Those 12 teams whose games against Chicago Public League teams were wiped out by the teacher`s strike, all received forfeit victories, and even though they might have scheduled and played substitute games, only the forfeits will be counted by the Illinois High School Association in calculating state playoff berths. So even if Homewood-Flossmoor and St. Viator, winners over East St. Louis Lincoln and Montini on Friday in substitute games, are 3-0, all four schools are 2-0 in the IHSA books. . . . Other schools, such as Gordon Tech, St. Patrick, Weber and St. Francis de Sales, had controlled scrimmages along with their forfeit victories.
Marian Catholic and Kankakee McNamara will meet Friday night at Kankakee if they cannot play their Public League foes. Marian is scheduled to play Collins; McNamara is matched against Tilden. Other schools affected by the ongoing strike include East St. Louis (scheduled to meet Robeson), Hammond Morton (Prosser), Quincy (Corliss), Ottawa (Fenger), Geneseo Darnall (Julian) and Nazareth Academy (Hirsch). East St. Louis has not decided on its plans. Morton has decided not to play another game. Quincy will meet Geneseo Friday, and Nazareth Academy will be at Ottawa Friday.
Alfredo Contreras, Joliet Central`s two-sport wonder, continued his dual role Saturday in soccer and football. Contreras gave the Steelmen a 24-22 victory over Thornwood when he booted a 34-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining. He then moved to Richton Park, where he joined the Steelmen soccer team in the Rich South Invitational and scored his team`s only goal during a 5-1 loss to St. Ignatius in the title game. Contreras, who emigrated from Mexico with his family eight years ago, was named the tournament`s most valuable player after scoring a tourney-record 14 goals.
When Joliet Catholic coach Jim Boyter was a senior defensive back for the Hilltoppers, it was a pass over his head in the final seconds that allowed Marian Catholic to tie Joliet 6-6. So Boyter can commiserate with his quarterback, Jonathan Voss, who became confused in the final seconds Friday night and, instead of taking a safety, ran out of the end zone and was tackled on the Joliet 7-yard line. Marian Catholic, which trailed 14-7, took over with one second left, scored on a pass and won the game 15-14 on a two-point conversion pass. . . . Ironically, Voss` father, Bob, coached Marian Catholic until he was replaced by current coach Dave Mattio six years ago. . . . Marian quarterback Tom Poynton, who was on defense during Voss` run, said: ”I had a hand on Voss in the end zone, and I was mad because he got away, but later I realized I was lucky not to tackle him.”
Although his Highland Park team upset Glenbrook South 22-14 Saturday, coach Jay Geerdes wasn`t all smiles. His defense, with seven returning lettermen, looked solid, but his offense looked weak. ”I told the kids I was real disappointed offensively,” he said. ”At the beginning of the game, we stopped ourselves more than anything else.” Highland Park`s touchdowns came on a blocked punt, an interception return and a 16-yard drive set up by a recovered fumble. ”Once we got ahead, I guess I was a little conservative as usual,” Geerdes said. ”But that`s only because I have so much faith in our defense.”
Walther Lutheran`s passing combination of Jeff Braun and Eric Baugh remained hot Saturday in a 38-12 victory over Valley Lutheran. Braun completed 10 of 16 passes for 218 yards and four TDs, including 81- and 44-yard scoring strikes to Baugh. In a 50-6 victory over Westmont the previous week, Braun was 11 of 14 for 242 yards and five TDs and Baugh had scoring catches of 51, 6, 52 and 31 yards to go with a 73-yard kickoff return for a TD.
Buffalo Grove fullback Steve Kretschmar had an early date-his sister`s wedding-Saturday afternoon and departed exactly at 3 p.m. while his team was beating Rolling Meadows 17-10. ”His mother said he had to leave at 3 p.m., no matter what,” said Buffalo Grove coach Grant Blaney.
Volleyball
Palatine turned the tables on Wheaton St. Francis over the weekend. After St. Francis upset the preseason favorite 15-8, 15-5 for the Conant tournament title the first weekend of the season, Palatine roared back with eight straight victories, earning the chance for revenge at the Glenbard West Invitational. Saturday, the two powers met once again in the title match, and this time Palatine snatched first place with a 15-11, 11-15, 15-11 victory. Both now have 10-1 records.
Colette Rivera and Inga Balzarus, juniors on the Bogan volleyball squad, spent 15 days in the Soviet Union over the summer playing with a Chicago-based club called Neris. Ironically, after having traveled thousands of miles to gain more experience in their favorite sport, the two are now unable to apply that knowledge in real game situations because of the Chicago teachers strike, which moves into Day 7 on Monday. Bogan coach Meg Venckus expressed displeasure that the school had to cancel a match with Chicago Christian and also had to drop out of the Evergreen Park tournament Saturday. ”They are one of the few suburban schools that even invite a Chicago Public League team,”
she said.
St. Viator is seeking a replacement for Simeon in its eight-team invitational Saturday in the event Simeon cannot compete because of the strike. Teams interested should call St. Viator Athletic Director Tom Nall at 392-4050.
A sleeper may be developing on the North Shore. The outstanding play of Evanston, which was barely a .500 team last year despite finishing second in the Central Suburban South, may be turning heads at other conference schools. The Wildkits, who have 11 seniors on the squad, upset New Trier and Lockport in succession for the Pool 1 title in the New Trier tournament on the first weekend of the season. Evanston has cruised ever since and is now 9-0. Leading the way are seniors Mimi Plauche at middle blocker and Gretchen Rickman at setter. Coach Dee Regalie admitted she was surprised that her team beat Lockport, but not that it has gotten off to such a hot start. ”Divisional play is going to be a lot tougher,” she said. ”Mimi has really come through on pressure points, and Gretchen gets a good set no matter where the ball is placed. But they can`t get too confident yet.” A big test for Evanston will be Saturday`s match at Oak Park.
Soccer
St. Viator coach Rod Gibbs called his team`s performance against host Hoffman Estates Saturday its best of the season. Maybe so, but the 15th-ranked Lions
(4-2) lost 1-0 to the tough Hawks (4-1-1), who climbed to No. 8 after being 17th last week. ”This was the best game we played,” said Gibbs. ”We controlled a good portion of it. We had opportunities but couldn`t finish. We`re still a green team, but we`re starting to jell.” The lone goal of the match was scored by Hawk junior forward Steve Snow with 3 minutes 12 seconds left in the second quarter. Snow took a short shot that hit the right hand of prone St. Viator goalkeeper Mark Osterhues before going in. The goal was Snow`s seventh of the week and ninth of the season. The potential all-stater limped off the field on a twisted right ankle with 7:25 left. The injury didn`t appear serious and Snow didn`t have the ankle taped. ”Greg Maddox did a nice job marking Snow, and Mike Fitzpatrick played well at sweeper,” said Gibbs. ”`We lost, but it`s better to lose when you see progress. I told the guys that I don`t think we`ll lose too many more this year.” St. Viator was 19-1-1 last season and breezed to the East Suburban Catholic Conference title. For Hoffman coach Ric Lindeen, it`s still a case of who will complement Snow. Center-halfback Kurt Schrader transferred to Conant this year, and wing Eric Mueller moved to Nebraska. ”We`ve still got things to iron out,” said Lindeen. ”We have the weaknesses left when the two players left that still hurt. Prosper Wang is doing an excellent job at midfield but, like today, he wasn`t getting to a lot of balls. He`s a little shorter than the players we had there. ”Last year, with Snow, his brother, Ken, and Mueller, it was like they were psychic. They knew each other`s moves so well.”
Elgin Academy is 3-0-1 after a 5-0 victory over North Shore Country Day Friday. Striker Paul Wessel scored two of his team-leading six goals, and halfbacks John Safanda and Brian Petty and stopper Robbie Smith scored one apiece. Goalkeeper John Walsh recorded his second shutout of the season. ”I`m not surprised we started out this well,” coach Pete Franco said. ”I was impressed when we started working out. I`ve coached two good teams here, last year and four years ago. This one is as good as those. We have good balance and skill level.” Other players Franco relies on are junior sweeper Kevin Brant, junior striker Stuart McCullough and junior halfback Chris Turk.
Cross country
It may seem a little early, but college recruiters are in midseason form. Three-time girls` state champion Dana Miroballi of Wheeling, who set a meet record Saturday at the Lake Park Invitational with a 12:55 for 2.25 miles, is hearing a lot from Iowa, Minnesota, Texas and Georgia. Miroballi is far from making a decision but says she thinks she`ll stay in the Midwest. ”I`ll probably want to stay around the Big 10 or Big 8,” she said. ”I`m not saying I`m not considering anyplace else, but I`ve never lived anywhere but this house.” . . . Riverside-Brookfield`s Katrina Price, second to Miroballi last year, is getting attention from Purdue, Iowa, Clemson, Georgia, Kentucky and Minnesota. Kaneland`s Kerry Rink, third in the state meet, is being recruited by Harvard, Stanford, Purdue, Loyola and Lewis.
Price, who won the Homewood-Flossmoor Invitational in 11:40 for two miles, attended an Olympic development camp this summer in Colorado Springs. Besides learning training and racing techniques, she underwent extensive physical tests and discovered she was anemic. A vegetarian, Price had to chance her diet a little. No hamburgers, however.
Add Moline to the list of potential boys` state champions. The Maroons won the Homewood-Flossmoor Invitational with 45 points to 55 for Downers Grove North. Downers` Tony Laskowski set a course record at 14:51 for three miles, with Fremd`s Bill Gould second in 15:11.
Golf
Defending girls` state champion Regina Dominican won the Waukegan Invitational by 13 shots Saturday over Lockport, with each of its top four players shooting under 90. Senior Sally Mazzucchelli led the way with an 80, followed by Kelly Rourke and Dorian Zimmer at 86 and Liz Poden at 89. Katie Fitzgerald`s 91 would have been welcomed by any of the other teams but wasn`t needed by Regina. ”I feel really, really good about this,” said Regina coach Vi Reego. ”Sally has worked really hard on her game, She is mentally tough now, really hangs in there until the last putt. Dorian and Liz were disappointed and might be feeling some pressure. That`s how you get better.” Waukegan East`s Kim Hodge was medalist with a 77 at the meet played at Bonnie Brook.
Swimming
New Trier crunched Deerfield 129-43 in a dual meet Friday. Heather Hageman of Deerfield won the 50-yard freestyle in 24.29 seconds and the 100 butterfly in 1:01.24. New Trier`s Megan Murphy won the diving with 217.0 points, and Jill Doll won the 100 freestyle in 58.12. Deerfield sophomore Becky Bruch won the 200 individual medley in 2:13.98 but was disqualified in the 200 freestyle because of a false start.
