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.

DePaul Prep Falls to Mount Carmel 42-41

Preview of my Inside Publications article this week.

No. 17 Mount Carmel defeats DePaul Prep 42-41

DePaul Prep Rams lost to Mount Carmel Caravan 42-41 at Mount Carmel Friday night. The Rams are struggling through an uncharacteristic three-game losing streak in the Chicago Catholic League’s Blue division.

 The Rams (4-3, 0-3) opened the game outscoring the 17th ranked Caravan (7-1, 2-0) five to zero. The Caravan then went on a 10-0 run to close the quarter. They would hold the lead that eventually dwindled to a single point at the buzzer to survive a young and injured Rams team.

The early run by the Caravan was aided by some sloppy Rams ball handling. “They picked us up a little bit, trapped us a couple times when we were lazy with the ball. We have bad habits in practice right now in passing. They are leading to the game,” said Rams head coach and former DePaul University star Tom Kleinschmidt.

The young Rams start three sophomores, center Jonas Johnson, guard Makai Kvamme and guard Rob Walls, one junior, PJ Chambers and one senior, guard and leading scorer Maurice Thomas. Out with injuries for the moment are junior standouts and returning starters Payton Kamin and Jaylan McElroy.

Despite the Rams having two of their best players on the court, they opened the season 4-0 winning the Battle of the Bridge Tournament hosted by DePaul Prep along with Lane Tech. Catholic League Blue conference play has been a different story. Coming into this game, the Rams were on a two-game losing streak in the conference play dropping games to St. Lawrence and DeLaSalle.

There are encouraging signs for the Rams. Mount Carmel’s transfer Lee Marks emerged as a force for the Caravan at last weekend’s Chicago Elite Classic. The Rams shut him down. “We scouted him pretty well. Our gap defense shut his driving lanes down a little bit. We did a nice job keeping him off the boards. He is a fantastic rebounder. He had seventeen rebounds against Laurence,” said Kleinschmidt.

The Caravan never blow the game wide open. The largest lead they managed was seven points. Then curiously, early in the third quarter, Caravan head coach Phil Segorves slowed down the pace of game. At one point midway through the fourth quarter, Caravan point guard Deandre Craig put the ball on his hip in classic style and waited for the Rams to come out and defend.

 “I think they wanted to pull us out and get us in the bonus. [Deandre] Craig is one of the two or three best point guards in the league. I think [Mount Carmel head coach Phil Segorves] wanted to put the ball senior point guard’s hands and control the game, get fouls and go to the line,” Kleinschmidt added.

The Rams chiseled away at the Caravan lead making it a one possession game for the last couple minutes. Only a questionable turn over call and foul pushed the lead to four. The Rams made it a one-point game with a three before the buzzer.

The fact that the young Rams can play with the seventh ranked CCL powerhouse Caravan has to be encouraging for Rams fans. This adversity early in the season is going to help them when they get their scorers back. “1000%. Everybody is getting minutes. This time that they are getting you normally can’t get it. And they are playing well. We are stretching our bench. When we get everybody back, we will be in good shape,” said Kleinschmidt.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire for the young Rams who host 5th ranked St. Rita Mustangs next Friday the DePaul Prep’s Tom Winiecki Gym on Friday. St. Rita will be riding high after defeating the 6th ranked and previously unbeaten Brother Rice Crusaders 57-51 at Brother Rice.

DePaul Prep Defeats Notre Dame 35-25

The DePaul Prep Rams defeated the Notre Dame Dons 35-25 in the Battle of the Bridge Thanksgiving Tournament semi-final. It was the first test of the new young Rams. It turned out to be a test of the Dons.

The game started slowly . . . really slowly. The Dons moved the ball around well but didn’t shoot the ball. When they did shoot, they weren’t good shots. And they got no second chances.

The Rams weren’t much better. They moved the ball around well enough and got some shots up. Most did not fall. And they got no second chances either.

It was Rams 4, Dons 0 at the end of the first quarter. I don’t remember such a score in a game with two solid teams. At least not since my days coaching the 5th grade St. Benedict Bengals.

The Rams and their senior guard and playmaker Maurice Thomas started scoring in the second quarter. The Don’s finally scored with 2:21 left in the half when sophomore forward Brady Sanhorst drained a long three. 15-3 Rams at the half.

It was a pretty normal second half. Both teams were running the floor and scoring. But the damage to Notre Dame was done. Only on the rarest of occasions does a Tom Kleinschmidt team give up a large lead. Tonight was not such an occasion.

Final—Rams 35, Dons 25.

Kevin Clancy and his Dons will be better than they showed tonight. I wrote on Instagram yesterday that it’s a strange new basketball world that we find ourselves in. Tonight produced more evidence supporting such a conclusion.

DePaul Prep will face Niles North in the Battle of the Bridge championship game against Niles North at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.

As for the photos, I am not publishing as many as I have in the past. I used a new camera setup. A Canon 5D Mark IV with a 50mm, f1.8, prime lens at a lower ISO than normal in addition to my regular camera. I just wanted to see what I could get with that setup. I came up with bigger, richer files but the photos are not particularly good. A 50mm lens at a basketball game is pretty useless.

I got a great shot of Johnny “Mas” Maciaszkiewicz, DePaul Prep’s legendary scorekeeper.

It was great to see Paul Chabura and Shay Boyle. Just two great men. I just think the world of both of them.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I know I have a great deal to be thankful for this year.

DePaul Prep Wins Battle of Bridge Defeating Notre Dame 66-51

The DePaul Prep Rams (4-0, 0-0) defeated the Notre Dame Dons (3-1, 0-0) at DePaul Prep 66-51 at DePaul Prep’s Tom Winiecki Gym to win the Battle of the Bridge Thanksgiving Tournament.

The Battle of the Bridge, a combination of the traditional Lane Tech Thanksgiving tournament and the then Gordon Tech Thanksgiving Tournament started in 2014, featured Lane, Notre Dame, Jones and Englewood STEM at Lane and DePaul Prep, Niles North, Lake View, and Legal Prep at DePaul. The winners of each division, DePaul Prep and Notre Dame, faced off Friday evening (November 26, 2021) at DePaul.

DePaul Prep is coming off one of its most successful seasons ever—sort of. The COVID season of 2021 saw the Rams end the season winning the only prize available, the Chipotle Clash of Champions, a season ending invitational tournament organized by Rick Malnati and Joe Henricksen and hosted by Notre Dame College Prep and St. Patrick. The Rams finished the season ranked No. 1 in the Sun-Times Super 25. Not a state championship but as close as one can get in the COVID year.

The Rams graduated all five starters from the championship team. Although entering the season ranked 14th, it was still something of an unknown as to how these players would mesh. The first test for the new Rams was Niles North. Niles North is always tough. Glenn Olson always has his time ready and motivated. The Rams eventually overcame the Vikings’ pressure winning 62-50 on Wednesday evening.

On the Lane side of the bracket, Lane and Notre Dame also faced off on Wednesday evening also. Similarly, despite a hard fought first half by Lane, Notre Dame’s shooting and relentless defense subdued Lane with the Dons winning, 67-44.

Friday evening the Rams faced the Dons, a clash of the two teams that had historic seasons earlier this year. The Dons also graduated an historic team including three division one players, perhaps the three best players in school history, Troy D’Amico, Anthony Sales and Louis Lesmond. While the Dons did not come into the season ranked, they have one the top players in the region, Sonny Williams. They are also extremely well coached by former Don, Kevin Clancy. And they also beat the Rams in this tournament championship in 2019.

With these two defensive minded and not terribly experienced teams, the game started as one might imagine—some tentative shots, missed layups and makable inside shots missed. The Rams opened a modest lead in the second quarter which the Dons closed with three free throws by ND’s Sonny Williams to end the first half with a 25-24 lead.

The third quarter was entirely different. The Rams defensive pressure and methodical ball movement put a 24-7 run on the Dons. Tom Kleinschmidt teams usually do this to teams in the second quarter. It might have been a little late but it got done. The Rams opened 48-32 lead at the end of the third quarter. Once the Rams get a lead, they rarely give it up on the strength of excellent foul shooting. Another test passed by the young—well, new—Rams.

“This is a good tournament for us,” said Kleinschmidt.

“We played two physical really talented teams in Niles North and usually Notre Dame every year. We set it up that way because we feel we are prepared every year having played those teams win or lose.

“This is a new team with a starting new five. They have been in practices for two years against some talented kids but the lights haven’t been on them. So the lights were on them a little earlier. We made some hiccups. We didn’t have our division one player out there, which makes me even more proud. We were down one at halftime. We fouled a three-point shooter at the half. So to be up or down one going in showed me a lot.

“[Jaylon McElroy] is unbelievable. He is the most talked about person this week on our team, with Gutierrez. He has a very high ceiling.

“They are groomed well. For [last year’s team], Perry [Cowen] and  Raheem [Anthony] did it for them. And then Tyler [Johnson] and Rasheed [Bello] did it for these guys. Hopefully, these guys are going to do it for Jaylon and Payton and those guys.

The Rams face Evergreen Park on Friday at home and start Catholic League play against Marmion on Tuesday.

Lane Tech pulled off an impressive win over Niles North to take third place in the Battle of the Bridge. Lane faces Bulls Prep on Tuesday, and then another high-profile appearance in the Chicago Elite Classic against Taft on Friday at 9:00 p.m. at UIC’s Credit One Arena.

Evanston Defeats Notre Dame 62-53 in Chicago Elite Classic

The #9 Evanston Wildkits (5-0) came into Friday night’s game at the 2019 Chicago Elite Classic against the #7 Notre Dame Dons (5-1) ready. The Wildkits have been in big games against good teams before. But this time, they were a little pissed off.

It was not a hot anger. The simmered. It seems like a Mike Ellis kind of anger—quiet, determined, deadly. They never jumped out to a big lead; they just held the Dons at bay throughout the game eventually winning 62-53. The Wildkits scored on their first possession and trailed by one for all of 24 seconds early in the first quarter. After that, it was a methodical take down.

Interestingly, the Wildkits slowed the tempo and showed patience moving the ball around the floor. I guess I was expecting the Kits to run against the bigger Dons. Maybe they wanted to but ND is too good to give up a ton of points in transition. The Wildkits only scored eight fast break points.

Evanston coach Mike Ellis had his team ready. “I thought these guys were so steady,” said Ellis after the game. “Notre Dame never went on a run.”   

But it was not as if the Notre Dame Dons were not ready. The Dons are a very talented team with any obvious weakness. The starting line-up of Louis Lesmond, Anthony Sayles, Troy D’Amico, Jason Bergstrom and Jimmy Murphy and Frank Lynch off the bench leaves little to be desired. The Dons are a clear contender for a state championship in 3A. Notre Dame third year head coach Kevin Clancy has taken the Dons to another level. (Interestingly, the Dons face great competition in the East Suburban Catholic League, but that’s a subject for another day.)

It just seemed that when the Dons would score, Evanston would answer.

There might have been a little more too it.

“That one was the first game I marked on the schedule,” said Evanston junior forward Blake Peters. “We haven’t gotten the press like other teams.”

The much-reported transfer of the French-born Notre Dame junior forward Louis Lesmond from Evanston to Notre Dame over the summer was definitely on the minds of the all concerned. I have to think that this served as part of the motivation for the Wildkits. After the game, Blake Peters downplayed his familiarity with Lesmond and his game, but it seemed quiet evident to me. Despite Lesmond leading the Dons with 15 points, Louis never took over the game like he did against DePaul Prep in the Battle of the Bridge championship game a week earlier.

 “They played harder than us,” said ND’s Anthony Sayles. “We weren’t as conditioned as them.” I am not buying it. Anthony Sayles was a little too hard on himself and his team after the game. I didn’t see signs of a lack of effort or signs of fatigue.

The Evanston shots fell. The Kits were determined and ready. ND played sound defense with tons of effort. Nevertheless, after a good defensive stand by ND, the Wildkits shots fell.

I am really looking forward to seeing more of these teams.

As for the photos, what can I say? The Wintrust Arena has the best light of any high school venue in the City—period. The best.

Frankly, I was not as focused on maximizing the light as much as I was on composing the pictures and telling a good story with the photos. It was pretty standard settings but I was able to drop the ISO pretty low because of the amount and quality of the white light.

I hope you like the photos.

DePaul Prep Wins Opener Over Urban Prep--Bronzeville 74-32

The DePaul Prep Rams opened the 2019-2020 season this evening at the Tom Winicki Gym with a 74-32 victory over the Urban Prep—Bronzeville Lions.

The Rams struggled early in the first quarter but quickly started running the floor after Bronzeville turnovers ending in some easy layups for Ty Johnson. Lance Mosley added 4 three-pointers in the second quarter. DePaul Prep had a 41-21 lead at the half.

In the second half, DePaul coach Tom Kleinschmidt went deep into his bench. The Rams widened the lead holding the Lions to eleven points in the second half. The game finished with a 74-32 final score.

As I wrote in a tweet this morning, 111 days until the state championships. I never realized how short the season is. It will go by fast. So the first part of the season is the Lane/DePaul Prep Battle of the Bridge. The Rams will face Vocational, Niles North then probably Notre Dame. I hope to get out to St. Viator to see those Lions take on Evanston.

DePaul Prep Defeats Notre Dame 65-46

The DePaul Prep Rams defeated the Notre Dame Dons 65-45 on Wednesday evening (Nov. 21, 2018) in the DePaul Prep/Lane Tech Battle of the Bridge Thanksgiving Tournament.