DePaul Prep Rams 72, Jones Eagles 41 to Open the Season

The high school basketball season opened this evening with the DePaul Prep Rams women’s basketball team beating up on the Jones College Prep Eagles 72-41. As games go, it was quick, an hour and twelve minutes. The running clock in fourth quarter helped but the game seemed closer than the final score.

I wasn’t able to give the game full treatment. This was a last minute addition to the schedule. I didn’t keep stats or do any interviews.

Nevertheless, I got a look at this year’s Rams. Coach Sarah Zarymbski has three sectional champions in her four years at the helm of the women’s varsity team, except there was no IHSA playoffs in the COVID year. So three sectional victories in three tries. This group has a lot to live up to. And by the looks of tonight’s game, they seem up to the task.

The two new starters, Miliah Wood and Grace Lee, will fit right in as starters. Returning seniors Charlotte Collins, fresh off a successful volleyball season, London Walker-George and Casey Galloway return and round out the starting line up.

Coach Zarymbski played the whole bench today too and there didn’t seem to be much let down. The Rams played well in all phases but only lead by ten at the half.

The Rams blew the game wide open in the third quarter with defense and scoring in transition. They pushed the lead to thirty points at the start of the fourth quarter causing a running clock in the fourth quarter and speedy conclusion to the first game.

It’s going to be a fun season. With the boys team receiving a pre-season 13th rank in the Sun-Times Super 25 rankings, DePaul Prep students, faculty, parents and supporters should be treated to some high quality basketball in what may or may not be the final year in the Tom Winiecki Gym.

Stay tuned. March will be here before one knows it.

DePaul Prep Baseball is Going to State; 13-3 Victory over Byron

The DePaul Prep Rams (23-14, 8-8) landed in Rockford for the IHSA 2A baseball super-sectional against the Byron Tigers. The convincing 13-3 win sends the Rams to the State Finals in Peoria this coming weekend.

Before, during and after the game, the Rams were loose. Didn’t seem like a super-sectional. Just like another game. Just fun to play baseball. Not so much for Sam Colon, the Rams’ first-year manager. His normal easy going demeanor seemed a bit more focused, serious, businesslike.

And land on the Byron Tigers the Rams did with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Byron rallied with three in the top of the second. That’s about as good as they had. The Rams just put it on them after that. Three in the bottom of the second. Another in the fourth. Three more in the fifth and two in the bottom of the sixth for a walk off ten run slaughter rule victory.

Senior pitcher, the always focused and businesslike Robert Rivera pitched well. Rivera struggled in the top of the second. A balk with nobody out and men on first and third scored the Tigers’ A. Lorenz from third.

“I just thought shake it off. Being the pitcher on the mound, you’re the leader. I have hold my composure and show everyone it’s not going to phase me. Even letting in those three runs, I knew I could fight back,” Rams’ pitcher Robert Rivera said.

“I changed up my mechanics. I went to stay closed longer. I started leaning more toward the plate. It helped me control my curveball. It really upped my [velocity] on my fastball too.”

The three runs in the top of the second were the only runs he would allow.

At bat, the whole team contributed--total team victory. Michigan commit and the fastest man on the field, AJ Garcia had a hit, a stolen base and two walks scoring three runs. Vance Kurakowa had a hit and run scored. Catcher Oliver Vigerust was hit by a pitch, had a hit and a base-on-balls. First baseman Kevin O’Connor had a huge game with three hits, two RBI’s and a walk. Griffin Horne had a hit and scored two runs. Beni Espinosa had three hits, four RBI’s, scored two runs and a walk. Third baseman Cameron Klein three hits and an RBI. Carter Levine two hits and three RBI’s, not to mention a spectacular diving catch in right field. Addison Latko had two hits, including a legged out triple and gapper in right center, and scored a run, but no homeruns today.

As hurtful as the super-sectional loss to Byron by the DePaul Prep womens’ basketball team was in March, this emotional super-sectional victory for the Rams took some of the sting out of it.

“I told Sarah [Zarymbski, girls basketball coach and 2014 Gordon Tech classmate of the Sam Colon] that we would get some revenge for her,” Rams head coach Sam Colon said after the game.   

“This team has got all the talent in the world. It’s a matter of can you put it all together in a year. Our first goal was to win the [Chicago Catholic] League [White]; we put ourselves in a position to get there. We didn’t get there. The next goal was to get a second season. The expectation was to get to Peoria. Now it’s to win it.”

It’s third trip to State for the Rams so far this year. Mitch Baum’s boys’ cross-country team won a state title in November. Tom Kleinschmidt’s boys’ basketball team won the 2A basketball state title in March. Now it’s Sammy’s turn.

The Rams will face the Columbia High School Eagles (30-4), from south of St. Louis, at the Peoria Chiefs’ stadium, Dozer Park, on Friday at 3:00 p.m. The other state semi-final will feature Joliet Catholic v. Quincy Notre Dame. The Championship game will be Saturday at 5:30.

DePaul Prep Falls to Byron 52-45 in 2A Super-sectional

By Jack Lydon

The DePaul Prep Rams fell to the Byron Tigers 52-45 in 2A Super-sectional at the Elgin Community College Monday night. Two disciplined and evenly matched teams put on an exciting game that demonstrated the high level basketball one expects to see in a Super-sectional match up.

Byron jumped out to an early 12-4 lead not because they were especially dominating but mostly because DePaul we not hitting inside shots they ordinarily would. The Rams were able to crack the impressive 1-3-1 zone defense the Tigers threw at them; they just rushed some shots and could not take advantage.

On the other end, the Tigers were able to finish just enough layups early when they penetrated the Rams defense to grab the early lead.

“We tell the kids and we have learned the hard way. We want to stay even the whole game. We don’t want to get too high to start. We feel like we play tight if we get too high and you can’t keep the up for the whole game,” Byron head coach Eric Yearly said.

“We also talked about starting fast. When you come to a Super [sectional game], one team is nervous, and if you can jump out early, it makes it tough to come back and overcome a deficit from the beginning. We jumped out early. When you have a seven-point cushion it makes it a little easier.”

Despite the Tigers’ fast start, the Rams settled down and outscored Byron in the second quarter. DePaul senior Nora Leadstrom had thirteen points in the first half keeping the Rams close.

In the second half, the Rams rallied and eventually cutting the Tigers’ lead to two points with under four minutes left in the fourth quarter.

“They brought the pressure up in the zone and they got us,” admitted DePaul Prep Coach Sarah Zarymbski. Down two, the Rams lost a few turnovers resulting in fast break points that stretched Byron’s lead.

As the clock ticked down, “[DePaul] extended their defense and we were able to get some back cut layups. Our kids come over in the huddle and said ‘the back cuts are open so get your eyes up,’”said Yearly.

“Once you get it under two [minutes], you gotta make your free throws. We made enough to win. “They are a good team. They are the best team we have played all year. We are the mirror image of each other. We have great posts and great guard play. We just happened to be the one that came out on top,” Yearly continued.

Losing three super-sectionals in a row is tough for the Rams. An emotional Coach Zarymbski took the loss hard but kept it together after the game. Zarymski, the 26 year-old, fourth year coach, has been impressive in her short tenure.

“We did a lot this season that we have never done. Most wins in program history. A GCAC regular season title and we are young,” Zarymbski said.

Byron moves on to 2A State Final at ISU on Thursday and will face CPS Noble charter school Butler in the semi-final.

DePaul Prep Defeats Lane Tech 51-38

The Lane Tech Champions came over the Chicago River bridge to DePaul Prep’s Tom Winiecki Gym to face the DePaul Prep Rams Saturday afternoon.

The athletic competitions between schools literally right next to each other for the last sixty-two years ought to be more of a big deal that they are. I don’t know the last time the Lane and Gordon Tech/DePaul Prep played each other in football or baseball. The boys basketball teams played a few years ago in basketball but only in the championship of the Battle of the Bridge holiday tournament.

But thankfully, there is girls’ basketball featuring two coaches that came out of the St. Benedict girls’ basketball powerhouse. Megan Molloy and Sarah Zarymbski both played basketball at St. Benedict elementary school a few blocks away at Leavitt and Irving Park Road for the long time girls basketball coach Bernadette Molloy.

As for the game, Sarah’s Rams got the better of Megan’s Champions 51-38. The Rams look pretty good. Coach Zarymbski looks to continue deep playoff runs for her Rams. The Rams have reached 2A Super-sectionals the last 2 IHSA playoffs.

DePaul Prep Opens Season with 51-25 Win Over Addison Trail

It’s great the basketball season is here. It was a pretty low key game; not a lot of people in the gym, mostly parents. Glad we could open together with a girls game.

My basketball photography has gotten pretty boring lately. Just a lot of standard low shots from the baseline. Then of course the dibble-drive down the lane. The obligatory shot of the coach yelling. The occasional lay-up shot, sometimes a dunk.

So I thought this would be a good opportunity early in the season to go off script and experiment a little. I took fewer shots and looked for different shots and places to shoot from.

I only took 459 photos, many fewer than the normal 1,200 or so. I only picked out 17 to process and only published 12.

I hope Coach Zarymbski is not to mad about the photo of her with the stern look on her face. But it’s too good not to not to publish. Good evidence though that it’s probably best not to get on her bad side.

I also really like the shot with the shiny gym floor with the girls scrambling for the ball. Hopefully, the photos are better than my usual ones and I can work on new shots for upcoming season.

DePaul Prep Falls to Winnebago 66-47 in 2A Super-sectional

The DePaul Prep Rams girls’ varsity basketball team fell to the Winnebago Indians 66-47 in the IHSA 2A Super-sectional at Elgin High School on Monday (Feb. 28, 2022). DePaul Prep coach Sarah Zarymbski and her Rams advanced to the Super-sectional, one win shy of the IHSA 2A State Finals for the second time in the last two playoffs. There were no state playoffs in 2021.

Coming into the game with the No. 1 2A ranked Winnebago, the Rams gave away significant size to the Indians. What the Rams lacked in size, they made up for in three-point shooting ability. Twelve of the Rams 26 point at halftime came off of three-pointers.

“We knew [Winnebago] converged a lot when you break into the lane, so we knew the kickout would be there,” said Zarymbski.

“They will randomly go double you. So we emphasized to find the open player with quick movement to find the open shot.” That they did and the three-point opportunities were there.

The Indians held a two-point lead at the half.

As we all know, good teams make adjustments at halftime. And that was what the Indian experienced and successful coach Winnebago coach Tracy Miller did. Coach Miller has been coaching since “the last century” as she put it which includes a “four or five” sectional championships and a couple trips to the State Finals.

“We kicked up defense considerable. We made a few adjustments at half time. We switched off people, changed up our defense a little bit and that helped. We have had rough starts for the last four or five games. We made a few adjustments at halftime but when they come out from halftime, [our players] wanted to prove something,” said Miller.

The adjustments mattered. The Indians opened the third quarter with at 10-0 run putting the Rams down for good.

“The only way we were really scoring a lot in the first half was with the threes. And they took away the threes. So we knew we would struggle scoring inside just because of how big they were, how long,” Zarymbski admitted.

DePaul Prep had eight returning players from the 2019-2020 sectional championship team.

“It meant a lot taking nine seniors to one of these. We had some pretty bad losses along the course of the season. At one point, the girls said, this is it, we need to step it up if we want to get back there. They really did. Taking them there means so much,” DePaul Prep third year coach Sarah Zarymbski said when asked what it want it meant to return to a Super-sectional game.  

The Indians opened a twenty-one point lead with under four minutes to play and that was it for the Rams. Final score: Indians 66, Rams 45.

DePaul Prep Beats Regina 54-33 to Win 2A Sectional

DePaul Prep defeated Regina Dominican 54-33 at the IHSA 2A Christ the King Sectional Championship game on Thursday (Feb. 24, 2022) to advance to the Super-sectional game tonight against Winnebago at Elgin High School.

After the game, I asked DePaul Prep girls varsity coach Sarah Zarymbski how many sectional championships her teams have won.

“Well, it’s our second,” Coach Zarymbski said.

“In four years of coaching?” I responded.

“Three years,” she replied.

Coach Zarymbski left out the fact that there were no playoff last year. Two years of playoff and two sectional championships. DePaul Prep/Gordon Tech girls basketball had not won a sectional championship at least as far back as IHSA on-line records go back to 2008.

The Rams jumped out to an early lead on Regina Dominican. And held that lead. The game was close. Regina hung around during the first half.

The third quarter was the difference. The Rams out scored Regina 21-10 taking control of the game. Regina was done after that. The Rams held the ball and keep scoring eventually opening a twenty-one (21) point lead

With their second sectional championship secured, the Super-sectional looms for Monday. The Rams will face the number one ranked Winnebago Indians (33-2, 9-0) from the Big Northern Conference. The Rams and Indians had no common opponents this year. However, Winnebago did lose to St. Viator (20-13, 3-4) from the East Suburban Catholic Conference. The Lions finished fifth in the ESCC, a good team but an average team in the Chicago area.

The super-sectional experience from two years ago has to help the Rams. The seniors experience the March 2020 trip out to DeKalb for the Super-sectional against Riverdale. The Rams coaching staff expressed a quiet confidence despite what has to be seen as an underdog status.

Winnebago also has recent Super-sectional experience. The Indians advanced to the DeKalb Super-sectional in 2019 but fell to eventual state champ Marshall.

The Rams v. Indians game tips-off at Elgin High School at 7:00 p.m. tonight (Monday, February 28, 2022). Tickets are only available on-line from: https://gofan.co/app/events/534964?schoolId=IL15466.

DePaul Prep v. Providence Game Photo Gallery

On Tuesday, January 18, 2022, the Providence Catholic girls varsity visited DePaul Prep’s Tom Winiecki Gym to face the Rams. These are the best of the photos I took that evening.

DePaul Prep Falls to Riverdale 41-28 in 2A Super-sectional

The Riverdale High School Rams (28-3) defeated the DePaul Prep Rams 41-28 to win the 2A DeKalb Super-sectional Monday evening and earned a trip to the state tournament in Bloomington this weekend. 

The game was closer than the final score indicates. A low scoring first half, Riverdale 15, DePaul Prep 14, showcased the defensive talents of each team. 

First half turnovers limited DePaul’s shots. Riverdale’s size inside proved a challenge for DePaul. Despite finding openings in Riverdale’s defense, DePaul found it difficult to score.

“I thought defensively we were in pretty good shape. We only gave up 14 in the half,” said Riverdale head coach Jay Hatch who is making his fourth trip to the state tournament but this is the first for Riverdale.

“We weren’t really counting on [DePaul’s Trish Adams] stepping out and hitting 30 footers,” Hatch said. 

“Offensively we tried to get some more touches, more ball reversal, more movement,”

“Once we got inside, I think they chose to get out of the zone and we got some options for man-to-man.”

That seemed to be the difference for which DePaul Prep had no answer.  

“They were hitting shots and we weren’t. That was pretty much it in the second half,” said DePaul Prep’s 23-year-old first year head coach Sarah Zarymbski (Gordon Tech 2014 graduate).

The score got away from the DePaul with a few minutes left in the game when the Riverdale broke the press for some easy buckets and converted fouls into points at the charity stripe.

Riverdale’s senior center Sidney Garrett lead the Rams with 20 points. DePaul Prep’s senior forward Trish Adams lead the other Rams with 9 points. 

In an impressive start to coaching career, Zarymbski lead her Rams to their first sectional championship, in her first year. 

“We want to get back here next year. This isn’t enough,” said an emotional Zarymbski. Only losing four seniors players to graduation, DePaul Prep Rams may well be a power in 2A again next year.    

Riverdale is located in Port Byron, Illinois, about ten miles northeast of the Quad Cities. Port Byron has a population of 1,647. The IHSA website lists Riverdale enrollment at 327.5

DePaul College Prep, the former Gordon Tech High School, is located at Addison and California in Chicago. Gordon Tech first admitted girls in 2003. These Rams have enjoyed success over the years including five regional championships and an overall record of 217-198.

DePaul Prep Handles Northside 64-24 on Senior Night

The DePaul Prep Rams handled Northside 64-24 on Senior Night last Wednesday (February 5, 2020).

It was a night for the Rams seniors, Chloe Anne Cox, Nora Roe, Patricia Adams and Avery Downes. The convincing defeat of Northside put an appropriate finish to this regular season and a successful four years of basketball at DePaul. I have to hand it to the Northside team. They were just over-matched but they never quit.

The Rams finished the regular season with a 18-8 record. First year head coach Sarah Zarymbski, (2014 grad) improved a little on last year’s record with the help of assistant coaches Sammy Colon and Leah Czuhajewski.

The Rams open the IHSA 2A playoffs hosting a regional. The Rams will face the winner of Monday’s Marine v. Josephinum game on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m., in the Tom Winiecki Gym.