Chicago Public League Sports Blog

Q&A - James Harvey on Harlan Lacrosse

James Harvey (jr) - Harlan Lacrosse player

www.CPSfan.com had a FaceBook conversation with Harlan junior James Harvey. Harvey is on Harlan's football and lacrosse teams. Below is are parts of the conversation as well as some other Harlan Lacrosse information.

Question - Lacrosse is a relatively new sport in the city, a lot of people my self included do not know a lot about Lacrosse. Tell us about Lacrosse?

Answer -

okay lacrosse is a sport that has 10 players 3
defenders 3 attackers 3 midddies and a goalie. The
object of the game is to score on your opponent. That is
played using a small solid rubber ball and a long-handled
racquet called a crosse or lacrosse stick. The head of the
lacrosse stick is strung with loose netting that is designed
to hold the lacrosse ball. Offensively, the objective of the
game is to use the lacrosse stick to catch, carry, and pass
the ball in an effort to score by ultimately hurling the ball
into an opponent's goal. Defensively, the objective is to
keep the opposing team from scoring and to depossess
them of the ball through the use of stick checking
and body contact or positioning. The attackers
can come all the way to the 50 but can't pass
it the same way for a defender. He has a ball
and is racquet but can not pass the 50 if he does
he will get a flag.

Question- Tell me about Harlan Lacrosse?

This 2010 spring we will host a varsity squad
and a jv squad.

Question- How about your experience?

Our first year playing lacrosse was difficult I couldn't shoot I
couldn't pass but as time went on it got easier for me. 

We were one of the worse teams in the state on the jv
level,  but things changed when we entered are second
season. We had me,theo adams, aaron burnes, micheal
finney, hakeem blackmond, terrance ballard, justin fox,
carva tucker, micheal finney, and  avontae pope.

We had the number one goalie in the state on the
jv level justin fox who came big on all our games.
He was one of the reasons we had success in our
second season. Now since we know we are playing
higher competition on the varsity level we plan
to get stronger and get better. As far as our weakness 
as far as I know neil you might not know our team in all but I see
something in our team that my coaches don't see. We have a chance 
to do something this year that hasn't never been done for black 
lacrosse program and that's too win city and qualify for state. 

Those are the things we will work on.

New CPS Lacrosse Conference

Harlan will be part of the new CPS Lacrosse Conference

According to the Illinois High School Lacrosse Association (IHSLA):

Beginning in the 2010 season, the lacrosse conferences will be rearranged to better match the IHSA conference alignment. This realignment will usher in a new Chicago Public Schools Conference and a Catholic Conference. The Chicago Metro Conference will be eliminated.

Each team will be expected to play at least five of their games within their conference. Non-conference games will be scheduled after the conference game schedules have been finalized. 

Chicago Public Schools (CPS)
----------------------------
Lane Tech
Lincoln Park
Mather
Northside Prep
Taft
Harlan Academy
Collins Academy
Chicago Academy
Orr Academy

Here is a note from Coach Wilhelmi of Collins:

Collins Lacrosse thanks Fenwick for scheduling JV games in April. We are especially appreciative of Fenwick in that, not only will Fenwick play Collins, they will also hold practices with my squad and donate some equipment.

To us, that is the spirit to which we all aspire. Thank you Bill Iannessa and the Fenwick staff for this opportunity. We cannot repay such generosity.

We realize that experienced teams want to play other experienced teams to improve their programs. For some programs, it is all about winning. On Chicago's west side we just want to save lives-- give these boys an opportunity to get off the streets in the spring. We realize our kids cannot compete on the same level in the classroom. However, just given an opportunity to literally play on the same playing field as some of the more privileged kids would mean the world to my boys.

If any JV programs can find space in their full schedules for a new program, please contact collinslacrosse@gmail.com.

IHSA Sanctions Lacrosse

The Harlan Falcons will join the new CPS boys lacrosse conference.

The IHSA has sanctioned adding Lacrosse as an official IHSA sport starting in the 2010-11 school season. Currently, Lacrosse is an emerging intramural club sport in the state of Illinois with 65 boys teams, 43 girls programs, and more schools opening up programs every year. According to the IHSLA, Lacrosse will be sanctioned as long as a minimum of 65 boys teams and 40 girls teams participate.  Mother McAuley from the south side just announced they will make a new girls lacrosse team. Lacrosse is biggest in the North Shore where schools like New Trier, Stevenson , and Loyola Academy have had thriving club teams for many years.

Lane Tech has been the most dominant CPS boys lacrosse team for the past 10 years.

CPS Boys Lacrosse Report

It's true Harlan has a Lacrosse team:

http://johnmarshalllacrosse.vnsports.com/

Like Bass Fishing, Harlan Lacrosse at the varsity level is new.

Harlan had a JV team last year and should have a varsity team this spring. James Harvey is their best player and they are coached by Greg Simmons

Also, new this year will be an official Chicago Public Schools conference at the boys level. Previously, CPS schools participated in conferences that included non- CPS schools. This year, CPS schools will be grouped into one conference called the "CPS conference" as there are only few teams - Mather, Northside, Lane Tech, Lincoln Park, Taft, and believe it or not Orr and Harlan. They can still play teams outside the conference but at the end of the year, there will be crowned a CPS conference champion.

Of the CPS teams, most of them are relatively new to Lacrosse. Lane Tech is by far the most advanced program in the state and has beaten several suburban programs over the years. Last year, Lane Tech beat St. Rita, Notre Dame, and Vernon Hills. I know they didn't beat any New Trier or Loyola type schools, but Lane did finish with a respectable 8-6 record. Also, over the years, Lane Tech has had several players play at college level lacrosse.

Look out this spring for CPS conference boys lacrosse news.

3 from Lane named to All-conference Lacrosse

 

 

 

 

Lane finished with an 8-6 record including victories against St. Rita, Notre Dame, Vernon Hills and all Public League schools.

Lane Tech Lacrosse had three student-athletes named to the All-Conference team. All are seniors and all are FIRST TEAM selections.

Chris Czekaj (defense)

David Laska (midfield)

Jay Noga (attack)

Czekaj and Laska will represent the team at the upcoming IHSLA All-Star Game.

The entire list of All-Conference, All-State, and All-America student-athletes from Illinois can be viewed by clicking this link to IHSLA.org.

Lane Tech Boys Lacrosse to play Lake Zurich in state playoffs

Just wanted to make sure everyone aware that Lane Tech Lacrosse boys team earned the
#9 seed in the 2008 playoffs and will travel to #8 Lake Zurich for a Friday
night second-round game.

details of the 2008 campaing at: http://lanetech.illinoisboyslax.com/

Boys Varsity Lacrosse Schedule - 2008

 

MARCH 14  FRIDAY  @   SANDBURG  5:00 LOCATION TBA   MARCH 29 SATURDAY VS.   MIDDLETON (WI) 1:00 LANE STADIUM   APRIL 3 THURSDAY  VS. TAFT  7:15 LANE STADIUM   APRIL 8 TUESDAY  VS. MATHER  7:15 LANE STADIUM   APRIL 11 FRIDAY  VS. DEERFIELD   5:00 LANE STADIUM   APRIL 15 TUESDAY  VS. NORTHSIDE PREP  7:15 LANE STADIUM   APRIL 24 THURSDAY  VS. LAKE ZURICH    7:00 LANE STADIUM   APRIL 26 SATURDAY  @ MADISON   WEST 3:00 MADISON , WI   APRIL 29 TUESDAY  VS. VERNON HILLS  7:15 LANE STADIUM   MAY 2  FRIDAY  VS.   ST. RITA  7:00 LANE   STADIUM   MAY 6  TUESDAY  VS.   ST. IGNATIUS  4:30 HANSON   STADIUM   MAY 8  THURSDAY  VS.   NOTRE DAME 7:00 LANE STADIUM   MAY 15 THURSDAY  @ OAK PARK/RIVER FOREST  5:00 OPRF