Welcome to the Halloween edition of Friday Night Live! here in Bolingbrook.
The first round of the IHSA Class 8A playoffs begin tonight and The Brook Blog will be here to detail what happens as the undefeated Bolingbrook Raiders take on Curie of the Chicago Public League.
The Condors (5-4) have never won a state playoff game in school history. Curie earned its at-large berth with a 15-14 win over King last week, erasing a nine-point deficit with three minutes to play and winning on a 33-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining.
Bolingbrook (9-0) completed the third undefeated regular season in program history last week to earn the top seed in the lower bracket of Class 8A.
The kickoff is at 7 p.m. We will get started around 6 p.m.
Thomas Page is the manager of the U12 Bolingbrook Bandits youth baseball team. He is attempting to lose 50 pounds before Jan. 22, 2009. This is the seventh week of his weekly journal for The Brook Blog.
Everything is going very well so far. Good thing too, holidays are approaching quickly. That's is a difficult time for anyone on a diet.
I have noticed since doing my work outs, my endurance has increased a whole lot over the past few weeks. I find that I am able to do more for longer periods of time! This is very exciting because I love to work out. It's very hard but the feeling you get when you are done is a euphoria that is very hard to describe. I am getting more and more fit every time I see Angel.
Bolingbrook Raiders boys cross country coach Art Pahl expects fast times at the Class 3A Reavis Sectional on Saturday.
"The course at Reavis is flat," Pahl wrote in an E-mail to The Brook Blog on Thursday. "It is 2 laps in the fields behind the school. It should be very fast. Our goals are just to try to run the best that we can and finish on a positive note. We will not be expected to advance, so we will try to end the season running the best times of the season."
The Raiders advanced out of the Bolingbrook Regional with the fifth and final qualifying spot on Oct. 25. Of the 20 teams at Reavis, only five will qualify for the state championship meet.
After training for months for the Chicago Marathon, Barbara Nance didn't pull out of the race because of the tendonitis which had been hampering her left hamstring for the month leading up to the race. She couldn't run. So she walked.
Nance kept going even when race officials began taking down the barricades, opening up the streets, disassembling the water stations and telling her to walk on the sidewalk. Nance wasn't finished. So she got on the sidewalk and kept going for the final 14 miles.
"You're in the middle of all this," said Nance, who has lived in Bolingbrook for 10 years, "and nobody's respecting that you're trying to finish. It was really a challenge."
This was a race she wanted to complete a year earlier when the extreme heat caused race officials to turn around her group after 16 miles. Now in her second attempt to finish a marathon, the course itself was falling apart around her.
The 48-year-old knew she could keep going because of the support her running group provided. The Elijah Running Club, based out of her Forest Park church, was there to provide water for her thirst and support for her spirit. She saw her friends in the neon green shirts and knew she could keep going.
"If they had not been out there, I wouldn't have been able to make it," Nance said. "So my focus was getting to the next green shirt to make it through."
The Elijah Running Club trains people who have never run before to finish marathons. That was the case for Nance, who said the only running she ever did "was after my children."
So when fellow members of the Living Word Christian Center told her about the running club, she joined up. Improving her health was her main inspiration. Nance said she was taking medication for high blood pressure, suffered from daily headaches and was constantly tired and in pain.
The aches and pains didn't go away immediately, but Nance stuck with the club. She ran every Saturday with the club and twice a week on her own. Nance credits her faith with giving her the fortitude to push herself.
"The scripture says I can do all things through Christ," said Nance, who is a native of Gary, Ind. "So that's what I quoted every time I would go out and run and I would feel sick or tired or whatever it was. I said, 'Well if Christ is in me, then I can do all things.' One step in front of the other."
For those interested in how Bolingbrook's first-round opponent came to become eligible for an at-large berth into the Class 8A football playoffs, here's the skinny.
Curie (5-4) overcame a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes to beat King 15-14 in the Public League playoffs. But it gets better.
The winning points came on a 33-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the game. But that's not all.
Kicker Dominic Kozlowski had not attempted a field goal all season. Seriously. I'm not making this stuff up.
The Bolingbrook Raiders girls cross country team took a trip to Burbank on Wednesday to check out the course for the Reavis Sectional so the first time they see the course won't be on Saturday at the meet.
"Unlike the regional course that did not repeat itself, Reavis' Sectional will require extra focus as the athletes run the same loop several times," Bolingbrook girls coach Brian Zeglin wrote in an E-mail to The Brook Blog.
While unexperienced -- the Raiders have five freshmen on the varsity roster -- experience is not that big a factor in running. Either you have the the goods or you don't. That explains why freshman Jahnell Horton has been the top finisher for the Raiders this year.
The Bolingbrook Raiders football team found out on Monday afternoon that their first-round playoff game with Curie (5-4) will start at 7 p.m. on Friday.
In the lower bracket of the IHSA Class 8A tournament, in which undefeated Bolingbrook is the No. 1 seed, there are two games on Saturday. Defending state champion Naperville North (9-0) will play Simeon at 5 p.m. at Benedictine University, and No. 5 seed Brother Rice will host Sandburg at 7 p.m.
In the upper bracket, there are five games on Saturday, including No. 1 seed Maine South (9-0), which will host Stevenson at 1 p.m.
Bolingbrook student Nick Ficarrotta is a self-confessed high school football junkie, who in addition to attending every Bolingbrook Raiders football game has taken the time to check out some of the other powers in Class 8A. This post is his breakdown of the playoff pairings announced on Saturday.
It's the beginning of a whole new season for high school football fans. With the brackets being announced Saturday, Bolingbrook has clinched the number one seed in the lower bracket and is to face Chicago Curie in the first round at home.
However it wasn't just the Bolingbrook side of the bracket that caught my eye.
Last week, after Bolingbrook won at Sandburg to clinch the Southwest Suburban Blue title, I decided to take a road trip the next day to see two other undefeated teams face off in what was to be a very interesting day.
In a twist of fate, the Raiders could face Downers Grove South (7-2) in the second round. Bolingbrook beat South 21-20 in the first week of the season.
In order for that to happen, Downers South, the West Suburban Gold champion, must get past Hinsdale Central (7-2).
Bolingbrook (9-0) is in the lower draw of the Class 8A bracket. The No. 2 seed in the lower draw is defending state champion Naperville North (9-0), which will play Chicago Simeon (6-3) in the first round. The two unedfeated teams would face each other in the semifinals if both advance that far.
On the top end of the Class 8A bracket, Sun-Times No. 1 Maine South (9-0) got a No. 2 seed and will face Stevenson (5-4). Bartlett (9-0) is the top seed in the top draw and will face Notre Dame (5-4).
Sun-Times No. 1 Maine South (8-0) hosts Niles West (3-5) today at 1 p.m.
Bartlett (8-0), which needs to win to clinch its first undefeated Upstate Eight title, had its game at East Aurora (2-6) postponed last night due to lightning. They will play today at 11 a.m.
So the Raiders may be the overall No. 1 seed when the IHSA announces the Class 8A pairings at 8:45 p.m. Maybe not. I'm not going to try to figure out all the different possibilities when one of the official methods of assignment is "random selection by computer."
Ivlow said he won't be logged on to his laptop or watching his television tonight.
"We'll start working on that on Sunday," Ivlow said. "I got a few parties to go to (Saturday), so I'm just going to enjoy friends and family."
LOCKPORT -- Welcome to the regular season finale of Friday Night Live! coming to you from the cozy comforts of the press box here at Lockport High School.
The Bolingbrook Raiders will attempt to close out an undefeated regular season, which would be the third 9-0 mark in school history. Lockport (4-4) needs to beat Bolingbrook in order to get playoff eligible.
We will get started around 6:45 p.m. If the rain shower that is dampening the sophomore game lets up, then we will be out there mingling with the people. If it doesn't, then we will be out there mingling with the people, but we will be soaked. A dry Brook Blog is a happy Brook Blog.
Thomas Page is the manager of the 12U Bolingbrook Bandits. He is trying to lose 50 pounds before Jan. 22, 2009 to improve his health and raise money for his travel baseball team. This is the sixth week of his journal for The Brook Blog.
Well, it has been difficult coming up with things to write about, but this one not so much, I'm naming this one mind over matter.
Have you ever noticed how many fast food restaurants we have around? Have you ever noticed how HARD it is to eat out healthy? We went out to dinner the other day and for a "healthy" choice, dinner was somewhere under 650 calories but they could not "promise" that. I have been trying to target my craving time (between 2 and 5) with something sweet like a piece of fruit or something of that nature but wow, it is so hard not to just pull in to grab a bite to eat.
I think that is one of the most difficult aspects of dieting is cutting the fast food. With the holidays fast approaching, well, it will be a challenge to say the least.
The Bolingbrook at Lockport football game on Friday is one of four games up for consideration as the Walgreens Game of the Week.
If you want WLFD Fox Chicago to cover the Raiders as they attempt post an undefeated regular season, go to http://media.myfoxchicago.com/foxjox/voting.html at vote. The voting will end at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
You can also text "one" to 36932 to vote for the Bolingbrook at Lockport game.
Currently, the Bolingbrook game has a slight lead over Prospect at Elk Grove. Barrington at Conant is a distant third and Evergreen Park at Eisenhower is last.
The Brook Blog encourages you to participate today in the second edition of Raiders Rountable, which is a 30-minute live chat about Bolingbrook Raiders athletics.
I will be your moderator, but the content of the conversation is up to you, the readers. Let's talk about football. Let's talk about volleyball. Let's talk soccer. Basketball is right around the corner.
Larry Randa reports that the Humphrey Middle School boys soccer team is the Valley View School District tournament champion for the second consecutive year.
Eighth grader Omar Calleros was named tournament MVP.
Team members are Jason Glassco, Luis Marquez, Brian Najera, Brian Dominguez, Gerardo Lira, Christopher Fragosa, Jimmy Mendoza, Jovani Enriquez, Jordan Marquez, Steven Darko, Brandan Hernandez, Eduardo Gonzales, Freddy Ponce, Gamaliel Torres, Jesse Delabra, Steven Ramirez, Eric Sarpong, Ivan Perez, Adan Gonzalez, Alexis Garcia and Devon Hamilton. The coaches are Nicole Olson and Mike Stoehrmann.
Coach Speak details all the Bolingbrook Raiders results coaches see fit to e-mail to The Brook Blog. If they add comments, we run them verbatim.
The Bolingbrook boys soccer team lost 3-2 to Naperville North on Monday in the semifinals of the Class 3A Bolingbrook Regional. Rodrigo Perez and Alex Cruz scored for the Raiders, who finish the year at 9-11-2.
The Bolingbrook Raiders Soccer Team took on powerhouse Naperville North in the semifinals of regional at Bolingbrook High School. Raiders came into the game as a huge underdog but that did not stop there ideas of being a Cinderella this post season. Bolingbrook came out hard getting several early chances on goal but could not put the ball in the net. Naperville North struck first on a long throw in headed into the corner by Naperville North. Naperville went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.
The Raiders kept there composure the entire second half until Naperville was awarded a free kick just outside the 18 yard box. While the Raiders were setting up the wall Naperville took a quick free kick and scored in the far corner as the keeper was still aligning the wall. Poor communicate and lack of focus on the part of the Raiders defense caused the miscue. But Bolingbrook kept fighting and it played off when Rodrigo Perez volleyed a ball from 25 out to catch the keeper of his line and make the game 2-1. The Raiders continued to pressure the Naperville defense when Paingor Ngebeh took a shot off post and it was volleyed back into the net by Alex Cruz who tied the game with 1:12 left in the second half.
Naperville took the opening kick off pass to the middle and played a through ball to a wide open North player who scored the game winner with 1:02 left to go in the game. The Raiders defense relaxed at the wrong time and Naperville took advantage. The Raiders dropped a heartbreaker to Naperville North 3-2.
The Bolingbrook Raiders finished their season with a 9-11-2 record which does not reflect the quality of the team and effort displayed on the field all season. The Raiders will look to build on their success and fight for a SWSC Conference Title & Regional Title in 2009.
Larry Randa reports that the Humphrey MIddle School 7th grade girls basketball team won the 7th grade girls championship at the Lady Mustang Shootout at Bolingbrook High School over the weekend.
The Warriors beat Channahon, Washington Junior High School and Lincoln of Edwardsville, Ill. Coach Justin Ipema's team is now 10-0 on the season. Team members are: Courtney Hankey, Amie Kahovec, Xiarve Rolle, Kiahna Davis, Ashanti Henry, Sharett Fisher, Admira Roman, Beverly Rogers, Jessie Simmons, Ashleigh Milan and Janae Dunn.
Bolingbrook resident Ryan Schultz will put his best oversized driver forward this week at the RE/MAX Long Drive Championship in Mesquite, Nev.
As a side note, you have to love a town named after grilling supplies.
The competition begins on Monday and runs through Saturday. Schultz will do his thing on Friday at 10:30 a.m. (Eastern I guess). You can follow along with all the developments at this blog.
Also entered in the Open Division along with Schultz are Jason Becker of Joliet, Steve Nickison of Medinah and Jason Tijerina of West Chicago.
ESPN will broadcast the event on Christmas Eve and ESPN2 will air it on Christmas Day.
Coach Speak details all the Bolingbrook Raiders results that coaches see fit to e-mail to The Brook Blog. If they add comments, we run them verbatim.
The Bolingbrook girls tennis team of Danica Ujano and Jessica Ventura won their first match at the Joliet Sectional on Saturday, giving the Raiders their only win of the day.
Ryann Woodfill and Celina Onyejiaka lost to LP 6-2,6-0.
Danica Ujano and Jessica Ventura won over Romeoville 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Then, they lost to LP 6-0, 6-0.
Annie Rollins lost to Romeoville 6-0, 6-0.
Tracy Brezina lost to Plainfield North 6-0, 6-0.
About a half hour before Bolingbrook's 33-7 win at Sandburg began on Friday night, John Seigler found out that he would be starting in place of Jamel Martin at running back.
Martin, the team's leading rusher, injured his left ankle a week ago during the Brook's win over Lincoln-Way East. He was dressed for the game and went through warmups, but coach John Ivlow decided to hold Martin out as a precaution.
"I thought it was fine," Martin said about his ankle. "He didn't want me to play. I trust him on that."
As it turned out, the Raiders (8-0) did just fine without Martin as Seigler rushed for 168 yards and scored two touchdowns to help Bolingbrook wrap up its second Southwest Suburban Conference Blue championship in a row. The senior made several highlight reel runs, but most of his efforts were tough between the tackles bursts.
"I think by far this is probably my best game," Seigler said. "I got bruises to show it. I just kept running hard and my feet just stayed up. I was like, 'oh shoot.' I just kept running."
The Raiders hadn't played on a wet natural grass field since week two at Eisenhower. In that game, Seigler started in place of Martin, who was held out of the first quarter because of a violation of team rules. Seigler, who also had a 100-yard performance in that game, said the field conditions were better at Eisenhower.
"Out here it was more muddy," Seigler said. "So I knew I didn't have any moves. I just had to run hard and just get pound for pound."
The Bolingbrook Golf Club will hold its 2008 Fall Scramble on Oct. 25. It will have a shotgun start at 10 a.m.
This 18-hole, four-person scramble is open to all players. It is $75 for non-residents and $60 for residents, which includes golf, cart, range balls, two beverage cart drink tickets and prizes.
Entries due in the golf shop by Oct. 20. For more information call the golf shop at (630)771-9400.
Coach Speak details all the Bolingbrook Raiders results coaches see fit to e-mail The Brook Blog. If they add comments, we run them verbatim.
The Bolingbrook boys soccer team beat Romeoville 1-0 on Friday night in the first round of the Class 3A Bolingbrook Regional. Christian Ontiveros scored the only goal for the Raiders (9-10-2), which snapped a two-game losing streak. The Brook will have to face Naperville North on Monday without leading scorer Arturo Cruz due to Cruz getting a red card on Friday.
The Bolingbrook Raiders Soccer Team opened the playoffs against district rival Romeoville. The Raiders fought hard for every ball as the weather made for miss touches and missed plays all over the field. The Raiders struck the first blow with a free kick goal from Christian Ontiveros who skipped a hard driven ball back post to put the Raiders up 1-0. The pressure was intense from both teams throughout the game with each team committing several fouls. Bolingbrook weathered the elements and the Spartans to take the Regional match 1-0. The Raiders will be without top goal scorer Arturo Cruz who received a red card in the Romeoville match.
Bolingbrook will look to build on this momentum as they face state powerhouse Naperville North on Monday @ 4:30 in Bolingbrook. The Raiders will have to step up their performance if they stand a chance of upsetting Naperville North to advance to the Regional Final.
Welcome to Friday Night Live! here in Orland Park tonight as the Bolingbrook Raiders football team tries to stay undefeated and lock up the Southwest Suburban Conference championship against Sandburg (6-1).
We will get started around 6:45 p.m. Your comments are not just welcome, but encouraged. If you have a question, ask it. If you read or see something that is wrong or just silly, point it out.
Coach Speak details all the Bolingbrook Raiders results coaches see fit to e-mail to The Brook Blog. If they add comments, we run them verbatim.
Bolingbrook's freshmen boys soccer team recently put the finishing touches on the program's first Southwest Suburban Conference championship.
The Bolingbrook Freshman Soccer Team went 8-1 in the SWSC Conference and won the conference title. It is the 1st conference title on any level since we entered the SWSC in 2005. Coach Tim Hilton did a great job keeping the kids motivated and working hard on their individual skills all season. Oscar Nevarez was the teams MVP and leading scorer this season with 20 goals. He has a bright future in the Bolingbrook soccer program. Congratulations on the 2008 SWSC Conference Title!!!
Thomas Page coaches the 12U Bolingbrook Bandits travel baseball team. He is trying to lose 50 pounds before Jan. 22, 2009 to both improve his health and raise money for his team. This is his weekly journal for The Brook Blog.
Hi Everyone--thanks again for taking the time to read the blog for Thomas Page. Well, we have stayed the same this week. I have currently lost 15 pounds but can't seem to budge past this.
I am trying to work out extra with my personal trainer. He hopefully will be able to get me over this small hurdle.
My main focus this week was our team. We are trying to complete the roster for the team and have 4 spots still available. We are also starting to work on our fundraisers, which is always a challenge for any team. It does add a small amount of stress to one and this could be another reason for my lack of losing this week.
I must say one thing though, I may not be losing weight, but I am definitely losing inches. I have lost at least six inches from my waist. I cannot tell you how nice it is to be able to move that belt notch back farther and farther.
Coach Speak details all the Bolingbrook Raiders results that the coaches see fit to e-mail to The Brook Blog. If they add comments, we run them verbatim.
The Bolingbrook boys soccer team lost 1-0 to Sandburg on Thursday night, falling to 8-10-2 overall and 3-6 in the Southwest Suburban Conference. The Raiders, which lost their final two games of the season, will play Romeoville in the opening round of the Class 3A Bolingbrook Regional on Friday.
The Bolingbrook Raiders Soccer team played hosted to conference powerhouse Sandburg in a SWSC . The Raiders came out ready to play getting early chance on net but could not find the net. In the middle of the 1st half the Eagles beat the right side defense and crossed a ball to a wide open Sandburg player who headed the ball into the corner to take the 1-0 lead. The Raiders chances late in the second half came up empty when Arturo Cruz's breakaway was turned away by the Sandburg keeper to seal the victory for the Eagles. Sandburg earned a well fought match against a physical Bolingbrook team.
The Raiders will open Regional play hosting Romeoville @ 4:00. The Raiders will look to extend their 3 year unbeaten streak against district rival Romeoville.
Sargy Letuchy is the girls tennis coach at Bolingbrook. In this guest blog entry, he writes about his team's growth as the Raiders prepare for sectional play this weekend.
Coming into our sectional tournament, we just had our best result of the season. I think our players played with the confidence they worked so hard to develop the last 2 months. To go from 5th place last year, to 4th place this year and from 0 entries in the semifinals last year, to 5 entries in the semifinals this year is a great step forward for our program. The whole team deserves the credit for the improvement.
In sectionals, we have 2 sophomores playing singles-Tracy Brezina and Annie Rollins, and Celina Onyejiaka playing doubles with Ryann Woodfill and Danica Ujano playing doubles with Jessica Ventura.
Our sectional every year possess many tough schools, especially in singles. It has been many years since we have had an entry get through sectionals to the state tournament. However, since I took over the program, this is the best chance we have had. On Friday, our players will be prepared to show themselves and other area teams that they can compete for a spot in the state tournament.
I want to recognize and thank all the players for their time and effort this year. Hopefully, it continues throughout the offseason into next August.
Runnin' Bare is a Bolingbrook resident who will offer guest blogs about motorsports, giving his views on both the local tracks and the national circuits. This is his first post for The Brook Blog. He can be reached at richrunninbare@sbcglobal.net.
There was a time after Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s death when DEI had the most popular and highest revenue generator in USA Motorsports in Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Remember Budweiser paying $10 million to Mr. and Mrs. Earnhardt before Jr. ever raced a Winston Cup event?
Paul Menard is a Wisconsin boy and son of John Menard, owner of Menard's and hard core racer with a resume of race teams second to none at Indianapolis in the 1990's. He funded of the famous DEI engines. Which as you know now does not exist on its own any longer.
The brains are now at RCR or Richard Childress Racing.
Martin Truex Jr. was a young up and coming hard charger in the North East, whose father owns and operates commercial fishing boats on the Atlantic. Seems to me to be a perfect business to business fit for a long term deal and the key to the Museum vs. Motorsports Team question.
Coach Speak details all the Bolingbrook Raiders results that the coaches see fit to e-mail to The Brook Blog. If they add comments, we run them verbatim.
The Bolingbrook girls volleyball team lost in two games on Tuesday night to Joliet Township to remain winless in the Southwest Suburban Conference.
Coach Speak details all the Bolingbrook Raiders results the coaches see fit to e-mail to The Brook Blog. If they add comments, we run them verbatim.
The Bolingbrook boys soccer team lost 1-0 to Stagg on Tuesday. The Raiders are now 8-9-2 on the season overall and 3-5 in the Southwest Suburban Conference.
The Bolingbrook Raiders hosted Stagg in a SWSC conference match. The Stagg Chargers came out with a purpose and scored early on a long throw that was volleyed it into an open net. The Raiders failed to get any momentum to counter the Chargers relentless attack. The Raiders showed little desire in trying to win the ball and played with no urgency to win the game. The Raiders created a couple late chance but were unsuccessful in beating the solid back four of the Chargers. Stag beat the Raiders 1-0. The Raiders drop to 8-9-2 overall and 3-5 in the SWSC. The Raiders will look to rebound against conference powerhouse Sandburg on Thursday at The Brook 6:15
The boys cross country team at Jane Addams Middle School finished as the sectional runnerup on Oct. 11, qualifying the Mustangs for the IESA Class AA state finals for the first time in school and school district history.
On the girls side, Sydney Banksqualified for state as an individual, placing 11th at the sectional.
The state meet will be held on Oct. 18 Maxwell Park in Normal. Here is a report from Jane Addams coach Adam Thas.
After watching the Jane Addams girls make District history last season by becoming Valley View's first Cross Country team to qualify for the State meet, the boys were on a mission to equal this feat. After a tough season, and a tougher Sectional, Jane Addams did it again by qualifying its first boys' Cross Country team for the State Meet. The IESA's Sectional Cross County meet was held Saturday October 11th at Central Park in Bolingbrook where the Mustangs were one of 12 teams competing for an illustrious top 3 finish, guaranteeing them a spot in next weekend's State meet.
Coach Speak details all the Bolingbrook Raiders results the coaches see fit to e-mail to The Brook Blog. If they add comments, we run them verbatim.
The Bolingbrook girls tennis team finished fourth at the Southwest Suburban Conference division meet. Four doubles teams and Celina Onyejiaka at No. 1 singles advanced to the semifinals on Friday.
On Saturday, we finished 4th. All of the entries came in 4th. This is a huge improvement from last year, when we finished 5th and did not have any entries play on the 2nd day.
The Brook Blog wants to know about all the Bolingbrook runners who competed in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. Are you in here?
Tell us your story. Leave a comment on this post or send me an email at sfuchs@scn1.com.
After watching the race for a couple hours yesterday, helping my girlfriend Celeste try to spot her coworker Charlie, I can say for certain that clapping that long does tucker a body out. I saw Minnie Mouse, Elvis, Batman and Robin and a guy juggling while he ran, running past me on South Michigan Avenue.
But I don't know if you were there. So let us know.
Coach Speak details all the Bolingbrook Raiders results the coaches see fit to e-mail to The Brook Blog. If they add comments, we run them verbatim.
Arturo Cruz scored twice as the Bolingbrook Raiders boys soccer team beat Joliet Township 2-1 on Saturday. Bolingbrook improved to 8-8-2 overall and 3-4 in the Southwest Suburban Conference.
The Bolingbrook Raiders traveled to Joliet to face their conference rivals Joliet in a SWSC match. The Raiders opened the scoring with a strike from Arturo Cruz which found the back of the net assisted by Diego Alcantara. Joliet notched the game at 1-1 with a long distance strike of their own. The second half was a battle to say the least. The player from both school fought for every ball and the game got very physical. Arturo Cruz scored the game winner early second half on a pass from Carlos Zermeno that bent into the far corner to take the 2-1 lead. The goal was Arturo Cruz's 15th goal of the season. Late in the game the referee made a questionable call in the box against the Raiders. The Joliet player and Bolingbrook players were fighting for a ball in the box both players fell down on the play but Joliet was rewarded with a PK with 1:30 left in regulation. Brandon Baaske (6 saves) came up with the save of the day deflecting wide the Joliet PK to seal the victory for Bolingbrook. Bolingbrook will host Stagg on Tuesday at 6:15 in a SWSC battle for the conference title.
Raiders Roundtable, a 30-minute live chat about Bolingbrook Raiders athletics, will debut on Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Students, athletes, coaches, parents and fans are all encouraged to log on and let us know their views on Raiders athletics. I will serve as the moderator of this open forum, but the content and direction of the conversation is up to you the reader.
Three Bolingbrook students from the school newspaper class -- Sheila Aimi, Nick Ficarrotta and Alex McNulty -- have agreed to join us and serve as a discussion panel.
Make sure you check out the first Raiders Roundtable. This is your chance to put Bolingbrook sports into the proper perspective: yours.
The Raiders remained unbeaten at 7-0, took control of the Southwest Suburban Blue and beat a highly ranked opponent.
Another way of looking at it is to say, it's not a big deal. Strictly from a number of wins standpoint at least, winning game No. 7 doesnt exactly make the Earth shake in Bolingbrook.
The Raiders have now won at least seven games in 17 of the last 24 seasons. So, you know, congratulations guys. You're at par.
Welcome to our fourth Friday Night Live! of the season, which has all the makings of the best game of the season. It it certainly a pivotal matchup between the undefeated powers in the Southwest Suburban Blue: The Bolingbrook Raiders (6-0) and the Lincoln-Way East Griffins (6-0).
A capacity crowd is expected tonight in Bolingbrook. Earlier in the week, the Bolingbrook athletic department announced that it would close the gates once the bleachers were at capacity. So follow along as the Raiders and Griffins duke it out in this cage match.
The reward for winning that match is a date with defending Class 4A state champion Naperville Central, which gets a bye in the first round. Bolingbrook, the 19th seed, will play the 14th-seeded DG North on Oct. 30 at 5:30 p.m. and then has to play the defending champs at 7:30 p.m. the same night.
Thomas Page is the manager of the 12U Bolingbrook Bandits travel baseball team. He is raising money for the Bandits through losing weight. Page is trying to lose 50 pounds before Jan. 22, 2009. This is the fourth post of his weekly journal for The Brook Blog.
Well it's been 4 weeks since I started my little project here. Nearly 15 pounds down, 35 to go by January 22nd.
I must say that this is one of the most difficult things I have done in quite some time. I find it very hard because it seems like everywhere you go or anything you do revolves around food. It's hard to say "no thanks" but I am always happy to share my story why it's a "no thanks" instead of "thanks"!.
More and more people are approaching me asking me how I am doing or how's it going. The best part is that I can already tell I have lost weight by my belt.
After several weeks of sleeping through opponents, and last week's wakeup at Lincoln-Way Central, the Bolingbrook Raiders football team has arrived at the game which will define its season. There will be other games that follow it, but none that will be viewed as crucial.
Beat Lincoln-Way East and the Raiders are in control of the Southwest Suburban Conference Blue Division. Beat Lincoln-Way East and the Raiders take the first step toward a historic season and away from a good one.
There isn't anything that coach John Ivlow can tell his players that will make them more aware of the importance of this game. They know. We know.
"We're not going to have to do anything," Ivlow said. "It's already been done. They're 6-0. We're 6-0. That part is done."
Kyle Jakubek is the offensive line coach for the Bolingbrook Raiders varsity football team. Jakubek, who is the third Raiders football coach to write for The Brook Blog, used to coach at Lincoln-Way East.
It's almost Friday night in Bolingbrook and everybody is up for this game.
Where do I start talking about Friday night's football game with the Raiders of Bolingbrook High School (6-0), squaring off against the Griffins of Lincoln-Way East High School (6-0)?
When you look at this game on paper you would think this is a quarterfinal or semifinal round game, but it's not. It's only a week 7 game!
Even though this is only a regular season game there is still a lot that is at stake for both teams. For starters, the winner of this game controls their playoff fate. The winner will likely go undefeated and be the number one or two seeded team in the southern half of the I.H.S.A. playoffs bracket.
The IHSA released the seeds for the girls volleyball sectionals on Thursday, and the Bolingbrook Raiders are the 19th seed in the 20-team Downers Grove South Sectional.
Bolingbrook will find out its first-round opponent when the regional pairings are released on Friday. The tournament begins play on Oct. 29.
Coach Speak details all the Bolingbrook Raiders results that coaches see fit to e-mail to The Brook Blog. If they add comments, we run them verbatim.
Arturo Cruz had a hat trick and the Bolingbrook Raiders boys soccer team beat Plainfield North 6-0 on Thursday to win their senior night match. With the victory, Bolingbrook improved to 7-8-2 on the season.
The Bolingbrook Raiders soccer team faced Plainfield North in a non conference match. Tonight's game was senior night for Bolingbrook who will graduate 9 seniors in the spring. The seniors went out with a bang winning 6-0.
The Raiders opened the scoring with Jim Faught scoring on a brilliant cross from Paingor Ngebeh.
Arturo Cruz scored the second goal on a right footed scissors kick bicycle from the top of the box from a cross delivered from Steve Biala. The Raiders struck again late in the first half Arturo Cruz passed the ball to Jim Faught who turned to finish the shot back corner. The Raiders took a 3-0 halftime lead. The raiders looked to get out of their fall slumber in the first half and wanted to start fast the second half. Patrick Bizimana opened the second half scoring with a header back post from a driven cross from Christian Ontiveros. Later second half Arturo Cruz struck again this time on a through ball from Mark Harames which Cruz volleyed over the keepers head to make the game 5-0. The Raiders ended their scoring on a third strike from Arturo Cruz who headed a cross from Christian Ontiveros over the keepers head to end the game at 6-0. The hat trick was Arturo Cruz's first of the year. Brandon Baaske 6 Saves in his 1st Shutout of the season.
The boys soccer regional first-rounder on Oct. 17 between the Bolingbrook Raiders and Romeoville will be at 4:30 p.m., according to tournament host and Bolingbrook athletic director Alec Anderson.
If the Raiders can beat Romeoville, they will play Naperville North on Oct. 20 in the semifinals of the IHSA Class 3A Bolingbrook Regional. That game will also start at 4:30 p.m.
The championship match will be Oct. 24 at 4 p.m. The Bolingbrook football team has road games on both Oct. 17 at Sandburg and Oct. 24 at Lockport.
With Lockport on the other side of the regional bracket, it could work out that the Bolingbrook boys soccer team is playing Lockport for the regional title at Bolingbrook a few hours before the Raiders football team plays at Lockport in its regular season finale.
Those wanting to see the Bolingbrook vs. Lincoln-Way East undefeated showdown from inside the stadium on Friday night, better get the rules right and better get there early.
Bolingbrook's athletic department posted a notice Wednesday on its page at athletics2000.com saying "Since an extremely large crowd is expected for this game, it is suggested that you arrive early because once the stadium has reached capacity in terms of spectators, the gates will be closed and no one will be allowed in."
Awesome. A steel cage match for Southwest Suburban supremacy.
There will be overflow parking at Independence School with a shuttle service. Also, all elementary school and middle school students must be accompanied by their parent/guardian, not an older sibling.
The Brook Blog is excited to announce that we will stage our first session of Raiders Roundtable on Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Raiders Roundtable will be a weekly live chat that provides a discussion forum about Bolingbrook Raiders athletics. It's for fans. It's for students. It's for parents. It's for anyone who wants to voice their opinion about the Raiders.
The Bolingbrook Soccer Club had three teams play in championship games Oct. 3 through Oct. 5 in Champaign at the LISC Orange & Blue Fall Cup. The U11 girls purple team won its championship match, and the U14 and U17 entries placed second.
Here is a report from Russ Jones of the Bolingbrook Soccer Club.
The U-11 girls purple took 1st place in the U-11 Girls Blue Flight. This team won their first 2 games by a combined 17-0 score to place them into the semi-finals in which they beat FC Peoria 98 3-1 to move on to the championship game.
The championship game was tied 2-2 after regulation and the game then went on to play two 5 minute overtime periods. The Bolingbrook girls scored the winning goal with about 2 minutes left in the second overtime period, bringing the championship trophy home.
Coach Speak is a regular feature that details all the Bolingbrook Raiders results that coaches see fit to e-mail to The Brook Blog. If they add comments, we run them verbatim.
The Bolingbrook boys golf team placed ninth on Tuesday at the Joliet Regional. The Raiders shot a team score of 365 at Inwood Golf Course.
David Cooke, Brian Judge and Alex Honegger carded rounds of 91. Paden Skinner shot a 92.
In last week's Sun and a couple times in The Brook Blog, we mentioned that the Bolingbrook Raiders defense had not given up a touchdown in 12 quarters. That is almost accurate.
The touchdown I thought Morgan Park scored in the fourth quarter of Bolingbrook's 29-21 win in week three was actually scored in the third quarter. And since it was on a punt return, that doesn't count either. Just like the fumble recovery Lincoln-Way North scored three weeks ago doesn't count against the Raiders defense.
So what I believe the official streak to be is 15 quarters without a touchdown. I'm basing that on memory and a quick Google search. As we all remember, the Raiders were down 9-0 and 15-6 to Morgan Park. I believe those leads were established in the first quarter.
If not, then it's a 14 quarter streak without allowing a touchdown. Either way, it's good.
The Bolingbrook Buccaneers lost in the first round of the Mid-States Football League playoffs on Sunday, not that you'd know from the team's Web site, which was still celebrating the team making the playoffs.
Bolingbrook lost 27-0 to the Chicago Thunder, which are the defending MSFL champs. A few weeks earlier, the Thunder beat the Buccaneers 45-0. So this was a better showing.
Bolingbrook (6-0, 2-0 SWSC) shut out Joliet Township last week 48-0 and beat Lincoln-Way North 47-7 in week four. The only score for Lincoln-Way North in that game came when Bolingbrook fumbled and a Phoenix defender returned it for a touchdown.
David Boatright, DeMarcus Calvin and Alex McNulty all had interceptions in the second half on Friday. McNulty's fourth interception of the year was impressive and definitive.
When McNulty caught the ball he was falling backward toward the turf. When he got up, the Raiders had a two-score lead with 3:18 to play in the game.
"We build off each other and keep making plays," junior linebacker Mike Hellams said.
Hellams made some nice plays against the run. When he greeted the running back in the hole, they got popped. He was making plays at and behind the line of scrimmage.
The best season in Brooks Middle School baseball history came to an end on Friday afternoon as the Bulldogs lost to Normal Parkside 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the IESA baseball state championships in East Peoria.
In its fifth season, Brooks (15-5) had not previously advanced out of the regional before this year.
Brad Elmore hit a two-run home run for the Bulldogs.
Come on in and take a look. This is week three for Friday Night Live! and our first road trip, to blustery, colder-than-I-prepared for New Lenox. The undefeated Bolingbrook Raiders will be the guests here at Jonas R. Lashmet Field for homecoming, a week after the Knights (4-1) were smashed in a crosstown with Lincoln-Way East (5-0).
We will get started around 6:30 p.m. with some pregame ramblings and some photos.
Thomas Page is the manager of the 12U Bolingbrook Bandits travel baseball team. He is raising money for the Bandits through losing weight. Page is trying to lose 50 pounds before Jan. 22, 2009. This is the third post of his weekly journal for The Brook Blog.
Welcome to the blog for Tomas Page. This is now week 3 and we are 10 pounds down and counting. We have had a very exciting development in the recent future. I have found a personal trainer who is helping me to achieve my goal quicker.
His name is Angel Santiago. He is a gentleman who I found completely by accident.
His resume is extensive including not only physical training and owning his own facility, but he was also a drill instructor from the Airborne Rangers and is also qualified in physical therapy. He has recently opened a new location, Body Impact on Harlem Avenue in Oak Park which I have been going to three times per week.
The Bolingbrook Raiders were given the 16th seed in the Class 3A Naperville Central boys soccer sectional via the coaches meeting which was held on Wednesday night.
Naperville teams took the top three seeds with Naperville Central as the top seed, Neuqua Valley second and Naperville North third. Regional play begins on Oct. 17 with the quarterfinals.
Things have been tough for the Raiders (6-7-2, 2-4 Southwest Suburban Conference) of late, as Lockport shut out Bolingbrook 4-0 on Wednesday and the Raiders lost to Lincoln-Way Central 3-2 on Monday. Coach Jamie Clemmons did not speak to the Herald-News after Wednesday's game because he had to leave for the seeding meeting. I bet he was pretty salty though.
Jamie wasn't too thrilled after Monday's game, writing this for The Brook Blog, and telling me that his team was "this close," but crumbled under pressure. That was when his team had lost four games by one goal and tied two others after having the lead.
But at least the Raiders weren't getting swamped four nil.
Bolingbrook's Eduardo Sanabria, who is 66, recently won seven medals at the Illinois Senior Olympics in Springfield. He has qualified for the Senior Olympic finals, which will be held in San Francisco.
Here is the report from Dan Leahy of the Bolingbrook Park District.
Sanabria, who's been competing in the event for eight years, regularly works out at Bolingbrook Park District's LifeStyles Fitness Center and Spa. Staying fit helped Sanabria medal in table tennis (singles and doubles), basketball free throw shot, shuffleboard, horseshoes, discus and standing long jump.
Dave Maurer is our Bolingbrook Raiders guest blogger this week. He is an assistant coach on the Bolingbrook varsity football team.
Bolingbrook High School Head Football Coach John Ivlow mentioned in his blog entry that we have several individuals on his staffs that are volunteers. I happen to be one of those coaches, and I'd really like to share with you why I make that commitment.
I've been with the program for nine years, and currently coach the Tight Ends for the varsity team. It's not a glamorous position to coach, but it's an important one, and it's a position that can often times make a difference in us scoring.
I love coaching at Bolingbrook because I see commitment.
The Brooks Middle School sixth grade girls basketball team won both its games on Tuesday night vs. Lukancic. Not sure what the scores were.
Here is the report from Alan Holtz.
Brooks Middle School's Girls 6th Grade Basketball Teams were both successful last night against Lukancic Middle School of Romeoville. During the first game Tammia Wonsey and Shelby Fox were outstanding on defense. Jessica Young hit a lay up as time expired at halftime to give the Bulldogs a 12 to 7 lead at half time. Shelby Fox had a great defensive game grabbing 8 rebounds and scoring a lay up in the late 4th quarter to take a 3 point lead into the last 2 min. Daja Hurks played a great all around game setting up shots for all her teammates.
During the second game, the Lady Bulldogs got off to an early start against the Flames working together on offense and defense. Ashley Wheaton led the team with 10 points, Angel Estrada added 6 points, Natalya Kabirova and Gabby Young each knocked in 4, and Kennedy Ware nibbled away with 2 more points. Imogene Martinez dominated the boards with 10 rebounds. The lady bulldogs still have five games remaining in their season, one being with their cross-town archrival Humphrey!
During this second game Ashley Wheaton and Natalya Kabirova led the team in scoring and Emma Martinez led the team in rebounding.
Yes the Buccaneers entered last weekend's game winless on the season. Yes, there are only nine teams in the MSFL. Yes, their victory was all it took for the Buccaneers to qualify for the playoffs.
Awesomeness all around. Only the Lake County (Ind.) Steelers will not be participating in the playoffs thanks to the 26-0 drubbing our Buccaneers put on them. In your face Steelers!
What's confusing to me the average reader is that the official MSFL standing show that Bolingbrook has two wins. Maybe that win over Lake County was worth two.
