Latest news with #OakLawn
Chicago Tribune
03-06-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Len Scaduto, a basketball lifer, will always be remembered for Oak Lawn's 1970-71 team. ‘Made his mark.'
The Southland basketball community lost a legend when Len Scaduto died on May 13 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was 93. Scaduto coached Oak Lawn's boys basketball team from 1962 to 1991, going 411-340 and leading his 1970-71 team to a state runner-up finish. But that wasn't all. After retiring at Oak Lawn, Scaduto moved to Hawaii and kept coaching. Colleges. High schools. A semipro team. He remained on the sidelines until he was nearly 90. Scaduto's son, Bruce — who followed in his dad's footsteps, coaching boys and girls basketball at Evergreen Park for 27 seasons — said Len never lost his passion for basketball. 'He's been my coach since I was a little kid,' Bruce said. 'He's been my basketball mentor my whole life. He pretty much taught me all I knew. Pretty much what I saw him do, I did. 'It was a good run. I'm proud of what he accomplished. He was a great father and he definitely made his mark on basketball in Illinois.' Of course, that 1970-71 Oak Lawn team will always hold a special place in Scaduto's legacy. The Spartans went 30-3 but were unranked and far from being considered a top contender for the state title when they went into the playoffs in the final season of one-class basketball in Illinois. It was a magical postseason run. Along the way, Oak Lawn knocked off the past two state champions in Lyons and Proviso East. The Spartans nearly took their Cinderella journey all the way to the top, losing a classic state championship game 52-50 to Thornridge, which was led by future NBA standout Quinn Buckner. Jim Bocinsky, who went on to play at DePaul and professionally in Europe, was the second-leading scorer on that Spartans team behind their own future NBA player in C.J. Kupec. 'We didn't really know what we had until we almost had it,' Bocinsky said. 'Our goal was to win the conference. We didn't even realize we had the potential to do anything beyond that. 'We just went out to try to win the regional and then it was one game at a time.' Bocinsky said the members of that team have kept a tight bond over the years. 'We get together to golf but we're old men now, so you get to the 19th tee and you say, 'I heard that story last week,'' Bocinsky said, with a laugh. 'We tell the same stories over and over again about that year, but we can't get away from it. 'That team, and coach Scaduto, have been a huge part of my life.' Several members of that team play in an alumni basketball game every year at Oak Lawn. Bocinsky and Don Wesselhoff, who graduated in 1970 just before the state run, would often get together for breakfast with Scaduto each summer when he returned to the area. Len also came back for a 50-year reunion held for the team in 2021. Wesselhoff remembers a hard-nosed coach who was tough but earned everyone's trust. 'You loved the guy, but he'd push you so hard that it was like a love-hate relationship,' Wesselhoff said. 'He respected us and we respected him. After he graduated, we continued to keep in touch. 'It's just a relationship that's hard to come by these days. I was really honored and blessed to have him as a coach.' After retiring at Oak Lawn, Scaduto spent three seasons as an assistant at Chaminade and 12 years on the staff at Hawaii. He also returned briefly to the high school level before wrapping up his career with the semipro Hawaii Swish, whom he was coaching at age 89. Scaduto's stepson, Jack Danilewicz, said he was also a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, a college football fanatic and an avid gardener. Scaduto's legacy will undoubtedly continue to live on at Oak Lawn the way it has over the last three decades since his departure — with endless stories and lessons passed down. The Spartans and Evergreen Park have dubbed their rivalry 'The Scaduto Series' in honor of both Len and Bruce. The winner of the game each season receives a trophy. Current Oak Lawn coach Jason Rhodes also informed me the school is starting a new tournament this fall — the Len Scaduto Thanksgiving Classic. That name had been chosen before Scaduto's death, but the inaugural event will have some added meaning behind it now. 'He's made a huge mark in our community, and his former players always speak fondly of him and tell me great stories about him,' Rhodes said. 'He obviously had an incredible run. 'Almost 30 years coaching basketball at Oak Lawn. That's almost unfathomable to me.' There's at least one artifact from Scaduto's days that still lingers around the gym at Oak Lawn. In his office, Rhodes has a coaching manual Scaduto left behind. 'It's a thick book with all kinds of diagrams and notes on his system, offensively and defensively,' Rhodes said. 'You could tell just from that thing alone how much time he invested.' That was Len Scaduto — the Southland's ultimate basketball lifer.
CBS News
08-05-2025
- CBS News
Home invaders rob owner at gunpoint in Oak Lawn, Illinois
Search on for robbers behind home invasion in Oak Lawn, Illinois Search on for robbers behind home invasion in Oak Lawn, Illinois Search on for robbers behind home invasion in Oak Lawn, Illinois Police on the southwest Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn were searching for two robbers, who invaded a man's home and robbed him at gunpoint in broad daylight Wednesday. Just after 2 p.m., Oak Lawn police were called for a home invasion near 90th Street and Sproat Avenue. A homeowner told police two masked people broke in through his back door, and he confronted them. At that point, one of the invaders pulled a gun on the homeowner, and they stole the homeowner's property and left. The robbers fled in a newer black Ford Ranger, of which police released photos. Anyone with information is asked to call the Oak Lawn Police Detective Division at 708-907-4051 or text tips to 708-613-TIPS (8477).
Chicago Tribune
14-02-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Kyziah Lewis, who lists basketball heroes as Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant, leads Evergreen Park. ‘It's in my DNA.'
As a child, Evergreen Park's Kyziah Lewis was transfixed whenever basketball came on TV. She enjoyed watching Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose and Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant. 'Derrick Rose is still my top player,' Lewis said. 'I like the way he played. I try to drive like he did, and I like to try to get there. I have a bigger size than him from my standpoint, but I try to maneuver and be as smooth as I can be.' The senior forward did some driving — some of it smooth, some of it strong — Thursday night to help host Evergreen Park knock off Shepard in a 55-45 South Suburban Red victory. Lewis tallied 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots for Evergreen Park (20-10, 9-4). One of those blocks came at the halftime buzzer that ended up energizing the Mustangs. Trinity Jones added 17 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Grace Kole had nine rebounds. Jessica Manley led Shepard (16-9, 10-3) with 22 points, which included scoring all 11 points for the Astros in the first quarter. Mia Stokes finished with 10 points. Despite the loss, Shepard shared the conference title with Oak Lawn for a second straight season. Before last winter, the Astros had never won a conference titles. It's the Spartans' fifth in a row. For Lewis, though, watching Rose and Bryant in the early days caught her parents' attention. 'They saw I was very interested in it,' Lewis said of basketball. 'They let me play when I was 3, and I just kept going from there.' George Shimko, a veteran coach who's in his first season at Evergreen Park, joked about wishing that Lewis could come back for an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic. 'Kyziah Lewis is very skilled,' Shimko said. 'She can shoot the medium-range jump shot and hit the three. She posts up really well. She passes well, and she's a really good defender. 'She's been a joy to coach.' Jones, who said she has been teammates with Lewis from when they played together at Central Middle School in Evergreen Park, has enjoyed that experience. 'Our chemistry is just insane,' Jones said. 'She has developed so much throughout the years and I'm so happy for her. She's a great player and a great teammate.' Evergreen Park actually opened the regular season on Nov. 18 with a 60-45 loss to Shepard in the first round of the Bobby Bolton Classic, but the Mustangs were missing some players. After some ups and downs, Evergreen Park has gone 14-2 in its last 16 games. Both losses were close shaves, 51-47 to T.F. South and 45-42 to Oak Lawn. 'We were 90 seconds away from beating T.F. South and we were one possession away from beating Oak Lawn,' Shimko said. 'From where we were in the conference to where we are now, we're happy with the progress.' Evergreen Park, which drew the third seed in the Class 3A St. Laurence Sectional, plays against 14th-seeded Chicago Vocational at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Simeon Regional. 'We need to keep the chemistry up and make sure we feed off of each other,' Lewis said. 'We've come so far,' Jones said. 'We've had close losses early in the year, but some of them were good losses. Lately, we've been working hard as a team and everything has been good.' The 5-foot-10 Lewis is getting college interest from Truman, Morton and Prairie State. She's not sure where her basketball career will take her, but she knows she wants to keep playing. 'I can never leave basketball – it's in my DNA,' Lewis said. 'There is nothing like it. 'Everything about it makes me excited and I could never step away from it.' Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. Originally Published: February 13, 2025 at 10:28 PM CST
Chicago Tribune
10-02-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
With five points to start fourth quarter, Ali Farhan sparks comeback for Oak Lawn. That fire? ‘Show what I can do.'
Oak Lawn's Ali Farhan has a natural knack for knowing when to alter the flow of a game. The senior point guard combines that with an emotional approach that fires up his team. 'I think it was something I was just born with,' Farhan said. 'I get frustrated if something is not going my way. Knowing we were down, I knew we had to figure a way to pick it up. 'Do something differently out there.' In a season full of success, Farhan made a difference Saturday with five points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals as the Spartans dropped a 68-51 decision to Riverside-Brookfield. Junior forward Marc Harvey produced 19 points and nine rebounds Oak Lawn (19-8). Senior guard Donte Montgomery also scored 19 points and added five rebounds and three steals. Farhan scored all of his points at the start of the fourth quarter, injecting life into a comeback attempt that came up short for the Spartans. 'Donte was off the floor with foul trouble, and I knew we just couldn't sit there,' Farhan said. 'I had to bring a different energy.' The moment crystallized his direct and intense way of playing. 'He's a tireless worker and gym rat who's got endless energy,' Oak Lawn coach Jason Rhodes said of the 5-foot-10 Farhan. 'He always gives you the full 32 minutes. 'He's been hobbling for the last week with a blister on his foot. It doesn't really matter. He does a lot of little things for us.' Junior forward Omar Saleh, who had four points and four rebounds, is Farhan's closest friend. Their connection is deepened by a shared Palestinian descent and strong cultural identification. The two have a spirited back-and-forth camaraderie that mixes humor and combativeness. 'We bring the best out of each other,' Saleh said. 'We can joke with each other and even push each other. It's why our chemistry is so good. 'He doesn't get the most attention, but he's OK with that. I feel like we're both unselfish players and we try to get the ball to our teammates because they're very good scorers.' The two also are able to communicate on the floor in Arabic. Farhan said he's conversational and reads well without being wholly fluent, but basketball remains their connective thread. 'I live in the area of Bridgeview that's known as Little Palestine,' he said. 'My whole family, especially on my mother's side, were all athletes. 'I didn't take the game all that seriously at first. I didn't even make the team in middle school. I saw all of these Muslim and men's leagues. I saw their passion and just fell in love with the game.' By the time Farhan arrived at Oak Lawn, the game was his obsession. Last season was his first on the varsity. He stepped in for the normal point guard and started seven games. 'I needed to learn how to be a better leader,' Farhan said. 'Now, just being able to be more free offensively is a big change. Coming off the bench last season was different. 'Knowing I played last year, the coach is giving me more opportunities and I'm able to show what I can do on the court.' Growing up, Farhan suffered an injury while playing football, so his mother dissuaded him from continuing that sport. He tried soccer but it lacked the immediacy and spontaneity of basketball. Farhan is pursuing playing opportunities in college. The emotional gratification is what drives him. 'Knowing how big high school basketball is around here is just crazy,' he said. 'As a kid, I never thought I would play in front of a crowd like we do. I thought I'd be nervous, but I'm much more comfortable. 'It's fun being out there.'
Chicago Tribune
30-01-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
After winning conference title, Charvelle McLain wants to make state history for Oak Lawn. ‘She's like a sponge.'
After toying with the idea of becoming a wrestler her freshman and sophomore years, Oak Lawn's Charvelle McLain decided as a junior last season to become a manager for the boys team instead. That didn't last long. McLain quickly chose to get off the bench and start competing. 'Not even a week into the season, I came back home with a singlet,' McLain said. 'I would do weightlifting with them and they'd tell me, 'You'd be good at this.' By the third match, they were like, 'You sure you don't want to join?' 'I was like 'You know what? I guess I will.'' It's all worked out quite well. After qualifying for state last season as a first-year wrestler, McLain — now a senior — won the 155-pound title at Saturday's South Suburban Conference Tournament in Palos Heights. Oak Forest (153 1/2 points) earned the team championship ahead of the Shepard (109 1/2). The Bengals got titles from Marjorie Rodriguez (115), Iyobosa Odiase (145) and Isabel Peralta (190), while Sofia Perez (105), Mila Rocush (130) and Kassandra Lee (179) took titles for Shepard. Other champions were T.F. South's Dakodia Kelly (110), Abibatu Mogaji (120) and Quincy Onyiaorah (135), Lemont's Molly O'Connor (125) and Rowyn Page (235), Oak Lawn's Felix Morales (100) and Hillcrest's Christiara Finley (140). McLain won both her matches with pins in the first period, finishing off Oak Forest's Adri Bille in 1:11 in the finals. Although she's new to competing in the sport, McLain said she brought in a bit of a background in wrestling before high school. 'I grew up with a lot of boy cousins who wrestled their whole lives,' she said. 'We always wrestled around without the rules. I got into it last year and the only thing I had to learn was the rules, but they're pretty simple and I'm a fast learner.' Oak Lawn coach Matt Arthur can certainly attest to that. 'She's like a sponge,' Arthur said of McLain. 'She always wants to be the practice dummy when I show moves. She's basically become a coach. She's like our team mom. 'She's always been a leader by example. She's a phenomenal student. She's an even better friend and an even better athlete. I'm lucky to have coached her.' Last season, McLain was one of a group of five who became the Spartans' first girls wrestlers. The team started this winter with 18 girls. 'Last year, no one else wanted to join with us,' she said. 'This year, we got a few soccer players, a couple gymnasts and a couple kids who just needed to find a home and a place to stay out of trouble. 'We've got a mixture of everyone and we all get along.' McLain also is on the softball team at Oak Lawn and feels like she played the right position to be prepared for wrestling. 'I'm a catcher so I build a lot of leg strength, and even though softball is not supposed to be physical, when you're a catcher, it gets physical,' she said. 'When you're standing behind home plate and a girl runs into you and knocks you back three feet, you might as well just wrestle.' McLain went 1-2 at state last season. She hopes to make the podium this year — and make more Oak Lawn history in the process. 'We have all the record boards up in our gym for all-conference, regional champs, state qualifiers, and I'm the only girl name on all of them,' she said. 'It's nice because when a girl who might want to join sees it, she thinks, 'Oh, this can't be that hard.' 'I hope to be the first girl state placer for Oak Lawn. Nobody could ever take that away from me.'
