Chicago Public League Sports Blog

The Harris Brothers of Dunbar

 
There are not too many high school athletes in the CPS with such an accomplished record as Darvell Harris(6-3, sr, above) of Dunbar. He is the starting QB on the football team, one of the leading scorers on the basketball team, and is an all-city relay runner and state qualifier in track.

The most famous brother pair in the CPS last year was football and all-state track stars Juwane and Duwane Pipkins of Robeson. This year, it will undoubtably be Darvell and Travon Harris of Dunbar.

Darvell get's most of the attention because he is the starting quarterback, one of the leading scorers on the Dunbar basketball team, and is one of the fastest sprinters in the city having been a large part of the Dunbar state qualifying. But both are special athletes. Both are tall at 6-3 and both are very fast.

The two played a large part of the uber-successful Dunbar sprint relay teams. Largely due to the Harris brothers, Dunbar won the 4x100 and 4x200 dash over good teams from Robeson and Lane Tech. Dunbar was also the only CPS class 3A school to qualify in a sprint relay when their 4x200 meter relay team qualified for state.

This fall you will hear a lot about the Harris brothers on the football field. Darvell returns as the starting quarterback. Travon returns as a wide receiver and a defensive back. The Harris brothers add a passing threat to the Dunbar offense which under longtime coach Glenn Johnson has been mainly a passing team.

Although Dunbar plays in the Illini Red-Bird - home of state quarterfinalist Simeon and city champion Curie, Dunbar will not be intimidated. Dunbar was the only CPS team to score more than 16 points against Simeon last year in Simeon's 63-32 win over Dunbar. In that game, Dunbar played Simeon tough for one half before Simeon pulled away. Dunbar also had one of the city's most shoking results last year when it dismantled Curie 54-12. In that week 8 game, Dunbar needed a win over Curie to keep it's playoff hopes alive. This year, with the return of the Harris brothers supported by quality players like returning all-conference players Antwan Jones(5-10, 145lbs, FS/RB) Dunbar has the makings of team that is expected to be near the top of conference and maybe even more.

Dunbar opens week 1 at Vernon Hills. Vernon Hills was 8-1 last year and advanced to the state quarterfinals.

Top Returning Boys Cross Country Runners

 
In cross country the top 5 runners score, so the 5th runner is just as important as the number one runner. Pictured above are some key members of their perspective teams from left to right Kirby Lawson(jr) of Jones, Mike Schaible(jr) of Whintey Young, and Deivi tahiraj(so) of Mather.

Boys Varsity(by order from last years city)
1. Abe Haji(sr), Mather
2. Jeffrey Rector(sr), Roosevelt
3. Eric Shan(sr), Whitney Young
4. David Timlin(sr), Lane Tech
5. Lucas Beltran(sr), Lane Tech
6. Jamison Dale(jr), Jones
7. Bana Negash(sr), Mather
8. Juan Mendez(sr), Mather (running XC in the fall?)
9. Luke O'Connor(jr), Jones
10. Marcelo Burbano(jr), Lane Tech
11. Sam Barder(sr), Whitney Young
12. Simon Kafka(so), Northside Prep (running XC?)
13. Andrew Zotti(sr), Lincoln Park
14. Danny Zimny-Schmitt(sr), Lane Tech
15. Kirby Lawson(jr), Jones
16. Kevin Perez(sr), Lane Tech
17. Mike Schaible(sr), Whitney Young
18. Timothy Warren(sr), Jones
19. Alejandro Meza(sr), Kennedy
20. Patrick Duffy(sr), Northside Prep
21. Ezra Edgerton(sr), Northside Prep
22. Nathan Beltran(sr), Whitney Young
23. Michael Gulan(sr), Von Steuben
24. Armando Rodriguez(jr), Jones
25. Aldair Solano(sr), Juarez
26. Robert Rose(sr), Lincoln Park
27. Eric Diaz(jr), Curie
28. Danny Gonzalez(sr), UIC
29. Christopher Salcedo(sr), Kennedy
30. Jonathan Kamel(sr), Payton
31. Tommy Komendzinsky(sr), Payton
32. Deon Morisette(sr), Kenwood
33. Rolando Ramirez(sr), Steinmetz
34. Yusef Hood(sr), Kenwood
35. Daniel Rodriguez(sr), Curie
36. Brogan Faso(sr), Lincoln Park
37. Jorge Rodriguez(so), Curie
38. Jason Lee(sr), Mather
39. Isaias Garcia(sr), Kennedy
40. Noah Spilman(sr), Senn

Top Boys Frosh-Soph city finishers
1. Logan Means(jr), Whitney Young
2. Mansur Soleman(jr), Lane Tech
3. Taro Salinas(jr), Whitney Young
4. Sultan Haji(jr), Lane Tech
5. Claudio Flores(so), Mather
6. Michael Stubna(so), Lincoln Park
7. Michael Lally(so),Lincoln Park
8. Victor Maldonando(jr), Mather
9. Daniel Medrano(jr), Brooks
10. Malik Lee(jr), Brooks

Top returning JV runners
1. Mac Melto(sr), Northside Prep
2. MichaelMorin(sr), Lane Tech
3. Marvin Hernandez(sr), Lane Tech
4. Gabe Mendoza(sr), Lane Tech
5. Brandon Radford(sr), Whitney Young

CPS Running Back Watch List Fall 2011

Brian Carter(5-10, 190lb, sr), Kelvyn Park
Kevonta McIntyre(sr), Curie
Paris Ratcliffe(sr), Simeon
Carl Young(5-9, 200lbs, jr), Orr
Steele Collins-Johnson (5-11, 155lbs, sr) - Hubbard
Brandon Peppers(sr), Morgan Park (transfered to Rich South?)
Justin Smith (5-10, 185lbs, sr) - Payton
Devon Sanders(jr) - Robeson
Ricky Harris(5-10, 190lbs, sr) - Dyett
Vaughn King(6-0, 242lbs) - Curie (playing running back?)
Lonnie Washington(jr) - Calumet
Desmond Earls(so), Morgan Park
Tavin Allen(5-11, 190lbs, sr) - Fenger
Malachi Atkins(5-8, 160lbs, jr) - Harlan
Devonte Rimmer(5-7, sr) - King
Dominic Masciopinto(jr), Steinmetz
Andres Vargas(5-10, 192lbs, sr) - Lincoln Park
Ladell Fleming (6-1, 205lbs, sr, RB/FB) - Julian
Javier Morrison(jr)- UIC
Mike Dangerfield (5-10, 215lbs)- Lake View
Abdullah Alghazali (5-10, 200lbs, FB), Pritzker

Please comment for edit/correction/ or why you feel your RB should be on this list.

Receiver Watch List
Overall Watch List

With so many schools focused on the running game, the CPS always has a surplus of quality running backs. This year is no different. The undisputed top running back in the city is Brian Carter(sr) of Kelvyn Park. Carter was one of the state's top rushers last year and is a highly coveted running back. He's got it all - size, speed, and power.

After Carter, you cannot go wrong with Kevonte McIntyre(sr) of Curie. McIntyre is part of a powerful multiple runner city championship team from Curie. If Curie has another strong post-season run this year, much of it will have to be due due to the running of McIntyre. Teammate Vaughn King(sr, RB) and D1 recruit Maurice Fleming(sr, QB) - a running QB , makes the Curie running game one of the most dangerous in the city if not the most dangerous in the city.

Paris Ratcliffe(sr), a transfer from Hales, is expected to start for the 2010 state quarterfinalist Simeon Wolverines. Word is that Ratcliffe is just as good as all-city graduated running back star Horatio Banks. We'll find out.

Brandon Peppers(sr), from Morgan Park, a serviceable back may not be returning to Morgan Park as he may have transferred to another school. If he did it was not too long ago as Peppers ran track for Morgan Park last spring. If Peppers is not there, Morgan Park's top running back could be sophomore Desmond Earls(so) who had some quality playing time last year.

Steele Collins-Johnson(sr, 5-11, 160lbs) is a gifted athlete who can play mutiple positions for Hubbard. He can return kicks, play DB, WR, and RB. He dazzled as a sophomore but did not play last season due to I believe academic reasons. He is expected to play a big role for a senior dominated Hubbard team.

Also look out for track athletes Devon Sanders(jr) of Robeson, Lonnie Washington(jr) of Calumet, and Justin Smith(sr) of Payton. All ran at last spring's state class 2A track meet and all have blazing speed.

Pre-Season Prep Bowl Schedule

 

Davion Belk(sr- center) and Whitney Young will be part of the Pre-Season Prep Bowl at Soldier Field for the first time. They will be playing neighborhood rival St. Ignatius. I love this game. Both are college prep schools, both are within one mile apart in the near west side of Chicago, and both are fierce rivals in almost every sport. The two face each other in so many sports for the road downstate. This is the first time - as far as I know - the two will be facing each other off in football. Whitney Young will always be a basketball school, but their football program has hung in there and has managed to stay in the competitive Illini- conference. St. Ignatius has a building football program that is still relatively new, having only introduced football as a sport at St. Ignatius only a few years ago.

The Pre-Season Prep-Bowl will be held opening day of the high school football season on Friday, August 26, 2011. The game pits Catholic League powers against Public League powers. Below is the schedule

Game 1: 2:30pm - Simeon vs Mt Carmel

Game 2: 5:15pm - Morgan Park vs. Providence

Game 3: 8:00pm - Whitney Young vs. St. Ignatius

The IHSA will release official football schedules this Wednesday.

Von Steuben cross country - taking it to next level

Von Steuben and their firey coach, Coach Eli Yurrick (above-right), had a goal last year to have 7 runners at every level and run a complete team at the city cross country championship. That was a good goal as Von Steuben has had lack of numbers. They almost reached their goal as Von Steuben had a complete varsity team, a complete sophomore team, and had 4 runners run at the freshman level.

"We will have complete teams at every level this fall," said Coach Eli.

Progress consists of a series of steps.

"Last year the goal was to have a team. This year the goal will be to keep building and improving that team. We have almost everyone returning from last year. Our number one runner will probably be Michael Gulan(jr). Gulan ran 17:17 at city last year and this year we expect him to be in the 16:00's."

Gulan could have some help. Some other returning runners from last year have improved. #1 sophomore runner from last year Anthony Hudson(jr) returns. Hudson placed a respectable 23rd at the sophomore level last year. Then there is rapidly rising Alcides Diaz(jr). His rise has been astronomic. As a sophomore last year he was a 13:20 2 miler type runner. But between cross country and track season he trained really hard and got down to a 2:09 800 meter run. Also look out for senior Estafanos Ijigu(sr).

If their training goes right, I think in a really good scenario, you could see a Von Steuben team with Michael Gulan running in the low 16's placing all-city. Then have a solid 2-3 of Diaz and Hudson or Ijigu running in the 17:00's, followed by a couple other guys in the 18's. Then you add a solid freshman recruitment class of new hungry freshman then you have the makings of a good season and an even better future for Von Steuben Cross Country.

IHSA Releasing Football Schedules June 29, 2011

The IHSA will be releasing official Fall 2011 Football Schedules this Wednesday, June 29, 2011. At that day, they will also release official conference teams. There is always a realignment of conference teams every year- as first place teams from last year's Chicago and Inter-City conference teams move up and last place teams move down. Look out for future posts. I'll do my best to break down the conferences, teams, and players. You'll see Neilski's take on the conference battles both for the top and for the bottom. What makes the Chicago Public League unique is that the race for the top is often the race to prevent from finishing last in conference
In the meantime, here is a quick primer on the conferences.

Illini Conferences (Red-Bird, Prairie State, Heartland)
This is the most competitive conference and the Illini conference is where every school thrives to be. Schools from the Illini conference are all state and city playoff eligible. Last year Simeon, Morgan Park and Hubbard were all state ranked and the Illini conference was home of the Fall 2010 city championship Curie Condors.

Chicago Conferences (Big Shoulders, Great Lakes, Second City, Windy City)
Chicago conference schools are state playoff eligible (top 2 teams only) but surprisingly not city playoff eligible. Every game in Chicago Conference play is important as every week there is a melee for conference positioning. The winner of each one of the three Chicago conferences move up to the Illini-conference. Last year Julian, Carver, Collins, and Senn were all Chicago Conference champions and thus will move up to the Illini this year.

Inter-City Conferences (Inter-City 1, Inter-City 2, Inter-City 3)
This is the CPS development league, and thus teams are not eligible for the state playoffs. What is most important in this conference is developing your football program. Almost all if not all inter-city schools do not have frosh-soph teams and thus freshman and sophomore play with the upperclassmen at the varsity level. But it does not mean there is some serious football being played here. Ask Westinghouse who lost a stunning 12-0 game to conference champion Pritzker. The lost sent Westinghouse to a 2nd place conference finish and another year in the Inter-City conference. Or ask Kelvyn Park. Kelvyn Park had one of the state's leading rushers in Brian Carter and went into the last game of conference play undefeated. Only to lose the last conference game to Little Village.

Maurice Fleming of Curie Picks up an Offer from Iowa

 

After attending a one day football camp at the University of Iowa, Iowa offered Maurice Fleming of Curie. Fleming is the quarterback of the city championship Curie Condors. Fleming received offers from other schools previously, but those were from colleges looking to play him as wide receiver. Iowa is looking at him as a defensive back.

I've seen Fleming play on the field as a quarterback. He displayed great athleticism, shiftyness, agility, stenght, and speed. In other words, I see him as someone that has the tools and that can be taught the defensive back position.

Update: Fleming decided to orally committ to the University of Iowa. His goal is to play in the NFL and he felt that Iowa with it's coaching and big time atmosphere was just the place to do that. He choose Iowa over offers from Ball State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Minnesota, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Wisconsin and Western Michigan.

CPS Wide Receivers Watch List 2011-12

Desroy Maxwell (6-2, 240lbs, sr) Amundsen
Shaquille Branch (6-4, 175lbs, sr) CVS
Cywettnie Brown(6-0, 160lbs, sr) Simeon
Aaron Banks(6-3, 185lbs, jr) Simeon
Deshaun Jordan(jr) North Lawndale
Ricky Backstram(6-3, 195lbs, sr) Hubbard
Leonard Williams(6-3, 190lbs, sr) Morgan Park
Jibreel Jackson (sr. 5'10 155), Curie
Terry Magee(so) North Lawndale
Imani Payton(so) North Lawndale
George Vidas(5-11, 185lbs, sr) Taft
Omar McCormick (6-3, sr), Bogan
Darius Jones (5-7, 131lbs,sr) Fenger - New
Alexander Carranza (5-9, 145lbs) Lane Tech - New
Marcellus Gee(6-3, 170lbs, sr) Corliss
Courtney Washington(5-7, 145lbs, sr) Raby
Carlton Coleman(5-11, 150lbs, jr) Kelvyn Park
Lavonte Jones (6-4, jr), Curie - New
Jordan Miller(so), Lake View - New
Danny Rodriguez(sr), Kelvyn Park - New

Please comment and state why your wide receiver should be on this list.

Overall CPS Watch List

This year's wide receiver corp is highlighted at the top by Desroy Maxwell of Amundsen. He has worked really hard the last year and made good showings at combines and camps. As a result colleges are looking hard at him. Nebraska, Iowa State, and Wisconsin are just some of the colleges showing interest in him. A good summer of one day camps this summer will certainly earn him an offer. Though i tmay not be at the wide receiver position. Amundsen plays him at wide receiver and other position but believe it or nto he is even being looked at as a defensive end in college. It helps that he has a great frame at 6-2, 240lbs.

Also keep an eye out on 6-4 Shaquille Branch(sr) of CVS. Branch, also a basketball player is a rising college prospect.

Cywettnie Brown(sr) and Aaron Banks(jr) of Simeon will be very productive this year and will be the primary targets of Robert Gregory, one of the state's top quarterbacks.

North Lawndale an Intra-city conference school has a triumvirate of young receivers in Deshaun Jordan(jr), Terry Magee(so), and Imani Payton(so). They are all tall, lean, and athletic. I suspect at least one of them will emerge in the pass happy North Lawndale offense.

CPS football all star game

from a CPSFan.com reader:

CPS Football All Star Game, Saturday, June 25, 2011, 7:30pm at Lane Stadium.

South Side schools and West Side schools are put on one team which is composed of......

(Morgan Park, Kenwood, Robeson, Gage Park, Urban Prep, Dunbar,Julian, Team Englewood, Perspective Calumet, King College Prep, Fenger)

North Side and East Side schools are put on one team which is composed of.......

(Curie, Whitney Young, Hubbard, Lane Tech, Taft and any other school northside schools. For some reason Curie is added to the North Side and East Side Schools.

Players are selected, are not going D1, but had very respectable seasons.

Dyett Wins Much Needed Athletic Makeover

Article

http://rise.espn.go.com/all-sports/articles/2011/06/17-RISE-UP-Chicago-announcement.aspx?pursuit=Football

Schools in the southeast side of Chicago tend to be the forgotten children. Carver, Washington, Dyett, and others are schools which do not get get much attention and are hardly mentioned. Most Northsiders are not even aware of Chicago's East side. Or if they have, few have stepped foot there. Most people's experience of the East Side of Chicago is taking the Indiana Sky Way Toll Road.

One East School that has gotten recent attention is Dyett. Dyett, a school of only about 400 students was founded in 1999. Dyett has recently been selected as a featured school on the ESPN series “RISE UP Powered by EAS.” Part of being in the series includes a refurbishment and renovation fo the schools athletic facilities.

Dyett need it. Dyett is a school where you don't hear too much of their athletic program because the school and it's community is plagued by so many other problems (gang violence, single parent homes, unemployment), that sports and it's facilities is overlooked. Thank you to ESPN, the Chicago Bulls’ community outreach program, a Chicago-area construction firm and a New Orleans architectural concern for your help in renovating Dyett.

Long Term Solution

I will say this while, the contributions from outside organizations certainly help. I feel the real solution will not come from outside influences -whatever that influence may be (charitable organizations, philanthropists, Federal aid, non-profits, state aid, etc.

I feel a better model is the Urban Prep. At Urban Prep they stress time-honored values such as character, work ethic, individual responsibility, etc. For more on Urban Prep read here.

If the students and parents at Dyett are to improve in the long term, I feel that in the long term their success will come down to how hard you work, how motivated you are, and how committed you are to your individual improvement. Those are things that outside organizations and centralized governments cannot do for each individual.

Good luck to Dyett community members in the quest for success.