No. 5 Lincoln-Way East has been one of the state’s most dominant football teams since the program began in 2001. It’s still high school football though, so despite getting a late start due to some rain earlier in the afternoon, the Griffins were rushed off the field for the school band to practice on Wednesday,

Coach Rob Zvonar took advantage of each minute he had, barking orders and ramping up the intensity for his new, untested players.

Year after year, Zvonar has replaced seniors with seniors and been a nearly unbeatable force. But this year is different. Zvonar is replacing seniors with juniors and sophomores for the most part. Lincoln-Way East will have 13 non-senior starters.

“I don’t think we are rebuilding or starting over by any means,” Zvonar said. “But there is a little challenge coming back from a COVID year. Just getting kids and all of us in the right mindset. It’s been a lot of fun watching this group develop.”

The Griffins will potentially start four sophomores: offensive lineman Josh Janowski, linebacker Conner Durkin, defensive lineman David Wuske and receiver Cade Serauskis.

Lincoln-Way East is 46-1 since 2016 and its 20-game winning streak is the state’s longest (Williamsville and Richmond-Burton also have 20 consecutive wins).

The Griffins have experience back on the offensive line to lean on while all the new faces get acclimated. Senior Alex Knaperek is a three-year starter on the line and juniors Brad Abbot and Will Heitner are returning starters. They’ll be blocking for a new running back combination.

“We have a really nice two-headed monster at running back,” Zvonar said. “Juniors James Kwiecinski and Petey Olaleye are going to split that spot. They are different runners, kind of like the old school thunder and lightning. Petey is the big power back and James is a little smaller and shiftier.”

Senior Brennan Stolarek won the quarterback job and has a pair of talented, experienced receivers in seniors Trey Johnson and Jack Tremblay.

“Brennan is a tremendous young man,” Zvonar said. “We’re really fortunate to have him. There will be a lot of juniors and sophomores playing but the seniors will be our leaders.”

Cornerback Jon Guch and lineman Michael Cardilli are returning starters on defense, along with junior linebacker Jake Scianna.

Lincoln-Way East quarterback Brennan Stolarek (10) at football practice, Wednesday, August 18, 2021. Kevin Tanaka/For the Sun-Times

“Scianna is going to be a great player for us,” Zvonar said. “Both of his older brothers were great players and his dad was one of the top players in the country in 1989.”

Is No. 5 too high for such an unproven team? Others will likely rank the Grifffins even higher, just based on what they have accomplished over the last two decades.

“I would much rather have the stress and pressure of high expectations instead of the other way around,” Zvonar said. “We don’t think we have to take a dip this year, but the makeup of our team is a little different.”

LINCOLN-WAY EAST SCHEDULE

Aug. 27 vs. Crete-Monee

Sep. 3 at Naperville Central

Sep. 10 vs. Stagg

Sep. 17 at Andrew

Sep. 24 at Bolingbrook

Oct. 1 vs. Sandburg

Oct. 8 vs. Homewood-Flossmoor

Oct. 15 at Lockport

Oct. 22 vs. Bradley-Bourbonnais

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As published in the Chicago Daily News, sister publication of the Chicago Sun-Times:

Every rock band has its die-hard fans, but few fans could match the fervor, excitement and utter devotion that Chicago’s Beatles worshippers showed when the band arrived for a Comiskey Park concert in 1965.

Just one year earlier, Beatlemania arrived in the U.S. in February 1964 when the Fab Four — John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison — performed on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” More than 73 million people across more than 23 million households tuned into the show, according to Mark Lewisohn, author of “The Complete Beatles Chronicle: The Definitive Day-By-Day Guide To the Beatles’ Entire Career.”

Whatever it was about the band — the music, that long hair, the accents — teenagers, especially girls, became obsessed with the lads from Liverpool.

Now for this performance on Aug. 20, 1965, the Chicago Daily News sent reporter Betty Flynn to follow the band and document the Beatlemania taking of the teens of Chicago.

“In just 24 hours,” Flynn wrote, “the Beatles tore through Chicago, shattering many teenage hearts, shredding some adult nerves, and, apparently, enjoying every minute of it.”

Thronged by fans at every step, the Beatles left the O’Hare Sahara Inn at 2:50 p.m. by sneaking out a side corridor and into a station wagon parked in an alley, Flynn reported. “Outside, the police told the girls, some of whom had waited since 4 a.m., the demigods had left.”

The Beatles performed at the International Amphitheater the previous year, and none of that enthusiasm had waned. At Comiskey Park, fans went wild when the band, “wearing khaki army-like jackets, [raced] onto their stage atop second base,” the reporter observed.

“I can’t believe it, George, I love you, George, oh George,” Flynn heard one blonde fan “with glasses and a bad complexion” shriek with a voice “already sounding sandpaperish.”

Flynn mentioned only one song the Beatles played, “Ticket to Ride.” Instead, she focused on the ecstasy going on in the crowd.

“Every movement brings another shriek of pain, of joy, of frustration,” she wrote. “Paul rocks back and forth, brisk and steady, then switches to a knees-up-and-down movement. Suddenly, he lifts the end of his guitar twice, quickly, into the air. There is madness in the stands.”

Later at a press conference between shows, McCartney answered most of the questions, Flynn said. Someone asked: How was the Chicago security? “It was so good this year we couldn’t get our friends in,” McCartney joked.

Another asked what would happen when the band’s fame fades. “We’ve no idea … it doesn’t matter though,” McCartney answered.

Did they mind when their fans kept screaming during performances? “We’ve proved we can be heard over the screaming,” McCartney said. “The people paid to get in. Who are we to say what they should do when they get in?”

Then one reporter asked Starr directly, “Why doesn’t Ringo smile?”

“It’s just the face,” he said seriously. “I’m quite happy inside.”

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Chicago expressways — already not for the faint of heart, with speeding motorists and out-of-the-blue traffic jams — have become even more dangerous this year with a rise of shootings along the motorways.

But a new network of high-definition cameras and license plate reading equipment began hitting Chicago area expressways Wednesday. Here’s hoping it can make a difference in reducing shootings on the motorways and helping police nab those responsible when gunfire erupts.

The cameras and associated software are being purchased with a $12.5 million Illinois Department of Transportation grant in response to the uptick in expressway shootings in recent years.

Illinois State Police told us the new system will be tested over the weekend — and not a moment too soon. Chicago is averaging nearly five reports of gunfire a week on its area expressways this year.

The shootings can have tragic consequences. Among the latest: retired special education teacher Denise M. Huguelet, 67, who was killed after she was caught in the crossfire between two other cars on the Dan Ryan Expressway near 63rd Street Tuesday night.

2021: Just 10 arrests

As of Thursday night, 157 reports of shooting this year on the Chicago area’s eight expressways and Illinois 394.

Police say the shootings are the result of everything from road rage to on-going city gang disputes that then spill onto the expressways.

But the ease of escape — and the difficulty in identifying suspects who are seated in cars — have contributed to few of the shootings being solved. Police have made only 10 arrests in this year’s incidents.

Suspects in Huguelet’s death are being questioned. State police say a nearby trooper heard the gunshots and chased — along with a police helicopter– the two suspects’ car, arrested them and recovered a handgun.

The new camera network was funded through a state law named for Tamara Clayton, who was shot and killed while driving on I-57 near Cicero Avenue in 2019. The case remains unsolved.

“By implementing this camera technology, we are not going to stop the number of shootings on the expressways,” state Rep. Thaddeus Jones, who sponsored the law, said in 2019. “However, this technology will be used as a tool to catch those people who are using our expressways as their own personal shooting range.”

A necessary start

As part of the new network, Illinois State Police will install automated license plate readers at 47 spots along the expressway system in Cook County.

Each location will include a camera that can read a moving vehicle’s license plate and send the info to a central headquarters where systems can match up and identify the tags.

Admittedly, our eyebrows raised a bit that it has taken a year and a half to get the camera system in place since the Tamara Clayton law was put in effect.

But state officials say the time was needed to find a vendor, engineer and build the system.

And while we remain concerned about law enforcement’s ever-increasing surveillance capabilities, Illinois State Police say the network will be used to catch expressway shooters, and not speeders or others accused of committing misdemeanors in view of cameras.

We’d also caution against an over-reliance on the system, once it is up in running.

As we said in a 2016 editorial on expressway shootings, at which time we called for better camera technology: “More lasting solutions, such as assigning more troopers to the expressways permanently … are begged for.”

This is still true. But the cameras are a good and necessary start.

Send letters to [email protected].

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Hyde Park is an awesome neighborhood in the South Side with so many excellent places to chow down. From popular joints to hidden gems, this roundup contains restaurants you should have visited a looong time ago! If you haven’t been to any of these top-notch establishments, go ahead and plan a trip ASAP. You’ll thank us later. 

1642 E 56th St #1 Chicago, IL 60637

This upscale cafe features incredible Italian fare and a full bar in a cozy space with a market next door. For over 36 years, the folks at Piccolo have been serving up gourmet entrees with a touch of tapas from Spain. You can’t go wrong with Linguine Con Vongole or Pollo Marinato Alla Griglia! 

1462 E 53rd St Chicago, IL 60615

Looking for Southern deliciousness in a funky chic setting? We got you. Virtue dishes out some major eats from Walleye and Catfish to Buttered Grits and Collards with Smoked Turkey. After all that amazing food, you might forget you’re still in the Midwest. 

5311 S Lake Park Ave W Chicago, IL 60615

Time to take it up a notch! This modern, sophisticated joint features a conceptual menu with open-hearth cooking in a multi-level space. The best part? The music! Get down on some good eats and then get your dance on after hours. Check out upcoming shows here. 

1368 E 53rd St Chicago, IL 60615

Well, there’s nothing fancy about the Soul Shack and that’s precisely why we love it. Just mouthwatering Southern soul food with items like Fried Smothered Chicken, Lollipop Lamb Chops, and Chicken & Waffles. Yes, please! 

1327 E 57th St Chicago, IL 60637

American eats galore! This restaurant has been a Hyde Park staple for almost 60 years. And it comes as no surprise with their top-notch menu of pan pizzas and deli sandwiches to angus burgers and classic milkshakes. Must. Try. Everything. 

1509 E 53rd St Chicago, IL 60615

In the mood or Asian-inspired global cuisine? Swing by Chant (they’re open late!) for some dope eats and drinks. Favorites include their Duck Burger, Sambal Fried Catfish with Mac and Cheese, and for the vegans: Spinach and Tofu. Chef’s kiss. 

1206 E 53rd St Chicago, IL 60615

Mideast meets Midwest cuisine! Say hello to generous portions of Falafel, Shawarma and other Mediterranean inspired dishes. Feel free to dine on their outdoor patio or grab a seat inside. 

1125 E 55th St Chicago, IL 60615

Obsessed with Neapolitan pies? Then get your butt here for some serious eats. NELLA is a Michelin Bib Gourmand award-winning concept from renowned pizzaiola Nella Grassano. She puts her heart and soul into every dish! Popular pizzas include Cafone, Cavani, and Organica. Yum. 

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Ahh yes, it’s finally that time of the year again. The 2021 NFL season is right around the corner which means fantasy football is back! And today, we’re here to discuss some Chicago Bears fantasy football players you should consider.

Whether you’re a fantasy newbie this season or a seasoned vet, odds are you already started some preparation for your upcoming league draft. Or maybe your league held it’s draft by now. Either way, if you’re a loyal Chicago Bears fan who’s looking to round out your fantasy team, then here are the top Bears fantasy football players you should target in your drafts! 

Darnell Mooney

Darnell Mooney may not be number one receiver on the Chicago Bears depth chart, but that doesn’t mean you should shy away from him as a solid Bear fantasy football player. In his rookie season last year, Mooney posted a stat line of 631 yards with 61 catches and 4 TDs. He finished 50th overall as a fantasy scorer, which is not too shabby considering his quarterbacks consistently missed him when he got open. This season, expect Mooney to get better passes thrown to him regardless of who’s starting. Mooney’s current ADP is 123 overall and he’s been the 50th wide receiver taken off draft boards. That’s pretty laughable if you ask us.

Roquan Smith

Not many fantasy football leagues utilize the IDP (individual defensive player) position on their rosters. But, if your league does, then you’ll certainly want to consider Roquan Smith in your fantasy drafts. Odds are you’ll have to grab him pretty early on depending on how the rest of your league drafts. Last season, Smith finished as the #2 scorer for the IDP position with 98 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, and one forced fumble. Of all guys on the defense, he’s the Bears fantasy football player to reach for.

David Montgomery

If running backs were currency, they’d be considered gold in fantasy football leagues. So when you’re considering what Bears fantasy football players to draft this season, think David Montgomery when it comes to running backs. In last season’s fantasy output, Montgomery was surprisingly the 4th best RB when it was all said and done. Sure, Tarik Cohen going down helped bolster his output, and poor quarterback play did too. We’re not telling you to expect a similar outcome in 2021, if anything expect him to be outside the top 10. Montgomery is currently being drafted at an ADP of 31 as the 18th bell cow off the board. We’re hopeful that he cracks the top 15 at the end of the year, with a top 20 finish as our worst-case scenario.

Justin Fields

Look, we get it, Justin Fields hasn’t even been named the starter yet. And should Nagy get his way, there’s a good chance he doesn’t start week one. But, will Fields start before the Chicago Bears bye in week 10? We sure as hell hope so. If you want a sleeper quarterback to stash on your fantasy benches who could make your team a league winner come playoff time, then look no further than Justin Fields.

Allen Robinson

Our final Chicago Bears fantasy football player that absolutely needs to be rostered in every league is wide receiver Allen Robinson. In the past two seasons of fantasy football, Robinson has finished as a top 12 receiver. And that’s with you know who primarily throwing the ball his way. He’s got WR1 talent as a fantasy player, and he’s proved it consistently. So whether it’s Andy Dalton or Justin Fields slinging it his way in 2021, you can expect a better outcome. Robinson is currently going off of fantasy draft boards as the 13th receiver with an overall ADP of 39.

**Note: all rankings, and ADPs were based off of PPR scoring and data from FantasyPros on 8/19/2021**

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Twelve people were shot, two fatally in shootings across Chicago Thursday.

A person was shot and killed on a CTA Red Line train in Englewood.

About 4:20 p.m., a male was on the train traveling in the 200 block of West Garfield Boulevard when three people approached him and one of them fired shots, Chicago Police said.

The male was struck in the arm and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died, police said.

A man was fatally shot in South Chicago on the South Side.

About 1:10 a.m., the man, believed to be about 50-years-old, was in the 8700 block of South Burley Avenue, when he was shot once in the right armpit, police said.

He was brought to the University of Chicago, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Four men were wounded in a shooting inside a business in Bronzeville on the South Side.

They were inside a business about 4:10 p.m. in the 300 block of East 47th Street when two people opened fire, police said.

A 30-year-old man was struck in the chest and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said.

A man, 36, suffered gunshot wounds to the head and ankle and another man, 36, was hit in the wrist, police said. The fourth victim, a 60-year-old man, was struck in the thigh, police said. They were taken to the same hospital and all listed in good condition.

Six others were wounded in citywide gun violence Thursday.

Sixteen people were shot Wednesday across Chicago.

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Moon Alert

After 4 a.m. Chicago time, there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Aquarius.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Although you might feel temporarily discouraged by a friend or someone older or more experienced, don’t take this to heart. Basically, this is a warm and friendly day for dealing with others, especially close friends and partners. (Today has a few speed bumps.) Relax. You’ve got this.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Someone in a position of authority might rain on your parade. Don’t let this get you down. Actually, you look good to coworkers and others. Furthermore, this year your reputation shines! Remember this. (For a brief time today, you will encounter a temporary dark cloud on your horizon.)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Your desire to travel and expand your world is strong today. You might be attracted to someone who is “different.” Nevertheless, some kind of rules or regulations might limit you or be a challenge for what you want to do. Fear not — this is temporary.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Financial news or something to do with debt or shared property might discourage you. Nevertheless, issues related to home, family and real estate are positive and this will carry the day for you. Ultimately, you stand to benefit from the wealth of others this year.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

A close friend or partner might throw some shade on you, which could discourage you because you thrive on compliments — not criticism. (That’s an understatement.) Fortunately, relations with neighbors, siblings and relatives will be excellent.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Increased work obligations or a tough conversation with a boss or someone older or more experienced might discourage you. Don’t let this happen. Something is going to boost your income or make you feel happier today. (Plus, this is your year to improve your job or get a better job!)

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Children might be an increased responsibility today. You might also encounter restrictions or criticisms regarding sports or a creative project or something to do with a vacation. Nevertheless, this is a fun-loving, social day. It’s also a romantic day for you!

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Be courteous with a parent or an older family member today to reduce tension. Restrictions regarding real estate might be a concern. Nevertheless, family discussions will go well. You might explore a redecorating project or wish to entertain.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Optimism is important for you, which is why you have to resist giving in to worry. Remember: “Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but gets you nowhere.” You might make money from your words today. At least, you will enjoy conversing with someone.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

It’s a mixed bag when it comes to money issues today. In one way, you might encounter restrictions from an issue or a person. However, in another way, something will encourage you in terms of your earnings or perhaps buying something beautiful.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

The moon is in your sign lined up with Saturn, which can make you feel cut off from others or diminished or discouraged by someone. This can be worrisome. However, the moon is also dancing with Venus, which is a very pleasant influence. This is why today will have changing aspects for you.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

In one way, you will enjoy your own solitude today and feel pleasantly pleased with some peace and quiet. Don’t worry if you fleetingly feel lonely or cut off from others. This is a brief dark cloud on your horizon — nothing to worry about.

If Your Birthday Is Today

Actress Amy Adams (1974) shares your birthday. You are warm-hearted, charming, sensitive and graceful. You enjoy warm interactions with others; and you avoid confrontation. You are insightful and capable of overcoming obstacles. This year it’s important to take care of yourself because you will be more involved in being of service to others. You will help family members and friends. (You might also do a personal makeover.)

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