DePaul Prep’s Nick Martinez Carries on His Father’s Legacy

By Michael Felish

Nick Martinez ran into the endzone unscathed with 1:42 remaining in the first quarter of the 2024 IHSA Class 4A State Championship, his first of three rushing touchdowns in the game. The senior running back led the Rams with 100 yards rushing on 19 carries en route to a 40-6 win over Mt. Zion.

Nick’s touchdown set the table for the remainder of the game. On a cold and blistery Friday night at Hancock Stadium, the Rams established a dominant ground game. 245 yards on the night and six touchdowns.

The four-yard run marked the first offensive touchdown in DePaul Prep history in a state title game. In their only other state championship appearance in 1980, Marty Calkins returned a 48-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown against Reavis, marking the only score of the game for Gordon Tech.

For Martinez, the run meant more. As he crossed the endzone after the biggest touchdown of his varsity career, he blew a kiss and pointed to the sky. He dedicated his touchdown to his late father, Mike Martinez, a Gordon Tech football alum.

“He was a real hard worker,” Martinez said of his dad. “He motivated me every day.”

“Believe it or not, football was not my favorite sport when I was younger. He built me into an amazing football player. He showed me the reasons why to love the game. There is so much in football to appreciate. It is such an honor to wear his number; he worked so hard and all I wanted to do was continue his legacy.”

Martinez changed his jersey number heading into his senior season from #9 to #3 to honor his dad. His older brother, Anthony, a DePaul Prep football alum and current Triton College baseball player, said the change added an extra layer of motivation for Nick.

“My brother would tell my mom and I the entire year that he was dedicating this season to our dad by wearing his #3. I think that gave him a high motor going into every game because wearing [his dad’s number] meant a lot to Nick. When he scored the first touchdown on Friday, there was no doubt he wasn’t thinking about our dad, so it meant a lot.”

Just as Martinez was the first Ram to score in Friday’s state championship game, he was the last Ram to leave the field just two weeks ago in the quarterfinal round, as DePaul Prep defeated St. Laurence 26-14 in what would be the senior’s final game at DePaul Prep Stadium.

Alongside his closest friends and family, Nick embraced his mom Jennifer and walked off the field in uniform one final time side by side with his biggest supporters.

“I do it all for my family,” Martinez said. “Every moment, to when I stepped on the tackle field when I was a little boy to now, they’ve always been to every single game, supporting me and cheering for me. It’s a real honor to have a family like that that comes and watches me play.”

Halfway through the third quarter of Friday night’s state championship game, with his family in the front row, Martinez called for the ball coming out of the huddle. The next play, he scored from one yard out, marking his golden third touchdown of the night.

“I’m confident in our game,” said Martinez. “I knew our offensive line would give me all the space to run. Normally when we’re at that point, we let Juju run the ball and punch it in, but I had to take it for the third touchdown.”

There is a sense of pride a father has watching his son succeed. Speaking from my own story, there can also be that same pride shared from an older brother to a younger brother.

“Watching my brother carry the team to the first state championship in 44 years was amazing, said Anthony. “He worked so hard throughout the entire offseason and season to prepare his body to stay healthy throughout the year. He set out a goal to win a state title and he did just that. I could not be prouder of him and the person he is becoming,” said Anthony Martinez.

“A state championship gives all of the DePaul Prep Football Alumni something to be proud of,” Anthony added.

Head Coach Michael Passarella coached Anthony in his first season taking over the program. Coming off a winless season the year prior, the Rams finished their first season under the leadership of Coach Passarella with a 3-6 record. To think of how remarkable this Cinderella season has been for DePaul Prep, 2024 marked the program’s first winning season in 10 years, capped off with the school’s second state title.

“Coach Pass has done a fantastic job with growing this program since he came in. I was a part of the first DePaul team Coach Pass coached,” Anthony said, “When he took over there was an instant culture shift, and it had really started to show the past few years.”

“Nick and Anthony Martinez brought remarkable characteristics to the game,” said DePaul Prep head coach Mike Passarella reflecting on the play of both Martinez brothers.

“Both players exhibited exceptional talent, which was evident in their skills and understanding of the game. Their tenacity set them apart, as they consistently showed determination and a never-quit attitude, even in challenging situations.”

“Additionally, they embodied hard work, always putting in the effort to improve themselves and contribute to the team’s success. Beyond these attributes, they brought leadership, motivating their teammates through their example, and passion, which was infectious and elevated the energy and focus of those around them. Their combination of skill, effort, and character left a lasting impression on the program.”

Nick Martinez has left behind quite the story to be told for years to come. Wearing the jersey number his dad once wore, Martinez carried his family name proudly while elevating a football program back to the level of relevancy the famed Gordon Tech Rams once held in high school football.

“Nick Martinez leaves a powerful legacy as a three-year varsity player for the Ram football team, said Passarella. “Renowned for his unmatched energy and relentless motor, Martinez consistently brought enthusiasm and determination that inspired his teammates. His contributions went beyond his personal performance; he played a pivotal role in elevating the team to a state-caliber level.”
“Martinez’s dedication and infectious spirit helped set a high standard for effort and teamwork within the program,” Passarella added. “His ability to energize those around him made him an invaluable leader, leaving a lasting impact that will resonate within the team culture for years to come.”

[Guest contributor Michael “Skip” Felish serves as the DePaul Prep announcer at football and basketball games.]

DePaul Prep senior running back Nick Martinez

DePaul Prep Dominates Geneseo 38-13 in 3A Playoff

By Jack Lydon

The DePaul Prep Rams dominated the Geneseo Maple Leafs 38-13 Saturday afternoon in the IHSA 3A second round playoff game. The Rams’ offense scored on all five of their first half possession with four touchdowns and a field goal.

No one knew what to expect in this game. Geneseo (6-5), a team from western Illinois by the Quad Cities, in the Western Big 6 Conference runs an old school double wing “three yards and a cloud of dust” type offense that offense that gives teams trouble who don’t regularly see it. The double wing expects to run the ball and control the clock. Geneseo did neither.

After the Rams took the opening kick off down the field for an early score, a three-yard touchdown run by Rams’ senior running back Nick Martinez, Geneseo answered. On a classic quarterback option, Maple Leafs’ junior tail back Kye Weinzert took the pitch and raced up the Rams’ sideline 75 yards to Rams 12 yard-line. On the next play, Geneseo junior quarterback Braxton McAvoy threw for a 12-yard touchdown on a pass to the middle of the endzone. Not exactly three yards and a cloud of dust.

But Fernando “Juju” Rodriguez and the powerful Rams offense were too much for Geneseo. The one-two punch of Juju’s passing and the gashing runs of Nick Martinez had the Rams scoring every time they had the ball in the first half: four touchdowns and a field goal. A double-wing offense simply can’t overcome that.

It wasn’t just the conservative offense that doomed Geneseo. The Rams’ defense had something to do with it. The Rams forced six turnovers and allowed probably not that many first downs. The Rams recovered four Geneseo fumbles and intercepted two passes.

It was the Rams that ran the ball. Senior running back Nick Martinez returned to the Rams backfield after aggravating a hamstring injury in the final regular season game against Benet and sitting out the first playoff game against Dyett.

“We held [Nick Martinez] out last week on purpose. We wanted him to get healthy. He felt good all week long. He was back. With him and Juju [Rodriguez] in that backfield, they get it humming,” said DePaul Prep head coach Mike Passarella.

They did indeed. Martinez’s runs kept Geneseo off balance and opened up the passing lanes for Rodriguez who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another.

“Missing a few games really affected me. I still had to stay disciplined to make sure I had a good recovery. My plan was to come back for this game and dominate,” said Martinez.

The Rams will face St. Laurence (7-3) in the 4A quarterfinal game at DePaul Prep Stadium next Saturday at 1:00 p.m. St. Laurence defeated Wheaten Academy (9-1) in something of an upset with the Vikings being the 12th seed defeating the #4 seed, Wheaton Academy 26-14.

St. Laurence is out of the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic League White Division. The White Division is stacked with two other top teams Fenwick and Montini. Fenwick upset Brother Rice last week but lost to Downers Grove North in a close game 13-10. Montini, a 3A team, defeated #1 seed Byron and is a favorite to win 3A.

St. Laurence and DePaul Prep did not play this year. Their common opponents included only St. Patrick and Carmel. Both St. Laurence and DePaul Prep won those games.

It's had to say who will be a favorite in the DePaul Prep v. St. Laurence game. The Rams come in with the higher #9 seed to the Vikings #16 seed. But that doesn’t much matter as it does not take strength of schedule into account. The CCL/ESCC White would be considered a higher division in the conference but not by much. But the Rams are 4-1 at home this year losing only to Loyola at home.

DePaul Prep Wins Playoff Game 48-8 over Dyett

[A preview of my story in Inside—Booster.]

By Jack Lydon

The DePaul Prep Rams (7-3) defeated the Dyett Eagles 48-8 Saturday afternoon at Stagg Stadium on the South side. The Rams had a 42-0 halftime lead on the Eagles so there was a running clock in the second half.

The Rams defense opened the game with an impressive start that set the tone for the rest of the game. Dyett had -17 years of total offense on the first two drives. The Rams offense answered with two quick touchdowns making the score 14-0 before Dyett had a first down.

Even with the two quick touchdowns, the Rams’ offense was not hitting on its usual strength the passing game and the passing and scrambling talent of senior quarterback Fernando “Juju” Rodriguez.

“I would say I was just antsy,” Rodriguez admitted after the game.

“I saw [Juju] after the second drive I grabbed him. I said dude, ‘you’ve gotta calm down.’ He was late. They ran a little bit of a different defense than what we say on films. So that was new and he was probably just trying to work through some adjustments,” said Rams’ head coach Mike Passarella.

Not that this was a big deal. They lead 14-0. And the defense was playing at a level they have not been at in weeks. A few incomplete passes is hardly a huge problem or even something unusual.  

The second quarter was a whole different story. Rodriguez calmed down. He scrambled around, avoiding tackles and making big throws. The Rams put up four touchdowns and extra points in the second quarter and took a 42-0 at the half.

While the final score of 48-8 might suggest that the Rams would be a heavy favorite coming into the game, which they were, the peculiarities of the IHSA seeding system had the Eagles as a #8 seed and the Rams as a #9 seed making Dyett the home team. The seeding system doesn’t take into account strength of schedule.

For instance, Sullivan High School finished the season 9-0 in the Chicago Public League’s White-North Division and earned a #1 seed in one side of the 4A bracket. However, Sullivan played only other CPL teams and no team from the CPL’s top division, the Red Division. Sullivan lost 42-0 Saturday at Winnemac Stadium to Geneseo, a rural school from Western Illinois just outside of the Quad Cities.

Geneseo, now 6-4, will be the Rams’ next opponent next Saturday as the 4A playoffs continue. This time the Rams’ will be a home team in playoff game for the first time in decades. Geneseo will once again have to travel across the state to Chicago for a playoff game. This game will prove a good deal more competitive for both squads.

The Geneseo Green Machine comes out of the Western Big 6 Conference, which has seven teams, where they finished in fifth place with a 5-4 record. Don’t be fooled by that. There are very good teams in that conference, including Quincy and Moline, both playoff 7A teams.

Geneseo employs a double wing offense that is difficult for teams to stop. The offense is something of an old-school run-heavy offense that controls the ball in three yards and a cloud of dust fashion. Old school or not, this offense can be very effective. Lane Tech head coach Dedrick Dewalt proved that a couple years ago when he dialed it up for Champions who won six straight with it and made the playoffs. The Rams coaching staff will have to be coaching up their players on how to stop the double wing.

Even more disconcerting about Geneseo has to be their uniforms. The Green Machine’s uniforms are basically the same as the Green Bay Packers. The mere sight of those yellow and green helmets are bound bring out a mix of hatred, anger and dread amongst the Rams players, coaches and fans.

Amundsen Beats Lane 14-7

Amundsen’s talented senior quarterback Elmir Gjeka reported on Twitter that Amundsen’s 14-7 win over Lane Tech was the first time since 1973, 51 years, that Amundsen defeated Lane Tech. That’s a long time.

The Vikings have been focused on beating Lane every since the disappointing on point loss last year. They had it dialed on Friday afternoon. Running, passing, defense.

This is and excerpt from my story in this week’s Inside—Booster:

The Amundsen Vikings (5-4) defeated the Lane Tech Champions (3-6) on Friday afternoon 14-7, earning themselves a playoff berth. It was the first time the Vikings defeated in the ten years that Amundsen head coach Nick Olson has been coaching the Vikings.

The Vikings lead the Champions 7-0 at the end of the first quarter and added another after a long drive late in the second quarter taking a 14-0 lead into the halftime break. Amundsen burned six minutes off the clock after intercepting Lane’s replacement quarterback on the first drive of the second half.

Lane’s usual starting quarterback Noah Mayra reentered the game halfway through the third quarter. Moving the Champions steadily down the field, Mayra rifled an eighteen-yard touchdown pass to fellow senior wide receiver Julian Vickery to get Lane back in the game 14-7.

The Vikings run game and defense proved too much for the Champions to overcome. Reggie Mitchell ran the ball for first downs and the defense intercepted Mayra midway through the fourth and recovered a Champions’ fumble with 1:13 on the clock lock up the victory and a playoff berth.

Vikings’ head coach Nick Olson was a bit emotional after the game. “We are graduating 15 seniors, this is a special group for me,” he said.  

The toughest playoff draw has to go to Amundsen. The Vikings will play Geneva (8-1) from the DuKane Conference, who are currently ranked #5 in Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 rankings of area schools.

“This will be the best team we have played all season. We are well aware of that. Once you get in the playoffs, everybody is good,” said Amundsen head coach Nick Olson.

“We are gonna just try and do what we have been doing all year and that’s trying to run the ball, stay ahead of the chains and keep the ball away from their offense.”

DePaul Prep Comes Back to Defeat Carmel 25-22

Preview of this week’s Inside—Booster article:

By Jack Lydon

DePaul Prep just keeps winning. The Rams 25-23 come from behind win over Carmel Catholic on Friday lifts the Rams to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the CCL/ESCC Purple division. This is the best record in DePaul Prep football’s eleven seasons. The best record for 32 years reaching back into the Gordon Tech era when Tom Winiecki was the coach. In 1992, the Rams finished 10-1.

If you were in the DePaul Prep stadium Friday during the first half of the game, you wouldn’t have been thinking about that. The Carmel Corsairs (3-4) are extraordinarily talented. Their quarterback Trae Taylor is a high major division 1 college prospect. He is among the most gifted quarterbacks in the state even as a sophomore. Both their lines are huge and talented. Carmel won two games in the playoff last year. Frankly, the Rams were not the favorite and it showed in the first quarter.

The Corsairs moved right down the field with the opening kick. Sophomore running back Michael Pierre scored on a 33-yard run up the middle. Trae Taylor added a 3-yard touchdown run with 5:07 left in the half making the score 13-0. Maybe the Rams luck had run out.

“I was nervous. I will tell you that. I had a little anxiety going on,” DePaul Prep head coach Mike Passarella said of the early Carmel lead.

With time running down in the first half, it felt like the game might be slipping away. It was fourth down and one from the Rams own 29-yard line. The decision was made to go for it. A nineteen-yard gain later and a big first down, the Rams were looking to score.

“We are a slow starting team. It’s something we’ve got to work on. We know that we’ve got it in us,” said junior wide receiver Matthew Osterman after the game.

“We knew since Monday. We knew since the start of the season. Let’s keep working. Let’s keep going. The game’s not over. The clock has not hit double zeros. We just gotta keep going,” the confident Osterman added.

Rams’ senior quarterback and three-year starter Fernando “JuJu” Rodriguez connected with Rams wide receiver Justin Sterner on perfectly thrown post route right down the middle of the field for a 25-yard touchdown. The Rams were right back in it.

Carmel was not done in the half. They moved right down the field in the 44 seconds remaining and added a 42-yard field goal that hit the upright and fell throw to make the score at half time 16-7.

This group of Rams can play from behind.

“They are not 16-7 better than you,” Passarella told his team at half time. “You are shooting yourselves in the foot. You are making mistakes. Not communicating out there. Go out there and execute. We made zero adjustments. We just lined up and played football the way that we practiced all week long and knew we could.”

The second half was a different story. It felt like a boxing match. Each teams had their drives. The Rams senior wide receiver Bradon Peevy scored on a five-yard pass from Rodriguez midway through the third.

After a gutsy onside kicker recovered by the DePaul Prep, Rams’ sophomore kicker Emmett McCue added a 42-yard field goal of his own.

“I really tried to focus in, focus in on where I need the ball to go. I got it to where it needed to be,” McCue said. The Rams had a 17-16 lead with 5:59 left in the third.

Carmel’s run/pass offense was just too much. With 8:16 left in the game and the clock ticking down, the Corsairs and their talented quarterback and running back methodically moved the ball toward the south endzone. With 3:12 on the clock, Pierre darted ten yards up the middle to retake the lead 22-17.

 “We were both gassed on both sides of the ball. You saw what they did. They drove the ball right down on that last score. We were gassed. We weren’t getting off the ball,” said Passarella.

 With a big stop on the two-point conversion attempt, the Rams come off the field with a surprising confidence. We’ve got the ball and three minutes; no problem.

Rodriguez and his Rams took the field at the 20-yard line after a touchback. JuJu wasted no time is gashing the Corsairs with a couple fifteen-yard passes in the middle of the field. Then a couple determined runs by senior running back Nick Martinez as the clock continued to run.

“[Nick Martinez] is another three-year guy that we trust with the ball in his hands. He is going to make things happen and that’s what he does. He is patient. He lets his blocks develop. He hits the acceleration when he needs to. He makes things happen. He keeps drives alive,” said Passarella.

The dinks and dunks and the runs seemed to slow the Corsairs’ defense. With second and seven from the 20-yard line, JuJu dropped back to pass.

“It was actually a broken play. The cornerback . . . just left [Osterman] open, didn’t guard him. I tried getting it off as fast as I can, just throwing it out to him and letting him make a play. Honestly, I could not even tell you what the play call was. I just saw him. He saw me. So I snapped it and through it out to him and he scored,” said Rodriquez.

Rams’ junior wide receiver Matt Osterman made a great catch with an interfering defender draped all over him for the winning touchdown. His fifth touchdown of the season. This historic season.

Carmel wasn’t done. They put up a tremendous effort with under a minute on the clock but great defensive plays by the Rams would keep them out of field goal range and a chance to tie.

DePaul Prep basketball has become a top basketball program in the state with two state championships in a row. The boys’ cross-country team has a state championship. The girls’ volleyball team has become a top program in recent years. Why not football?

Several football observers I spoke to before the game thought that DePaul Prep would end up in 4A when the classes are officially announced after the season. 4A has a number of top teams in the state but not many. Rochester, IC Catholic and St. Lawrence were the ones that came to mind.

With the Rams officially in with six wins, it is not inconceivable that they could advance beyond an anticipated home game against an area school. An anticipated 8-1 or 7-2 record would likely bring a game against a downstate team or an area powerhouse team.

But the season is not over. It’s not the playoffs yet. St. Francis is next. Then Benet.

DePaul Prep Defeats St. Viator 39-23

The DePaul Prep Rams went out to Arlington Heights on Friday evening to face the St. Viator Lions, the mighty, mighty Lions, in a big CCL/ESCC Purple showdown. The Rams dispatched the St. Patrick Shamrocks a couple games ago. Friday was the second of the games against Purple opponents. Benet will the last regular season game.

I said to Coach Mike Passarella after the game, “Every game this year I say to you that this is the biggest game you have coached at DePaul Prep.”

He let out a big laugh. The joy in it was palpable. It’s only a slight exaggeration. This is certainly the best season the Rams have put together in nine years. Bill Jeske was the coach then and he lead the Rams into the playoffs with a 5-5 season and a playoff appearance against Elmwood/Brimfield.

The Rams played the Lions basically even for three quarters but dominated them in the fourth and came away with a 39-23 win in convincing fashion.

This year’s Rams are 5-1 with their only lost coming to 8A defending state champions Loyola Academy.

They plan to win. The prepare to win. They expect to win. The is no quit in these Rams. They don’t lose heart if they give up a big play or fall behind. They play four quarters.

This program has turned. They, their coaches and their fans are winners.

But now the games only get bigger. I will have a chance to repeat my question to Coach Passarella about being the biggest game of his tenure after the next game.

Carmel Catholic in Mundelein is next. When I was in high school at St. Viator, Carmel was not much of a threat. I don’t think we ever lost to them. These are not your father’s Corsairs. Although they lost last night to Montini, Carmel is good and the Rams will not be the favorite.

As it happens, it looks like I will be available to cover the game. The game is at DePaul Prep. Come see the biggest of the DePaul Prep era, until the next game.

Amundsen Falls to Simeon 30-14

[Preview of my article in Inside—Booster this week.]

By Jack Lydon

Amundsen had one slip away. A few big plays by Simeon early in the fourth quarter proved the difference. Amundsen dominated quarters one and three. Simeon dominated quarters two and four. The Simeon Wolverines (5-1) defeated the Amundsen Vikings (3-3) 30-14 on Thursday evening at Gately Stadium.

After the Vikings took the opening kickoff, on the first play from scrimmage, Vikings’ junior running back powered up the middle 56 yards for a touchdown. Simeon did not know what hit them.

The Vikings held Simeon after the Wolverines failed to connect on some deep passes. The Vikings took over on their 41-yard line. The Vikings went back to Reggie Mitchell. The junior again took the ball through the middle of Simeon’s defense. This time for 31 yards down to the Wolverines 23-yard line. Add in a few more runs and Mitchell had 102 yards in the first quarter. The first quarter was all Amundsen.

The second quarter went to the Wolverines. Senior quarterback Kaleb Sims scored on fourteen-yard keeper with 3:03 left to bring the Wolverines even 6-6 after the two point conversion attempt failed. The Wolverines added another touchdown late in the half with a 45-yard catch and run by junior wide receiver Cornell Conely. The two-point conversion was good. The score at the half was 14-6 Simeon. 

The third quarter was all Amunden. Literally. The Vikings’ first and only drive last almost all but a minute and a half of third. A fourth and goal ten-yard touchdown pass from Gjeka to Vikings’ sophomore wide receiver Shea O’Conor and a two point conversion brought Amundsen even 14-14 to open the fourth.

The speed of Simeon proved a little too much. A couple big plays by the Wolverines added two touchdowns and two two-point conversions. Simeon sophomore running back James Bell scored from four yards out early in the fourth. Bell added another TD with five minutes left on a 30-yard run to give the Wolverines a 30-14 lead.

Of the big plays that gashed the Vikings late, head coach Nick Olson said, “That’s been our Achille’s heal all year. I think it was second and goal from the thirty-something. We gave up the deep pass down the middle. Our defensive coordinator was calling it out, ‘hey they are going to go across the middle.’ But poor execution. We’ll get back to practice. We’ll have to figure out how to overcome that. We’re three and three. We are still in control of our own destiny. We’ve got three great team ahead of us. We have got to just focus on going 1-0 every week.”

After six games, the season is coming into focus. Obviously, each team is different every year. This year’s Vikings squad is very talented. Elmir Gjeka has always been a leader. Now he has matured into an excellent passer. Junior running back Reggie Mitchell has emerged as a dominant runner capable of taking over games. But the Vikings are not at full strength as they have been in recent years. The Payton game slipped away. Now this Simeon game was winnable but got away.

Excuses are not what Olson does. Only after being asked about his team’s injury plagued season, Olson said, “I have been coaching for ten years. I have never had a year like this. It just seems like every week we are missing four or five key guys. Minor injuries, thank the Lord, but enough to keep them from playing.”

“Every game we have played this year is winnable. We are just not making the plays when we need to. A few plays go the other way and we are right there. There is no quit here at Amundsen. We are not going to quit. We are going to get back to work. We are going to focus on Whitney Young.”

Lincoln Park Edges Lane Tech 3-0 in Overtime

[A preview of my Inside-Booster article for this week.]

By Jack Lydon

Ugly isn’t the only word to describe Lincoln Park’s 3-0 overtime win over Lane Tech at Lane Stadium Friday. Painful, dreadful, tedious, boring, even shocking all work well. Neither team could do anything. Neither run nor pass. Penalties. Turnovers. Even a muffed punt. One team kicked the football just slightly better than the other. That proved to be the different.

The Lions improved their record to 5-0 putting them atop CPS’s Red Division. To do it in this fashion didn’t seem to bother Lions’ head coach Andres Flores.

“I don’t think they crossed the 50 [yard line] did they,” Flores said. “The defense has been playing lights out. We just play a different game every week. Whether it is the offense scoring a bunch of points or if it is the defense picking up the slack or the special team on PAT, we find a way to win this year. I think we blocked [Lane’s field goal to tie] with ten people. Which is the crazy part.”

The game started slow and slowed down. The Champions have been throwing more this year than they have in recent years. But that was not to be today. The wind and the Lions’ pass rush saw to that. There was a strong north wind blowing off Addison Street right in Lane’s face as they started the game working south to north.

Wind or no wind, the Lincoln Park defensive line completely controlled the line of scrimmage. Champions running backs struggled to even get to the line of scrimmage. Lane senior quarterback Noah Mayra was pressured on every pass play, sacked multiple times, intercepted twice and fumbled twice. Lane really struggled.

The only scoring in the game came in overtime. Lincoln Park lost the OT coin toss and ended up with the ball first. Starting at the ten-yard line, the Lions first three plays went nowhere. Two runs and an incomplete pass brought the Lions down to fourth and goal from the four. Flores sent in his kicker to attempt a field goal.

This was something of a controversial call. Even if the kick is good, all Lane would have to do is score a touchdown to win.

“[Lions’ junior] Noah Weiss is a great kicker. I trusted my defense. Defense has been lights out all year. Tonight they played a hell of a game again. I was a little worried because [Lane] can run a little bit. I felt that we bottled them up and shut them down. Hat's off to Lane, but it was our night,” Flores said.

Good decision. Weiss sent the ball through the uprights for the only score of the game. It would have been good from 40 yards.

Lane’s offense entered and took the ball at the 10. On first down, a three-yard gain to the seven. On second down, an inexplicable read option by Noah Myara was swallowed for a three-yard loss back the 10. On third and goal from the 10, Mayra tossed a fade pass to the right side of the endzone that had no chance to be caught.

Fourth and goal from the 10, Lane head coach Dedrick Dewalt sent in the kicking unit to tie the game and force another overtime. The dominant Lincoln Park defensive line would have none of it. A host of Lions collapsed the Lane offense line and blocked the kick to win the game.

Midway through the season, it’s clear that Lincoln Park is the class of the CPL northside teams. In recent years, Taft and Lane have been the top teams on the northside. Amundsen has busted into the top with winning records and playoff appearances. This year the Lions are king of the northside jungle. Okay, Taft is good too having lost only to an 8A school, Stevenson, on the road. Amundsen has two losses and Lane has three losses.

Lincoln Park has a 5-0 record includes wins over Phillips, Lane, Lindblom, Comer and Clark Co-op. The Lions will not face any top southside teams like Morgan Park or Whitney Young this season. Noble/Johnson, Westinghouse, Amundsen and Payton remain for Lincoln Park.

Asked if they can “win out,” Flores said, “We’ll take it one game at a time.”

“We’ve got Payton on the last game of the season. We have had a rivalry [with Payton] for a couple years back and forth. Last year they beat us. Year before that we beat them. They are a good team. Well coached.”

DePaul Prep Handles St. Patrick 41-0

[Preview of this week’s Inside Booster article]

By Jack Lydon

The DePaul Prep Rams took apart the St. Patrick Shamrocks 41-0 at DePaul Prep on Friday evening. The Rams improved their 4-0, 2-0 in the CCL/ESCC Purple division. This game against the Shamrocks, 2-2, 1-1, also in the Purple, took on the added significance because it was a division game.

It was a busy evening on the west end of Roscoe Village. DePaul Prep hosted St. Patrick, the only other Catholic high school on the Northside. Lane hosted Whitney Young at Lane Stadium at the same time just a few hundred yards north of DePaul’s field. Parking was difficult to come by.

Before the game, the DePaul Prep fans, coaches and staff I talked to were tightlipped about what to expect.

“They’re good. And big,” a couple people told me.

Another observer told me, “DePaul 20-13.”

“They can run the football, but they haven’t played anyone that can pass the ball like we can,” one coach told me.

It didn’t take long for the Rams show exactly how well they can pass the ball. And score. Less than two minutes into the game, Rams senior quarterback Juju Rodriguez hit senior wideout Justin Sterner on a twenty-five-yard touchdown.

Not long thereafter, Rams’ senior running back Nick Martinez added another touchdown with a 37-yard for a touchdown. 14-0.

Rams’ senior wide receiver Braden Peevy scored a four-yard touchdown with 6:55 left in the second quarter to make the score 21-0. The Rams were rolling.

Then with nine seconds left in the half, Rodriguez connected with junior wide receiver Matthew Osterman on a 23-yard post route at the back of the north endzone for a fourth touchdown and a 27-0 half time lead.

To some extent, that was expected. The Rams and Juju, a three-year starter, can pass the ball and score. What was not expected was the way the Rams defense controlled the Shamrocks. St. Patrick’s strung together a couple first downs in the first quarter but never threated to score in the first half. The Rams defense held on every possession and forced punts. The Shamrocks offensive line is huge. The Rams defensive line stopped the run. The closest the Shamrocks go to scoring as a 52-yard field goal attempt late in the game that was on target but a came up few yards short.

It felt like the Rams were just taking-care-of-business. St. Patrick had a winning record. They are big and skilled. Yet the Rams handled them on offense and defense.

I remember interviewing Rams head coach Mike Passarella several years ago. He said something to me after a tough loss that stuck with me. “We haven’t learned how to win yet.”

The Rams have learned how to win.

“I think it started last year. It started with us losing a game against Providence [Catholic in New Lenox] by a couple points. Then we beat Fenwick in double overtime. We learned how to compete, how to stay in games and how to finish games. When I started here, it was a rough go in the beginning. Then every year it was a steady climb. We grew up last year,” Passarella said.

When one learn how to win, I guess it just feels like taking care-of-business. Check off another game on the schedule.

But the goal of the season is to get into to the playoffs. The Catholic school super football conference, a combination of the Chicago Catholic League and the East Suburban Catholic League, doesn’t make it easy to get to the playoffs. To be assured a playoff spot, the IHSA requires a 6-3 record. Getting six wins in the CCL/ESCC is tough for every team. You just don’t play teams at your level. You play teams from the higher divisions of the conference.

The Rams face Loyola next week from the Blue Division. Loyola has lost one game in the last three seasons. The Rams will play St. Francis (Wheaton) from the Green Division. The Rams will play Carmel Catholic from the White Division. Very good teams with winning programs. And then there are St. Viator and Benet Academy, historically successful programs and new rivals in the Purple Division. To make the playoffs, the Rams have to find two wins in those five games against teams from the upper levels of the Catholic League.

Asked what he is going to change to get ready for Loyola, Passarla said, “Honestly, nothing. Our practice is going to be the same during the week. The kids know that when we are on the road, it’s a business trip. This is the first group that has the ability to flip the switch and be engaged. They want it.”

They turned a corner. They learned how to win.

“Yup, this group is hungry. This senior class wants to be the first class to bring us back to the playoffs for the first time in a decade,” Passarella concluded.

Amundsen Handles Hyde Park 41-18

Amundsen Vikings head coach Nick Olson was not happy after this the 41-18 win over the Hyde Park Thunderbirds on Saturday afternoon. He thought his team took the Thunderbirds too lightly; that the were not ready as they could have been.

I don’t know. The Vikings rallied after and early interception and touchdown by Hyde Park. The Vikings came back and handled the Thunderbirds scoring 41 unanswered points.

The Vikings looked good to me. Junior running back Reggie Mitchell had 156 years rushing and five touchdowns. Quarterback Elmir Gjeka looks confident and in command of the offense.

Coach Olson knows his team better than I do. I believe him when he says that they weren’t as ready as they could have been, but his team handled a pretty talented Hyde Park squad. The Thunderbirds were gassed early in the game but they have some players and they will win games this year despite the 0-3 start.

Amundsen is good. They are going to win a lot of games.

DePaul Prep Throttles Marian Catholic 20-7; Improves to 3-0

Preview of this week’s article in the Booster.

DePaul Prep defeated Marian Catholic 20-7 Friday in Chicago Heights. The Rams improved to 3-0 for the first time in the DePaul Prep era.

DePaul Prep had Marian playing their game. The Rams knew Marian Catholic could run the football. Spartan six foot, 173 lbs, junior tailback Kyle Scott was a load, and fast. Early in the game, the Spartans strung together a couple first downs in each of their first quarter possessions. The Rams stiffened, forcing the Spartans to throw the ball.

An ebullient head coach Mike Passarella gushed about his squad. “Stop the run. That was the game plan,” Passarella said. “They moved the ball on us. I said, ‘let’s just play base football . . . Let’s get after them.’ We are confident in what our guys can do. They know their business,” Passarella said after the game.

“We wanted to force them to throw.”

And they did. Except the Spartans throw the ball to the Rams. Two early interceptions thrown by Marian quarterback senior Joey Baranski killed the Spartans drives without ever moving deep into DePaul Prep territory. Multiple illegal formation penalties contributed to the Spartans troubles. The Rams committed penalties of their own contributing a slow, mistake plagued half for both teams.

It wasn’t until the end of the first half before either team put together a scoring drive. With 3:27 left in the half, having moved the ball down to the Marian Catholic eleven-yard line, Rams’ senior quarterback Fernando “Juju” Rodriguez, a three-year starter, rifled a pass to junior wideout Matthew Osterman at the goal line in the middle of the field. Osterman caught the pass in a crowd for the first score of the game. The PAT gave the Rams a seven- point lead.   

 The Spartans took the subsequent kick but again throw an interception. The Spartans through a total of four interceptions in the game. The Rams took their 7-0 lead into the half.

 The second half was a different story. The Rams took the kickoff and moved right down the field. Halftime adjustments on the offensive line led to Rodriguez being able to connect with Osterman and Rams’ senior running back Nick Martinez for big gains. The drive culminated with a 25-yard strike to senior wide receiver Justin Sterner early in the third quarter.

Rodriguez added a touchdown late in the third quarter on a two-yard quarterback sneak up the middle. Marian blocked the extra point attempt making the score 20-0 at the end of the third.

The Spartans scored on a 73-yard pass reception touchdown that was mostly run-after-the-catch with 1:18 left in the game against the Rams’ second team defense but the game was decided at that point.

This was a huge game for the Rams. They haven’t started a season with three wins since the Gordon Tech days. The Rams move closer to making the IHSA playoffs which takes six wins to be assured a playoff berth. The Rams finished last year’s the regular season 4-5 and missed the playoffs

DePaul Prep started this season with two convincing wins over Deerfield and Marian Central Catholic, 35-28 and 35-7 respectively. The Rams moved up a division in the combined Chicago Catholic League and East Suburban Catholic League. Moving from the lowest “Red” division into the Purple. The CCL/ESCC Purple includes Benet Academy, St. Viator and Northside rival St. Patrick.

The Rams will face St. Patrick next Friday at home. After that will be Loyola at home. The Ramblers lost a shocker at St. Francis 35-21 on Friday. A playoff berth is by no means assured for the Rams. Only tough games remain on the schedule. After Loyola is St. Viator, Carmel, St. Francis and Benet.

Sparked by last year’s huge upset win over Fenwick at home and squad loaded with experience and talented seniors, including expected Division One talent of senior wide receiver Braden Peevy and sophomore offensive tackle Carlos Rios, the Rams football program is on the rise.

“I am excited for [the rest of reason]. This is kind of what we wanted. The goal is to continue to build up the program. We talked about it a few years ago. Where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do. We never wanted to stay down in the Red. We wanted to move up. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. I am excited for it. This is what it is all about,” Passarella said.

Lane Survives Late Charge by TF South 21-20

The plodding lackluster contest became an unlikely thriller with three quick touchdowns, a made two-pointer and a missed two-pointer all in the final three minutes of the game. The Lane Tech Champions (1-1, 0-0) traveled to Lansing, Illinois to take on the Thornton Fractional South Red Wolves and survive a late comeback by the Red Wolves to win 21-20 Friday night.

Let’s just say that until the final three minutes, this game was not exactly football at it finest. Both teams were plagued by mis-queues, injuries and penalties, and the occasional dustup too. The ineptitude both squads displayed gave way to clutch plays at the end.

Down late 14-6 late in the game, there was no quit in TF South. With three minutes left, Red Wolves’ senior quarterback Nicholas Ford launched a deep ball up the far sideline. Sophomore wide receiver Amari Dukes caught it in stride for a 63-yard touchdown to bring the Wolves to within two points. What looked like an eventual Lane win suddenly was one play away from a tie.

With the game on the line, Ford found his other wide receiver David Nkwogo at the back of the endzone for the two-point conversion to tie the game.

The Lane sideline was stunned. I think the TF South sideline was a little stunned too but cheered and danced all the same.

With 2:35 left on the clock, Lane Tech fielded South’s kickoff and returned it to their own thirty-three-yard line with time to take the lead.

This is not the three yards and a cloud of dust Lane Tech Champions of recent years. On the very next play, senior quarterback Noah Mayra took the shotgun snap and quick rifled a strike down the middle to junior wideout (and baseball player) Alex Lagges. Lagges shock a couple tackles and raced up the Lane sideline for the go-ahead score. The PAT made it 21-14 Lane. 

“This year we have some pretty good skill [players]. That was just a double post to the middle of the field and Alex [Lagges] took it 80 yard (67 actually) for a touchdown,” Lane Tech head coach Dedrick Dewalt said.

“I had the post on that,” Champion’s Alex Lagges said of his winning touchdown after the game. “I just trusted that my quarterback Noah [Mayra] was going to see it, read it. That’s what he did. That’s what we do. Great play call by my coach. He saw the middle was open. We knew if we got the shot, we could make things happen.”

One play and the Champions had the lead back with 2:16 on clock. But still plenty of time left for South. But no time outs for the Red Wolves. A couple plays for small gains took time off the clock. Then Red Wolves QB Ford scrambled and found senior wide receiver Tariq Meggs-Hood underneath the coverage who sprinted up the Lane sideline to the Lane 45-yard line.

With time ticking down to 35 seconds, Ford dropped back and launched a perfect strike to senior RB/WR Christian Streeter at the goal line for another unlikely touchdown against a prevent two deep zone defense to make the score 21-20. This time the South faithful believed it and stadium erupted.

TF South head coach Bob Padjen, never hesitated. They were going for it. Win or lose, the extra points try would decide the game.

With no time outs, the Red Wolves would need run the play quickly. Padjen called a cut back run up the middle from an overloaded and decoy formation. But the quarterback audibled to a Philadelphia Eagles style “tush push” run up the middle from the three-yard line. Initially, it looked like it was working but the Champions defensive line stiffened and stopped the Wolves a half-yard shy of victory.

The Champions move into Chicago Public League play. CPL has created a 16 team Red Division super-conference. Lane will not have to face Kenwood and Simeon this season but will have to face Morgan Park. The games against Whitney Young, Taft and Amundsen give the Champions a chance to prove undeniable mastery of the Northside. Stay tuned.

Lane Beats Amundsen 7-3 for Northside Bragging Rights; Both Move on to IHSA Playoffs

“We still run the north,” was the refrain of the Lane players after the game. Last Wednesday’s newspaper and television stories of the ascendence of the Amundsen football program on the Northside were on the minds of the Champions before and after the game.

The Lane Tech Champions made their case for that claim Friday evening with a victory 7-3 over a very good Amundsen Vikings squad at Lane Stadium.

This was about as close as games get. Both teams evenly matched. Both moved the ball at times. Amundsen Sophomore running back Reginald Mitchell was able run for some yards in the middle of the field. Lane junior quarterback Noah Mayra had a sixty-yard touchdown run called back on a penalty but still provided the Campions with a ton of rushing yards. Both defenses stiffened around the goal line.

 With the Vikings up 3-0, the turning point came at the 10:32 mark early in the fourth quarter with Amundsen deep in their own end. The Amundsen punter bobbled the snap and could not get the punt away. The Lane rushers tackled him at the seven-yard line where the Champions took over on downs.

 “We call it the brotherly shove,” Lane junior quarterback Noah Mayra said of the next two plays. The Champions lined up in their best imitation of the Philiadelphia Eagles now famous quarterback sneek play. Mayra carried, or was actually pushed forward from the Amundsen seven down to the two-yard line. Lining up quickly, the Champions ran the same play in from the two for the game’s only touchdown.

“We have been running that all year. We’ve gotten like four or five touchdowns on it. Two-point conversions,” continued Mayra after the game.

There was still plenty of time left for the Vikings to come back. The Vikings moved the into Lane territory but gave up an interception. The Champions gave up an interception of there own with under four minutes.

 Holding penalties plagued the Vikings as they struggled to rally for the win.

 “We must have had seven or eight holding penalties that really stalled drives. It’s hard to overcome penalties when you are playing good teams,” Amundsen head coach Nick Olson said after the game.

 “I fell like we just didn’t execute tonight, poor execution on the offensive side. Football is a game of inches. We had a bad snap on a punt deep in our own territory and that was the difference. They ran two quarterback sneaks and got the easy touchdown. We kind of just gave this game away. Our defense did a really good job. Our defensive coordinator and coaches had a really good game plan. We moved the ball at times and we kept stalling out before we punched it in. We had a big drop in the endzone before halftime. It just continued to spiral down. Great play; bad play. Great play; bad play. We really have to work on our consistency. Inconsistency is what cost us tonight.”

 Olson was a little hard on himself and his team. They played very well but make no mistake, Lane came in ready.

“We have a pretty good gauge on these guys from Amundsen. We kind of know what they like to do. We kind of know how to cut off the water to the things they like to do the best. That’s what we did tonight,” said Lane head coach Dedrick Dewalt.

“We kept a corner in the box, up in the flats the whole game. It disrupted what the wanted to do. We know they are not going to through the ball down field. So we liked to take way the screens and play well against the run. They may be a little bigger than us up front but we are quicker so we just looked to beat them to the punch.

A jubilant Noah Mayra continued after the game, “We lost Antonio [Bombe] our senior running back. We have our freshman running back Sam [Boadu]. He is great but we can’t give him the ball every time. He is still developing. He is still learning. So I am trying to take it upon myself to run the ball and get the ball to my teammates. Some I should have thrown. Some I should have just given to Sam but we pulled it off.

 The game was a fitting cap to good seasons for both teams, a really exciting game for both teams with each team finishing 6-3 and earned playoff appearances.

The Vikings will face the Belvidere North “Blue Thunder”, 7-2, third place in the Northern Illinois Conference behind Hononegah and Boylan Catholic. Amundsen’s playoff opponent from last year, Harlem, came out of that same conference. Amundsen lands the thirteenth seed in the 6A northern bracket. Belvidere with the fourth seed.

The Champions on the other hand are in 8A by virtue of being one of the largest schools in the state. They will face South Elgin on Friday night in South Elgin, which I learned is its own town interestingly. Who knew? The South Elgin “Strikers” were 8-1 in the Upstate Eight Conference (which actually has 10 teams). The Champions land the 26th seed out of the 32 teams in 8A. South Elgin comes in with the seventh seed.   

DePaul Prep Football and Cross County Senior Night

Before last night’s historic beatdown of Fenwick, DePaul Prep honored its senior football players before their last regular season football game.

At halftime, DePaul honored its Cross County team seniors as well.

Here are photos from the introductions.

DeLaSalle Defeats St. Viator in 29-23 in Season Opener

The Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference reshuffled the divisions this year. DeLaSalle and Marian Catholic were moved from the Purple Division into the Red Division. I wanted to get a look at DeLaSalle who I haven’t seen in a couple years so I can see what the Red will be dealing with.

And of course I wanted to see St. Viator—the mighty mighty Lions! My beloved alma matter.

I will spare you the blow-by-blow. Let’s just say it was sloppy first half for both teams. DeLaSalle lead 14-7 at the half.

The second have was better but St. Viator’s play calling left something to be desired. In the fourth quarter the Lions started running between the tackles and finally met with some success. St. Viator scored.

St. Viator scored again but missed the extra point. 20-14 Lions.

With 9:03 left in the 4th, DeLaSalle’s talented sophomore quarterback scored on a keeper from the five. The extra point was good. 21-10 DeLaSalle.

Cooper Kmet, Cole’s younger brother, put together a nice drive for the St. Viator moving the Lions down to the DeLaSalle 23 yard line. St. Viator’s Gabe Glodz put in a 30 yard field goal with 3:28 to play to lift the Lions to a 23-21.

The Meteors had the ball and chance to will. Lewis took them down the field moving backwards and forwards. A long pass to the goal line and a keeper for the touchdown. Then a two-point conversion and the Lions fell to the Meteors 29-23.

DeLaSalle has loads of talent. The Red is well advised to take notice.

Helluva August

It’s gonna be a helluva August.

I basically took July off from photos and sports writing; a much-needed break. It began to feel like a job.

I’m going to LA on August 1st for an overdue vacation, then the football season starts. I am gonna be taking photos and writing again. I am very jazzed about that.

I have wanted to go to Los Angeles for a long time. I was there in 1974 as a boy. I thought it was so cool. My dad bought a map of the stars homes and we drove around Beverly Hills. We drove past Lucille Ball’s house. When we came upon Paul Newman’s house down the street, there he was standing on the sidewalk out front in a white t-shirt drinking a Budweiser talking to a man I assumed was his neighbor.

My sister shrieked, “Paul.” She was all about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid at that time.

He looked up, smiled and waved. My dad kept driving.

How cool was that?

Well that was 50 years ago. Paul is gone, God rest his soul. But there must be others like that to see. Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, somebody like that.

My daughter Mary is going with me. She is totally into the trip but prefers to visit the reality TV locations like Sur restaurant from Vanderpump Rules. That’s fine. Reality TV is the one thing that she doesn’t mind me being around for, and the Cubs too. We religiously watched all the 2016 playoff games together.

I have never looked forward to a vacation as much as I have this one. I just want to go to LA and look around. I want actually see the places whose names I have been hearing my whole life. The San Fernando Valley, Malibu, Compton, Sunset Strip, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Orange County, Long Beach, etc.

Then when I get back football season starts. I am looking forward to covering the area teams again. Amundsen should be good again. Lane will be good. I really enjoyed Lane coach Dedrick DeWalt’s old school double wing offense last season.

DePaul Prep will give it another try. That school has become the premier Catholic School high school on the Northside. It’s up to about 1100 students. Mary Dempsey and her team are opening a new classroom building when school starts. It’s only a matter of time before Coach Mike Passarella’s Rams move up divisions and take over the CCL/ESCC the way Tom Kleinschmidt’s basketball teams have done with multiple state final appearances and a state championship.

I am gonna get out to as many St. Viator football games as I can as well. My brother Steve is not coaching football this season and promised to come in for a game. My brother Dan, Fr. Dan Lydon, CSV, for those non-family members out there, is the president of the school so I suppose I should show them some love. There was a time when St. Viator won the ESCC every year. But that was like forty years ago now. Dan and the St. Viator staff have plans to build an on-campus stadium. That will make a big difference for the school and the football program.

Once football runs its course, we are right into basketball. The Battle of the Bridge will be here before one knows it. That’s when the real funs begins. It should be a great new high school basketball season.

Great time to be alive.

Lane Tech Broadcaster Alex Burstein set to Graduate and Conquer the World

A preview of my upcoming Inside—Booster article 

By Jack Lydon

Alex Burstein is going to be famous someday. That day may be soon. The eighteen-year-old Lane Tech senior is a young man on a mission and that mission is well underway. Alex broadcasts Lane Tech football, basketball, volleyball and baseball games on Lane Tech’s You Tube channel.

“Tonight (April 24 game against Von Steuben) was my 163rd broadcast,” Alex said. “I do every baseball home game. And for basketball it’s home and away. I also do home games for girls’ volleyball and football. I also did one or two flag football and boys soccer games. I’ve done the boys basketball games since freshman year. I have done the baseball games since sophomore year.”

To prepare for each broadcast, “I keep notes. I email the coach a week in advance. I talk to the opposing coach in advance. I look up the opposing players on Twitter and news articles. Even if it’s one or two notes about a player. Parents really love when they hear me say something about a player,” said Alex.

The Rogers Park eighteen-year-old, whose brother Simon is a junior at Lane, has known what he wants to do from an early age.

“Growing up I was always interested in sports, but I was not great at sports. In fifth grade, I realized that I wanted to do this as a career. I wanted to find a way to work in sports,” Burstein said.

“Before [Alex] even started at Lane, I was in the stadium for a state soccer game. He hunted me down trying to talk about next year’s football team,” said Lane Tech men’s basketball coach and former athletic director Nick LoGalbo.

“Broadcasting is my thing that I do out of school. I put a lot of time into it. Basketball season is usually three games a week. Baseball is three to four a week. I also work with the school newspaper as a co-editor-in-chief,” Alex said.

In addition to broadcasting, Alex is one of three editors-in-chief for the Lane Tech school newspaper, the Champion. Oh, and his grade point average is 5.07 on a four-point scale. His tireless work in and out of school has landed Alex a full ride scholarship to Syracuse University where he will major in broadcast journalism with a minor in political science.

Alex has a gained a certain celebrity in the Lane Community. “The parents, a lot of them watch. But also the coaches. LoGalbo doesn’t love it because a lot of the coaches get film on him. So a couple times this year we “privated” video. There is not a lot of programs like this in Chicago. It’s nice to get recognition,” Alex said.

As for the players, “they all think it’s pretty cool.”

“I have been doing this now for almost 20 years. He is one of the most special people that has come out of our school,” LoGalbo said.

“For what he does, he is driven by such a clear north star and sense of purpose. It’s really crazy to see that. To have a young man like that who has had a such a clear sense of purpose and direction, he’s done wonders for our school and our athletic department.”

“Him getting a full scouting report on us for other teams when they watch his live broadcasts hasn’t been awesome but if you are a good coach you are going to do your scouting anyway,” LoGalbo admitted.

“Alex does his homework on the other teams too. He has called every coach that we have played for the last four years to get their starting lineup, to get their story to get their records. It’s no wonder he’s got a full ride to Syracuse. We’ll see him on ESPN one night.”

Last year after Lane’s varsity basketball game at Whitney Young, legendary Dolphins’ head coach Tyrone Slaughter went over to Alex who was broadcasting from a table on the sideline and said to Alex, “I am a huge fan. I watch you on You Tube. You do a great job. I find it very helpful.”

Lane head baseball coach Sean Freeman praised Burstein as well. “He is a huge piece of Lane. Not only does he do all the sports games; he is head of the paper. He does a lot for the community as far as getting out all the good things that are happening. He has been an invaluable piece of our program, the football program, the basketball program and covering school wide news.”

“I think it’s a great thing [that Alex broadcasts our games]. We have people all over the country that are now able to watch our games. My parents live in Colorado. Up until last year, neither of them had seen any of our games live, now they are able to watch every home game because he puts those on-line. If the other teams get a little scouting edge on us, in my book, it’s worth it overall,” said Freeman.

“I am not surprised that [Alex] has a high GPA. He’s been part of our publication here for his four years. He did not take journalism as a freshman but he contacted me” to get involved, said Lane Tech English and journalism teacher and newspaper advisor David Strom. 

“Alex became the sports editor pretty early in his sophomore year. He has been co-editor-in-chief his junior and senior years. He has a ton of experience with reporting and writing. That’s a huge advantage. He is a leader in our classroom and our staff. He collaborates with first year journalism students. He will go along on an interview with someone who is new. That is hugely valuable for me as a teacher,” Strom said.

“He carries himself like a professional and he has just been there. And he does really good work. I have seen the improvement he has made. People recognize that and think highly of him because of it,” Strom said.

Favorite experience as a Lane broadcaster, “probably Wrigley Field. That’s hard to beat. So the City Championship last year for baseball, that was pretty cool. For basketball, I’ve done the Chicago Elite classic every year. My freshman year, they had me on radio row at DePaul’s Wintrust arena. That was early on but that was hard to beat. This past summer I went to Israel to cover the Maccabiah Games. Just calling games there was really cool. That was probably my favorite,” Alex said.

As for favorite broadcasters, “I would say it’s Pat Hughes, the Cubs’ radio broadcaster. That’s my dream job, Cubs’ radio. For basketball, it’s Adam Amin, Bulls’ TV broadcaster. He also does a lot of national work with Fox Sports. That’s my other dream job because he does so many other sports,” Alex added.

“Broadcasting has been my main extracurricular. That and the school newspaper. I am the editor-in-chief of the school paper. Those two are the heart of my college applications. I think it helps a lot. I have a demo real that I submitted to a couple schools. I wrote my essay about going to Israel and transitioning from being an athlete to be a broadcaster. I am going to Syracuse. I am majoring in broadcast digital journalism. My goal is to do this professionally. I really like sports journalism but I really like political journalism. I am probably going to do minors in sports analytics and political science.”

As for a color commentator on his broadcasts, “it’s hard to find someone to do it. The biggest thing is that the kids who care most about sports that could be a color commentator are the kids playing. It would be ideal to have a color commentator, but I think it’s good practice [for me] to do both rolls,” Alex said.

As for the equipment used, “it’s a mix. I bought a lot of the audio equipment,” Alex said. [The school has] helped with a couple GoPros and stuff so it’s a mix.”

“They are all really supportive. The broadcasts are on the school’s You Tube channel. They kind of have let me do whatever I want to do with it. All the administrators know about it and they watch. There is a lot of support. And obviously, with the coaches too.”

You can find Alex’s broadcasts on the Lane Tech You Tube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lanetechathletics743/videos

Amundsen Battles Harlem Coming Up Short 35-21

Preview of my piece in Inside Publications coming out Wednesday:

The Harlem high school Huskies (7-3, 6-3) defeated the Amundsen Vikings (7-3, 7-0) 35-21 at Winnemac Stadium on Saturday. Huskies’ third-year head coach, Bob Moynihan, brought his team from Machesney, Illinois, (just north of Rockford) down to Chicago, expecting to take care of business against a CPS team and get out of town.

Bob is actually a high school classmate of mine. He was a legendary defensive lineman for the St. Viator Lions a few years back—okay, a few decades back—who later played college football at Southeast Missouri State.

Speaking to Moynihan before the game, he asked me what to expect.

“Watch out for #11 [Adam Muench],” I told him. “Teams have been trying to stop him all year. And Amundsen will score. You will need to run the ball,” I added.

“That we can do,” Moynihan said. And so they did. The Huskies ran the ball effectively all day. Keeping the productive Viking offense off the field.

The Huskies opened the scoring midway through the first quarter on a rushing touchdown by sophomore running back Jahmani Muhammad.

The Vikings answered on the next drive. Amundsen’s Jamarion Hemphill ran in a 15-yard touchdown at the 4:42 mark of the first quarter. The 7-7 score at the end of the first quarter was something of an anomaly for playoff games by CPS teams this year. Amundsen put up more of a fight than other similarly situated teams. Lane, Senn, Lincoln Park, Schurz, Perspectives and Bulls Prep all suffered blowouts at the hands of suburban powerhouses.

The Vikings blocked a punt early in the second quarter but could not capitalize. The also traded interceptions. Even so the Huskies rushing attack proved effective and they put up two more rushing touchdowns making the halftime score 21-7. 

Despite giving up two more touchdowns in the third quarter, the Vikings never quit. Early in the fourth, Jamarion Hemphill burst up the middle and down the west sideline for a 50-yard touchdown.

The Vikings were not done. A second interception and lengthy return by Amundsen’s sophomore safety Edwin Soto set up a 10-yard touchdown by Adam Muench on a brilliantly executed sweep. Jamariam Hemphill followed with a two-point conversion. The Vikings were within striking distance at 35-21 with plenty of time left in the fourth.

It wasn’t to be. Moynihan and his Huskies did what they intended to do—run the ball and take time off the clock. The Huskies finally took a knee down at Amundsen’s goal line as the game ended.

Amundsen’s head coach Nick Olson was emotional after the game. Taking a long time to talk to his players and take some photos with his group of seniors, he thanked his players and coaches.   

“I always tell the boys wins and losses are a dime a dozen. I can live with losing. I am going to win some more in life; I am going to lose some more in life. It’s how you handle it. It’s just so heart breaking because these seniors are never going to suit up for this level of football again. That’s the toughest part of it. It’s over. This team will never be the same. But they are leaving a legacy. Every year after we get in the playoffs, we have gotten better. We are not getting blown out anymore. Teams have to respect us,” said Amundsen head coach Nick Olson.

“I attribute a lot of our success to the support of our administration, the full support they have in me to run the program the way I see fit,” continued Olson.

“The assistant coaches have made all the difference this year. Those are the guys behind the success this year. This is not on me; this is on the team.”

This is if for the Vikings. They will be participating in the CPS city championship playoffs.

Harlem moves on to play Grayslake North at home in the second round of the 6A playoffs.

Lane Falls to Phillips 38-7

Lane Tech fell to Phillips 38-7 Friday night a Lane Stadium in a dominate performance by Phillips in all three phases: offense, defense and special teams.

Lane came into Friday evening game against the Phillips Wildcats with a 6-0 record, its best record in as long as anyone could remember. It was evident from last week’s game 24-6 victory over a talented Clark football team that the Lane Tech Champions have bought into Coach Dedrick Dewalt’s double wing offence. Not only bought in but they invested a lot of work into making it work.

Then Phillips came to Rockwell and Addison. A few seasons removed from their 2017 5A state championship and having lost their head coach Troy McAllister, the Wildcats nevertheless, have had 9-3 records, won their Land of Lincoln conference and advanced deep into the state playoffs every year since.

But three straight losses to open the seasons? What’s become of the program? The first two losses were to Batavia and Mt. Carmel. Then a loss to Morgan Park. Maybe the Wildcats have fallen back to the pack.

It quickly became evident that the Champions had tough task in front of them. The Wildcats took the and methodically marched the ball from their own 25-yard line to the Lane 12-yard line, overcoming several penalties along the way. Senior running back Dwayne Williams took a handoff up the middle into the end zone for the first score of the game. Taking a page out of the Lane playbook, the Wildcats’ opening drop took 10 minutes and 50 seconds off the clock. The two-point conversion attempt failed.

The Champions struck back quickly after the ensuing kickoff. On the first play of the second quarter, Lane’s senior wingback Casey Joyce took a counter handoff from Phineas “Finn” Merrill and bolted up the middle 49 yards for a quick answering touchdown. Senior kicker Mugdim Kreho added the extra point. Lane had a 7-6 lead.

That was about as good as it would get for the Champions. After Joyce’s touchdown run, Lane struggled in moving the ball.

“We watched their film. We know we had to get push up front. A team 6-0 scares you. Their six or seven plays that they run, they are very good at it. So way have to play assignment. We watched film, we matched up. ‘This is your guy, This is your guy.’ Discipline is everything,” said Phillips head coach Joseph Winslow.

The Wildcats were ready for Lane’s double wing offense. The thing about the double wing is that it is pretty much and all or nothing defense. If the offensive line can move the defensive line off the ball and pick up four yards a carry, it is difficult to stop. If they can’t well, the double wing offense is going to struggle and better hope their defense can hold. There isn’t much quick strike, comeback potential in the double wing.

Winslow and his Wildcats were ready for the double wing. “I ran the double wing in high school. We rarely passed the ball. We knew we had to play slobber-knocker football. We’ve got to get down a hit every play,” Winslow continued.

And that they did. The Wildcats’ defensive line took over the game. Lane’s offensive line did not get any push. Not only did the Wildcat get a push of their own, they “stayed home.” Each defensive player stayed in position ready to tackle the Lane backs on the misdirection plays.  

“Everybody just assumed that we were just a terrible team. We’re young. 85% of this team is coming back. I only have twelve seniors. My receivers are all seniors which is a plus with a junior quarterback. But other than that we are young. People took us for granted. They didn’t think that we are the same team that we have always been. The kids bought in after we lost the game to Morgan Park. We feel like that was a game we should have one. We had too many mistakes,” Winslow said.

Lane did not take Phillips for granted. The coaches and commentators knew quite well what Phillips could bring. We all got to see that Phillips is an excellent team and Lane is not invincible. 

Lane Tech Throttles Clark 24-8

By Jack Lydon

Lane Tech’s double wing offense throttled Michelle Clark 24-8 at the newly dedicated Fritz Pollard Field at Lane Stadium Saturday afternoon. Lane Coach Dedrick Dewalt’s has his team of Champions totally invested in the double wing offence and the Champions did what champions do—take care of business.

 “I express to my kids everyday, we are not going to out-talent people, we are not going to out-speed people, one thing we can do is out-work people. We come with that workmanlike attitude. And it’a not just on game day. It’s during the week. It’s during practice. We work hard. This is probably the hardest working group that I have ever coached,” Dewalt said.

 “Trust me. When we first introduced this offense. [The players] were like, ‘Coach, we like to throw the ball.’ I have a bunch of great kids here. Whatever we require of them, they do it with no complaints. We asked them to learn this offence and now they are seeing the benefits of it. We are winning games. It’s keeping our defense off the field. [Our] defense is playing lights out because we are fresh. We can hold the ball nine or ten minutes in a quarter.”

The hard work has paid off.  

Lane’s double wing offense came out firing on all cylinders Saturday and by firing on all cylinders I mean, grinding on all 22 legs. Four yards and a cloud of dust turned into quite a bit more. Early in the first quarter, the Champions had an illegal procedure penalty making it first and fifteen, deep in their end of the field.

First and fifteen in the double wing offense designed to get four yards per carry is not a good situation. No worries, just run a counter on third down and Lane senior wing back Phineas “Finn” Merrill will pick 12 yards for the first down. On the next play, Lane wing Casey Joyce burst through the line for a 51-yard touchdown.

On the next possession, after a Lane interception, Lane’s Phineas “Finn” Merrill ripped off a 46-yard run up the middle. A few plays later, Lane senior running back Yiannis Katsogridakis would not be denied as he barreled up the middle into the end zone for a touchdownn. Lane’s place kicker Mugdim Kreho added his second PAT making the score 14-0 Lane with plenty of time left in the first quarter.

Lane Tech’s ball control, really “clock control,” offense keep Clark’s athletic offense off the field. Clark’s dozen or so offside penalties just gave the Champions help getting first downs all game long. Lane senior quarterback Mark Seward used a two-count to snap the ball. With Lane’s one wing moving on the first count, the Eagles repeatedly went offside. At one point in the late in the fourth quarter, one Clark player loudly admonished another after one such penalty, “you can’t do that.”

The third quarter was all Lane. Seriously, like almost all of it. The Champions took the second half kickoff and with twelve plays, aided by three Clark penalties, held the ball for 11:03 of the twelve-minute quarter.

“Our first goal is always get the four yards. The second goal is always get the first down. I challenge these guys and they take that challenge to heart. We hate punting,” said Lane offensive coordinator Elbert Revina.

The third quarter also featured a little Lane trickery—a forward pass. “The safety was way in. [Clark] really had no corners. They were playing a lot of outside linebackers. We had the wind at our backs. So I figured let’s just toss it and keep them honest. After that I opened up some more off-tackle,” Revina continued. The passed used to open the running game instead of the other way around. Who woulda thunk it?

Lane’s Mugdim Kreho added a 37-yard field goal to make it 17-0 lead in the third.

Late in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach, Clark sophomore quarterback Tysean Perkins took Lane’s kick at the nine-yard line. Starting to his left he cut back making his way across the whole field at what looked like half speed while waiting for his blockers to open a path. There wasn’t so much path opening but there was trailblazing by Perkin. Shedding would be tacklers the up the Clark sideline, Perkins kicked it into high gear and scored continuing to shed Champions as he cut back toward the middle of the field. A two-point conversion made the score 24-8.

Lane’s 6-0 start qualifies them for the IHSA playoffs for the first time since 2005. No one could remember the last time, if ever, Lane Tech had a 6-0 record. They do this year.

Phillips is next. Then Westinghouse. Then sixth ranked 6-0 Simeon. Then the playoffs, for sure this year.

Alex Burstein’s call of the game on Lane Tech Athletic’s You Tube channel Is available here.