SoftballPrairie Ridge 11, Crystal Lake South 0 (5 inn.): At Crystal Lake, Emma Dallas threw a five-inning no-hitter Wednesday to help the Wolves keep pace at the top of the Fox Valley Conference standings. Dallas struck out 12 batters and allowed three walks, while Kylie Carroll drove in four runs and Autumn Ledgerwood hit a home run for Prairie Ridge.
Riley Barda, Alli Lieflander and Riley Sturm each drew a walk for South.
Burlington Central 5, Dundee-Crown 1: At Carpentersville, the Rockets used timely hitting to pick up a conference win. Nina Garcia drove in two runs, and Kelsey Covey brought home another for Central. Rockets starter Isabelle Reed struck out six batters and allowed one earned run off a hit over 6⅓ innings.
Josie Sheldon knocked in a run for the Chargers.
Crystal Lake Central 11, Cary-Grove 2: At Cary, Adi Waliullah drove in four runs on four hits to help the Tigers cruise to a win. Cassidy Murphy drove home two runs, while Tigers starter Makayla Malone threw a complete game, striking out seven batters and allowing two earned runs for Central.
Aubrey Lonergan drove in two runs for the Trojans.
Hampshire 6, Jacobs 4: At Hampshire, a four-run fifth powered the Whip-Purs to an FVC win over the Eagles. Ally LeBlanc was 3 for 4 with a double and triple, Bria Riebel (2 for 4, double) and Melissa Johnson both drove in two runs, and Addison Edlen was 2 for 3 with a double and RBI. Morgan Trent gave up four runs (two earned) in a complete game with four strikeouts and no walks.
Talia Di Silvio (3 for 3) drove in three runs with a two-run homer for Jacobs.
Burlington Central 11, Jacobs 2: At Burlington, Chase Powrozek threw a complete game and struck out seven batters to help the Rockets pull out a FVC win. Powrozek didn’t allow an earned run on three hits, while Bennek Braden drove in three runs off one hit for Central.
Gavin Grummer and Aaden Colon each had a hit for the Golden Eagles.
McHenry 9, Crystal Lake Central 1: At Crystal Lake, the Warriors turned eight hits into nine runs to earn an FVC win. Conner McLean drove in three runs on two hits, while Landon Clements, Kaden Wasniewski and Kyle Maness each brought home two for McHenry. Starter Bryson Elbrecht threw four innings and allowed one run on four hits with two strikeouts.
Ethan Wolf knocked in a run for the Tigers.
Crystal Lake South 10, Huntley 8: At Crystal Lake, the Gators held off a late rally to pick up a win. Carson Trivellini brought home two runs, while Nolan Dabrowski, Christian Alther, Nick Stowasser, Michael Silvius and Xander Shevchenko each finished with an RBI for South. Trivellini came in to throw an inning of scoreless relief, striking out three batters.
Dylan Visvadra drove in three runs for the Red Raiders, and Drew Borkowski hit a home run.
Prairie Ridge 6, Dundee-Crown 0: At Carpentersville, Owen Satterlee threw a complete game and struck out seven batters in the Wolves’ FVC win. Satterlee didn’t allow an earned run, allowing one hit and three walks. Karson Stiefer, Maddon McKim, Connor Innis and Riley Golden each brought home a run for Prairie Ridge.
Sandwich 4, Woodstock North 3: At Sandwich, the Thunder couldn’t overcome an early deficit. Parker Halihan and Jack Wollpert each knocked in a run for North.
Richmond-Burton 8, Marengo 0: At Richmond, Maddie Seyller and Sydney Frericks each had a hat trick to help the Rockets advance in the Kiskwaukee River Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Blake Frericks and Abby Leslie each also scored for R-B.
The Rockets will play the winner of Johnsburg/Plano in the KRC Tournament semifinals Monday.
Marian Central 7, Westminster Christian 1: At Elgin, Adriana Wrzos tallied a hat trick to lead the Hurricanes to a commanding win. Natalee Henkel added two goals, while Kailie Rosato and Jordan Cheng each had one for Marian.
Jacobs 5, Huntley 2: At Huntley, the Golden Eagles picked up a commanding win. No. 2 singles Daryan Do (6-2, 7-6), No. 1 doubles August Nelson/Jack Soto (7-6, 6-4), No. 2 doubles Ryan Fulton/Soham Kalra (7-6, 3-6, 6-2), No. 3 doubles Rudra Rathod/Ronnav Deshmukh (6-3, 6-4) and No. 4 doubles Kurtis Kornatoski/Dylan Heard (6-2, 6-0) each won their matches.
No. 1 singles Will Geske (6-3, 6-3) and No. 3 singles Ethan Cronin (6-2, 6-2) each won for Huntley.
Huntley 25, Burlington Central 0: At Burlington, Mya Holmberg scored her 100th career goal to help the Red Raiders win. Holmberg and Katie Ferrara each scored five goals, while Savannah Stone made four saves in the shutout for Huntley.
The best weather day of the track and field season turned into a cold reality for Katie Jewell
fortunately for Prairie Ridge’s star sprinter
Jewell grabbed the back of her leg and winced after winning the 100-meter dash (12.54 seconds) in Thursday’s McHenry County meet
“I pulled my groin a little bit,” Jewell said
No worries for the University of Colorado Springs-bound senior
who later won the 200 (season-best 25.27) and finished the night by anchoring the Wolves’ third-place 4x400 relay
and Jewell will be seeking a return trip to state after qualifying in four events last spring
but I just kind of ran through it,” Jewell said
“I don’t know if I was warmed up enough or what
I think because of the warm weather I didn’t think I probably had to do as much as I should have to warm up
Jewell was named Girls Athlete of the Meet after leading Prairie Ridge (106 points) to the championship
comfortably ahead of runner-up McHenry (95)
in a meet that began with temperatures in the low 70s before dropping into the high 50s by the end
Johnsburg (79) and Jacobs (78) tied for third and Richmond-Burton (71.5) was fifth in the 12-team meet
Jacobs senior Matt Scardina was named the Boys Athlete of the Meet after a dominating performance by both him and his teammates
who’s running track for the first time after playing baseball his first three springs in high school
400 (personal-record 50.89) and 200 (personal-record 22.14)
Jacobs was a runaway winner with 132 points
Prairie Ridge (98) and Crystal Lake Central (82) were second and third
and Richmond-Burton (65) and McHenry (63) rounded out the top five
Jewell came into the meet thinking she might not run the 200 because she was dealing with low iron levels
‘I’m just going to help my team out and push through it,’ ” Jewell said
Prairie Ridge also got wins from Lila Stewart in the 800 (personal-record 2:22.56) and freshman Emaline Foster in the 1,600 (5:17.06)
Runner-up McHenry won the 4x100 relay in a meet-record 49.95 with Brianna Amedio
Crystal Lake South started the finals by winning the 4x800 relay (9:54.4) with Olivia Pinta
freshman Bria Larak and Stinger captured the 4x200 relay (1:50.88)
Richmond-Burton sophomore Emily Wisniewski clocked a personal-record 16.73 in winning the 100 hurdles
Wisniewski leaned in at the finish to nip McHenry’s Olivia Meyer (16.75)
“It was a really good race,” said Wisniewski
who finished third in the 300 hurdles and ran on the Rockets’ winning 4x400 relay (4:16.8) with London Oudshoorn
“The girls next to me were really pushing me
Richmond-Burton’s boys ended the meet by winning the 4x400 relay
brothers Nick and Joe Kyes and anchor Oscar Bonilla clocked a season-best 3:28.04
and I just knew I needed to do my part and finish first,” Bonilla said after holding off Crystal Lake Central’s Jackson Hopkins
The Rockets’ 4x400 capped what Bonilla called a great night for both him and his teammates
R-B took second in the 4x800 and Bonilla was third in the 400 behind Scardina and runner-up Jacob Prechel of Prairie Ridge
“Just do your part was the main thing,” Bonilla said
Runner-up Prairie Ridge won the 4x100 relay (43.85) with Colin Witowski
Nick Flaugher of the Wolves captured the triple jump (12.84)
Woodstock North won the 4x200 relay (1:31.24) with Adan Castenada
Oliver Lavaty and Hopkins took the 4x800 relay (8:14.20)
Champion Jacobs also got first-place efforts from Kieran Nally in the 300 hurdles (41.75)
Maximilian Sudrzynski in the 1,600 (4:29.72)
Prince Barnes in the discus (45.15) and Khristos Oludimu in the long jump (6.83)
Crystal Lake Central’s Jackie Clark won the 3,200 (9:35.29) and was second to Sudrzynski in the 1,600 (4:32.07)
Clark’s teammate Eric Wang won the 110 hurdles (15.62)
The other boys winners were Crystal Lake South’s Adam Strombom in the 800 (1:58.04)
Harvard’s Braden Wittum in the shot put (14.08)
McHenry’s Jayden Linderman in the high jump (1.85) and Woodstock North’s Braelan Creighton in the pole vault (3.95)
moves the ball against Prairie Ridge on Thursday in Crystal Lake
(Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer/for the Daily Herald)
CRYSTAL LAKE – Huntley coach Dominic Saccomanno had to do a double-take recently when he watched game film from a couple seasons ago
Saccomanno couldn’t figure out who the small player on the screen was fighting to get open
Then Saccomanno realized who the mystery player was: current senior Bobby Pupich
[ Photos: Huntley vs. Prairie Ridge boys lacrosse ]
A lot has changed in the three years since Pupich played in that sectional final against Prairie Ridge that Saccomanno watched
Pupich showed off his growth against the Wolves on Thursday
He scored four goals but also facilitated the offense to his teammates to help the Red Raiders stay undefeated in Fox Valley Conference action with an 18-4 win
“Getting everyone involved is always great,” Pupich said
“It’s showing other teams that everyone can do something and all of us are contributing to be a good team.”
5-0) showed off how good of a team it can be within the first couple minutes
Nick Toman set the tone when he became open in front of the net and scored the game’s opening goal with 10:53 left in the first quarter
Engmann kept the pressure up and scored 11 seconds later
After a lull and a 4-1 lead after the first quarter
the Red Raiders moved the ball well in order to take an 8-2 halftime lead and opened things up from there
Huntley scored five unanswered goals to start the third quarter and stole the momentum for good
GOAL: Bobby Pupich scores on a nice shot to make it 5-1 Huntley with 10:39 left in the second quarter. pic.twitter.com/Y1FsaeAFAC
Pupich led a group of nine different goal scorers for the Red Raiders. He led the team with four, while Toman and junior Cam Abordo each had three. Engmann and junior Dominic Scarpelli each scored two, while juniors Michael Boniak and Joey Ferrara and freshmen Jaxon Domenz and Jaxon Janik each scored once.
“Everything started to click,” Pupich said. “We really just did what we did in practice and just stuck with the plan.”
Huntley’s Nick Toman, left, looks for an option as Prairie Ridge’s Hudson Giglio defends him Thursday in Crystal Lake. (Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer/for the Daily Herald)
Pupich has stuck to the plan more as a senior catalyst for the Red Raiders’ offense. Saccomanno said Pupich has matured more as a senior from the kid that used to just want to fire every shot he gets in order to get his teammates more involved.
Huntley has seen the benefits this season. The Red Raiders are averaging 14.7 goals per game.
Saccomanno said Pupich has a longer leash than other players sometimes when it comes to passing. Shooters have to shoot sometimes, but Pupich has bought into the system that’s helped the Red Raiders start the year well.
“He understands the systems,” Saccomanno said. “He’s accepted his role as a leader on and off the field. He’s helping them, the next generation, carry on the tradition.”
Senior Travis Dittmer scored three times for PR (5-6, 2-2), while senior Mason Schmitt added another goal. While the Wolves disrupted the Red Raiders in the first quarter, once Huntley found its groove, it was hard to stop.
“It’s a learning experience for our club,” PR coach Dana Nielsen said. “Playing games like this just makes us better. Playing against guys like this, we love tough competition. It’s no fun when we roll other teams, but we want to take on the best of the best.”
The Red Raiders are still tied for the FVC lead with Cary-Grove after the Trojans stayed undefeated in conference play with a win over Jacobs on Thursday night. The two FVC leaders will play each other May 15 in a game that could decide the conference crown.
“Getting everyone involved is always great. It’s showing other teams that everyone can do something and all of us are contributing to be a good team.”
But nights like Thursday get the Red Raiders excited for what they can do in the playoffs. Huntley is trying to win its third sectional title in four years after missing out last season.
“We’re just ready for the playoffs, Barrington, Wheaton Academy,” Pupich said. “We’re going to take every game seriously, but those are two main prizes right now.”
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
GOAL: Bobby Pupich scores on a nice shot to make it 5-1 Huntley with 10:39 left in the second quarter. pic.twitter.com/Y1FsaeAFAC
An IHSA poster board in the shape of the state found its way into the hands of Prairie Ridge girls volleyball coach Hilary Agnello amid a sea of euphoric Wolves fans at center court
“It’s so stressful,” she said with a laugh
overcome early jitters to beat two-time defending state champion St
25-17 in the Class 3A Grayslake Central supersectional on Monday night
“We could not do anything right [in the first set]
Francis] couldn’t make a mistake,” Hilary Agnello said
and everything they do well they were doing.”
which advances to state for the first time since 2018
will play Bartonville Limestone in a semifinal at 5:30 p.m
Friday at Illinois State University’s CEFCU Arena in Normal
“Certainly you’re not going to sweep a team like [Prairie Ridge],” said Spartans coach Lisa Ston
whose team looked like it might after the first set
“We knew when we won that big the first game that was very abnormal
We watched a lot of film on them and knew they were super aggressive
Once Prairie Ridge gained its confidence and started running its game plan
the Wolves went from being dominated by the Spartans to dominating them
PR sent the match’s opening serve into the net
and the Spartans went up 11-3 with Addi Samolinski serving eight straight points
The Wolves never recovered and never got its serving game going
A kill by Spartans senior Jenna Glaudel helped close out a lopsided first set
“Our serve game is huge for us,” Hilary Agnello said
“When we weren’t scoring from the end line
Prairie Ridge’s serving was the difference in the second set
The Wolves went up 2-0 on a kill by Adeline Grider (five kills) and never trailed
Agnello’s two aces helped extend the lead to 9-3
and the 6-foot hitter later added her third ace
“I think we just came out that second set and we had so much more passion,” Prairie Ridge senior setter Grace Jansen said
was strong down the stretch with two kills
“Absolutely huge,” Hilary Agnello said of Grider
and it really paid off because she hits better off one setter [Addison Smith]
and the other hitter [Jada Hoyt] hits better off the other setter [Grace Jansen]
we were able to get her to be more offensive
which is huge because it spreads things out for everyone else.”
had seven kills to tie Mackenzie Krzus for the team-lead and added 11 digs
“She can bang a ball,” Prairie Ridge senior libero Allison Rogers
“But I think our team did a really good job of working around her and looking at their team’s weaknesses and capitalizing on that
and then setting up our blocking and homing in on our strengths.”
and 6-foot senior Emma Delaney were the Spartans’ only players on the court who started on last season’s state title-winning squad
“It’s obviously tough [losing],” Horner said
“I’m really proud of how we fought through the season
Tegan Vrbancic added 15 digs and four kills for Prairie Ridge
It’s a hard team to put the ball down against.”
Bob McMillen knew he had a tough test in front of him
McMillan knew his team had to win early downs and get an early lead to force the Wolves to play from behind
“It’s hard to emulate an offense like that,” McMillen said
so explosive… Just how they use misdirection and hide the ball makes it very difficult.”
Despite falling behind on the game’s first drive
Francis built a halftime lead and its defense swarmed the Wolves after halftime in a 30-21 victory in the Class 5A second-round playoffs
Francis (9-2) also got a surprise when Prairie Ridge quarterback Luke Vanderwiel suited up and started for the Wolves after not playing since Week 6 of the regular season
Vanderwiel seemed like he didn’t miss a beat
putting Prairie Ridge ahead 7-0 with a 14-yard touchdown run on the Wolves’ first possession
his first of two rushing scores on the day
The junior signal caller finished the day with 135 yards on 26 carries
“That’s a heck of a quarterback over there,” McMillen said of Vanderwiel
“We were a little surprised to see him out there
but I thought our defense made the adjustments
and made them play behind the sticks a lot
We knew if we could get them behind the sticks and out of their game to throw the ball a bit
The Spartans answered Vanderwiel’s opening drive score immediately as Zach Washington returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown
The Spartans added a Evan Kolinski field goal and 63-yard touchdown from Tanner Glock to build a 10-point advantage
Jack Finn (89 rushing yards) brought Prairie Ridge back within four at halftime with a rushing score of his own just before the break
“We knew today was going to be a grind,” said Glock
who also intercepted Vanderwiel’s only pass attempt of the day late in the fourth quarter
but I think we just did a good job of staying with the game plan and being physical.”
Francis scored on each of its first two offensive possessions to begin the second half as quarterback Brady Palmer found Dario Milivojevic (68-yard touchdown) and Glock (10 yards) for scores to pad the Spartans’ lead
Palmer finished the day completing 9-of-16 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns
The Spartans had their lead and Prairie Ridge continued to play behind the sticks
a challenge that the Wolves just couldn’t overcome Saturday afternoon
“It was tough at first to be told I couldn’t play for the last 4-to-5 weeks,” Vanderwiel said
“I was glad I got to be back out there with these guys one last time
We had to change some things up because of [the score]
but we had a great season and I love these guys.”
but then lost our footing and never really got it back,” Prairie Ridge coach Michael Frericks said
“We just had a lot of mental mistakes today
Vanderwiel scored his second touchdown of the day on a 41-yard run to pull the Wolves within nine in the final minute of the third quarter
but neither team scored in the fourth quarter
The Spartans will head on the road for the first time in this season’s playoffs next week
CARY – For almost two years, Prairie Ridge coach Lindsay Gertz has repeated the same refrain to her team: The Wolves can compete with anyone in the Fox Valley Conference
Gertz saw a team that puts its heart on the pitch each time
Prairie Ridge faced plenty of adversity against Cary-Grove in a match between two top-five FVC teams
But the Wolves held on to win 2-1 to earn their third FVC win of the season
“It just feels really good,” junior Maria Falkowska said
especially against such a big rival like this.”
3-1-1 FVC) had plenty of work to do early against C-G
The Trojans put four shots on goal and had three corner kicks in the first 20 minutes of the match
But sophomore goalkeeper Winter Gallivan turned away each scoring chance
GOAL: Anna Mertel scores off a scramble in front of the net to give Prairie Ridge a 1-0 lead with 20:05 left in the first half. pic.twitter.com/jxXUYZlH2V
Then Prairie Ridge had some luck. With a crowded box in front of junior Trojans goalkeeper Ainsley Kemp, the ball bounced off a C-G defender straight to Wolves freshman Anna Mertel. She knocked in the ball to give her team a 1-0 lead with 20:05 left in the first half.
“To knock in one first, that was good,” Gertz said. “That was a shift in momentum. Obviously raised their spirits, our confidence, and it showed in the way that they played.”
The Wolves turned away more chances late in the first before Falkowska scored off a run in some space to make it 2-0 with 35:53 left in the match. Trojans junior Julia Valaitis broke up the shutout to make it a one-goal match with 27:44 left, but C-G couldn’t tack on another goal late.
Gallivan finished the match with seven saves in net.
Prairie Ridge’s Maria Falkowska, center, uses her body to move the ball ahead of Cary-Grove’s Julia Nichols, right,on Tuesday in Cary. Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local (Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer/for the Daily Herald)
Prairie Ridge has worked hard to get back to the high level of play it had during the 2010s. The Wolves won eight straight regional titles from 2012 to 2019, finishing runner-up in Class 2A in 2013 and competing near the top of their conference each season.
But after winning seven FVC matches in 2021, Prairie Ridge had gone 4-22-1 in conference play. The Wolves went winless in FVC action in 2022.
That’s why Tuesday felt special to many in the program. Although players and coaches know they hadn’t won a championship Tuesday, it was a big-time win that was years in the making.
“The girls don’t ever stop,” Gertz said. “[I’m] proud of them for that. To be able to get this win, I mean, it’s big time.”
C-G (4-4-2, 3-2) came off two big FVC wins over Jacobs and McHenry, respectively, where they scored five goals in each of their wins. But the scoring didn’t come over Tuesday.
The Trojans got plenty of good early scoring chances and even pressured after making it a one-goal match. But Trojans coach Anne Santucci said her team couldn’t recover after some unlucky moments in the first half.
“We were back on our heels after they scored their first goal in the first half, and we came back in the second half with no energy,” Santucci said. “We lacked our intensity. So you can’t really come back from a deficit with no intensity.”
Both teams will try to build off Tuesday. The Trojans aim to right the ship against Hampshire on Thursday before playing league-leading Huntley next week.
“It just feels really good. Everyone works so hard, truly works for it, and then once it pays off, it just feels really good, especially against such a big rival like this.”
The Wolves hope to use Tuesday’s win as momentum heading into the second half of FVC action. They’ll play Dundee-Crown on Thursday before playing Burlington Central and second-place Crystal Lake Central next week.
After waiting years to see their hard work pay off, Prairie Ridge is ready to build off the moment.
“It makes you feel hopeful for the harder games and the second half of the season and playoffs,” Falkowska said. “It just makes you feel really great. The team is able to connect more on and off the field. It just shines a big light for the second half.”
GOAL: Anna Mertel scores off a scramble in front of the net to give Prairie Ridge a 1-0 lead with 20:05 left in the first half. pic.twitter.com/jxXUYZlH2V
ExpandRain continues to fall as Prairie Ridge’s Danny Savas delivers against Jacobs in varsity baseball action Wednesday
at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake
(Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local)
CRYSTAL LAKE – Gray skies and rain didn’t obscure Jamie Murray’s vision Wednesday
The Jacobs' coach knows the caliber of team Prairie Ridge has this season. He’s seen it coming the last couple of years.
Prairie Ridge moved to 8-3-1 after beating Jacobs 9-0 Tuesday in the teams’ Fox Valley Conference opener.
“This group,” said Murray, looking at the Wolves as they raked their field after a muddy mound and persistent rain caused Wednesday’s FVC game to be suspended in the top of the second inning with the hosts up 3-1. “I remember when they were sophomores, and they’ve gotten better and better and better. They’re going to be a problem, especially in [Class] 3A.”
Prairie Ridge’s Head Coach Glen Pecoraro and the Wolves assess field conditions just before the game against Jacobs was suspended in varsity baseball on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake. (Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local)
Prairie Ridge’s roster features 13 seniors, including four-year varsity players Karson Stiefer, Brennan Coyle and Riley Golden. Danny Savas, Conner Pollasky and Gabriel Porter have been up since they were sophomores. Two years ago, the six seniors were members of a Wolves team that won a modest 14 games for the second year in a row.
“I saw what they were going to be,” Prairie Ridge coach Glen Pecoraro said. “I was excited.”
Pecoraro has nine players who are committed to playing baseball in college. Golden, a 5-foot-10 lefty who will pitch for UW-Milwaukee, is the Wolves’ lone Division-I recruit.
The FVC is loaded seemingly every year with D-I prospects, and this year is no exception.
“McHenry’s got two potential draft picks,” Pecoraro said of senior pitcher Brandon Shannon (Louisville commit) and sophomore pitcher Kaden Wasniewski. “They’re both 90-mph kids.
“I think our league has five teams that legitimately can make a run downstate.”
That’s why Pecoraro stresses to his players that they need to come ready to play, every day.
“I mean, one of the best [conferences] in the state,” said Millikin-bound Savas, who started the game Wednesday. “Our coach [Pecoraro] always tells us, ‘If you’re not ready to play every day, you’ll get run-ruled.’ ”
Said Murray: “If anybody anticipates taking a day off and getting through something, you’re going to get beat.”
Prairie Ridge’s Gavin Piekos (center) and others greet Ryan Myers after Myers scored against Jacobs in varsity baseball on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake. (Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local)
Savvy Savas: Wednesday’s rain at Prairie Ridge wouldn’t relent, and it affected Savas’ footing on the mound. After the righty went 3-0 on Jacobs’ Ryan Tucker, the game was stopped so Prairie Ridge could drop a bag of Turface and rake, which didn’t help much.
When the game resumed, Savas promptly threw ball four to load the bases, then threw the next four pitches to Spencer Drummond out of the strike zone to force in a run. That’s when the game was suspended until 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
“Tough conditions, but it’s fine. It’s whatever it is,” said Savas, who wasn’t going to make any excuses for his sudden lack of control. “It’s a competitive environment, and I love [competing].”
Young and learning: Prairie Ridge scored three times in the first inning Wednesday thanks to four errors, a walk and an RBI single by Maddon McKim.
Jacobs’ roster features six seniors, eight juniors and five sophomores.
“It’s just a young group, and [the errors] are part of the process,” said Murray, whose Golden Eagles are 4-3. “I’ve never been upset with the physical stuff, just the mental stuff, and those are things that happened [in Tuesday’s 9-0 loss to Prairie Ridge]. They’re going to grow from that.”
“This is a fantastic group right here,” Murray said of Prairie Ridge. “They’re a good barometer for us.”
Aiden Stumpf, a senior lefty who will attend Concordia University, started on the mound for the Golden Eagles. His defense had a hard time fielding and throwing the ball in the rain.
“He’s a good little competitor out there,” Murray said. “He’s a ground-ball guy. We just got to make those plays.”
Jacobs’ Aiden Stumpf makes an offering against Prairie Ridge in varsity baseball on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake. (Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local)
ExpandPrairie Ridge's Reese Mosolino throws a pitch against Huntley on Monday at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake
CRYSTAL LAKE – Prairie Ridge's Reese Mosolino always could bring the heat
the Wolves pitcher was well known in softball circles for her intimidating stature and hard throwing
But Prairie Ridge coach Scott Busam has seen Mosolino mature into a more menacing presence – and not because of her fiery fastball
“Freshman year it was the first time she was going against 17-
18-year-old girls,” Busam said of the 6-foot-1 right-hander
“She came in and everyone talked about velocity
I thought she really started to figure out her control
She can upset a batter’s time with spin and speed
and that makes her particularly dangerous.”
Mosolino’s improved arsenal was on full display Monday
In her second start of the season since returning from a broken left ankle, the Wolves junior struck out nine Huntley batters in a 3-2 Fox Valley Conference victory.
ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 15Prairie Ridge's Ady Kiddy tags out Huntley's Lana Hobday during a rundown between third and second bases during Fox Valley Conference softball game on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )
The Red Raiders (7-7, 2-2 FVC) put the tying run on second base with one out in the top of the seventh inning, but Mosolino reached back and retired the next two batters on five pitches with a strikeout and groundout to shortstop Ady Kiddy as the Wolves (5-0-1, 2-0) stayed unbeaten.
Batters had a tough time timing up Mosolino as she needed only 80 pitches (62 for strikes) to make quick work of the Raiders, the four-time defending FVC champions.
“Reese was dealing today. Speed was there, changeup was on point,” Huntley coach Mark Petryniec said. “When you’re facing an elite pitcher, you’ve got to do the little things. ... We tried to shorten our approach and just try to put balls in play. The Fox Valley is different. It’s going to be competitive. There’s some really good arms here.”
Mosolino, who is committed to Indiana, has done some of her best work against the Raiders, including her first high school no-hitter in the teams’ FVC opener last year.
When Huntley made noise in the seventh, Mosolino’s confidence barely wavered.
“Pretty calm, just making sure I’m taking deep breaths and dialing back in,” said Mosolino, who allowed five hits, walked none and allowed only one earned run. “I knew my team would have my back if [Huntley] got some hits. It felt good to get back out there.”
Huntley's Aubrina Adamik throws to first base to retire Prairie Ridge's Mary-Kate Center as she turns a double play Monday at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )
In the seventh, Huntley’s Aubrina Adamik reached first on a fielding error, followed by a double off the right-field fence from Isabella Boskey. Lyla Ginczycki just missed a homer, instead settling for a sacrifice fly. With one out, Sadie Svendsen smacked an RBI double to score Boskey.
Mosolino escaped trouble with a strikeout and groundout to spoil Huntley’s comeback.
“She’s becoming a complete pitcher,” Busam said. “I’m super proud of her.”
Prairie Ridge got all three of its runs on home runs, first a solo shot by Kiddy, an Illinois commit, and a two-run blast to center field by sophomore center fielder Kylie Carroll. Both homers came with two outs in the third inning.
That was the only real damage done against Huntley senior Gretchen Huber, who was efficient herself, throwing 73 pitches. Huber struck out four, walked two and allowed five hits.
Carroll has been hitting third in the lineup after starting as a freshman last year. Her sister, senior catcher Kendra, has been protecting her in the lineup at cleanup. Their dad Brent Carroll coaches varsity baseball at Palatine. He also is Kylie’s travel coach.
Prairie Ridge's Kylie Carroll celebrates her two-run homer with teammates on Monday at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )
Kylie Carroll said she was looking to drive an outside pitch when she hit her home run Monday. She and her dad were working on that location specifically over the weekend at NexGen Training Center in Crystal Lake.
“I feel like this win shows we’re in the running [in the FVC],” Kylie Carroll said. “We came out ready to go.”
Carroll said playing behind Mosolino gives everyone great confidence.
“With Reese, you always know she’s going to go out there and give her best,” Carroll said.
ExpandPrairie Ridge’s Connor Innis connects against Hampshire in varsity baseball on Wednesday
CRYSTAL LAKE – Gabriel Porter never flinched during the chaos
barely broke stride and almost stole three bases on one play
Prairie Ridge pulled away late Wednesday, capturing an 8-1 decision to stay perfect in the Fox Valley Conference, while handing the Whip-Purs their fourth conference loss. The teams play a rematch Thursday at Hampshire.
“FVC,” Porter said, “you don’t know what’s going to happen, ever.”
Karson Stiefer was 3 for 4 with a pair of RBI singles, Porter and Brennan Coyle each went 2 for 2 with a walk, and Danny Savas consistently wriggled out of trouble to throw 5⅓ innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts and four walks, as the Wolves improved to 13-3-1 and 5-0 in the FVC.
“Team chemistry,” the UW-Parkside bound Stiefer said of the key to the Wolves’ success the first month of the season. “Ever since freshman year, all of these guys have been super close. ... We have a great coaching staff out here. We’re playing together, playing team baseball. No one’s selfish, and it’s amazing.”
Amazing might describe the final out of the Wolves’ fourth.
The Loras-bound Porter played a big part. With PR up 2-1 thanks to Maddon McKim’s RBI double in the third, Porter drew a two-out walk from Hampshire starter Wilson Wemhoff.
Porter then stole second as Riley Golden stood in the batter’s box with two strikes. The problem was, Hampshire (14-4, 1-4) thought the home-plate umpire rang up strike three on Golden, thus negating Porter’s stolen base. Catcher Nathan Kolder vacated home plate, as the entire Whips infield assumed the inning was over.
“I thought it was over, too,” Karbowski said. “I watched the ump’s facial expressions. I knew the kid rounding second (Porter) was going to try [to score], so I just followed him home. I was yelling at (shortstop) Cole (Harkin) to throw me the ball.”
With no Hampshire player near third base, Porter took off and never stopped running. With the ball in his mitt, Karbowski raced toward home plate and applied the tag on a sliding Porter just in time.
“I saw I was safe [at second base], and then I looked and the umpire was saying safe,” Porter said. “So I ran to third, and the umpire was still saying safe, and then I just ran home.”
“[Karbowski] did a great job,” Whips coach Frank Simoncelli said of his Louisville-bound lefty first baseman/pitcher. “We were yelling, ‘Go, go, go,’ and he just took off.”
Hampshire couldn’t capitalize on the possible shift in momentum. Shane Pfeiffer led off the Whips’ fifth with a single, but the visitors went quietly after that, which summed up their day.
Savas, PR’s Millikin-bound righty, got a strikeout to get himself out of a bases-loaded jam in the first. He then stranded three again in the second, getting a force out and strike out after Wemhoff singled in the Whips’ only run.
Prairie Ridge’s Danny Savas delivers against Hampshire in varsity baseball on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake. (Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local)
“I always have confidence when Danny steps up to the mound,” Stiefer said. “I have nothing but confidence in him. I know whatever situation he gets himself into that he’s going to get himself out of it. He’s a dog.”
Bradley-bound Ari Fivelson went 3 for 3 with a walk, and Wemhoff added two hits, but Hampshire left 13 runners on base. The Whips stranded at least one runner in each inning. Trailing 4-1 in the sixth, they loaded the bases with one out, but Wolves reliever Ryan Myers got Karbowski to bounce a sharply hit ball to shortstop Gabriel Winkleman, who started a 6-4-3 double play.
Hampshire’s Wilson Wemhoff delivers in varsity baseball on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake. (Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local)
“We didn’t really help ourselves,” Simoncelli said. “They had timely hitting. We didn’t have timely hitting. If we had that earlier in the game, it might have been a different ballgame.”
PR’s Conner Pollasky also had two hits, including an RBI double and a run-scoring single.
BaseballPrairie Ridge 14, Hampshire 1: At Hampshire, junior Maddon McKim dominated Hampshire pitching in their Fox Valley Conference game. He doubled, tripled and homered, accounting for eight RBIs in the win for Prairie Ridge. Karson Stiefer also had a four-hit day, driving in a pair of runs for the Wolves. Ari Fivelson had an RBI for Hampshire.
Marian Central 12, Aurora Christian 4: At Aurora, Colin Hernon doubled twice and smacked a home run, finishing with six RBIs, as Marian captured the Chicagoland Christian Conference win. Adam Wrzos struck out 10 for Marian.
Jacobs 12, Huntley 9: At Huntley, a five-run sixth inning and one more in the seventh pushed the Golden Eagles over the Red Raiders in an FVC contest. Andrew Robertson doubled and drove in three, and Andrew Deegan had two RBIs for Jacobs. AJ Putty and Dylan Visvadra had a pair of RBIs each for Huntley.
Harvest Christian 16, Alden-Hebron 1 (4 inn.): At Elgin, Aldo Carreno had an RBI for the Giants.
Harvard 10, Plano 1: At Plano, Leona Eichholz went the distance, allowing just one hit while striking out 17 as the Hornets won the KRC contest. Eichholz also hit a two-run home run for Harvard.
Johnsburg 2, Woodstock 1 (8 inn.): At Johnsburg, Joree Tibbs scored in the last of the eighth inning to complete the KRC comeback for the Skyhawks. Carlie Majercik had an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game for Johnsburg. Megan Kuiper went the distance for Woodstock, striking out 18.
Woodstock North 6, Sandwich 1: At Woodstock, Kylee Anderson and Makayla Nordahl had a pair of RBIs each to lead the Thunder to the KRC win. Kylee Nicholson struck out seven for North.
Harvest Christian 12, Alden-Hebron 2 (5 inn.): At Elgin, Hayden Smith doubled and drove in a run for A-H.
Cary-Grove 6, McHenry 0: At Cary, Julia Valaitis scored twice to lead the Trojans over the Warriors in the FVC. Malaina Kurth added a goal and two assists for C-G.
Crystal Lake Central 8, Dundee-Crown 2: At Carpentersville, Kira Stavropolous, Allie Barnett and Addy Schaffer scored twice each to lead the Tigers to the FVC win. Ryleigh Smith had seven saves for Central (7-3-1, 2-1). Rylie Mensik scored twice for D-C (4-5-1).
Prairie Ridge 3, Hampshire 2: At Crystal Lake, Ava Gertz had a pair of assists as the Wolves edged the Whip-Purs in the FVC. Riley Sherwood and Lily Kerley added goals for Prairie Ridge. Ilsa Marquez and Josie Richert scored for Hampshire.
Huntley 3, Jacobs 0: At Huntley, Brooke Grabs, Maddie Cummings and Maizie Nickie scored for the host Raiders.
Jacobs 6, Cary-Grove 1: At Algonquin, the Golden Eagles got the best of the Trojans. Sammy Santa-Ines, Daryan Do and Soham Kaira swept singles for Jacobs. Owen Lonergan and Mason Rebscher of Cary-Grove won at No. 4 doubles.
Prairie Ridge 5, Huntley 2: At Crystal Lake, led by a win at No. 1 doubles from Cole Palese and Tim Jones, the Wolves defeated the Red Raiders in an FVC match. The Wolves swept doubles, and Huntley led by a win at No. 1 singles from Will Geske won two of three singles matches.
McHenry 5, Dundee-Crown 2: At McHenry, Owen Miller and Matt Zurwaski won at No. 2 and No. 3 singles to lead McHenry to the win. Aarav Shah won at No. 1 singles for D-C.
Crystal Lake Central 6, Marian Central 1: At Crystal Lake, Eli Irwin won in straight sets at No. 1 singles, and Audon Berg and Ryan Spencer didn’t lose a game at No. 1 doubles for Crystal Lake Central.
Lakes 15, Crystal Lake Central 12: At Lake Villa, the Tigers lost a close contest.
Harvard 79, Sandwich 35: At Harvard, the Hornets won 12 of 15 events to take the KRC dual. Calin Barnet won the long and triple jumps, and Braden Wittum won the shot put and discus for Harvard.
Richmond-Burton 74.5, Woodstock North 60, Plano 43.5: At Richmond, Nate Moreno won the long jump and high jump to lift the Rockets to the win. Braelen Creighton won the 300 hurdles and the pole vault for North.
Woodstock 83.5, Johnsburg 58, Marengo 37.5: At Woodstock, eight event victories led the Blue Streaks to KRC win. Ty Steponaitis won the high, triple and long jumps to lead the way for Woodstock. Brent Centnarowicz won the shot and discus for Johnsburg. Oliver Stack won the 800 for Marengo.
Harvard 80, Sandwich 40: At Harvard, the Hornets won 12 of 15 events in the KRC dual. Joselyn Hernandez won the shot put and discus, and Genah Arias won the 200 and long jump for Harvard.
Woodstock North 75, Plano 50, Richmond-Burton 48: At Richmond, Victoria Grant won the 100 and 200 meters, and Brenna McConnell took the shot and discus as the Thunder roared in the KRC matchup. Emerson Wold won the 400 meters, and Maya Zmuda the 800 for R-B.
Woodstock 76, Johnsburg 61, Marengo 43: At Woodstock, Keira Bogott won the 400 and 800, and Sophia Mendoza won the long jump and 200 meters to lead Woodstock. Stori Hurckes won the shot and discus for Johnsburg.
Reese Vrba hit a two-run home run for the host Wolves in their Fox Valley Conference win against the Tigers
Kylie Carroll added two RBIs and Parker Frey drove in one
Oli Victorine took the loss for the Tigers
Crystal Lake South 3 (6 inn.): At Crystal Lake
Paityn Ahlquist and Emily Glen each drove in two runs for the Trojans in an FVC win
Aubrey Lonergan was 3 for 4 with four runs scored and five steals
Holly Streit struck out six batters in three scoreless innings of relief
Ajai Bonner hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to lead the Raiders to a comeback win against the Chargers in FVC action
Lyla Ginczycki was 2 for 3 with a homer and one RBI
allowing two runs in seven innings with eight strikeouts
Casi Attapit and Faith Dierwechter both had an RBI for D-C
Chloe Morrison allowed four runs on six hits in six innings
Bailey Keller had two RBIs and two runs scored for the Hurricanes in a Chicagoland Christian Conference win
Christine Chmiel and Mia Convey both had two hits and an RBI
Hailey Holtz and Madison Kunzer combined on a five-inning perfect game for the Rockets in their KRC win
Holtz struck out seven in three innings and Kunzer had five in her two
three runs scored and two RBIs and Rebecca Lanz had a homer
Allie Botkin was 3 for 5 with an RBI and Addison Beltran had a homer and two RBIs for the Rockets in their FVC win
Isabelle Reed struck out 12 in seven innings for Central
Addison Edlen was 3 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs for Hampshire
Mia Robinson and Alexa Schuring each hit a solo homer
Maddon McKim and Connor Innis both had two RBIs for the Wolves in an FVC win against the Raiders
Karson Stiefer was 3 for 3 with a double and two runs scored
Danny Savas allowed three runs in six innings
TJ Jakubowski had a homer and two RBIs for Huntley
Logan Johnson took the loss for the Rockets
allowing three runs in 4⅔ innings with five strikeouts
the Blue Streaks were held to three hits in a KRC loss to the Reapers
Angelo Pacini and Chace Waterson each had an RBI for Woodstock
Max Haggerty struck out five in six innings
Connor Finn had three hits and an RBI for the Rockets in their FVC win against the Tigers
Chase Powrozek allowed two runs in 5⅓ innings with eight strikeouts
Shane Lamberti had four strikeouts in 1⅓ innings for the save
Nolan Hollander and Johnny Geisser had RBIs for the Tigers
John Gariepy allowed three runs (two earned) in five innings with three strikeouts
Crystal Lake South 1 (5 inn.): At Hampshire
the Whip-Purs scored 10 runs in the second inning to beat the Gators in FVC action
Shane Pfeiffer was 2 for 3 with a homer and five RBIs and Wilson Wemhoff was 2 for 3 with a double
Jackson Lee was 2 for 2 with a solo homer for South
four runs scored and two RBIs for the Warriors
Kaden Wasniewski had two RBIs and two runs
Bryson Elbrecht allowed three hits in three innings
Drew Litchfield hit a grand slam for the Indians in a KRC win against the Skyhawks
and David Lopez was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs
Robert Heuser struck out six in four innings
Jack Nelson and Brady Fisher drove in runs for Johnsburg
Julie Silva scored two goals in the last 10 minutes as the Hornets came back to win the KRC game against the Reapers
Yasmin Paredes had two assists and Jarithsie Mercado made six saves in goal
Charlene Hernandez and Rylie Mensik scored for the Chargers
3) and Chris Ptaszek and Owen Lonergan (No
3) won at singles and Parker Mauck and Alex Flores (No
2) and Salvatore Speciale and Charlie Martin (No
3) won at doubles for the Thunder in their KRC victory
Anna Starr recorded her 500th career draw control for the Tigers in their FVC win
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CRYSTAL LAKE – Prairie Ridge senior starting pitcher Riley Golden had an uncharacteristically rough start to Monday’s Fox Valley Conference home game against Crystal Lake South.
The NCAA Division-I University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee southpaw commit allowed four singles and a walk – plus four runs – in a turbulent top of the first inning that saw nine South batters come to the plate.
This, despite striking out three batters in the process.
“That just isn’t like him at all,” Wolves coach Glen Pecoraro said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him have an inning that tough.
“South just came out and immediately punched us right in the mouth.”
The Wolves (11-3-1 overall, 4-0 FVC) rallied to score nine unanswered runs from then on, which led to a 12-9 Prairie Ridge win on an evening where the wind was howling out to right field from start to finish.
Golden only allowed two more hits over the next 4⅔ innings, plus a walk. He finished with 13 strikeouts in 5⅔ innings in what turned into a fundamentals masterpiece to pick up the victory.
While the top of the first lasted 23 minutes, Golden could do little wrong after that, striking out two in the second inning, three in the third, one in the fourth, then two each in the fifth and sixth.
He departed at 105 pitches, and according to Pecoraro, wanted to stay in the game.
That mental toughness was evident when Golden spoke about the contrast between the first inning and the subsequent ones.
“My mentality was to just shake it off,” Golden said. “Things like that happen sometimes, and I was a little caught off guard that South was attacking my fastball so aggressively right away to open the game.
“I started working quicker, changing my speeds more. My splitter was getting good movement, and my fastball was getting good tailing action. Honestly, I think the wind helped its movement a bit.”
Golden struck out every Gators starter at least once.
But as effective as he was Monday, the Wolves bats also provided plenty of thunder.
P-R pounded out 18 hits, and it all started with senior leadoff hitter Brennan Coyle’s hustle triple in the Wolves’ first at-bat in the bottom of the first.
“After falling behind 4-0 right away, I wanted to find a way to re-energize our dugout,” Coyle said. “Just tried to play the game the same way I always do.
“Honestly, I think Karson Stiefer driving me in [with an RBI single] one batter later was even bigger. It was urgent that we answered back right away.”
Prairie Ridge scored three runs in the first, then four more in the second, capped by a two-out home run by Stiefer to right-center that narrowly cleared the wall.
Coyle finished the game 3 for 4 with three runs and three RBIs, while Stiefer also went 3 for 4, with his long ball plus a pair of singles and two runs scored.
Leading 8-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning, teammate and cleanup hitter Maddon McKim smoked a line-drive solo homer to right, making it 9-4.
South (8-5, 2-2 FVC) got a run back in the fifth when Gators starting pitcher Yandel Ramirez helped his own cause with an RBI single. Prairie Ridge responded with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth, to pull ahead 12-5.
Just when it seemed like a Wolves victory was a sure thing, the Gators sprung to life, scoring four times in the top of the seventh.
Liam Sullivan (1 for 3, walk) led off with a double, followed by a Ramirez walk. Jackson Lee then ripped an RBI single, which was followed by a Nolan Dabrowski walk.
The Gators added an RBI single from No. 8 hitter Nick Stowasser, then a bases-loaded RBI hit-by-pitch from No. 9 batter Xander Shevchenko, making it 12-8.
Leadoff man Carson Trivellini scored Dabrowski with a sacrifice fly one batter later.
South had the potential tying run up to bat, but despite sending nine hitters to the plate in the seventh, struck out to finish the game with runners at second and third, ending what would’ve been a spectacular comeback.
The Wolves also defeated the Gators last week on the road, 6-4, the first time they met.
“This wasn’t just a big win because it was against a conference opponent who’s really good and one of our rivals,” Coyle said. “It’s also something that potentially affects sectional seeding later in the season. So this was one we wanted to have really badly. To their credit, the entire team found ways to all contribute.”
All nine Prairie Ridge starters reached base at least once. The Wolves have scored 42 runs in their first four FVC games.
“We’ve got two big matchups against Hampshire later in the week,” Pecoraro said. “We’ve got to show up ready to play.”
SoftballPrairie Ridge 14, Glenbrook South 2 (6 inn.): At Glenview, the Wolves stayed undefeated after another big showing at the plate and the mound. Bella Moore knocked in four runs to lead another strong explosive showing for PR. Carroll knocked in three more while Reese Mosolino struck out 13 batters over six scoreless innings, allowing two hits for the Wolves (10-0-2).
Oswego 16, Jacobs 0 (4 inn.): At Algonquin, the Golden Eagles couldn’t pick up a win at home. Jianna Tanada and Talia Disilvio each had hits for Jacobs (8-8).
Burlington Central 10, Harvard 7 (9 inn.): At the Marengo Invite, the Rockets scored six runs in the top of the ninth to win in extra innings. Addison Beltran led her team with two RBIs while Mei Shirokawa, Olivia Sutton, Kendall Glonek and Peyton Glonek each drove in runs for Central (8-6).
Leona Eichholz brought in three runs for the Hornets.
Prairie Ridge 14, Glenbrook South 1: At Glenview, Adysen Kiddy and Kendra Carroll each drove in three runs to help the Wolves win their first game of the day. Kiddy hit a home run while Emma Dallas threw a complete game, allowing one run on three hits and striking out five batters.
Lincoln-Way East 6, Marengo 1: At the Marengo Invite, Marengo dropped its first game of the day. Ellie White and Arianna Rodriguez each had a hit for the Indians (13-5).
Harvard 10, Oswego East 2: At the Marengo Invite, the Hornets came back to win their second game of the day. Leona Eichholz threw a complete game, struck out 10 batters, hit a home run and drove in three runs for the Hornets (6-6). Tallulah Eichholz, who also drove in three runs, and Kristi Knop each also hit home runs.
Lincoln-Way East 12, Richmond-Burton 0 (5 inn.): At the Marengo Invite, the Rockets couldn’t keep up in a loss. Rebecca Lanz had two hits for R-B.
Marengo 21, Burlington Central 15: At the Marengo Invite, Rodriguez, Gianna Iovinelli, Kylee Jensen and Mia Feidt each hit home runs to lead the Marengo to a win in an offensive clinic. Rodriguez drove in four runs while Jensen and Feidt brought in three for Marengo (14-5).
Shirokawa hit a home run for the Rockets (8-7) while Beltran brought home four runs.
Richmond-Burton 6, Oswego East 5 (8 inn.): At the Marengo Invite, Rebecca Lanz won the game in the bottom of the eighth by hitting a walk-off single that scored two runs. Madison Kunzer hit a home run and drove in four runs while throwing a complete game and striking out 12 batters for R-B (12-5-1).
Shepard 9, Cary-Grove 6 (6 inn.): At the Leyden Invite, the Trojans dropped their first matchup of the day. Aubrey Lonergan, Paityn Ahlquist and Grace Kaiser each brought home runs for C-G.
Cary-Grove 11, Leyden 4 (6 inn.): At the Leyden Invite, the Trojans came back to win their second game of the invite. Ahlquist drove in three runs and threw a complete game, striking out six batters and allowing two earned runs for C-G (3-8).
Woodstock North 6, Crystal Lake Central 2 (6 inn.): At the Woodstock Invite, Kylee Nicholson drove in three runs to help the Thunder pick up a win. She also threw a complete game, allowing one earned run and striking out nine.
Ella Arana and Lily Perocho each knocked in a run for the Tigers.
Harlem 8, Crystal Lake Central 2: At the Woodstock Invite, the Tigers dropped their second game of the day. Perocho and Harper Wright each drove home runs for Central.
Crystal Lake Central 11, Woodstock 5: At the Woodstock Invite, Central won its final game of the day. Perocho and Adi Waliullah each knocked in three runs while Olivia Shaw brought in two more for the Tigers (9-2).
Kenzie Bowels brought in two runs for the Blue Streaks.
LaSalle-Peru 12, Crystal Lake South 0: At the Woodstock Invite, the Gators dropped their first game of the invite. Alli Lieflander had the Gators’ lone hit.
Crystal Lake South 14, Woodstock 6: At the Woodstock Invite, Hazel Hook tallied four hits and knocked in four runs to help the Gators win. Lyla Haase struck out eight batters and threw a complete game.
Tipper Axelson and Bowels each brought in two runs for the Blue Streaks.
Harlem 21, Crystal Lake South 4 (5 inn.): At the Woodstock Invite, the Gators couldn’t win their final game of the day. Riley Bardo brought in two runs for South (1-8).
Johnsburg 4, Harlem 3: At the Woodstock Invite, Addie Graff scored the game-winning in the bottom of the seventh on a walk. Sarah Nethaway tripled in the seventh to tie the game at 3-3. Joree Tibbs threw a complete game, allowing one earned run off seven hits and four strikeouts.
Woodstock North 10, Johnsburg 8: At the Woodstock Invite, Nicholson drove in three runs to help the Blue Streaks pick up a win against their Kishwaukee River Conference rival. Allyson Schaid, Hailey Campos, Sabrina Wiedman and Enot each also drove in runs.
The Skyhawks drove five runs in the fifth inning while Hannah Braun knocked in four runs.
Montini 7, Johnsburg 1: At the Woodstock Invite, the Skyhawks dropped their final invite game of the day. Riener and Nethaway each had two hits for Johnsburg (6-10).
Montini 6, Woodstock 5: At the Woodstock Invite, the Blue Streaks couldn’t come back against the Broncos. Axelson hit a home run and drove in two runs.
Bartlett 4, Dundee-Crown 3: At the Larkin Slugfest, the Chargers lost their invite opener. Emily Einhorn hit a home run while Faith Dierwechter and Casi Attapit each also drove in a run.
Dundee-Crown 22, Elgin 7 (4 inn.): At the Larkin Slugfest, Jordyn Jeffs hit a home run and drove in four runs to lead an offensive outpouring for D-C. Attapit also brought home four runs while Abigail Hsu knocked in three.
Dundee-Crown 13, St. Edward 2 (5 inn.): At the Larkin Slugfest, D-C ended the day with another strong offensive showing. Jeffs hit another home run and drove in five runs for the Chargers (6-9).
Hampshire 21, ITW Speer Academy 2 (5 inn.): At the Larkin Slugfest, Bria Riebel hit two home runs and drove in six runs to lead an offensive rout. Mia Robinson and Alexa Schuring each also hit home runs for the Whips.
Hampshire 13, Larkin 0 (5 inn.): At the Larkin Slugfest, six different Whips drove in runs for another offensive clinic. Chloe Van Horn and Robinson each knocked in three runs for Hampshire.
Hampshire 18, Geneva 0 (5 inn.): At the Larkin Slugfest, Hampshire ended a perfect day with another strong offensive game. Riebel and Robinson each hit home runs for the Whips (11-3) and Julissa Akins threw a complete game shutout not allowing a run.
McHenry 10, Antioch 7: At the Antioch Invite, Natalie Bender hit two home runs and knocked in five runs to help the Warriors pull away in their first game of the day. Elly Ernst also brought home two runs.
McHenry 10, Lane Tech 9: At the Antioch Invite, the Warriors scored seven unanswered runs to come back and win. Bender brought home four runs off three hits.
Hononegah 9, McHenry 3: At the Antioch Invite, McHenry dropped its final game of the day. Jocelyn Roeder knocked in two runs off one hit for the Warriors (6-8).
Burlington Central 3, Kaneland 0: At Burlington, Chase Powrozek homered to help the Rockets pick up a nonconference win. Zane Pollack and Wagner Viebrock each also drove in runs while Gavin Bramer, Nico Sherry, Daniel Koertgen and Shane Lamberti combined to strike out nine batters and not allow a run off four hits for the Rockets (8-5).
Cary-Grove 10, Lake Forest 1: At Cary, the Trojans bats came alive along with strong pitching to earn a win. Brock Iverson and Ricky Barnes each brought home two runs while Trojans (8-6) starter Keenan Krysh struck out five batters over four scoreless innings, allowing four hits.
Crystal Lake South 2, Grayslake North 0: At Grayslake, the Gators squeezed out some timely hits to win. Carson Trivellini doubled in a run in the fourth inning and Nolan Dabrowski singled in another in the seventh. South starter Mark Pachla threw 4⅔ scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no runs for the Gators (10-5).
Huntley 8, St. Ignatius 2: At Chicago, AJ Putty, Alex Behles and Drew Borkowski each drove in two runs to lead a strong offensive day for the Red Raiders (9-5). Huntley starter Dylan Visvadra struck out five batters, allowing two runs off two hits.
Prairie Ridge 12, Johnsburg 2 (5 inn.): At Johnsburg, Gabriel Winkelman drove home three runs to win their nonconference matchup. Riley Golden knocked in two runs for the Wolves (14-3-1) while Owen Satterlee, Connor Innis and Sean Sherwood allowed one earned run over five innings.
Jack Nelson and Ashton Stern brought in runs for the Skyhawks (13-4).
Sycamore 6, Woodstock North 5: At Woodstock, the Thunders’ comeback fell short. Easton Klesch brought home two runs while North starter Wyatt Kalish struck out six batter over 4⅔ innings, allowing two earned runs.
Sycamore 12, Woodstock North 1: At Woodstock, the Thunder lost their second game of the day. Braeden Berner brought in a run for North (5-8).
Dundee-Crown 7, Palatine 6: At Palatine, Kyle Pierce drove in the go-ahead runs off a single in the top of the seventh to pick up a win for D-C. Jared Russell also drove in two runs for the Chargers (9-5) while starter Max Backaus struck out three batters and allowed two runs off two hits.
Jacobs 15, Conant 3: At Algonquin, the Golden Eagles had a big day on the mound and at the plate to earn a win. Starter George Donze struck out seven batters over four innings while Andrew Deegan brought home three runs for Jacobs (6-7).
McHenry 8, Grant 1: At McHenry, the Warriors scored seven runs in the sixth to win their nonconference game. Donovan Christman broke a 1-1 tie when he singled in three runs while Will Richter also brought in two runs. Zachary Readdy threw a complete game, striking out five batters and allowing one run off four hits for the Warriors (14-2-1).
Marengo 11, Harvard 1 (5 inn.): At Harvard, Michael Kirchhoff hit a home run and drove in three runs to help Marengo win its first of two games. Indians starter Robert Heuser struck out eight batters and allowed one earned run off four hits.
Eltan Powles brought home a run for Harvard.
Marengo 12, Harvard 1 (5 inn.): At Harvard, Kirchhoff continued his hot day by driving home four runs off three hits. Heuser started and struck out one batter over three scoreless innings for Marengo (13-4, 6-1).
Logan Nulle, Justin Wheeler, Conner Firlick and Diego Escobar each had a hit for Harvard (4-13, 0-8).
Hiawatha 15, Alden-Hebron 0 (4 inn.): At Kirkland, the Green Giants couldn’t pick up a win on the road. Hoyt Miles, Christian Nunez and Wyatt Armbrust each had a hit for A-H (4-8).
Freeport 12, Marian Central 2 (6 inn.): At Freeport, the Hurricanes lost their opening game of the day. TJ Cutrona and Will Graf each brought home a run for Marian.
Freeport 11, Marian Central 1 (6 inn.): At Freeport, Marian dropped their second game of the day. Cutrona knocked in a run for Marian (5-12).
Dundee-Crown 6, Harlem 0: At Machesney Park, Rylie Mensik and Lynnette Morales each scored two goals for the Chargers. Xitlaly Terran and Karissa Hernandez each also scored for D-C (4-4-1).
Johnsburg 4, Grant 0: At Johnsburg, Charlie Eastland scored twice to help the Skyhawks (6-2) win their fourth straight game. Lauren McQuiston and Liz Smith both also scored.
Prairie Ridge 1, Richmond-Burton 0: At Richmond, Ava Gertz scored to help the Wolves (4-1-3) stay undefeated over their past six matches.
Woodstock 3, Harvard 0: At Woodstock, the Blue Streaks (7-3, 4-0) stayed undefeated in KRC play.
Mundelein 5, Jacobs 0: At Algonquin, the Golden Eagles (3-3-3) couldn’t hang on in their nonconference game.
Hampshire 3, Larkin 0: At Hampshire, the Whips (1-5-1) earned their first win of the season.
Rolling Meadows 8, Crystal Lake South 0: At Crystal Lake, the Gators (5-5) couldn’t hang on in their nonconference matchup.
McHenry 8, Mundelein 7: At Mundelein, the Warriors (3-5) got back on the winning side.
St. Charles North 7, Hampshire 3: At St. Charles, the Whips (3-4) lost their second straight game on the road.
Huntley 16, Geneva 3: At Huntley, the Red Raiders (8-1) took their sixth straight game.
Huntley 22, Geneva 1: At Huntley, the Red Raiders (7-2) regrouped after a tough loss Friday with a big offensive explosion.
Jacobs 5, Batavia 0: At Freeport Quad, the Golden Eagles swept their match. Sammy Santa-Ines (6-0, 6-0) and Daryan Do (6-1, 7-5) won their singles matches while August Nelson/Jack Soto (6-3, 6-2), Ryan Fulton/Soham Kalra (6-0, 6-1) and Rudra Rath/Ronnav Deshmukh (6-3, 7-5) won their double matches.
Mundelein 2, Huntley 0: At Mundelein Quad, the Red Raiders lost 25-12, 25-14.
Waukegan 2, Huntley 0: At Mundelein Quad, Huntley dropped its second match 25-22, 25-21.
SoftballCrystal Lake Central 13, Crystal Lake South 1 (5 inn.): At Crystal Lake, the Tigers stayed undefeated on the season with a commanding win over their crosstown rivals. Oli Victorine hit a home run and drove in three runs while Ella Arana and Makayla Malone each drove in two. Malone also started for Central (9-0, 5-0) and struck out seven batters over four innings.
Hazel Hook brought home a run for South (0-6, 0-5).
Burlington Central 6, McHenry 2: At Burlington, the Rockets snapped a three-game losing streak with a Fox Valley Conference win. Kelsey Covey and Addison Beltran each brought home two runs Addisyn Petersen threw a complete game and struck out six batter and allowed two earned runs for the Rockets (5-6, 4-1).
Kendal Rogers and Lyla Oeffling each drove in a run for the Warriors (4-7, 2-3).
Prairie Ridge 11, Cary-Grove 2: At Cary, Reese Mosolino struck out 13 batters and threw a complete game to help the Wolves win. Mosolino also allowed six hits and one earned run for PR (7-0-2, 4-0-1). Kylie Carroll and Bella Moore each led the team with two RBIs.
Megan Koski drove in the Trojans’ (2-7, 1-4) lone run.
Huntley 8, Hampshire 1: At Huntley, Isabella Boskey hit two home runs to lead the Red Raiders to a FVC win. Boskey drove in three runs while Gretchen Huber threw a complete game, not allowing an earned run and striking out five batters for Huntley (8-7, 3-2).
Julissa Akins drove in Hampshire’s (8-3-1, 2-1-1) lone run on a sacrifice fly.
St. Edward 5, Marian Central 4: At Elgin, the Hurricanes couldn’t hang on in their Chicagoland Christian Conference game. Vivianna Lara brought home two runs for Marian (4-5, 3-1) and Christine Chmiel added another.
Genoa-Kingston 14, Harvard 7: At Harvard, the Cogs scored seven runs to beat the Hornets in a nonconference matchup. Ytzel Lopez drove in three runs for Harvard (5-5, 3-1).
Crystal Lake South 4, Burlington Central 2: At Burlington, the Gators scored two late runs to pick up a FVC win. Yandel Ramirez drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning when he singled to left field. Ramirez drove in two runs off two hits Nolan Dabrowski brought home another off a sacrifice bunt.
Devin DeLoach started for the Gators (9-5, 3-2) and struck out eight batters over 4 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs off one hit. Michael Silvius came in and threw 2 2/3 innings of relief, not allowing a run off two hits and three strikeouts.
Central starter Chase Powrozek struck out 10 batter over six innings, allowing three earned runs over three hits. Bennek Braden and Trevor Raap each drove in a run for the Rockets (7-5, 1-4).
McHenry 4, Cary-Grove 1: At McHenry, the Warriors picked up their eight straight win against the Trojans. Donovan Christman brought home two runs for the Warriors (12-1-1, 5-0) and Kaden Wasniewski drove in another. Wasniewski started and allowed one earned run on three hits with five strikeouts.
Trojans starter Charlie Taczy struck out 10 batters and allowed two earned runs on three hits over six innings. He also drove in C-G’s (6-6 3-2) lone run.
Dundee-Crown 12, Crystal Lake Central 4: At Crystal Lake, the Chargers put up an offensive explosion behind a strong outing from starter Jared Russell. The D-C starter threw a complete game and struck out eight batters while Ryan Pierce, Hayden DeMarsh and Isaac Grzynkowicz each finished with two RBIs for the Chargers (8-5, 2-3).
Connor Gibour drove in two runs for the Tigers (7-8-1, 1-3) while James Dreher added another.
Huntley 1, Jacobs 0: At Algonquin, A.J. Putty singled in the game’s lone run in the fifth inning to lead the Red Raiders to a win. Putty also started for Huntley (8-5, 3-2) and threw six scoreless innings and struck out five batters.
Jacobs starter Spencer Drummond struck out six batters over 4 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run off four hits for the Golden Eagles (5-7, 1-4).
Sandwich 17, Harvard 4 (5 inn.): At Harvard, the Hornets lost their sixth straight game. Ethan Powles and Logan Nulle each had two hits for Harvard (4-11, 0-6).
Johnsburg 4, Woodstock North 3: At Johnsburg, the Skyhawks edged out their 12th straight win. Johnsburg (13-2, 6-0) scored three runs in the fourth to take control of the game, led by Jack Thompson who brought in two. Peyton Mesce started for the Skyhawks, striking out six batters over 5 2/3 innings and allowing three earned runs.
Braeden Berner and Parker Neff each drove in a run for the Thunder (5-6, 3-3).
Woodstock 13, Richmond-Burton 2 (6 inn.): At Richmond, the Blue Streaks got back on the winning side by beating the Rockets. Chace Waterson drove home three runs while Max Haggerty brought home two. Haggerty started for Woodstock (5-7, 3-3) and struck out three batter over five innings, allowing one earned run off one hit.
Luke Johnson finished with an RBI for the Rockets (4-9, 3-3).
Johnsburg 7, Marengo 0: At Johnsburg, four different Skyhawks scored to pick up a Kishwaukee River Conference win. Charlie Eastland, Lauren McQuiston and Brooke Butler each scored twice for Johnsburg (5-2, 3-0) and Ava Jablonski scored another.
Woodstock 4, Plano 2: At Woodstock, the Blue Streaks (6-3, 3-0) stayed undefeated in KRC play.
Burlington Central 9, McHenry 3: At Burlington, Lily Kratz scored five goals to lead the Rockets to a FVC win. Hermione Kerr added three goals for Central (2-3, 1-1) while Kaity Kurz also scored.
Huntley 22, Hampshire 4: At Huntley, the Red Raiders (6-1, 3-0) earned a big FVC win.
Marian Central 6, Belvidere 3: At Woodstock, the Hurricanes picked up a nonconference win at home. Cameron Tiemann (6-0, 6-0), Alek Jasovic (6-0, 6-0) and Reilly Piefer (4-6, 6-4, 11-9) each won their singles matches while Mark Jablonski/Danny Derouen (6-1, 3-6, 10-3) and Jacob Dowling/Danny Derouen (7-5, 6-4) each took their doubles matches.
Prairie Ridge 4, Hinsdale South 1: At Crystal Lake, the Wolves won their nonconference dual at home. Rory Senese (6-1, 6-1) took his singles match while Cole Palese/ Tim Jones (6-2, 6-0), Evan Seegert/Jack Widger (6-0, 6-3) and Eli Loeding/Mason Bartmess (6-0, 6-0) each won their doubles matches.
Woodstock 4, Johnsburg 3: At Johnsburg, the Blue Streaks edged out a win by sweeping their doubles matches. Stewart Reuter/Juan Avila (6-1, 6-1), Cleus Ricafort/Ben Vanderville (6-2, 3-6, 10-2), Luke Zimmerman/Hayden Rogers (6-2, 6-0) and Brody Flynn/JJ Rodriguez (forfeit) won their doubles matches for Woodstock.
Tyler Batt (6-0, 6-2), Ryan Odell (7-5, 6-2) and Jack Rung (6-2, 6-2) won their singles matches for Johnsburg.
McHenry 6, Grant 1: At Fox Lake, the Warriors earned a commanding nonconference win. Mohsin Rizvi (6-0, 6-0), Owen Miller (6-1, 6-1) and Matt Zurawski (6-2, 6-0) each won their singles matches while Lachlan Gordon/Andrew Franklin (6-3, 6-0), Aidan Kuzmiak/Alex Rudzki (6-1, 6-3) and Will Lard/Atticus LaPorta (6-2, 6-3) each took their doubles matches.
Cary-Grove 6, Grayslake North 1: At Grayslake, the Trojans swept their doubles matches in order to pick up a dual win. Jackson Karlovsky (6-1, 6-0) and Owen Lonergan (default) won their singles matches while Ryan Dixon/Lincoln Karlovsky (-3, 6-3), Halen Young/Finnegan Karlovsky (6-2, 6-0), Chris Ptaszek/Joe Riedel (7-6, 6-4) and Mason Rebscher/Zach Nygren (6-3, 6-4) won their doubles matches.
South Elgin 2, Huntley 0: At South Elgin, the Red Raiders (4-8) dropped their match 25-23, 25-15.
ExpandPrairie Ridge's Owen Voight (left) battles with Crystal Lake Central's Avery Lee for a loose ball during an IHSA Class 3A Prairie Ridge Regional basketball game on Monday
All of which was sweet for Prairie Ridge
Postgame jersey swaps apparently aren’t just for professional athletes
Who knew they’re also something high school athletes engage in
“I didn’t know either,” Wolves senior guard Luke Muse said Monday night after he and basketball teammates spun a defensive gem on their home court, beating Crystal Lake Central 45-21 in a play-in game of the Class 3A Prairie Ridge Regional.
Eighth-seeded Prairie Ridge (13-19) collected 18 steals in completing a sweep of the season series against No. 9 Central (6-26). Afterward, Muse traded jerseys with his longtime buddy Rhett Ozment of Central, while Sam Kirk of the Wolves swapped jerseys with Carter Kelley. All four players then posed for a picture together on the court.
Prairie Ridge's Elijah Loeding (right) muscles Crystal Lake Central's JJ Parrish as he comes down with a rebound during an IHSA Class 3A Prairie Ridge Regional basketball game on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, at Prairie Ridge High School. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )
The Wolves certainly were in the Tigers’ jerseys defensively, holding them to 15 points over the last 30 minutes of the game. Central, which led 6-0 two minutes in, mustered only one point in the second quarter and was shut out in the fourth.
“Good game plan to start,” Tigers coach Dan Oziminski said. “[Prairie Ridge] is active, they’re physical, and they play well together as a team. They got good skill sets.”
Muse, who said he usually isn’t a “defender guy,” and Ben Gablenz (team-high 12 points on four 3-pointers) each had four steals. Their efforts helped force Central into 27 turnovers and earn PR a berth in Wednesday’s 6 p.m. semifinal against No. 2 Crystal Lake South, before No. 3 Burlington Central plays No. 5 Cary-Grove at 7:30 p.m.
Eli Loeding had 11 points (two 3-pointers), 10 rebounds and two steals for the Wolves. Owen Voight added nine points (two 3s) and a steal coming off the bench. Luke Vanderwiel took a charge and recorded a steal, and Rory Rezendes had three steals in a backup role.
“We have a lot of guys on the team who have really good hands and are very quick on their feet,” said Muse, who missed the Wolves' past two games with a cut above his right eye. “We’re a very good defensive team.”
Kirk made his second start in a row after missing PR’s game against Huntley last week with a rolled ankle. He had three steals and had taken a charge when he rolled the same left ankle late in the third quarter.
Kirk hopped off the court with assistance and did not return to the game. By then, the Wolves' defensive effort had helped build a 30-17 lead.
“Our whole goal was to come out here and play defense,” Kirk said. “That’s all we needed to do to win. That’s what we all bring.”
Central’s fast start included a two-handed dunk by JJ Parrish (team-high 12 points, one 3-pointer, four rebounds, two steals). The Tigers led 8-3 after Jackson Hopkins hit a free throw with 3:54 left in the first quarter. But PR then went on a 17-0 run and was up 21-9 at the break.
Ozment’s free throw with 1:23 to go before halftime accounted for Central’s only point of the quarter.
“Once you get to the playoffs, the intensity of everything just ramps up to another level, so we knew we had to come out ready to go,” Wolves coach Brian Frericks said. “We struggled in that first quarter, but they locked in and remembered their roles on defense. [Central] is a big team, they got some really talented players, and we knew we were going to need a team effort to take away some of the stuff they do.”
Crystal Lake Central's Mason Alvarez tries to drive against the defense of Prairie Ridge's Rory Rezendes during an IHSA Class 3A Prairie Ridge Regional basketball game on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, at Prairie Ridge High School. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )
Central, which shot 9 of 37 from the floor, ended the season with 15 straight losses.
“We discussed it in here [the locker room] and had, shoot, a 27-minute conversation afterward,” Oziminski said. “It’s all good because it’s about the future, what we’re creating and what they’re leaving behind. Everybody’s like, ‘It’s about the win-lost column.' It’s not about the wins and losses. It’s not even about the guys before us. ... We’re still moving [upward]. We’re just not moving as fast in the win column.”
Prairie Ridge lost by 20 and 25 points to Crystal Lake South during the regular season, but the Wolves are 9-5 in their past 14 games.
“It’s going to be fun to play South,” Frericks said. “Another crosstown team. It’s a fun regional with all four of the District (155) teams in it.”
Drew Swears with Veenstra and Kimm Engineering addressed the Garner City Council recently about the proposal to add parking to the Prairie Ridge facility in Garner
Swears told the council explained the logistics of the concept to the council
Swears was called in to look at the storm water drainage from the additional parking and the potential impacts it would have
Swears assured the council that the impact would be minimal to the city storm water drainage
The city voted to move forward with the project
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Following a dominating 52-21 win over Prairie Ridge Friday night
Burlington Central coach Brian Iossi called Jackson Alcorn “the best quarterback in the state of Illinois that no one knows about.”
While those may sound like rather big words to some
they probably didn’t see the Rockets senior throw for an astonishing 444 yards and six touchdowns against a perennial state power
On a day that Burlington Central likely qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2014
Alcorn completed 24 of 34 passes to seven different receivers
He even added a nine-yard touchdown scramble for good measure as the Rockets nearly matched the point total that Prairie Ridge had given up in the first six weeks of the season (57-52)
“I knew it when I met him when he was in seventh grade,” Iossi said
To come out here against a team like that … behind him we knew it
we knew that was the way to go to put the ball in his hands and let him make the plays
The game started off like any other game involving Prairie Ridge (5-2
The Wolves took the opening kickoff and marched 80 yards
the last 22 coming on a touchdown run from Giovanni Creatore
It was 7-0 with 4:28 left in the first quarter
That was the last lead the Wolves would have as Alcorn took over
5-2) called 22 consecutive pass plays to end the first half
The result were four touchdown drives including scoring passes of 25 yards to Chase Powrozek
That allowed Burlington Central to take a 28-14 lead into the locker room
Prairie Ridge pulled within 28-21 on a one-yard run from Creatore midway through the third quarter
the momentum was short-lived as on third down
Alcorn read the zero coverage perfectly and hit Rocco Boss on a 65-yard bomb of a touchdown
Those two connected seven times for a whopping 200 yards and three touchdowns
“(Coach Iossi) and I talked before the game about how we’re going to do the stuff that we know how to do
but we’re going to go into that empty package and air it out if we need to
After that we just kept rolling with it and rolling with it
and we just kept stomping on them honestly.”
The Wolves were their own enemy offensively
they fumbled the ball eight times in the game
Three of those turnovers came after halftime
helping turn the ball into a surprising blowout
although signs pointed to him being able to check back in had the game been close
“We shot ourselves in the foot a lot,” PR coach Mike Frericks said
We kind of got out of it and never got a grasp of the game like we normally do.”
30 talented Prairie Ridge Middle School students have been selected to showcase their artwork at the Ankeny K-12 Art Show
Their creativity is on display now—don’t miss the chance to see everyone’s amazing work
Come celebrate our students’ artistic achievements
ExpandPrairie Ridge's Henry Knoll celebrates his goal against Lemont during this season's Class 2A third-place game at Hoffman Estates High School
Knoll was named the Northwest Herald's Boys Soccer Player of the Year
Prairie Ridge senior Henry Knoll came through for the Wolves when it mattered during a historic season
After having Prairie Ridge’s playoff push cut short last season in the sectional semifinals
Knoll put pressure on himself to be ready for the Wolves whenever they needed him
“We really relied on him to finish when we needed to
and he did,” Prairie Ridge coach Joe Schroeder said
there’s someone that it’s going to be hard to replace
Henry is that guy that’s going to be very hard to replace.”
After an impressive season where Knoll helped the Wolves make history reaching their first state finals since 1999, Knoll is the 2024 Northwest Herald Boys Soccer Player of the Year, as selected by the sports staff with input from area coaches. Knoll is the first Prairie Ridge honoree since Ryan Zoellick won for a second straight season in 1999. Huntley’s Mason Leslie, Crystal Lake South’s Nick Prus and Richmond-Burton’s Joe Kyes also were considered for the honor.
Knoll answered some questions from Northwest Herald sports reporter Michal Dwojak about the Wolves’ historic season, what he’ll remember the most and where in the world he would go.
Prairie Ridge's Henry Knoll pushes the ball up the field as he is defended by McHenry's Evan Camargo during a Fox Valley Conference match this season at McCraken Field in McHenry. Knoll helped the Wolves win the FVC title. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )
What was it like to end your high school career with a historic season?
Knoll: It’s awesome. We have 15 seniors, so all of us kind of wanted to leave our mark on the program, and I think we did a really good job of that this year. Everyone really worked hard and we all did what we all thought we could. We knew our potential going into the season and everyone really stepped up, and we were able to get the job done.
Was there a moment this year where you thought you guys could do something special?
Knoll: Going into the year, we all knew the potential we had. I wouldn’t really say there was a specific time. It was kind of we knew we were the favorites in every single game and we were using that confidence to really get the results we wanted. We didn’t drop any games, which is something we were really big on. We didn’t let in many goals. We completed almost all of our goals, and we’re really happy with how it turned out.
Knoll: It’s awesome. We’re up there with some of the best teams in the FVC, like some of the best individual years. And it means a lot to all the players, all the coaches, our administrative staff. Coach Chris Schremp, this is his first time as an athletic director going to state, and it really means everything to us because we’ve given so much to the program in the last four years and it finally paid off.
Did you approach your senior season any differently?
Knoll: It was kind of putting everything that I’ve learned from high school soccer all together into one final ride. I’m sure you can say the same about everyone else or my teammates, because they all worked really hard as well. I think going into this season, I really learned how to kind of control myself, same with everyone else, because we’ve gotten into really stressful situations throughout our high school careers, and we really learned how to deal with them. It paid off.
What do you think you’ll remember most about this season?
Knoll: My favorite class right now is probably my speech class, because I learn a lot of things that I’m going to be able to use in the future, no matter what I choose to pursue. It teaches me how to talk to people in the right way and how to prepare for presentations and everything like that.
Knoll: It’s all I’ve really ever known growing up. That’s the only sport I’ve ever played and I kind of just live for the feeling of scoring goals, because that’s all I’ve really done. The feeling when you score goals is kind of unmatched, especially in a big game, and I was able to do that a lot this year, which is really cool.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Knoll: Probably like an island where I can just chill on the beach, maybe like Fiji or the Maldives or something. I’ve heard those places are really nice.
If you could be any superhero, which superpower would you want?
Knoll: I’d say invisibility because I’d be able to access anywhere I want. If I want to go to a sports game or something, I can just sneak in. Or if I just don’t want to be seen somewhere, I can just kind of hide.
Knoll: I have really liked Raising Cane’s, but if I’m looking for a healthier option, probably Chipotle because it kind of has everything and it’s always really good whenever I go. I usually get a steak bowl, no beans, I get white and brown rice, guacamole, cheese, corn and lettuce.
What does it mean to end your high school career the way you guys did?
Knoll: Obviously, the better ending would have been winning a state championship. But I think we’re all pretty content with it now, and we definitely wanted to end on a happy note, because it’s hard to say goodbye to something you love on a loss.
plus a pair of ten-minute overtime periods
simply weren’t enough to determine a winner during Friday’s Class 2A Grayslake Central Sectional title match
So when Prairie Ridge senior Matthew Fireng scored on his team’s ensuing penalty kick moments later against Wauconda
2-seeded Wolves’ sideline understandably bordered on chaotic
“Those are the kinds of moments we spend all season preparing for,” Fireng said
“I was confident I was going to make the shot
and confident the guys shooting after me would step up as well.”
then helped ice the ensuing 1-0 victory by burying penalty kicks of their own
it marked the first sectional title for the Wolves since 1999
“I felt like we controlled this match more and more as it went on,” Wolves coach Josef Schroeder said
“We didn’t make many mistakes defensively and did the things we wanted to do to dictate the play and tempo mostly
they gave us a tremendous effort and deserve a lot of credit too
Prairie Ridge advances to the Class 2A Wheaton Academy Supersectional to face Benet at 5:30 p.m
Wolves junior goalkeeper Christopher Zinevich only needed to make two saves for the Wolves (18-4-1) during regulation and overtime combined
But he also thwarted all three penalty kick attempts by No
That included a brilliant diving stop to his right against Freddy Barnshaw
then a gem of a two-handed snag against the next PK attempt he saw
“Just being able to do my part to lift my teammates up means the world,” Zinevich said
Friday also marked the first time all season Prairie Ridge has had its typical starting lineup in consecutive games
“Being healthy for the first time all season at the same time we’re peaking as a team has been awesome to watch,” Schroeder said
“We’re very confident heading into the Supersectional and awful proud of these kids for overcoming this level of adversity
Wauconda coach Tim Miller praised his team
“Every one of our players gave 100% out there,” Miller said
but we lose just five seniors to graduation
“So we still have a really bright future here ahead of us
And I’ve said it before so you can print it
This 2A sectional is the toughest in the state
The first half of Prairie Ridge’s 35-13 Fox Valley Conference road win over Huntley couldn’t have gone much better for the visitors
3 in the latest Class 5A Associated Press poll – ran 32 offensive plays
while quarterback Luke Vanderwiel (24 carries
238 yards) had two of his three rushing touchdowns on the night during that same span
Vanderwiel opened the scoring on a one-yard TD run less than five minutes into the game
Jack Finn scored on a 1-yard run of his own
followed by Vanderwiel’s second ground trip to the end zone from 6 yards out
“Our offensive line just keeps doing their thing,” Vanderwiel said
“They continue to create holes and make things much easier for myself and everyone else in our option offense that runs the football.”
Vanderwiel accounted for 82.6% of the Wolves’ 305 yards of offense (238 rushing
4-0 FVC) carried the ball 46 times for 291 yards
“We kind of took their crowd out of it and put them to sleep a bit,” Prairie Ridge coach Mike Frericks said
“Our goal was to keep the football out of the hands of their offense
and we controlled the clock and the line of scrimmage
I was really pleased with how our guys executed our game plan
The victory also extended the Wolves FVC win streak to 18 games
The last time Prairie Ridge lost a conference game was on September 16
plus a 47-yard TD run by Vanderwiel in the fourth
He also had a 55-yard gain earlier in the second half
Despite the one-sided final score spoiling Huntley’s homecoming
Huntley was only outgained by 25 yards Friday (305-280)
Bower completed 19 of 29 pass attempts for 164 yards
The first was a 1-yard pass to Wyatt Fleck on fourth-and-goal
“I thought our defense gave a solid effort despite the final score
Prairie Ridge kept the ball away from us and we had to play from behind right away
“We need to do a little soul searching now
This group had a lot of success last season
and they’re now learning to deal with adversity and difficulties
But they’ll learn from this and grow as men and grow as human beings
This is a resilient group that will keep working hard.”
The win by Prairie Ridge sets up a huge Week 5 FVC showdown
in a game that could potentially decide the conference title
“It’s gonna be a heavyweight fight,” Frericks said
Whichever team can commit the fewest penalties and protect the football will have the best chance of winning that game
I played in the Fox Valley Conference once upon a time
and these are the kinds of great rivalry matchups this conference has a rich history of.”
ExpandPrairie Ridge’s Ben Gablenz drains a 3-pointer in front of Huntley's Zachary Rysavy during varsity boys basketball action Tuesday
HUNTLEY – Prairie Ridge senior guard Ben Gablenz has zero issues with Huntley, even though he had never beaten the Red Raiders in his first three years of high school basketball.
“I like Huntley. Huntley’s a good school,” he said matter of factly. “I don’t have a problem with Huntley.”
Surely, Gablenz loves Huntley. Well, now, anyway.
Prairie Ridge’s Ben Gablenz sets for a three pointer in varsity boys basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at Huntley High School in Huntley. (Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local)
One month after his 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime beat Huntley in Crystal Lake, Gablenz poured in a career-high 34 points to lead the Wolves to a 57-44 win over the Raiders in a Fox Valley Conference game Tuesday.
“JV and all my varsity games,” Gablenz said, “Huntley was always the one team I never beat.”
Now, the three-year varsity starter has two wins over Huntley that he likely never will forget.
“It’s nice, for sure,” said Gablenz, smiling.
PR (11-19, 7-10) is 7-5 since a buzzer-beating loss at Dundee-Crown on Jan. 15. Two nights later, the Wolves beat Huntley on Gablenz’s OT 3 from well beyond the arc, and they’ve been an improved team ever since then.
“He’s a heck of a basketball player,” Wolves coach Brian Frericks said of Gablenz. “When he’s playing with confidence, and when he’s doing his thing, he’s one of the best players in the area. Once he continues to believe that, there’s not much teams can do to stop him. Even when he’s being face-guarded, he does a great job of moving off the basketball, being patient, letting the game come to him and shooting with confidence.”
Guard Christian Wilson scored 22 points to lead Huntley (12-17, 7-10) and almost kept pace with Gablenz. Wilson closed the first quarter with three straight 3-pointers and sank another 3 before halftime, as the Raiders took a 24-23 lead into the break. Wilson finished with six 3s.
Huntley’s Christian Wilson, right, battles Prairie Ridge’s Brendan Beu in varsity boys basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at Huntley High School in Huntley. (Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local)
Gablenz scored 14 points in the second quarter after hitting the first of his five 3s in the first.
“He had a special night,” Huntley coach Collin Kalamatas said of Gablenz. “That second quarter was just a blur. We looked up and, all of a sudden, he had 17. We went and face-guarded him at the end of the half and did a pretty decent job closing the half out. But he came out in the second half and he just didn’t cool off at all.”
PR played without injured starters Sam Kirk (rolled ankle) and Luke Muse (cut by his eye). Gablenz took it upon himself to score more in their absence. He was efficient, shooting 13 of 23 from the floor, including 5 of 10 from 3-point range. The 6-3 veteran scored in a variety of ways, including pull-up jumpers and even a reverse layup that drew a foul.
“Usually I don’t shoot the ball that much, but my team’s down two guys and we needed a little push to get over the hump,” Gablenz said. “So I was like, ‘I’ll take matters into my own hands.' ”
Prairie Ridge’s 5-foot-8 Luke Vanderwiel scored all four of his points in the second half but more importantly hustled for eight rebounds, including six of the offensive glass. Vanderwiel’s strip of Logan Darragh (nine points, seven rebounds) after Huntley’s 6-7 senior grabbed a defensive rebound and held the ball high caught Kalamatas' attention.
Prairie Ridge’s Luke Vanderwiel drives with the ball in varsity boys basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at Huntley High School in Huntley. (Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local)
“He was a difference-maker for them tonight,” Kalamatas said of Vanderwiel. “Obviously, Ben had an incredible game scoring-wise, but they had so many other players who impacted the game much more with some of those hustle plays.”
Eli Loeding added 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals for PR. Gablenz had 30 points after three quarters as PR outscored Huntley 18-6 to take a 41-30 lead into the fourth.
“My teammates set some great screens,” said Gablenz, who also had five rebounds. “I was moving all around the floor tonight. I didn’t stop moving, really.”
Both teams wrap up the regular season Friday night. Prairie Ridge will host Dundee-Crown, and Huntley will be home against McHenry.
Junior Luke Vanderwiel found out that he was going to be Prairie Ridge’s starting quarterback a few weeks ago while on a family vacation in Indiana
and Luke made sure Joey was the first one in the family to know
It didn’t take long for Luke Vanderwiel to show what he could do at the position
breaking free for a 55-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-3 on the Wolves’ first possession
Vanderwiel finished his first start at quarterback with two rushing touchdowns and a game-high 146 yards on the ground
and Prairie Ridge played shutdown defense in a 17-0 win against Jacobs in the season and Fox Valley Conference opener for both teams
Vanderwiel ran 18 times for 8.1 yards a carry
also scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run with 10:23 left in the second quarter to give the Wolves a 14-0 lead
Kicker Gabe Porter hit a 40-yard field goal in the second half for the game’s final points
and I always thought it would be cool to lead the team,” Vanderwiel said
we work harder than any team in the state in my opinion.”
1-0) finished with 293 rushing yards on 48 carries
“I think we did well carrying out our fakes and running counters,” Wolves senior offensive lineman Jack Pavlis said
We just have to keep moving forward and getting our base plays down
so those continue to be 4-yard gains and a cloud of dust.”
and bounced off a couple of missed tackles from the Eagles to give the Wolves an early lead
Vanderwiel was excited to get the play call
and then basically I just cut it up and it was wide open,” Vanderwiel said
Great play call by [offensive coordinator Joe Terhaar]
I want to run it.’ It’s one of our best plays.”
Prairie Ridge first-year coach Mike Frericks said over the summer that he wanted to get the ball in Vanderwiel’s hands as much as possible
“He just did a really good job of being composed and running the offense,” asid Frericks
“He’s been playing varsity since he was a freshman
I look forward to seeing how he progresses throughout the year.”
Sophomore running back Jake Wagler added 83 yards on the ground
Jacobs was led by junior fullback Caden DuMelle with 100 yards on 12 carries
Jacobs coach Brian Zimmerman lamented the missed opportunities by the offense
“We played them the last two years and we consistently shoot ourselves in the foot,” Zimmerman said
“I think we were inside the 20 three different times tonight and couldn’t score
It’s going to be gut check time for our offense
I’m really proud of the way the defense played
but very frustrating from an offensive standpoint
We worked our butts off all summer and here we are not scoring any points with all these great weapons that we have.”
A methadone clinic will be open for patients within the next few months at Prairie Ridge Behavioral Health Center in Mason City
a nurse practitioner with Prairie Ridge who has handled much of the logistics around the clinic's opening
the clinic is ready for operation and is just waiting for approval from the Drug Enforcement Administration
Funding for the new addition will come from opioid settlement funds distributed by the federal government to the state
The clinic will create job openings for new staff
and the expansion will create room to hire up to nine new therapists
has been waiting impatiently for the opening since the behavioral health center first began the long process of filing paperwork to open the clinic
Jorgensen said it's difficult to watch patients wait for a life-saving medication
Is this the time I'm going to find out they're dead before we had a chance to actually get them on the medication we know would prevent their death
So those are the people I think the most of."
a nurse practitioner with Prairie Ridge Behavioral Health Center
shows the small cups that will be used to disperse methadone during a tour of the clinic on Wednesday
methadone can halt the vicious cycle of searching for opiates by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms
hopefully providing a way out of the dangerous clutches of addiction
"Opioid withdrawal symptoms can be very severe," Jorgensen said
"The major advantage of methadone is it allows people to feel normal again
Jorgensen expects the clinic to have approximately 30 patients upon opening
reducing barriers for those who would otherwise have to travel to Waterloo or Des Moines for methadone treatment
The clinic can accommodate up to 100 individuals
"We have some people that have moved from areas (with methadone clinics) that just have had no access to methadone (here)
and unfortunately that means some of them have relapsed
and some of those patients are looking forward to getting back on the bandwagon," Jorgensen said
Jorgensen said methadone is closely regulated
and medical staff at the clinic will visually confirm the liquid dosages are swallowed by patients
Groath said patients will be separated from the area where the methadone is dispensed and stored
"It's stored in a safe here and doesn't need refrigerated
It's a very stable medication," Groath said
The assessment process to get a methadone prescription typically takes anywhere from a few days to weeks
with an expedited process for patients exhibiting serious withdrawal symptoms
daily visits to the clinic should take minutes
Both Groath and Jorgensen wanted to reassure area residents who suffer from chronic opioid use disorder that they intend to tailor the treatment to the patient's needs
We do not make cost a barrier for anybody here," Groath said
Ailis McCardle is an education reporter at the Globe Gazette. She can be reached at ailis.mccardle@globegazette.com or at 641-421-0527
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was released from prison in 2017 after being convicted in a 1981 in a Mason City kidnapping
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the Warriors won six matches by fall to pick up an FVC win over the Wolves on Thursday
Johan Lopez (190) and Brody Lidbury (215) each won by fall for McHenry
while Nolan McDanel (138) took his match by technical fall
Mikey Meade (126) and Walter Pollack (285) each won their match by fall
Aiden Rodriguez (175) came out on top by technical fall
Tymen Robinson (106) and Johnny Cabano (113) each won by forfeit
the Tigers picked up a commanding win at home
Cayden Parks (190) took his match by technical fall
Daniel Snow (132) and Dominic Vitale (157) each won by major decision
Abraham Palomino (138) and Tommy McNeil (215) won by forfeit
Hampshire’s Aidan Rowells (175) won by technical fall
Daniel Lewes-Kwiatkowski (106) took his match in a major decision
Chris Napiorkowski (150) and Knox Homola (285) each won their matches
the Gators picked up their first FVC win of the season
the Golden Eagles earned an FVC win on the road
the Red Raiders stayed undefeated in FVC action with a dominating win on the road
Max Beard scored 16 points to lead the Blue Streaks to a Kishwaukee River Conference win
Adam Cooke was the top scorer for the Hornets (2-9
Finn Pivnicka led the Hurricanes (5-11) with 23 points in a loss at home
the Thunder (1-10) couldn’t keep up in a road loss
the Green Giants (0-11) failed to pick up their first win of the season
while Macy Noe had eight for Marengo (8-6)
the Skyhawks (9-7) dropped their nonconference game at home
the Trojans won every event to sweep their dual against the Red Raiders
Kasparas Venslauskas won the 200-yard freestyle in 1 minute
50.32 seconds and the 100 free in 49.10 seconds
Charlie Edwards took the 200 individual medley (2:14.76) and the 500 free (5:00.71)
Victor Praczkowski won the 50 free (22.74)
Matthew Herron finished first in the 100 butterfly (57.41)
Oliver Swietek won the 100 backstroke (1:00.26)
and Ignas Venslauskas took the 100 breaststroke (1:03.34)
Herron and Logan Kane combined to win the 200 medley relay (1:39.89)
Herron and Praczkowski took the 200 free relay (1:32.07); and Praczkowski
Herron and Nathan Scerbac won the 400 free relay (3:33.10)
Plano 2,834: At Raymond’s Bowl in Johnsburg
Luke Bowers rolled a 627 series to help the Skyhawks earn a win
McHenry 1,811: At Raymond’s Bowl in Johnsburg
Julia Erickson led the Skyhawks with a 464 series to help her team earn a win
Julia McCue finished right behind with a 428 for Johnsburg
Emily Carpenter rolled a match-high 507 for the Warriors
Torin Deacon finished with a 503 series to lead the Blue Streaks to a win
Jacobs co-op 2,370: At Bowlero in Algonquin
Erica DeBello rolled a 614 series in the Red Raiders' win on the road
Bianca Ramirez led the Golden Eagles with a 522
NORMAL — Volleyball and Shelly Stoner were meant to be together
The 11-season coach is back on the Limestone sidelines for a third season following a short "retirement."
Now, she and the Rockets will be playing for a state championship after a 25-22, 25-15 victory against Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge on Friday in the semifinals of the Class 3A Illinois High School Association state finals at CEFCU Arena
“Someone’s got to pinch me,” Stoner said of playing in the Final Four
Stoner was at the helm of the Rockets program for eight seasons — including a school-record 34 victories and run to the 2017 Class 3A Elite Eight during what turned out to be her final year
Stoner says she started to feel burned out and "spread too thin." On top of everything else
the decline of her dad’s health was a tipping point in her deciding to step away for the next five years
approached Stoner about returning as its head coach prior to the 2022 season
and it was "pretty good timing" for her return to the sport she loves
“I went through the heartbreak of losing my dad,” she said
“and I just felt like that (coaching) gave me something else to focus my time on
“I love to strategize and love the competition and volleyball’s been a good thing for me
IHSA volleyball scores: State finals, pairings, schedule, scores
Limestone (32-9) will play Mahomet-Seymour (38-3) at 5:30 p.m
Saturday for the program’s first-ever state championship
A win over Mahomet would avenge a pair of Limestone losses to the Bulldogs
The 2008 Limestone softball team — assisted by Stoner — won the Class 3A state crown for the school’s only other team title
Limestone battled back and forth with Prairie Ridge to open the first set
The Rockets took a 10-9 lasting lead thanks to a service error and an ace by Mia Lamberti
The 6-foot sophomore setter/outside hitter was just getting started
She recorded six of her match-high 15 kills in that initial set
“We were just really excited to play in a huge (arena),” Lamberti said
jumping out to a 7-1 advantage with Lamberti accounting for three of those points via kill
Nearly every facet of the Rockets’ game was clicking
taking advantage of 24 errors including 14 on attacks
Limestone minimized its mistakes and utilized strong net by Ella Karmenzind (seven kills)
serve-receive from Hannah West and Khloe Stear’s defense that included 11 digs
Bryn Williamson handed out 14 assists for the Rockets
IHSA volleyball: El Paso-Gridley run to title ends in IHSA state semifinals
“and the execution that they had on the court tonight
which had ousted reigning Class 3A state champion Wheaton St
was paced by Maizy Agnello’s eight kills and eight assists by Grace Jansen
Stoner may appear odd wearing khaki shorts
white sandals and a Limestone volleyball hooded sweatshirt during these chilly fall days
But there’s a good reason for the unusual attire
She has been sporting these same clothes during her team’s current postseason run
“I’ve been superstitious my whole life,” she said
“This is just going to have to be the outfit to go the rest of the way.”
couldn’t be more thrilled for Stoner and Limestone
As one of the area’s all-time greatest players
was among a large contingent of blue-and-white-clad fans watching the Rockets make school history
The 2017 Journal Star Volleyball Player of the Year and Stoner shared that historic final season together
I’m so excited for Stoner and (assistant coach Jen) Sergent because I know how upset they were when we lost
for the girls I know how fun a postseason run like this is and they actually got to state which is even more exciting than going to (supersectionals).”
working as a physician’s assistant in orthopedic surgery and says she wasn’t surprised at all that Stoner is back in the huddle
“You cannot keep coach Stoner away from volleyball,” she said
“It was only a matter of time before she got her nose into something
… There was no way that you were going to keep Stoner out of volleyball
“… What makes her such a great coach is she wants you to be good at volleyball
but they care more about you as a person.”
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter
BaseballPrairie Ridge 7, Hononegah 4: At Rockton, Riley Golden was good at the plate with a two-run home run Monday, but he was even better on the mound. Golden went six innings, striking out 11, as the Wolves improved to 6-1-1.
Conant 7, Dundee-Crown 6: At Hoffman Estates, the Chargers rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh but came up just short. Jacob Gillette and Jared Russell had a pair of RBIs each for D-C (5-2).
Crystal Lake South 7, Woodstock 2: At Woodstock, Devin DeLoach, Tony Amici and Yandel Ramirez combined to allow just two hits as the Gators took the nonconference contest. Carson Trivellini drove in three runs for South (4-2). Noah Rodriguez had an RBI double for Woodstock (1-3).
Rockford Boylan 5, Marian Central 3: At Woodstock, Owen Neuzil homered as part of a two-hit day as the Hurricanes fell to the Titans. Colin Kowalsky went the distance, striking out four for Marian (1-6).
Hampshire 7, Madisonville-North Hopkins 0: At Millington, Tennessee, Anthony Karbowski doubled, homered and knocked in a pair as the Whip-Purs opened the Millington Tennessee Tournament with a shutout. Nathan Wians was near-perfect on the mound, allowing one hit in a 66-pitch complete game.
Marengo 11, Round Lake 1 (6 inn.): At Round Lake, the Indians scored in every inning but one as they improved to 2-3 on the season. Alex Johnson and Michael Kirchoff drove in three runs each in support of Sam Chaffin, who allowed five hits while striking out 12.
Lakes 11, Marian Central 1 (6 inn.): At Woodstock, Vivianna Lara had an RBI for the Hurricanes as they fell to the Eagles in a nonconference game. Christine Chmiel struck out 11 for Marian (1-3).
Crystal Lake Central 15, Johnsburg 1 (5 inn.): At Johnsburg, nine runs in the first inning lifted the Tigers to a nonconference win. Ella Arana and Olivia Shaw had two RBIs each for Central (2-0). Sarah Nethaway had both hits for Johnsburg (1-3).
Harvard 3, Genoa-Kingston 2; At Harvard, the Hornets improved to 2-0-1 with a nonconference win over the Cogs. Yasmin Paredes and Jackie Silva scored in the first half. Lizette Aquino added a goal in the second half, and Jarithsie Mercado made two saves in goal.
West Aurora Bob Fowler Throwers Invitational
Marian Central Catholic at Timothy Christian
Wheaton Warrenville South at Wheaton North
Willowbrook at Glenbard South Raiders Invite
York at Wheaton Warrenville South Red Grange Invite
Wheaton Warrenville South at Batavia Invitational
Rolling Meadows at Glenbard East Rams Invite
Willowbrook at Hinsdale Central Red Devil Canino Invite
Wheaton Coop at Lake Park Independent Conference Championships
Wheaton Warrenville South at Hinsdale Central
Willowbrook at Downers Grove South Richard Greishem Invite
York at Brother Rice Smack Attack Tournament
Charles East/North at Glenbrook South Invitational
SATUCI has served Marshalltown and surrounding areas for more than 40 years
DUI/OWI and various counseling services for adults and youth
it will merge with Mason City-based Prairie Ridge Integrated Behavioral Healthcare to become Prairie Ridge South
“We have an annual budget of $1.8 million and a staff of 20,” said SATUCI Executive Director Jenny Etter
“They have a budget of $23 million and a staff of about 160
We will be able to do all the expansion we’ve wanted to do: more veterans’ services
more services at the Meskwaki Settlement — services we’re not able to do because we just don’t have the staff and funding.”
Poweshiek and Hardin counties with offices in Marshalltown
“This merger will enable us to do substance abuse and mental health services throughout all of those counties and have those offices staffed more and open more,” she added
“Being affiliated with Prairie Ridge
we’ll also be a mental health center
we’ll have residential services (in Mason City)
and we’ll have a huge expanded prevention program and medication services.”
SATUCI’s physical footprint is expanding
31 — we’re purchasing the other half of our building from Center Associates
so we’ll be able to expand and hire more staff,” Etter said
Prairie Ridge Executive Director Lorrie Young said her organization has been considering this acquisition for some time
“Prairie Ridge and SATUCI have been partners in our field for many years,” Young said
“This is something we’ve talked about off and on for probably the last 15 years
With some of the changes happening at the state level — changes in how funding is going to look for behavioral healthcare — the timing seemed to line up now
We’ve strengthened both organizations by partnering together.”
Young complimented SATUCI’s passion and dedication to its clients
“This allows us to share resources more effectively
Prairie Ridge is one of nine organizations in the State of Iowa that was selected by Iowa Health and Human Services to serve as a state-designated Certified Community Behavioral Health Center — CCBHC,” Young noted
“The CCBHCs really have a mission and an obligation to provide a higher level of integrated care than traditional behavioral healthcare organizations
There’s a stronger focus on collecting data and reporting data and analyzing data related to outcomes around integrated care
mental health and physical health components in an individual’s life
that also pulls SATUCI under that CCBHC umbrella.”
While it may take some time for the public to adjust to SATUCI’s new name
“A lot of people didn’t know what SATUCI was anyway
It sounds like a strange dance,” Etter said with a laugh
“The acronym really didn’t suit us anymore — Substance Abuse Treatment Unit of Central Iowa
The only thing that was really accurate is Central Iowa
and we don’t just do substance abuse
Our name really didn’t talk about what we do in a way that was inclusive
Our website will have more information and a link directly to Prairie Ridge so people can understand the whole picture.”
Etter said the merger comes at an ideal time in her 45-year career
“I’m retiring at the end of the year
I will be a consultant after I retire to help with grant writing and special projects mainly
This is ending my career on such a great note
I couldn’t have asked for more,” she said
Etter ran DVA (Domestic Violence Alternatives) in Marshalltown then moved to the Quad Cities to run a program there
“I was gone for like 38 years,” she said
“I moved back home when my parents were getting older and needing care.”
She served as executive director of the Marshalltown Central Business District (MCBD) from 2012-2019 then moved over to SATUCI
Young added that SATUCI’s and Prairie Ridge’s policies and procedures are nearly aligned
“I think what this partnership does is bring to the table some of Prairie Ridge’s resources to assure that SATUCI stays strong and viable into the future,” she said
Etter noted the public would reap benefits from the best of both agencies
“You have to be creative when you don’t have much resources
Having more resources and more staff will be absolutely wonderful,” she said
Editor’s Note: This is the sixth story in a series of nine honoring the 32 men from Grundy
LLC | https://www.timesrepublican.com | 135 West Main Street
Chase Santucci was nervous most of Tuesday ahead of Prairie Ridge’s Class 2A Grayslake Central sectional semifinal against Crystal Lake Central
Santucci and the Wolves lost in the sectional semifinal in overtime on the very same field they would play on Tuesday night
he and the Wolves had a chance to make things right
Santucci and the Wolves made sure not to waste their shot at redemption
PR grabbed an early lead and never looked back
“We came out knowing that we had the feeling of losing on this field before
and all around I feel like we have the best chemistry or brotherhood around
The Wolves (17-4-1) went into Tuesday’s match knowing they needed to score against the Tigers’ stout defense
PR earned an early corner kick and capitalized when Santucci received the corner cross and kicked it at the goal
Senior Henry Knoll knocked it in to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead with 36:49 left in the first half
PR kept pushing with its aggressive style and scored not too much longer
Santucci got a nice through pass from Knoll and sailed a shot into the goal to give the Wolves a 2-0 lead with 31:37 left in the first half
“He was so nervous today,” PR coach Joe Schroeder said
he told the assistants he’s not feeling well
They finished the first half with four shots on goal and added three more in the second half
Senior Seth Maston added his second goal of the season when he knocked in a pass off a corner kick with 11:58 left
While the Wolves moved the ball up and down the pitch
the Tigers struggled to build much momentum because of PR’s strong defense
PR stopped Central from completing passes in the middle of the pitch
and the Wolves stopped any late scoring chances
“That’s something that really goes overlooked on our team,” Maston said
“We have a very strong backline and midfield
we were focusing on how our front three defended
but they were the real defensive champions tonight.”
Senior John Malina stopped all four shots he saw from Central (15-5-1)
who competed with the Wolves near the top of the Fox Valley Conference title
Central coach Leah Rutkowski was proud of what her young squad accomplished
“It’s just this team was something special
and we did things we weren’t expecting to,” Rutkowski said
PR will compete for its first sectional title since 1999 when it takes on Wauconda on Friday
After earning redemption Tuesday and winning the FVC title this season
the Wolves are ready to continue making history
“We’ve had pressure on us all season with a lot of returning seniors
but I feel like we have a really good chance this Friday,” Santucci said
Wauconda went into Tuesday’s sectional semifinal match against Harvard looking to create unique chances
The Bulldogs knew if they got creative deep in Hornets territory
They executed their plan right from the start
Wauconda grabbed an early lead and then scored two goals within four minutes toward the end of the first half to win 3-2
it involves the final third being a place where we can be creative,” Wauconda coach Tim Miller said
especially when we only have two strikers up top
The Bulldogs (13-6-1) created a strong look right from the start when senior Sam Jurczyk headed in a goal off a corner kick with 36:57 left in the first half
Harvard (18-5-2) tied the match 1-1 when senior Eric Valdez sprinted out a fast break and scored with 25:44 left in the first half
But the Bulldogs kept attacking and took a 2-1 lead with 13:47 left in the first half when freshman Aiden Werner scored off a nice strike
battling off a couple rebounds and knocking in a goal with 10:44 left in the first half
Junior Jonathan Roldan scored for Harvard with 1:58 left to make it a 3-2
Tuesday was a tough ending for the Hornets
but Harvard coach Victor Gonzalez was proud of his team’s success
“This is one of the most successful teams that we’ve had,” he said
“Winning the conference four years in a row
winning the [Kishwaukee River Conference] three years in a row since its inception
And then to win back-to-back regionals for a lot of these seniors is special
“So I think it’s a successful overall success even though it doesn’t feel like that right now.”
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Local For You heads to Prairie Ridge Health in Columbus to talk about the importance of Family Medicine with Dr. Megan Bartz.
Dr. Megan is accepting new patients in both their Columbus office and their Sun Prairie clinic, opening in October!
led by Jackson Alcorn’s 444 passing yards and 6 TDs
rocks Prairie Ridge 52-21Rockets likely headed to playoffs for first time since 2014 with 5th winBy Andy Tavegia for Shaw LocalOctober 11
2024 at 10:38 pm CDTExpandBurlington Central vs
Prairie Ridge Varsity Football Burlington Central quarterback Jackson Alcorn is chased by Prairie Ridge's Jace Kranig during their Fox Valley Conference game on Friday
2024 at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake
(Ryan Rayburn for Shaw Local/Ryan Rayburn for Shaw Local)
CRYSTAL LAKE – Following a dominating 52-21 win over Prairie Ridge Friday night, Burlington Central coach Brian Iossi called Jackson Alcorn “the best quarterback in the state of Illinois that no one knows about.”
[ Photo store: Burlington Central vs. Prairie Ridge ]
On a day that Burlington Central likely qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2014, Alcorn completed 24 of 34 passes to seven receivers. He even added a 9-yard touchdown scramble for good measure as the Rockets almost matched the point total that Prairie Ridge had given up in the first six weeks of the season (57).
“I knew it when I met him when he was in seventh grade,” Iossi said. “I just knew he was different. To come out here against a team like that … behind him we knew it, we trusted it, we knew that was the way to go to put the ball in his hands and let him make the plays. And what’s he did. He executed it to perfection.”
Burlington Central vs. Prairie Ridge Varsity Football Burlington Central's Rocco Boss catches a pass under pressure from Prairie Ridge's Ben Gablenz, left, and Logan Thennes during their Fox Valley Conference game on Friday, October 11, 2024 at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake. (Ryan Rayburn for Shaw Local/Ryan Rayburn for Shaw Local)
The Fox Valley Conference game started off like any other game involving Prairie Ridge (5-2, 5-2 FVC). The Wolves took the opening kickoff and marched 80 yards, the last 22 coming on a touchdown run from Owen Satterlee. It was 7-0 with 4:28 left in the first quarter.
That was the last lead the Wolves would have as Alcorn took over.
After a run on its first play, Burlington Central (5-2, 5-2) called 22 consecutive pass plays to end the first half. The result was four touchdown drives, including scoring passes of 25 yards to Matthew Bending, 13 yards to Lucas Kerr and 21 yards to Gavin Bergemann. That allowed Burlington Central to take a 28-14 lead into the locker room.
Prairie Ridge pulled within 28-21 on a 1-yard run from Creatore midway through the third quarter. However, the momentum was short-lived as on third down, Alcorn read the zero coverage perfectly and threw deep to Rocco Boss for a 65-yard touchdown.
Those two connected seven times for a whopping 200 yards and three touchdowns.
“It comes to just trust, honestly,” Alcorn said. “[Coach Iossi] and I talked before the game about how we’re going to do the stuff that we know how to do, but we’re going to go into that empty package and air it out if we need to. After that we just kept rolling with it and rolling with it. They didn’t make any adjustments, and we just kept stomping on them honestly.”
Burlington Central vs. Prairie Ridge Varsity Football Burlington Central's Mckade Naus, right, celebrates after a turnover during their Fox Valley Conference game against Prairie Ridge on Friday, October 11, 2024 at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake. (Ryan Rayburn for Shaw Local/Ryan Rayburn for Shaw Local)
The Wolves were their own worst enemy offensively. Playing with backups at key positions, they fumbled the ball eight times in the game, losing four of those. Three of those turnovers came after halftime, helping turn the game into a surprising blowout.
Adding literal injury to insult, Creatore, who rushed for 172 yards on 30 carries, went down to an injury and did not return, although signs pointed to him being able to check back in had the game been close.
“We shot ourselves in the foot a lot,” PR coach Mike Frericks said. “We usually don’t turn over the football, and I think we did four times tonight. It was not our brand of football. We kind of got out of it and never got a grasp of the game like we normally do.”
ExpandPrairie Ridge's Eli Loeding goes up for a shot against South Elgin earlier this season at Jacobs High School in Algonquin
School: Prairie Ridge
Why he was selected: Loeding, a 6-foot-4 junior, poured in a game-high 27 points to lead Prairie Ridge to a 61-48 upset victory over McHenry on Feb. 7 and hand the Warriors their first Fox Valley Conference loss of the year. The Wolves fell to McHenry 59-36 on Jan. 10.
For his performance, Loeding was selected as the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Marian Central wrestler Andrew Alvarado, Crystal Lake Central wrestler Jackson Marlett and Marengo basketball player Maggie Hanson also were nominated.
Loeding answered a few questions from Northwest Herald sports editor Alex Kantecki.
Prairie Ridge's Eli Loeding goes up for a dunk earlier this season at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake. (Photo provided by Shelly Voight)
Your team lost by 23 points the first time you played McHenry. What enabled you to beat them the second time?
Loeding: Putting in more work than the previous weeks because we knew that we were capable of so much more.
Did your team do anything to celebrate that big win?
Loeding: We didn’t do a whole lot to celebrate because we have more to accomplish.
How is your team feeling heading into the final weeks of the regular season?
Loeding: We are feeling good, but we’re always excited to prove something.
What is your favorite pregame meal or snack?
Loeding: My favorite pregame meal is Chipotle because that’s my favorite fast food.
If you could pick one throwback NBA jersey, which one would you take?
Loeding: A John Wall jersey would be pretty dope.
What’s it like having brothers (Brian and Mike Frericks) as your basketball and football coach?
Loeding: It’s a blast. Both of my coaches are great coaches and people.
If you could hop in the DeLorean with Doc Brown and Marty McFly, what athletic contest would you want to see?
Loeding: The game Derrick Rose tore his ACL and stop them so we could continue watching him play as a Chicago Bull.
Loeding: Sports and hanging out with friends and family.
feels good heading into playoffsWolves defeat Warriors 41-6By Alex KanteckiOctober 25
CRYSTAL LAKE – Prairie Ridge junior Eli Loeding took the reverse handoff, saw one McHenry defender standing in his way and not much else.
Loeding already made one athletic play on a one-handed, 23-yard touchdown catch from sophomore quarterback Owen Satterlee on the Wolves’ opening possession.
This time, on the run, Loeding shed a would-be-tackle by the Warriors on his way to a 38-yard touchdown and a 21-point lead. Sophomore Jake Wagler ran in three of his game-high four touchdowns in the second half, and Prairie Ridge ran away with a 41-6 Fox Valley Conference victory.
“It’s all a grind and it’s fun to play with your brothers and overcome struggles throughout the season,” said Loeding, who finished with 100 yards on three catches. “We have a strong core, and no matter if one person goes down, we have more players to bring us up. Everybody on the team can get it done.”
Eli Loeding, Prairie Ridge (Alex Kantecki)
Despite missing starting quarterback Luke Vanderwiel and fullback Jack Finn for the fourth week in a row because of injuries, the Wolves (7-2, 7-2 FVC) had little trouble moving the ball on offense against the Warriors (2-7, 2-7).
Prairie Ridge had 215 yards to only 47 for McHenry in the first half as the Wolves took a 21-0 lead into the break.
“We just wanted to continue doing what we’ve been doing, continue to protect the football and play Prairie Ridge defense,” Wolves coach Mike Frericks said. “For the most part, we did that. We had two turnovers I would have liked to not have, but defensively we came out and showed that we’re ready to go for this playoff push.”
Satterlee, making his third straight start, was 3-of-5 passing for 100 yards – all on catches from Loeding.
Satterlee said he had some nerves about taking over at QB for the injured Vanderwiel, but his team helped him overcome it.
“You have to take it head on,” Satterlee said. “The team is depending on you, and you just have to execute for them. Especially for those seniors tonight. I’m really proud of the way we played as a team, and I’m really proud to represent the seniors.”
Frericks said Satterlee has done a good job taking over.
“He’s done a good job, he’s obviously had ups and downs,” Frericks said. “His turnovers are really the only thing that gets him. But other than that, he’s got great command of the offense, he’s a confident kid. He adds a different throwing element to what we have. We certainly lose some on the run game, but he really does run our offense well. And he runs hard, he’s a load when he runs. It’s a different element than Luke, and that’s what’s nice about it.”
Wagler finished with a game-high 108 yards on 17 carries with TD runs of 2, 35, 2 and 9 yards. Satterlee added 37 rushing yards, Nick Petty had 23 yards and Jesse Kautz had 19 yards.
McHenry was led by sophomore Mick Reidy with 50 yards on nine carries. Quarterback Dayton Warren added 24 yards on the ground and Conner McLean scored a 6-yard TD in the fourth quarter.
Prairie Ridge awaits to see who it will play in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs, which will be announced Saturday. Friday’s win was the third time in four weeks that the Wolves defense allowed six or less points.
“I think we’re capable of anything,” Satterlee said. “I feel like we can go very far. I have all the confidence in this team. We’ve all worked super hard and put everything out there.”
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ExpandPrairie Ridge players celebrate Saturday
after beating Lemont in the Class 2A state third place game at Hoffman Estates High School
HOFFMAN ESTATES – Prairie Ridge senior forward Henry Knoll won’t ever forget his 25th goal this season
The high-scoring Knoll has a knack for finding the back of the net
and he picked the ideal location to close out his stellar career – at the Class 2A state third-place game
[ Photos: Prairie Ridge vs. Lemont ]
After not scoring a goal spanning over a game and a half at the state tournament, Knoll ended the dryspell with a goal in the 69th minute to lift the Wolves to a 1-0 win over Lemont in Saturday’s third-place game at Hoffman Estates.
Prairie Ridge (20-5-1) captured the program’s first state trophy since winning the Class 1A state title in 1999. With the win, the Wolves hit the 20-win mark and took some of the sting away from Friday’s 1-0 state semifinal defeat to De La Salle.
“It was just a bouncing ball,” Knoll said. “I had a nice volley and it just found the net. It felt good to score. I think we could’ve played better. It feels good to end out on a win.”
Prairie Ridge's Henry Knoll (left) celebrates his goal against Lemont Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, during their Class 2A state third place game at Hoffman Estates High School. (Mark Busch)
With the entire Wolves’ team sporting platinum blond hair, Prairie Ridge senior defender Carter Fredrikson said victory was sweet for the 15 seniors.
“We were all banged up and definitely a little sleepy after last night, so it took us a while to get the ball rolling,” he said. “I think the second half we used a lot of the anger and emotion from last night to fuel us and give us the passion to win.”
Prairie Ridge senior defender Brandon Matei agreed with his backline teammate.
“It meant a lot because it was a long season with a lot of effort,” Matei said. “We knew we didn’t want to end it off going home not leaving it all out there. The leaders stepped up and the second half was the culmination of our whole year.”
The Wolves earned the program’s third overall state trophy, while the senior class ended with a total of 44 wins over the last three years.
“It’s incredible,” Prairie Ridge coach Josef Schroeder said. “It was tough to make a quick turnaround. We put so much emotion and physical effort in Friday’s game. It was almost a professional like (game). It took us about 40 minutes to get going. We showed up in the second half and were able to go home with some hardware.”
Lemont's Andrew Guzy (left) and Prairie Ridge's Nicolas Flaugher go up for a header Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, during their Class 2A state third place game at Hoffman Estates High School. (Mark Busch)
Lemont’s first trip to the state tournament ended with another shutout loss after falling 1-0 in Friday’s semifinals to Belleville Althoff. Lemont (23-5-1) had several players suffer injuries the physical game. The second half was marred by several yellow cards for both teams. The Wolves tightened up their defense in the final 10-plus minutes to secure the shutout.
“This game is always hard to play and is never easy because a lot of emotion went into the game last night,” Lemont coach Rick Prangan said. “I thought we played really well in the first half. I don’t think we were flat at all. This team has been really resilient…I’m super proud of their maturity and their mentality going into the game and how they played today.”