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Take Mary Schmich’s quiz: Are you ready to return to normal?on April 25, 2021 at 8:00 pm

The Barbershop: Dennis Byrne, Proprietor

Take Mary Schmich’s quiz: Are you ready to return to normal?

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Take Mary Schmich’s quiz: Are you ready to return to normal?on April 25, 2021 at 8:00 pm Read More »

After some April showers, are White Sox seeing clear skies and an extended hot streak?Steve Greenbergon April 25, 2021 at 10:26 pm

Texas Rangers v Chicago White Sox
Nick Madrigal turns a double play Sunday against the Rangers. | Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Unless our eyes are tricking us, they’re 12-9. They’re nipping at the first-place Royals’ heels. They’re not even a month in, and they’re just fine.

Is it possible the White Sox haven’t even been going at it for a month yet?

Think about all they’ve already been through, starting with a major injury to slugger Eloy Jimenez late in spring training that was as much of an emotional gut punch as it was a blow to a potentially elite lineup.

Then came a coughed-up late lead against the Angels in the season opener — a sign of persistent struggles to come for a bullpen that was supposed to be outstanding. How outstanding? Top of the line, according to the team’s hard-throwing relievers themselves, who talked a mighty big game in Glendale, Arizona.

The Sox ended their opening road trip with a losing record. They ended their first homestand and still had a losing record. They lost shortstop Tim Anderson to a 10-day injury stint as they monitored a risky, ongoing left-field experiment with Andew Vaughn. They saw veteran fifth starter Carlos Rodon, who’d fought hard to earn that modest role, pitch the greatest game of his life and ace Lucas Giolito experience the worst start of his big-league career.

And through it all: the out-of-nowhere explosion of rookie batsman Yermin Mercedes, as good a story as there is in all of baseball in 2021.

And all on 76-year-old manager Tony La Russa’s watch.

And now here the Sox are — with a nice Monday off — having swept the Rangers at Guaranteed Rate Field to run their first hot streak of the campaign to six wins in seven games. Unless our eyes are tricking us, they’re 12-9. They’re nipping at the first-place Royals’ heels. They’re not even a month in, and they’re just fine.

Here’s what’s happening:

MON 26

Cubs at Braves (6 p.m., Marquee)

Atlanta’s ballpark is barely four years old and already has undergone a name change, from SunTrust Park to Truist Park. How could these people host an All-Star Game if they can’t even spell “truest”?

Bulls at Heat (7 p.m., NBCSCH)

Still with a chance to sneak into the 10th and final East playoff spot, the Bulls simply can’t afford to lose. But that’s never stopped them before.

Tampa Bay Lightning v Chicago Blackhawks
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
It often seems the Hawks are just trying to hold on for dear life when facing the Lightning.

TUE 27

Champions League: Real Madrid vs. Chelsea (2 p.m., Paramount+, Univision)

It isn’t the same Madrid squad that owned Europe for half a decade behind Cristiano Ronaldo, but that just makes Los Blancos vs. Blues more compelling heading into the first leg.

Lightning at Blackhawks (7 p.m., NBCSCH+)

The defending Stanley Cup champs have made a mockery of the season series, going 6-0-1. Who do they think they are, the Predators?

Tigers at White Sox (7:10 p.m., NBCSCH)

Giolito runs back out there on the heels of the shortest start of his career: one miserable inning in Boston. But that’s why God invented the Tigers.

WED 28

Champions League: Paris-St. Germain vs. Manchester City (2 p.m., Paramount+, Univision)

Leg 1 in Paris will be the biggest test yet for City — best team in the world? — only three wins shy of completing an unbeaten romp through the tournament.

Bulls at Knicks (6:30 p.m., NBCSCH+)

The Knicks lead the NBA in field-goal-percentage defense, and their best players — Julius Randle and RJ Barrett — play every dang game. Tom Thibodeau is in full effect, folks.

THU 29

NFL draft, Round 1 (7 p.m., Ch. 7, ESPN, NFLN)

By the time it gets to the Bears at No. 20, your cousin Earl’s kid might be the only QB left on the board. A cornerback, then? A receiver? A left tackle to protect Andy Dalton’s coiffure?

FRI 30

NFL draft, Rounds 2-3 (11 a.m., Ch. 7, ESPN, NFLN)

Who knows what GM Ryan Pace might do with picks Nos. 52 and 83? Maybe, just maybe, they’ll have been used to help the Bears move up in Round 1.

Cubs at Reds (6:10 p.m., Marquee)

Halfway through April, the Reds looked like contenders. Two weeks later, they might as well be the Bengals.

Indians at White Sox (7:10 p.m., NBCSCH)

The Indians can’t get ’em on, can’t get ’em over and can’t get ’em in. Other than that, their offense sure is something.

Bucks at Bulls (8 p.m., NBCSCH+)

Eleven straight losses — that’s how bad it has been for the Bulls in this alleged rivalry series. Like Packers-Bears wasn’t enough?

Clemson v Notre Dame
Photo by Matt Cashore-Pool/Getty Images
Notre Dame Stadium is getting ready for some spring football.

SAT 1

NFL draft, Rounds 4-7 (11 a.m., Ch. 7, ESPN, NFLN)

If you’re watching the draft for the third day in a row, face it — you’re beyond help. The good news is there’s absolutely nothing better you could be doing with your time.

Notre Dame Blue-Gold game (11:30 a.m., Peacock)

If Drew Pyne is going to wrest the starting QB role from transfer Jack Coan’s hands, this is the time to strut his stuff. If only we could be first to make a “Pyne/Coan” crack.

Kentucky Derby (1:30 p.m., Ch. 5)

Trainer Bob Baffert goes for a record seventh Derby win, this time with Medina Spirit, though Essential Quality checks in as the betting favorite. There’s also a Midnight Bourbon and a Bourbonic in the field. Anyone else thirsty? Post time: 5:57.

Panthers at Blackhawks (7 p.m., NBCSCH)

Guess who? It’s Q. Joel Quenneville’s gritty group just keeps finding ways to win.

SUN 2

Cubs at Reds (12:10 p.m., Marquee)

Fun fact: The Cubs have lost three straight Sunday games, by a combined score of 26-5. So they’ve got that going for them.

Indians at White Sox (1:10 p.m., NBCSCH)

It’s a new month for the Sox and a chance to really step on the gas. Insert Mercedes segue here.

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After some April showers, are White Sox seeing clear skies and an extended hot streak?Steve Greenbergon April 25, 2021 at 10:26 pm Read More »

Blackhawks sign Riley Stillman to 3-year contract extensionBen Popeon April 25, 2021 at 6:53 pm

Riley Stillman, recently acquired by the Blackhawks from the Panthers, signed a three-year contract Sunday. | Getty

Just six games into his Hawks tenure after being acquired from the Panthers, the 23-year-old defenseman has received a long-term extension with a $1.35 million cap hit.

After just six games, Riley Stillman has impressed the Blackhawks enough to earn a long-term contract.

The Hawks on Sunday signed Stillman, 23, to a three-year extension with a $1.35 million cap hit that will theoretically keep the young defenseman in Chicago through 2024.

“Having a young, physical defenseman like Riley in the fold is exciting for the future of our team,” Hawks general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. “He is growing into an excellent all-around defenseman and that continued development is something we look forward to seeing firsthand. We love his size, and his toughness adds another piece to our defense.”

The former Panthers prospect, acquired in the multifaceted trade earlier this month that also included Henrik Borgstrom and Brett Connolly, has averaged 16:43 of ice time through his first six Hawks appearances — up from 10:43 in his eight Panthers appearances earlier this season.

Stillman, who was set to be a restricted free agent this summer, said Sunday he wanted to get contract negotiations out of the way as early as possible in order to focus on improving his game and integrating with the team.

“It’s great to come into a place, an organization that believes in me and wants me to be here,” he said. “From what I’ve seen here the last two weeks, I love the city of Chicago, the organization all the way through is top notch and I’m really excited to be here.”

His physical play and conservative style are relative rarities among the Hawks’ defensive core, but his extension potentially spells bad news for the Hawks’ one other defenseman with a similar style: Nikita Zadorov.

Zadorov is now the Hawks’ only defenseman with an expiring contract this summer, although he will still be a restricted free agent.

Stillman hasn’t produced the most impressive statistics through his tiny sample size since the trade, with a 47.3% shot-attempt ratio and 40.2% scoring chance ratio during his even-strength ice time. Zadorov stands at 46.7% and 44.9% in those two categories, respectively, this season.

But Stillman does bring the same intimidating physicality that Zadorov hangs his hat on: he has been credited with 16 hits through six games, a rate (2.7 per game) only slightly behind Zadorov (3.4 per game).

And Stillman has, so far, been largely able to avoid the costly, inexcusable turnovers that have marred Zadorov’s first season in Chicago. Zadorov has averaged 5.3 failed defensive zone exits per 60 minutes, per analyst Corey Sznajder’s data; only a handful of other NHL defensemen are worse, and Stillman isn’t one of them.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but Stillman’s extension certainly increases the odds that Zadorov’s RFA rights are traded this summer.

Bowman considered offers for Zadorov at the trade deadline but asked a higher price than any suitors would meet. Lowering the price and actually moving Zadorov this July would represent waving the white flag on last October’s much-criticized Brandon Saad trade with the Avalanche.

The rest of the Hawks’ defense looks largely cemented for next season, however, with the exception of possible expansion draft loss Calvin de Haan. Veterans Connor Murphy and Duncan Keith and youngsters Adam Boqvist, Ian Mitchell, Wyatt Kalynuk, Nicolas Beaudin and Stillman should all be back.

That stability and youth seemed to appeal to Stillman.

“To come into a young group and have an opportunity to grow and develop and get better alongside those guys, especially on the back end, is really exciting,” he said. “[I’m excited] to see what this team and we can do in the future.”

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Blackhawks sign Riley Stillman to 3-year contract extensionBen Popeon April 25, 2021 at 6:53 pm Read More »

Mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig, starred at Lyric Opera, dies at 94Associated Presson April 25, 2021 at 7:02 pm

German-born mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig poses during the 42nd International record music publishing and video music market in Cannes, southern France, in 2008.
German-born mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig poses during the 42nd International record music publishing and video music market in Cannes, southern France, in 2008. | AP

The singer debuted at the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Dorabella in Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” in on Nov. 9, 1959, with conductor Joseph Krips. In Chicago she also sang Elena in Boito’s “Mefistofele” and Preziosilla in Verdi’s La Forza del Destino.”

Christa Ludwig, a renowned interpreter of Wagner, Mozart and Strauss who starred on the world’s great stages for four decades, died at her home in Klosterneuburg, Austria. She was 94.

Her death was announced Sunday by the Vienna State Opera, which said she died Saturday.

A mezzo-soprano who also succeeded in soprano roles, Ludwig made her Vienna State Opera debut as Cherubino in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” on April 14, 1955, when the company was temporarily in the Redoutensaele. She was heard in the rebuilt opera house for the first time that Dec. 26 as Octavian in Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier.”

She sang 769 performances of 42 roles in Vienna.

“The words of the Marschallin often quoted by Christa Ludwig — `With a light heart and light hands, hold and take, hold and let’ — which she repeatedly referred to as a personal motto, were actual and true expressions of her way of life,” Vienna State opera director Bogdan Roscic said in a statement. “She took art as seriously as one can take it seriously, subordinated her life to it, but at her own request she said goodbye to the stage `with a light hand.′ Later she was able to talk about her decades almost without melancholy, always with a pinch of irony, self-knowledge, but also without false modesty.”

This scene from Lyric Opera’s 1960 production of Mozart’s comic opera, “The Marriage of Figaro,” under the musical direction of Josef Krips, features Christa Ludwig (from left), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Rita Streich.
Jack Lenahan/ Sun-Times Library file
This scene from Lyric Opera’s 1960 production of Mozart’s comic opera, “The Marriage of Figaro,” under the musical direction of Josef Krips, features Christa Ludwig (from left), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Rita Streich.

Ludwig made her debut at New York’s Metropolitan Opera on Dec. 10, 1959, as Cherubino, with Erich Leinsdorf conducting a cast that included Giorgio Tozzi as Figaro, Elisabeth Söderström as Susanna, Lucine Amara as the Countess, Regina Resnik as Marcellina and Teresa Stratas as Barbarina.

“Her singing was precise and even, each tone clear and true, and her Italian rippled along like a second music,” critic Louis Biancolli wrote in The New York World-Telegram and Sun. “The ovation was fully deserved.”

She sang 119 performances of 15 roles at the Met.

“Her debut season at the Met in 59/60 was the stuff of legends when she sang Octavian, the Marschallin, Brangane, and Amneris, all within a few months of each other,” Met general manager Peter Gelb recalled in an email. “Even if most of her career was centered in Europe, she was certainly regarded by Met audiences as one of the greatest mezzos of the second half of the 20th century.”

Ludwig was born in Berlin on March 16, 1928, to tenor Anton Ludwig and mezzo-soprano Eugenie Besalla-Ludwig. She grew up in Aachen, where her father was an opera administrator and as a young girl watched her mother sing with conductor Herbert Van Karajan.

She debuted in 1946 at Oper Frankfurt as Prince Orlovsky in Johann Strauss II’s “Die Fledermaus” and went on to the Staatstheater Darmstadt and Staatsoper Hannover before her breakthrough in Vienna.

Just before her first appearance at the Met, she debuted at the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Dorabella in Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” in on Nov. 9, 1959, with conductor Joseph Krips, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf as Fiordiligi, Fernando Corena as Don Alfonso and Ludwig’s husband, bass-baritone Walter Berry, as Guglielmo. In Chicago she also sang Elena in Boito’s “Mefistofele” and Preziosilla in Verdi’s La Forza del Destino.”

In the 1970s, her career was hampered when capillary veins in her throat burst.

“It was an experience necessary for my art,” she told The Associated Press in 2001. “I like to climb over obstacles, otherwise life is so boring.”

Ludwig sang her Met farewell as Fricka on April 3, 1993, and her Vienna State Opera farewell as Klytämnestra in Strauss’ “Elektra” on Dec. 14, 1994. She retired from singing while teaching occasional master classes.

“I could no longer compete with myself,” she said,

After her last performance she recalled it snowing and feeling relief.

“I went through Vienna without a shawl around my neck, with an open neck — and I was so happy!” she said.

Ludwig was married to Berry from 1957-70 and in 1972 married French actor Paul-Emile Deiber.

Her notable recordings include Fricka in “Die Walküre” on conductor Georg Solti’s landmark Decca version of Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung)” and Octavian in “Rosenkavalier” with Schwarzkopf, Stich-Randall, Otto Edelmann and Karajan conducting.

She was a frequent collaborator with conductor Karl Böhm and with conductor Leonard Bernstein. She sang at Bernstein’s New York Philharmonic memorial concert in 1990.

Ludwig was made an Austrian Kammersängerin in 1972, made an honorary member of the Vienna State Opera in 1981 and awarded a knight French Legion of Honor in 1989 and a commander Legion of Honor in 2010.

Berry died in 2000 and Deiber in 2011.

Ludwig is survived by a son, Wolfgang Berry, and stepson Philippe Deiber.

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Mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig, starred at Lyric Opera, dies at 94Associated Presson April 25, 2021 at 7:02 pm Read More »

Man charged with West Chicago shootingSun-Times Wireon April 25, 2021 at 6:37 pm

A man was charged in connection with a shooting from April 12, 2021, in West Chicago.
A man was charged in connection with a shooting from April 12, 2021, in West Chicago. | Adobe Stock Photo

Marco Calderon allegedly fired six rounds at a vehicle occupied by four people about 7 p.m. in the 200 block of West Pomeroy Street, prosecutors said. 

A man is accused of shooting at four people in a vehicle, striking one, earlier this month in West Chicago.

Marco Calderon, 18, was arrested April 22 and charged with aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a street gang member, the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office said in a statement.

On April 12, Calderon allegedly fired six rounds at a vehicle occupied by four people about 7 p.m. in the 200 block of West Pomeroy Street, prosecutors said.

One of the passengers was struck in the back, while the other occupants were not injured, prosecutors said. Calderon allegedly drove off after the shooting.

Calderon was ordered held on $750,000 bail and is expected back in court May 17.

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Man charged with West Chicago shootingSun-Times Wireon April 25, 2021 at 6:37 pm Read More »

Both facts and fact-checking a threat to GOPNeil Steinbergon April 25, 2021 at 4:53 pm

Congress Continues Business As President Trump Refuses To Concede Race
Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) is pretending it is racist and an insult to fact-check his speeches, even when he is found to be accurate, more-or-less. | Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott claims to be outraged that the Washington Post checked his claims against the record.

Republican junk jams my spam email file, scores of panting messages every day. A quick sample: “Biden Threatens War With Russia” and “Exposed: Biden’s Plot To Crush Gun Owners” and “FIRE Fauci.”

Almost every communication ends with a plea for cash, all hyperventilating with the frantic, the-house-on-fire-save-the-baby! hysteria that is the official GOP tone: cry doom and rattle the cup. To be fair, Democrats do it, too, though I don’t get nearly as many. I’m not sure why.

Maybe the same trolls who sign me up for fringe gun nut groups under the mistaken notion it bothers me also donate in my name to Republican candidates. Maybe the emails are sent to every known address including mine. Who can say?

I usually never click on them or even read the subject line. There are too many. But I do sometimes open the spam file to take a peek before deleting everything, like someone glancing into the toilet bowl before flushing.

Occasionally, something catches my attention, such the subject line, “My family’s story is being fact-checked?!” from U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), who will give the GOP response to President Biden’s speech to a joint session of Congress April 28.

Fact-checking is a good thing in the world of the mainstream media. But then again, so are facts. The idea that fact-checking would be used as a cry of grievance is like someone shouting out a window, “Help me, my kitchen is being cleaned!” It certainly is intriguing.

The email from Scott, the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, begins:

“The mainstream media has decided to fact-check my family’s story of ‘cotton to Congress in one lifetime.’ That’s right, The Washington Post has been investigating my family’s history in the South and downplaying the struggles and racism they faced. It’s shameful. Plain and simple.”

He’s referring to Glenn Kessler’s April 23 story in the Washington Post, which starts with several quotes from Scott, depicting his grandfather Artis Ware as an illiterate who picked cotton, then delving into records to see if that’s true.

It seems Scott’s grandfather could read and write, and if he picked cotton, it was on the substantial farm his father owned. Its conclusion is not particularly damning to the senator:

“Scott tells a tidy story packaged for political consumption, but a close look shows how some of his family’s early and improbable success gets flattened and written out of his biography. Against heavy odds, Scott’s ancestors amassed relatively large areas of farmland, a mark of distinction in the Black community at the time. Scott, moreover, does not mention that his grandfather worked on his father’s farm — a farm that was expanded through land acquisitions even during the Great Depression.”

In other words, Scott is like every other politician, pretending to have humbler roots than reality would indicate. Bruce Rauner talked about his teenage jobs far more than about his nine mansions. It’s what they do.

Yet Scott ruffles with indignation. “But no amount of ‘fact-checking’ or attacks from the mainstream media will EVER take away from the struggles that my family overcame,” he insists.

Scott is joined by a chorus of right wing outrage, from Fox News to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who tweets:

“What WaPo did to @SenatorTimScott is shameful. When minorities refuse to be victims, disagree with liberal talking points, and think for ourselves, the media shames us and questions our credibility.”

We could discuss whether those who excuse the Capitol insurrection of Jan. 6 can be said to feel shame. Suggesting scrutiny is something reserved for Republicans is the kind of faux victimization the GOP excels at. Yet they still expect accuracy. I checked the spelling of “Nikki;” if I got it wrong, people would complain while still denouncing fact-checking.

Scott gets to his plea.

“Every time I see a nasty insult from the Left or an unjust ‘fact-check,’ I am comforted knowing that there are patriots like you, Neil, who have my back … Sadly, this won’t be the last time we face insults, casual racism, or attacks from the Left. But with your help we can continue spreading the positive message of conservatism.”

Is undercutting the bedrock of democracy — kneecapping voting, slurring the press and constraining free speech — while living in an upside-down alternate reality of your own making now considered “conservative?” I suppose it is.

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Both facts and fact-checking a threat to GOPNeil Steinbergon April 25, 2021 at 4:53 pm Read More »

Chicago woman charged with fatally shooting man outside bar near ElmhurstSun-Times Wireon April 25, 2021 at 5:45 pm

A woman was charged with fatally shooting a man March 26, 2021 in suburban Elmhurst.
A woman was charged with fatally shooting a man March 26, 2021 in suburban Elmhurst.

Robin Thornton, 34, faces first-degree murder charges in the death of Dominique Bynum, the Cook County Sheriff’s office announced Saturday.

A Chicago woman was ordered held without bail for allegedly fatally shooting a man last month during a fight in the parking lot of a bar near suburban Elmhurst.

Robin Thornton, 34, faces first-degree murder charges in the death of 28-year-old Dominique Bynum, the Cook County sheriff’s office announced Saturday.

Two groups of people began fighting inside Galway Bar and Grill in Unincorporated Proviso Township about 2 a.m. on March 26, the sheriff’s office said. The fight continued in the parking lot where surveillance video showed Thornton pulling a firearm out of her waistband, then fleeing the scene, the sheriff’s office said.

Sherriff’s police responded to a call of a person shot in the parking lot and found Bynum in the 100 block of North 15th Street in Melrose Park with a gunshot wound to the chest.

He was transported to Elmhurst Hospital where he was later pronounced dead, the sheriff’s office said.

Thornton was arrested Wednesday in Chicago. Police found a firearm in her home matching the caliber of the shell casing at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. Thornton also made statements about her involvement in the shooting that resulted in Bynum’s death.

Her next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.

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Chicago woman charged with fatally shooting man outside bar near ElmhurstSun-Times Wireon April 25, 2021 at 5:45 pm Read More »

Four Downs: News and notes from Week 6 in high school footballMichael O’Brienon April 25, 2021 at 4:04 pm

St Rita’s Michael Gaughan (11) defends against Notre Dame.
St Rita’s Michael Gaughan (11) defends against Notre Dame. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Loyola finishes on top, colleges need to wake up and find St. Rita’s Michael Gaughan and how about we let everyone into the playoffs?

The pandemic spring football season is all wrapped up. How about we never do that again?

It’s great that the kids were able to play some games, especially for the seniors, but nothing about the season felt right or was satisfying. Fan interest is at an all-time low, which is understandable for a season that most people can’t watch that has no playoffs.

Scrambling to find games was a challenge for athletic directors and coaches all over the area, but an incredibly high percentage of the final Super 25 teams were able to play six games.

Football scheduling has always been a major issue for schools, with everyone jockeying to find the perfect path to five wins and a playoff berth. I’d prefer if that ended in the future. High school sports are about improving throughout the season. It would be great if we could find a way to expand the state playoffs and let everyone in.

That thought was on my mind on Friday in Niles as I watched Notre Dame give St. Rita a stern challenge. The Dons had some issues on offense early in the season but figured them out and now look like a ranked team.

“We got off to a slow start this spring and couldn’t put the ball in the end zone,” Notre Dame coach Mike Hennessey said. “But defensively we’ve hit the mark in every game except maybe the Marist game. We’re a young team but we play hard.”

The Dons would have had trouble making the playoffs in a normal year because improving throughout the season isn’t really rewarded in our current system.

Wire to wire

Loyola finishes the season right where they started, in the top spot of the Super 25 rankings.

The Ramblers weren’t dethroned at any point this season. All six teams they defeated were ranked at some point this season and five of their opponents finish the season in the Super 25.

Lincoln-Way East was the other contender for the final top spot. The Griffins are a perfect 6-0 but their strength of schedule falls short of Loyola’s. They beat two teams that were ranked at some point this season (Bolingbrook and Homewood-Flossmoor), but no teams in the final rankings.

Lacrosse?

Right now St. Rita linebacker Michael Gaughan is planning to play lacrosse in college. I’m sure he’s a great lacrosse player, but Gaughan would prefer to play football and he’s more than proven he’d be an asset to a college program.

“I can’t get anyone to bite on him to play Division I football,” Mustangs coach Todd Kuska said. “He’s one of the best linebackers we’ve ever had. He makes every play.”

Gaughan had 161 tackles last season and this season had 90 tackles in just six games. He’s not huge at 6-0, 215 pounds but is one of the most disruptive defensive forces I watched this season.

It’s not far away

The fall football season is right around the corner. Practices can begin on Aug. 9 and the first games are Aug. 27. I’m sure no one wants to wish the summer away, but it’s great to imagine full stadiums and playoff brackets.

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Four Downs: News and notes from Week 6 in high school footballMichael O’Brienon April 25, 2021 at 4:04 pm Read More »