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Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Minnesota commit Nate O'Donnell stays the course as Providence routs Homewood-Flossmoor. ‘You've just got to win.'
Returning most of the team that won the 2024 Class 4A state title, Providence has dealt with large expectations all season. And perhaps no one has had more to live up to than Nate O'Donnell. O'Donnell, a senior infielder/pitcher, had a monster junior season. The 2024 Daily Southtown Baseball Player of the Year was one of the state's top hitters and a clutch big-game pitcher. That's a high bar to set for yourself, but O'Donnell has faced it just fine. 'There's a little bit of that pressure, but you can't look at it that way,' O'Donnell said. 'Obviously, you'd like to repeat the stats, but it's not really about that. You're just going out there to have fun and to compete every at-bat and every time on the mound. 'You control what you can control.' O'Donnell, a Minnesota recruit, fought through a slump or two this spring but he's having another huge season with his arm and his bat. He stepped up on the mound Saturday, allowing just two hits over five shutout innings as the Celtics rolled to a 12-0 win over Homewood-Flossmoor in the Class 4A Sandburg Regional championship game, which was played at Andrew in Tinley Park. Cincinnati commit Enzo Infelise went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer, while Parkland recruit Blake Jenner also finished 3-for-3 and scored a run for third-seeded Providence (25-12), which will take on 12th-seeded Stagg (10-27) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in a Lincoln-Way West Sectional semifinal. SIU Edwardsville commit Cooper Eggert was 2-for-2 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI, while Eddie Olszta and Michael Noonan each added two RBIs. 'We were hungry coming into this game,' Infelise said, referencing last year's 2-1 regional championship win over H-F that went eight innings. 'We barely beat them last year. 'I know they wanted us. We came out and ended up stacking hits together.' Derrick Holmes and Arthur Stamps each had a hit for ninth-seeded H-F (14-21). Both of them followed their singles with stolen-base attempts and were thrown out at second by Infelise. That helped O'Donnell face the minimum 15 batters. 'I just wanted to pound the zone, trust the defense behind me and just throw a lot of strikes,' O'Donnell said. 'I knew guys would make plays behind me.' O'Donnell improved to 4-3 with a 2.39 ERA. He also singled and scored a run, adding to his impressive offensive numbers. Last season, O'Donnell hit .441 with 43 runs, 11 homers and 55 RBIs. He's not too far behind this spring, batting .424 with 45 runs, nine homers and 38 RBIs. Providence coach Mark Smith has been impressed with how O'Donnell handles the spotlight. 'Any player that has a great sophomore year or a junior year and then comes back, it's hard to repeat that,' Smith said. 'Baseball is a hard game and when you have those monster years, maybe everything went right for you and then it's going to even out a bit the next year. 'But Nate's had one heck of a year for us again. He's been great. He's a four-year varsity player. Those four years have gone fast, and we're really going to miss him.' Infelise caught O'Donnell's bullpen session earlier in the week and was confident Saturday would be a good day. 'He threw a great pen,' Infelise said. 'He came out (Saturday) and he had his stuff. When Nate has his stuff, he's hard to hit.' Providence, on the flip side, scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back. O'Donnell said the Celtics are ready to put a so-so regular season behind them and make their push for a repeat championship. 'We had some ups and downs and some injuries that we had to work through,' he said. 'Now, it's time to lock in and just get the job done. If you lose, you're done, so you just can't lose. 'You've just got to win.'
Chicago Tribune
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Homewood-Flossmoor wears pink socks to honor Bryan Ahrendt's mom, Dena, who has breast cancer. ‘Our No. 1 fan.'
Homewood-Flossmoor's Bryan Ahrendt loves playing volleyball to get his mind off of real life. The senior libero's mother, Dena, was diagnosed with breast cancer in December. She has gone through three rounds of chemotherapy, with another six on the docket. 'Volleyball has definitely been a way to not focus on the negative,' Bryan said. 'Especially when I go home and I see her the way she is. It's not a cool thing. It's not a good thing. 'It's definitely a good thing to focus on volleyball and have fun with the guys.' The Vikings, who honored Dena by wearing pink socks Tuesday night, went out and beat T.F. United 25-19, 25-15 in the Rich Township Regional semifinals in Richton Park. 'She's at almost every game and is our No. 1 fan,' H-F coach Mark Ciesielski said. Ahrendt, a Carthage recruit, totaled six digs Tuesday to lead H-F (28-8), while Ahmad Powell had eight kills and Surendran Heyward added seven. Caleb Madden and Will Adams each had four. The Vikings, who take on Lincoln-Way Central (24-13) at 6 p.m. Thursday in the championship match, are seeking their third regional title since 1994. Lincoln-Way Central (24-13) topped Marian Catholic 25-22, 25-15. Logan Baechtold, Dylan Brannigan and Joey Vellenga put down six kills apiece. David Barlow came through with eight kills and Carter Knueppel added seven for Marian (9-22). After Tuesday's win, H-F brought in Dena for a celebratory team photo. 'I'm glad that we were able to come out here and support her and make sure she knows she is appreciated by the Viking program,' Powell said. Few around the team knew about the situation until this week. 'I didn't want to make it public,' Bryan said. 'It was something we wanted to handle ourselves and not tell everybody.' But Bryan said his aunt proposed that the Vikings should do something for Dena, and they came up with the idea of wearing pink socks. 'It made a big impact,' Bryan said. 'She was bawling on the way here. She really appreciated it. 'She's an emotional person, but this really touched her because she just cut off all of her hair because of chemo.' While he's on the court, Bryan has proven to be valuable to the Vikings. 'Bryan is our quarterback and the leader on the court,' Ciesielski said. 'After every game, he's hoarse. He's screaming and he's letting everybody know where everyone should be. 'He's the glue that keeps us together on the court.' The Vikings, who beat Lincoln-Way Central 25-22, 25-16 on May 8 at home in the SouthWest Suburban Conference, opened the regular season with a 13-match winning streak. Since May 13, they're on a five-match streak. Powell, who is going to Ohio State for academics, missed a month of the season. Now that he's back, H-F is rolling again. He was all-state last season but decided to concentrate on an engineering degree. 'It wasn't tough to decide to quit volleyball because I knew that I want to get a good education,' Powell said. 'Ohio State has everything that I need. 'I won't have volleyball, but that's cool. I can always go to the games or join club volleyball.' Powell, however, said he will miss playing alongside Ahrendt. 'Bryan is one of the most passionate people I know, on and off the court,' Powell said. 'He always has a smile for his teammates. He always gets on us when we're doing bad. 'Sometimes, he's the bad cop and I'm the good cop, and together we make a good team.' As that team, Ciesielaski confirmed he was glad Dena could be honored before the season was over. 'It's a neat thing,' he said. 'We just want her to know that we support her and she's a part of our family and she's not fighting alone.'
Chicago Tribune
28-04-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Juice Wrld inspired foundation helps Homewood-Flossmoor students discuss mental health, stress
Through activities including art, yoga and tai chi, students at Homewood-Flossmoor High School learned Monday about normalizing conversations about mental health issues, in what organizers hope becomes an annual event. The event, the first held at the school, was coordinated with the Live Free 999 Foundation, the family foundation honoring late Chicago-native musical artist Jarad Higgins, known as Juice Wrld. An H-F grad who grew up in Homewood, Higgins died Dec. 8, 2019, six days after his 21st birthday. An autopsy showed he died accidentally from an overdose of oxycodone and codeine. Called Shatter the Silence, the full-day event had about 2,700 students at the school participate in talks and hands-on activities touching on subjects including stress, anxiety, depression and suicide. Jen Rudan, director of student support at the Flossmoor school, said the event was meant to 'bring awareness to mental health and let students know it's OK to talk about it.' Through the collaboration with Live Free 999 Foundation and H-F's Bring Change to Mind organization, the sessions were intended to 'destigmatize the discussion about mental health,' Rudan said. She said teens are 'already very aware of their mental health,' and that H-F wanted 'to provide them with proper outlets to process their feelings and that it's normal to have ups and downs.' Following her son's death, Carmela Wallace established Live Free 999, a nonprofit intended to 'support programs that provide preventive measures and positive avenues to address mental health challenges and substance dependency.' She said Monday she had a vision of pop-up mental health therapy sessions, and said the H-F event was an incarnation of that. 'They are pioneers,' she said of the school organizers. 'I don't think many schools do what they do.' Wallace said her foundation recruited the presenters, many of whom are from the Flossmoor and Homewood and have received grants through the foundation. Students took part in one session, spread among the school day in several rooms at the school, in place of their regular physical education class. Lauren White, a social worker at the school, said students did not feel forced into it. 'I feel like everybody is in good spirits about it,' she said. White said she has been a school social worker for 15 years. 'People talk a lot about mental health and it's all talk, and we are putting action behind it,' she said. Holly Houston, a psychologist with the Anxiety and Stress Center, with offices in Homewood and Orland Park, spoke about anxiety and stress. She said she has two adult children who graduated from H-F. Stress can include things such as academic demands, getting into a college and gender identity, she said. Stress and anxiety can lead to physical issues such as headaches, body pain and loss of sleep. Houston admitted to students that she had a bit of anxiety just thinking about her presentation to them. 'I lost a little sleep,' Houston said. Sometimes they can lead to isolation, where 'you create an echo chamber, where negativity bounces back at us,' she said. Anxiety and stress can result in poor sleep patterns, she said. Houston cited Mayo Clinic research estimating that up to 70% of teens have sleep challenges and inadequate sleep. Students were advised to avoid screens such as phones and computers at least an hour before going to bed, and to try relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga before bedtime. Students were told that having a good social support system including family and friends can 'function as a buffer against stress, anxiety, depression and isolation.' Stickers with QR codes were given to students, and scanning the code provided information about resources in the community for help dealing with mental health issues. While H-F already incorporates aspects of student mental health into its curriculum, including annual evaluations, the event was meant to help students beyond high school. 'They are not always going to be in our four walls, but they can see what resources are available' in the community, Carla Erdey, a district spokeswoman, said. Wallace last year opened Homewood Brewing as a testament to her son, where there are touches of Jarad Higgins all around. In the entry, floor tiles say 'Be perfectly imperfect,' a snippet of lyrics from a song by Higgins. There is a wall-size mural on a second-floor patio of him. Higgins' music career took off after he gained support from freestyling on his high school's radio show, according to a 2018 Chicago Tribune profile. He landed a $3 million deal with Interscope Records, according to the article, and in 2019 was one of two artists chosen by fast-food chain McDonald's to be part of a philanthropic campaign, representing their hometowns by partnering with a local charity and performing concerts. His posthumously released final album, 'Legends Never Die,' was the No. 1 album in the United States for two consecutive weeks, according to an August 2020 Tribune article.
Chicago Tribune
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Homewood-Flossmoor's Vincent Robinson gets NCAA gold at North Carolina State. ‘Total full-circle moment.'
Homewood-Flossmoor graduate Vincent Robinson recently found the ultimate redemption on the wrestling mat. But before we get to that, let's rewind to his high school days. On a February night in 2022, Robinson — then a junior — and his coach at H-F, Jim Sokoloski, had a long, emotional chat at the State Farm Center in Champaign. Robinson had just lost a state championship match for the second time in his high school career, falling to Mount Carmel's Sergio Lemley in the Class 3A 132-pound championship bout. Sokoloski promised his pupil that better days were ahead. 'Me and 'Soko' sat in the stairwell and cried for 20 or 30 minutes,' Robinson said. 'He was like, 'We're going to get it next year.'' That didn't happen. The next season, as a senior, Robinson also ran into Lemley, this time in the semifinals. Lemley, who went on to become a four-time state champion, got the best of him again. Two years later, though, Robinson has ascended to the top of the mountain. Forget a state championship. He's a national champ. On March 22 in Philadelphia, Robinson — a redshirt freshman at North Carolina State — won the NCAA title at 125 pounds. And, as it turns out, he made one of Sokoloski's predictions come true. 'After I lost to Lemley again as a senior, it was the same thing all over,' Robinson recalled. 'We sat there crying and 'Soko' told me, 'The national championship is going to feel way better.' 'It did. It just feels like a total full-circle moment.' Robinson edged Oklahoma State's Troy Spratley 2-1 in overtime in the national championship match, scoring an escape and holding on for the win. 'My first reaction was like, 'I told everybody,'' Robinson said. 'I spoke it the whole season and I believed it and it became so. I looked at my dad and I pointed at him. 'Me and my dad talk almost every day. He's like my best friend.' Robinson's dad, Vasil, is an assistant coach at H-F and has been Robinson's biggest mentor throughout his career. I've seen Vasil let his emotions show many times following wins and losses by Vincent and his brothers. So, what was the national championship celebration like? 'He had a lesser reaction than what I thought,' Robinson said. 'I thought he was going to go a little crazy. I rewatched it and I saw he jumped up really quick. I've never seen him jump up that quick. 'But he didn't really go too crazy because he always knew I could do it.' And so did Vincent, who never lost hope after falling just short again and again in high school. Those setbacks make this victory even better. 'I think that does make it sweeter,' he said. 'You know I know how it feels to lose and how it feels to come up short in those big matches. It wasn't on my mind a lot at the national tournament, but it definitely crossed my mind. 'It was one of those mindsets like, 'I'm tired of having that second-place feeling and coming up short.' I said, 'I didn't come this far just to get second again.'' Robinson also overcame some injury issues on his way to the top. He redshirted last season following knee surgery. This winter, he suffered a torn meniscus in his knee in December and had to have another surgery, sidelining him for another month. 'It had its ups and downs,' Robinson said. 'I think the surgery helped my defense a little bit more, knowing I had to keep people off my leg because I didn't want to hurt my knee. 'Ultimately, I think it made me better.' Every year, the state wrestling meet is one of the most emotional days of the year. At every state event, there are teams that fall just short of making their dreams come true. But there's nothing quite like the heartbreak of losing a one-on-one state championship match. Having seen Robinson's disappointment up close, I'm thrilled to see him finally get his championship. And there's more to come. Robinson said he took a week off after nationals but is now back to work. 'I just feel like I'm ready to go get another one,' he said. 'It's kind of like my first time really being at the top. I want to see how it feels to be the man and now they've got to come get me. 'If you want me, come get me.' I hope Robinson savors that feeling of being 'the man.' He's certainly earned it.
Chicago Tribune
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Jayden Williams stars as Rich Township rolls past Homewood-Flossmoor for sectional title. ‘It was just personal.'
Jayden Williams is no secret anymore. The junior guard is a star. Williams, who was coming off the bench at times earlier in the season for Rich Township, has defenses game-planning around him now. And his teammates, like Al Brooks Jr., know exactly what Williams is going to bring every night. 'Jayden, I love that boy,' Brooks said. 'That's our silent killer. He's like our jump-starter. He gets us starting. When Jayden starts killing, the whole team's killing.' That's exactly how things went Friday as Williams' hot start sparked the host Raptors on their way to a 77-64 win over defending state champion Homewood-Flossmoor in the Class 4A Rich Township Sectional championship game. Williams, who scored 11 points in the first quarter, finished with 22 points and six rebounds to lead third-seeded Rich Township (24-8). Brooks dominated inside with 20 points and 20 rebounds, while Jamson Coulter scored 14 points. Nyshawn Turner had seven points and seven rebounds. It's the first boys basketball sectional championship for the Raptors since the district consolidated into one athletic program and the first for any district school since Rich Central in 1997-98. Wofford recruit Jayden Tyler scored 15 points for top-seeded H-F (30-4). Ethan Howard added 14 points, while Brent Taylor and Arden Eaves each tallied 11 points. Eaves also had 10 rebounds. Rich Township will take on Kenwood (31-1) at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Illinois-Chicago Supersectional at Credit Union 1 Arena. The Raptors are the only team to beat the Broncos this season with an 87-83 decision in a Big Dipper semifinal on Dec. 28. Speaking of the Big Dipper, Williams came off the bench to score 18 points for the Raptors in an 81-67 victory over H-F in the championship game. So, he has certainly had the Vikings' number. Unlike in the past. 'It really started last season when we played them in the Big Dipper,' Williams said. 'I didn't score a point. I was shooting the ball and I just couldn't make a shot. 'So, when I played against them this year, it was just personal. I had to show them how I could score against them now.' Williams led the Raptors to a 20-13 lead after the first quarter and they never looked back. 'It was amazing,' Williams said. 'We had to start off fast. In the past couple games, we've started off slow and we've had to come from behind. 'If we start out fast, nobody can really get in front of us after that.' The Raptors turned a 39-29 halftime lead into a commanding 65-45 advantage through three quarters, but the Vikings did not go down without a fight. H-F pulled within 70-62 with just under three minutes to go, but Rich Township countered with six straight points, including four from Brooks. Brooks, meanwhile, pulled down seemingly every rebound that was up for grabs all night. 'I'm a dog, man,' Brooks said. 'They were small, so I felt like I could eat inside. I felt like if I go get every rebound, my team is going to win. I just fought and scratched to get every rebound, every loose ball, everything. 'I just had to play hard. There ain't no tomorrow.' Rich Township's season now has a tomorrow, though, and Raptors coach Lou Adams knows Williams is a big reason why. 'He's one of the best players in the state,' Adams said. 'People don't know that, but I tell people it all the time. Jayden Williams is pretty good.' Williams appreciates the kudos, but he's not too concerned with the personal glory. 'I don't really pay attention to it,' he said. 'I'm just trying to win state. It feels amazing to get this far. We've got one more game to make it to state.'
