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Wheaton North players celebrate Mark Forcucci’s (5) touchdown against Willowbrook. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

A look at this weekend’s best playoff games.

Class 8A: No. 8 Lockport at No. 1 Loyola, 1 p,m. Saturday

Loyola has been mixing and matching at running back after Marco Maldonado suffered a broken collarbone against Brother Rice in Week 4, but quarterback Jake Stearney and a deep receiving corps have kept the offense afloat. The Ramblers (12-0) were held to just a field goal in last week’s win over Lincoln-Way East, but a defense led by James Kreutz made sure that was enough. Hayden Timosciek, Lockport’s 6-7 quarterback, and running back Ty Schultz have both been impact players in the playoffs. How strong is the Porters’ defense? The 22 points Lockport (11-1) gave up to Glenbard North last week were a season high.

Class 8A: No. 4 Maine South at No. 10 Marist, 1 p.m. Saturday

Marist’s three losses all came in the CCL/ESCC Blue, but they’re just a fading memory now that the RedHawks (9-3) are one win away from their first trip to state since 2015. Coastal Carolina-bound quarterback Dontrell Jackson Jr. has passed for 1,981 yards and 25 touchdowns with just six interceptions, and has rushed for 473 yards and three TDs. Jaylen Johnson (841 yards, 14 TDs) also has been productive in the ground game. Linebacker Jimmy Rolder, who just committed to Michigan, has 102 tackles and nine tackles for loss. Maine South (11-1) has been as good as any team in the state away from home, with wins at Warren and Neuqua Valley. Rowan Keefe threw for 218 yards and two TDs, including an 80-yarder to Northwestern recruit Chris Petrucci, last week against Neuqua Valley.

Class 7A: No. 3 Brother Rice at No. 6 Wheaton North, 4 p.m. Saturday

Jack Lausch, Rice’s Notre Dame-bound football and baseball player, continues to bolster his case for Player of the Year. Last week he ran for 253 yards and four touchdowns as the Crusaders (10-2) pulled away in the second half to beat Mount Carmel 41-28. Rice has some other difference makers as well in coach Brian Badke’s final season before stepping down. Running back Aaron Vaughn added 174 rushing yards against the Caravan and Khary Shaw has delivered some big plays on defense. Wheaton North (11-1) is seeking its first trip to state since winning the Class 5A title in 1986 under legendary coach Jim Rexilius. Holy Cross-bound quarterback Mark Forcucci and junior linebacker Ross Dansdill have been the Falcons’ leaders all season.

Class 7A: No. 17 Prospect at No. 7 St. Rita, 6 p.m. Saturday

St. Rita’s Kaleb Brown, an Ohio State recruit, was the Chicago area’s top-ranked prospect coming into the year. He was hurt in the opener against Mount Carmel and missed most of the season, But he’s back healthy and giving the Mustangs (10-2) another elite offensive option down the stretch. Prospect (10-2) also had an injury to a key player: quarterback Frank Covey. But Owen Walter has stepped in for the Knights (10-2), who also have been getting big plays from a defense that has six takeaways the past two weeks.

Class 5A, No. 19 Sycamore vs. No. 9 Fenwick, 1 p.m. Saturday at Triton

Fenwick (10-2) is a longtime Catholic League football power, but the Friars have never played for a state title. With Division I talent on both sides of the ball, this could be the year the drought ends. Quarterback Kaden Cobb, a Ball State recruit, has some speedy targets in Eian Ough (Illinois) and Max Reese (Eastern Michigan) and good protection from the likes of center Jimmy Liston (Purdue). Sycamore also is playing for its first state final berth. The Spartans (9-3) have five shutouts, including the past two weeks against Glenbard South and St. Patrick.

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Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said there was a “culture of behavior” at Marine Leadership Academy that is “not tolerated by our district.”

The Chicago Public Schools inspector general has substantiated allegations against 12 adults at the Marine Leadership Academy for either committing or covering up sexual misconduct dating back more than two years, district officials revealed Friday.

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said in a morning news conference at the district’s downtown headquarters that he only found out about the investigation late last month and insisted other central office officials did not know the widespread nature of the allegations.

That’s even as the former principal of the school, Erin Galfer, was promoted to a district administrator position this June. She has since been fired, Martinez said.

CPS inspector general Will Fletcher

Martinez said there was a “culture of behavior” at Marine Leadership Academy that is “not tolerated by our district.”

One allegation involved a teacher having a sexual relationship with a student once they turned 18. Another had to do with a teacher grooming a student for sex after they graduated. Several more were grooming or sexual harassment of students by staff members and one volunteer.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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The Chicago Bears’ offensive line has gradually come on lately, with the offensive tackles being the highlight of the group. Rookie fifth-round draft pick Larry Borom has been solid, putting together a pair of good showings against a couple of the league’s top pass rushers (Nick Bosa and T.J. Watt). Borom has been somewhat of […] Chicago Bears: What should the Bears do with Teven Jenkins? – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

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Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said there was a “culture of behavior” at Marine Leadership Academy that is “not tolerated by our district.”

The Chicago Public Schools inspector general has substantiated allegations against 12 adults at the Marine Leadership Academy for either committing or covering up sexual abuse dating back more than two years, district officials revealed Friday.

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said in a morning news conference at the district’s downtown headquarters that he only found out about the investigation late last month and insisted other central office officials did not know the widespread nature of the allegations.

That’s even as the former principal of the school, Erin Galfer, was promoted to a district administrator position this June. She has since been fired, Martinez said.

Martinez said there was a “culture of behavior” at Marine Leadership Academy that is “not tolerated by our district.”

One allegation involved a teacher having a sexual relationship with a student once they turned 18. Another had to do with a teacher grooming a student for sex after they graduated. Several more were grooming or sexual harassment of students by staff members and one volunteer.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Mariah Carey recently announced her 12 days of free food promotion via app at McDonald’s. | McDonald’s USA

Coming Dec. 3 is “Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues,” featuring Khalid and Kirk Franklin, on Apple TV+.

We don’t want a lot for Christmas. There is just one thing we need.

Mariah.

And that’s a wish granted, because the Queen of Christmas is in overdrive this holiday season.

Mariah songs, Mariah merchandise, Mariah TV special, Mariah at McDonalds.

What’s that you say? If only you had a Mariah-themed fur-trimmed pet jacket so your pup could emulate her beloved Jack Russell terrier Cha Cha?

Done.

Or, as much as anyone with a pulse relishes Carey’s 27-year-old classic, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” maybe it’s time for the Queen to drop a new holiday tune?

She’s got you covered with “Fall in Love at Christmas,” her new choir-filled ballad with Khalid and Kirk Franklin.

A sequel to last year’s delightful “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special” on Apple TV+?

Yep, coming Dec. 3, “Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues,” featuring Khalid and Franklin, will land on the streaming service.

So is it just us, or does this year feel particularly chock-full of Carey?

“I go all out every year, darling,” she tells USA TODAY. “I love the holidays. It’s just my thing. I just have a special connection with Christmas.”

While Carey has shrewdly turned the everlasting success of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” — a romp deserving of unmitigated praise — into a seasonal stream of revenue, she isn’t exaggerating her affection for the holiday.

The downstairs of her Los Angeles home was decorated by early November, although she admits, “I walk past the room and I’m like, I can’t look at it yet.” By mid-December, she and her 10-year-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe, will make their annual pilgrimage to Aspen, Colorado, where the singer says three Christmas trees will be decorated and real reindeer will hang around in the snow.

The rest of us can experience a dash of Carey with the Mariah Carey Holiday Collection sold online as well as at Target and Walmart (blankets, socks, ornaments, a plush Carey and Cha Cha) or with a sip of her Black Irish liqueur (Carey suggests “treating it as dessert, after dinner”) while listening to Carey Christmas songs.

Carey, of course, has her own holiday favorites, which she (and pal Franklin) shared.

Q. Aside from your own songs, what is your favorite Christmas music?

Mariah Carey: I listen to a playlist of thousands of Christmas songs from so many different albums that not everyone may know. I love the “Jackson 5 Christmas Album,” always Nat King Cole and one of my favorites, Donny Hathaway. Even “The Chipmunk Song” is on the playlist! People who come stay with me, family and friends, it gets to be, like, Dec. 28 and they’re going, can we put (any other music) back on?

Q. Favorite Christmas movie?

Kirk Franklin: I love those (classic) animated ones like “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” even though the animation is dated.

Carey: Yes! Rudolph and “Frosty (The Snowman)” and “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.” There’s something nostalgic about it. I watch those every year with the kids. And you gotta love “Elf.”

Q. Are the twins still preparing for Santa?

Carey: Of course. Santa sees us every year.

Q. Do they leave him cookies?

Carey: I’m not trying to plug anything, but I do have Mariah’s cookies as well. And yes, (Santa) hangs out with us.

Q. Why did you decide to take the ballad route with “Fall in Love at Christmas”?

Carey: We were working in the Butterfly Lounge in Atlanta on a lot of different things, like a seven-minute version of “We Belong Together”… and it wasn’t about what type of song, it was about a musical place and a safe haven and we ended up with this. It’s not just a ballad. Once the choir comes in, it takes (the song) to a new place, a spiritually enhanced place. I can’t compete with “All I Want For Christmas,” but I love it.

Q. How did you come to collaborate with Kirk and Khalid?

Carey: We were in Atlanta after the holidays last year and my apartment was still being renovated. My music director Daniel Moore is based out of Atlanta, and lo and behold Tyler Perry texted me the exact day (I arrived) and I said, “I don’t know where to go,” and he found this house and we turned it into the Butterfly Lounge. Daniel and I started writing the song and Kirk came and we played around with some lyrics and ideas and he took it back to Houston and added the most incredible choir. I got the song back and it blew my mind.

Franklin: I was super honored for her to consider me. It’s no secret that some of the trailblazers have come from the church and the church community has always been a fan of Mariah and her style. She’s always been respected in the community of real singers.

Q. Your Apple TV+ special last year was so fun with Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson. What can we expect from the new one?

Carey: I don’t want to give anything away, but the gentleman on the phone with us (Franklin) will be on there, as well as Khalid. And I’m doing another song that is a fan favorite that I didn’t perform in the first Christmas special. I really love what it looks like.

Read more at usatoday.com

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Baseball in November? No, we’re not crazy here. While it’s true that Major League Baseball is one of the few major sports not seeing any in-game action at the moment, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to talk about. Last night we saw the league hand out some MVP awards to each of the top guys in the NL and AL. Plus, over the next couple months, we’ll start to see plenty of free agent rumors, trade talks, and much more as the 2022 MLB offseason progresses. And it all starts right here with our primer at UrbanMatter Chicago!

Important Dates To Know

Mark your calendars baseball fans, because there are a few key dates to look out for in the 2022 MLB offseason. We’ve passed some big ones already, most notably the start of Free Agency which began on November 7. You can find a comprehensive list of all the free agent moves on ESPN’s website, as they’ll be updating it throughout the MLB offseason whenever something happens. As for the other important dates, here’s some to take note of:

December 1, 2021 – The Collective Bargaining Agreement expires
January 14, 2022 – Deadline for teams/arbitration-eligible players to exchange salary figures
January 31, 2022 – Arbitration hearings begin
February 26, 2022 – 2022 MLB Spring Training begins
March 31, 2022 – 2022 Opening Day

So, those are some of the biggest dates to look out for in the 2022 MLB offseason, with the big story line focusing on the expiring CBA.

Keys to the 2022 MLB Offseason

Really, the biggest and only key to a successful MLB offseason is the owners and players coming to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement. When the current deal expires on December 1, it’s very likely that the owners will initiate a lockout.

Now, a lockout isn’t as terrible as the name sounds. For those of you old enough to remember, the last time the collective bargaining agreement expired happened before the 1994 season. When that happened, the owners didn’t choose to do a lockout. This meant that negotiations for a new CBA deal were performed at the same time that everything else occurred during the offseason, and both sides never came to an agreement. By the time August rolled around, the players started their strike, which resulted in that year being completely shut down, post season and all. That strike lasted so long that it spilled into the 1995 season where replacement players were used. Luckily for us Chicagoans, it forced Michael Jordan to resign from Major League Baseball as he wouldn’t fill in as a replacement.

But let’s go back to the present. In the likely scenario where we see a lockout by the owners in a month or two, it might not be that bad. Nobody wants there to be delays in a new CBA deal. Not the owners, not the players pulling for better terms, and certainly not MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred. The labor negotiations for the new CBA deal, whether they go well or the opposite, are going to be some of the biggest talking points of the 2022 MLB offseason. And as fans, all we can hope for is the players get what they deserve, and we approach Spring Training right on schedule. Stay tuned everyone.

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