High Five: Looking at the top prep sports events this week
It’s the home stretch of the prep sports school year, but we’ve still got a busy week of action ahead of us.
By Saturday night we’ll have fresh IHSA state champions in girls soccer, boys volleyball, boys and girls lacrosse and softball. All that’ll remain is baseball, which is also hopping with sectional semifinals and finals.
This edition of the High Five again looks at the top prep sports events of the coming week.
Baseball sectionals, Wednesday and Saturday
What the heck is going on with Buffalo Grove? The 13th-seeded Bison, still fighting to reach the .500 mark, won a Class 4A regional title on their home field, allowing just one total run to Waukegan, Fremd and Highland Park as Drew Carrison and Tyler Campbell pitched shutouts.
Can Buffalo Grove keep the magic going this week at Libertyville? The Bison start the chase Wednesday against No. 2 Warren. The defending state champion and top-seeded host Wildcats, who face Mundelein, lurk on the other side of the bracket.
Boys and girls state lacrosse, Thursday and Saturday
Tons of local representation heading into Tuesday’s supersectionals.
With the girls, Barrington plays Huntley and York plays Hinsdale Central. Barrington, St. Viator and Glenbard West play in Tuesday’s boys supers.
State semifinals and finals for both boys and girls lacrosse will be played at Hinsdale Central.
Girls state soccer, Thursday through Saturday
North Central College hosts all three classes, starting with 1A on Thursday in a field that’ll include Timothy Christian. On Tuesday, Geneva and St. Francis play in separate 2A supersectionals.
Thanks to Wheaton Warrenville South’s win over previously unbeaten St. Charles East, we’ll get an old fashioned DuPage Valley Conference reunion between the Tigers and Naperville Central on Tuesday with the winner heading to the 3A semifinals.
The winner of Fremd against Warren advances to the 3A semis, as does Hinsdale Central with a win over New Trier.
Boys state volleyball, Friday and Saturday
Anyone up for Tuesday’s sectional championship showdown between rivals Wheaton North and WW South? Winner heads to the quarterfinals at Bolingbrook.
Other local sectional finalists include Glenbard West, Libertyville, Lake Park and Schaumburg.
State softball, Friday and Saturday
Congratulations to IC Catholic Prep (Class 2A) and Mundelein (4A) on reaching the state semifinals in Peoria. Dreams of a matchup between the Mustangs and previously-unbeaten Barrington came to an end with Monday’s victory by Oswego over the Fillies.
What a win by Antioch in 3A, rallying from an 8-3 deficit to beat Prairie Ridge 11-10 in 10 innings. The Sequoits clinched their fourth top-four finish in five seasons.