Jason's Take

Season previews: West Aurora and East Aurora

2012-11-19T03:08:32Z

On the eve of the high school basketball season, it's time for a look at the two schools that generate the most interest in our coverage area -- West Aurora and East Aurora.

If we were to do power rankings, West Aurora would be our preseason No. 1 here at The Beacon-News. The Blackhawks won 25 games and claimed a sectional championship last year before losing to eventual Class 4A runner-up Proviso East in the supersectional.

West Aurora loses its leading scorer from a year ago, Juwan Starks, but the other four starters return. Junior Jontrel Walker averaged 13.6 points per game last season, and he is poised to assume Starks' role as the Blackhawks' go-to scorer. He's once again joined in the backcourt by senior Jayquan Lee. This will be the third straight season starting together for Walker and Lee, and they are right there with Oswego's Miles Simelton and Elliott McGaughy in the discussion for the area's best guard tandem.

Senior center Josh McAuley is on my list of potential breakout players this season. The 6-foot-7 post player was a defensive presence last year, but with more experience under his belt I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he puts it all together on both ends of the floor this year. The key for McAuley is to be more aggressive. Coach Gordie Kerkman says the big man "has the potential to be a dominant player" in the paint.

West also returns the two senior twins, Chandler and Spencer Thomas. The brothers stand just 6-foot-1, but they might as well be 6-5 with the way they play. These are two kids who will get on the glass and set hard screens. They bring a football mentality to the floor and they aren't shy about playing a physical style.

Look for 6-5 senior Rey Acevedo to provide some depth off the bench. Junior Matt Williams will also be a rotation player. Kerkman is bringing up three sophomores to the varsity level this year -- Matt Dunn, Roland Griffin and Tommie Koth. The trio will back up Walker and Lee at the guard spots.

Without question, West Aurora enters the season as the favorite in the DuPage Valley Conference. If you're looking for a team that might play in Peoria this year, the Blackhawks might be the best bet.

On the other side of town, East Aurora is looking to get back to respectability. Coach Wendell Jeffries suffered through his first losing season in 11 years at the helm last winter, and boy, it was one doozy of a losing season. The Tomcats finished 3-23 and won only one Upstate Eight Conference game.

I was born here in Aurora, grew up here and have spent most of my career here. But I can't ever recall an East Aurora basketball team struggling as much as last year's group did. It was an historically bad season, and I just can't see that happening again.

The Tomcats have a core of six returning players, the best of which is senior DeJon Talbert. The 6-1 guard averaged about 15 points per game last season and was a unanimous all-conference selection. It's not too often a kid on a 23-loss team gets that kind of praise, so that goes to show Talbert is a quality player.

Also returning are guards Ray Velazquez and Steve Green, along with forwards Tyree Willis, Jonathan Villezcas and Desmond Gant. Junior KeJuan Davis is a newcomer who might be able to make an immediate impact.

I would expect some tough sledding for the Tomcats in conference play this year. Waubonsie Valley, Neuqua Valley and Bartlett are among the teams in the UEC Valley featuring Division I players. And, of course, Metea Valley is the defending conference champion. The competition is stiff, so it will be hard for East High to get back into the upper echelon this year.

That said, the Tomcats are going to be more competitive and win more games this season. They almost have to, right?

Season preview: Oswego and Oswego East

2012-11-18T04:42:24Z

Today we take a short road trip south to take a look at this season's prospects for Oswego and Oswego East.

The Southwest Prairie has become a pretty competitive conference over the last four or five years. How will our two local clubs stack up?

Well, there's no doubt Oswego is the favorite this year. Plainfield East won it last year, but it lost a number of key players to graduation. The Panthers have most of their best players back. Most importantly, they've got two four-year varsity players starting in the backcourt. I'd put both Miles Simelton (pictured) and Elliott McGaughy on my "watch list" as far as preseason candidates for Beacon-News Player of the Year.

Simelton had D-I offers from Chicago State, Miami of Ohio and California-Davis. He needs 28 more points to reach the 1,000 mark for his varsity career. The guess here is he'll have that by the second game of the season. McGaughy led Oswego in scoring (17.5 per game), assists and steals last year. This might be the best backcourt in our coverage area.

The Panthers have an experienced frontcourt too, with 6-4 Jack Kwiatkowski and 6-5 Josh Oros returning for their senior seasons. Both are three-year varsity players. Jamaal Richardson (6-3) missed last year with a shoulder injury, but look for him to play a significant role. Oswego East coach Ron Murphy praised Kwiatkowski and Richardson for being players who are willing to do the small things to win games.

This Oswego team features both star players and glue guys, and the experience level is high. This could be a pretty good year for coach Kevin Schnable's crew.

On the other side of town, Murphy takes over for Jason Buckley as the head coach of Oswego East. Buckley left to become the athletic director at West Aurora over the offseason.

The new coach inherits a team that finished .500 a year ago and lost eight of its top 10 players to graduation. The good news for Murphy is senior guard C.J. Vaughan is back. Vaughan, a three-year starter, can score and he's a plus defender, too.

After that, the Wolves have a lot of unknowns. This will be a senior-oriented team, but most of these players have little varsity experience. Kendall Dorsey, Jordan Baker, Nick Craft, Scooter Smith and Tyler Ross will be among the players fans will see more of this year.

As per usual, these two teams will go at it twice in conference play this winter. Mark your calendars for Dec. 18 and Feb. 1. I'm sure there will be a packed house both times. Oswego will be gunning for a conference title and a good seed for the regional, and Oswego East will want nothing more than to spoil the party.

Coming tomorrow: West Aurora and East Aurora

Season previews: Aurora Central, Marmion, Aurora Christian

2012-11-16T04:18:12Z

Continuing our look at the upcoming boys high school basketball season, today we feature the three private schools in Aurora.

If this year is like every other year, Aurora Central will labor against a tough regular season schedule, then peak in the postseason. The Chargers went just 12-17 last year and have a combined record of 29-31 over the last two seasons. They also have two regional championships and a sectional championship to their credit. They've played Rockford East in the sectional final two years in a row, winning in 2011 and losing last year.

ACC will have to replace its top two scorers from a year ago -- Robert DeMyers and Joey McEachern. But, the Charger lineup could feature four seniors, the best of which is point guard Anthony Andujar (pictured). Phil Schuetz, Shawn Soris and Zach Flint are other players who figure to step into more prominent roles.

As per usual, coach Nate Drye's team will feature a 2-3 zone defense. Mediocre record or not, I won't be surprised if ACC is one of the last teams standing in our coverage area come March. The Chargers have guys who have been in the system and know how to play. It's just a matter of figuring out where the scoring will come from.

Aurora Christian should be an interesting team to watch this year. The Eagles are coming off an 18-win season, but they also were upset by Plano in the first round of the regional. They have a lot of experience coming back, but a slow start wouldn't be a surprise since many of the key players on this club are still playing football.

Junior Johnathan Harrell is the one returning Eagle who isn't occupied on the gridiron, so he may have to carry the team early. Once football season ends, three-year starter Ryan Suttle and a pair of 6-4 players -- Ryan McQuade and Cory Windle -- will be added to the lineup.

New coach Pat McNamara will have to work those guys back into the mix quickly as a difficult early-season schedule awaits. But, this is a group of kids that has played together on varsity for awhile, and that should make McNamara's task a little easier.

At Marmion, coach Ryan Paradise believes he'll have a deeper team than past years. The Cadets might play 10-12 guys instead of the customary eight or nine.

The top two returning players off last year's 14-14 squad are 6-5 senior Colin Kavanaugh and senior Alex Theisen. Look for those two players to lead Marmion in scoring most nights. After that, there are a lot of new players, a lot of unknowns, and it remains to be seen who will step up.

Paradise praised the energy level and attitude he's seen in practice. We'll see if the good practices translate to good results in the games.

Coming Sunday: Oswego and Oswego East

Season previews: Waubonsie, Metea and Yorkville

2012-11-15T04:28:21Z

We are just five days away from the start of the high school boys basketball season. That means it is preview time here at The Beacon-News. The first three stories will be appearing in the Thursday morning edition.

For starters, we're taking a look at two teams that are expected to contend for the Upstate Eight Valley Conference championship.

Metea Valley is the defending champion. The Mustangs are coming off an impressive 25-5 season that included a 14-0 start and a run to the sectional finals -- where they lost to crosstown rival West Aurora.

If I had to take a guess, Metea won't quite be able to repeat that success. Six of the team's top seven players from a year ago were lost to graduation, although there is enough talent in the pipeline to fashion another winning season. The one player returning is senior forward Sean Davis. Don't be surprised if he has a breakout year. He's moving back to his natural position after playing center last year for the good of the team.

Waubonsie Valley is among the group of teams that might overtake Metea in the conference race. The Warriors were contenders a year ago, when they went 18-9 overall and 7-3 in league play. They return three starters, including perhaps the most prolific scorer in the area in sharpshooting guard Jared Brownridge (pictured). The senior will attend Santa Clara next season, and he will almost certainly be on the short list of Player of the Year candidates this year.

He'll have some help in the post, too, as Waubonsie returns 6-6 forward Bryan Jefferson, an all-conference pick last year. Junior Jack Cordes, who also stands 6-6, gives the Warriors some additional size. Also returning is guard Dylan Warden, fresh off a good season as Waubonsie Valley's starting quarterback.

It's looking like a four-team race in the UEC Valley, with Waubonsie, Metea, Neuqua Valley and Bartlett all with legitimate hopes of coming out on top.

Thursday's paper also features a look at this year's Yorkville squad. The Foxes had a nice run a year ago, finishing 20-8 overall and 5-5 in the balanced Northern Illinois Big 12 East. The bad news is all five starters are gone from that team.

Yorkville returns four seniors, all of whom played in reserve roles last season. The most experienced returning player is point guard Brett Assell, who was the team's sixth man previously. Center Josh Gengler, forward Taylor Carter and guard Cody Knudsen are the other returners. Coach Dan McGuire is going to need Carter to step up and score.

The Foxes could have as many as four sophomores on their roster. They have a number of players in new roles, plus several others who are new to the varsity level. Safe to say it will be a work in progress for Yorkville this season.

Coming Friday: Marmion, Aurora Central and Aurora Christian.

Move back to UEC would rejuvenate West Aurora football

2012-11-07T04:36:33Z

It's been 18 long years since West Aurora last made the IHSA state football playoffs. The year was 1994 -- the fall after I graduated high school.

Yeah, it's been awhile.

This is my 10th year here at The Beacon-News, and during that time West High has had only one winning season in football. That came in 2004, when the Blackhawks went 5-4 and missed the postseason due to a lack of playoff points.

People have asked me many times through the years what it will take to bring West High football back to prominence. Heck, my friend and former colleague Jim Owczarski wrote a great story about that very topic in February of 2011, prior to the hiring of current West head coach Nate Eimer.

For all the theories we can come up with, maybe it comes down to this: West Aurora needs to get the hell out of the DuPage Valley Conference. West left the Upstate Eight Conference at the conclusion of the 1996-97 academic year and joined the DVC the following fall.

Sixteen football seasons have come and gone since, and what do the Blackhawks have to show for it? A big goose egg. Consider this: West Aurora is 0-16 against Naperville Central, 0-16 against Naperville North and 0-16 against Wheaton Warrenville South.

West High fans, every season you have three automatic losses on your schedule. That means you have to go at least 5-1 in the other six games to become playoff-eligible. That's a tall task, and the Blackhawks have pulled that off only once -- the aforementioned 2004 season. However, that fall West High beat a winless East Aurora team and a one-win Elgin squad during its non-conference schedule. Thus, they didn't have the playoff points to get into the postseason.

The DuPage Valley is arguably the best football conference in the state. It is simply better than Upstate Eight most years (although this year might be considered an exception with the success of Waubonsie and Neuqua Valley). For a school like West, it's really hard to find a path to six wins in a conference like the DVC.

In addition to that one 5-4 season, West High has put together three 4-5 seasons over the last five years -- 2007, 2010 and 2011. I would argue a 4-5 season in the DVC is roughly equivalent to a 6-3 campaign in the Upstate Eight.

If West High were still in the Upstate Eight, it might have had as many as four IHSA state playoff appearances over the last 10 years. If you can make the postseason every now and then, that creates hope and interest in the program. You get more athletes coming out for football. Maybe you finally get some traction and start to build a consistent winner.

Where am I going with all this?

Well, there's an open spot in the Upstate Eight Conference right now. Lake Park is leaving after this academic year. West Aurora has filed a letter of interest to fill that vacancy.

The letter does not obligate the school, it merely expresses interest, according to West athletic director Jason Buckley. There will be competition for that open spot in the UEC. Sources tell us Glenbard East and West Chicago -- two DVC schools that are also struggling mightily to keep up in football -- have also expressed interest. West High is now waiting to hear back from the Upstate Eight.

I hope the move happens. I'd like to see West back in the same conference with other Aurora schools, like East High, Waubonsie Valley and Metea Valley. I'd also like to see Eimer's football program have a fighting chance to get off the ground.

I think that football playoff drought on the West Side of Aurora would end sooner rather than later if West High moves back to the UEC.

The seventh-best team in the AL wins the pennant

2012-10-19T03:25:41Z

The Detroit Tigers wrapped up their 11th American League pennant Thursday with an 8-1 butt-kicking of the New York Yankees. With the win, Detroit completes a four-game sweep and advances to the World Series -- which will begin at the home of the National League champion next Wednesday.

I had to chuckle at one of the comments made by Detroit owner Mike Ilitch after the game.

"I've got a great bunch. We don't have one hot dog in the bunch," Ilitch said. "They're all great guys. ... The Tigers are something special."

Not one hot dog in the bunch, huh? Has Ilitch seen his closer pitch lately? I'd argue Jose Valverde is the biggest hot dog in all of baseball.

I don't know that the Tigers are all that special either. This is an 88-win team that didn't clinch a playoff spot until Oct. 1. They only got into the playoffs because the White Sox gave away the American League Central Division title the last three weeks of the season. Detroit had the seventh-best regular season record in the league this year.

Is this a special or great Tigers team? Absolutely not. Doesn't mean they can't win the World Series, though.

Detroit beat an inexperienced Oakland team in five games in the first round, then had the good fortune of running into a Yankees' club that seemingly forgot how to play baseball after its captain, Derek Jeter, broke his ankle in Game 1 of the ALCS.

The Yankees may have hit 245 home runs in the regular season, but they put on the most awful display of postseason hitting I've seen since the 2000 White Sox.

Over the course of the four-game ALCS, the Yankees scored just six runs -- five of them on home runs. They scored in only three of their 39 offensive innings. They hit just .188 in the postseason, a record low for a team that played at least seven playoff games. New York's team batting average in this ALCS was .157.

Some of the credit has to go Detroit's starting rotation of Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, Max Scherzer and Anibal Sanchez. They were good against Oakland and dominant against New York. The Tigers' starters are 4-1 with a 1.02 ERA in nine postseason games this year.

This ALCS can only be described as a combination of good Tigers pitching and brutal Yankees offense. That's how it turned out to be so one-sided.

What we've seen from the Tigers these last couple weeks just proves that sometimes the hardest part of a baseball season is getting in the playoffs. Detroit underachieved all year, in my estimation. But if you can somehow get into the postseason field, you can get to the World Series if you can play hot for two weeks.

On the National League side, we may be looking at an 88-win champion as well. The St. Louis Cardinals now possess a 3-1 series lead over the San Francisco Giants after an 8-3 win Thursday night. Game 5 is Friday in St. Louis.

If the Cardinals finish that thing off, the fifth-best team in the National League will be playing the seventh-best team in the American League in the World Series.

Yes, indeed, wacky things happen in the baseball playoffs.

Illinois football -- a tale of sorrow

2012-10-16T23:44:56Z

The University of Illinois football team has a bye this week. Feel free to insert your joke here about how the Illini are 27-point underdogs against "Bye."

For those who missed it, Illinois fell to 2-5 last Saturday with a humiliating 45-0 loss to Michigan. The Illini have not been competitive in any of their five losses -- each defeat coming by 28 points or more. The lopsided nature of the losses has first-year coach Tim Beckman under siege from Illini Nation.

It has gotten so bad for Beckman that some fans are longing for the return of the hapless Ron Zook, who was relieved of his duties last November after compiling an abysmal 34-51 record in seven seasons at Illinois.

I'm no fan of Zook's and would never want him back. But just for fun, here's a little numerical comparison between Beckman and Zook:

In five losses under Beckman this season, Illinois has been outscored by 149 points -- 208-59.

During the final 16 losses of the Zook Era -- and those losses were accumulated over a period of three seasons -- the Illini were outscored by a mere 146 points -- 484-338.

So, basically, Beckman has gotten his rear end kicked more in one half-season than Zook has in the last three years. Not good, folks, not good.

In fairness to Beckman, Zook's first Illinois team (2005) was outscored by 166 points (230-64) in its first five losses. Thus, we can conclude Beckman's first year at Illinois has been better than Zook's was -- but only slightly.

Oskee oww oww.

Giants get even with Cardinals on the scoreboard

2012-10-16T03:29:02Z

Game 2 of the National League Championship Series got off to a nasty start Monday night in San Francisco.

St. Louis left fielder Matt Holliday barreled into Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro to break up a potential double play in the top of the first inning. As you can see in the picture above, Scutaro's ankle turned pretty bad and he was lucky to escape without serious injury.

I'm all in favor of hard slides at second base, but Holliday was over the line on this one. He slid extremely late and appeared to be targeting the knee of Scutaro. It was almost as if he were intending to injure his opponent, as opposed to merely breaking up the double play (which he did).

If I were Scutaro, I would have been tempted to get up and throw a punch. That's how bad I thought that slide was. If I were San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy, I would have been tempted to order a retaliation pitch as well.

Give the Giants credit. They did none of that. They kept their composure and got their revenge on the scoreboard. Scutaro delivered the biggest hit of the night, a single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning. All three runners came around to score on the play after an error on Holliday in left field. That took the score from 2-1 to 5-1, and San Francisco went on for a 7-1 victory. With the win, the Giants evened the best-of-seven series 1-all.

Scutaro eventually left the game after five innings and was going for X-rays on his hip. Reports indicate they were negative.

Thus far, the baseball playoffs have been great theater with all four divisional series going to the maximum five games. But until tonight, we haven't seen any bad blood between opponents. We'll see if there's any more hostility in this NLCS moving forward after this Holliday-Scutaro incident.

Game 3 will be played Wednesday afternoon in St. Louis.

Week 8 prep football links

2012-10-13T06:20:27Z

It's been a night of computer problems and other hassles here at The Beacon-News, so it's a little too late for me to provide much analysis for tonight's Week 8 prep football results.

But suffice to say the records meant nothing in the rivalry clash between Aurora Central and Marmion. The Chargers were 6-1 and the Cadets were 2-5 coming in, but Marmion scored on its first six possessions and rolled to a 41-7 win. Marmion is a bigger school than Aurora Central, so I'm not stunned by the Cadet victory. However, I am stunned by the ease with which they attained it. A great night for Marmion, a bad night for Aurora Central.

Heartbreak for Aurora Christian tonight. No one expected them to win on the road at Montini, but they almost pulled it off. In the game of the night, the Eagles erased a 24-6 deficit to take a 27-24 lead late in the fourth quarter. Aurora Christian had possession with two minutes left. However, a fumble gave the ball back to Montini, and the Broncos posted a late score to prevail 31-27.

Here's the rest of your local scores, with links to Beacon-News stories were applicable:

West Aurora 35, West Chicago 9
Waubonsie Valley 49, East Aurora 0
Geneva 61, Metea Valley 48 (no, this wasn't a basketball game)
Oswego 52, Plainfield South 7
Oswego East 37, Romeoville 12
Batavia 19, St. Charles East 6
DeKalb 47, Yorkville 0
Kaneland 30, Sycamore 7
Plano 24, Wilmington 20
Sandwich 68, Reed-Custer 14
Mooseheart 28, Hope Academy 0

MLB playoffs full of suspense

2012-10-12T03:38:56Z

The National League Central Division champion Cincinnati Reds hadn't lost three home games in a row all season. Since the new MLB playoff format started in 1995, no National League team had rallied from an 0-2 deficit to win a five-game divisional series.

Until now.

The San Francisco Giants completed their comeback Thursday, defeating Cincinnati 6-4 to win their NLDS 3-2. Buster Posey (pictured) was the hero for the Giants, his grand slam capping a six-run rally in the top of the fifth inning that gave San Francisco a 6-0 lead it would hold on to -- barely.

Cincinnati starting pitcher Mat Latos was the goat. He was sailing along through four innings, locked in a 0-0 duel with San Francisco ace Matt Cain. Latos thought he retired the first hitter of the fifth inning -- Gregor Blanco -- on strikes, but a close call went Blanco's way. The San Francisco outfielder eventually singled, and Latos got frustrated with the umpire, lost his focus and his command.

Brandon Crawford tripled moments later to put the Giants ahead. After an error, a walk and a single, San Francisco had a 2-0 lead with the bases loaded and the stage was set for Posey, who found a 2-2 Latos fastball to his liking. He hammered it off the facing of the second deck to put the Giants in full control of the game.

Cincinnati tried to rally. They answered with two in the fifth, one in the sixth and one in the ninth. When the game ended, the Reds had the tying runs on base. But after a 13-pitch at-bat, Jay Bruce flied out to left field off San Francisco closer Sergio Romo for the second out of the ninth. Finally, Scott Rolen struck out to end the game.

The Reds, who won 97 games this season, will lament the 11 runners they stranded in this decisive Game 5. Cincinnati left runners in scoring position in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

High drama, but San Francisco got the key outs it needed and will face the winner of Friday's Game 5 between Washington and St. Louis.

Nationals 2, Cardinals 1

Washington outfielder Jayson Werth had an at-bat for the ages to rescue his team's season in the bottom of the ninth. He fell behind 0-2 in the count to St. Louis pitcher Lance Lynn, but he fouled off seven pitches and eventually worked the count full.

On the 13th pitch of the at-bat, Lynn finally made a mistake -- a fastball right down the center of the plate. Werth lined the ball into the seats in left field, breaking a 1-1 tie and evening the best-of-five series at 2-2.

Should be a great pitching matchup Friday with Adam Wainwright, a proven postseason stalwart, going for the Cardinals against the Nationals' 21-game winner, Gio Gonzalez.

Orioles 2, Yankees 1 (13 innings)

Give the Baltimore Orioles this: They aren't the least bit intimidated by the haughty Yankees. One night after getting walked off by Raul Ibanez in the bottom of the 12th inning, the Orioles responded with a gutty 13-inning win to tie the series 2-2.

J.J. Hardy's RBI double off David Phelps scored Manny Machado with the go-ahead run. Baltimore closer Jim Johnson, who has had two rough outings in this series, retired Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano and Eric Chavez consecutively to preserve the win.

And, yes, Yankee manager Joe Girardi did pinch hit for the struggling Alex Rodriguez again. On Wednesday, Ibanez tied the game and won it after pinch hitting for Rodriguez in the ninth inning. Alas, Ibanez had already been used when Rodriguez's spot in the lineup came up in the 13th Thursday. So, Girardi turned to Chavez, who lined out to third baseman Machado to end the game.

The final out meant all four division series were extended to five games. The Yankees and Orioles will decide things on Friday, with C.C Sabathia pitching for New York and Jason Hammel going for Baltimore.

As we call it a night here at The Beacon-News, the Detroit Tigers and the Oakland A's are playing a decisive Game 5. With ace Justin Verlander on the mound, the Tigers lead 6-0 in the eighth inning.

It looks like Detroit will advance.

Sizing up the prep football playoff picture

2012-10-10T03:27:42Z

With two weeks to play in the high school football season, I figure now is as good a time as any to size up the postseason prospects for the 16 Beacon-News area teams. Right now, I'm thinking we'll have eight or nine teams qualify for the playoffs this year. Let's break it down:

They're in

Aurora Christian (7-0) -- The defending Class 3A state champions have won every game they've played so far by 24 points or more. That streak could end Friday against defending 5A champion Montini, but there's no question the Eagles are the odds-on favorite in 3A once again this year. AC's defense is stronger now than it ever has been during coach Don Beebe's tenure, and we know this is a team that can score points. Frankly, it would be a shock if this team isn't playing in Champaign when Thanksgiving weekend rolls around.

Kaneland (7-0) -- The Knights haven't been tested since they survived a 25-24 game against Brooks in Week 1. It's tough to gauge where Kaneland is right now because the two most difficult games on its regular season schedule are the final two. It will be interesting to see how the Knights fare against Sycamore (5-2) and Morris (7-0). If Kaneland wins both, you have to believe this team is a legitimate contender in Class 5A. The Knights have lost to Montini in the state semifinals each of the last two years. Montini has lost two games and has looked more mortal than in past seasons. Are the Knights good enough to sneak past them? We shall see.

Batavia (7-0) -- The Bulldogs will play St. Charles East (5-2) this Friday night for the UEC River title. It will be a good test for a Batavia team that has had an easy road since a 42-41 win over 6-1 Glenbard North in Week 1. The last game of the season is an automatic win over a hopeless Elgin squad. So, a win Friday night means Batavia will complete an undefeated regular season, and that should mean a favorable seed in the Class 6A playoffs.

Waubonsie Valley (6-1) -- The Warriors suffered a tough loss last Friday, falling 35-34 to Neuqua Valley in double overtime. The defeat might cost them the UEC Valley title, but they are in good shape to go 8-1 with a favorable remaining schedule (East Aurora, Metea Valley). That should mean a home game in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs. The Waubonsie seniors haven't forgotten their embarrassing first-round loss to a 16th-seeded Belleville East team in the first round last year. This season, the Warriors will be defined by their postseason performance moreso than their standing in the conference.

Aurora Central (6-1) -- Without a doubt, the Chargers are the biggest story of the season in the Fox Valley. ACC will play postseason football for the first time since 1997. Last year, losses to Walther Lutheran and Guerin Prep cost the Chargers a playoff spot. Coach Brian Casey put the "highlights" from those two defeats on continuous loop on the TV in the team's weight room this offseason as a reminder that things needed to change. The motivational tactic worked. This year, ACC beat Walther and Guerin by a combined score of 97-7. November football at ACC is now a distinct possibility.

Oswego (6-1) -- The Panthers' only loss is to a Class 8A school -- Waubonsie Valley in Week 2. A much-improved defense has pitched two shutouts this year and allowed only seven points in two other games. That will be the key for Oswego when postseason play begins. Also important, winning the last two games against Plainfield South (3-4) and Plainfield Central (5-2). The Panthers are looking to secure an outright conference title and put themselves in position for a first-round home playoff game.

Mooseheart (6-1) -- It's been another nice season for the Class 1A Ramblers, whose only loss was on the road against an undefeated Ottawa Marquette team. Mooseheart's remaining games are against 3-4 Hope Academy and 6-1 North Shore Country Day. The latter is the tougher of the two tests. If the Ramblers can win both, they'll be home for the first round of the playoffs and have a chance to duplicate last year's success of making the second round of the postseason.

Sandwich (5-2) -- No, the Indians have not clinched yet, having kicked away the outright Interstate Eight Large title last week with a loss to Herscher. But I fully expect this team to get the all-important sixth win at home against 1-6 Reed-Custer this week. A win at Lisle (3-4) in Week 9 would give the Indians a shot at hosting a first-round playoff game.

On the bubble

Plano (4-3) -- There's no question the Reapers will get to five wins. They've got a winless Dwight team awaiting them in Week 9. Right now, they are sitting on 30 playoff points. It's possible five wins will be enough to get Plano in, but I wouldn't guarantee it. The Reapers play 6-1 Wilmington at home this week. It will be a tough game, but Plano needs this one to secure an automatic bid to the playoffs. Otherwise, this team will end up 5-4 and be sweating it out the night the playoff pairings are announced.

Oswego East (3-4) -- The Wolves might regret a 42-40 loss to Plainfield Central in Week 6. I felt like that was the game they really needed to win in order to get to five wins and earn the first playoff bid in school history. Now, it's going to be an uphill fight. Oswego East should win Friday against winless Romeoville, but the Wolves will be clear underdogs against 5-2 Plainfield North in Week 9.

Yorkville (3-4) -- The Foxes are also in tough shape after they couldn't pull out a tight one against Rochelle in Week 6. They lost 44-41 and that puts them in a situation where they have to win their final two games. This Friday's game against 1-6 DeKalb is winnable, but a road win at 5-2 Sycamore in Week 9 might be too much to ask.

They're toast

Marmion (2-5) -- The seven opponents the Cadets have played this season have combined for 41 wins, but that tough schedule is little consolation for a program that expects to win. Marmion played for the Class 6A state title two years ago, but slumped to 5-5 with a first-round exit last year. This season, there will be no playoffs at all. That just goes to show the senior class Marmion had two years ago was a special group. Their success has been a tough act to follow.

Metea Valley (2-5) -- Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. It seems like every Friday night, I'm reading stories about this Mustangs team throwing three or four interceptions in a game. The Mustangs give up 35 points per game on average. That's what happens when you routinely put your defense in vulnerable positions.

Geneva (2-5) -- It's been a rare bad season up the river in Geneva. Coach Rob Wicinski wasn't lying to us when he told The Beacon-News in August he didn't have any quarterbacks in his junior or senior classes. Sophomore starter Daniel Santacaterina was lost for the season with a broken collarbone in a Week 3 loss to Batavia, prompting Wicinski to turn to freshman QB Nick Derr. Tough to win at the varsity level with a freshman under center.

West Aurora (1-6) -- The DuPage Valley Conference isn't as loaded as usual this year, which makes the Blackhawks' inability to compete against certain opponents all the more disappointing. Naperville Central (3-4) isn't that good this season, yet it smoked West 42-7. Last week, a 4-3 Naperville North team defeated the Blackhawks 38-2. This season represents a step back for second-year coach Nate Eimer's program after a respectable 4-5 showing last fall.

East Aurora (0-7) -- Two weeks ago, the Tomcats lost 35-0 to a one-win Elgin team that has given up 299 points this season. East has scored only 43 points all year. Still a long road back to competitiveness for this struggling program.

Week 7: Neuqua Valley wins game of the year (so far)

2012-10-06T05:34:33Z

There's not much question Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley are the top two teams in the Upstate Eight Conference this season. Both teams took a 6-0 record into their clash Friday night at North Central College, and you figured it would be a great game. The 8,000-plus fans in attendance were not disappointed as Neuqua Valley came away with a hard-fought 35-34 win in double overtime.

Crazy thing is, Neuqua Valley never led in this seesaw battle until the double overtime session. Waubonsie Valley seized the lead on four separate occasions -- 7-0, 14-7, 21-14 and 28-21. Each time, Neuqua had an answer.

Perhaps the biggest play of the night came with 1:36 to go in the fourth quarter. Waubonsie led 21-14, and Neuqua was down to its last gasp -- facing fourth-and-11 from the Waubonsie 31. That's when Wildcats QB Dylan Andrew hit a wide-open Ryan Kuhl for a touchdown to make it 21-all at the end of regulation.

Waubonsie had the ball first in overtime and scored a TD. Neuqua came right back with a score to send the game to double overtime at 28-28. The Wildcats had the ball first in the second extra session and took the lead when Andrew hit Mikey Dudek with a 3-yard scoring strike for a 35-28 lead.

Warriors quarterback Dylan Warden answered with a 1-yard TD run on third-and-goal to make it 35-34. After calling timeout, Waubonsie decided to go for two points and the win. However, Warden stumbled on the two-point play and fell short of the end zone, setting off a wild Neuqua celebration.

The Wildcats now stand 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the UEC Valley. The Warriors fall one game behind at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play. The one saving grace for Waubonsie is it has an easier schedule coming down the stretch. The Warriors final two games are against East Aurora and Metea Valley -- two clubs that have combined for a 2-12 record this year. Neuqua, meanwhile, plays Lake Park (2-4) next week before a game against Bartlett (5-2) in Week 9.

That Bartlett game is a dangerous one for the Wildcats, but they will be at home and have to be considered the favorite to win the conference now.

Big wins for Oswego, Aurora Central

Neuqua Valley wasn't the only club to put itself in the driver's seat for a conference title Friday night. Oswego also collected a huge win, routing Plainfield North 35-7. The Panthers are now 6-1 overall and 5-0 in the Southwest Prairie Conference. The Tigers drop a game back at 5-2 overall and 4-1 in league play.

Oswego still needs to beat Plainfield South and Plainfield Central to wrap up the title, but truth be told, it's hard to see the Panthers losing to either of those teams. Nobody in the conference has come within three touchdowns of Oswego yet. This is a dominant Panthers squad this year.

Also, our congratulations go out to Aurora Central coach Brian Casey and the Chargers, who clinched their first postseason berth since 1997 with a 55-0 rout of Guerin. The program at ACC has gotten better each year under Casey. The numbers are up, the interest is up and now they are 6-1 with two weeks to go in the season. A couple of tough games await the Chargers as they will face fierce rival Marmion next Friday, then conclude the season with defending Class 5A champion Montini. But, even if those games end poorly for ACC, the playoff ticket is punched. It's nice to see somebody new from the area qualify for the postseason this year.

Here are the other scores from Week 7, with links to Beacon-News stories where applicable:
Naperville North 38, West Aurora 2
Metea Valley 55, East Aurora 12
Aurora Christian 47, Immaculate Conception 20
Marmion 14, St. Francis 6
Minooka 31, Oswego East 7
Kaneland 55, Yorkville 0
Herscher 35, Sandwich 31
Batavia 35, St. Charles North 20
Geneva 49, Elgin 6
Manteno 35, Plano 13
Mooseheart 35, CICS/Longwood 6

Miguel Cabrera wins American League Triple Crown

2012-10-04T03:03:02Z

White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson must be crying tonight. His good buddy Carl Yastrzemski is no longer "the last Triple Crown winner in the American League."

As Hawk has noted on countless occasions, "Yaz" won the Triple Crown in 1967 when he batted .326 with 44 home runs and 121 RBI.

Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera has joined the exclusive list of Triple Crown winners, become the 15th man in Major League history to accomplish the feat on Wednesday night. Other notables besides "Yaz" on that list include Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig.

As much as I loathe all things Detroit, including the Tigers, I would be remiss if I didn't give Cabrera his proper due. I don't care what Mike Trout has done this season -- Cabrera is the Most Valuable Player in the American League. Without him, the Tigers are a losing team. With him, they won the Central Division and are going to the playoffs.

Cabrera finished the year with a .330 average, four points better than Trout. His 139 RBI easily outdistanced the rest of the league. The only question was whether his 44 home runs would stick as the top total in the league through the last day of the season. Josh Hamilton, who has 43 home runs, did not homer in the Texas Rangers' 12-5 loss to the Oakland A's.

Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees began the day with 41 homers. He went deep twice in New York's 14-2 win over Boston. With the Yankees comfortably in front, Granderson was lifted for a pinch hitter late in that contest, leaving him with 43 home runs and making Cabrera's milestone official.

Playoff matchups set

Major League Baseball's postseason matchups are set after today's action brought clarity to the American League playoff picture. Remarkably, the Oakland A's won the AL West Division. The A's trailed the Rangers by five games with just nine to play, but they swept Texas in a three-game set over the last three days. Oakland clinched the division with the aforementioned 12-5 win today.

The Yankees also clinched the AL East and the best record in the league with their win over the Red Sox. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles dropped a 4-1 decision to the Tampa Bay Rays. They will settle for a wild card spot.

Here's how the American League shakes out:

Friday's wild card game
Baltimore (93-69) at Texas (93-69)

Divisional Round
Oakland (94-68) vs. Detroit (88-74)
New York (95-67) vs. wild card winner

Over in the National League, the only thing left to be decided Wednesday was the No. 1 overall seed. The Washington Nationals earned it with their 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Here's how the National League shakes out:

Friday's wild card game
St. Louis (88-74) at Atlanta (94-68)

Divisional Round
Cincinnati (97-65) vs. San Francisco (94-68)
Washington (98-64) vs. wild card winner

Monday night sports update

2012-10-02T03:27:33Z

Wouldn't you know the White Sox bats woke up after the horse left the barn? The South Siders hammered the Cleveland Indians 11-0 Monday night, but it was a classic case of too little, too late as the Detroit Tigers defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-3 to wrap up the American League Central race.

The Sox scored 11 runs Monday after scoring just 11 runs in their previous four games combined -- three of which were losses in a four-game home series against the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend.

Throughout their recent seven-game homestand -- during which the Sox mustered only two victories -- this team managed a grand total of five two-out RBI hits. Monday against Cleveland, they had four two-out RBI hits *during the sixth inning alone*.

It just goes to show baseball is a hard game to play when you're squeezing the sawdust out of the bats. All the pressure was lifted off the Sox after they lost Sunday's game to Tampa Bay. Their season was over at that moment. Everyone knew it. They finally relaxed Monday against the Tribe and let out some frustration. Unfortunately, this is a team that has run out of tomorrows.

We can't say the Tigers backed into this division title -- not at all. Detroit won seven of its last eight games. The Tigers took care of business against weak opponents in Minnesota and Kansas City. Nevertheless, the Sox were quite charitable in handing Detroit this playoff spot. Even with the win Monday, Chicago is 3-10 in its last 13 games. Had the Sox simply gone 7-6 in those 13 contests, they would still have a one-game lead with just two games left in the season. Instead, they died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and now a long offseason awaits.

Bears 34, Dallas 18

So, how 'bout them Cowboys? The Bears improved to 3-1 Monday night with a surprisingly easy road victory at Dallas. Here's your quarterback comparison from tonight's game:

Jay Cutler: 18-for-24, 275 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 140.1 QB rating
Tony Romo: 31-for-43, 307 yards, 1 TD, 5 INTs, 60.1 QB rating

The hated-and-despised Cutler performed well on the big stage and helped his team to victory. Media darling Romo and the Cowboys got their asses kicked on their own home field.

Humorous.

Houston 3, Cubs 0

The Cubs managed just two hits Monday in a 3-0 loss to the Houston Astros. It was the 100th loss of the season for the North Siders, the first time since 1966 they've achieved that dubious distinction.

I'm sure the final two days of the season can't be over soon enough for these two clubs. The Cubs record is 60-100, while the Astros are 54-106.

The bottom of the National League Central is historically bad this year. The last time two teams in the same division lost 100 or more games in the same year? It happened in 2002 when the Royals (62-100) and the Tigers (55-106) languished at the bottom of the AL Central.

Veterans fail in clutch for White Sox

2012-09-28T04:17:57Z

The Fat Lady isn't singing yet on the South Side, but she's warming up her vocal chords after the White Sox lost 3-2 to the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays Thursday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

The loss drops the Sox two games behind the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central race with six games to play. Earlier Thursday, Detroit blew a 4-0 lead before scoring a run in the bottom of the ninth to beat Kansas City 5-4.

As has been the case so often the last few weeks, the Sox lost a game they should have won. They got a terrific starting pitching performance from Jake Peavy, who pitched into the eighth inning and allowed only two runs. But once again, the Sox offense failed miserably in the clutch. A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko -- two hitters you would normally want at the plate in critical situations -- were the biggest culprits in the loss.

The Sox had bases loaded, no outs in two consecutive innings against Tampa Bay starter James Shields. In each inning, they scored only one run.

In the fourth inning with the bags full, Pierzynski struck out on four pitches -- none of them were in the strike zone. He swung at two pitches that bounced. That's an example of a hitter who is pressing, waving at pitches he normally would not swing at. That was the first out of the inning, and you might say it killed the buzz. The Sox did score a run, but only because Shields hit Dayan Viciedo with a pitch. Alexei Ramirez popped up in his attempt to swing for the fences, and Gordon Beckham lined out. Inning over.

In the fifth inning with the bags full, Konerko swung at the first pitch -- a sinker down -- and grounded into a double play. Sure, a run scored from third base, but you can't say it's a successful at-bat when you make two outs with one swing. Shields took advantage of Konerko's anxiousness to do something in the clutch, and he gave him a pitch that was designed to get a ground ball. The Sox captain took the bait and killed the rally.

Konerko knows better. He's been a good hitter in the American League for much too long to fall for something like that. But when you're on a team that is fading in the heat of the pennant race, the urgency to get something done causes guys to do things they normally would not do.

The Sox have been doing things out of character for the last three weeks -- and in particular the last nine games where they've gone 1-8. For that reason, it's hard to see this season not ending in tears sometime in the next few days.