Schmit: Local grads doing great things at the highest levels
“Local kids make good” stories typically bring a smile.
This isn’t that, at least not completely, but hopefully it makes a few people smile. It’s an update on what some of the area’s high school alums are up to. While it’s mostly positive news, there have been setbacks.
We’ll take it sport by sport.
Basketball
The other day we brought you news of Burlington Central graduate Drew Scharnowski transferring from Belmont to Duke, becoming one of the few area players ever to play for the Blue Devils.
The transfer portal has been kind to other basketball players as well.
Hersey’s Ethan Roberts announced a move from Penn to Notre Dame while Waubonsie Valley graduate Ty’Reek Coleman is headed to the University of Iowa after transferring from Illinois State.
On the women’s side, Naperville North’s Kenzie Hare is shifting from Iowa State to Indiana, where she’ll join Benet grad and former AAU teammate Lenee Beaumont.
Larkin’s Damari Wheeler-Thomas is transferring from North Dakota State to Boise State. Others — Waubonsie Valley’s Ben Schwieger (Northern Iowa), Bartlett’s Conrad Luczynski (Lenoir-Rhyne) and Hinsdale Central’s Ben Oosterbaan (St. Thomas) — are in the portal looking for landing spots.
And let’s not forget our NBA guys, two in particular from one of the Bulls’ late-season games. The Dallas Mavericks, with a thin roster, beat the Bulls 149-128 behind a game-high 28 points by Neuqua Valley’s John Poulakidas and 12 points in 12 minutes from Rolling Meadows’ Max Christie.
Baseball
The biggest news is from Cary-Grove’s Quinn Priester, who became a key member of the Milwaukee Brewers’ starting rotation last season. After being traded from the Boston Red Sox, he posted a 13-3 record with a 3.32 ERA.
Priester, however, has been out all this season with a wrist injury. His first rehab start on Wednesday didn’t go as hoped. Pitching for Triple-A Nashville, he recorded only two outs in the first inning while throwing 12 of his 29 pitches for strikes.
The Brewers’ plan was to have Priester make about three rehab starts before rejoining the MLB team in May.
Football
Unfortunately, more injury news.
But let’s start with the good stuff. Glenbard West’s Alec Pierce signed a four-year, $116-million extension with the Indianapolis Colts last month. The former second-round pick out of Cincinnati entered the league in 2022.
Now the bad stuff. Pierce underwent ankle surgery last week to address lingering issues. He’ll be sidelined for about three months, but team officials say he’ll be ready to go by training camp. Pierce snared 47 catches for 1,003 yards and 6 touchdowns last season.
One more local signing … Downers Grove North grad and offensive lineman David Edwards inked a four-year, $61 million contract with the New Orleans Saints after stints with the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills.
Edwards’ interesting journey continues. He was a 210-pound quarterback/basketball center at Downers North and went to Wisconsin as a tight end. After shifting to the line with the Badgers, he’s now a powerful 6-foot-6, 300 pounds and owns a Super Bowl ring.