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7 Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants in ChicagoBrian Lendinoon August 9, 2021 at 4:35 pm

Whether you want to treat the kids to a fun experience or just want to take the night off from cooking because you know the next couple of months of your life will be spent making and packing lunches, celebrate a family night out at one the best kid-friendly restaurants in Chicago. And yes, chicken fingers are most definitely included.

845 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607

For parents who love supporting other very-recent parents, El Che Steakhouse & Bar in Chicago’s West Loop is the place to go. Chef & Owner John Manion is the recent two-time dad to a less-than-two-year-old daughter and less-than-four-year-old son, Maelyn and Maximo. Guests will notice the kid’s names make their way onto the menu at this kid-friendly restaurant in Chicago. An example includes the most popular dish at Manion’s former Time Out Market stall, the “Maximo beef rib.”

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2075 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

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Tucked only a few blocks away from Lincoln Park Zoo on the corner of Dickens and Lincoln is a popular restaurant in Lincoln Park called Gemini. Husband-and-wife-duo Ryan and Anna O’Donnell’s first restaurant under the Ballyhoo umbrella, Gemini, opened in 2009 just days before their wedding. The neighborhood restaurant has become popular with families and kids who love the variety of choices on their menus:

Each main item of the kids menu tops off at $12, and meals come with fresh fruit and the choice of side like fries, brussel sprouts for the brave ones or even asparagus. Kids are sure to feel older with Gemini’s Zero Proof cocktails including strawberry lemonade, FKG, and the Danny-O.

1200 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

If you are looking for the best restaurants to attend with kids in the Lakeview area of Chicago, Old Pueblo is a neighborhood cantina highlighting authentic Mexican and Sonoran flavors. Parents love Mariachi Mondays from 5:30-8:30 p.m., Taco Tuesdays with $7.95 margaritas by the glass, $29.95 pitchers and $10 taco platters, and their kids menu with options like two tacos or a steak quesadilla topping out at only $9.95.

205 N Peoria St., Chicago, IL 60607

The West Loop’s recently opened casual restaurant and bar, PB&J, is actually an acronym for ‘Pizza, Beer & Jukebox.’ However, it does still serve the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich too, making it a great kid-friendly restaurant in Chicago. Kids can pick a classic Wonder Bread PB&J ($5) or get in touch with their Memphis roots with the Elvis Style ($7), which is toasted wheat bread, chunky peanut butter, honey and sliced bananas served open faced. A kid-specific menu includes kids cheeseburger ($8), chicken tenders ($12) and a grilled cheese ($7).Take a look at PB&J’s menu and see for yourself what looks good.

1146 Wilmette Ave, Wilmette, IL 60091

Ballyhoo Hospitality has always created family-forward & kid-friendly neighborhood restaurants, and their newest restaurant, Sophia Steak, is no exception. Sophia is a neighborhood steakhouse in the Chicago area in partnership with notorious Chicago restaurateur, Glenn Keefer. You may even want to order off the kids menu when you see it (kidding, ha…or?):

  • Homemade chicken fingers with fries ($12)

  • Steak plate with jasmine rice ($15)

  • Chicken plate served with jasmine rice ($12)

  • Pasta & meatball with fusilli pasta, red sauce and parmesan ($12)

  • ¼ pound cheeseburger with aged white cheddar and served with fries ($12)

Kids will even have their own dessert menu for a perfect treat to end their meals. Parents will love the free valet parking available for all guests, which allows them to easily get dropped off in front of the restaurant without dealing with parking & pushing strollers across the restaurant parking lot.

35 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523

At Crate & Barrel’s first in-store restaurant in their large store in Oak Brook, Chef Bill Kim offers a great example of how chefs are spending more time thinking about the kid’s menu than they have in the past, offering unique and delicious items on The Table at Crate’s kids menu, whether you’re 6 or 60. If you are searching for the best restaurants for kids near Chicago, popular items on the kids menu include Popcorn Chicken Bites with Waffle Fries ($7), Corkscrew Pasta ($7), Mac and Cheese ($12) and a classic cheeseburger served with American cheese and Waffle Fries ($10). There’s room for the whole family at the table.

1542 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Chef Bill Kim’s approach to a kids menu is simple: “When I was growing up, there was no kids’ menu at our home,” said Kim, who was born in Korea and moved to the U.S. when he was 7. “If you didn’t eat what the adults were eating, you’re not going to eat.”

Families have long frequented urbanbelly in Wicker Park for its convenience. The restaurant features a welcoming atmosphere and approachable kid’s menu. Chef Bill goes beyond basic chicken nuggets to offer delicious Asian American-influenced options in smaller portions, such as the Kid’s Chicken Rice, fried katsu chicken with steamed jasmine rice ($6), and Kid’s Noodle Soup, chicken broth and wheat ramen noodles ($4). For the pickier eaters in your household, Chef Bill even has fries ($4).

Featured Image Credit: Kinship Company

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7 Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants in ChicagoBrian Lendinoon August 9, 2021 at 4:35 pm Read More »

Daily Cubs Minors Recap: Canario goes deep in 4th straight game; Martini homers for 3rd time in 5 games; Bain righting the ship; Lugo keeps rollingon August 12, 2021 at 2:56 pm

Cubs Den

Daily Cubs Minors Recap: Canario goes deep in 4th straight game; Martini homers for 3rd time in 5 games; Bain righting the ship; Lugo keeps rolling

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Daily Cubs Minors Recap: Canario goes deep in 4th straight game; Martini homers for 3rd time in 5 games; Bain righting the ship; Lugo keeps rollingon August 12, 2021 at 2:56 pm Read More »

Complicity and silence around sexual harassment are commonContributorson August 12, 2021 at 2:33 pm

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation came after more than a week of bad news, starting with a damning report from the state attorney general’s office that detailed his sexual harassment of 11 women, some of whom worked in his office. An executive assistant to Cuomo, Brittany Commisso, filed a criminal complaint against him with the Albany County sheriff’s office. The state Legislature readied impeachment proceedings.

Then, top aide Melissa DeRosa resigned amid a flurry of questions surrounding her role in protecting Cuomo. Attorney Roberta Kaplan also resigned from the #MeToo advocacy organization Time’s Up after the attorney general’s report revealed that she helped draft a letter that denied Cuomo’s wrongdoing.

As news emerged about the silence from Cuomo’s staff, who had long protected him, and his victims who feared blowback, our thoughts turned immediately to our research on harassers.

“See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil” is the title of our new article for the Journal of Applied Psychology, which describes the role witnesses play in helping and protecting harassers. Evidence suggests that, rather than helping victims, witnesses often protect the harasser.

The report on Cuomo’s sexual harassment is replete with examples that showcase how members of Cuomo’s top staff, known collectively as the “Executive Chamber,” silenced victims. One victim explained in the report: “I was terrified that if I shared what was going on that it would somehow get around … and if senior aides Stephanie Benton or Melissa DeRosa heard that, I was going to lose my job.”

Although #MeToo gave voice to millions of women to speak up about sexual harassment, it remains rare for victims to report sexual harassment to employers. They are afraid of blowback. They think management won’t believe them. They fear being blamed or shamed. And these fears are warranted.

Silent complicity

Research shows that reporting mechanisms rarely work and often backfire.

For example, employees who speak up about workplace harassment frequently face retaliation, both personal and professional. This is evident in multiple victim accounts in the Cuomo investigation.

One victim was quoted in the report saying that “she did not feel she could safely report or rebuff the conduct because, based on her experience and discussion with others … it’s kind of known that the governor gives the seal of approval who gets promoted and who doesn’t.”

But what about bystanders? Colleagues? Leaders? Why don’t they speak up when they see sexual harassment?

Part of the problem, we have found, lies with social networks — the webs of interconnections among victims, perpetrators, co-workers and managers. The way these networks are configured encourages members to be silent, silence others and not hear victims who voice concerns about sexual harassment.

One of Cuomo’s 11 alleged victims, a state trooper, described a conversation she had with Cuomo while driving him to an event. The governor questioned her clothing choices, asking why she wasn’t wearing a dress. After the conversation, the victim’s state police superior, who was in the car during the interaction, messaged her, saying that the conversation “stays in the truck.”

‘Textbook example’

Why do people protect harassers? A number of factors are at play.

First, a harasser can establish a central status by having many strong ties to others in the network. Strong relationships within a tie require an investment of time and resources on both sides, and in turn, they yield loyalty and reciprocity. So network members close to the harasser are more likely to stay silent about his misdeeds, and to silence or manipulate those who speak up into questioning their sanity.

Also, when the harasser is the sole link between disconnected members of the network, he can isolate victims, control information and conceal wrongdoing. The result of all this: Victims, witnesses and would-be supporters stay silent.

In the case of Cuomo, he had many loyal ties. The attorney general’s report states that the Executive Chamber had “an intense and overriding focus on secrecy and loyalty that meant that any and all perceived acts of ‘disloyalty,’ including criticism of the governor [Cuomo] or his senior staff, would be met with attacks of a personal and professional nature.”

The second reason people protect male sexual harassers lies in how certain network beliefs prize men and masculinity. These beliefs normalize male dominance over women, encouraging support for those who enact displays of masculine superiority.

When these beliefs pervade a social network, and central men sexually harass women, network members stay silent. They also rally to defend and protect harassers by silencing and not hearing those who speak up.

Because women are devalued in these networks, powerful witnesses have little motive to hear sexual harassment complaints or take action to support female victims. The investigation into Cuomo’s conduct concluded: “This culture of fear, intimidation, and retribution co-existed in the Executive Chamber with one that accepted and normalized everyday flirtations and gender-based comments by the governor.”

Finally, mythologies about sexual harassment are frequently found in social networks such as the one that surrounded Cuomo. These common myths deny that sexual harassment has happened, often by questioning women’s complaints — for example, suggesting that false allegations are common. Or they downplay the gravity of these offenses.

When harassment becomes undeniable, myths lead network members to move on to justify it: absolving harassers of responsibility or blaming victims — asking what women did to invite sexual advances.

Myths such as these silence network members because speaking up is likely to be futile or even dangerous. Throughout the report, senior staff members in Cuomo’s office denied wrongdoing by Cuomo. One victim, Ana Liss, testified that Cuomo had held her hand, kissed her cheek and been flirtatious. She did not want to report it because “the environment in the Executive Chamber deterred her … she was fully expecting the governor’s team would deny, deny, deny, character assassinate.”

It is rare that scholarly research and current events so perfectly reflect each other. But the Cuomo case is — no metaphor here — a textbook example of a network of complicity and silence around sexual harassment.

This article originally was published on The Conversation.

Send letters to: [email protected].

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Complicity and silence around sexual harassment are commonContributorson August 12, 2021 at 2:33 pm Read More »

More than 9,000 anti-Asian incidents reported since start of pandemicTerry Tang | APon August 12, 2021 at 2:43 pm

The frequency of anti-Asian incidents — from taunts to outright assaults — reported in the United States so far this year seems poised to surpass last year despite months of political and social activism, according to a new report released Thursday.

Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition that became the authority on gathering data on racially motivated attacks related to the pandemic, received 9,081 incident reports between March 19, 2020, and this June. Of those, 4,548 occurred last year, and 4,533 this year. Since the coronavirus was first reported in China, people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have been treated as scapegoats solely based on their race.

Lawmakers, activists and community groups have pushed back against the wave of attacks. There have been countless social media campaigns, bystander training sessions and public rallies. In May, President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, expediting Justice Department reviews of anti-Asian hate crimes and making available federal grants. Those supporters should not feel discouraged because the data hasn’t shifted much, Stop AAPI Hate leaders said.

“When you encourage hate, it’s not like a genie in a bottle where you can pull it out and push it back in whenever you want,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and executive director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council. “There’s too much perpetuating these belief systems to make them go away.”

Several factors contributed to the data, from an increase in incidents to a greater desire to report, according to Kulkarni. As the economy opened up more in the past few months, it meant more public interactions and opportunities to attack, she said. Also, a bump in reporting typically occurs after a high-profile incident like the March 16 Atlanta-area spa shootings that left six Asian women dead.

“There, too, is where we saw some that were incidents that had taken place weeks or months before, but they just were either not aware of our reporting center or didn’t take the time to report,” Kulkarni said.

The reports aggregated by Stop AAPI Hate are from the victims themselves or someone reporting on their behalf, like an adult child. Overall, the report found verbal harassment and shunning — interactions that don’t qualify legally as hate crimes — make up the two largest shares of total incidents. Physical assaults made up the third. But their percentage of the incidents this year increased from last year — 16.6% compared to 10.8%.

More than 63% of the incidents were submitted by women. Roughly 31% took place on public streets, and 30% at businesses.

Many Asian Americans and others blame former President Donald Trump for ratcheting up the danger by talking about the virus in racially charged terms. While Biden has demonstrated allyship, there is concern that a U.S. investigation into the origins of COVID-19 could lead to more hostility and treatment of Asian Americans as enemy foreigners.

“We understand that other nation-states are competitors to the United States, and a number of them do have authoritarian regimes,” Kulkarni said. “But the ways in which we talk about the people and the ways in which blame is assigned somehow looks different for communities of color than it does for, say, the Russian government or the German government.”

Many of the headline-making attacks over the past year and a half have been against elderly Asian people on both coasts. In most of those cases, a senior was beaten, kicked, shoved or even stabbed out of nowhere. Several such incidents have been caught on video.

A U.S. Census survey released earlier this month found Asian American households were twice as likely as white households to admit they didn’t have enough food throughout the pandemic because they were afraid to go out — not due to affordability or transportation issues. In contrast, other racial groups’ households said they were experiencing food insecurity because of the pandemic. Asian American respondents didn’t say specifically if it was fear of racial attacks that kept them at home.

Anni Chung, president and CEO of San Francisco-based Self-Help for the Elderly, says the seniors they help were hit by a “second virus that is a hate virus.” The nonprofit provides food and programs to more than 40,000 older adults in the Bay Area, most of them Asian. The organization went from transporting a pre-pandemic load of 400 meals daily to over 5,000 per day. Last year, they gave out 963,000 meals overall compared with 436,000 typically.

“Sometimes when we talk to seniors, they say this hatred drove them to be stuck in their house even worse than the pandemic,” Chung said.

For them, the fear is more than a headline but something in their own backyard.

“One of our clients was on the bus. Right before the man got off the bus, he just punched her,” Chung said. “She said no one — not the bus driver and a number of Chinese on the bus — went to her care.”

Giving into that fear means seniors have missed important things like doctor’s appointments or exercise routines at the park. So, in June, with some funding from the city, the organization expanded a volunteer escort service to accompany seniors on errands or outings around Chinatown and other neighborhoods. They had more than 200 requests that month.

The onslaught of verbal and physical assaults has drawn more skepticism than sympathy from some. Peter Yu, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Colorado who is also Chinese American, came under fire last month for characterizing anti-Asian hate crimes as exaggerated.

“I would welcome him to look at the data and see there has been a significant increase,” Kulkarni said. “This may be a situation when people refuse to see racism or misogyny. I think they’re just really refusing to see reality and how unfortunately, in the U.S, we have allowed those forces to prevent people from living their lives.”

Tang reported from Phoenix and is a member of The Associated Press’ Race and Ethnicity team.

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More than 9,000 anti-Asian incidents reported since start of pandemicTerry Tang | APon August 12, 2021 at 2:43 pm Read More »

Five Greystones For Sale in ChicagoWhet Moseron August 12, 2021 at 2:00 pm

Chicago is known for its architecture. Many people associate bungalows, worker cottages, and courtyard apartments with the city. But there is another residential building type that is just as common around many neighborhoods—the greystone. You’ve probably seen them in the city’s historic park and boulevard system, which has such a substantial number that it is now known as “the Greystone Belt.” Popular between 1890 and 1930, this construction style got its name from the locally sourced Bedford limestone used on the facade.

Greystones come in a variety of sizes and design motifs, yet sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between a multi-flat building from its single-family counterpart—just another reason why this building was so in demand over a hundred years ago. With over 30,000 greystones in Chicago, there is bound to be one that catches your eye. Here are five that are currently for sale.

Let’s start on Chicago’s South Side, specifically the Oakland Historic District, which runs from 35th to 43rd Streets between Cottage Grove and DuSable Lake Shore Drives. A number of Victoria era residences survive here, including this 1893 Romanesque Revival greystone. The home has been restored by its longtime owner, a local architect, who has brought back a lot of its original beauty. Inside you’ll find patterned mahogany wainscoting, ornamental plaster ceiling inlays, seven ornate fireplaces, and a gorgeous wooden staircase that connects all three levels of the home. It comes with an additional side lot, which offers plenty of options either for future development or to use as outdoor space. Did I mention the third story has a large recreation room with views of Lake Michigan?

In the 1870s Grand Boulevard, now Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, was constructed as a wide tree-lined boulevard and carriage drive to connect downtown with the parks on the South Side. Designed by world-renowned American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the street is lined with beautiful, old buildings like this 1896 classical greystone residence. Formerly the home of the Deborah Boys’ Club, today it is condominiums, and this particular unit is perfect for modern day living with an open floor plan and master suite with exposed brick walls. Other perks include basement storage and an attached, heated garage. All for $365,000!

There are literally blocks and blocks of vintage greystones in Logan Square, especially along its historic boulevard. Located in the heart of the neighborhood, this deconverted two-flat was originally built in 1912 and is now a single-family home. It comes with all the bells and whistles that you’d expect in an updated residential building—high-end kitchen appliances, customized window furnishings, Sherle Wagner bathroom fixtures, and a finished basement with home projector screen. Plus it’s on a rare double lot! Close to the Blue Line, Kennedy expressway, and one of my personal favorites, the Logan Square Farmers Market.

Today the streets of Lakeview are a mix of old and mostly brand new construction. But there are still plenty of vintage properties available in the neighborhood. If you’d like to go back in time when multi-unit buildings exhibited high-quality craftsmanship, this 1901 greystone duplex might be what you’re looking for. It’s spacious inside yet has individually defined spaces like a formal dining room and a galley kitchen. Historic elements include hardwood floors and transom windows. But don’t worry there are lots of updates like subway tiles, granite countertops, and double vanities. Best part? You’re walking distance from the best things about city life like Belmont Harbor and the Lakefront Trail.

Saved the best for last! Potter Palmer is a legendary name in Chicago history. In the 1880s he transformed what was then a frog-infested swamp into what is now the most expensive real estate in the city—the Gold Coast. This 1883 double house was one of the developments Palmer built near his lakefront castle. Today it’s a combination of historic charm and updated luxury with a 2018 renovation that preserved the home’s original details, including its greystone facade, carved staircase, wood floors, leaded windows, mosaic tile foyer, plaster moldings, and beautiful fireplaces. I used to work in this area and over the years I’ve seen plenty of historic properties completely gutted beyond the preserved facade, so I give props to the person who kept this home’s historic elements. Good job! 

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Five Greystones For Sale in ChicagoWhet Moseron August 12, 2021 at 2:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears News: Justin Fields is even impressing the enemyRyan Heckmanon August 12, 2021 at 1:00 pm

Chicago Bears (Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports)
Chicago Bears (Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports)

Since the Chicago Bears drafted Justin Fields, fans have been eating up every bit of content they can about their new quarterback.

From big outlets like ESPN and Bleacher Report, to the number-crunchers and analytics heads at Pro Football Focus, to local media, there has been no shortage of praise for the Bears’ rookie quarterback — and fans absolutely love it.

Wednesday, the Bears took the field for their first joint practice with the Miami Dolphins before this weekend’s preseason matchup. It was the Bears’ first live action against an opponent.

Obviously, all eyes were on Fields — all eyes.

Even the Miami Dolphins media got a glimpse of why the Chicago Bears are ecstatic about Justin Fields.

During the teams’ practice, fans are used to seeing live updates from Bears media about how each and every player is doing. Mostly, it’s fun to read about the bigger names like Fields, of course. After all, fans have been long-starving for a top-tier quarterback.

But, even some of the Dolphins’ media took to Twitter to express their impressions on the Bears’ rookie quarterback — and Bears fans should be happy to see what was written.

For example, Miami’s Sun Sentinel beat reporter, David Furones, had a simple yet effective comment regarding Fields.

To see Dolphins media tweeting about Fields in the middle of a key practice for their own team is pretty telling. The Bears’ rookie was indeed built for the spotlight. He draws people in, regardless of whether or not they’re a bit biased like Bears fans can be.

The one thing that continues to be most impressive about this is the fact that Dolphins media has been hyper-critical of their own young quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. Another beat writer, Omar Kelly, tweeted after yesterday’s practice that Tua has “no zip” on his passes, and that they’ve known that from the beginning.

While Chicago’s future looks incredibly bright with Fields, the Dolphins still don’t know whether or not last year’s no. 5 overall pick is going to pan out. That’s something to remember while again watching for Dolphins media tweeting during practice today.

One other note from Dolphins media, regarding practice on Wednesday: the Bears’ defensive line dominated Miami’s offensive line. While the Dolphins have their own offensive line issues, it’s great to read about Chicago’s defensive line returning to form.

Last year, the Bears’ line was hurting without Eddie Goldman and specifically had a hard time generating a lot of pressure, which led to a lower sack number than they would have liked to see. It may have only been a joint practice, and not a game, but knowing this defensive line is getting after it and impressing even opposing teams’ media is a huge positive.

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Chicago Bears News: Justin Fields is even impressing the enemyRyan Heckmanon August 12, 2021 at 1:00 pm Read More »

I’m retired. I don’t have to get up early. But I do!on August 12, 2021 at 1:00 pm

Cheating Death

I’m retired. I don’t have to get up early. But I do!

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I’m retired. I don’t have to get up early. But I do!on August 12, 2021 at 1:00 pm Read More »

1 killed, 18 wounded Wednesday in citywide gun violenceSun-Times Wireon August 12, 2021 at 12:08 pm

A teenage boy was killed and 18 other people were wounded in citywide shootings Wednesday.

A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot and another wounded when someone fired into a home Wednesday afternoon in Englewood on the South Side.

The shots were fired from a car that pulled up to the home in the 6000 block of South Carpenter Street about 4 p.m., Chicago police said.

Cordell Bass was struck in the chest and brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The other teen was struck in the right leg and taken to the hospital, where he was stabilized.

In nonfatal attacks, a 17-year-old girl was shot in Back of the Yards on the South Side.

About 3:15 p.m., she was standing in the 1300 block of West 49th Street, when someone shot her in each of her legs, police said. She was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where her condition was stabilized.

Another teenage girl and two men were shot on a porch in Chicago Lawn on the South Side.

They were attacked about 10:55 p.m. in the 6900 block of South Campbell Avenue, police said. The 15-year-old girl was shot in the arm and was taken to Comers Children’s hospital in fair condition.

A 35-year-old man was struck in the torso and was taken in serious condition to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, police said. The other man, 39, was shot in the leg and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition.

At least 13 others were shot across Chicago Wednesday.

Seven people were shot, one fatally, Thursday in Chicago.

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1 killed, 18 wounded Wednesday in citywide gun violenceSun-Times Wireon August 12, 2021 at 12:08 pm Read More »

High school football preview: No. 10 Maine SouthMichael O’Brienon August 12, 2021 at 12:00 pm

Coach Dave Inserra certainly didn’t want Maine South’s spring football season to end with a loss at Naperville Central. The defeat came courtesy of a blocked extra point in the final minutes.

But the defeat comes in handy now for the Hawks, the Sun-Times’ preseason No. 10 team.

”In terms of coaching, it’s usually a little easier to work with a bitter taste in your mouth than to be too high and too full of yourself,” Inserra said. ”So we will use that to our advantage.”

Wounded pride is an especially strong motivator for the Hawks, considering how connected the players feel to the program. Every season, the new faces say the same thing: They grew up watching Maine South football and dreamed of becoming Park Ridge heroes.

That’s the case with quarterback Rowan Keefe.

”I’ve watched Maine South football my whole life,” Keefe said. ”It’s crazy to be here now as one of the guys I watched as a little kid. My parents went to Maine South; my dad played here. Our youth programs are a huge part of the culture here.”

The Hawks’ coaching staff identified Keefe as a future quarterback in seventh grade and had his youth coaches move him from the defensive side of the ball.

”I had played defense all my life, and my dad was a linebacker that hated quarterbacks,” Keefe said. ”So it took some time to get adjusted. But he’s a full-on quarterback dad now.”

Keefe started the last two games of the spring for Maine South and posted impressive numbers against Naperville Central, passing for 353 yards and two touchdowns.

”I’m really happy he had 2oe games to learn and get better,” Inserra said. ”He brings a big arm. He brings leadership. He can run the ball, and he’s just a heady ballplayer. And in our system, it is mostly on the quarterback. He’s up for that moment.”

Northwestern recruit Chris Petrucci will be an anchor on both sides of the ball for the Hawks, playing linebacker and tight end.

”I’ve added a few pounds and focused on improving my blocking,” Petrucci said.

Maine South's Chris Petrucci catches the ball during practice on August 10, 2021.
Maine South’s Chris Petrucci catches the ball during practice on August 10, 2021.
Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Only three starters return on offense and four on defense, but most of the new starters played significant minutes last season. The entire offensive line will be starting for the first time.

”The talent level is as good as any we’ve had defensively, kicking and skill-wise,” Inserra said. ”My offensive line will have to mature quickly, but the things we do will help them out, the way we get the ball out quickly and run the ball. It will take the pressure off their shoulders.”

Thaddeus Gianaris, Maine South’s top defensive lineman, said he has been impressed with the offensive line in practice.

”Every team’s success comes down to the offensive line,” Gianaris said. ”Eventually, they are going to become a force. They’ll be able to do the job well.”

The Hawks open at Stevenson, then face a huge test in Week 2 at Warren. The Blue Devils have been one of the best programs in the state for the last few years and will open the season ranked among the top five.

MAINE SOUTH SCHEDULE

Aug. 27 at Stevenson

Sept. 3 at Warren

Sept. 10 vs. Fremd

Sept. 17 at Palatine

Sept. 24 at Glenbrook North

Oct. 1 vs. Glenbrook South

Oct. 8 at Niles West

Oct. 15 vs. Evanston

Oct. 22 at New Trier

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High school football preview: No. 10 Maine SouthMichael O’Brienon August 12, 2021 at 12:00 pm Read More »