Chicago Sports

The NBA 2K23 ratings for the top players on the Chicago Bulls have been released

NBA 2K is one of the highest anticipated video games each year as the franchise sells millions of copies year in and year out globally. The video game has redefined the sports entertainment industry while making a major impact in the world of hoops culture. Every year days before its initial release date the franchise reveals the player’s ratings for some of the leagues top players, and for both of Chicago’s All-Stars that was the case.

DeMar DeRozan’s NBA 2K23 Rating

It was revealed that DeMar DeRozan rating was listed at a 89 overall.

As always with almost every player’s rating there’s going to be some type of controversy around it. With DeMar’s case his may actually be valid. Last year for NBA 2K22, DeRozan finished the year with a rating of a 90 overall. Statistical DeMar had one of his best campaign of his 13 year career last season averaging 27.9 points a career high, his most since 2016 while also setting a career high in 3 point percentage with .352%. With setting new career marks such as these it would make sense that at the minimum he should heading into the new season initially where he left off at a 90.

Zach LaVine’s NBA 2K23 Rating

For the two time All-Star, Zach LaVine received his highest player rating since being involved in the 2K franchise with an 88 overall.

Since these is Zach’s highest rating he’s received there isn’t much you can really nitpick about. One of the only issues that can be argued is why hasn’t he received a rating like this in previous years. Comparing his 2021-2022 season to 2020-2021, LaVine saw a decrease in every statistical output but somehow his overall rating for NBA 2K22 was a 87.

Even though the Bulls experienced more success in the 2021 season, LaVine did not establish the same numbers during his breakout 2020-2021 campaign that earned him his first All-Star appearance. With that being said LaVine’s newest rating should not be discouraged, whereas it should regarded that he is earning the respect and establishing himself as one the leagues top guards.

It was also revealed the LaVine was listed as a player with a top 5 dunk rating with a 95 in NBA 2K23.

This should come as no surprise as LaVine has always been regarded has one of the top high flyers ever since he stepped foot into the league. Winning back to back Slam Dunk contest in 2015 and 2016, LaVine still has the bounce defines him as a top dunker in the NBA.

For More Great Chicago Sports Content

Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

Read More

SEATTLE — Jose Abreu hasn’t homered in 33 games. But as long as he keeps hitting — and hustling — as he did in the White Sox’ 9-6 victory over the Mariners Wednesday, that’s OK with acting manager Miguel Cairo.

“If I were playing right now, I’d want to be like him,” Cairo said. “I would follow him. I would be imitating the way he works, the way he prepares himself, the way he plays the game.”

Extending his 18th career hitting streak of 10-plus games to 11, the second most in the majors since the start of 2014 behind the Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon (19), Abreu drove in two runs with a single and sacrifice fly and has hit safely in 21 of his last 24 games with 34 hits and a .373 average during that stretch.

The Sox have taken heat for not running everything out this season, but Abreu ran all out to avoid an inning-ending double play — a challenge overturned an out call at first base — before Eloy Jimenez homered in the fourth inning to cut the Mariners lead to 4-2.

“I appreciate when my teammates hustle,” Jimenez said. “It was good to see that and gave me the opportunity to hit in that inning.”

Abreu, 35, has 14 homers, and his homerless streak is the longest of his career. His career low for a full season is 22 in 2018, when he was limited to 128 games.

“I’m going to tell you this, he’s been the most consistent hitter on our team and I’m glad that he’s getting hits, just getting on base,” Cairo said. “Sometimes the line drives are not going to go out of the ballpark. He’s the most consistent hitter we have this year.”

Abreu (.309/.382/.452) leads the American League with 160 hits, including 32 doubles.

La Russa and Oakland

As the Sox head to Oakland for a four-game series, a team spokesman said manager Tony La Russa is still going through testing as prescribed by his personal doctors. La Russa, who managed the A’s from 1986-95, would like to attend former A’s ace Dave Stewart’s jersey retirement Sunday but he needs clearance from his doctors to travel from Phoenix. The A’s set up the Stewart event for when La Russa and the Sox are in town.

La Russa’s absence remains indefinite pending results of his medical evaluations.

In La Russa’s absence, with Cairo taking over as acting manager, veteran players have “really taken the charge as far as what we need to accomplish as a team, as far as being supportive to our staff,” pitcher Michael Kopech said. “And with that support everybody is feeling a lot more confident in themselves and each other and I think it’s going to be a fun final push here for us.”

Robert out, again

Luis Robert, who left Tuesday’s game after two at-bats (both strikeouts) because of a bruised left hand from getting hit by a pitch, is day-to-day.

“We’re going to see how he feels [Thursday],” Cairo said.

Robert hadn’t played in two weeks because of a sore left wrist and getting hit on the left hand doubled his discomfort. He’s hurting “where he got hit [on his fingers] and I guess the [left] wrist, it’s still a little sore,” Cairo said.

AJ Pollock started in center field, flanked by Andrew Vaughn in left and Gavin Sheets in right.

Read More

When Hayden Wesneski made his major-league debut, he was the 15th Cub to do so this year. That tied last season’s total.

“A lot of after-game events,” veteran catcher Yan Gomes said Tuesday. “I feel like we’re doing that every other day, some new thing is happening.”

In the rush of MLB debuts, as the Cubs continue to rebuild and evaluate which players fit into their plan for the future, there’s been a handful of memorable ones.

Back in May, Christopher Morel blasted a pinch-hit home run in his debut. The same day, Brandon Hughes threw a hitless 1 2/3 innings. Late last month, Javier Assad threw four scoreless innings. Just last week, Jeremiah Estrada’s fastball sat at 98 mph in a shutout inning.

“It says a lot about the organization,” veteran lefty Wade Miley said. “It says how they’re bringing guys up through the system and prepared them for these moments.”

Even with that backdrop, Wesneski’s five-inning debut stood out, as he struck out eight and limited the Reds to two hits.

“I don’t know if it gets a whole lot better than that,” Miley said.

Gomes highlighted Wesneski’s composure during his outing, a theme among the rookies who have made an impact in their debuts.

Wesneski said when things “were going a little sideways,” he re-centered himself by staring at the top of the left-field flag pole and taking deep breaths.

That’s not an easy thing to do in an unfamiliar ballpark, with new teammates, soaking in a raucous atmosphere.

“Oh, they were loud,” Wesneski said of the crowd for the last out of the Cubs’ 9-3 win. “I didn’t think Chicago on a Tuesday would get this loud. I can’t even imagine with the playoffs and stuff like that. … And it fired me up on a Tuesday.”

Wesneski did have some familiar faces to turn to in the dugout. Wesneski had worked closely with assistant pitching coach Daniel Moskos when they were both in the Yankees organization. And he and infielder David Bote got to know each other when they overlapped in Triple-A Iowa last month.

“It’s just fun to be a part of it,” Bote said. “It’s a special moment. And obviously he was lights out, and that makes it even more fun.”

The Cubs are closing in on the major-league record for players used in a season, which they set last year with 69. With about a month to go in this season, the Cubs have used 61 players.

Injury updates

Catcher Willson Contreras was scheduled for an MRI on his left ankle on Wednesday. The Cubs put him on the 10-day IL on Tuesday, retroactive to Saturday. He’s been battling ankle soreness off and on since rolling his left ankle four weeks ago.

“Making sure everything’s on the up and up in there,” manager David Ross said, “and go from there.”

Corner infielder Patrick Wisdom (sprained left ring finger) has been hitting in the batting cages. He is eligible to return from the 10-day IL whenever the Cubs clear him to do so.

Read More

SEATTLE — Eloy Jimenez homered and doubled and drove in three runs, and Gavin Sheets knocked in the go-ahead run with an infield chopper, helping the White Sox recover from a lackluster start and come back for an improbable 9-6 victory over the Mariners Wednesday.

The result gave the Sox (69-68) two wins in three games in Seattle and pushed them a game above the .500 mark as they try to catch the first place Guardians in the AL Central.

Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo struck out the first seven Sox batters and the Mariners scored four runs in a defensively sloppy third inning against Michael Kopech, two runs coming on the first of two homers by Eurenio Suarez.

But the Sox got two in the fourth on a Jimenez homer to cut the lead in half, their first hit against Castillo, and plated four in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead. An RBI single by Jose Abreu an RBI double by Jimenez and an RBI double by Andrew Vaughn were the big blows. An error by Suarez at third base started the inning.

Seattle tied it with runs in the sixth and seventh against relievers Jake Diekman and Joe Kelly. In the Sox eighth, Jimenez singled, and pinch runner Leury Garcia stole second and took third on catcher Curt Casili’s throw that skipped into center. Garcia scored on Sheets’ bouncer to drawn in shortstop J.P. Crawford, giving the Sox a 7-6 lead.

A throwing error by Mariners reliever Chris Flexen on Seby Zavala’s sacrifice bunt opened up a two-run ninth for the Sox, who got their second run on Abreu’s sacrifice fly.

Vince Velasquez, in an unusual high-leverage eighth-inning role, retired all three batters he faced and Liam Hendriks pitched the ninth for his 31st save.

The Mariners came into the series riding a seven-game winning streak. The Sox have won six of their last eight games.

The Sox open a four-game series in Oakland Thursday.

Read More

Matt Nagy’s culpability for the Bears’ offensive ineptitude over the past three seasons is undeniable.

Even when you factor in circumstances he didn’t control, Nagy’s inability to develop a quarterback and produce an offense that could consistently score more than 20 points is arguably the biggest coaching level disappointment of the post-Ditka era — relative to the job he was hired to do and the lengths the Bears went to get the quarterbacks that Nagy was expected to mold into a star.

Still, it’s regrettable that the former Bears head coach has become such a punching bag in this town — the football version of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow. On social media, Nagy has become a symbol of bad offensive football: “Notre Dame’s offense is Matt Nagy bad.” Coaching is a tough business, indeed. And here’s hoping some day Nagy will get a chance to prove he learned from the mistakes he made in Chicago.

Be that as it may, facts are facts. And this Bears season is unquestionably a referendum on the Nagy era in Chicago (and in Pittsburgh, where any success Mitch Trubisky has with the Steelers will reflect on Nagy as well).

And right off the bat, we get a semblance of an apples-to-apples comparison Sunday against the 49ers — a team Nagy’s Bears lost to 33-22 in Week 8 last season at Soldier Field.

That actually was one of the Bears’ better offensive showings under Nagy — though with Bill Lazor calling plays. The 22 offensive points is the fourth-highest total of the Bears’ 26 games against teams that made the playoffs in Nagy’s four seasons. Justin Fields rushed for 103 yards, including a dazzling 22-yard touchdown that turned into just another tease.

The beauty of this comparison is that player-for-player, the Bears’ offensive lineup Sunday won’t be any better than it was against the 49ers last year — and arguably worse.

Among the changes, the Bears will have fifth-round rookie left tackle Braxton Jones for Jason Peters, and likely will have wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown for Allen Robinson and right guard Lucas Patrick for James Daniels. Running David Montgomery (who did not play against the 49ers last year because of injury) for Khalil Herbert is the only real upgrade. So it’s not like the Bears have given offensive coordinator Getsy weapons that Nagy didn’t have.

The Bears generally are optimistic they’ll be better offensively this year, but –publicly at least –it’s the same hopeful optimism every other offense in the NFL has in Week 1.

“If we get off the ball, we all do our jobs and execute well, then our offense is really good,” Fields said.

But Fields was guarded when asked what is different about Getsy’s offense that will produce more points than they scored under Nagy last season.

“There’s a lot of different stuff, but I’m not gonna put it out there right now,” Fields said, “because we have a game coming up Sunday. I’m not gonna [put] the game plan out there. But there’s a fair amount of stuff that’s different for sure.”

Wide receiver Darnell Mooney was optimistic even about Nagy’s offense and sees good things about Getsy’s offense. But even he is a bit more guarded now.

“I can talk about it … but honestly, we can’t really tell until we play this game and then we’ll see, ‘This is our identity,'” Mooney said. “We practice, practice, practice and play preseason games … but until the starting 11 goes out there and plays and we actually identify who we are, that’s when we’ll be able to tell.”

Getsy’s first game vs Nagy’s 58th game is not exactly apples-to-apples. The Bears’ offense might not score as many points against the 49ers on Sunday as it scored last year. But if it does … the celebratory drink will come with a vitriol chaser.

Read More

The Chicago Bears are cracking open their playbook this week, providing a glimpse of the stadium and entertainment complex planned for Arlington Heights.

Master plan renderings of the team’s proposal for the 326-acre former Arlington Park Racetrack site convey the massiveness of the proposed project, but not much detail other than a stadium surrounded by green space, roads and a “mixed-use district” of anonymous-for-now structures.

The Bears say they will build the stadium on their own dime. But be warned: The team wants taxpayer help to get that mixed-use district across the goal line.

“While the Bears will seek no public funding for direct stadium structure construction, given the broad, long-term public benefits of this project, we look forward to partnering with the various governmental bodies to secure additional funding and assistance needed to support the feasibility of the remainder of the development,” the team said in an open letter released Tuesday.

If the Bears, a sports franchise now worth $5 billion — the sixth most valuable NFL team, according to Sportico — can make a better deal and find greener pastures for themselves in Arlington Heights, then good for them.

But the team shouldn’t expect the public’s help paying for any part of the project, especially given the tremendous windfall the organization will reap if the venture is successful.

Given today’s economic climate and the demand on tax dollars for basic services and to balance government budgets, it’s shameful for the Bears to even ask.

Renderings and rosy numbers

The release of the renderings and the letter comes just before Thursday’s public meeting in Arlington Heights on the stadium.

The Bears haven’t yet said how much public money they’ll seek, but we’d wager the “ask” will be substantial given the size of the non-stadium portions of the proposal, as indicated in the renderings.

And the financial numbers released are rosy enough to warrant a section at the Chicago Botanic Gardens: The team promises $9.4 billion in economic impact for the region, part of which is a yearly tax haul of $51 million for the state and $9.8 for Cook County.

“Make no mistake. This is much more than a stadium project,” the Bears said in that open letter. “Any development of Arlington Park will propose to include a multi-purpose entertainment, commercial/retail and housing district that will provide considerable economic benefits to Cook County, the surrounding region and the state of Illinois.”

But sports stadium expert and University of Chicago economics professor Allen Sanderson cast doubt on the numbers — and we agree.

“Whenever anyone is offering up an economic impact number, a good rule of thumb is to move the decimal one place to the left,” Sanderson told Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman, while noting he hasn’t seen the Bears’ research.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s the Bears, or a local chamber of commerce, or a mayor — 90% of that is hyperbole or just inflated,” he said.

‘Multi-purpose entertainment district’

The Bears signed a $197 million option last September to buy the old Arlington Heights racetrack site with an eye toward moving out of Soldier Field, where the team has been a tenant since 1971.

The Bears’ Soldier Field lease expires in 2033. Reminder: Taxpayers are still on the hook for $400 million of the $606 million stadium renovation in 2003.

At the Arlington Heights site, the team said it envisions a multi-purpose entertainment district with a “best-in-class, enclosed stadium” capable of hosting college football playoffs, the NCAA’s Final Four basketball championships and the Super Bowl.

“The long-term vision for the entire project is an ongoing work in progress, but could include: restaurants, office space, hotel, fitness center, new parks and open spaces and other improvements for the community to enjoy.”

That’s all well and good. But the days of using public funds to assist sports stadium projects must go the way of the leather helmet.

And there are always hidden infrastructure costs to taxpayers in projects like these.

As this editorial board wrote a year ago: “If the Bears move to Arlington Heights, what are the chances the team will pay for the new roads and other infrastructure needed to make the stadium work? About zero. You, the taxpayer, will pay those costs, directly or indirectly.”

Another reminder: Back in the 1970s, the team asked Arlington Heights to issue bonds to build a stadium possibly patterned after the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan. That deal fell through.

Studies have shown that rosy revenue estimates of the economic impact of sports stadiums simply do not pan out. Even if the Bears master plan and financial projections are as accurate as a Sid Luckman pass, lawmakers should spike any ask for public funds to finance any part of the stadium project.

Especially for a 102-year-old NFL franchise that’s worth billions.

The Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds. See our guidelines.

Read More

The persistent drama around linebacker Roquan Smith’s contract standoff with the Bears has no impact on what his teammates think of him. Production typically trumps everything, and Smith is arguably the best player on this team.

That’s why, after sitting out more than three weeks at the start of training camp, sparring publicly with general manager Ryan Poles and actively looking to leave this team, Smith won a captain spot in the players’ vote this week.

“We understood why he was missing practice — that’s the business side,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “When he steps on the field or in meeting rooms, he’s locked in. He’s been a professional.

“Him missing the time, that’s strictly business… They don’t want to pay him, and he’s trying to get paid as much as he can. You can’t be mad at anyone for that. But when he does walk in, his presence is well received. And when the lights come on, you know he’s gonna be there.”

Players voted for Quinn and Smith on defense, and quarterback Justin Fields and stalwart left guard Cody Whitehair on offense. A fifth spot will be filled week-by-week, presumably by coach Matt Eberflus, starting with running back David Montgomery in the opener Sunday against the 49ers.

As the Bears rebuild under Poles and Eberflus, Smith will be pivotal to the defensive side of that project. He is one of the best, most versatile linebackers in the NFL and is entering his prime at 25. Poles recently said he still hopes to sign him to a contract extension despite how poorly negotiations have gone.

Eberflus compartmentalized seeing Smith skip 15 practices and two preseason games as just business. He knows how important Smith is this season, and possibly beyond, and fully supported him being picked as a captain.

“No question,” he said. “On the grass, man, he’s been great. He’s been great in the locker room and he’s been great with the coaches.

“The negotiations didn’t work out the way that he wanted to and that we wanted to… but he’s been A1 on the football side, the coaches side, teammate side — all that.”

Smith has said repeatedly since ending his “hold in” that he wants to shift his focus fully to the game as he plays out the final season of his rookie contract for $9.7 million and marches toward free agency.

But realistically, it’ll be impossible to separate his performance from the broader arc of his future with the Bears.

Smith is third in the NFL in tackles (524) since the Bears drafted him No. 8 overall in 2017. He also has 14 sacks and five interceptions and was voted second-team All-Pro each of the last two seasons.

If he builds off that this season, he’ll be making the case that he’s worthy of the nine-figure extension he sought. It’ll emphasize his criticism that Poles “doesn’t value me.” It might make him even more determined to leave.

And if he’s good but not great, Poles will be justified in holding firm in his offer. It’ll validate whatever points he made during negotiations when making clear why he didn’t want to pay Smith as much as elite linebackers Shaquille Leonard and Fred Warner got last summer.

Everything Smith does or doesn’t do will be part of that long-term equation. But for his teammates, all that matters is what they get from him in games.

“The way he works and the plays he makes — that’s about it,” safety Eddie Jackson said. “We know what type of player he is and what he means to the team.”

Read More

The Chicago Bears Wednesday injury report was interesting

The Chicago Bears have good and bad news from the team’s injury report released on Wednesday afternoon. Offensive lineman Lucas Patrick was not on the team’s injury list, but rookie wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. was one of two names on the report.

Jones was listed as having a hamstring injury. The 25-year-old rookie sustained a hamstring injury in college with Tennessee. The Bears need Jones to be healthy this season as the team lacks depth at the wide receiver position.

Patrick participated in drills Wednesday.

Bears center Patrick was back participating in drills Wednesday.

Though he was seen in drills, per Courtney Cronin, quarterback Justin Fields has not been taking snaps with the veteran Patrick.

That will be something to keep an eye on as the Bears’ first regular season depth chart has Patrick as the team’s starting center. He won’t have much time to get reps with Fields before the team will play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

For More Great Chicago Sports Content

Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

Read More

The latest rankings of Illinois high school football teams in each class, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters:

Class 8ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Loyola (11) (2-0) 118 1

2. Lincoln-Way East (1) (2-0) 108 2

3. Glenbard West (2-0) 94 3

4. Warren (2-0) 88 5

5. Naperville North (2-0) 65 9

6. O’Fallon (2-0) 45 8

7. Maine South (1-1) 36 7

8. Marist (1-1) 28 NR

9. Edwardsville (2-0) 26 10

10. Bolingbrook (1-1) 15 4

Others receiving votes: York 11, Lockport 7, Palatine 6, South Elgin 4, Plainfield North 3, Glenbrook South 3, Neuqua Valley 3.

Class 7ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Mount Carmel (12) (2-0) 120 1

2. Prospect (2-0) 102 3

3. Batavia (1-1) 94 2

4. St. Rita (2-0) 76 5

5. Jacobs (2-0) 62 6

6. Glenbard North (1-1) 53 4

7. Wheaton North (2-0) 47 8

8. Wheaton-Warrenville South (1-1) 29 NR

9. Pekin (2-0) 22 T9

10. Hononegah (2-0) 16 NR

Others receiving votes: Brother Rice 14, Hersey 11, Geneva 6, Yorkville 5, Downers North 3.

Class 6ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. East St. Louis (13) (1-1) 130 1

2. Prairie Ridge (2-0) 108 2

3. Lemont (2-0) 99 4

4. Simeon (2-0) 96 T9

5. Notre Dame (2-0) 73 6

6. Crete-Monee (0-2) 65 5

7. Chatham Glenwood (2-0) 45 7

8. Kenwood (1-1) 33 T10

9. Cary-Grove (1-1) 23 3

10. Carmel (2-0) 21 NR

Others receiving votes: St. Ignatius 7, Harlem 5, Wauconda 4, Crystal Lake South 3, Normal West 2, Benet 1.

Class 5ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Nazareth (9) (1-1) 116 1

2. Kankakee (1) (1-1) 94 2

3. Morris (2-0) 91 4

4. Mahomet-Seymour (2) (2-0) 90 3

5. Sycamore (2-0) 65 5

6. Peoria (2-0) 62 6

7. Rockford Boylan (2-0) 55 7

8. Morgan Park (2-0) 36 10

9. Glenbard South (2-0) 14 NR

10. Mascoutah (2-0) 10 NR

Others receiving votes: Sterling 9, St. Patrick 7, Highland 6, Marian Catholic 2, St. Viator 2, Fenwick 1.

Class 4ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Sacred Heart-Griffin (6) (2-0) 105 T1

2. Joliet Catholic (5) (2-0) 104 T1

3. St. Francis (2-0) 85 3

4. Richmond-Burton (2-0) 73 4

5. Rochester (1-1) 66 5

6. Stillman Valley (2-0) 50 7

7. Genoa-Kingston (2-0) 42 6

8. Wheaton Academy (2-0) 36 8

9. Carterville (2-0) 15 10

10. Freeburg (2-0) 10 NR

Others receiving votes: St. Laurence 5, Peoria Notre Dame 5, Quincy Notre Dame 3, Marengo 3, Mt. Zion 2, Murphysboro 1.

Class 3ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. IC Catholic (9) (1-1) 117 1

2. Williamsville (2) (2-0) 100 3

2. Reed-Custer (1) (2-0) 100 2

4. Princeton (2-0) 81 4

5. Byron (1-1) 71 5

6. Mt. Carmel, Ill. (2-0) 51 6

7. Fairbury Prairie Central (2-0) 47 8

8. Eureka (2-0) 45 7

9. Durand-Pecatonica (2-0) 29 9

10. Peotone (2-0) 7 NR

(tie) Tolono Unity (1-1) 7 NR

Others receiving votes: Paxton-Buckley-Loda 5.

Class 2ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Wilmington (11) (2-0) 119 1

2. St. Teresa (1) (2-0) 108 2

3. Downs Tri-Valley (2-0) 95 3

4. Maroa-Forsyth (2-0) 86 4

5. Bismarck-Henning (2-0) 63 6

6. Vandalia (2-0) 60 7

7. Knoxville (2-0) 49 10

8. North-Mac (2-0) 29 NR

9. Rockridge (1-1) 19 NR

10. Pana (1-1) 11 NR

Others receiving votes: Nashville 10, Breese Mater Dei 6, Mercer County 4, Johnston City 1.

Class 1ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Lena-Winslow (12) (2-0) 121 1

2. Athens (2-0) 112 2

3. Moweaqua Central A&M (1) (2-0) 104 3

4. Colfax Ridgeview (2-0) 90 4

5. Camp Point Central (2-0) 80 6

6. Fulton (2-0) 52 7

7. Tuscola (2-0) 31 8

8. Forreston (1-1) 30 5

9. Hope Academy (2-0) 28 T10

10. Gilman Iroquois West (2-0) 24 9

Others receiving votes: Jacksonville Routt 13, St. Bede 10, Greenfield-Northwestern 7, Annawan-Wethersfield 4, Salt Fork 4, Ottawa Marquette 2, Brown County 2, Shelbyville 1.

Read More

Justin Fields leads the list of team captains for the 2022 Chicago Bears

Today, the Chicago Bears announced their team captains for the 2022 season.  In a not-so-surprising move, Justin Fields was named as one of the 2022 captains.  Other Bears joining him are Left Guard Cody Whitehair, Defensive End Robert Quinn, and Linebacker Roquan Smith.

Justin Fields leads a list that shouldn’t surprise anyone here. The Bears traded up in the First round of the 2021 NFL Draft to get Fields. Now, they’ll have him lead the Chicago Bears into the future from the front.  The Bears will be looking for fields to take a big leap from his rookie season, where he passed for 1870 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

Cody Whitehair was a day one starter for the Bears, who drafted him in the 2nd round of the 2016 NFL Draft.  He has been a day 1 starter for the Bears, playing Guard and Center, for the Bears since joining the franchise. Whitehair has also shown impressive durability, playing 95 of 97 games available. He will lead a unit tasked with protecting the Bears franchise quarterback, Justin Fields, in 2022.

Robert Quinn is in his 3rd season with Chicago.  Last year he set a Bears franchise record with 18.5 sacks, surpassing Richard Dent’s mark of 17.5. Going into his 12th year in the NFL, Quinn leads a defensive line with a lot of question marks.  He is currently the only Bears defensive lineman with proven superstar ability, with players like Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson looking to make a name for themselves behind him.

Roquan Smith was the Chicago Bears 8th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.  He is a two-time NFL Second Team All-Pro and the franchise player on this defense. In 2021, Smith lead the defense with 163 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 interception. This off-season was murky with Roquan Smith being a training camp “hold-in” while trying to negotiate a new contract with the Bears.  This eventually lead to him requesting a trade from the franchise outright. He will now focus on the 2022 season, and along with Robert Quinn, lead this Chicago Bears defense with a lot of question marks.

In addition to the 4 Season-long captains, the bears announced the week 1 honorary captain in David Montgomery. Mongomery is in a contract year, being drafted by the Bears in the 3rd round of the 2019 NFL Draft.  The Iowa State product has looked the part of a franchise running back in Chicago. Montgomery will have a chance this year to set career marks in just about all statistical categories, as Matt Eberflus and Luke Getsy will run the ball early and often in 2022.

For More Great Chicago Sports Content

Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

Read More