Chicago Public League Sports Blog

Solid Effort by Public League

Saturday First Round State Football Games Much More Competitive

Final results are important. But I  look at effort and work ethic greater than the final results. You see, you can't always control how tall, strong, or fast your opponents are but you can control what you do.

In Saturday's first round state football playoff games, the CPS had much better final results than Friday. There were still some expected blow outs like Warren's 49-7 victory over Curie. But Simeon and King nearly pulled off upsets over highly favored foes. Please note all the close games were from CPS teams from Illini conferences. Teams from Chicago conferences have generally had lopsided losses

CPS First Round State football scores (Saturday, 10/31/09)

Warren 49 Curie 7

Prairie Ridge 20 King 12

Morgan Park 16 Quincy 7

Belvidere North 14 Robeson 7

Vernon Hills 48 Brooks 0

Mt Carmel 19 Simeon 14

Hercher 32 Dyett 6

Highland Park 39 Mather 7

Lakes 40 Senn 20

Morris 19 Raby 6

AA Boys Sectional Report

AA CPS BOYS RULE!!

Jones Boys Celebrate after getting in with the 5th and final spot. Jones is the first ever class AA Boys team to qualify for state after the elimination of the CPS auto berth several years ago.

Lake View's Oscar Medina takes a surprising 2nd place and a berth to the state meet for his second straight year. AND he is only still a junior! The last Lake View runner to qualify for state for two year in a row may have been Lake View distance great David Sosa in the late 1980's.

Jose Mora of Mora also get's in. 2 years in a row for him as well. Congrats to the Payton senior.

Representing the south side of Chicago downstate will be Joseph Laseter of Kenwood (far left).

Class AA boys have one team and 3 individuals qualify!

Much more pics, videos, analysis coming soon!

Great job for the CPS today at sectionals. This is the best performance I have ever seen the CPS perform at sectionals!

AA Girls Sectional Report

Jones Girls qualifies for state for the first time
Hershfang of Payton qualifies for 2nd straight time
Lake Views Oritz squeaks in!

Jones College Prep girls qualify for state! Jones becomes the CPS's first class AA girls team to qualify for state as they take a 3rd place spot! Top 15 state finish coming up?

Jamie Hershfang of Payton

 

Jamie Hershfang and Adriana Ortiz of Lake View accept their downstate invitations. Ortiz makes it downstate after missing it last year by one spot.

AAA Boys Sectional Report

Cuit Pineda - only CPS state qualfier!

Kulayfi Haji - OUT!

 

Cuit Pineda (sr) of Northside Prep gives the thumbs up after accepting his invitation to the state meet after qualifying as an individual. Pineda was the only individual boys to qualify for state.

At about the 1.6 mile mark, we have Kulayfi Haji (far left) of Lane Tech just behind a Loyola runner and then we have Cuit Pineda (far right) behind a York runner. Haji was in the running for an individual qualifying spt at this point of the race, but shortly afterwards, he ran out of gas and ended up way back. "It had to be somehting physical, not mental with Haji" said Lane Tech coach Kris Roof.

AAA Girls Sectional Report

Whitney Young qualifies for state with 2nd place finish!

Whitney Young girls qualified for state for the third year in a row. "I expected to qualify, but I didn't expect we we do it by this much.....Rachel [Jaravsky, their #2 runner] ran without a shoe for a portion of the race" said Whitney Young head coach Bob Geiger.

Public Option Fails

The Public League had an option to enlarge the teams eligible for the state playoffs. They took the option of allowing first and second place teams in the Chicago conferences to be playoff eligible. As I had predicted in my earlier blog post Horror Show, the results would be ugly.

Here is how the CPS fared in Friday's first round state football playoffs:

Crete-Monee 66 Julian 8
Proviso West 46 Taft 0
Providence 41 Harlan 7
Marian Catholic 49 Bogan 6
Woodstock 55 Orr 14

Hubbard 30 Riverside Brookfield 6

Hubbard was the only game in which the CPS was competitive. I know that there are some people that feel that giving the CPS more exposure to state competition is good or you gotta start them somewhere, or there are other blow outs. I understand those feelings. But I just think there are other more productive ways for CPS teams to get better than have Julian go all the way to Crete-Monee and lose 66-8.

The Good..... The Bad..... and The Ugly

Some halftime CPS 1st round state playoff scores as of 8:43pm...

The Good.....

Hubbard 17 Riverside Brookfield 6 - Half

The Bad....

Marian Catholic 35 Bogan 6 - Half

The Ugly...40

Crete- Monee 46 Julian 0 - Half
Proviso West 34 Taft 0 - Half
Woodstock 41 Orr 6 - Half
Providence 41 Harlan 0 - Half

What to look out for...Jones Sectionals - Class AA CPS Girls

Kelsey Marron (so) and Payton are looking to improve upon last year's 8th place sectional finish

Payton Girls - Payton quitely came close to qualify for state last year when they finished 8th. #1 runner Jamie Hershfang should qualify for state again if the team doesn't make it. I'm looking to see how close Payton's 2-5 are to Hershfang. 2-5 could be Theo Cunningham (jr), Kelsey Marron (so), Savanna Gramman (so), and Daniella Guerrero (jr). Those 5 have to be less than 90 seconds away from Hershfang if Payton wants a chance of advancing to state. The Payton girls program seems to be improving every year. Cunningham and Hershfang did not run at regionals last week, I want to see how they perform at sectionals.

Cade Yanowski (sr-left) of Jones and Adriana Ortiz of Lake View are two CPS individuals that could advance to state.

Jones Girls - This is the best ever Jones girls team I have ever seen. No all-state caliber runners on this team. What they do have is a solid 1-4 pack led by of Cade Yanowski (9th at city). Cade led Jones to their best finish ever at city with a 4th place finish ahead of Northside, Mather, and Payton. I'm going to look for their 5th runner. If their 5th runner is anywhere close to Jones's #4. Then you're talking about a top 7 finish at sectionals. Yanowski has a chance to qualify for state as an individual if the team doesn't qualify.

Adriana Ortiz - Lake View runner Adriana Ortiz, missed qualifying for state by one place. I'm looking for her to challenge again this year.

Other CPS individuals - I'm going to look out for the following CPS individuals. #1 runner, Jocelyn Scott of Kenwood is a rising sophomore that could break 21 minutes. Kyra Kimber (jr) of DuSable ran a 21:18 at the city meet two weeks ago, then improved to a 20:31at regionals finishing 7th. If she makes another leap at sectional, she could be the surprise of the meet.

Tomlison and Trinca-Pasat - 2 DI's from Lane Tech

Louis Pasat-Trinca (left) and Laken Tomlinson (right) of Lane Tech

The following article was reprinted with permission from the Lane Tech Warrior student newspaper

by Erik Prado

This past summer, varsity football players Louis Trinca-Pasat, Div. 023, and Laken Tomlinson, Div.. 037, ended speculation about the colleges where they would play football. Trinca-Pasat committed to the University of Iowa, and Tomlinson chose Duke University. Iowa and Duke belong to the NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision), the highest division in collegiate football. Both players were offered full athletic scholarships by their schools. Each also received significant attention from other major football programs. Tomlinson received offers from many universities including Illinois, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Ohio State, and Northwestern. Tomlinson’s second and third choices were Illinois and Ohio State, respectively. The recruiting process is one that can last months. Players and their families are in constant contact with coaches. Coaches often spend many hours on the phone with recruits. “[Iowa] Coach [Kirk] Ferentz and his staff are the best coaches in the nation, and they are straight up honest people. Their program thrives every year,” said Trinca-Pasat. Iowa is currently undefeated and ranked fourth in the nation in the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) standings. Trinca-Pasat received offers from Illinois, Michigan State, and Stanford. However, Iowa was high on his list from the beginning. “They offered me [a scholar- ship] first, and my family loved it there,” he said. When Trinca-Pasat committed over the summer, he gained an advantage over fellow prospects who chose to wait to commit until National Signing Day. “I committed early to get a headstart over the other incoming football players, and to train during spring football, which is in March,” he said. In order to train for spring football, Trinca has to graduate after first semester. Graduating early and practicing with the team also improves his chances of playing as a true freshman. Going from high school to the college life has advantages as well as disadvantages. One benefit, according to Trinca-Pasat, is that he does not have to waste another semester. “The only disadvantage is that as soon as I finish my first semester, I start college, which can be a tough transition, but I can handle myself,” he said. As a projected defensive end, Trinca-Pasat was the 13th ranked senior high school football player in Illinois, according to Rivals. com’s preseason rankings. Tomlinson, an offensive guard, was ranked as the 10th best prospect in Illinois. He committed over the summer to Duke. Duke is not known as a football powerhouse, but Tomlinson chose the school for other reasons, one being that it has one of the top medical schools in the country. “[Duke] has good coaches and a calm environment. Plus, academically, they offered the best,” Tomlinson said. After graduation, Tomlinson will begin practicing with the Duke football team. He also hopes to play as a true freshman. Lane’s football teams in past years have always produced col- lege recruits. Many have been recruited to play at smaller schools. Trinca-Pasat and Tomlinson are Lane’s first Division 1-A recruits since 2006, when Xavier Torrescommitted to Central Michigan.  “We get to show Lane is a school that is good both athletically and academically,” said Tomlinson. In three or four years, those in the Lane community might see both players playing on Sundays in the NFL. Both cited playing in the NFL as one of their main goals after college. However, with the possibility that these dreams go unfulfilled, both players plan to study hard and receive the best possible education. “Off the field, I want to main- tain a 3.0 G.P..A in school and graduate with my major as a backup to football,” Trinca-Pasat said. In making it into Division 1 programs, both players named Coach Rio as one of their biggest supporters. “Rio backed me all the way, and he thought Duke was a good school,” said Tomlinson. “My acknowledgments go to Coach Rio and his coaching staff which have done an excellent job of molding this football program to one of the best in the city, allowing me to be in the position I am today,” said Trinca-Pasat. Jonathan Acevedo, Div. 021, Lane’s starting center, says Trinca-Pasat and Tomlinson make other players on the team better. “Having two elite players at practice all day helps elevate the morale and efforts of the entire team,” he said. “Working to beat them makes us better players because we know by compet- ing against them, everyone else in the city we play will be like playing against eighth graders.” “Both remain humble and work hard,” he added.

Chicago Sun-Times Chicago Public League Football All-Conference 2009

ILLINI HEARTLAND

BROOKS: Ahmad Bradshaw, Russell Freeman, Kirby Lacy, Kenneth Mason, Josh Medrano, Trinton Patterson, Jonathan Stelly; CLARK: Marco Dodd, Brandon Robinson, Earlzo Singleton, Demetrius Trapp, Michael Willis; FENGER: Cornelius Henry, Rodney Lloyd, Dominque Smith, Terrence Thomas; HOPE: Joe Davenport, Daon Frieson, Justin Garbutt, Terrell Reed; ORR: Gregory McDowell, Jamal McDowell, Hakim Pinklyn, Joshua Robinson, Martell Tanner, Carl Young

ILLINI LAND OF LINCOLN

HARLAN: Welton Crayton, Tashaun Johnson; HARPER: Rafael Boose, Kevin Brown, Maris Carroll, Robert Jackson, Robert Johnson, Donzel King, Kwame Ward, Jeremy Woods; KING: Willie Allen, Vincent Bobbitt, Jamal Keaton, Otis Lucas, Greg McKee, Terrence Nelson, Devon Robinson, Jason Williams, Marcus Winston; MANLEY: Manny Pratt, Larry Washington, Kyle Wamble; MARSHALL: Gerald Jones, Marquell Pierce, Kevin Rhome; ROBESON: Marlon Banks, Anthony Couch, Deonte Daniels, Wayne Davis, Cameren Franklin, Dion Grace, Romero Jones, Duwayne Pipkins, Juwane Pipkins, Michael Soloman, Deonte Stevens, Darren Watson

ILLINI PRAIRIE STATE

AMUNDSEN: Tarik Baughters, Ronald Zollicoffer; HUBBARD: DeVonte Avery, Kevin Collins, Albert Cruse Jr., Jerome Lassiter, David Lee, Kevin McIntyre, Brandon Noland, Ronnie Oliver, Evan Pegues, Francisco Rodriguez, Quinton Skanes; LINCOLN PARK: Elder Calderon, Jason Stigler; MORGAN PARK: Abdullah Asad, Jazzario Barrios, DaRon Brown, Jamal Cook, Dareil Lee-Crowley, Chris Dalton, Maurice Goodman, Raymond Hammond, Patrick Hughes, DeShaun Hurley, Brian Jones, Matthew Mosley, Matthew Porter, DeVontre Spears, Deonte Turner; STEINMETZ: Jose Lucero, Vincent Obah, Devon Scott, Corey Stevenson; VOCATIONAL: Ferrari Shores, Darius Smith, Shyrine Smith, David Underwood

ILLINI RED BIRD

CURIE: James Adeyanju, Sam Altman, Tevin Buchanan, Maurice Fleming, Devante Miller; DUNBAR: Malcolm Dugas, Darvell Harris, Deon Sanders; HYDE PARK: Anthony Hazzard; LANE: Jonathan Acevedo, Jairo Chavez, Carlos Dominguez, Greg Mitchell, Thaddeus Scott, Laken Tomlinson, Louis Trinca-Pasat, Greg Walker; SIMEON: Horatio Banks, Christian Bryant, LaShaun Coleman, Jordan Drummond, Fabbian Ebbele, Jasper Golden, Robert Gregory, Shaquille Joyner, Tim King, Darius Scott, Demetrius Simpson, Donovan Swint, John Tolliver, Delano Wilcox; YOUNG: Terry Baggett, Bryan Gibbons, Alex Roberts

CHICAGO BIG SHOULDERS

CLEMENTE: Samee Figueroa, Darius Howard, Rueben Morales; FOREMAN: Kenneth Green, Brian Pearson, Ryne Reynoso, Chris Thomas, Clinton Young; LAKE VIEW: Mike Arce, Demetrius Brunner, Abimbola Osundairo, Anthony, Reynoso, Carlos Rodriguez; MATHER: Rashaan Fox, Vontae Jackson, Elmer Rodriguez, Francisco Rodriguez, Ameen Solebo; PROSSER: Darius Campbell, Jamail Gamger, Kendall Robinson; SCHURZ: Humberto Ramos; TAFT: Sam Aldelphia, Fitzpatrick Allen, Nick Berardi, Anthony Hardeman, Omar Ramirez, Giovannie Rivera, Michael Shewchuk

CHICAGO GREAT LAKES

AG. SCIENCE: Shawn Ball, Anthony Collins, Kevin Oliver, Courtney Ousley, Richard Price, Mark Taylor; AUSTIN: James Brown, Kenneth Fields, Michael Howell, Terrance Moore, Tracey Thomas; BOWEN: Dequence Goodman, Andre Wharton; CARVER: Damontez Pendleton; DYETT: Aaron Collins, Chris Epison, Michael Hill, Eugene Spencer, Jamal Walls; LITTLE VILLAGE: Devontae Harris, Tracey Jones, Salvador Ledesma; SENN: Jermaine Baker, Terrance Brand, Craig Harvey, Anthony Hendricks, Yusuf Mohamed, Shadoe Nichols, Terrance Simmons, Dravon Williams

CHICAGO SECOND CITY

DU SABLE: Christopher Cooper, Andre Delaware, Mark Daniel, Anthony Tatum; PHILLIPS: Andrius Callum, Jacoby Knight, Jarvis Robinson; RABY: Daniel Cleveland, Tyran Givens, Donovan Harris, Kiwane Kemp, Chris McCollum, Torrance Thomas, Andre White; UPLIFT: Jamal Carter, Jameel Carter, Kevin Peterson, Shelton Wallace, Terrance Willis; URBAN PREP: Marcus Bass, Justin Bryant

CHICAGO WINDY CITY

BOGAN: Kareem Adewole, Fred Baker, Emmanuel Bibbs, Courtney Jones, Ashley Odei, Anthony Pierson, Dione Ross, Vance St. George; CORLISS: Brian Adams, Denzel Castine, Ellishua Fleming, Garrett Jones, Michael Price, Rasheed Woolfolk; GAGE PARK: Walter Anderson, Chris Ballard, Ulises Rodriguez, Rashied Treadway, Rashied Washington; JULIAN: Brian McCain; KELLY: Kyle Chia, Brandon Cruz, Michael Prokop; KENWOOD: Andrew Johnson, Charles Richardson; TILDEN: Ronnell Gary, James Holmes, Travon Kimble, Patrick McRay, Alonzo Stenn, Jimmy Thomas

INTERCITY 1

KELVYN PARK: Keanu Adams, Jesus Aguilar, Antonio Avalos, Brian Carter, Brian Mitijo, Robert O’Neal, Christian Rosa; MARINE: Diggs-Wilson Harry Frontis, Maurice McKenzie, Nix Odies; PHOENIX: Karl Brown, Cedrick Clay, Joe Colon, Jacque Ervin, Adam Hervera, Volta Perkins, Jamal Smothers, Michael Tucker, David Wells, Tramine Wilson; ROOSEVELT: Daniel Carmona, Richard Flores, Edgardo Garcia; SULLIVAN: Jonathan Gaines, Martrell Jones, Jamal Lawson

INTERCITY 2

COLLINS: Anthony Craft, DeAndre Evans, Juareese Gaines, Carnell Grissom, Earl Grissom, Lamar Jackson, Japone Johnson, Wyfred Phillips, Andre Stoutmire; ENGLEWOOD: Anthony Harris, Charles Phillips, Blake Spencer; HIRSCH: Ben Riviera; JUAREZ: Miguel Rodriguez, Gonzalo Roman, Julian Velaquez; LINDBLOOM: Cody Baily, Deshante Dunning, Abbulla Hasan, John Murphy, Jahliel Thurman, Robert Williams; PERSPECTIVES: Devonte Davis, Ellis Gary, William Gibbs III, Amando Vargas, Christopher Winston; WASHINGTON: Timothy Gyzinski

INTERCITY 3

NOBLE STREET: Marcos Hernandez, DeShaun Jackson, Tony Miranda, Dan Roman, Jonathan Rodriguez, George Velazquez; NORTH LAWNDALE: Christopher Brown, Charles Garrett, Tarion Hill, Maurice Williams; PRITZKER: Raymond Ewing, Darrin Johnson, Patrick Murphy, Julian Ortega, Sergio Parra; RAUNER: Percy Crudup, Carter Tindell-Hall