No. 1 Bloom Set for Final Regular Season Boys Basketball Test

The Blazing Trojans face Kankakee tonight, then will look toward postseason play. Andrew, Marist, Sandburg and Brother Rice are gearing up for some March Madness, too.

1. Bloom (22-3): Lejavius Johnson powered the Bloom past Thornton 58-47. He scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds. Donald Moore (14 points) and Johnny Griffin (11 rebounds) backed him up. The Blazing Trojans play host to Kankakee in their regular-season finale tonight. Then, it’s on to the Joliet Central Regional Feb. 28. 2. Andrew (22-2): A 3-pointer in the final seconds? Yep. The T-Bolts dropped a 57-55 decision to Thornwood despite strong play from Jubril Adekoya (26 points, 10 rebounds) and Glorind Lisha (10 points). Andrew faces Lincoln-Way Central or Eisenhower in a regional semifinal on its home floor Tuesday, Feb. 28. 3. Marist (23-5): Matt O’Reilly’s 3-point shooting propelled the RedHawks to a 64-37 victory over Joliet …

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UPDATE: And the Winner in Voting for Patch Athlete of the Week is ...

Oak Forest's Courtney Kachlik busted loose in a career-high scoring performance in the championship game of the Evergreen Park Class 3A Regional. Then, she outpolled five others in voting for Patch Athlete of the Week honors.

Oak Forest's Courtney Kachlik outpolled five others in voting for Patch's Athlete of the Week, Feb. 12-18. Now, she is eligible for February Patch Athlete of the Month recognition. The candidates: Jubril Adekoya, junior, center/forward, boys basketball, Andrew. Adekoya delivered two more double-doubles as the T-Bolts notched victories No. 20 and 21 and became the winningest Andrew boys basketball team since 1989-90. Adekoya had 18 points and 16 rebounds in a 53-43 victory over Sandburg. Then, he followed up with 19 points and nine rebounds in a 58-31 victory over Thornridge. Mark Duda, sophomore, wrestling, Marist. Duda won 3-of-4 matches and placed second in the 113-pound weight class in the Class 3A state tournament at Assembly Hall in …

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Ron Kremer

9:46 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012

Back in the day, I was a high school swimmer. Never as fast as Matt, though. I'm expecting him to end his Sandburg career with a big splash at the state meet.   more ›

Bloom is No. 1 in Balance and Boys Basketball

A balanced attack has served Bloom well as it remains the choice for No. 1 in the weekly Patch Power Rankings. Andrew is poised to make a move at No. 2. And don't forget about Marist, Homewood-Flossmoor or Sandburg.

1. Bloom (21-3): Bloom’s balance was on display in a 59-52 victory over Rich South. Donald Moore scored 22 points. L.J. Johnson had 13 and Johnny Griffin chipped in nine. The Blazing Trojans look to take undisputed possession of the Southland Athletic Conference crown in a 6:30 p.m. game at Crete-Monee tonight. 2. Andrew (20-1): Jubril Adekoya set the T-Bolts’ single-season rebounding record in a 53-43 victory over Sandburg at the Thunderdome. He boosted his total to 230 heading into a 6 p.m. game today at Thornridge. Keep an eye on the status of Andrew’s Glorind Lisha. He was limping on a bum ankle after taking a spill vs. the Eagles. 3. Marist (21-5): Tyler Oden rained down a 3-ball and the RedHawks went on a 20-4 second half run to pull…

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Boys Basketball: Andrew Cooks L-W North on its Home Floor

Jubril Adekoya puts up another double-double as Andrew rolls to a 60-34 boys basketball victory over Lincoln-Way North on Friday night.

14 Reasons for Andrew to Remain No. 1 in Boys Basketball Power Rankings

Andrew is riding a 14-game winning streak heading into tonight's game at Lincoln-Way West. The T-Bolts remain No. 1 in the Patch's Power Rankings for boys basketball. Bloom has climbed back to the No. 2 spot.

1. Andrew (14-0): Defense remains the constant for the T-Bolts, who overcame a sluggish start in a 58-37 victory over Tinley Park. Double-Double machine Jubril Adekoya scored 17 points and pulled down 17 rebounds. Andrew plays Lincoln-Way West at 7 p.m. Friday in New Lenox. 2. Bloom (16-3): Donald Moore stepped to the free throw line and stepped up his game in the Trojans’ 63-56 victory over Homewood-Flossmoor. He made 17-of-19 free throws as Bloom rallied in the fourth quarter to top H-F for the second time this season. Dejahown Freeman scored 12 points and Lejavius Johnson 10. 3. Marist (16-5): The RedHawks dropped a heart-breaking 64-62 decision to Seton Academy despite the late-game heroics of Nic Weishar and L.J. McIntosh. The two …

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Boys Basketball: Andrew Takes Down L-W North

Andrew defeated Lincoln-Way North 42-35 in boys basketball action on Friday night and remained undefeated.

Next Stop for No. 1-Rated Bloom Boys Basketball: McDipper

Bloom Township will puts its perfect record on the line in the McDipper tournament at Rich South. The Blazing Trojans remain No. 1 in the weekly Patch Power Rankings for boys basketball. Andrew and H-F have the talent to move up.

1. Bloom (9-0): Donald Moore scored 18 points and Henry Hicks added 14 in a 59-50 victory over Rich East. Next, the Blazing Trojans will look for their stars to shine in the McDipper at Rich South. 2. Andrew (6-0): Mark the dates: Dec. 28-30. T-Bolts’ Adekoya brothers (Jubril and Jawad) look to take the Kankakee Holiday Tournament by storm. 3. Homewood-Flossmoor (7-2): Tim Williams has extended the range on his jump shot and added power to his inside game. He will look to show off all of his skills at Proviso West Dec. 27-30. 4. Marist (9-3): Nic Weishar (20 points), L.J. McIntosh (19 points), Lexus Williams (15 points) and Jack Barry (13 points) provided the RedHawks with balance in a 76-67 victory over Eisenhower. Barry’s three-point …

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UPDATE: And the Winner in Patch Athlete of the Week Voting is ...

Marian Catholic junior forward Megan Walsh put up big numbers for the Spartans in the Chi-Town Showdown. And she put up big numbers in Patch Athlete of the Week voting, too.

Megan Walsh outpolled five others in voting for Patch Athlete of the Week, Dec. 4-10. Walsh is now eligible for December Patch Athlete of the Month recognition. The candidates were: Jubril Adekoya, junior, forward, boys basketball, Andrew. Adekoya scored 20 points and hauled down 13 rebounds in the T-Bolts’ 81-51 victory over Stagg. Brooke Annerino, sophomore, guard, girls basketball, Oak Lawn. Annerino was pretty in pink in the Spartans’ 67-59 victory over Oak Forest on Pink Out Night. She scored 20 points and helped promote Oak Lawn’s breast cancer awareness fundraising efforts. Colin Holler, junior, wrestling, Sandburg. Holler won the 152-pound championship in the Wildcat Invitational at Wheeling. He scored a fall and two major …

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Hoops: These Boys are Flying High

Sports Editor Ron Kremer ranks the region's top boys basketball teams from 1-5, plus the five knocking on the door.

1. Homewood-Flossmoor (22-5): Tim Williams, a 6-7 junior forward, looks more and more like his old self every time out. He returned from an ankle injury recently to give the Vikings a bigger presence in the lane. When opponents collapse on him, H-F has more room to operate on the perimeter. The Vikings hit 9-of-16 three-pointers through the first three quarters in a 66-34 victory over Marian Catholic. Next: Tonight vs. Plainfield Central in Class 4A Plainfield Central Regional title game. 2. Bloom (16-10): The Blazing Trojans’ season has played out like a roller-coaster ride. One day, they’re up. The next day, they’re down. Junior guard Donald Moore led the latest uptick. He scored 12 points, had three assists and three steals in a 41-34 …

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