When Peyton Manning was a rookie in 1998, he established himself as a burgeoning star, but couldn’t finish.

When the Colts were within one score in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter with Manning at quarterback, they were 1-6. Manning’s passer rating was 30.2 — just 42.9% completions, with one touchdown and five interceptions.

After one particularly frustrating loss to the Seahawks in Week 16, when Manning threw four consecutive incompletions from the 7-yard line with less than a minute to go, coach Jim Mora Sr., sounded more like a shrill sports-talk show host than a patient NFL head coach.

“We can’t be content with being close,” Mora told reporters after that game. “We’re a young team, they say — baloney. Rookie quarterback — to hell with that. The bottom line is winning football games. We didn’t win today and we should have. It’s a combination of a lot of things, but there is absolutely no excuse for this football team to lose that game. Absolutely none.

“The bottom line is winning. You find a way to win. We get ahead and we can’t finish ’em off. That’s a bunch of baloney.”

The Colts lost the following week to finish 3-13 and took running back Edgerrin James with the No. 5 overall pick (and traded Marshall Faulk). It wasn’t until the following year that they learned how to win — thanks to Manning’s blossoming connection with receiver Marvin Harrison.

Manning wasn’t any better in crunch time in 1999 (a 30.7 passer rating in five games with a chance to tie or take the lead in the final five minutes), but it didn’t matter. The Colts went 3-2 in those games, 13-3 overall and were on their way to a long run of Super Bowl contention.

The Manning story might or might not be a lesson for those fretting about the Bears’ inability to finish with Justin Fields at quarterback. In the final five minutes of the fourth quarter with a chance to tie or take the lead, Fields has a 37.7 passer rating, with no touchdowns and two interceptions — including another critical pick in a 28-19 loss to the Packers on Sunday at Soldier Field.

Fields is 1-7 in those games, the only victory over the hapless Texans, when a Roquan Smith interception set up a four-play, zero-yard field goal drive to win, 23-20.

Manning isn’t exactly a cherry-picking anomaly. Aaron Rodgers was 0-8 in crunch-time games as a first-year starter in 2008, with a 29.3 passer rating (no touchdowns, four interceptions.) Joe Burrow was 0-3-1 with the Bengals in 2020 (85.1 rating, one touchdown, one interception). Josh Allen was 1-2 with the Bills in 2018 (54.3 rating, no touchdowns, one interception). Even Tom Brady, taking control of an accelerating train with the 2001 Patriots, was 2-2 (68.5 rating, one touchdown, one interception).

They all eventually developed the “it” factor that could will a winning performance from their teams in critical moments. That doesn’t mean Fields will become that guy. But he’s shown enough this season to believe that with a better supporting cast, he can still get there.

“That’s a good point. And I believe that to be true,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “I know the man inside after being with him for a year, and the grit he has and the talent he has. No question he’s going to get it done.”

2. The Bears’ inability to win close games, while helping them in the draft order, is not insignificant. But struggling teams rarely mature into big winners without major upgrades. The one Bears team that did was in 2004, when the Bears went from 5-11 to 11-5 with minimal roster improvements — left tackle John Tait, the return of safety Mike Brown, cornerback Nathan Vasher and caretaker quarterback Kyle Orton.

But let the record show, that 5-11 team in 2004 struggled to finish as well — losing seven of its last eight games and getting outscored 172-76. Things didn’t turn around until Lovie Smith’s defense kicked into gear in its second season, so …

3. The Bears had no sacks and no takeaways against the Packers — the second time that’s happened this season. It also happened in a 35-32 loss to the Dolphins on Nov. 6 at Soldier Field.

The Bears have lost 14 consecutive games when they have neither a sack nor takeaway. Their last win was in 1995, a 27-24 victory over the Giants at the Meadowlands.

Overall, NFL teams with no sacks or takeaways are 1-16 this season and 7-121 (.055) over the last five seasons.

4. Aaron Rodgers could have had a field day against a makeshift Bears secondary that was missing four nickel-package starters. But cornerback Jaylon Johnson and four reserves — cornerbacks Jaylon Jones and Josh Blackwell and safeties Deandre Houston Carson and Elijah Hicks — mostly held up.

Rodgers’ 182 passing yards and his 5.9 yards per attempt Sunday were both his third-lowest in 30 starts against the Bears. His 58.1 completion percentage was fourth-lowest. Even Rodgers acknowledged they made it tougher on him than expected.

“They did,” he said. “Jaylon is a premier player. But the other young guys played pretty well. So you’ve got to give them credit. There were multiple times where I felt like, ‘Get out of the pocket, somebody’s going to come open in the scramble drill.’ And they locked down our guys. So they definitely deserve some credit for that.”

5. Former Bears safety Adrian Amos, who faced the Eagles Jalen Hurts and the Bears’ Fields in consecutive games with the Packers, on the difference between the two:

“[Fields is] faster than Hurts,” Amos said. “And it’s just different because Hurts has a different offense around him than Fields has. It’s a different team. When you go against somebody, you’re going against their whole team, not just one individual. I think the difference is probably that.”

6. This Explains A Lot Dept.: It’s probably no surprise that Rodgers is on a first-name basis with the officials — in this case, back judge Terrence Miles, when Rodgers was asked about a pass interference penalty he was looking for on linebacker Jack Sanborn versus tight end Robert Tonyan on a third-down incompletion in the end zone in the fourth quarter Sunday.

“Bobby said he got tugged, but it must not have been big enough for Terrence to throw the flag there,” Rodgers said.

7. Never underestimate the mediocrity of the NFL.

8. Jaxon Smith-Njigba Watch: The Ohio State wide receiver, who played with Fields as a freshman in 2020, declared for the 2023 draft after a hamstring injury limited him to three games this season. Smith-Njigba caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said Smith-Njigba would have been a top-10 pick if not for the injury — better than teammates Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, who went 10th and 11th in the draft this year.

“He was the main guy. It wasn’t Olave and Wilson. People forget that,” Kiper said. “I remember an interview with Wilson, Olave and [quarterback C.J.] Stroud and they were [asked], ‘Who’s the great receiver here?’ They said, ‘We’re not. It’s that guy who’s got the most talent’ — and they both pointed to Smith-Njigba as the most talented in the group.”

9. Josh McCown Ex-Bears Player of the Week: Niners place-kicker Robbie Gould was 4-for-4 on field goals (47 43, 36 and 48 yards) and 3-for-3 on PATs for a team-high 15 points in a 33-12 victory over the Dolphins to move past former Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski into 10th place on the NFL’s all-time scoring list with 1,919 points.

10. Bear-ometer: 5-12 –vs. Eagles (L); vs. Bills (L); at Lions (W); vs. Vikings (W).

Read More

Jack Gleason updates the schedule every morning on his website. Please send updates and corrections to [email protected].

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

CATHOLIC LEAGUE

De La Salle at DePaul, 7:00

Marmion at Fenwick, 7:00

Montini at St. Rita, 7:00

Providence at Leo, 7:00

Providence-St. Mel at Brother Rice, 7:00

St. Laurence at Mount Carmel, 7:00

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Carmel at Nazareth, 7:00

Joliet Catholic at St. Patrick, 7:00

Marian Catholic at St. Viator, 7:00

Marist at Notre Dame, 7:00

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Coal City at Wilmington, 7:00

Herscher at Lisle, 6:45

Manteno at Reed-Custer, 6:45

Streator at Peotone, 7:00

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Elgin Academy at Francis Parker, 6:00

Latin at Morgan Park Academy, 6:00

University High at North Shore, 6:30

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Ottawa at Kaneland, 7:00

Rochelle at Plano, 7:00

Sandwich at Morris, 7:00

LITTLE TEN

Hiawatha at Earlville, 7:00

Hinckley-Big Rock at DePue, 7:00

Indian Creek at Serena, 7:00

LaMoille at Newark, 5:30

Somonauk at IMSA, 7:00

METRO PREP

Universal at CPSA, 5:30

NOBLE LEAGUE – GOLD

Bulls Prep at Noble Academy, 7:00

Butler at Comer, 7:00

Johnson at Rowe-Clark, 7:00

NORTH SUBURBAN

Mundelein at Zion-Benton, 7:00

Stevenson at Lake Zurich, 7:00

Warren at Libertyville, 7:00

Waukegan at Lake Forest, 7:00

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Mooseheart at South Beloit, 7:00

Westminster Christian at Harvest Christian, 6:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE RED-SOUTH / CENTRAL

Brooks at Kenwood, 5:00

Lindblom at Hyde Park, 7:00

Morgan Park at Simeon, 5:00

Perspectives-Lead at Longwood, 6:30

Phillips at Curie, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-CENTRAL

Catalyst-Maria at Kennedy, 5:00

Englewood STEM at Dunbar, 5:00

Hubbard at DuSable, 5:00

King at Bogan, 5:00

Urban Prep-Englewood at Richards (Chgo), 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-SOUTH

Agricultural Science at Harlan, 5:00

Dyett at Fenger, 5:00

South Shore at Corliss, 5:00

Urban Prep-Bronzeville at ACE Amandla, 5:00

Vocational at UC-Woodlawn

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-CENTRAL

Back of the Yards at Excel-Englewood, 5:00

Horizon-Southwest at Hancock, 5:00

Kelly at Instituto Health, 5:00

Solorio at ACERO-Garcia, 5:00

Tilden at ACERO-Soto, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-SOUTH

Air Force at Bowen, 5:00

Goode at EPIC, 5:00

Hirsch at Chicago Military, 5:00

Julian at Excel-South Shore, 5:00

Washington at Carver, 5:00

RIVER VALLEY

Beecher at Clifton Central, 7:00

Gardner-So. Wilmington at Grace Christian, 7:00

Grant Park at Donovan, 7:00

Momence at Illinois Lutheran, 7:00

Tri-Point at St. Anne, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Argo at Thornton Fr. South, 6:30

Evergreen Park at Oak Forest, 6:30

Hillcrest at Eisenhower, 6:30

Lemont at Richards, 6:30

Oak Lawn at Bremen, 6:00

Reavis at Thornton Fr. North, 6:30

Shepard at Tinley Park, 6:30

SOUTHLAND

Kankakee at Thornton, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Joliet Central at Romeoville, 6:30

Plainfield East at Joliet West, 6:30

Plainfield South at Plainfield Central, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Plainfield North at Minooka, 6:30

West Aurora at Oswego, 6:30

Yorkville at Oswego East, 6:30

UPSTATE EIGHT

East Aurora at Elgin, 7:00

Fenton at Bartlett, 7:00

South Elgin at Larkin, 7:00

Streamwood at Glenbard East, 5:30

West Chicago at Glenbard South, 7:00

NON CONFERENCE

Antioch at Johnsburg, 7:00

Aurora Central at Aurora Christian, 7:30

Buffalo Grove at Barringon, 7:00

Christian Liberty at Alden-Hebron, 7:30

DRW Prep at Austin, 5:00

Elk Grove at Hoffman Estates, 7:00

Elmwood Park at IC Catholic, 7:30

Grayslake North at Deerfield, 7:00

Hersey at Conant, 7:00

Intrinsic-Belmont at ITW-Speer, 6:30

Islamic Foundation at Lycee Francais, 6:30

LaLumiere-Blue (IN) at Evanston, 7:00

Lincoln-Way East at Crete-Monee, 5:00

Lockport at York, 7:00

Lowpoint-Washburn at Princeville, 7:30

Maine West at Addison Trail, 6:30

Naperville North at Wheaton Academy, 7:30

Niles West at Taft, 7:00

Oregon at West Carroll, TBA

Parkview Christian at Christian Life, 7:30

Phoenix at Chicago Military, 5:00

Prospect at Palatine, 7:00

Richmond-Burton at Round Lake, 7:30

Ridgewood at Riverside-Brookfield, 7:00

Roanoke-Benson at Cornerstone Christian, 7:30

Rochelle Zell at Cristo Rey-St. Martin, 5:30

Rolling Meadows at Fremd, 7:00

Schaumburg Christian at Families of Faith, 7:15

St. Edward at St. Francis, 7:00

Urban Prep-West at Juarez, 5:00

Westmont at Timothy Christian, 7:30

Wheeling at Schaumburg, 7:00

Woodstock at Sycamore, 7:00

Woodstock North at Genoa-Kingston, 7:00

HALL

Mendota vs. LaSalle-Peru, 5:00

Princeton vs. Rock Falls, 6:30

Hall vs. Putnam County, 8:00

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

CHICAGO PREP

Hope Academy at Ida Crown, 7:00

Walther Christian at Rochelle Zell, 7:00

DU KANE

Glenbard North at St. Charles East, 7:00

Lake Park at Batavia, 7:00

Wheaton North at St. Charles North, 7:00

Wheaton-Warr. South at Geneva, 7:00

FOX VALLEY

Burlington Central at Crystal Lake Central, 7:00

Cary-Grove at Huntley, 7:00

Crystal Lake South at Prairie Ridge, 7:00

Hampshire at Dundee-Crown, 7:00

McHenry at Jacobs, 7:00

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Northridge at Lake Forest Academy, 6:30

LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC

Christian Heritage at Beacon, 5:30

Lycee Francais at Horizon-McKinley, 6:30

Roycemore at Wolcott, 5:30

Waldorf at Intrinsic-Downtown, 5:00

British School at ACERO-Cruz, 5:00

NIC – 10

Auburn at Boylan, 6:30

Belvidere at Belvidere North, 7:00

Guilford at Harlem, 7:00

Hononegah at Freeport, 7:00

Jefferson at Rockford East, 7:00

NOBLE LEAGUE – BLUE

Hansberry at Golder, 7:00

Pritzker at Muchin, 7:00

Rauner at Baker, 7:00

UIC Prep at Mansueto, 7:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE RED-WEST / NORTH

Clark at Orr, 5:00

Farragut at Young, 5:00

Lincoln Park at Westinghouse, 5:00

Perspectives-MSA at North Lawndale, 7:00

Prosser at Lane, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-NORTH

Amundsen at Schurz, 5:00

Foreman at Lake View, 5:00

Senn at Mather, 5:00

Sullivan at Von Steuben, 5:00

Taft at Northside, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-WEST

Crane at Austin, 5:00

Marshall at Jones, 6:30

Payton at Ogden, 7:00

Raby at Legal Prep, 5:00

Wells at Collins, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-NORTH

ASPIRA-Bus&Fin at Chicago Academy, 5:00

Disney at Alcott, 5:00

Intrinsic-Belmont at Marine, 5:00

Rickover at Steinmetz, 5:00

Roosevelt at Chicago Math & Science, 5:00

Uplift at North-Grand, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-WEST

Chicago Collegiate at Douglass, 5:00

Juarez at Spry, 5:00

Manley at Chicago Tech, 5:00

Phoenix at Clemente, 5:00

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Proviso West at Lyons, 6:30

NON CONFERENCE

Addison Trail at Lincoln-Way West, 6:30

Highland Park at Grayslake North, 7:00

Hinckley-Big Rock at Alden-Hebron, 7:30

Holy Trinity at Alcott, 5:00

McNamara at Chicago Christian, 7:00

Muslim Community at Hinsdale Adventist, 6:30

Naperville Central at Willowbrook, 6:00

North Boone at Harvard, 7:00

Rockford Lutheran at Notre Dame (Peoria), 7:00

Somonauk at Mooseheart, 7:00

Thornridge at Homewood-Flossmoor, 6:30

Waubonsie Valley at Bolingbrook, 5:00

Wilmot (WI) at Lakes, 7:00

HALL

Stillman Valley vs. Putnam County, 5:00

Rock Falls vs. St. Bede, 6:30

Pontiac vs. Fieldcrest, 8:00

Thursday, December 8, 2022

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – SOUTH

Evanston at Glenbrook North, 7:00

CHICAGO PREP

Northtown at Cristo Rey, 7:00

METRO PREP

CPSA at Hinsdale Adventist, 5:00

NOBLE LEAGUE – GOLD

Johnson at Bulls Prep, 7:00

Noble Academy at ITW-Speer, 7:00

Rowe-Clark at Comer, 7:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE RED-SOUTH / CENTRAL

Curie at Morgan Park, 6:30

Hyde Park at Brooks, 5:00

Longwood at Lindblom, 6:30

Simeon at Perspectives-Lead, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-CENTRAL

Dunbar at DuSable, 5:00

Englewood STEM at Kennedy, 5:00

King at Hubbard, 5:00

Richards (Chgo) at Catalyst-Maria, 5:00

Urban Prep-Englewood at Bogan, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-SOUTH

Agricultural Science at Fenger, 5:00

Dyett at ACE Amandla, 5:00

South Shore at Harlan, 5:00

Urban Prep-Bronzeville at UC-Woodlawn, 5:00

Vocational at Corliss, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-CENTRAL

ACERO-Garcia at Horizon-Southwest, 5:00

ACERO-Soto at Solorio, 5:00

Excel-Englewood at Tilden, 5:00

Gage Park at Hancock, 5:00

Instituto Health at Back of the Yards, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-SOUTH

Bowen at Washington, 5:00

Carver at Julian, 5:00

Chicago Military at Air Force, 5:00

EPIC at Hirsch, 5:00

Excel-South Shore at Goode, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-WEST

Kelvyn Park at Little Village, 5:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – BLUE

Hillcrest at Thornton Fr. South, 6:00

Lemont at Tinley Park, 6:30

Thornton Fr. North at Oak Forest, 6:30

SOUTH SUBURBAN – RED

Oak Lawn at Evergreen Park, 6:00

Shepard at Reavis, 6:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Bremen at Argo, 7:00

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Downers Grove North at Hinsdale Central, 7:00

NON CONFERENCE

Carmel at Libertyville, 7:00

DRW Prep at Chicago Tech, 5:00

Elgin at Round Lake, 7:00

Genoa-Kingston at Hinckley-Big Rock, 7:00

IC Catholic at Montini, 6:00

Neuqua Valley at Schaumburg Christian, 7:00

Providence at Southland, 7:00

Rockford Christian at Richmond-Burton, 7:00

Sycamore at Byron, 7:00

Universal at Yorkville Christian, 7:00

Westminster Christian at St. Edward, 7:00

Westmont at IMSA, 7:00

Woodstock North at Wauconda, 7:00

HALL

9th Place Semi-Final, 5:00

9th Place Semi-Final, 6:30

5th Place Semi-Final, 8:00

Friday, December 9, 2022

BIG NORTHERN

Oregon at Genoa-Kingston, 7:00

CATHOLIC LEAGUE

De La Salle at Marmion, 7:00

DePaul at Mount Carmel, 7:00

Fenwick at Loyola, 6:30

Providence at Providence-St. Mel, 7:00

St. Ignatius at Leo, 7:00

St. Rita at Brother Rice, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – NORTH

Deerfield at Niles North, 7:00

Highland Park at Vernon Hills, 7:00

Maine East at Maine West, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – SOUTH

New Trier at Glenbrook South, 7:00

Niles West at Maine South, 7:00

CHICAGO PREP

Ellison at Holy Trinity, 5:00

DU PAGE VALLEY

DeKalb at Naperville North, 7:00

Neuqua Valley at Naperville Central, 7:00

Waubonsie Valley at Metea Valley, 7:00

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Joliet Catholic at Marian Catholic, 7:00

Nazareth at Benet, 7:00

Notre Dame at Carmel, 7:00

St. Viator at Marist, 7:00

FOX VALLEY

Cary-Grove at McHenry, 7:30

Crystal Lake Central at Dundee-Crown, 7:30

Huntley at Hampshire, 7:30

Jacobs at Crystal Lake South, 7:30

Prairie Ridge at Burlington Central, 7:30

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Coal City at Manteno, 7:00

Lisle at Reed-Custer, 6:45

Peotone at Herscher, 7:00

Wilmington at Streator, 6:45

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Latin vs. Francis Parker, at De Paul University, 7:30

Morgan Park Academy at Elgin Academy, 6:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Plano at Ottawa, 7:00

LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC

Horizon-McKinley at British School, 7:00

Lycee Francais at Wolcott, 6:00

Roycemore at Waldorf, 5:30

LITTLE TEN

DePue at LaMoille, 5:30

Earlville at Indian Creek, 6:45

IMSA at Hiawatha, 7:00

Leland at Somonauk, 7:00

Serena at Newark, 7:00

METRO PREP

Islamic Foundation at CPSA, 6:30

METRO SUBURBAN – BLUE

St. Francis at Aurora Christian, 7:30

Chicago Christian at Riverside-Brookfield, 7:00

METRO SUBURBAN – RED

Westmont at Aurora Central, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – EAST

Buffalo Grove at Elk Grove, 7:30

Rolling Meadows at Hersey, 7:30

Wheeling at Prospect, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – WEST

Conant at Hoffman Estates, 7:30

Fremd at Barrington, 7:30

Palatine at Schaumburg, 7:30

NIC – 10

Belvidere at Harlem, 7:30

Belvidere North at Auburn, 7:30

Freeport at Guilford, 7:15

Jefferson at Boylan, 7:15

Rockford East at Hononegah, 7:30

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Christian Life at Mooseheart, 7:00

Schaumburg Christian at Harvest Christian, 7:30

Westminster Christian at Our Lady Sacred Heart, 5:

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Lakes at Antioch, 7:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE RED-WEST / NORTH

North Lawndale at Farragut, 5:00

Orr at Lincoln Park, 5:00

Perspectives-MSA at Lane, 5:00

Westinghouse at Prosser, 7:00

Young at Clark, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-NORTH

Lake View at Sullivan, 5:00

Mather at Taft, 7:00

Northside at Foreman, 5:00

Schurz at Senn, 5:00

Von Steuben at Amundsen, 6:30

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-WEST

Collins at Payton, 5:00

Jones at Crane, 5:00

Legal Prep at Marshall, 5:00

Ogden at Raby, 5:00

Wells at Austin, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-NORTH

Chicago Academy at Disney, 5:00

Chicago Math & Science at Marine, 5:00

North Grand at Intrinsic-Belmont, 5:00

Rickover at ASPIRA-Bus&Fin, 5:00

Roosevelt at Alcott, 5:00

Steinmetz at Uplift, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-WEST

Chicago Collegiate at Little Village, 5:00

Chicago Tech at Juarez, 5:00

Clemente at Manley, 5:00

Douglass at Phoenix, 5:00

Spry at Kelvyn Park, 5:00

RIVER VALLEY

Donovan at Gardner-So. Wilmington, 6:45

Grace Christian at Momence, 7:00

Grant Park at Beecher, 7:00

Illinois Lutheran at Tri-Point, 7:00

St. Anne at Clifton Central, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – RED

Eisenhower at Richards, 6:30

SOUTHLAND

Thornridge at Kankakee, 6:30

Thornton at Rich, 7:15

Thornwood at Crete-Monee, 6:00

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Plainfield Central at Romeoville, 6:30

Plainfield South at Plainfield East, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Minooka at Yorkville, 6:30

Oswego at Oswego East, 6:30

West Aurora at Plainfield North, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Bolingbrook at Lincoln-Way Central, 6:30

Homewood-Flossmoor at Lincoln-Way West, 6:00

Lincoln-Way East at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 7:00

Lockport at Andrew, 6:00

Sandburg at Stagg, 6:00

TRI-COUNTY

Midland at Dwight, 7:00

Roanoke-Benson at Henry-Senachwine, 7:00

Woodland at Seneca, 7:00

UPSTATE EIGHT

Bartlett at East Aurora, 6:30

Glenbard East at South Elgin, 7:00

Glenbard South at Fenton, 7:00

Larkin at West Chicago, 7:00

Streamwood at Elgin, 7:00

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

York at Downers Grove North, 7:30

NON CONFERENCE

Beacon at Golder, 7:00

Bloom at Noll (IN), 6:30

Byron at East Dubuque, 7:30

Christ the King at University High, 6:00

Dixon at Woodstock, 7:00

Elmwood Park at Northridge, 6:00

Goode at Hancock, 5:00

Hinckley-Big Rock at Amboy, 7:00

Kaneland at Marengo, 7:00

Kelly at Mansueto, 5:00

King at Proviso West, 6:30

Rauner at ACERO-Cruz, 5:00

Ridgewood at Madison, 7:30

St. Francis de Sales at Montini, 7:00

St. Laurence at Evergreen Park, 6:00

Yorkville Christian at Notre Dame (Peoria), 7:00

HALL

5th Place Semi-Final, 5:00

Semi-Final, 6:30

Semi-Final, 8:00

MARIETTA WHEELER (GA)

Kenwood vs. Knoxville Catholic (TN), 7:30E

Saturday, December 10, 2022

CHICAGO PREP

Rochelle Zell at Ida Crown, 9:00

DU KANE

St. Charles East at Wheaton-Warr. South, 6:00

St. Charles North at Geneva, 6:00

Wheaton North at Lake Park, 6:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Rochelle at Sycamore, 6:00

Sandwich at Kaneland, 7:00

METRO SUBURBAN – RED

St. Edward at McNamara, 7:00

NORTH SUBURBAN

Libertyville at Lake Forest, 5:30

Mundelein at Waukegan, 5:30

Warren at Stevenson, 3:00

Zion-Benton at Lake Zurich, 7:00

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Grayslake Central at Grayslake North, 7:00

North Chicago at Grant, 7:00

Wauconda at Round Lake, 12:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-NORTH

Lake View at Taft, 7:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Joliet West at Joliet Central, 12:00

WEST SUBURBAN – GOLD

Leyden at Hinsdale South, 6:00

Morton at Downers Grove South, 4:00

Proviso East at Addison Trail, 6:00

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Lyons at Glenbard West, 6:00

Proviso West at York, 7:30

NON CONFERENCE

Auburn at Yorkville Christian, 7:00

Batavia at Quincy, 7:00

Beecher at Herscher, 4:30

Belvidere North at Woodstock, 1:00

Bradley Tech (WI) at Bowen, 3:00

Bulls Prep at Payton, 11:30

Cary-Grove at Elk Grove, 1:00

Deerfield at Prairie Ridge, 2:30

Dixon at Alleman, 6:30

East Dubuque at Winnebago, 5:00

East Moline at DeKalb, 6:30

Glenbrook North at Highland Park, 5:30

Henry-Senachwine at Wethersfield, 6:30

Hersey at St. Viator, 4:30

Hononegah at Marian Central, 3:00

Kankakee at Rantoul, 6:30

Latin at LaLumiere-Blue (IN), 6:00

Leland at Annawan, 1:00

Lindblom at Christ the King, 6:30

Lisle at IC Catholic, 1:00

Mather at Fasman Yeshiva, 8:00

Mooseheart at IMSA, 6:30

Morris at Wilmington, 1:30

Newark at Parkview Christian, 4:30

Normal West at Plainfield North, 5:00

North Boone at Clinton (WI), 7:00

Northtown at Niles North, 4:30

Oak Park-River Forest at Glenbrook South, 1:30

Ottawa at Streator, 5:30

Richmond-Burton at Elgin, 1:00

Ridgewood at Mascoutah, 4:00

Rockford Lutheran at Northridge, 3:00

St. Anne at Prairie Central, 5:30

St. Patrick at Loyola, 6:30

Stark County at Lowpoint-Washburn, 6:00

Timothy Christian at Marengo, 5:00

UIC Prep at Intrinsic-Downtown, 1:00

Walther Christian at Fenton, 4:30

Wheeling at Crystal Lake Central, 1:30

Williamsfield at Midland, 4:30

Woodland at Indian Creek, 3:15

BARTLETT (TN)

Dunbar vs.Memphis University High (TN), 10:00

HALL

11th Place, 12:00

9th Place, 1:30

7th Place, 3:00

5th Place, 4:30

3rd Place, 6:00

Championship, 7:30

MARIETTA WHEELER (GA)

Kenwood vs. Lovett (GA), 6:00E

MOUNT CARMEL

Lane vs. Lemont, 11:00

Farragut vs. St. Laurence, 12:30

Westinghouse vs. Lincoln-Way East, 2:00

Riverside-Brookfield vs. St. Ignatius, 3:30

Hyde Park vs. Homewood-Flossmoor, 5:00

Curie vs. Mount Carmel, 6:30

SOUTH ELGIN

Oak Lawn vs. Hinsdale Central, 2:00

New Trier vs. Rolling Meadows, 4:00

Yorkville vs. South Elgin, 6:00

ST. LOUIS RITENOUR (M0)

Romeoville vs. Life for Life (MO), 2:30

Hillcrest vs. East St. Louis, 7:00

Sunday, December 11, 2022

MOUNT CARMEL

Rich vs. Lindblom, 11:00

De La Salle vs. Proviso East, 12:30

Evanston vs. Marian Catholic, 2:00

Hillcrest vs. Normal, 3:30

Brother Rice vs. Bloom, 5:00

North Lawndale vs. Perspectives-Lead, 6:30

PROSSER

Crane vs. Fenger, 12:00

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Hillcrest was supposed to be good. With an expected five returning starters from last year’s 26-5 team, including a pair of senior Division I big men and a junior guard ranked among the top 20 prospects in the Class of 2024, the expectations were sky high for the Hawks.

But one of those big men, 6-8 Matt Moore, a UNC-Wilmington recruit, transferred to Joliet West. And the talented guard who broke out last year as a sophomore, Isaiah Green, left for Kenwood.

With Darrion Baker, a blossoming 6-9 Akron recruit, tough four-year varsity guard Bryce Tillery and 6-6 senior Quinten Heady to lean on, coach Don Houston still had a ranked team heading into the season. But it was one with a lot less depth and a few more question marks than expected.

With those three aforementioned seniors leading the way, Hillcrest won the Chicago Heights Classic over Thanksgiving by beating both Bloom and Marian Catholic. Then it went on the road and took care of upstart Oak Lawn, which was unbeaten with a win over Mount Carmel.

Now the Hawks roll into the third week of the season unbeaten and with three wins over ranked teams.

This is a different Hillcrest team than expected. But it’s a team with veterans, grit and toughness, and it appears to be one with a chip on its shoulder following the departure of their high-profile teammates who bolted for other ranked teams.

“Absolutely,” Houston responded when asked whether his team is playing with a chip.

More importantly, it seems this is a team Houston, the highly-successful veteran coach with a state title and who is quickly approaching 350 career wins, is going to love to coach.

“It’s a very close team,” Houston said. “They trust each other and enjoy playing together.”

They will be playing and traveling a lot together this week with four games in six days, including a trip to play East St. Louis on Saturday and a return to Chicago to face Normal on Sunday in the Team Rose Shootout.

Wes Rubin’s emergence

The biggest individual statement made over the weekend at the 11th annual Chicago Elite Classic was from Simeon’s Wes Rubin.

The Wolverines dominated ranked St. Rita, thanks in large part to the head-turning play of Rubin, the still-improving but now producing 6-9 senior. He poured in 21 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and buried four three-pointers — all from the college three-point line.

Rubin, who originally committed to Loyola with his twin brother, Miles Rubin, opened his recruitment back up in September and ultimately signed with Northern Iowa. If Rubin’s play in the win over St. Rita was any indication, Northern Iowa nabbed a steal late in the recruiting process.

The body is leaner and better. He’s more active and lively, and he’s playing with a high-level of confidence.

Rubin is a prime example in the evaluation process of big men often developing at a different pace than guards and wings. They take time. Patience is needed to let players with size, tools and promise emerge. And Wes Rubin is certainly emerging for the No. 1 team in the state.

DeAndre Craig’s legacy

I’m not going to put Mount Carmel senior DeAndre Craig on the Caravan Mt. Rushmore; that’s reserved for Antoine Walker, Donovan McNabb, Tracy Abrams and Melvin McCants. But Craig is etching his name into the record books.

The 6-0 senior guard will go down as one of the best, most productive players in program history. Craig, who signed with Denver last month, surpassed 1,000 career points last week, which is always a tremendous milestone. But when you consider he reached that scoring feat with nearly a full season remaining — and playing a shortened sophomore season due to a pandemic — it’s all the more impressive.

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The Bulls’ “Big Three” have been under the microscope since the regular season tipped off in Miami back in October.

Collectively, but also individually.

Big man Nikola Vucevic came into the season in the final year of his contract, DeMar DeRozan entered the 2022-23 campaign looking to continue taking Father Time into the paint and hitting the mid-range dagger over him, and Zach LaVine was fresh off a boost into a higher tax bracket, handed the five-year, $215-million max offer over the summer.

While all three have had some inconsistent moments so far this season, according to coach Billy Donovan, they’ve all remained leaders in and out of the locker room.

“When all three of those guys speak, the younger guys are attentive,” Donovan said. “All three of those guys, in their own way, spend time with those young guys.”

That leadership is again going to be tested.

The Bulls will enter Wednesday’s game with the Wizards 9-14, fresh off a six-game road trip in which started with a win in Milwaukee, only to fall on hard times with four losses over the final five games.

They have not only been inconsistent on both ends of the floor, but for the first time under Donovan, one of his “Big Three” was admittedly frustrated with how this season has played out so far.

Not only did LaVine pick up a late-game technical in the Sunday loss to Sacramento, but quickly stormed off the court as the final horn sounded, ignoring his teammates as he walked by them.

He explained after the game, “Sometimes your emotions come out. It’s us vs. everybody, no one is going to help us dig out of this besides us. That’s how we’ve got to go about it.”

Worth watching will be how LaVine goes about it.

The two-time All-Star is coming off his first real LaVine-like game of the season, putting up 41 points, adding eight rebounds and grabbing four steals, but there seems to be some lingering tension between LaVine and Donovan going back to the heart-breaking Nov. 18 loss to Orlando, in which the coach benched the star for the final few minutes.

“That’s Billy’s decision, he’s gotta lay with it,” LaVine said afterward. “Do I agree with it? No. I think I can go out there and still be me even if I miss some shots. That’s his decision and he’s got to stand on it.”

Donovan did, with the two talking it out and seemingly getting on the same page.

Possibly a page with a small tear in it, however.

Following an embarrassing performance in Phoenix, Donovan gave the starting lineup a facelift, starting Alex Caruso over Ayo Dosunmu and Javonte Green over Patrick Williams.

LaVine was asked about the coach saying a change was necessary in the wake of that showing against the Suns, and responded, “Nah, nah, I think that was his opinion.”

A passive aggressive poke? Possibly. But again, it gets back to a frustration level for a roster with higher expectations than have been displayed.

There was good news in all of this.

DeRozan is not only the adult in the locker room on most nights, but has LaVine’s ear. The organization has no plans to move on from Donovan or LaVine anytime soon, so this seems to be more of a strain rather than a fracture in the relationship, easily fixed with some big brotherly advice from DeRozan, and more importantly, with wins.

And at least on paper, wins that should start coming.

The beginning of the Bulls season was one of the tougher schedules in the NBA, not only in how many games were condensed into the first month, but the competition.

As of Tuesday, however, only Detroit, Miami, and Boston have easier schedules than the Bulls over the remainder of the season.

It will be up to the “Big Three” to start turning it around against Washington.

Let the test begin.

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