Reporter Jim Owczarski talked to Benet Academy athletic director Gary Goforth, who retired as head football coach after the 2009 season. Goforth coached new Chicago Bears quarterback Dan LeFevour during his time at Benet.

LeFevour would be the first Benet player who played under Gary Goforth to be drafted into the NFL.

Q: Are you surprised he'll be drafted into the NFL?
A: The college success made it a little less surprising, what he was able to do in his four years of actual playing time. You look at physical attributes in terms of size and weight, good speed for a quarterback. You never know about arm strength, you never know about how they understand the game. You know, (Dan) Marino - I look back at all the guys who were fifth-round draft choices and Dan Marino was one of them. You never know where people are going to go and what people look for and sometimes it's better to be drafted in the later rounds because the pressure is not on to succeed immediately. The only difference is you've got the huge contract in the first couple rounds. But you've still got to earn it; you've still got to play when you get there. I knew he could be good at the college level. How good? You never know.

Benet alumni Dan LeFevour made an appearance on ESPN's Sports Nation morning show and presented a compelling case for "LeFevour Fever" over "Bieber Fever."

Jim Owczarski, Sun-Times Media

While the trade of Donovan McNabb is not surprising - the Eagles have been shopping the veteran QB for a long, long time now - SI's Peter King says the Iggles could now be in the market for the former Benet signal caller.

From King's Monday Morning Quarterback:

• Tim Tebow, Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy ... and maybe Dan LeFevour and John Skelton. I said a couple of weeks ago that the Eagles had sent offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and quarterback coach James Urban to Fordham to scout mid-round prospect Skelton at his Pro Day. I have heard the Eagles will now focus on Tebow and are likely to join the parade of teams working him out and spending time with him. With seven picks in the first four rounds, Philadelphia has the ammo to go get the developmental quarterback Reid always likes to have on his roster. So don't think they won't be in play for one of these players. Read more.

- Jim Owczarski, Sun-Times Media

Now that Benet Academy alumnus Dan LeFevour's pro day is in the books, the former Central Michigan University QB is now beginning to line up private workouts with NFL teams in advance of late April's draft.

We all know by now that LeFevour had dinner with Kansas City Chiefs OC Charlie Weis prior to his pro day, and this blog says he had a private workout scheduled with the Carolina Panthers.

But now it seems like a couple of teams in the AFC North are interested - the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Oakland could also be a landing spot, according to ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr.

- Jim Owczarski, Sun-Times Media

Benet Academy and Central Michigan University alumnus Dan LeFevour held his pro day in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., on Wednesday and came away feeling pretty good about his effort in front of nearly two dozen NFL scouts - including Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.

The three-time Super Bowl champion OC also had dinner with LeFevour the night before.

Some observers at the pro day said LeFevour still needs room for improvement in his transition from a shotgun-only QB to one that comes out from under center, as well as on his deep throws.

In this blog, LeFevour expressed hope that he would be picked in the first two rounds, but said he just wants an opportunity to play in the NFL - even if it means being picked late.

The Naperville Sun had a photographer out there to get pictures for an upcoming draft weekend feature on the Benet grad, and this was Craig Watson's observation about Weis.

Wow what a cool assignment. It was pretty funny, the old Notre Dame and current coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, Charlie Weis told me to stop taking pictures of him. He's not the most pleasant person I've ever met.

Quick hitters about local teams as they enter prep basketball's postseason:

Neuqua Valley is the second seed in its own sectional. The Wildcats are shooting for their third straight sectional championship. The Wildcats have lost each of the past two seasons in the supersectional. How far the Wildcats advance this time around could depend on the health of forward Dwyane Evans, who missed both games last week because of an Achilles' tendon injury he suffered in a nonconference victory against Downers Grove South on Feb. 20.

Benet is the third seed in the Neuqua Valley Sectional. The Redwings are riding high - having won 12 straight games. Benet enters the postseason having won the East Suburban Catholic Conference outright for the first time since the 1994-95 season. Benet hasn't won a regional championship since the 2004-05 season. The Redwings came close to knocking off top-seeded Neuqua in a regional semifinal last year. Benet gets it done with defense. The Redwings are allowing 42 points per game.

Naperville North is the fourth seed in the Neuqua Valley Sectional. The Huskies have 20 wins for the first time since the 2005-06 season, which also happens to be the last time the Huskies won a regional championship. North has gotten the job done on the defensive end of the floor by limiting the opposition to 45 points per game.

Naperville Central is the 10th seed in the Neuqua Valley Sectional. The Redhawks have been up and down throughout the season. Coach Pete Kramer said the biggest issue with this group has been its inability to play consistently. Central has showed signs of putting things together by winning three straight since its loss at North on Feb. 12. The Redhawks lean on center Matt Neufeld and a 2-3 matchup zone defense.

*Zach Miller, Glenbard East junior
*Johnny Hill, Glenbard East junior
*Lee Skinner, Glenbard East senior
Jack Merrithey, Glenbard East senior
*James Fleming, Glenbard North senior
*Matt Neufeld, Naperville Central senior
Bobby Czarnowski, Naperville Central senior
*Joe McNicholas, Naperville North senior
*Reilly O'Toole, Wheaton Warrenville South junior
Will Dolatowaski, Wheaton Warrenville South senior
Juwan Starks, West Aurora sophomore

SPECIAL MENTION
Reggie Davis, Glenbard North senior
Charles Jacques, West Chicago senior
Mike Small, Wheaton North senior
Jeff Schalk, Wheaton North junior

HONORABLE MENTION
Shawn Havenga, Glenbard East senior
Brandon Clark, Glenbard North junior
David Niggins, Naperville Central junior
Matt LaCosse, Naperville North junior
James O'Shaughnessy, Naperville North senior
Greg McAndrew, Wheaton Warrenville South senior
DJ Vaughn, West Aurora senior

*unanimous decision

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Zach Miller, Glenbard East junior

COACH OF THE YEAR
Scott Miller, Glenbard East

Jason Ivanitz's observations from this weekend's events:

No. 1: Basketball is more than a game to some

Apparently I picked a bad seat for the Bolingbrook-Vincent (Milwaukee,
Wis.) girls basketball game. From practically the opening tip-off, shouts, complaints and even harassing remarks were made from the Vincent parents who were primarily situated behind the scorer's table in their team's 49-48 loss on Sunday. On three separate occasions, I was stepped on or over during the game by an out of control parent yelling at the referees. Everything boiled over with less than a minute to go where words were exchanged between coaches and people started moving to the floor. I was physically pushed aside by a screaming parent during the event as I was trying to listen to what was being said.

No. 2: Joliet Township needs a new mascot

The name Steelmen (or Steelwomen) is unique and fits in with the history of the city. The mascot however could use some work. Joliet's "Steelman" looks like the Michelin Man, only gray and more of a walking block than a puffy one. When a parent a toddler approached the mascot, the little girl cried in horror and wanted to be taken away. If your mascot is making little kids cry, it is probably time to go back to the drawing board.

Brittany Bock's out of a job, for now anyway.

Earlier today, Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) announced the folding of the Los Angeles Sol. A new ownership group never materialized, and 19 players will need to find new homes.

Instead of throwing them into the unemployment line, WPS will host a dispersal draft on Thursday. The Chicago Red Stars have the No. 4 overall pick and could be interested in someone like Bock, a Neuqua Valley High School graduate who plied her trade in college at Notre Dame.

If Bock goes to Chicago, it would be the latest in a string of Illinois natives to come home and play for their local team.

In addition to signing Julianne Sitch (Oswego High School/DePaul) during the offseason, the Red Stars drafted Michele Weissenhofer (Neuqua/Notre Dame) and Jackie Santacaterina (Geneva/Illinois) earlier this month.

The Neuqua Valley boys basketball team won its second straight Martin Luther King Classic on Monday night.

The Wildcats won all four of their games, including a 63-52 final against host Rockton-Hononegah. Earlier in the day, they defeated Zion-Benton 88-75, this after sweeping Saturday's slate: 81-48 over Sterling and 74-44 over Normal Community.

Neuqua has participated in the Classic since 2005-06, compiling a 17-3 record.

Eddie Burns, For Sun-Times Media

Elite players in the 1990 and 1992 age groups will compete in the 2009 US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP) Girls Winter Interregional on Dec. 27-30 at Freedom Ridge Park in Ridgeland, Miss.

Waubonsie Valley's Vanessa DiBernardo of America's Soccer Club will play for 1992's Region II team along with Neuqua Valley's Megan Oyster of Windy City Pride. Emily Oliver of Flossmoor and Katie Nasenbenny of La Grange also represent Windy City Pride -- and along with FC United's Amber Fry of Northfield -- they represent the five players from Illinois on the four-region roster.

Kelsey Mulcahy, a Neuqua Valley graduate and freshman defender for the University of Missouri, will play for the 1990's Region II squad. She will be joined by two other Illinois representatives -- the Eclipse's Nicole Lipp of Lake Forest and KUFC's Lizzy Niles of Elgin.

They will train and compete in front of national and leading collegiate coaches to maximize their exposure. US Youth Soccer is divided into four regions: Region I (East), Region II (Midwest), Region III (South) and Region IV (West) to assist in national competitions.

US Youth Soccer ODP is known as the premier identification and development program for the nation's youth seeking the opportunity to compete at the national, professional and collegiate levels of play.

Designed to identify and develop a pool of players from which U.S. national teams may be selected, US Youth Soccer ODP is the original ODP program. And it's the only elite player development program that can claim members of Major League Soccer and the former Women's United Soccer Association, as well as a majority of current and past national and youth team members, as alumni.

--Brad Engel