Out of many fine options, IC quarterback makes the cut
As reported last week, 20 senior student-athletes in Illinois, 10 boys and 10 girls, were vying for two slots to represent the state for the annual Wendy's High School Heisman award.
Immaculate Conception's Will Cronin is the final Illinois boy to make the cut, joining Bloomington Central Catholic's Kelly Curran in contention for a national finalist spot.
A field of 12, one boy and one girl from each of six regions, will go on to New York City for the chance at the top honors. Next cuts will be finalized by Nov. 26.
We hear they like option quarterbacks who run for 507 yards and throw 15 touchdown passes without an interception.
Local dominance
There were 12 first-team selections on the 2009 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin All-Conference Women's Soccer Team. Ten hail from high schools in DuPage or Kane counties.
Three Wheaton Academy graduates are on the squad: CCIW player of the year Taryne Lee, Maria Della Torre and Lauren Anderson, all at Wheaton College. Thunder teammate Jaime Orewiler is among three Wheaton North gals; Augustana's Lauren Polock and Katie Oakes are the others. Augustana (18-1 and ranked fifth in Division III as of Wednesday) also offered Kayla Radloff (West Chicago) and Caitlin Winkelman (St. Charles North).
Geneva's Emily Hinchman (Illinois Wesleyan) and Downers Grove South's Allison Horne (Millikin) also were first-team honorees.
Local women also crowded the second team: Wheaton Warrenville South's Anna Carey and Carlie Hoekstra, St. Charles East's Alyssa Feulner, Naperville Central's Elise Manzie and Neuqua Valley's Erin Coulson.
It was a tough crowd among CCIW men, but St. Francis' own Brian McMahon, a sophomore at Elmhurst College, was named player of the year, the sole first-team rep from the two-county region. Kyle Gorgol (Hinsdale South), Matt Sterner (Naperville Central) and Nico Galto (WW South) made second team.
Cleaning up
Sources say that as Addison Trail product Carmen Messina matured as a football player, he idolized Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.
The 6-foot-2, 222-pound sophomore linebacker is wreaking Urlacher-type mayhem at the same college.
Playing at underclass-led (and unfortunately 0-9) University of New Mexico, Messina leads the nation with an average of 14.1 tackles a game.
Last week at Utah, Messina made 19 tackles to tie his career high from Sept. 19 against Air Force and give him 127 on the season. It was Messina's eighth straight game making double-digit tackles, the Lobos' longest such streak since Urlacher had 11 straight between 1998-99.
With three games remaining Messina is on pace to finish with 169 tackles, which would be New Mexico's third most in a season. Urlacher has the record of 178 in 1998.
Slam dunk
Nov. 21 is the deadline for sponsorship opportunities to help support the Hoops for Healing boys basketball tournament, Nov. 23-27 at Naperville North and Oswego high schools. Since Naperville North athletic director Doug Smith started the Thanksgiving tourney while at Woodstock High School in 2001, more than $115,000 has been raised for cancer research.
Sponsorships, however, are quite reasonable, ranging from $100 to $500. For details contact Smith at dlsmith@naperville203.org
Proposal: The end of football conferences
As an alert reader pointed out to us, making its way to 28 "Town Hall" meetings at Illinois High School Association member schools through next Wednesday is a list of 15 2009-10 Bylaw amendment proposals.
Proposal No. 11, submitted by Eureka principal Rich Wherley, would add a new point regarding scheduling of games to Bylaw 5.060 regarding boys football:
"The IHSA will have the sole responsibility to schedule all football games for member schools in ten team regional formats. The regional will be based on school/coop size and geography. The regional will be in place for two years in a home and away format. The IHSA has the right at any time to restructure the size of the regional if a member school is not geographically located close to any schools its size, if a member school disbands, if a member school fails to field a team, or if a member school creates a football squad."
School administrators such as athletic directors and principals attend these Town Hall Meetings, the closest being at Addison Trail on Thursday (Downers Grove South held one Monday). The public is not allowed to attend, according to IHSA communications guru Matt Troha.
Later this month the IHSA's Legislative Commission - which includes Wherley as well as Marmion principal John Milroy, Lisle principal Ron Logeman and Benet athletic director Gary Goforth - will discuss the amendment proposals further.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com