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High school football schedule: Week 8

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Thursday, October 13

RED CENTRAL

Catalyst-Maria vs. Hansberry at Stagg, 3:45

Rowe-Clark at Speer, 7

RED NORTH-CENTRAL

Mather vs. Schurz at Lane, 4:15

Steinmetz vs. Lake View at Winnemac, 3:45

RED SOUTH

Brooks vs. Hubbard at Gately, 7:15

Kenwood vs. Curie at Lane, 4:15

RED SOUTH-CENTRAL

Perspectives vs. Ag. Science at Gately, 4:15

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Antioch at Grayslake Central, 7

Grayslake North at Round Lake, 7

Lakes at Grant, 7

North Chicago at Wauconda, 7

WEST SUBURBAN GOLD

Addison Trail vs. Leyden at Triton, 6

NONCONFERENCE

DuSable at Back of the Yards, 3:45

Fenger vs. Washington at Eckersall, 3:45

Friday, October 14

RED CENTRAL

Rauner vs. Pritzker at Lane, 4:15

RED NORTH

Taft vs. Young at Lane, 7:15

RED SOUTH-CENTRAL

Dunbar vs. UP-Bronzeville at Hales, 5

RED SOUTHEAST

Dyett vs. Corliss at Gately, 4:15

Goode vs. Carver at Gately, 7:15

Vocational vs. South Shore at Eckersall, 3:45

RED WEST

Crane vs. Kennedy at Stagg, 3:45

Little Village vs. Bulls Prep at Winnemac, 3:45

CENTRAL SUBURBAN NORTH

Deerfield at Maine East, 6

Niles North at Maine West, 6:30

Vernon Hills at Highland Park, 6:30

CENTRAL SUBURBAN SOUTH

Glenbrook North at Glenbrook South, 7

Maine South at Evanston, 7:30

New Trier at Niles West, 7

DUKANE

Batavia at St. Charles East, 7

Lake Park at Wheaton-Warrenville South, 7

St. Charles North at Glenbard North, 7

Wheaton North at Geneva, 7

DUPAGE VALLEY

Naperville Central at Metea Valley, 7

Naperville North at Waubonsie Valley, 7

Neuqua Valley at DeKalb, 7

FOX VALLEY

Cary-Grove at Burlington Central, 7

Huntley at Dundee-Crown, 7

Jacobs at Hampshire, 7

McHenry at Crystal Lake Central, 7

Prairie Ridge at Crystal Lake South, 7

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Manteno at Lisle, 7

Peotone at Herscher, 7

Reed-Custer at Coal City, 7

Wilmington at Streator, 7

KISHWAUKEE BLUE

Richmond-Burton at Harvard, 7

Rochelle at Plano, 7

KISHWAUKEE WHITE

Kaneland at Woodstock North, 7

Ottawa at Morris, 7

Sycamore at LaSalle-Peru, 7

METRO SUBURBAN BLUE

Elmwood Park at Wheaton Academy, 7:30

IC Catholic at Bishop McNamara, 7:15

Ridgewood at Aurora Central, 7

METRO SUBURBAN RED

St. Edward at Aurora Christian, 7:15

St. Francis at Riverside-Brookfield, 7:15

MID-SUBURBAN EAST

Hersey at Elk Grove, 7:30

Prospect at Wheeling, 7:30

Rolling Meadows at Buffalo Grove, 7

MID-SUBURBAN WEST

Conant at Barrington, 7

Hoffman Estates at Fremd, 7

Palatine at Schaumburg, 7

NORTH SUBURBAN

Mundelein at Lake Zurich, 7

Warren at Lake Forest, 7

Waukegan at Stevenson, 7

Zion-Benton at Libertyville, 7

SOUTH SUBURBAN BLUE

Bremen at Oak Forest, 6

Lemont at Hillcrest, 6

Tinley Park at TF South, 7

SOUTH SUBURBAN RED

Argo at Shepard, 7

Eisenhower at Evergreen Park, 7

Oak Lawn at Richards, 6:30

SOUTHLAND

Thornridge at Rich Township, 6

Thornton at Kankakee, 6

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE EAST

Plainfield Central at Romeoville, 7

Plainfield South at Plainfield East, 7

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE WEST

Minooka at Yorkville, 7

Oswego at Oswego East, 7

West Aurora at Plainfield North, 7

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN BLUE

Lockport at Lincoln-Way East, 7

Sandburg at Homewood-Flossmoor, 7

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN RED

Bradley-Bourbonnais at Stagg, 6

Lincoln-Way West at Andrew, 7

UPSTATE EIGHT

Bartlett at South Elgin, 7

East Aurora at West Chicago, 7

Elgin at Larkin, 7

Glenbard East at Glenbard South, 7

Streamwood at Fenton, 7:30

VERMILION VALLEY NORTH

Iroquois West at Dwight, 7

Momence at Watseka, 7

Seneca at Clifton Central, 7

WEST SUBURBAN GOLD

Downers Grove South at Morton, 7:30

Proviso East at Hinsdale South, 7:30

WEST SUBURBAN SILVER

Hinsdale Central at Proviso West, 7:30

Oak Park-River Forest at Downers Grove North, 7:30

NONCONFERENCE

Benet at Joliet Catholic, 7:30

Carmel at Marist, 6:30

Christ the King at Ottawa Marquette, 7

DePaul Prep at St. Ignatius, 7:30

Harlan at Solorio, 6

Hope Academy at De La Salle, 6

Leo at Marmion, 7

Lincoln-Way Central at Bolingbrook, 6

Marian Catholic at Brother Rice, 7

Nazareth at Montini, 7:30

Notre Dame at St. Laurence, 7:30

Reavis at TF North, 7

St. Rita at Providence, 7:30

St. Viator at Mount Carmel, 7:30

TBD at Englewood STEM, 5

Willowbrook at York, 7:30

Woodstock at Johnsburg, 7

Saturday, October 15

RED NORTH

Clark vs. Phillips at Gately, 4

Lane at Westinghouse, noon

RED NORTH-CENTRAL

Sullivan vs. Senn at Winnemac, 12:45

Von Steuben vs. Amundsen at Winnemac, 3:45

RED SOUTH

Morgan Park vs. Simeon at Gately, 1

RED SOUTH-CENTRAL

Hyde Park vs. King at Eckersall, 1

RED SOUTHEAST

Comer vs. Julian at Gately, 7

RED WEST

North Lawndale vs. Lincoln Park at Lane, 1

Payton vs. Raby at Winnemac, 9:45 a.m.

BLUE CENTRAL

Golder vs. Longwood at Stagg, 12:45

Muchin vs. Butler at Gately, 10 a.m.

Noble Academy vs. Johnson at Stagg, 9:45 a.m.

SOUTHLAND

Crete-Monee at Bloom, noon

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE EAST

Joliet West at Joliet Central, 11 a.m.

WEST SUBURBAN SILVER

Lyons at Glenbard West, 1:30

NONCONFERENCE

Chicago Christian at Indianapolis Phalen, Ind., 2

Chicago Military vs. Collins at Lane, 10 a.m.

Foreman at Kelly, 11 a.m.

Gage Park vs. Bowen at Eckersall, 9:45 a.m.

Marengo at Peoria Manual, 1

Marian Central at Mt. Carmel, Ill., 1

Marshall vs. Marine at Orr, 9:45 a.m.

Phoenix vs. Clemente at Orr, 12:45

Princeville at Walther Christian, 1

Prosser at Orr, 3:45

St. Louis De Smet, Mo. at Thornwood, 1

St. Patrick at Loyola, 1

TBD vs. Lindblom at Stagg 3:45

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High school football: Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 rankings for Week 8

There were some difficult decisions to make this week, despite the rankings remaining very stable overall.

Bolingbrook went from No. 10 to out of the rankings entirely for losing to a good Lockport team. That’s harsh. But the Raiders best win at this point is Week 1 against Minooka. It’s a bit late in the season to keep ranking a team based on close losses to excellent teams (unless you are Marist, who I keep giving the benefit of the doubt).

Homewood-Flossmoor lost its second consecutive game and drops out as well. Those losses are to Bolingbrook and Lincoln-Way East, so no shame in that. But the Vikings fall into the same category as the Raiders. There isn’t a high-quality win yet.

The third team that falls out this week is Joliet Catholic. I’ve been a little worried all season that the Hilltoppers were getting too much respect based on how terrific they were last season. The resume so far is ok. They close wins against IC Catholic and at Providence. The home loss in overtime to Brother Rice this past week knocks them off for now.

Don’t make any mistake though, Joliet Catholic is still a monster force in Class 4A.

Three teams leaving made some room for new blood. This is finally the week that Morgan Park cracks the Super 25. The Mustangs have a huge showdown vs. No. 5 Simeon on Saturday, so we will find out everything we need to know soon.

Morgan Park is unbeaten and has wins against Richards, Phillips, Kenwood and Rich.

Naperville Central returns to the rankings after picking up consecutive wins against good teams (Naperville North, DeKalb). The Redhawks’ early loss at Plainfield North is looking quite a bit better now as well.

The final team to join the rankings this week is St. Francis. The Spartans are unbeaten and haven’t had a challenge since winning 17-6 at Lake Forest in Week 1.

Is it a stretch to put a small school ahead of Bolingbrook, Homewood-Flossmoor and a few Fox Valley schools? Probably. But the St. Francis has been knocking on the door for awhile and it has the chance to prove itself the final two weeks of the season against Riverside-Brookfield (5-2) and IC Catholic (6-1).

Week 8’s Super 25With record and last week’s ranking

1. Mount Carmel (7-0) 1Friday vs. St. Viator

2. Loyola (7-0) 2Saturday vs. St. Patrick

3. Lincoln-Way East (7-0) 3Friday vs. Lockport

4. York (7-0) 4Friday vs. Willowbrook

5. Simeon (7-0) 5Saturday vs. No. 24 Morgan Park at Gately

6. Glenbard West (6-1) 6Saturday vs. Lyons

7. Hersey (7-0) 7Friday at Elk Grove

8. Lemont (7-0) 8Friday at Hillcrest

9. Prospect (6-1) 9Friday at Wheeling

10. Marist (4-3) 11Friday vs. Carmel

11. St. Rita (5-2) 12Friday at Providence

12. Warren (6-1) 13Friday at Lake Forest

13. Maine South (5-2) 14Friday at Evanston

14. Crete-Monee (5-2) 15Saturday at Bloom

15. Neuqua Valley (6-1) 17Friday at DeKalb

16. Prairie Ridge (6-1) 18Friday at Crystal Lake South

17. St. Charles North (6-1) 19Friday at Glenbard North

18. Wheaton North (6-1) 21Friday at Geneva

19. Batavia (5-2) 22Friday at St. Charles East

20. Kankakee (6-1) 23Friday vs. Thornton

21. Lake Zurich (6-1) 24Friday vs. Mundelein

22. Plainfield North (7-0) 25Friday vs. West Aurora

23. Naperville Central (5-2) NRFriday at Metea Valley

24. Morgan Park (7-0) NRSaturday vs. No. 5 Simeon at Gately

25. St. Francis (7-0) NRFriday at Riverside-Brookfield

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Chepngetich flirts with WR at Chicago Marathonon October 9, 2022 at 4:59 pm

Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich defended her Chicago Marathon title in a dominant display Sunday, breaking the tape in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 18 seconds, as her compatriot Benson Kipruto cruised to victory in the men’s race in 2:04:24.

Chepngetich built up an early lead and had established an astonishing 3:42 advantage over the chasing pack by the halfway point.

Charging to the line with no one else in sight, the 2019 world champion was in a race against the clock as she tried to break the world record but came up 14 seconds short of Brigid Kosgei’s mark, set on the same flat course three years ago.

“I wanted to break the world record … but I’m happy,” Chepngetich said. “Next year I’m ready to come back again.”

Emily Sisson finished second in an American marathon record of 2:18:29, and Kenyan Vivian Jerono Kiplagat third.

On the men’s side, Kipruto joined a large leading pack from the start and grabbed the outright lead with an 11-second margin over last year’s champion Seifu Tura Abdiwak of Ethiopia by the 40-kilometer mark in one of his trademark late surges.

The 2021 Boston Marathon winner hardly looked fatigued as he broke the tape in sunny conditions, seven years after his older brother Dickson Chumba won the race. Tura Abdiwak finished second in 2:04:49, and Kenyan John Korir took third.

“I’m so happy,” Kipruto said. “I’m here to take up from where [Chumba] left.”

Paralympic champion Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men’s wheelchair race in a blistering 1:25:20, building on a stellar 2022 that also brought him wins in Tokyo, Berlin and London.

American Susannah Scaroni stunned last year’s champion Tatyana McFadden on the women’s side in 1:45:48 for her first major marathon title.

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Chepngetich flirts with WR at Chicago Marathonon October 9, 2022 at 4:59 pm Read More »

Queer Art Party, Afrofuturist performance, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and Zine Not Dead

Palmer Square Art Fair and Queer Social Club are teaming up to debut Queer Art Party at Sleeping Village (3734 W. Belmont). From noon-5 PM, vibe out to queer art, music, food, and community. You’ll have a chance to get your makeup done or portrait taken. Herbivore Chicago will be on hand providing plant-based comfort food, and there will be local vendors galore. This event is free, though you must be 21 or older to attend. Check out Sleeping Villages’ website for a complete vendor list. (MC)

Today’s the last day of this year’s Afrofuturist Weekend, a celebration of Black artists who make work that envisions radically positive futures for Black people. Elastic Arts (3429 W. Diversey, second floor) has been hosting panel discussions, performances, and more, and today’s packed schedule includes a video activation by Cat Mahari (5 PM), Angel Bat Dawid performing with Youth Leaders in Music (3 PM), and performances under Elastic’s AfriClassical Futures banner featuring olula negre, Julian Otis, Ashanti Owusu-Brafi, Justy, and Naydja Bruton (6 PM). Events run throughout the day from 2-10 PM, and a full lineup is viewable at Elastic’s website. Admission is $15 (or online at Eventbrite) and Elastic is open to all ages. (SCJ)

Indigenous Peoples’ Day became a nationally recognized holiday last year when President Biden signed a presidential proclamation, but celebrating and honoring the lives and contributions of Indigenous people should be a daily occurrence. This year, Old Town School of Folk Music partnered with Sky People Entertainment to create a two night series of events featuring performances by Indigenous artists. Tonight’s kick off happens at Logan Square Auditorium (2539 N. Kedzie) and features an eclectic mix of rock, EDM, and hip-hop; performers include Canada’s Juno award-winning DJ Shub, who created an electronic music style he calls PowWowStep, and Chicago’s own Phnx.Wav, a vocalist and music producer who blends R&B, hip-hop, and jazz. The evening starts at 6:30 PM and is open to all ages; tickets are free but reservations are requested through Old Town School of Folk Music’s website. Tomorrow you can catch a mix of rock, cumbia, and folkloric dance with performances by rock and blues band Indigenous, psychedelic cumbia band Chicha Roots with dance group Kichwa Runa, and Mexican folkloric dance troupe Galguez Laxá performing with Mexican rock band Dizá (Mon 10/10, 6:30 PM, at Old Town School’s Maurer Hall, 4544 N. Lincoln). (SCJ)

Phnx.Wav collaborated with Chicago hip-hop artist Saint Ripley on this 2021 song. The video was directed by Phillip Christopher.

It’s the 18th installment of Zine Not Dead, a live (and lively!) comics reading event. Tonight’s performers include Eddy Rivera, Annie Fish, Max Morris, Bridget Bilbo, Bianca Xunise, and Kevin Budnik. They’ll be reading at the Color Club (4146 N. Elston) at 7 PM. Tickets are $17 ($15 in advance), and all ages are welcome. (MC)

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Queer Art Party, Afrofuturist performance, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and Zine Not DeadMicco Caporale and Salem Collo-Julinon October 9, 2022 at 3:50 pm

Palmer Square Art Fair and Queer Social Club are teaming up to debut Queer Art Party at Sleeping Village (3734 W. Belmont). From noon-5 PM, vibe out to queer art, music, food, and community. You’ll have a chance to get your makeup done or portrait taken. Herbivore Chicago will be on hand providing plant-based comfort food, and there will be local vendors galore. This event is free, though you must be 21 or older to attend. Check out Sleeping Villages’ website for a complete vendor list. (MC)

Today’s the last day of this year’s Afrofuturist Weekend, a celebration of Black artists who make work that envisions radically positive futures for Black people. Elastic Arts (3429 W. Diversey, second floor) has been hosting panel discussions, performances, and more, and today’s packed schedule includes a video activation by Cat Mahari (5 PM), Angel Bat Dawid performing with Youth Leaders in Music (3 PM), and performances under Elastic’s AfriClassical Futures banner featuring olula negre, Julian Otis, Ashanti Owusu-Brafi, Justy, and Naydja Bruton (6 PM). Events run throughout the day from 2-10 PM, and a full lineup is viewable at Elastic’s website. Admission is $15 (or online at Eventbrite) and Elastic is open to all ages. (SCJ)

Indigenous Peoples’ Day became a nationally recognized holiday last year when President Biden signed a presidential proclamation, but celebrating and honoring the lives and contributions of Indigenous people should be a daily occurrence. This year, Old Town School of Folk Music partnered with Sky People Entertainment to create a two night series of events featuring performances by Indigenous artists. Tonight’s kick off happens at Logan Square Auditorium (2539 N. Kedzie) and features an eclectic mix of rock, EDM, and hip-hop; performers include Canada’s Juno award-winning DJ Shub, who created an electronic music style he calls PowWowStep, and Chicago’s own Phnx.Wav, a vocalist and music producer who blends R&B, hip-hop, and jazz. The evening starts at 6:30 PM and is open to all ages; tickets are free but reservations are requested through Old Town School of Folk Music’s website. Tomorrow you can catch a mix of rock, cumbia, and folkloric dance with performances by rock and blues band Indigenous, psychedelic cumbia band Chicha Roots with dance group Kichwa Runa, and Mexican folkloric dance troupe Galguez Laxá performing with Mexican rock band Dizá (Mon 10/10, 6:30 PM, at Old Town School’s Maurer Hall, 4544 N. Lincoln). (SCJ)

Phnx.Wav collaborated with Chicago hip-hop artist Saint Ripley on this 2021 song. The video was directed by Phillip Christopher.

It’s the 18th installment of Zine Not Dead, a live (and lively!) comics reading event. Tonight’s performers include Eddy Rivera, Annie Fish, Max Morris, Bridget Bilbo, Bianca Xunise, and Kevin Budnik. They’ll be reading at the Color Club (4146 N. Elston) at 7 PM. Tickets are $17 ($15 in advance), and all ages are welcome. (MC)

Read More

Queer Art Party, Afrofuturist performance, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and Zine Not DeadMicco Caporale and Salem Collo-Julinon October 9, 2022 at 3:50 pm Read More »

Bears’ inactives vs. Vikings: RB David Montgomery returns from ankle injury

MINNEAPOLIS — Bears running back David Montgomery will play against the Vikings on Sunday just two weeks after suffering an ankle injury against the Texans.

Montgomery missed most of that game and was out against the Giants last week, but was back at practice Thursday and was listed as questionable to face the Vikings.

Here are the Bears’ inactives:TE Jake TongesDL Kingsley JonathanCB Jaylon JohnsonDB Dane Cruikshank

Montgomery has been the Bears’ leading rusher every season since they drafted him in the third round in 2019.

He ran for 889 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, then followed with a career year of 1,070 and eight in 2020. He missed four games with a knee injury last season and finished with 849 yards and seven touchdowns.

After a rough opener in the rain, Montgomery ran for 122 yards on 15 carries against the Packers in Week 2. He had three carries for 11 yards against the Texans the next week before defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour rolled into his leg at the end of a play.

Khalil Herbert had 234 yards on 39 carries with two touchdowns while Montgomery was out, but Montgomery is more proven as a receiver and is the Bears’ top pass blocker.

Johnson, meanwhile, is the Bears’ best cornerback, and his absence is extremely problematic given that they’ll face one of the most explosive wide receivers in the NFL in Justin Jefferson.

Johnson faced zero passes when he was in coverage the first two games, while opposing quarterbacks targeted Kindle Vildor and rookie Kyler Gordon.

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Chicago Bears fans take to Twitter to marvel over Marvin Harrison Jr.

Marvin Harrison Jr. caught the attention of Chicago Bears fans with a big performance on Saturday against Ohio State

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. put on a show in the Buckeyes’ big win over Michigan State on Saturday, helping power the offense along with quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Harrison Jr. finished the game with 7 receptions for 131 yards and 3 touchdowns, breaking a Buckeyes record with the most three touchdown games in his career. His fantastic day also drew the attention of Twitter, specifically Chicago Bears fans.

Bears fans took to Twitter to discuss Harrison Jr. and wishing that he would end up in the Windy City eventually. Harrison Jr. does have to return to college for one more year but Bears fans are hoping that he can land in Chicago in the 2024 NFL draft:

Hi, I’d like to place an order for one Marvin Harrison Jr. to Chicago, please?

I am pretty sure Marvin Harrison Jr. could start for my Chicago Bears tomorrow.🥹

i need marvin harrison jr to be a chicago bear in 2 years

Idk if the bears will still be bad enough when Marvin Harrison Jr declares but I want him in Chicago so bad 😂

The son of Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison made big plays on Saturday but that’s nothing new for him in his career with the Buckeyes:

Making plays like that will get him a BIG pay day in the NFL when he’s eligible. And maybe that will be in Chicago?

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High school football: Simeon shuts out Kenwood in Mikeshun Beeler’s breakout game

Simeon stars Malik Elzy and Andre Crews are Player of the Year contenders and both seniors had eye-popping highlight moments in the Wolverines’ 29-0 domination of Kenwood on Saturday at Lane Stadium.

The bar was set high, but defensive lineman Mikeshun Beeler still managed to steal the spotlight. Beeler had six sacks and several tackles for a loss.

“That was the best game of my life,” Beeler said. “I knew I was facing some four star linemen so I had to show I was the best in the city. We have some dogs at Simeon too.”

Beeler said he’s talked with Northwestern and Illinois and has visited Wisconsin. The 6-4, 244-pound junior is an excellent student. Simeon coach Dante Culbreath noted Beeler and Crews’ GPAs immediately after the game.

“These kids are good students and they work their tail off everyday in practice,” Culbreath said.

Crews has dominated in every game this season. He had 16 carries for 244 yards with touchdown runs of 80, 12 and 85 yards.

“I’m feeling powerful knowing I have a better relationship with my offensive lineman,” Crews said. “I give it all to them. We all have a mindset for winning.”

Simeon (7-0, 4-0 Red-South) only completed one pass, but Elzy made his impact in other ways. The Cincinnati recruit is a receiver, defensive back and punter.

For a second it appeared Elzy’s first punt of the game was going to be blocked. He didn’t let that happen, pulling it back and running for 40 yards. It was so smooth and effortless that many observers thought it was a designed fake punt play.

“I took it because they came fast,” Elzy said. “He was there to block it so I decided to go.”

The Wolverines held Kenwood (4-3, 2-2) to 112 yards of offense.

“Beeler and [Chris Burgess] are so underrated,” Elzy said. “They might be a junior and a sophomore but they are two of the best defensive linemen in the state.”

The Broncos are down to their third quarterback of the season and their passing game struggled. Running back Taylor Goodwin led Kenwood with 14 carries for 63 yards.

Simeon has only allowed eight points in its last five games.

“There is still plenty to work on,” Culbreath said. “We are making mistakes if we get three touchdowns called back [by penalties]. But the defense is stepping up like they did today.”

Next up for Simeon is undefeated Morgan Park. It’s the Public League’s biggest game of the season featuring unbeaten rivals matching up in the Battle of Vincennes.

Both teams are loaded with college prospects. The game was originally set to be televised, but that was canceled due to some uncertainty this week about when and where it will take place.

The original plan was to play on Friday night at Gately Stadium but it appears the game is likely to be moved to Saturday afternoon.

“We are working hard and focused,” Elzy said. “Everyone is going to want to see that game.”

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High school football: Hyde Park beats Chicago Richards to remain unbeaten

Hyde Park doesn’t throw the ball very often.

If Maasai Gibson didn’t have a heart-to-heart with his mother, the Thunderbirds would probably do it even less.

Mostly a basketball player in recent years, Gibson is back on the field as a senior and adds another dimension for one of the Public League’s last unbeaten teams.

Gibson won a jump ball for a 25-yard touchdown catch late in the first quarter and that was enough for Hyde Park to get past Chicago Richards 8-0 Saturday at Stagg Field.

It was his only catch of the day and one of just two completed passes for the Thunderbirds (7-0, 5-0 Red South-Central), who are heading to the IHSA playoffs for the fourth straight season.

Gibson, a 6-6, 230-pounder, played youth football and then got into “one or two” games as a freshman at Ag. Science, where he started his high school career. He transferred to Hyde Park the next year and concentrated on basketball.

“I wanted to play [football] last year but it was a lot of stuff going on,” Gibson said.

Then this year, “I wanted to and I talked to my mom and just decided to play.”

Coach Keenan Phillips-Riley is glad he did.

“He’s been a really valuable commodity for us,” Phillips-Riley said. “The one thing you can’t coach is size.”

The Thunderbirds are fortunate in that area. Their offense is built around 5-10, 210-pound senior Kenneth Lord running behind a line anchored by 6-foot, 330-pound senior Aaron Matthews and 6-2, 325-pound junior Sedrick Washington.

Matthews and Washington also are stalwarts on Hyde Park’s defensive line.

“They’re tough,” Phillips-Riley said. “And they grind it out as much as they can.”

Lord ran 25 times for 133 yards on Saturday in a game that zipped along apart from some injury timeouts late. The second half featured just four possessions, with Hyde Park eating up more than 11 minutes on a 17-play drive that left Richards (3-4, 1-4) less than 40 seconds for its final drive. There was still some drama, with Warriors quarterback Donnie Buckner completing a 30-yard pass to Denzell Hill to get Richards to the red zone in the closing seconds.

But Hyde Park freshman Anthony Westbrook picked off Buckner in the end zone on the last play of the game to keep the Thunderbirds undefeated.

That record is a bit of a surprise, even to Phillips-Riley.

“Were we expecting to be 7-0? By no means,” he said. “Goodness no. We had no idea, but the kids have bought into the system.”

The latest win moves the Thunderbirds closer to one of their goals: hosting a state playoff game. The hope is that playing at home could help end their IHSA postseason drought; they’re 0-7 all-time in state playoff games.

“That’s our goal for this year, to get our first win in state,” Phillips-Riley said.

For Richards (3-4, 1-4), Buckner was 7-of-11 passing for 117 yards with one interception. Hill had two catches for 70 yards.

The Warriors are trending upward. Two years ago in their first varsity season, after the program was rebooted, they were 0-8. Last year, they went 6-3 in one of the second-tier Chicago sections, earning promotion to the Red South-Central.

“We’re scrappy,” coach Shawn Gray said. “We’re just trying to get better. It’s a different level of football we’re playing now so we’re trying to adjust.”

The Warriors stayed close despite dressing fewer than 20 players Saturday. They’re the smallest school in any of the Red sections with an enrollment of just 219.

“Saturday is tough,” Gray said. “Because if the kids are in the building they’ll show up. We usually have about 24 or 25. So we missed a few kids and had a couple banged up. We’ll get a couple back next week.”

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Poles Watching: Chicago Bears rookies have a disaster Week 4 Vs Giants

Chicago Bears rookies fail to impress in Week 4

Following Week 1 of the regular season, I introduced a series to take a glance each week at how the Chicago Bears’ top rookies play each week relative to their peers. (Skilled offensive players and offensive linemen taken after Kyler Gordon and before Velus Jones Jr.–yikes for Jones in Week 4.) General manager Ryan Poles’ draft choices looked pretty good against the field in the first couple of weeks. That might have changed after Week 3 and 4, after seeing some wide receivers improve as Gordon plays worse. Here’s how Chicago Bears rookies Gordon and Jaquan Brisker performed in Week 4.

(CB) Kyler Gordon: PFF has Gordon at an overall grade of 41.1, with his running defense being better than his passing coverage. His overall defense was rated at 39.7 by PFF. Gordon is tied for fifth in giving up the most receptions.(S) Jaquan Brisker: PFF grade has Brisker at a 63.7 overall rating. Brisker wasn’t the only Bears defender who couldn’t stop a bootleg against the Giants. But his misses were noticeable. Brisker also gave up all three of his targets for receptions in Week 4.

How the Chicago Bears rookie peers performed in Week 4

Giants (WR) Wan’Dale Robinson: PFF grade has Robinson at a 75.4 overall rating. No new stats for Robinson, as he was still injured from Week 1.Texans (WR) John Metchie III: Metchie will not play this season for health reasons.Patriots (WR) Tyquan Thornton: Did not play in Week 4 due to an injury.Eagles (C) Cam Jurgens: Not much to report on Jurgens. He didn’t do enough to get on the stat sheet or grading sheet again in Week 4c.Steelers (WR) George Pickens: PFF grade has George Pickens’ offensive rating in Week 2 at a 64.9 overall. He caught three passes for 39 yards. He caught six of his eight targets for 102 yards against the Jets. Twenty-three of those yards came after Pickens’ catch. He’s looking like a first-round receiver before Week 5.Colts (WR) Alec Pierce: PFF grade has Pierce at a 64.8 overall rating. Pierce is starting to build a solid rapport with Matt Ryan. He caught four of his six targets for 80 yards.Chiefs (WR) Skyy Moore: PFF grade has Moore at a 75.0 overall rating. Moore caught two passes for 31 yards against the Buccaneers.Buccaneers (OG) Luke Goedeke: PFF grade has Goedeke at a 43.7 overall rating. Goedeke is struggling to keep Brady upright. He gave up two hits in Week 4.Vikings (OG) Ed Ingram: PFF grade has Ingram at a 60.9 rating. Ingram continues to be solid in the Vikings’ run game. But he gave up a sack and four pressures against the Saints.Jaguars (C) Luke Fortner: PFF grade has Fortner at a 47.8 overall rating. Fortner kept a clean pocket against the Eagles. But he struggled to make the right blocks in the running game.Patriots (G) Joshua Ezeudu: PFF grade has Ezeudu at a 28.1 overall rating. He played eight snaps against the Bears. They had a solid 76.2 pass rating but struggled in the run game.Titans (OT) Nicholas Petit-Frere: PFF grade has Petit-Frere at a 50.6 overall rating. He gave up one hurry and two pressures against the Colts and wasn’t much better in the running game. Petit-Frere was called for two penalties.

Poles’ pick of Gordon continues to look bad after Week 4

Gordon has been a disappointment for the Bears this season. He is being asked to play a difficult position as a rookie, but right now, there is concern that he’s not improving. It’s incredibly frustrating to see right now as Pickens puts up incredible numbers in a game where the starting quarterback was replaced by a rookie who threw three interceptions.

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