The Neuqua Valley boys volleyball team will miss Jake Blackman, Brian Clark, Brad Stout, Collin Adler and Sean Harmon next season. This senior class won two conference titles, two regional titles and finished third at the state finals the past two years.

But the Wildcats will be in good shape next year with outside hitter Rob Bauer and middle hitter Derek Menendez. The two juniors were vital to the team's success this season.

"There's no doubt in my mind that those guys are going to be our leaders next year," Neuqua coach Erich Mendoza said. "They played on a team that took third in the state, they started and it's not like they had minor roles. They were major contributors to the team all year."

Other returners that will be a factor in 2009 will be Kevin Begley, who served well in the state finals and is likely the starting libero, setter Alex Onsager, who played a lot in the regular season before Mendoza scrapped the 6-2 offense, and outside hitter Tim Brackett, who has a lot of lift in his legs and made contributions when asked.

The worst-case scenario came to bear for Waubonsie Valley midfielder Bri Rodriguez. An MRI this afternoon revealed a torn ACL in her left knee.

She is expected to have surgery in mid to late June after giving the swelling some time to go down. If the surgery and rehabilitation go well, Rodriguez, who finished the season with 13 goals and 25 assists, should be able to return for her senior season.

Regardless of the results of an MRI later today, Bri Rodriguez has already decided she can't play in tonight's championship game.

Rodriguez missed her first varsity game due to injury in Waubonsie Valley's 1-0 victory over Normal West. She'll get an MRI at 3 p.m., but she said her left knee is too damaged for her to play effectively even if her ACL isn't torn.

Neuqua Valley will not play for the 17th IHSA boys volleyball state championship on Saturday night at Hoffman Estates High School.

The Wildcats rallied in the third game, but Buffalo Grove won their semifinal match 25-23, 20-25, 25-22.

Buffalo Grove had a 23-17 lead in Game 3 before Neuqua pulled within 23-21 and 24-22 before the Bison closed it out. Neuqua (37-4) will play Providence Catholic (35-2) in the third-place game at 4 p.m.

Benet will play St. Ignatius on Sunday morning in the IHSLA B Lacrosse Cup at Toyota Park. This is the Redwings doing a rendition of the school song after their 13-3 semifinal win over Mundelein on Thursday.

The clip posted earlier this week shows Waubonsie Valley senior Sean Wiggan placing fourth in the 800-meter run at the IHSA Class AA boys track and field championships on May 24 in Charleston. Wiggan ran a 1:53.28. Benet senior Alex Gasick was 11th in 1:56.21.

This video posted Friday is the Naperville North entry into the IHSA Class AA boys track and field state championships for the 800-meter relay. Bobby Casiello, David Schuman, Jimmy Lee and Nick Mlady ran a 1:30.14 in the prelims on May 23, but it wasn't good enough for Saturday.

ps56K also posted clips of the Huskies at the sectional on 5/16, for those with a hankering to see North place fifth in the 800 relay and not qualify for state in the 400 relay.

Waubonsie Valley just turned in its starting lineup for its state semifinal matchup against Normal West. Midfielder Bri Rodriguez is not on the list.

Rodriguez, who injured her left knee in Friday's quarterfinals, had an MRI taken this morning, but won't get the report until later this afternoon. Her status for either the third-place game or final won't be decided until then.

UPDATED INFO: Jim Rodriguez, Bri's father, just said that Bri was unable to get the MRI this morning, but she has one scheduled for 3 p.m. today. He also said even if her ACL isn't torn, it's doubtful she'll play again today.

This quote in the Sun-Times from Neuqua Valley boys volleyball coach Erich Mendoza could mean a couple different things.

"We scouted a lot of teams prior to the tournament and we all felt that Glenbard East was the best team we saw," Mendoza said. "To beat them says a lot about our guys."

So if the best is out, that means the Wildcats, who beat the best, are now the best. Right?

The scar along his spine and the other one on his hip represent the book jacket to Jason David's novel. They give you an idea of his story, but they hardly spell out the individual pages.

Plates, rods, and neck braces. Surgeries, procedures and rehab. Imagine living those chapters well after flying out of a teammate's car and listening to the prospect of never walking again, not to mention never pitching or hitting.

It doesn't take a private detective to wonder exactly how Jason David did it. And by it, The Heat Index means how did David survive a two-car collision, rehab in time to make the baseball team and then become Naperville's home-run king?

"We told people he was our hero, because he seemed to keep it together. He seemed to keep us together," said David's father John. "His spirits were always high, he was always positive. He tried to make everybody else feel better. When I took him home from the hospital, he said, 'It's probably best this happened to me, because I'm not sure if the other guys could have taken it.'"

The Washington Post reports that Candace Parker is getting it done for the WNBA already.

So far this season, Los Angeles's season ticket sales more than doubled, and its individual game sales increase fourfold. WNBAstore.com sold more of her jerseys than any other rookie in league history since the draft. Television ratings also are up across the league, with games on ESPN2 experiencing a 44 percent jump and Parker's debut on ABC in the season opener had a 60 percent increase.

Perhaps more impressive, though, is that the Sparks are having an impact on attendance at their road games. It remains to be seen whether those numbers will hold up or whether interest in Parker will translate into broader interest in the league.

Glenbard East got out to leads of 5-0 and 8-1 in the second game its three-game loss to Neuqua Valley on Friday in the IHSA boys volleyball state quarterfinals.

When the Wildcats closed it to 19-15 on one of Jake Blackman's 14 kills, the Rams called a timeout. After the timeout, the mega rally commenced.

Neuqua Valley got a dynamic performance from junior Derek Menendez in its quarterfinal win over Glenbard East at the boys volleyball state finals.

The 6-foot-5 middle hitter had nine kills, which matched his season high, and have five blocks going up against Sun-Times player of the year Dan Mader and company.

"He's such a great athlete," Neuqua coach Erich Mendoza. "All year, we've been trying to turn him into a volleyball player."

I'm no expert, but Menendez looked extremely volleyball-player like against the DuPage Valley Conference champs. And his outward enthusiasm, his celebratory screams, are good for a team that stays even keel for the most part.

"He's a real intense kid," Mendoza said. "All the other guys are kind of low key. ...Derek kind of is our spark plug on the court. He is one of the guys who actually shows some emotion."

Neuqua Valley (37-3) will face Buffalo Grove (30-5) in the semifinals of the IHSA boys volleyball state finals on Saturday morning. Neuqua senior Sean Harmon sent The Heat Index a couple text messages on Friday evening after watching the first game of Buffalo Grove's win over Oak Park-River Forest.

These are Harmon's observations:

"rs asher is solid. there go to. but we've seen strong right sides. setter avoids the obvious. middler are weak. (14 is pretty consistent tho) outsides are dec."

"libero is solid. 9 has a weak block. cross on 14 his left hand is weak. second middle, 4, is short, and does not get set a lot. like to set ash outta back row."

This is no knock on either Downers Grove South or Belleville Althoff, but the Saturday matchup most people want to see is the second of the Class AA state semifinals.

That game pits Waubonsie Valley, the nation's No. 3 team, against Normal West, the nation's No. 7 team.

It's a rematch of last season's state quarterfinals. Waubonsie earned a 2-0 victory on its way to its first state title in any team sport. But a shot at title No. 2 got a lot tougher Friday night.

The Houston Texans held their eighth day of OTAs on Friday. Naperville North graduate Chris Brown, who signed with the team in March, is featured in the this photo (13 of 20) from Thursday in this gallery at the team's Web site.

Candace Parker became the first player in WNBA history to have five or more points, blocks, rebounds, steals, turnovers and assists in the same game on Thursday night in a double overtime loss at Indiana.

The No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft had 16 points, 16 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and five steals. Parker scored six points in the final minute of the second overtime.

"She's a great talent," Indiana's Katie Douglas, who guarded her for most of the game, said. "She's obviously going to be a star, if not already a star, in this league. She does so many different things -- I've never seen a player like her. She doesn't have to score to play a key role on her team."

Parker also had seven turnovers and shot just 7-for-18 from the field. She went scoreless in the first half.

Neuqua Valley senior Jake Blackman was the lone Naperville-area player named to the Sun-Times All-Area team, which was released on Friday.

Upstate Eight champion Neuqua Valley counts on go-to guy Jake Blackman, who had 258 kills, 22 aces and 24 solo blocks. Blackman's calm demeanor should not be construed as lack of intensity.

"Jake plays all out for every point of a match, no matter who the opponent is," coach Erich Mendoza said. "Even though Jake led our team in kills and aces, he was always humble about his accomplishments."

Glenbard East setter Dan Mader, who Blackman will see tonight in the state quarterfinals, was named the Sun-Times player of the Year.

I'm not sure what Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum's reaction was when he found out that his fourth-seeded Redhawks will meet No. 6 Plainfield South in the Bolingbrook Sectional final at 9 a.m. on Saturday, but I would've groaned.

By Patrick Mooney

Lockport scouted Benet during Saturday's regional final, and the report noted how Benet ace Bryan Roberts repeatedly got Wheaton Warrenville South hitters to chase the high fastball on the way to 14 strikeouts.

The Porters also recently changed their batting practice routine, catcher Joe Martin said, with the pitcher throwing from about 15 feet away, in order to simulate the speed of a Roberts and force the hands to move quicker through the zone.

"We knew Roberts was gonna be a quality guy and we knew that if we were gonna chase a lot of his high fastballs, we weren't gonna be very successful," Lockport coach Steve Stanicek said after Thursday's 4-2 win. "I thought we had a great approach at the plate. We didn't chase a lot of things up. We made him bring the ball down (and) he's a little easier to hit (when) the ball's down."

Over the past two seasons, the Neuqua Valley boys volleyball team has won 70 of its 78 games, including a school record 32 in the regular season this year. That run has included two Upstate Eight Conference titles, two regional titles and two sectional championships.

On Friday night, the Wildcats will try to make it two straight appearances in the Final Four with a win over Glenbard East in the state quarterfinals.

"We're just building up a rep for the Upstate Eight ," senior Sean Harmon said. "And I hope not only that it builds for the Upstate Eight, but also for our school."

That stretch of success also included two head coaches. Tim Piatek left Neuqua after last season and Erich Mendoza has kept up Neuqua's ascent.

Techniques changed. Philosophies changed. But the Wildcats kept on winning.

"I owe a lot of it to the team chemistry we've had," senior Brian Clark said. "Over the last two years, we've had a real tight bond as well as a lot of good talent. We've had a lot of club players come through. The program's really built. We've had a lot of help from alumni. And, yeah, we've just been playing well."

Neuqua Valley senior Brian Clark told The Heat Index that he may play volleyball as a walk-on at Brigham Young University.

The 6-foot-3 middle hitter said on Thursday that he has spoken to the coaches about playing for the Division I program in Provo, Utah.

Clark had 176 kills and 72 blocks in the regular season, helping Neuqua go undefeated in the Upstate Eight Conference. He had four kills, a block and an ace in the Wildcats' sectional final win over Central.

Waubonsie Valley enters this weekend's Class AA state finals riding a 55-game unbeaten streak. So where does that put the Warriors' on the IHSA's list of unbeaten streaks?

Well, it took some time to research to make sure the IHSA had its facts straight. And guess what? The record book is a bit misleading.

This clip is a highlight reel of the Naperville North boys lacrosse season set to some angst-ridden music. The Huskies went 7-1 in the DuPage II Conference, thanks to first team all-conference selections Joe Krentz (attack) and Pat Bassett (midfield), and second teamers Casey Domek (defense) and Ben Domyancic (attack).

If Lincoln-Way East's 25-6 win over West Aurora on Saturday weighed on Neuqua Valley, it certainly didn't show Wednesday.

In one of the best games in Neuqua history, the Wildcats defeated Lincoln-Way East 2-1 in eight innings to crack a sectional final.

"Coach (Robin) Renner tries to scare us before the game: 'Oh, this, this, this... they're men, they're men,'" Neuqua junior Ian Krol said. "But, you know, we always come out, we always prove what we can do. So, we took it to them."

When did Colin Bates make the leap from a very good high school pitcher to an elite college prospect?

Naperville Central coach Bill Seiple identified somewhere between the end of Bates' spring junior season to midway through the following summer as a turning point.

Bates was splitting his time and innings between Central's summer league and a Bulls/Sox team when he elevated his game and eventually drew the attention of North Carolina, a big-time national program that is now looking for a seventh appearance in the College World Series.

After a series of surgeries, how did Bates make it back to that level? The redshirt freshman explains in his own words during an interview with TarHeelBlue.com. Robbi Pickeral of The News & Observer (N.C.) also has a nice feature here.

I'm a big believer in "the hump" - that imaginary mental obstacle that gets in the way of teams usually on the losing end of a rivalry for consecutive games. Some people might say, "Whatever. If you're talented enough, you'll win." I disagree. Something happens to even the most talented squads when they encounter "the hump." It's not easy to explain, but you can almost taste the feeling of inevitability that favors the winning team. Call it a mental haze, but the longer consecutive losses continue, the thicker it becomes.

I've only gotten to witness the clearing of that haze three times in my sports writing career: 1) When Waubonsie Valley football beat Neuqua Valley last season; 2) When Illinois football beat Wisconsin in Big Ten play; and 3) When Naperville Central softball pulled out a 2-0 victory over Plainfield Central on Wednesday to advance to their first sectional title game since 1989. Some rivalries go back and forth and I'll admit that having balance is special and probably more satisfying for fans, but in my mind nothing beats clearing "the hump."

Earlier The Heat Index wondered if incoming Neuqua Valley principal Robert McBride, who happens to be the current principal at Glenbard East, would have a hard time picking sides when the two teams meet on Friday at the boys volleyball state quarterfinals.

McBride responded to our e-mail queries along those lines late on Wednesday night. Glenbard East has its graduation at 7 p.m. on Friday, so McBride won't be in attendance at the state finals.

He will be hoping for a Glenbard East victory.

Cory Ferrell passed a major test early on in his relationship with Jennifer Broggi, the woman he ended up marrying.

Jennifer, a Naperville native, met Cory, a Maryland native, in Ohio during a golf professional training program in Columbus, Ohio, in October 1999. The couple, both of whom are gof pros (Cory at Seven Bridges, Jennifer at Glendale Lakes), have been together ever since, through thick, thin and Midwest chill.

This week's edition of The Hole Picture swings over to Tamarack Golf Club in Naperville, specifically the 196-yard, par-3 17th. I pulled my tee shot into the water during a recent round there, in part because the wind was gusting pretty hard from right to left. The water on the right is tricky, too.

For me, part of what makes the 17th so intriguing are the holes that come before and after it. The 16th is easily the most demanding hole on the course. It's a 456-yard dogleg left with a peninsula fairway. If you've had a hard time with that one, that frustration can linger on 17. No. 18 is no picnic, either, with out of bounds on the left and water on the right on that 388-yard par 4. Take a deep breath before taking on this challenging trio.

The current principal at Glenbard East will be the next principal at Neuqua Valley.

So that begs the question (as this poster on volleyballmag.com's forum did), who is Robert McBride cheering for on Friday at the state quarterfinals when Neuqua plays Glenbard East for a berth in the Final Four?

The Heat Index sent him an e-mail on Wednesday afternoon, which he has yet to return. His heart must be conflicted. He is either dodging the tough questions already, which is not a good sign, or has better things to do than correspond with The Heat Index. Must be the former.

But I understand that a principal might want to choose his words wisely these days.

Naperville North senior Mike Henry played his last high school volleyball game on Friday night, losing in the sectional semifinals to Neuqua Valley and Jake Blackman.

Henry told The Heat Index that he will play club volleyball at Purdue University, where he got a full academic scholarship. That means he will continue to see plenty of Blackman, who will play for rival Indiana's club team.

This weekend's Class AA girls soccer state finals promise lots of entertainment for the fans. Among the interesting items are four teams making their first 2A appearance; two nationally ranked teams on course for a semifinal showdown; a 400-game winning coach - Barry Jacobson of Downers Grove South - seeking his first state title; and a defending state champion - Waubonsie Valley - looking to become the first team with back-to-back unbeaten seasons since New Trier in 2004 and 2005.

Here's a look at the four quarterfinal matchups, which begin at 11 a.m. Friday at North Central College:

Here are the quarterfinal matchups for the boys volleyball state finals. All matches are Friday at Hoffman Estates High School. Rankings are according to the Sun-Times on May 19.

No. 1 Providence vs. No. 3 Glenbrook North (1 p.m.)

The Celtics have been the top dog all season, but Glenbrook North has the better state finals pedigree. North, the 1993 state champ, is making its fourth quarterfinals appearance.

Neuqua Valley (36-3) will play Glenbard East (36-3) in the boys volleyball state quarterfinals on Friday.

The Heat Index asked Naperville Central coach Bryan Johnwick and Naperville North coach Roger Strausberger, whose teams both were swept by Glenbard East in DVC play, to explain why the Rams are so good.

"They have a solid block on the right side," Johnwick said after his team lost to Neuqua in the sectional championship on Tuesday night. "Both their setters, (Dan) Mader and (Mark) Jones, are both their strongest players. And they run a 6-2, so they basically have three hitters going at you at the whole time. So that's a challenge.
"Basically you have to set it away from their big blockers, kind of keep it away from your outsides. If you run a lot of middle and right side, you'll do fine. And they serve tough, so you have to serve aggressive. So that's all."

That seems like a lot.

A few days ago, I wrote a blog on the DuPage Valley, Upstate Eight and East Suburban Catholic all-conference lists. I've gotten a couple of emails because I goofed up and made some readers think that the entire lists would appear after clicking on the link. But all I actually posted were the picks from our area teams. Since there is no way to link to the DVC and UEC, because for some reason it is beyond those conferences to maintain useful websites, I have typed up the complete list. I've also provided a link to the complete ESCC list. Just click on the link below and enjoy.

To ask St. Charles North, it was clear that Waubonsie Valley sophomore was offside before she scored the winning goal in overtime to end Monday's Class AA girls soccer supersectional at Benedictine University.

DiBernardo got in behind the North Stars defense after Bri Rodriguez chipped a high pass into the penalty area. She then popped the ball into the net for the golden goal that sent the defending state champion Warriors back to the Elite Eight.

So what did the two players involved -- DiBernardo and Rodriguez -- think happened?

Neuqua Valley' s Dwayne Evans scored 13 points to help the 16U Illinois Warriors beat the St. Louis Eagles in the quarterfinals of the Nike Memorial Day Classic in Nashville, Tenn.

The 16-U Illinois Warriors have advanced to the Final Four of the prestigious Nike Memorial Day Classic in Nashville, Tennessee, and will play the New York Gauchos for the right to advance to the championship game.

UPDATE: Evans scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Illinois Warriors beat Alabama Challenge 76-70 to win the tournament championship.

With the supersectional pitting Waubonsie Valley against St. Charles North coming later today, I still had a few tidbits rattling around from the Waubonsie Sectional, which wrapped up Thursday with the top-seeded Warriors soundly beating third-seeded Neuqua Valley.

While coaches and players have to stay focused on their next match, we here at The Heat Index will not something as trivial as the sectional final encumber our Sunday plans.

So let's talk about the boys volleyball state quarterfinals. Sure, we don't even know which teams will be there exactly, but we do know that at least one team from Naperville will be fighting airport traffic on Friday.

Neuqua Valley's Rajhan Muhammad helped the Illinois Wolves win their first game at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions on Saturday in North Carolina.

The 16-U Illinois Wolves opened the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions with a big bang by defeating a highly regarded Boo Williams team 86-82.

Head coach Jeff Carpenter's 16-U Wolves have played extremely well as a team throughout the spring. Alex Dragicevich (Glenbrook North), Rahjan Muhammad (Neuqua Valley) and Wayne Simon (Fenwick) led the winning effort against Boo Williams.

Ian Krol's unplanned relief appearance in Saturday's regional title game will not affect him one bit for his next start.

Krol planned on pitching a bullpen session Saturday anyway, well before he logged the save in Neuqua's 7-5 win over Naperville North.

Naperville Central junior pitcher Natalie Wunderlich made an interesting comment following Saturday's 3-0 regional title victory over Downers Grove North. When asked what she thought about facing top-seeded Plainfield Central in the Bolingbrook Sectional semifinals, Wunderlich said her team is smarter than the one that fell to the Wildcats 1-0 on April 29. And you know what? I think she's on to something.

Defending boys volleyball sectional champion Neuqua Valley (34-3) and top-seed Naperville Central (31-7) will play each other for the second time this season when they meet in the championship match of the Naperville North Sectional on Tuesday night.

Both teams looked good on Friday night. The Redhawks had the easier go of it in the semifinals, beating Oswego in two games, but that was because Central played almost flawless ball in what coach Bryan Johnwick called his team's beat performance of the season.

"Our season's been a roller coaster," Johnwick said. "It's the kind of roller coaster that it keeps going up and up and up."

The DuPage Valley, Upstate Eight and East Suburban Catholic Conferences announced their all-conference lists this week. For a complete list, just click the link below.

Here's the list for 2008. Go figure -- there's six players from champion Neuqua Valley.

And by champion, The Heat Index means UEC and regional. The Wildcats defeated Naperville North 7-5 Saturday.

LISLE - Bryan Roberts walked off the mound to a swarm of teammates and pounding fists, then tossed his glove to the grass, Benet's plan executed to perfection.

I don't know Jon Bunge.

I know the resume stuff: boys volleyball standout at Naperville North; recent victim of a viscous left ankle injury. But I don't know him.

I've spoken to him for about seven minutes over the last three months of this season. The conversations were not Earth-shaking, and that's not a commentary on him, but just the reality of how hard it its to figure out who a kid is when you only talk to him for a few seconds every once in a while.

Neuqua Valley senior Chris Derrick withdrew from the 1,600-meter preliminary race at the IHSA State Track and Field meet today, and likely won't be running the 3,200 final Saturday.

Derrick, the subject of a feature in Thursday's Sun, was diagnosed with mono Wednesday. He won't make the final decision about whether or not he'll run the 3,200 -- which does not have preliminaries -- until Saturday morning. But it doesn't sound good.

"I probably won't race unless something miraculous happens," he said Friday morning from Charleston. "That's about it. I just don't have the energy."

Derrick entered the weekend with the fastest sectional times in both events, and was expected to challenge the state record in the 3,200.

Naperville native Mary DeScenza, who won the short course world title in the 200 butterfly in April, continued her march toward the U.S. Olympic team with her performance at the Santa Clara Grand Prix International meet last weekend.

DeScenza won four silver medals and one gold medal, in you guessed it, the 200-meter butterfly. She talks about her performance in this video.

"It just means that I've been training my little butt off and it just shows that my little workout-practice set has been doing wonders for my butterfly. So it just looks really good going into the trials."

The U.S. Olympic trials begin June 29 in Omaha, Neb.

If you ever wanted to hear Candace Parker belt out her alma mater's school song, here you go. This on-demand performance at a Los Angeles Sparks function shows the Naperville native displaying how important it is to: A) always have on stunna shades so you don't have to look into the eyes of this obviously odd character with the mic, and B) not forget the words to your school song. Especially the "woo!" part.

This clip claims to be the final point of Benet's regional championship loss to Oswego on Wednesday night. It does appear to be shot at Oswego East, so OK.

Jake Naumann's ready to go. The Naperville North junior's so ready to go, he could probably, um, go right now against Neuqua Valley in the regional championship.

But he, like everyone else, will have to wait until 10 a.m. Saturday -- to go.

"I don't know if they'll let me, but I can," said Naumann, following a 9-2 win over Naperville Central on Thursday. "They'll probably tell me I have more important games later on in my career. But I feel good."

Wheaton Warrenville South had several representatives in the Benet stands on Thursday in Lisle, though most seemed to have left by the time the game nearly flipped over in the seventh inning. By this point, they have to know the Redwings fairly well.

Neuqua Valley's John Mikuzis and Naperville Central's Kara Wilson were named Offensive Player of the Year on Thursday by illpolo.com, which released its All-Illpolo Teams.

Other individual award winners were: Central's Claire Fleming (most improved player), Central's Mark Menis (sophomore MVP), Central's Tyler Kelley (top junior goalie) and Naperville North's Conor Handley (most versatile player).

No, not Candace Parker. Big brother Anthony Parker of the Toronto Raptors had surgery on Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right hand.

According to the Canadian Press report, Parker will wear a cast for three weeks before he can begin rehab. The Naperville Central grad started all 82 games last year and was Toronto's second leading scorer at 12.5 points per game.

In the summer before Chris Derrick entered Neuqua Valley, he envisioned himself as a future basketball player for the Wildcats.

It's probably a good thing that his mother, Janet, didn't share the same vision for her son, who was only 14 at the time.

Usually, this question goes nowhere. And for good reason.

Asking Neuqua Valley players which team -- Naperville North or Naperville Central -- they'd rather play in Saturday's regional championship is like asking them to add fuel to an already blazing fire.

The article previewing Saturday's IHSA Class AA track and field championships at Dyestat.com predicts that Waubonsie Valley's Brett Einbecker will participate in "epic battle" in the shot put and a discus competition "that will be talked about for the ages."

Did I mention the article was written by Harold Hyperbole? Great guy. A little prone to understatement.

Golf Master Teaching Professional Carl Rabito, who sets up shop at Bolingbrook Golf Club for a total of several months during the summer, is set in his ways when it comes to instruction. That is to say, he lives by the laws of physics. (Read more about Rabito in Thursday's Naperville Sun, or here).

Just how did he become so resolved?

This week's edition of The Hole Picture focuses on Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge, specifically the hole that closes out the front nine. This monster of a par 5, at 579 yards, can give you momentum going into the challenging back nine or sweep it away. Here's how head pro Cory Ferrell suggests you attack it:

"Depending on your tee shot, you can be rewarded going into the back nine; (No. 9) offers a chance to go for the green in two. Depending on the Chicago winds would be the next thing. If it's into you, it's going to be more of a challenge to carry the little creek that goes in front.

"I think that hole's a good challenge where you rewarded for two good shots if you can get it on the green. it's probably not the most challenging hole, but it goes back to course management and making decisions. You've got to really think yourself around the course."

What has your experience been like at Seven Bridges?

His left ankle still in a boot on Wednesday, Naperville North senior Jon Bunge missed his fourth game in a row because of a sprained left ankle.

Without Bunge, the Huskies beat Joliet Township to win the Bolingbrook Regional. North coach Roger Strausberger said his Sun All-City outside hitter would be seeing a doctor on Thursday, but probably won't play in the sectional semifinals on Friday night.

"I don't know," Strausberger said. 'I doubt it."

Both top-seed Naperville Central and third-seed Naperville North won regional titles on Wednesday evening, a few hours earlier than most regional championship matches began because of District 203 graduation ceremonies that were held Wednesday night.

The Waubonsie Valley Regional final between Central and Waubonsie began at 4:30 p.m. and the Bolingbrook Regional between North and Joliet Twp. began at 5 p.m. instead of the origninal time of 7 p.m.

Benet and Naperville Central will play for regional titles on Saturday after surviving the semifinals this week, but both will have a tough road to travel on the way to the Bolingbrook Sectional semifinals ... I think.

Benet's battle is uphill because we know the Redwings will have to face No. 1 Plainfield Central. Central's path is more mysterious because as of 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, West Aurora has yet to report a score to the IHSA ScoreZone letting softball fans know the winner between Wednesday's matchup with Downers Grove North. So, let's talk about Benet.

Baseball belongs in the spring, and moving it to the fall, as other media outlets have suggested, would cripple the sport. Are there any plans to tweak the schedule? Anthony Holman, an IHSA assistant executive director who oversees baseball, explains in an e-mail how that process could work:

Julie Bergstrom kept mum when asked who she'd rather face: Neuqua Valley or Naperville Central.

She shook her head, careful not to give any hint of her feelings on the subject. Her Waubonsie Valley team was coming off a 4-1 sectional semifinal win over Geneva, and the Redhawks-Wildcats game was about to begin.

She hesitated, then said, "Well, one's our rival and the other is ...." Her voice trailed off for fear she was already saying too much.

But, come on, what coach has ever given an honest answer to that kind of question? The only thing Bergstrom really wanted was to see the Central-Neuqua game last roughly three hours, require four overtimes and a lengthy shootout, and feature both teams beating on each other from start to finish.

Well, the game was physical, but the Wildcats won 2-0 in regulation, setting up a sectional final loaded with storylines:

The Warriors lost their playoff opener 10-0 to Plainfield South on Tuesday, but that's likely not the last time to catch two of their seniors.

First baseman Adam LeRoy plans to play at Benedictine University, and catcher/outfielder Chris Galovic plans to play at Aurora University. They're both up for all-Upstate Eight Conference honors.

Heading into the playoffs, LeRoy hit .347 with 26 RBIs for the Warriors while Galovic hit .346 with 28 RBIs.

Naperville Central's Kara Wilson, Naperville North's Conor Handley, Neuqua Valley's John Mikuzis and Naperville Central's Tyler Kelley were voted to the first team all-state water polo teams on Monday, The Heat Index has learned.

The all-state teams will be honored on May 29 at the IWP High School All-State Awards Banquet at Diplomat West in Elmhurst.

Other all-state honorees on the girls side Neuqua's Chelsea Reczek (2nd team), Neuqua's Kathleen Patterson (3rd team), Waubonsie's Bailey Gucinski (3rd team), Central's Claire Fleming (4th team) and Allison Szott (4th team).

On the boys side, Central's Mark Menis and Ben Reasons made the second team, and teammate Bobby Rickert was voted to the third team. North senior Jackson Hill is on the fourth team.

Neuqua Valley senior Jake Blackman told The Heat Index that he may not play Tuesday night when the second-seeded Wildcats face IMSA in the semifinals of the Plainfield North Regional.

Blackman injured his left ankle on May 8 and missed Neuqua's final two games of the regular season, wins over Minooka on 5/12 and Waubonsie Valley on 5/13.

"Even if the Waubonsie game was for more than bragging rights I'm pretty sure I still would have not played," Blackman wrote in an e-mail to The Heat Index on Monday night. "I would have done more harm than good."

As for Tuesday's match with IMSA, Neuqua coach Erich Mendoza said that Blackman went through a full scrimmage in Monday's practice and would be available. Blackman also mentioned that he could play on Tuesday, but wrote that he might sit out to play it safe.

Neuqua should be able to handle IMSA without Blackman. The Wildcats beat IMSA in two games at the Minooka Invitational earlier this season, playing their reserves for the entire second game.

At the Waubonsie Valley Regional on Monday, West Aurora beat Lemont, setting up a semifinal vs. top-seed Naperville Central on Tuesday night.

As if Neuqua Valley cross country star Chris Derrick didn't do enough already, he's moonlighting as a blogger every other Tuesday for The Final Sprint. Check out his first entry, an amusing story about an epic run.

Benet has hired Gene Heidkamp as its boys basketball coach, the school announced Monday.

The school looked within the East Suburban Catholic Conference to replace Marty Gaughan, who resigned from the position he held for 19 seasons in late March. Heidkamp has coached at St. Patrick and Nazareth for the past 15 years and is a graduate of St. Patrick and St. Norbert College.

Look for more details later at napersun.com.

Illpolo.com published its final boys and girls top-25 rankings on Sunday and there were some non-standard grades issued.

While the boys top four followed what happened at the state tournament, there were three state quarterfinalists that did not appear in the top eight of the illpolo.com rankings. Schauburg dropped to 20, Stevenson to No. 9 and York to No. 12.

The replacements were No. 8 Neuqua Valley, the sectional runner-up to state runner-up Naperville Central, No. 6 Homewood-Flossmoor, the sectional runner-up to No. 4 Sandburg and No. 7 Brother Rice, the runner-up to No. 3 Lyons.

Naperville North is 10th and Waubonsie Valley 15th, meaning their value is that of a sectional runner-up, despite both losing in the sectional semifinals.

On the girls side, Naperville Central slipped to No. 6 despite making the state semifinals (and losing twice) for the first time. Quarterfinalists H-F (9), Fremd (16) and Evanston (12) all fell out of the top eight.

The usurpers are No. 4 St. Ignatius, which lost to state champion Fenwick in the sectional final,and Sandburg (7) and Lyons (8), both of whom lost to defending state champion and state runner-up Mother McAuley in the sectional.

Neuqua was 10th and Waubonsie 14th.

Is that Green Day? Naperville Central's Keith Lage won two state titles and four total medals at the boys gymnastics championships last week. This is how it looks and sounds with choppy audio. Or is that my computer?

If you have subscription to Sports Illustrated and saw the article about the Milwaukee Brewers, then you've probably already had the following thoughts:

1) I hope I can look as good as Bob Uecker when I'm his age.

1B) Who am I kidding, I wish I looked that good now.

2) Those shorts should have come with a warning label.

Just an amazing all around image. You know those two Brewers were battling to the death to impress Uecker.

The game ends with one player hitting it in the net. Ueck looks him in the eye, puts on his $700 sunglasses, adjusts himself and walks away without saying a word.*

Monika Jakutyte's track and field career has been hampered by injuries - a pulled back this season and torn hamstring last spring - but the senior overcame those hinderances to secure the state title in the high jump at Saturday's Class AA girls track and field meet at EIU.

Jakutyte didn't need a personal-best to win the event with a mark of 5-3, but considering all that she's gone through over the last four years, the victory couldn't have been more satisfying.

It's not my best," she said. "... It's OK. It's not what I wanted (heightwise). It took four years to win it, but I did it."

Join us in congratulating Monika on her state title by clicking on the comment link above.

Candace Parker made her WNBA debut on Saturday afternoon and lived up to her top billing with 34 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists and road victory in Phoenix.

The Heat Index was going to hash out what media outlets covered the game (L.A. Times, Arizona Republic, etc) and crack wise about the articles. But then I read something about Candace Parker handing out samples of chicken biscuits in South Central.

Give me chicken biscuits or give me death prefereably by chicken biscuit.

From The New York Times.

A team appearance Thursday at a fast-food restaurant in South Central Los Angeles drew only a few fans. Paul DeGuzman of Redondo Beach, wearing a Lakers jersey, asked Parker to sign a ball. "She's awesome," he said. "She's going to be like LeBron James coming into the women's game."

In the parking lot, Parker politely offered samples of chicken biscuits to people who did not recognize her. If she had been in Knoxville, she said, "it would be crazy."

Expect Great.

Fenwick's boys team scored 490 goals this season in 33 games. By my toes, that's roughly 15 goals per game.

Sure that sounds like a lot o' offense, but it sounds like more if you break it down further.

The Friars had 17 games with at least 14 goals, including six with at least 20 goals (two this weekend), four games with 18 goals and two with 19 goals.

But none of that madness happened against Naperville Central.

"Fenwick, the whole year has been blowing out teams like 10-0 in the first quarter," said junior Ben Reasons. "We knew they weren't going to do that to us."

The Redhawks held the six-time state champs to 10 total in their championship game loss on Saturday night and to nine in a regular-season loss to the Friars.

"Our other game against Fenwick, we lost 9-5, you know," Central coach Bill Salentine said after finishing as state runner-up for the second time. "So holding them to what was it, 10? That's great for us. So I'm very proud of my boys. We got a lot of sophomores, a lot of juniors, only losing four seniors. It just shows us great things for the future."

Here's the bad news for the Naperville Central girls water polo team: Kara Wilson, the school's all-time scoring leader with 319 goals, including a school-record 106 this season and Sam Shamburek, the team's second-leading scorer with 53 goals just played their final game as a Redhawk.

Wilson was also the team leader in assists with 56, while Shamburek was fourth with 35 assists, including five this weekend at the state finals. The seniors combined for 12 goals and seven assists as they led Central to its first final four in school history.

The good news, The Heat Index thinks is that some of the others, the same ones that leaned on the seniors in the early going, have made it clear that 2008 was no flash in the pan.

Naperville Central athletic director Marty Bee told The Heat Index that the school will recognize both the boys and girls water polo teams for their state tournament runs at graduation ceremonies on Wednesday.

Since seniors take their final exams on Monday and graduation is scheduled for the stadium on Wednesday, there wasn't a lot of room on the schedule to do it any other time Bee said. He said the school does plan on another ceremony next winter during a basketball game over the holidays when most of the graduated players could attend.

It was on her mind even before being asked about what this weekend means to her.

Naperville Central senior Casey Short was fresh from scoring the only goal in the Redhawks' 1-0 victory over rival Naperville North in a regional final at Memorial Stadium. At roughly the same time in Charleston, preliminaries were being run at the IHSA state girls track and field meet.

Due to a DuPage Valley Conference rule, Short was unable to defend her state titles in the 400- and 800-meter runs. Instead, Short led Central to a regional crown and a date with Neuqua Valley in the Waubonsie Valley Sectional semifinals Tuesday night.

"I do miss track a little, but I love soccer," said Short, who will play soccer at Florida State in the fall. "I've had a lot of fun this season and I'm happy with my decision. I'm even happier that we won."

So even as Ashley Verplank of Bloomington took Short's title in the 800 and Genesis Johnson of Rock Island did the same in the 400, the Redhawks and Short look forward to continuing their soccer season.

As much fun as it might have been to see Short try for those titles, I'm glad I've had the chance to watch her on the soccer field for a final season. I'm sure there are more than a few soccer fans who feel the same way.

As the saying goes, you can't beat fun at the old ballpark.

Despite losing to Naperville Central on Friday, Naperville North coach Carl Hunckler was still able to muster some fun.

Here's what Hunckler had to say about Jordan Tassio re-entering the game to hit -- six innings after he left the game with an injured hamstring.

"He's a sensitive kid," Hunckler said, then quickly correcting himself and eliciting some laughter from the media. "Sensible. Not sensitive. He might be sensitive, but he's a sensible kid."

Hunckler added that he never would have asked Tassio if he was able to hit had he thought the injury was severe.

"It's pretty typical. This happened last year at about this time, too," Hunckler said. "It's tightened up. He didn't tear anything or anything like that; otherwise, I would have never put him back in."

With the conference season over, Tassio has until Thursday's playoff game with Central to rest if needed.

Naperville Central lost 14-10 to defending state champion Mother McAuley on Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of the girls water polo state tournament in Lincolnshire.

Making their first appearance in the final four in school history, the Redhawks (23-12) fell behind 7-2 after one quarter and 9-4 at the half.

According to illpolo.com's live blog, Claire Fleming and Haley Nelson both scored three goals. Sam Shamburek scored twice. and Kara Wilson scored one goal apiece.

Central will play Stevenson in the third-place game at 5 p.m.

In a rematch of last season's state title game (and 2004), McAuley will play its rubber match with Fenwick, which beat Sandburg 11-8 in the other semifinal, at 8 p.m. The Friars and Mighty Macs have split the first six IHSA state championships.

Candace Parker will make her WNBA debut today (2:30 p.m. on ABC) at Phoenix, but according to this article in the Los Angeles Times, the Naperville Central grad is already getting noticed out and about in L.A.

That will happen a lot, one would think, if she keeps palling around with Lisa Leslie.

Leslie, the Sparks' three-time league most valuable player, and Parker, the team's highly acclaimed rookie, were in a South Bay grocery store shopping for Mother's Day cards and baby food. And then it happened.

"A lot of the people were, like, 'We're really excited about this season, we're going to be at your home opener,' and things like that," Parker said. "We had fun with it.' "

The article also notes that Parker's arrival has increased ticket sales in a big way in Los Angeles and around the WNBA.

In the two weeks after the draft, the Sparks sold seven times the number of season seats that were sold in the same period last year, according to Allison McGowen, the Sparks' chief operating officer.

"Other teams in the league have seen a threefold increase in single-game ticket sales for the games they are playing against the Sparks," she said. "And total new season seats sold so far for the 2008 season is up 10% over total new season seats sold last year."

This television interview that Candace Parker did with "Sports Nite" the week of Tennessee's game at DePaul this past season was posted on Tuesday. Since Parker did not play in the first half of that game because of a team curfew violation, The Heat Index wonders if the Naperville Central grad already knew she would be benched when she did this interview.

"Elle's relay race" shows Naperville North senior Elle Metz running her leg of the 3,200-meter relay in the IHSA Class AA girls track and field prelims on Friday in Charleston.

Metz, Erica Schertz, Michelle Stratton and Jamie Schertz finished fourth in their heat and qualified for the finals at 9:27 flat.

UPDATE: The Huskies finished ninth on Saturday in 9:27.15 just ahead of 10th-place Neuqua Valley. Dana Wehan, Megan Taylor, Megan Hynes and Sara Hartley crossed in 9:31.44.

Mark Menis scored five goals, Tyler Kelley made 11 saves and Naperville Central advanced to the state championship game with a 12-4 win over Glenbrook South on Saturday morning at the IHSA boys water polo state tournament in Lincolnshire.

Central is making its second championship game appearance, having finished as the state runner-up in 2005, losing an 8-7 decision to Fenwick. For Glenbrook South, this was its second overall loss of the season. Both were to Central.

The Redhawks (28-4) will play the winner of four-time defending champion Fenwick and Sandburg, which play in the second semifinal at 10:15 a.m.

UPDATE: Fenwick won. Well, calling it a victory doesn't really do it justice. The Friars showed no mercy in classic Cobra Kai style, sweeping the leg of Sandburg 22-10. That's two games and 44 goals for Fenwick.

According to the live blog at illpolo.com, Menis scored three of his goals on lobs, two in the first quarter from outside the 5-meter mark, including one on the opening possession of the match. He also scored in transition in the third quarter after Zach Cejna forced a turnover.

Max Saltzman and Bobby Rickert both had two goals and two assists. Ben Reasons scored on penalty shot in the second quarter and from 7-meters in the fourth quarter. Mark Giuliani scored from 5-meters in the first quarter on a pass from Saltzman.

Waubonsie Valley junior Shakeia Pinnick ran the fastest times in both the 100-meter high hurdles and the 300 low hurdles on Friday in the prelims of the IHSA Class AA girls track and field state championships at EIU's O'Brien Stadium in Charleston.

Pinnick's time in the 300 hurdles -- 42.77 seconds -- has her way out in front of the pack. Morgan Monroe of Lane Tech was the second fastest at 43.05.

In the 100 hurdles, Pinnick has some tough company with her 14.35. East St. Louis Senior High's Ronecia East, as in 2007 100-meter dash state champion Ronecia East, qualified at 14.39. East also ran the fastest time in the 200 and qualified for the 100 finals, too, so she's pretty slow.

Naperville Central beat Loyola Academy 11-8 on Friday night in the nightcap of four quarterfinals at the girls water polo state tournament in Lincolnshire.

The Redhawks (23-11) will face defending state champion Mother McAuley (21-7) in the semifinals on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. at Stevenson High School. The Mighty Macs beat Central 8-5 in Naperville on April 29.

Powerhouse Fenwick (26-4), last-year's state runner up and the winner of three of the six IHSA titles, will play Stevenson (28-6) in the other semifinal.

The championship is at 8 p.m. and the third-place game is at 5 p.m.

After taking a pair of games from rival Naperville Central on Thursday, Naperville North can win the DuPage Valley Conference baseball title outright with another victory against the Redhawks today.

If the Huskies do claim the DVC title - is it the kind of momentum-builder that can help them dethrone defending state champ Neuqua Valley and win a sectional title?

Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis expounded on a variety of topics during a visit to Wheaton for an alumni event Wednesday. Here's what he had to say:

On sophomore center Bill Flavin, a walk-on and Benet graduate:
"When guys come out as a walk-on here, we don't just let them out on the team. They go through a testing program so when we put them out there ... the last thing I want to do is put somebody out there that can get hurt while they're out there. I think that would be a little hypocritical on my part to do that. So he got through that program without any problems, is doing well in school, doesn't get in any trouble. And when a kid comes out and walks on for us, they have a significant role in practice just like everyone else does. Now, their significant role might be showing the other team's offense, but it's still a significant role."

On his upcoming trip to the Middle East as part of the NCAA Football Coaches Tour through Armed Forces Entertainment:
"(I've) never been to the Middle East. I'm looking forward to it. I already got my shots. You have to take typhoid shots; you have to get all these immunizations before you go. I haven't had a passport since I was a sophomore in high school, so I had to go through that process, too, so I'm well-prepared."

On potential dangers of going to the Middle East:
"(I'm) not too (worried), but you figure you're going with the military so security has to be a major deal. They said to be patient when you go through customs and things like that. When they check your stuff, just roll with the punches. But I'm really looking forward to (the tour). In just a small way you're paying these guys back for what they do for us. But anyone who's asked to do this I'm sure would jump on this opportunity."
On his friendship with President Bush:
"He's a guy that you could see yourself sitting around with, just watching a ballgame, just talking about life in general. Big sports fan. College football and pro baseball are his two passions. He's a big UT fan, (and is) close with (Texas coach) Mack Brown. I just think he's a good guy."

On whether a Texas-Notre Dame series would be in the works:
"You're talking to the wrong person. I've got enough problems worrying about playing the games let alone worrying about scheduling them. I stay out of that stuff."

On whether college football should have a playoff system:
"I'm not really sure what the stand of Notre Dame is on plus-one or whatever. I'm not really sure what their stand is, but I come from a background of playoffs, so for me I've always been a fan of playoffs. The problem with playoffs, whether it's a four-team playoff, six-team playoff, eight-team playoff, there's always going to be an argument about the last two teams. So if there's a four-team playoff, instead of it being about who's second or who's third, it'll be about who's fourth and who's fifth. So no matter how many teams you put in there, because college football can be so subjective, there's always going to be an issue of that last team who ends up getting in. no matter where it is."

The Heat Index wonders if Naperville North seniors Jon Bunge and Dan Orna have injuries that will prevent them from playing when the state playoffs begin next week.

Maybe they played on Thursday night in a loss to Wheaton Warrenville South. I don't know because I was in Stevenson for the boys water polo state shindig (not that I would have gone to watch North when Central was playing for a share of the DVC, but this is not the point, don't ruin my momentum). Since the Huskies lost 21 and 21, I doubt they did play.

After seeing this post on the message board of volleyballmag.com...

This just in from our roving reporter: Bunge out with a high ankle spain. OH Dan Orna #2 out as well....

...I sent North coach Roger Strausberger an email Thursday morning asking if it is true that Bunge and Orna recently were injured. No response.

A source on Thursday afternoon did confirm that yes, the two seniors were in fact hurt. That's where the information train ran out of coal.

How hurt? How long will they be out? Did they play on Thursday?

UPDATE: Strausberger said in his email response Friday morning that Bunge and Orna did suffer ankle injuries. Orna played on Thursday, but Bunge did not. As for the playoffs for Bunge?

"It's a pretty good sprain and hope to have him back for sectionals," Strausberger wrote.

Naperville Central is a team built on pitching and defense, two pillars that collapsed in the sixth inning of Thursday's 9-8 loss to Naperville North.

The Redhawks were cruising in a continuation of game suspended after four innings two days earlier, with Central leading 4-2. North had just committed two errors in the top half of the sixth, allowing four runs to score, and it was almost as if Central couldn't handle it.

"8-2 lead, it seems like we did kind of loosen up there a little bit when they started (rolling), getting a few runs here and there," Central catcher John Holm said. "There was a couple double play balls in that inning that just didn't hop for us."

North converted three hits, three walks and an error into six runs and a tie ballgame. The pressure tilted all the way back to Central once Ben Kelsey delivered that walk-off hit in the seventh, and Jake Naumann, the North ace who pitched a perfect inning in relief to earn the victory, walked out for game two.

"I was hopin' the whole game I'd have enough to finish off the second one," Naumann said. "Got some guys swingin' at first pitches, and it worked out for me."

Naumann knew he would be used in game one if the Huskies tied the game or took the lead, and the junior allowed only four hits and an unearned run in eight innings on Thursday.

"What wasn't workin' for Naumann today?" North catcher Mike Nodzenski said, flipping a reporter's question. "He was able to spot the fastball. He was able (to) throw his breaking ball for strikes at different speeds (and) in particular today he was able to throw a split-finger (fastball) to put guys away with two strikes."

Central threatened in the sixth, loading the bases on an error, two walks and a fielder's choice. Holm drove in Central's run with an infield single to make it a 4-1 game, but Naumann next induced an inning-ending double play ball from Marc Mantucca. It was the only inning Naumann allowed more than four hitters to the plate (six).

"You know when (Naumann's) on the mound that we got to play tough D and just scratch (out) runs here and there," Holm said. "We didn't do that today."

For the second time this season, the Naperville Central boys water polo team will play Glenbrook South. This match -- Saturday in the semifinals of the IHSA state tournament -- will be significantly more important than their regular season clash.

Central (27-4) beat Glenbrook South 8-7 in that match, which was in pool play of Central's Best of the West Tournament on April 11, to give the Titans (29-1) their lone loss.

So the teams are acquainted. Here's what you have to know (or remember if you must) about the Titans: they are the champions of the Glenbrook North Sectional and the champions of the Central Suburban Conference. OK, you don't really need to know that, but it's true, and slightly impressive.

Four-time defending state champion Fenwick crushed Schaumburg 22-7 in the fourth and final quarterfinal at the boys water polo state tournament on Thursday night in Lincolnshire.

The Friars, whom have won five of the six IHSA state titles, will play Sandburg in the semifinals on Saturday. Naperville Central will play Glenbrook South in the other semifinal.

For a spot of perspective, this was the fifth match this season where Fenwick (30-1) has scored 20 or more goals. The other seven state finalists combined to do that once this year.

Following Neuqua Valley's 5-3 loss to Downers Grove South on Thursday, Neuqua coach Michelle Schmidt made a good point about how, once the season starts, there's hardly any down time to work out a team's kinks.

"There's no time to work on what you want to work on," she said. "We've had two practices since April 1."

It's frustrating for all teams, but exacerbating the grueling schedule has been this season's weather. As Lake Park coach Cray Allen pointed out last Monday, many teams have been unable to get into a rhythm. Squads play two games and then get rained out. So, there is down time, just not the kind that coaches can really use to their benefit.

Allen thinks the weather craziness has created execution problems for many teams. Coaches and players can't get on the same page when it comes to pulling off the little things that win games. Allen went as far to say that the teams that have been on a roll the last couple weeks may be the ones that hang around the longest during the postseason. I agree. I also think this is great news for Neuqua.

The playoffs are always about momentum, but it seems that this season it's even more important than ever. Neuqua Valley has been playing as good as anyone over the last few weeks. The Wildcats have beaten all the teams they were supposed to beat and hung tough with big name squads like Bartlett, Lake Park and Downers Grove South, losing those games by a combined four runs. After a slow start, the Wildcats have jelled at just the right time, which makes them a scary "cinderella team." And I use that term lightly, because Neuqua is much better than the 11 seed it drew.

"We are 100 percent capable of winning this regional, but we've got to play our game," Schmidt said.

With the exception of the sacrifice bunt and a few gaffes on defense, the Wildcats have been playing their game extremely well as of late. I think an upset of the Mustangs in a regional title rematch is entirely possible. What do you think? Are any other "cinderella teams" on a roll, ready to make some noise?

Naperville Central guard Drew Crawford was named to Chicagohoops.com's Top Illinois Class of 2009 Basketball Prospects list on Thursday.

Crawford, who was The Sun's MVP this past season as a junior, is No. 29 on the 30-player list. He is the only player from the DuPage Valley Conference that was included in the rankings dominated by players from Chicago schools.

Warren Township guard Brandon Paul is No. 1 on the list.

Previously Crawford was named as one of "Six players who could break out this spring and summer" by Illinois Prep Bullseye and was ranked No. 20 on the City/Suburban Hoops Report's list of Top 50 College Prospects.

For quite a while, Country Lakes Golf Course had been fighting a losing battle to try and keep the course maintained. From a lack of ball washers to poorly maintained grounds, to debris and refuse strewn all over the course, it's safe to say it had hit rock bottom in recent years.

But the new management seems dedicated to changing all that. It has a long way to go, but at least it can no longer be described as unkempt, and the fairways and greens are gaining consistency. After speaking with some of the staff members, they seemed genuine in saying all the right things, and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that the worst is behind them.

The clubhouse still needs some work. When I was there this week, the lights were off everywhere but the pro shop and bathrooms. Yet from what I understand, that project is up to the course managers over at Royce Realty, and not in the hands of the golf staff.

What's most important to you when choosing a golf course? Price? Quality of the grounds? Challenging layout? A place to relax after your round?

This week's edition of The Hole Picture zeroes in on No. 9 on the Lakeside Course at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton. What's really interesting about this hole is that it features a fairway bunker in the shape of Dick Tracy's head, which you can see pretty well in this image.

Let me shed some light on that. The first thing you need to know is that Cantigny is built on the estate of Robert R. McCormick, the first publisher of the Chicago Tribune. And the Tribune employed both Dick Tracy creator Chester Gould as well as one of its longtime illustrators, Naperville resident Dick Locher, hence the nod to the comic strip detective.

Now I'll throw this out there: If you could pick someone's visage to be replicated in a bunker, who would it be? Maybe Naperville Mayor George Pradel? Or how about one in the shape of the Millenium Carillon?

With the boys water polo state quarterfinals set to begin Thursday night, four-time defending state champion Fenwick is obviously the heavy.

If you ask the Friars, as the Sun-Times did, that leaves Naperville Central as the team that could give Fenwick the most trouble.

Friars utility man Chris Wendt said even though Fenwick already has beaten four state qualifying teams -- Naperville Central, York, Lyons and Stevenson -- a five-peat isn't a lock.

''We think Naperville Central will be the best game,'' Wendt said. ''All the teams are good. We have to play every game with a high intensity.''

The Redhawks (26-4) play tournament host Stevenson (18-14) in the first quarterfinal at 4:30 p.m.

Benet baseball is already preparing for the regional semifinal it will be hosting on May 22. The seventh-seeded Redwings will play the winner of the No. 9 Plainfield North-No. 23 East Aurora game, but it's clear where their focus is right now.

"We've seen Plainfield North last few days. We got a group of people there (against Romeoville) today," Benet coach Jeff Bonebrake said after Wednesday's 7-6 victory over Marian Catholic. "We'll see. They're very good."

Bonebrake described Plainfield North as a team with a strong pitching staff, and a lineup that hits in spots.

"I think they're a lot like us," Bonebrake said. "It'll be a battle for us."

It's been a while since the Naperville Central and Naperville North girls soccer teams faced each other this season. But even if they'd met in the past week, the previous game would have little to no bearing on Friday's matchup in the Naperville Central Regional final.

That's because -- as has been said many times, and again by North coach Brent Terada on Wednesday night -- you can throw the records out when these rivals meet.

Just for fun, I'll take a look back anyway. Central (19-5) won the earlier meeting 1-0 against the Huskies (7-7-4) at North. Casey Short scored in the 10th minute for the game's only offense. Goalie Hannah Oppenheimer needed five saves -- all in the second half -- for the shutout.

Redhawks coach Ed Watson was critical of his team's play that night after Short's goal, feeling his team sat back too much. Expect the Redhawks to continue applying pressure if they're able to grab another early lead.

The Huskies are a defense-first team, so they'll have to take advantage of whatever offensive opportunities present themselves. After scoring four goals against West Aurora on Wednesday, North's confidence got a boost.

If the Huskies are looking for even more revenge, they can harken back to 2006 when the Redhawks downed them 3-1 in the regional final, which also happened at Central's Memorial Stadium.

But no matter what, just remember you can throw the records out. Now where have I heard that before?

Not long ago, I overheard a parent suggest that a tournament between teams from the Upstate Eight Conference and the DuPage Valley Conference should be staged at the start of the season. The parent in question was just making a casual remark, but I think it's a really good idea.

A single elimination, bracket-style tournament could take place over the weekend at Neuqua Valley, where the numerous park district fields could be utilized to host simultaneous games. Having some of the best talent in the state gathered in the same place for a day of softball games would definitely attract a crowd. Two conference schools could act as hosts and split the revenue from concession sales and admission. Not to mention, intriguing matchups like Naperville Central vs. Lake Park and Neuqua Valley vs. West Aurora could play out.

What do you think?

Nothing against a win on Senior Night, which the Benet boys volleyball team got on Tuesday against Nazareth, but the Redwings could have been celebrating a share of the East Suburban Catholic Conference crown and not their final home game.

If only the Redwings (23-11, 7-2 ESCC) could have back their loss at Joliet Catholic on April 22. Their loss to Mundelein two days later was understandble, not for how Benet played that night, which was best described as horrible, but because Carmel is a solid team.

But thanks to that ugly two-game loss at JCA, Marist won the ESCC with an 8-1 record. That one loss came thanks to Benet.

So as Benet coach Amy Van Eeckeren told The Heat Index on Wendesday night, the Redwings could have won the title, "If we hadn't been stupid."

I wouldn't have been that harsh, but I'm not going to argue with a pregnant woman.

For their efforts in the championship games of the Neuqua Valley Sectional on Saturday, Sam Virella and Max Saltzman were given Super Baller honors by illpolo.com.

Sam Virella made 15 saves in Naperville Central's 8-5 win over Neuqua Valley, which qualified the Redhawks for the state tournament. Virella did not allow a goal in the first half.

I watched the game and counted 13 saves, but Virella was indeed solid. The sophomore said she was "terrified" about the prospect of playing in the state finals. Somehow I think she will get past that fear when Loyola starts whipping the ball at her goal.

Max Saltzman scored the game-winning goal in the final minute to give Naperville Central a 9-8 win over Neuqua Valley in the Sectional finals.

Saltzman's goal was impressive, coming on a lob pass from Bobby Rickert. Saltzman had defenders around him and was still able to redirect the ball into the net past Neuqua's Brad Kay when the pressure was on. Max celebrated the game-winner with an emphatic double-armed slap of the water.

That's how Neuqua Valley pitcher Ian Krol described the atmosphere on Tuesday in Naperville -- an overcast sky, a gathering storm and the sound of sirens. Krol blocked it out, as well as any sense of his impending no-hitter.

"Actually, I had no clue," he said with a laugh after a 7-0, five-inning victory over Bartlett. "It always ends up like that.

"You're throwin', you're throwin', you're throwin'. You did everything and then...Someone comes up, 'Yeah, you're throwin' a no-hitter.'"

Krol speaks from experience after notching a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over South Elgin on April 19, and a five-inning perfect game in an 11-0 decision against East Aurora on April 29. His left elbow was a little sore on Tuesday, but the junior fought through it: "Everything was workin', I just didn't have the velocity I usually have."

The Wildcats (25-5, 19-2) can clinch the Upstate Eight Conference title outright with either a win in any of their three remaining games, or a loss by St. Charles North, which has five conference losses. The North Stars close with a three-game series against South Elgin and are scheduled to finish a suspended game against Neuqua on Friday.

Naperville Central beat defending boys volleyball state champ Wheaton Warrenville South in three games in Wheaton on Tuesday night, meaning the Redhawks still have a chance to share the DuPage Valley Conferece title with Glenbard East.

In what must have been an exciting match for those in attendance (read: not me), Central lost the first game 31-29 before winning 25-23 and 25-14.

UPDATE: The Sun-Times was there. Here is what Central junior Dan Dierking had to say about being down a game and points in Game 2.

"When we were down (9-3 and 12-6 early in game two), we talked about how much we wanted a chance to win conference," Dierking said. "It was a matter of us not giving up and pushing through. We've been in that situation before. We stayed focused."

Central (28-6) is now 11-2 in the DVC. No word yet if the Rams (11-1 for now) won on Tuesday, which would lock up at least a co-championship for them.

This sets up a megahugeical match for Central vs. Glenbard East on Thursday. Yes, megahugeical.

UPDATE: The Rams wiped out West Chicago, 25-18, 25-14 to improve to 12-1 in the DVC and grabbed at least a share of the conference crown. I'm still sticking with megahugeical.

Neuqua Valley and Benet both won their playoff openers Tuesday night, now Naperville Central, Naperville North and Waubonsie Valley will try to follow suit Wednesday.

Of the remaining matchups, the one that looks the most intriguing is the Huskies' match against DuPage Valley Conference rival West Aurora. The teams meet at 7 p.m. in the Naperville Central Regional semifinals, their second matchup of the season.

The Huskies dumped the Blackhawks 4-1 back on April 23, continuing their dominance in the series. North holds an 11-0 all-time mark against them.

But North isn't entering the playoffs on a hot streak, having finished the season 0-1-3 after a win over Geneva on April 29. Losing Jessica Kodiak to a broken collarbone also doesn't help.

Still, the Huskies should have enough to make it a clean sweep for the Naperville-area teams. That is, if Central gets past IMSA and Waubonsie can survive Plainfield North.

Take a look at the WNBA's adverts. I saw them thanks to the SportingBlog, but you can see them at WNBA.com or YouTube as well.

The campaign is called "Expect Great." Other players in the campaign are Cheryl Ford and Tamika Catchings.

Naperville's Parker says this in the 30 second spot.

"I'm sorry, but you couldn't pay me to watch women's basketball. Nothing exciting ever happens. ...
"Look at the WNBA. The league has stayed the same for 10 years. There's no new blood....
"What kind of future does that league have? None that I can see."

At this point, I'm worried about CP3. She's gone all goofy. I mean, I'm the one who wrote the WNBA is doomed, but this is scarry stuff for the No. 1 overall pick to be saying.

That's when the words splash up on the screen to end this madness.

She wouldn't say that. Would You?

Get it? Man that is clever.

Last month I figured out that a poster on the volleyballmag.com message board -- nvhsoh989 -- was Neuqua Valley senior Collin Adler. After posting my conclusion on The Heat Index, Adler confirmed that this less than subtle handle was indeed him.

On Sunday, Adler was participating in a chat about who the best outside hitters are and made a less than flattering comment about Naperville North's Jon Bunge.

Adler wrote that "Bunge is a little overrated."

yea you definitely can't say that the oh's from lyons are the hands-down the best, there are sooo many good oh's. Jordan Williams, compared to other top oh's this year is not good, give him time maybe but right now he doesn't even compare. Dodd is pretty good i guess but thats easy when you have netisinga as a setter. The top oh's in my opinion are (in no particular order) Vydra, Padden (I believe he's an oh), Murnane from Francis, Blackman from Neuqua, Larry from LF, Bunge is a little overrated from Nap North I think but still pretty solid, Dowjotas from Montini, both the guys from lyons should be included, and i'm probably forgetting some others. Rusty is playing oh for St. Charles North but they usually just have him hit A and B balls most of the time, he's definitely built to be a middle.

OK, so Adler did add that Bunge is "still pretty solid." But my best guess is that the halfway compliment gets lost in the overrated comment.

Saying that somebody is a little overrated, but still pretty solid is akin to telling your girlfriend that she is a little overweight, but still pretty.

Try that message out and let me know if she's feeling it.

The IHSA released its broadcast schedule on Monday for IHSAradio.com for the spring championships. Boys and girls track and field, girls soccer, baseball and softball will get the royal treatment.

Track and Field coverage will begin on Friday, May 16 with a recap of opening day results beginning at 4:30 pm central time. The network will then continue on Saturday, May 17 with live coverage of the final day of competition beginning at 11:00 am central time.

Spring sports coverage will then conclude with full coverage of Class 1A and 2A boys baseball and girls softball on May 30-31, to be followed by the 3A and 4A tournaments for both sports on June 6 and 7.

Any by royal treatment, I mean the state finals will be broadcast on the Internet to an audience of the six people who care enough to listen, but don't care enough to go to the game.

But either way, boys volleyball and girls and boys water polo, tough luck, the IHSA deems you too unimportant to waste audio archive space.

I'm only slightly self-conscious about the fact that I don't understand the volleyball substitution rules. And the hand signals the refs do? I've got no clue what they mean.

While I guess I should learn what the hand signals are, just for good measure, I don't care that I don't understand the substitution rules, because they are pointless and silly. In a game where you can't be disqualified for fouls like basketball, why does it matter how often or at what point a player enters the game?

Just get in there before the next serve fella. We can all count to six. Quit wasting all this time and pencil lead inventing something as pretentious as a position called libero.

It wasn't the physical pain. It wasn't the sleep deprivation. It was something different that finally got Aurora's George Hood to climb off his stationary bike and not get back on Monday morning.

"I am bored," Hood told his trainer, Preston Bokos, during the 177th -- and final -- hour of his Guinness world record ride at the Fry Family YMCA in Naperville. "I'm tired of always having to do things on this bike. I've literally been strapped to this bike for eight days."

Hood completed his epic ride at 7:30 a.m., after surpassing the record nearly two hours prior. A Guinness adjudicator, Danny Girton Jr., was on-site to officially notify Hood that he had broken the record, but the official time will be determined once Guinness officials finalize the paperwork, a process that normally takes eight weeks.

But Girton said he was going to do his best to have it completed by the end of the month, which is the deadline to be published in the annual Guinness Book of World Records. Hood's two-pronged goal was to be published and to raise money for the YMCA's Strong Kids program.

While he'll have to wait for the final word from Guinness, he left the building knowing he raised more than $30,000 for the program.

Check out some YouTube clips of Hood's final night posted by Mark Baron:

Hood getting back on pace

"Stay Inspired"

The raw data

After more than a week on a stationary bike at the Fry Family YMCA, George Hood can once again say he is a Guinness World Record holder.

Hood, an Aurora resident who set the world record for the third time in 16 months, surpassed the latest mark of 175.5 hours at approximately 5:40 a.m. in front of more than 75 friends and family members. As of now, Hood is still pumping his legs and hasn't decided whether he'll keep going once his upcoming break ends.

"You know, I'm ready to go home," Hood said moments ago, indicating his decision may be made.

Check the Heat Index later today for a full account of Hood's remarkable ride.

Now that Naperville Central has won both the boys and girls Neuqua Valley Sectional titles, the question for Naperville area water polo folk and Land O' Lincoln's WP community at large is simple.

Can anyone beat Fenwick?

The Fenwick boys have won four consecutive state championships and five of six overall. On the girls side, Fenwick is actually not defending champ, but was the runner-up in 2007 and won the previous three big trophies. So, you know, the questions still stands.

Neuqua Valley boys water polo coach Martin Bell was effusive in his praise of not only his goalie, Brad Kay, but also Naperville Central's Tyler Kelley after Bell's Wildcats lost 9-8 to Central in the sectional championship on Saturday.

"Fenwick's goalie is always talked about," Bell said, "but I think people forget about Tyler Kelley and Brad Kay. I think the two goalies that were playing today are one, two in the state of Illinois as far as goalies go. It depends on the game as far as who's one and who's two, but they're both amazing players."

In Saturday's championship match, Kay had seven saves and Kelley made six, according to The Heat Index.

Kelley stopped three shots when Neuqua had the man advantage.

Kay made two such stops, including one at the first half buzzer, but could not squeeze the ball when Max Saltzman scored the game winner off Bobby Rickert's lob pass in the final minute and change.

It's still up for grabs whether MLB hopeful Ian Krol will put soccer aside to solely focus on playing baseball for Neuqua Valley next year.

"He's like 50-50 on that right now," said Ian's father Bob. "But I think we can convince him."

Bob said the big-league scouts and college recruiters have supported and encouraged Ian to continue playing multiple sports.

Waubonsie Valley's Shakeia Pinnick qualified for the state meet in four events on Friday at the Waubonsie Sectional, including a sectional title in the 300 hurdles.

...Pinnick qualified for the state meet in four events: the 100 and 300-meter hurdles, 800 run and 200 dash.

''But in the 300 hurdles I might have been a little angry, and that ended up OK since that's my favorite race.''

And oh by the way.

Benet won the sectional team title with 88 points, followed by Batavia in second with 65 and Neuqua Valley in third with 60.

The semifinals of the Neuqua Valley Sectional went by the numbers on Friday night in the boys and girls matches, as Naperville Central and Neuqua Valley both advanced to both championships.

In both cases, the championship match pits No. 1 seed Central and against No. 2 seed Neuqua. In both cases, the final four featured the four top seeds. So, seeding committee take a bow.

Chad Ganden will not be back next season as the boys swimming coach at Waubonsie Valley, The Heat Index has learned.

Whether or not Ganden will remain as the boys water polo coach has yet to be decided. The Warriors lost to Naperville Central on Friday night in the semifinals of the Neuqua Valley Sectional.

Email queries sent to Waubonsie athletic director Mike Rogowski have not been replied to as of this posting.

Waubonsie's boys swimming head coach position was posted on the job board on the District 204 website on Thursday. Ganden told The Heat Index that he has accepted a teaching position at a Joliet elementary school.

"I needed a teaching job," Ganden said. "There weren't any available at Waubonsie."

He said he can't teach in Joliet and coach the Warriors because Waubonsie's afternoon practice starts before his new school's last bell.

"I became a teacher so I could coach," Ganden said. "But if I can't teach, I cant coach."

News that had the potential for disaster turned into just another challenge Friday afternoon for George Hood.

Hood, the Aurora resident pedaling his way toward a Guinness world record for longest stationary bike marathon at the Fry Family YMCA in Naperville, learned that the record he was shooting for had already been broken.

A phone call from Guinness came in earlier this morning alerting the Ride George Ride crew that the record had changed from 132 hours to 175 hours after being broken either Thursday or Friday morning.

Exact details are not known yet, but regardless, Hood announced he was still shooting to break the record and get his name in the Guinness Book of World Records.

"We're going to do this thing and be done with it," Hood said, shortly after learning the news. "I got a fight on my hands right now."

Hood's attempt will now take him to approximately 5 a.m. Monday. He would have broken the old record Saturday morning.

Waubonsie Valley graduate and Saint Xavier University senior Aly Kelley had five hits and two RBIs on Thursday, helping her team win two games to advance to the championship game of the NAIA Region VII tournament.

Kelley was named to the All-Region VII team on Thursday. She was previously named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament MVP and the CCAC player of the year.

Saint Xavier must beat Olivet Nazarene twice on Friday to win the tournament. Last weekend, Olivet Nazarene swept Saint Xavier in the finals of the CCAC tournament.

Fresh off his conference championship in the long jump at the CCIW outdoor meet, Neuqua Valley graduate and Cathage College sophomore Buzzy Brown will be in Naperville on Friday for the Dr. Keeler Invitational.

Brown won his conference title with a leap of 23-feet, four inches at North Park University in Chicago. The Red Men placed third.

The Keeler Invitational begins at 3 p.m. at North Central College's Bendetti-Wherli Stadium.

This week's edition of The Hole Picture takes a peek at No. 7 -- a par 5 that's 530 yards from the tips -- at Naperbrook Golf Course in Plainfield.

Here's how Naperbrook head pro Tim Dunn suggests you attack it :

"A risk reward hole where birdie or bogey come into play," Dunn said. "Usually downwind and plays downhill. A good drive is a must to get home in two. Fairway bunker on the left and high rough and rolling hills on the right will leave you no option but to lay up. The green is surrounded by water hazards, which forces a great second shot if you are trying to get there in two. A back left pin is very tough to get at. The smart play is to lay up and leave yourself a flip wedge into the green for your third shot and hope you can one-putt for your birdie."

Naperville golfers had best beware when they head out to some area courses, as some changes can be a bit tricky. Others are simply helpful. For other modifications courses have been making, read this week's Fore Sight, in the May 8 edition of The Sun or here.

River Bend
"We've redone the bunker on No. 1 and put a bunch of boulders around it into the water area just to solve our erosion problem there," said Mike Reilly, River Bend head pro.
"We're still planning a new tee area on No. 4. That's in the very basic stages. We've got the dirt down, but that's about it. We're probably looking at next spring on that. We'll continue to keep planting trees of course; trees are big with us."

Cantigny Golf Club
On Woodside No. 9 (a 421-yard par 4), there's a new bunker on the left side, about halfway to the green.
"This bunker kind of gave definition to where you should target your shot," Cantigny head pro Patrick Lynch said. "Generally speaking from the diff tees it's easy to carry. For some people it will come into play if they're a little bit shorter, but for the most part the idea was to give it a visual intimidation from the tee and better define the look of the hole."

On Hillside No. 5 (a 151-yard par 3), the bunker that protects the left side of the green is being extended.
"There's water that comes into play just off the green, so the safe shot is to hit long, toward the back of the green," Lynch said. "Now that bunker's going to come a little bit more into play."

On Hillside No. 3 (a 374-yard par 4), a new cluster of bunkers on the left side of the fairway can change one's strategy off the tee.
"Whereas before you could hit to the left sideand have a clean shot into the green, now that bunker definitely comes into play, especially for a longer hitter," Lynch said. "Now that's not a bailout necessarily. Now you either have to play it down the right-hand side or lay up a little bit short of that bunker."

Bolingbrook Golf Club
Because Bolingbrook is just a half-dozen years old, it's not due for an overhaul just yet. But the green on No. 12 (a 562-yard par 5) did need some refurbishing.
"The improvement we made on 12 was in response to a lot of feedback," head pro Mike Williams said. "it was poorly designed from the beginning. it was a very severe green, so we kind of softened some of the harshness to it."

If you read the Prep Rewind on Wednesday, you saw that Neuqua Valley clinched the Upstate Eight Conference championship. What was confusing to us was that Neuqua coach Erich Mendoza reported that his team was 7-0.

Since Waubonsie Valley on May 13 is the last UEC team on its schedule, that would mean Neuqua would play an eight-match schedule when the other teams all have nine-match schedules. Didn't add up.

I took a hard look at Neuqua's schedule and found that the Wildcats are actually 8-0, which means Neuqua has clinched the conference championship outright. So, you know, celebrate and stuff.

As best as I can tell, given the facts I have, this is what I think the Upstate Eight Conference standings look like for boys volleyball.

Neuqua Valley (8-0)
Lake Park (6-2)
Bartlett (4-2)
St. Charles North (6-2 or 5-3)
Waubonsie Valley (5-3)
St. Charles East (4-3)
South Elgin (2-6)
Streamwood (2-6)
Elgin (1-7)
Larkin (0-7)

It was an unfortunate situation that nobody ever wants to see that thrust Naperville Central freshman Krissy Many into the spotlight as the Redhawks goalie -- an injury to senior Hannah Oppenheimer.
But the plucky Many has risen to the occasion, providing the Redhawks with a reliable presence between the pipes. On Wednesday, she made 11 saves in Central's 1-0 overtime loss at Wheaton Warrenville South. It was the first goal Many allowed since Oppenheimer's injury last week.
Not bad for a first-year varsity player who had never played the position before filling in for Oppenheimer during the Naperville Invitational. In her five starts, Many has faced some pretty stiff competition -- Waubonsie Valley, St. Charles East, New Trier and WW South, among them -- and allowed only four goals.
"It was a lot of hard work and a lot of training," said Many, who played as a defender prior to moving to goalie. "It's nerve wracking getting out there, but I have a lot of fun. There's a lot of pressure put on me for my first season, but everybody is helping me deal with it, everybody is backing me up."

According to Neuqua Valley coach Robin Renner, his team has seven more Upstate Eight Conference games remaining, and St. Charles North already has five losses in conference. If both teams win out, Neuqua could clinch the title during next week's series against Bartlett.

As Neuqua catcher Geoff Rowan said after Wednesday's 1-0 victory over St. Charles East: "We're in control of our own destiny."

The Wildcats (21-3, 16-1) used a solo home run from senior outfielder Chris Kruppe, and another dominant pitching performance from lefty Ian Krol, to extend their winning streak to 15 games.

That conspired against St. Charles East's Chris Burgess, who scattered five hits and struck out six in five innings, in a game that was continued from where it was suspended on April 8.

"(Burgess) probably pitched, quite honestly, our best game of the year," St. Charles East coach Mark Foulkes said. "He threw three pitches for strikes. He did a good job (to) keep them off-balance. They hit the one pitch out, that made the difference."

For Neuqua, Krol has been an obvious difference maker, and so has a defense strengthened at the corner positions. The Wildcats last loss came on April 15 to St. Charles North.

"I really think it's the improvement in our infield, cause we started off a little shaky defensively...Our first game was like an 18-10 (win at Plainfield South). It was like a football score," Kruppe said. "You don't see any of those mistakes in the infield anymore. It used to just easy plays we weren't able to make but now we're turnin' double plays left and right and that's just, again, people relying on each other and everyone (trusting) each other."

When Neuqua Valley's Chelsea Reczek gets in the pool on Thursday night for the second-seeded Wildcats in a sectional quarterfinal against St. Charles North, she will do so with a broken finger.

Reczek told The Heat Index that she broke the middle finger of her left hand during the Stevenson Co-ed tournament last weekend. The fracture is on the side of the finger between the second and third knuckle.

Despite her finger being in a metal splint and spending a lot of time with an ice pack, Reczek was all smiles about her prognosis.

"It's not my dominant hand, so I'm not worried about it," Reczek said on Wednesday night.

The right-handed Reczek said the swelling on her finger has reduced drastically. She said she didn't expect the fracture to be an issue on Thursday.

"Just tape it up," she said.

Naperville Central girls soccer earned its 400th varsity victory with a 4-0 win over Glenbard East on Tuesday.

Casey Short, Hillary Scott, Kelly Blumberg and Jackie Renn each scored and keeper Krissy Many made one save to earn the shutout for the Redhawks (6-0-0 DVC).

Join us in offering our congratulations to coach Ed Watson and the entire Central girls soccer program.

Naperville Central's rotation sets up nicely for a three-game series that begins Thursday against Wheaton Warrenville South.

Pat Kaminska (3-2, 2.72 ERA) is scheduled to start the first game in Naperville, while Andy Pucher (5-2, 3.36) and Marc Mantucca (4-1, 2.28) are waiting for the doubleheader Saturday at Benedictine, which may or may not prove to have DuPage Valley Conference implications.

"Wheaton North's in the driver's seat. If they take care of business, it doesn't make any difference," Central coach Bill Seiple said. "We're not thinkin' about Wheaton North. We're thinkin' about us."

Seiple wasn't necessarily troubled by Central's 8-7 loss at West Aurora - it was more the way in which the Redhawks couldn't close out West Aurora.

"I didn't think we'd run the table but I also didn't think we'd come out any play a ballgame like this where we're walkin' guys and, you know, throwin' the ball around. We haven't done that all spring," Seiple said. "The DVC will take care of itself."

Central finishes its conference schedule with three games next week against Naperville North, and the crosstown rivals are set to meet again in a regional on May 22. That would make four games in 10 days against the Huskies. As Kaminska said, "It's gonna be nuts."

The hype for Thursday's WNBA preseason tilt between the Chicago Sky and LA Sparks in Hoffman Estates is pretty much gone because Candace Parker won't be in uniform for the contest - she graduates from the University of Tennessee on Friday morning.

The Naperville Central grad won't be back to the area for a game until June 3, when the Sparks visit the Sky at the UIC Pavilion.

There was a story in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday that discussed the pros and cons, wishes and truths of the fact the WNBA is now giving its new players makeup and fashion advice.

It was not Lisa Leslie or another veteran teaching basketball fundamentals but a cosmetic artist brought in by the league last month to teach the rookies how to arc their eyebrows, apply strokes of blush across their cheekbones and put on no-smudge eyeliner to receive the right attention off the court.

If you have recovered from throwing up in your mouth, let me explain why this means the WNBA is doomed.

The IHSA announced the Class 4A softball pairings on Friday and it looks like Naperville Central has the easiest road to a regional title. I should note that by easy, I mean at least compared to other area teams in the Bolingbrook Sectional.

Still, the Redhawks won't be in cruise control as they'll likely stare down DuPage Valley Conference rival West Aurora in the West Aurora regional title game. Central has yet to play the Blackhawks in conference, but will meet up with them for the first time this Tuesday. The Redhawks will also play West Aurora a second time on May 14. I'm more inclined to use that game as a a better indicator of how a potential regional title matchup might play out, simply because it's closer to playoffs, which open May 19.

A complete analysis of the Bolingbrook Sectional regional pairings after the jump.

When Benet senior Mike Quigley broke his right ankle last week, junior Kevin Massura probably knew exactly how it felt. Not the broken ankle per se, but the feeling of a devastating injury that ends a season.

Quigley was the starting outside hitter for the Redwings when his season was shattered in the first match of the Benet Invitational. Now Massura has returned to the starting lineup a year after he tore the ACL and miniscus in his left knee.

When Massura was lost for the season last year, it was Quigley that stepped up. Now it's Massura's turn.

"It's just a testament to how great these kids are," Benet coach Amy Van Eeckeren told The Heat Index on Saturday night.

Massura's return to the rotation has been notable this week. He led the Redwings (20-10) with eight kills and three aces in a win at Downers North on Wednesday and had nine kills and two blocks in a win at St. Patrick's on Thursday.

Massura had surgery in June, missed club season because of rebab and didn't step onto the court unitl January. Van Eekeren said Massura was tentative at the begining of the season, but she has noticed a surge in confidence from the 6-foot-3 Massura of late.

"I'm pleased he's stepping up," Van Eekeren said.

The National Federation of State High School Associations announced this week that instant replay will not be an option for high school basketball in state tournament games.

After much discussion, the committee voted against the use of instant replay to review specific situations during state tournaments. Three proposals were considered by the committee this year after three states had last-second shots in championship games.

"The committee discussed the issue extensively, but there was very little support for implementing video review at the high school level," Struckhoff said. "Some felt the use of video to review officials' decisions is against the philosophy of high school sports. Others said that video review doesn't always provide a conclusive decision, and the equipment would not be consistently available in facilities throughout the country. The committee also felt it would be difficult for officials to officiate without replay throughout the season and then be expected to use it at a state championship."

The NFHS did make two significant rule changes: the rebounding spots closest to the hoop will now be empty to reduce fouling per a pilot program in Georgia; the head coach, not the player, will now be given a technical foul for a player with an illegal uniform.

Rules changes for wrestling and swimming were also announced.

I've seen a lot of high school wrestling in my time, but I've never seen a backflip. Now I never will thanks to the killjoy association NFHS.

After losing to Naperville Central on Thursday night, Naperville North coach Roger Strausberger said he would be holding open tryouts every day as he searches for the right combination of Huskies.

The Huskies tried out two lineup changes at the Lincoln-Way East Invitational: moving Mike Henry from outside hitter to the middle and starting junior Ryan Kristensen at setter in place of senior Mike Buckman.

While the Huskies (19-11) presented their coach with more frustrating results -- two-game losses to Lake Forest and Lincoln-Way Central in bracket play -- Strausberger told The Heat Index on Saturday evening that he was encouraged with the play of Henry and Kirstensen.

Henry, a 6-foot-6 senior, has played in the middle on his club team and he played well enough this weekend to earn all-tournament honors. North has struggled all season with its blocking, so this move might help shore up its defense.

"He's found a spot in the middle, definitely," Strausberger said.

As for Kristensen, who like Buckman came into the season without any varsity experience, there are still some question marks, but Strausberger wants to see if Kristenesen can become effective and consistent with his decision making and his delivery.

When the Huskies (7-3) play at DuPage Valley Conference leader Glenbard East (9-1) on Tuesday, expect Kristensen to be the starter.

"I guess I'll try Kristensen again," Strausberger said.

The IHSA released its Class 4A baseball pairings on Friday, and the brackets will have a distinct crosstown feel.

After what could be a critical three-game DuPage Valley Conference series in mid-May, regional host Naperville North and Naperville Central will meet again on May 22.

If Waubonsie Valley can win its play-in game against Plainfield South, it will advance to meet top-seeded Neuqua Valley in the same regional. The Wildcats swept a three-game series from rival Waubonsie last week.

Seventh-seeded Benet will host a regional and match up against the winner of Plainfield North-East Aurora.

All these teams fall under the Urbana Super-Sectional -- if the Redwings manage to advance out of this bracket, they won't be playing across the street at Benedictine (another host) and will instead make the drive down to University of Illinois.

Check out the pairings here. Any fearless predictions?

Hello, egg? I'd like you to meet face.

It may be possible (read: it is the case) that I made a mistake when I reported that the Naperville Central boys volleyball team was in first place in the DuPage Valley Conference after Thursday's easy win over Naperville North.

It is true (please believe me!) that the Redhawks are 8-2 in the DVC. It is true that Glenbard East beat defending state champion Wheaton Warrenville South in two games on Thursday.

But it seems that the Rams are 9-1, not 8-2 as my story reported. Obviously my word alone is no good.

So if the Sun-Times has it right, that means Central trails Glenbard East by one game in the DVC. WW South and North are both two games back at 7-3.

With four games remaining on its DVC schedule, Central can still catch the Rams. The Redhawks play Wheaton North and West Chicago next week and finish the docket with both heavyweights: WW South on May 13 and Glenbard East on May 15.

Neuqua Valley senior Jake Blackman told The Heat Index that he will attend Indiana University and play on its men's volleyball club.

The Wildcats outside hitter also made visits to Colorado and Missouri. He wrote in an email to The Heat Index on Thursday that playing for a Big Ten school was the main reason he chose to play for the Hoosiers.

"The main deciding factor was the volleyball team and how it's a big ten team and I can play against my friends from other big ten schools, not to mention I'll get to play my brother who is at Wisconsin Madison," Blackman wrote.

Already on the roster at IU is Naperville North graduate Scott Anerino.

Naperville North graduate and George Mason junior Kyle Gramit was named to the AVCA All-America second team on Monday.

Gramit, a two-time EIVA All-East First Team selection, shined this season after making the move from the outside hitter position to the opposite spot. He ranked among the national leaders in kills per game, points per game, blocks per game and aces per game. His 5.70 points per game was sixth in the nation, 4.68 kills per game was seventh, 1.24 blocks per game was 16th and 0.36 aces per game was 17th.

The IHSA released the pairings for the boys volleyball sectionals on Thursday, and top-seed Naperville Central could face regional host Waubonsie Valley in the championship of the Waubonsie Valley Regional.

As The Heat Index reported on Wednesday, Warriors coach Al Lagger was not pleased with his team being the 8th seed. This might be why.

Waubsonie will play 10th seed Minooka in one of the semifinals on May 20. Central will play the winner of Lemont (16) and West Aurora (18) in the other semifinal.

In other games on May 20, second-seeded Neuqua Valley will play the winner of Romeoville (15) and IMSA (19) in the first semifinal of the Plainfield North Regional.

Naperville North, the third seed, will play Lockport (14) in the Bolingbrook Regional.

Benet, the fourth seed, will play the winner of Plainfield Central (13) and Oswego East (17) in the Oswego East Regional.

Three local guards have made Division III college basketball decisions. Naperville North's Jake Hasse and Austin Weiss will head to Wisconsin to play for Carthage College and Beloit College, respectively. Waubonsie Valley's Kevin VandenBerg has chosen Aurora University.

Although technology has advanced to the point where golf clubs can launch the ball much farther than the equpment currently on the market will allow, the sport's two governing bodies -- the United States Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club -- set limits on clubs' potency.

St. Andrews Golf Club head pro Dave Erickson, for one, is all for establishing such guidelines.

"Some of the skill has been taken away with the big-headed driver and the distance of the golf ball," he said. "A little of the skill is gone to where people can swing very, very hard at the ball, out of control, and they can still find the ball because of these big heads, where maybe with a smaller head you needed to keep your balance a little better.

Rendering courses obsolete would be another byproduct of unleashing drives of, say, 400 yards on a regular basis.

"There are so many golf courses that might be 7,000 yards and they might be beautiful golf courses; if all of a sudden you just let loose and let a golf ball go as far as you can make it go, you're really going to make golf courses obsolete," Erickson said. "You're going to make golf more expensive because now you've got to take care of 8,000 yards instead of 7,000. It's that much more fertilizer, that much more cutting of the grass, much more time to take care of it.

"And all these other courses, what are you going to do, just walk away from them because they're so short? I think there has to be a limit on this stuff and keep part of the game to where it's the skill of the player and not the clubs."

This week's edition of The Hole Picture breaks down No. 10 on Course No. 1 at St. Andrews Golf Club in West Chicago. The 503-yard par 5 might not look like much standing on the tee or even right after your drive, as it's more than reachable for quite a few players. But there's a new twist that should ratchet up the difficulty.

"We had these humps that were already in the fairway, but we used to mow them close, like fairway length," said Dave Erickson, head golf professional at St. Andrews. "So your ball would just roll up the hump and the ball would never stay on the hump. They're near the green, these five humps, in the area from 20 to 60 yards short of it.

"So what we did, we let these humps grow wild. So it really made you think about it if you don't think you can fly over these humps. Because once you get in them and the grass is a foot long ... you don't want to take that chance next time. Now it's a par 5 that in some instances you're better laying back 80 yards than taking a chance in ending up on one of these humps. It's the most St. Andrews-looking hole we have. It basically made you think a little bit more."

I'll say. I'd much rather be taking a wedge from the fairway than trying to hack out of grass that's a foot long. Has anyone played this hole and noticed a big difference in how to approach it? What other holes at St. Andrews can be tricky?