points in 13 games with Waterloo of the USHL, which is where he finished last season. He’ll enroll at Minnesota in 2023.

While Arvid Soderblom impresses in his ahead-of-schedule NHL stint this fall, Drew Commesso — the Hawks’ other top goalie prospect — has won four of five starts in his junior year at Boston University. His one loss was ugly, though. He allowed six goals in a 9-2 loss to Michigan on Oct. 14. He has a .905 save percentage, down from .914 last season.

Arguably the more exciting Hawks- related news at BU pertains to Ryan Greene, a second-round pick this past summer. The 19-year-old center already has boosted his prospect stock significantly and started his freshman season with a bang. He has 11 points in his first nine collegiate games, including six points in two matchups against UMass last weekend.

Frank Nazar and Colton Dach, arguably the Hawks’ top forward prospects, have run into injury issues.

Nazar underwent surgery and hasn’t played a game as a freshman at Michigan and likely won’t for a while. Dach suffered his second concussion in a short span (the first coming in development camp) soon after rejoining Kelowna of the WHL, but he returned Nov. 5 and has six points in his first six appearances.

A couple of hours west of Chicago, the Rockford IceHogs entered Friday with a 6-5-1 record, having won two straight. Lukas Reichel continues to rack up points, notching 14 in his first 12 games, but his overall game hasn’t been perfect, and he’s not on the verge of a call-up. Cole Guttman, the undrafted signing out of Denver who stood out during Hawks camp, missed time with a concussion but had three points in his first three games back.

Defensively, Jakub Galvas has played very well — he ranked sixth among all AHL defensemen entering Friday with 11 points in 11 games — but Alex Vlasic and Isaak Phillips seemingly remain ahead of him in the prospect hierarchy. The IceHogs notably boast the league’s top scorer in David Gust, who has 17 points, but he’s a 28-year-old journeyman on an AHL-only contract.

Gavin Hayes (17 points in 19 games for OHL Flint), Samuel Savoie (16 points in 17 games for QMJHL Gatineau) and Ethan Del Mastro (16 points in 15 games for OHL Mississauga) are chugging along roughly as expected.

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