IHSA Playoff Look Ahead

The IHSA boys basketball playoff brackets come out on Friday at 4:00 p.m. I have been looking at various brackets and prognosticating some scenarios for area schools.

3A

There are eight sectionals in 3A: Brother Rice, Washington, Little Village, Glenbard South, Antioch, Rochelle, Decatur and Marion. The Brother Rice Sectional has all southside or south suburban schools. Washington has Central Illinois teams. Little Village has Chicago and west suburban schools. Glenbard South also has Chicago and suburban schools. Antioch has Chicago and North suburban schools. Rochelle has northern Illinois and west suburban schools. Decatur and Marion have southern Illinois schools. The first four sectionals lead to one finalist (championship game participant) and the other four to the other finalist.

All the northside of Chicago 3A schools are in the Antioch Sectional: DePaul Prep, Lake View, Payton, Amundsen, Roosevelt, Northside and CICS/Northtown.

DePaul Prep

With respect to DePaul Prep, let’s look at the best teams in 3A. The top 3A teams in Illinois, in particular order, are Brother Rice, DePaul Prep, Morton, Kankakee, St. Lawrence, Centralia, Metamora, Kaneland, Mount Carmel, Kaneland, Fenwick and I added in St. Patrick for fun. It’s very possible that three of these four Chicago Catholic League teams, Brother Rice, St. Laurence, Mount Carmel, Fenwick and DePaul Prep could be 3A finalists in Champaign for the State Finals.

It is very possible to have three Chicago Catholic League as 3A finalists. DePaul Prep has beaten all of the top 3A teams it has played in the regular season except Brother Rice. Brother Rice could advance to one State Final spot (final four) while Fenwick, St. Patrick, St. Laurence or Mount Carmel could land a second the State Semi-final spot. DePaul Prep could be the third CCL State finalist.

Lake View

The Lake View Wildcats (13-11, 9-0) are in the DePaul Prep regional and would have to get through the Rams to advance into the Antioch Sectional.

Amundsen

The Amundsen Vikings (13-6, 8-1) open the playoffs on 2/24 at home against Northside. The winner of that game takes on #2 seed and #21 ranked Lake Forest in the Vernon Hills Regional on 2/26.

Payton

The Payton Grizzles (14-12, 7-4) host a regional and open on 2/25 against Noble/Muchin. The Grizzles could face either Elmwood Park or Noble Street Charter in the regional championship before advancing into the Little Village Sectional. The Little Village Sectional may well have Fenwick or St. Patrick standing in the Grizzlies’ way.

4A

4A is a tougher nut to crack. As one might imagine, the best teams are from the bigger schools. There are only seven 3A schools in the Sun-Times Super 25, those being four being the top Chicago Catholic League teams, DePaul Prep, #11 St. Laurence, #12 Mount Carmel and #13 Brother Rice. The others being #17 Kankakee, #21 Lake Forest and #25 Kaneland.

Lane Tech

The sectionals of note in 4A for our purposes are New Trier and Hinsdale Central. Lane Tech landed the #4 seed in the New Trier Sectional. Also in the New Trier sectional are #9 ranked Evanston with the #1 seed, Loyola Academy with the #2 seed and Niles North with the #3 seed.

The Lane Tech Champions (17-11) open against Maine East in the Maine South Regional and could face either #5 seed New Trier or Maine South in the regional final. A sectional championship would require also getting through either Loyola Academy or Niles North. Lance defeated Nile North in the Thanksgiving tournament. This is a doable path for the Champions to a sectional championship. But it is doable for the others as well, particularly the New Trier Trevians who have a history of doing it.

A New Trier Sectional championship would put the Champions into a Super against the St. Charles East Sectional Championship. As 4A sectionals go, St. Charles East is not the toughest. The only ranked team is #19 Glenbard West (22-5). The #2 seed is Geneva (24-4). I have seen Geneva. They are good but the Champions can easily play right with them. So it is entirely possible that the Champions could be sectional champs. I dare not speculate further than this. 

Lincoln Park

#14 ranked Lincoln Park (22-5) draws the Hinsdale Central Sectional—the toughest sectional in all the IHSA playoffs. in addition to the Lions, Hinsdale Central has #1 Kenwood, #4 Hinsdale Central, #16 Simeon, #20 Whitney Young and previously ranked St. Ignatius.

The Lions open the playoffs against Morton (the Cicero Morton, not the Morton Morton) at Whitney Young on 2/26. After that would probably be Whitney Young at Whitney Young the following Friday. Lincoln Park defeated Whitney Young 74-71 at Whitney Young in December. Then possibly Curie again the sectional semi-final. And then, possibly Kenwood, Simeon or St. Ignatius. Tough indeed.

Lane Tech’s Zach Mazanowski ducks against Phillips in November.

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