Chicago Sports

After Mount Carmel football held its Brown and White Scrimmage on Saturday, coach Jordan Lynch had “just an odd feeling walking into the coaching office.”

Someone was missing: Jim Morrissey.

A 1975 Mount Carmel graduate, Morrissey became one of the most beloved members of the Caravan athletic department over a career that began in 1986 as a statistician for the lower-level football teams. He died on Saturday at 64.

“This one hurts for sure,” said Lynch, who knew Morrissey from his playing days at Mount Carmel and considered him a valued friend and colleague.

“He loved being around the team, being around the coaches,” Lynch said. “Jim was one of us.”

Morrissey took over as varsity football stats keeper when his mentor, Frank Kiszka, died in 2004. Like Kiszka, Morrissey was old-school when it came to crunching numbers. He walked the sidelines during games in all weather, writing down play-by-play.

Mount Carmel athletic director Dan LaCount remembers what happened next: “Every Saturday after the [Friday night] game, Jim was the first guy in the coaches’ office with doughnuts and a pot of coffee he’d make. He’d sit at his desk with his pencils and tabulate his stats, and listen to the Northwestern game on the radio.”

Mount Carmel has entered the digital age by having a tablet on the sideline to keep stats. But, LaCount said, “we always went back to Jim’s notes because he didn’t miss anything.”

Morrissey’s work ethic and professionalism weren’t all that endeared him to the Caravan community.

“One of the quietest, most mild-mannered people you’d ever want to meet,” said former Caravan football coach Frank Lenti. “He had a great smile and a great laugh.”

Morrissey’s long association with his alma mater also meant he had a large and varied collection of Caravan apparel.He made good use of it during football seasons that ranged from the hot afternoons of August to the frigid nights of November.

“He had some of the best throwback gear,” LaCount said. “He was still wearing stuff from the ’80s.”

LaCount said details are still being worked out for a tribute to Morrissey that will take place when the Caravan opens the season Friday at home against St. Rita.

One thing is for sure, though, Lynch said: “Jim is always going to be with us.”

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Colson Montgomery gets another promotion within the White Sox organization, his second promotion this season for the 2021 draft pick.

Colson Montgomery continues his rocket trajectory through the minors after he was drafted in the first round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox in 2021. The 6-foot-4 shortstop has been on fire this season and will move up to double-A Birmingham from high single-A.

Montgomery is already rated as the White Sox number one overall prospect.  In high-A he’s batting .295 with nine homers and 48 RBIs this season.  At one point this season Montgomery enjoyed a streak in which he reached base safely in 50 straight games.

Colson Montgomery’s progress in Double-A Birmingham will be monitored closely by White Sox fans as the big league team is in desperate need of help at SS.  If Colson Montgomery does well in Double-A he could earn an invitation to spring training next year and from there, anything is possible.

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A man with a concealed carry license shot and wounded an armed carjackerduring an exchange of gunfire in North Austin on the West Side early Monday.

The man was in his car in the 5500 block of West Crystal Street when the carjacker fired at him around 1:25 a.m., Chicago police said.

The man returned fire and hit the carjacker in the chest, police said.He was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in critical condition.His gun was recovered at the scene.

The man with the CCL was not injured.

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Loyola is never far out of the spotlight. The Ramblers have been the area’s best football program over the past decade.

But things are heating up, even by their lofty standards, this week. No. 3 Loyola opens the season Sunday on ESPN against visiting Cincinnati St. Xavier.

“This feels like a playoff week,” Ramblers coach John Holecek said. “And then we will go back to normal and can build back up and correct our mistakes and keep getting better. The pressure here is you don’t want to be embarrassed on national television.”

St. Xavier may have a bit of an upper hand. The Bombers opened the season this past weekend, losing to Lakota West, Ohio.

“They will have a game under their belts but maybe we will have a bit of an element of surprise,” Holecek said. “They will have to guess a little bit on our personnel. But they might figure that out in the first quarter.”

The No. 3 Ramblers return a solid foundation on offense with quarterback Jake Stearney (Colgate), and tight ends Jack Fitzgerald (Northwestern) and Jack Parker (Western Michigan).

Seniors Braden Carlin (6-0, 255 pounds), Amario Hill (6-3, 300) and Will Emerson (6-2, 280 pounds) are back to anchor the offensive line. Holecek believes Panayiotis Mihalopoulos (6-3, 295 pounds) will fit right in after missing last season.

Junior Will Nimesheim and sophomore Drew MacPherson are the top running backs but Holecek plans for seniors Peter Hogan and Kyan Gibbs to get some carries.

Senior wide receiver Spencer Leadbetter, who has a knack for making big catches, should be one of Stearney’s favorite targets. Senior receiver Declan Forde (6-1, 180), who missed last season, should be a major contributor.

“[Leadbetter] turns things up a bit when he’s on the field and somehow just runs by people,” Holecek said.

This is Stearney’s second full year as the Ramblers’ starting quarterback and he played a bit as a sophomore. Last season he passed for 2,165 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 869 yards and nine touchdowns.

“I’m going to try and make the most of every practice and play and game this season,” Stearney said. “The offense has more experience back but I’m not too worried about the defense. They always get it done.”

Stearney is correct. Holecek’s defenses are always a force by playoff time.

The Ramblers don’t have a lot of returners on defense but there is a very solid core with 6-6, 275-pound senior defensive end Brooks Bahr (Michigan), cornerback Gabe Gyorgy and safety John McGuire. Bahr is one of the most physically intimidating players in the area.

Juniors Colin Scheid (5-11, 205 pounds) and Ethan Hogg (6-3, 210) will be stepping up as starting linebackers.

“They are learning the defense and getting good,” McGuire said. “They might not have the experience the guys did last year but they are great athletes.”

Loyola schedule

Aug. 28 vs. Cincinnati St. XavierSept. 3 vs. UnitedSept. 9 at St. RitaSept. 17 vs. Brother RiceSept. 24 vs. FenwickSept. 30 at MaristOct. 7 at ProvidenceOct. 15 vs. St. PatrickOct. 22 vs. Mount Carmel

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The Fire played on a field meant for soccer. Their performance showed they’re not meant for the playoffs.

During Sunday’s 2-0 loss to New York City FC in front of an announced crowd of 11,720, the Fire struggled to do much against an NYCFC team that lost Wednesday at home and entered on a four-game winless streak. Sunday’s result, which was moved to SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview because of expected playing conditions at Soldier Field, was reminiscent of many the Fire have turned in at the venue, when the team would come up short in crucial situations.

With the loss, the Fire have dropped two straight, and it became clear early that Sunday would be another Bridgeview disappointment for the club.

NYCFC took a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute when the Fire gave Gabriel Pereira time and space outside the 18-yard box, and he beat Gabriel Slonina with a shot into the top right corner.

The Fire also got a significant scare later in the 24th when Kacper Przybylko attempted a header in front of the NYCFC goal and also made contact with defender Malte Amundsen. Przybylko stayed down for several minutes and was bloodied, but returned in the 31st with a bandage around his head.

Przybylko was replaced by Jhon Duran in the 50th minute, but by then the Fire had conceded again. Normally reliable captain Rafael Czichos gave the ball away in front of the Fire net, and Santiago Rodriguez slotted it past Slonina for a 46th-minute goal and 2-0 NYCFC lead.

With Gaston Gimenez (right thigh) out, the Fire’s thin depth was going to be tested if the Fire suffered more injuries after sporting director Georg Heitz made no additions before the transfer window closed. That came back to bite the Fire when Carlos Teran – playing for the first time since hurting his hamstring July 30 – appeared to injure himself and was removed in the 68th minute.

Because coach Ezra Hendrickson had already subbed out center back option Mauricio Pineda, the Fire switched to a 3-5-2 after Teran departed. Pineda started in midfield next to Federico Navarro.

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In a span of nearly two months, left-hander Justin Steele has developed a knack for being adaptable and dominant.

Since heeding the advice from former Cubs great Jon Lester, Steele has pounded the inside part of the strike zone to right-handers with greater success with only two primary pitches.

At the same time, Steele has been able to exploit the weaknesses of opposing offenses – whether it’s inducing soft contact or accumulating strikeouts.

Steele displayed his dominance Sunday by striking out seven of the first 10 batters he faced and finished with six innings of two-hit ball.

Although the bullpen surrendered five runs in the final three innings of a 5-2 loss to the Brewers that snapped a five-game winning streak, the Cubs can feel more encouraged by the continued development of Steele and his eagerness to improve.

“From where he’s come from early in the season, it just feels like you’re getting that performance every time he steps foot on the mound, all the way around,” manager David Ross said.

Steele has posted a 1.47 ERA in his last nine starts since June 29. That occurred after one of his roughest starts, when he was tagged for six runs in a loss at Pittsburgh.

That improvement started three weeks after Lester mentioned to Ross that Steele would benefit from throwing his fastball and slider inside more frequently to right-handers to jam them and/or open up the outer portion of the strike zone.

Ross relayed Lester’s tips to Steele, and Steele made sure to thank Lester during a pregame visit Sunday.

“I told him I appreciated him reaching out to Ross earlier in season,” Steele said of Lester, who visited Wrigley Field for the first time since retiring after the 2021 season. “He didn’t have to do that, so it was greatly appreciated.”

In Steele’s last six starts, he’s posted an 0.86 ERA – lowest in the majors during that stretch. He’s had three starts of at least nine strikeouts during that span.

Steele generated 15 swings and misses among his 89 pitches – including 10 on his four-seam fastball.

Steele threw only seven sinkers and has experimented in the past with a curve and changeup that he hopes to develop in the future. But Ross seems content with the current repertoire, for now.

“I don’t want to complicate it, either,” Ross said. “The guy we got right now is pretty darn good. If this is it, I’ll take this spot right here. If he develops more pitches, fine. I don’t think you have to develop five pitches to be dominant.”

Steele, 27, a fourth-round pick of the Cubs in 2014, had much of his early development stunted by injuries. But he has earned to improve his physique and stamina through trial and error.

He praised the Cubs’ training staff for throwing a team-high 113 2/3 innings without any signs of fatigue, and he added extra weight on his 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame entering spring training to prepare for the rigors of a full major league season.

“It’s about knowing your body,” said Steele, adding that his family is “active and skinny” and doesn’t maintain weight.

“I don’t want to be somewhere when I lose weight I risk injury. Everyone is different.”

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The Chicago Bears had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, but the evidence now says the Bears have a far better unit than a few months ago.

There’s little doubt that fans and analysts of the Chicago Bears have little patience in the Bears fixing their offensive line problems.

However, the Bears are moving in the correct direction with the players they have added to the roster, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that there are subtle signs that the Bears will be a lot better off this year than they were last year, on the offensive line.

New GM Ryan Poles came from the Kansas City Chiefs and his assistant GM Ian Cunningham came from the Philadelphia Eagles and they wasted no time in bringing in young talent along the offensive line by making trades and adding more picks.  Both the Eagles and the Chiefs have two of the top offensive lines in the NFL heading into the 2022 season.  

Why is the Bears’ offensive line already better than it was the day after the NFL Draft? Cunningham and Poles added quality depth in the draft.  Three players are/were already performing above expectations in training camp.  Fifth-round draft pick Braxton Jones has the starting left tackle position locked up and is likely going to turn into the long-term starter.  To find your starting left tackle in the fifth round is a rare gem. Most left tackles are found within the first round of the NFL Draft but Poles may have found one of the top steals of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Seventh-round draft pick Ja’Tyre Carter has been primarily running with the second team at right guard and earning the praise of radio analyst and former Bears right guard Tom Thayer. Carter is in a position to make the 53-man roster as a seventh-round pick. Doug Kramer before his unfortunate injury was running with the second team at center in place of Sam Mustipher who was getting the primary reps at right guard.

Three players on the offensive line who already came in and made waves in their first year on the roster.  That’s an important overall development in the health of the Bears’ offensive line.  While it may not seem like much, it’s clear that if the Bears have three guys who could be key cogs in the offensive line over the next few years.

The evidence is there that what the Chiefs and the Eagles put together building up their offensive lines happened under the guidance of the two men who are now in charge of the Bears.  The evidence is also strong that there has been an immediate impact by Poles and Cunningham on the 2022 Chicago Bears’ offensive line.

Consider the health and depth of the overall offensive line, compared to a year ago.  Jones solidifies the left tackle spot, Riley Reiff and Larry Borom are fighting for the starting right tackle/primary backup to both offensive tackle spots.  Both Reiff and Borom have played both left tackle and right tackle with Reiff the veteran who has secured the spot but has also forced Borom to elevate his game in their training camp competition.  Reiff has primarily played left tackle, but a switch to right tackle may resurrect his career to the point that it elevates the Bears’ offensive line.

Teven Jenkins can play both guard and tackle and is competing with Michael Schofield for the guard/back offensive tackle spot on the roster.  Schofield is a starter-level player who could be relegated to a solid backup spot with Jenkins’ emergence.

So, the Bears have young talent in Jenkins, Borom, Jones, Carter, and Kramer that could theoretically all have the potential to start together in the not-too-distant future.  While three of the four may not have to start because of the veterans added to the mix, or if they do start are pushed by veterans who have started who have forced them to get better.

The Chicago Bears offensive line is better than it was a year ago and is also in good hands for the future.  Primarily because the two men piecing it together have a track record of success that has already led to a major difference in one off-season.

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This should be a straightforward question for any defensive coordinator: How many of your dozen or so cornerbacks do you trust?

“I’m still not sure yet,” the Bears’ Alan Williams said Sunday. “I’m really not. I think I know where you’re going: You may say, ‘Well, is that Jaylon Johnson? Has he earned it?’ None of our guys have played an entire ballgame.

“Right now, we’re still looking. We’ll see who can get there and earn the trust… I always say it’s a bank account. Can you fill up that bank account with trust in how you play and be consistent? And then we’ll go from there.”

OK then, with the season less than three weeks away, whose bank account is biggest?

“I’m not sure who makes that much money,” Williams quipped. “I know what you’re asking. I’ll stay away from that right now. None of them have a big enough bank account that they get to do what they want to right now. None of them right now.”

Let’s fill in some blanks on the ledger.

While Williams makes a valid point that players must earn credibility with him during real games, Johnson has banked plenty of it over the last two seasons. He’s one of the few surefire things about this team amid the rebuild.

And rookie Kyler Gordon, the team’s top draft pick at No. 39 overall and No. 6 at his position, has shown enough between his college track record and his impressive training camp at nickel that he qualifies for a loan.

But after those two? That’s probably the real reason it’s tough for Williams to answer.

This team saw how it went last season with Johnson and a bunch of question marks.

The Bears allowed the highest passer rating in the NFL and in franchise history at 103.3, the equivalent of making opposing quarterbacks look like Tom Brady, on average. They also gave up the third-most yards and touchdown passes and snared the fourth-fewest interceptions.

That debacle happened despite having the benefit of a pass rush that was fourth in sacks. It was the second-highest passer rating allowed in a season by a team that had at least 45 sacks.

Johnson was the Bears’ only corner who kept quarterbacks below 60% completions.

The secondary was on fire every week.

No matter what defense the Bears run or who’s coaching them, they need reliable cornerbacks. Matt Eberflus can’t scheme around being shaky at that position.

What is Kindle Vildor’s balance after a season in which opponents completed nearly 70% of their passes against him? Or Duke Shelley’s after allowing 74%?

Tavon Young hasn’t been a full-time starter since tearing his ACL in 2017. Thomas Graham, a sixth-round pick last year, played just four games as a rookie. Lamar Jackson — not the one you’re thinking of — spent almost all of last season on the Jets’ practice squad.

If cornerback proves to be a liability for the defense, the ripple effect could hurt quarterback Justin Fields in a season that’s crucial to his development.

One of the best ways the Bears can help Fields is to set him up for success with takeaways. Many of the best quarterbacks had that in their favor during their breakout seasons.

The Bears have been 22nd or worse in takeaways each of the last three seasons. The last time they were good, leading the NFL with 36 in 2018, it was enough to make Mitch Trubisky viable. The season before, the Eagles and Rams were top five in takeaways and propped up Carson Wentz and Jared Goff, respectively.

Fields remains the most important person at Halas Hall, and every potential problem with this roster will affect him in some way. So the Bears better hope their cornerbacks other than Johnson start making deposits.

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When the Bears stiff-armed linebacker Roquan Smith in his quest for a long-term contract after being a second-team All-Pro the last two seasons, teammates surely took notice. But running back David Montgomery was unfazed.

Montgomery could be in a similar situation next season. He’s averaged 1,244 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns in his first three seasons — pretty impressive for offenses that ranked 29th, 22nd and 27th in scoring.

Smith’s contract episode did not concern him. It’s worth noting that he has an agent to deal with contract issues. Smith does not.

“I just come here to play football. That has nothing to do with me,” Montgomery said.”I’m sure everyone else is handling it who has to handle it. I’m just worried bout football, and I’m ready to play.”

Montgomery, in fact, said his next contract is the least of his concerns.

“I’ve got bigger fish to fry,” Montgomery said. “I’ve got a game coming up this week [Saturday against the Browns]. I’m worried about that –not worried about a contract, none of that. I’m just trying to play football and have fun with that. Everything else will take care of itself. I’ve got no worries in the world.”

Khalil Herbert returns

Running back Khalil Herbert, who left Saturday’s practice on a cart but with no obvious injury, returned to practice Monday. Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad also practiced after missing Saturday’s practice.

Wide receiver Nsimba Webster did not practice Sunday. Also out were safety Jaquan Brisker, center Lucas Patrick, wide receivers Tajae Sharpe, N’Keal Harry and Byron Pringle, cornerbacks Tavon Young, Thomas Graham and Jaylon Jones and linebacker Caleb Johnson.

Big-play defense

After 6-4, 338-pound defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga rumbled 80 yards for a pick-6 in Saturday’s practice, the defensive line created another takeaway Sunday when defensive tackle Angelo Blackson tipped a pass that linebacker Nick Morrow picked just before it hit the ground.

“It gives credibility to the H.I.T.S principle, that there’s a reason why we turn and hustle and run to the football,” said defensive coordinator Alan Williams, referring to Matt Eberflus’ acronym for hustle, intensity, takeaways and playing smart that is the foundation of his philosophy.

“So when guys’ legs are a little bit dead and they go, ‘Coach, give me a little break today. This is why I”m not running because I’m a little tired,’ I go, ‘See this right here? That’s a game-changing play. That goes from maybe a field goal or possibly a touchdown to we intercept the ball, and you look over there and the other group, they’re deflated.’

“That’s a great step into the H.I.T.S. principle –why we run; why we turn the ball over. [It’s a] big deal.”

Salute to the military

The Bears recognized first responders and military groups at practice Sunday — an honor particularly meaningful to Williams, whose father was an Army officer and pilot in Vietnam.

“I know how it is, for those people to serve and give and sacrifice,” Williams said. “We owe a debt of gratitude. So I wanted to say thank you to them, and we appreciate them coming out and supporting us.”

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CLEVELAND – The White Sox were built to slug and score runs, but for mysterious reasons, they turned into a singles-hitting team in 2022.

So the little things mean a lot to a team ranked 26th in homers and 19th in slugging percentage. And other big things, such as defense and baserunning.

And cutting down on mistakes. It’s the only way they’ll overtake the Guardians and Twins, whom they are, to everyone’s surprise in late August, chasing in the American League Central with 41 games to go following Sunday’s postponement against the Guardians due to wet, unplayable conditions.

“As long as we play good, clean baseball, everyone in here is happy,” said reliever Kendall Graveman, who pitched for the Astros’ AL championship team last season. “The days we don’t play clean baseball are the days it’s difficult for us to look in the mirror. We have to learn from them.”

The Sox are 16-11 in their last 27 games.

“Overall, since the All-Star break we’ve done a much better job playing the game of baseball the way it’s supposed to be played,” Graveman said.

Much better might be a stretch, but if it’s better, it has to be taken up another notch.

For pitchers, it’s about not walking hitters you don’t want to walk and walking hitters who should be walked or pitched around to, Graveman said.

It’s about watching Johnny Cueto and taking notice.

“Baseball is an intricate, detailed game of when do we pitch around a guy with a base open, when are we attacking guys, trying to get a double play ball,” Graveman said. “You watch Cueto’s outings, that’s what we look for. He knows when to go for a strikeout, when to be careful, when to try to get a ground ball. And all of us collectively as a group, if we do that in our own individual area we’ll be much better.”

The Sox’ situational hitting struggles, particularly with runners on third base and no outs when they are an atrocious 1-for-9, reached a point where third base coach Joe McEwing sent Yasmani Grandal home on a single with no outs in Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Guardians. Grandal was out by plenty and injured trying to avoid the tag.

Manager Tony La Russa said the Sox problems of getting runners in from third has been internally discussed and “we know exactly what we are doing wrong.”

“What we could do better,” he said. “That’s something that we have not got significantly better at.

“We know exactly how we can fix it better and they work on it.”

Graveman was among the core group of players who met with La Russa last Monday to discuss how to make things better for this team that was a heavy favorite in the division but faces the possibility of no postseason at all.

“Any time you communicate it’s beneficial,” Graveman said. “We’re spending a lot of time together and we need to have honest conversations, how can we step forward. That’s all it was. For me it was an honor to be in that group and speak. This is our team, these are our guys that need to lead, that’s a good conversation.”

Graveman said conversations in the clubhouse, one with 10-year service time veterans AJ Pollock, Josh Harrison, Jake Diekman, Lance Lynn, Cueto, Grandal, Joe Kelly (this month) and now Elvis Andrus, as well as nine-year veteran Jose Abreuhave become more prevalent.

“In order to win that’s what we need to be,” Gravema said. “This team has so many veterans, so the experience in this locker room is pretty impressive, one of most experienced clubhouses in the league. So from that aspect it helps to have those individual conversations about how can we be better.”

Now it’s about doing it.

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