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Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
After pushing car home, Jozef Walus propels Reavis to upset win over Brother Rice. ‘Meant for a moment like this.'
On the eve of one of the biggest boys volleyball matches in years for Reavis, senior outside hitter Jozef Walus certainly didn't see this coming. The engine blew in his car. Walus and his friends pushed the car for two miles Wednesday night, and when all was said and done, he got home at 3 a.m. and finally went to sleep. But the effects from that adventure weren't over. 'I got up at nine and my back was hurting from pushing that car,' Walus said. His mother, Agnieszka, came to the rescue. 'She put some Icy Hot on my back, I fell back asleep with it, and when I woke up, I felt better,' Jozef said. 'I felt replenished.' Things went much better Thursday night for Walus. The host Rams hummed along like a brand-new car, pulling off a 25-18, 25-15 stunner over Brother Rice at the Reavis Regional in Burbank, winning their first regional title since 2011. Walus tallied five kills and three aces for sixth-seeded Reavis (31-2). He also unleashed several other serves that had the backrow of third-seeded Brother Rice (30-8) scrambling. Pawel Greczek led the Rams with nine kills and a .500 hitting percentage, while Brandon Wilke added six kills. Blue O'Neill had 23 assists and Krystian Paluch chipped in with 18 digs. Vaughn Goberville paced Brother Rice with four kills. The Crusaders were guilty of 13 hitting errors and six serving miscues, ensuring that their season would end sooner than they expected. Walus and the Rams, however, set the tone by taking a 14-5 lead in the first game. That helped silence the jitters they were collectively experiencing. 'We were 100% nervous,' Walus said. 'We were all nervous, but we put that aside and said that we wanted to win this. We put it aside and played our hardest.' How nervous was Walus? 'When I went back to serve, I thought I was going to trip and fall,' he said. To prove the opener wasn't a fluke, the Rams took a 15-4 lead in the second game and won handily, advancing to Saturday's Hinsdale Central Sectional semifinals against second-seeded Sandburg (33-4). For Reavis coach Mike Jebens, this was the culmination of a graduating class that featured talented freshmen with potential four years ago. And Walus was one of them. 'Joey has been through so much,' Jebens. 'He was a JV player as a freshman and started as a sophomore and started as a junior and as a senior and has improved so much. 'He was meant for a moment like this.' Paluch, who was also a top soccer player for Reavis, remembered regional final losses to Marian Catholic and Sandburg the past two years. He thought the Rams were ready for a breakthrough. 'It was great that we were at home,' he said. 'When we're at home, there is this different vibe, and the fans came out and supported us. This is something special.' Paluch said he doesn't think he will go to college, so he wants to make the most out of the end of his high school career. On the other hand, Walus committed to play volleyball at Bryant & Stratton in Wisconsin. He's glad that he can get in at least a couple more years of the sport and go from there. 'They are bringing in a few 6-8 middles and the setter from Argo,' Walus said, referring to Alexander Jakowicki. 'I didn't want to go to a four-year college. I just wanted to get my associate's degree real quick and go to a trade school. 'But I had a friend who committed there. It's a two-year program and it's close to home.'
Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Brother Rice's King Liggins joins Morgan Park's Nasir Rankin in committing to Illinois. ‘Going to start a trend.'
When King Liggins started high school at Brother Rice, college football wasn't even his radar. But that changed quickly. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman, who will be a senior in the fall, has the size and toughness colleges look for. Suddenly, he decided he could dream big. 'It was crazy when I started getting offers my freshman year summer,' Liggins said. 'Me and my coaches started talking and I realized, 'Wow, I really have a chance to play at the next level and then maybe even higher than that in the NFL.' 'I've just been grinding since then, and it's really special to see that hard work start to show.' It all became a reality Wednesday when Liggins committed to Illinois. Liggins, who had 37 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks last season, is rated as a three-star recruit and the No. 18 prospect in the state for the 2026 class. After receiving over 20 scholarship offers, Liggins narrowed his choices down to Wisconsin and Illinois before picking his home state school. 'I loved the family atmosphere, and it's somewhere where I feel like I can get to the next level — the NFL,' Liggins said. 'They have a plan for me to get to that next level, and I believe that they can help me get there. 'I just thought, 'Why not stay home, create a legacy and do something that's never been done there?'' Liggins announced his choice on YouTube, starting a big day for the Illini. Hours later, Morgan Park receiver Nasir Rankin also committed to Illinois via YouTube. Liggins hopes he and Rankin can start a wave of local players staying home for college. 'Nasir and I played against each other in eighth grade, so we know each other,' Liggins said. 'It's great because not a lot of guys from our area go to Illinois. 'I feel like this is going to start a trend. We have a state with a lot of good football players. Why not stay together, stay home and go to Illinois?' Rankin is rated a four-star recruit and the No. 8 player in Illinois in the 2026 class by Rivals. He piled up 48 catches for 1,126 yards and 17 touchdowns during a breakout season last fall. Rankin, who also has a scholarship offer from the Illini for basketball, plans to attempt to play both sports in college. Liggins, meanwhile, is relieved to be done with recruiting and ready to put all his energy back into football. 'It feels great to know all the recruiting process is over and being able to just focus on my football season this year is really great,' he said. 'The process was very crazy. 'I had to do a lot of research on my own on schools and coaches and that ultimately pushed me to come to Illinois, too.' The Illini appear to be trending upward under coach Bret Bielema, going 10-3 last fall and finishing No. 16 in The Associated Press rankings. 'They're a really good program but they're not cocky,' Liggins said. 'They genuinely have a hungry team. They have something to prove. They come to work every day and that's what I want to do.' Liggins is excited for summer practices but certainly isn't satisfied. He knows there's plenty of room for him to get better for his senior season at Brother Rice. 'This offseason, I'm trying to find anything in my game that I need to work on,' he said. 'I'm working on transition pass rush a lot right now. I know there are other little things I can improve on. 'Every offseason, I want to get better. I want to get to the NFL and that's going to take hard work. I also have to be able to critique myself. I think the more you can do that, the better you can be.'
Chicago Tribune
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
After missing football due to injury, Anthony Cartolano breaks out in baseball for Brother Rice. ‘Fun to be back.'
Last fall was frustrating for Anthony Cartolano, who broke his right arm in August and missed all of what was supposed to be his first varsity football season for Brother Rice. Instead, the sophomore outfielder had all that extra time to think about baseball. He was more than a little amped up to get back to competing on the diamond this spring. 'Breaking my arm and being out for that long, the biggest challenge was mentally,' Cartolano said. 'It was hard just to stay mentally high. Getting down was pretty easy, but I knew I had to get back up fast. 'I love playing baseball, and it's fun to be back.' While Cartolano, who suffered the injury in football practice, has to wait to showcase his skills as a wide receiver on varsity, he's sure made a quite a splash in his first full season of varsity baseball. He helped the Crusaders win a conference title Saturday. Cartolano's two-run single was a key hit as host Brother Rice topped St. Laurence for a 6-2 Catholic League Blue win in Chicago. Braydon McKendrick threw six-plus innings, striking out four and allowing two earned runs on just two hits and three walks for the Crusaders (29-2, 13-1). Eastern Michigan recruit Aidan Nohava went 2-for-3 with a home run, while Arizona commit Gavin Triezenberg added a two-run double and Joshua Torres finished 2-for-3 with an RBI single. Brother Rice needed to sweep St. Laurence (26-5, 12-2) in the final two-game series of the conference season and did just that to win its first Catholic League Blue title since 2022. That set off a raucous celebration with students storming the field to join the team. 'Honestly, there's no better feeling,' Nohava said. 'Seeing my teammates with smiles on their faces puts a bigger smile on mine. We've got all my buddies coming out to watch us at this new field with this atmosphere. You can't recreate it anywhere else. 'I love it. There's nothing better.' Louisville recruit Cory Les homered for the Vikings. Orlando Vazquez added a single, with Jimmy Benson striking out five over 4 2/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits. Cartolano, however, ripped a two-run single to left field in the third inning to give the Crusaders a 3-0 lead. 'I had two strikeouts I shouldn't have had,' Cartolano said. 'The pressure got me, but that's going to happen sometimes. You can't be perfect all the time. But in that at-bat, I manned up with two strikes, put the ball in play, and good things happen when you swing the bat.' A lot of good things have been happening for Cartolano, who landed an inside-the-park home run during Thursday's 12-2 win over St. Laurence. In addition to playing sparkling defense, he's hitting .403 with 29 runs, 26 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. After batting him near the bottom of the lineup early in the season, coach Sean McBride has moved Cartolano up to the No. 2 spot. 'He's been awesome, man,' McBride said. 'For a young kid, he really believes in himself. He plays the game like a senior. He leads by his intensity and fire. He's been a spark plug. 'We're lucky he's just a young buck and we've got him for a couple more years.' Cartolano's speed has been a game changer for the Crusaders. He said he owes that to football. 'Football transformed my body and made me faster overall,' he said. 'Competing year-round makes me a better overall athlete and a better player in both sports.' It's been a fun ride so far for Cartolano, but he's ready for more. 'It's really exciting, but we're just getting started,' he said. 'Playoffs are next. We're going to state.'
Chicago Tribune
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Sandburg's Jeremiah Aro wants to make Michael Schofield and Kendall Coyne Schofield proud. ‘Accomplished so much.'
Sandburg's Jeremiah Aro has a lot of respect for Michael Schofield and Kendall Coyne Schofield. The Southland sports power couple have made big names for themselves since graduating from Sandburg. Michael won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos. Kendall won a gold medal and two silvers in the Olympics with the U.S. women's hockey team. 'If you live in Orland Park, it's hard to not know about them,' said Aro, a Princeton-bound senior right-hitter for the Eagles. 'They both accomplished so much.' Last week, Aro was surprised with the seventh Schofield Family Foundation Scholarship. It was given to him for his play on the volleyball court as well as graduating in the top 5% of his class. Not only a quick study in the classroom, the 6-foot-6 Aro also has learned rapidly on the court this season as Madisen Babich added a few more responsibilities to her standout's repertoire. 'Jeremiah's IQ of the game is getting better and better,' said Babich, who's in her first year as Sandburg's coach. 'Each new week I feel like he advances on the knowledge side and with his decision-making. 'He's playing all the way around for us, so his right back defense, we have crossed that bridge of seeing the change of him being able to read a hitter and how to pick up a tip. He's keeping a lot more balls alive in the back row for us, too.' Aro, the first volleyball player to earn Schofield Family Foundation Scholarship, helped Sandburg (25-4) finish second Saturday at the Richards Invitational in Oak Lawn. The tournament featured just 12 teams, but three were ranked in the Top 25 in the nation in the latest USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. Downers Grove North (27-4), ranked No. 20, defeated No. 14 Sandburg 25-18, 25-14 in the championship match, while No. 25 Brother Rice downed Wheaton-Warrenville South 25-22, 25-21 for third place. Sandburg struggled Saturday against Downers Grove after sweating out three-game wins over Lyons, 19-25, 25-19, 20-18, and Brother Rice, 23-25, 25-23, 25-22. The Crusaders had handed the Eagles two of their losses. Sandburg's Will Ashum, an Aurora University recruit, and Aaron Dennie joined Brother Rice's John Mikrut and Oliver McNichols, Stagg's Charlie Zeiler, Shepard's Dylan Harkala and Richards' Kaden Oros on the all-tournament team. 'Will is always ready to go and he has the grit and always wants to find a way to score,' Babich said. 'Aaron is a player I feel no one talks about. His serve receive is the most consistent. 'He's not going to be someone who is like 'woah' across the gym, but we're trying to make him known because he is a good weapon.' Aro already had developed that wow factor during his sophomore and junior years for Sandburg. His jumping and powerful hitting abilities make an impact. 'He's a much-needed piece for our team,' Ashum said of Aro. 'Honestly, we would not succeed as much as we do without him. He's a great teammate and makes everybody better.' Aro said the best part of volleyball is interacting with his teammates. The best part of this season, however, could be ahead for the Eagles. Sandburg and Brother Rice are seeded second and third, respectively, at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. 'When we have school, we all have busy schedules and we don't get to see each other that much,' Aro said. 'But when we're playing volleyball, we are all together. 'This is a great group of guys and I love all of them.' He also admires the football and hockey skills of the Schofields. 'I wanted to play football but my mom wouldn't let me,' Aro said. 'I went ice skating about three or four times, but I wasn't very good, though.'
Chicago Tribune
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Joshua Torres, who takes photos for school newspaper, turns into a headliner for Brother Rice. ‘Feels awesome.'
At most Brother Rice sporting events, aside from baseball games that he's playing in, Joshua Torres can be found on the sideline with his camera. Torres, a photographer and writer for the school newspaper, also does freelance photography outside of Brother Rice. In that role, he's found plenty of inspiration to take into baseball season. 'You saw the basketball team, they were tremendous,' Torres said of the Class 3A runners-up. 'It's awesome being around teams like that. That just made me say, 'We're going to do the same thing with our team. We're going to go all the way to the state championship game just like them.' 'When you have so much talent around you, it's definitely motivating.' Torres, a senior catcher, is becoming a larger part of a Crusaders baseball team putting together a special season of their own. He had an RBI single Saturday as host Brother Rice extended its winning streak to 26 games with a 5-4 Catholic League Blue victory over Providence in Chicago. Kentucky recruit Nolan Ramoley added an RBI double and a sacrifice fly for the Crusaders (27-1, 10-0). Anthony Cartolano went 2-for-3 with two runs, while Arizona commit Gavin Triezenberg finished 2-for-3 with a triple and a run and Gavin Stanislawski contributed an RBI single. Illinois State recruit Jackson Natanek chipped in with an RBI double and recorded the final two outs for the save. Braydon McKendrick improved to 8-0, striking out six while allowing just two hits and no earned runs over 6 1/3 innings. 'This was a big one so I really just wanted to go out there and make another statement,' McKendrick said. 'We're rolling.' Cincinnati recruit Enzo Infelise tallied a two-run single for Providence (17-11, 5-5). Eddie Olszta, Dominik Alberico and Michael Noonan each had a double and a run. Down 5-1 entering the seventh inning, the Celtics scored three times and had the tying run at second but Natanek got a strikeout to end the game. Torres, meanwhile, delivered an RBI single in the second to give Brother Rice a 3-0 lead. He later put down a successful sacrifice bunt and also played a strong game defensively behind the plate. Torres has shared catching duties with Treylan Webster. While Webster got the bulk of the playing time early in the season, Torres is earning more opportunities of late. 'It feels awesome,' Torres said. 'Trey's doing his thing and I'm just here to do my part. In the preseason, coach (Sean) McBride told me Trey was going to be the main guy but they'd still use me and I said that I accept that offer. 'I'll do whatever I can. I'll do my part. You just control what you can control.' Torres is hitting .421 with seven RBIs in just 19 at-bats. 'Josh is a steady presence for us,' McBride said. 'He does a really good job blocking and receiving and he's always swung the bat really well. He's versatile. You don't think catchers are guys that can sacrifice bunt, but he did it for us (Saturday).' Torres has served as somewhat of a personal catcher for McKendrick as well. He's typically behind the plate for the junior left-hander's starts, and the two have a good rapport. 'He caught me a lot last year, too, and we've played for the same travel team, so we have that chemistry,' McKendrick said. 'We're really close. He's great back there. He helps me get some extra strikes called. He's amazing.' As for his recent success swinging the bat, Torres chalks it up to confidence. 'Last year, I think the reason why I was down so much is I was always saying 'I suck' to myself,' Torres said. 'That self-belief is huge. I just started calming down this year.'
