The IHSA Class 4A state basketball tournament brackets are out and can be found on the associations website which by the way is a wonderful tool to use if you plan on following the girls state championship series 1A - 4A this year. I suppose like any sports writer charged with covering the post season tournament, I was glued to my computer as the seeding and brackets were announced with an eye on several local teams and where they fell in the pecking order of the bracket.

My eyes were drawn initially to Bolingbrook who has won three straight titles and four of the last six with second place finishes in 2006/07 and 2007/08. In a nutshell they have made an appearance in the state final game each of the past six seasons and have played Chicago Whitney Young the in the semi finals or finals for the past four consecutive years.

Does this sound like tournament officials want a change?

There is zero chance that fans will see in my mind the two best teams in the state...

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The Illinois legislature as embarked on a path which in my mind has no business treading and if successful, could provide the type of negative feedback every politician wants to avoid...lost votes.

Senate Bill 2550, which was filed by 53rd District Senator Shane Cultra (R) on January 11, would allow for a local school board to provide a waiver for a student-athlete to participate in a high school football contest, even if that the student-athlete has failed to meet the IHSA mandated 12 practices prior to the first contest due to involvement in military training. Football is the only IHSA sport that has a minimum number of practices required before game participation.

According to a statement from the IHSA on SB 2550, “This is very dangerous and counterproductive legislation,” said IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman. “First and foremost, this is an issue of student health and safety, not an issue of patriotism. We all applaud and support young people who choose to s...

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I spent part of my weekend perfecting my "Tebow" as we continued to clear off our driveway and sidewalks of the snow that dumped on us last week and upon tossing the last shovel full, I thanked my God for getting through it without falling over or slipping on the black ice and breaking something. While not intentionally putting on a show for anyone, a car drove by and honked the horn then yelled out the window GO BRONCOS!

All season, analysts have broken down Denver Bronco quarterback Tim Tebow's game play and most have all taken shots at his ability to perform at the highest level. I cannot personally recall another professional football player that has had this much scrutiny on his performance each week and leads me to wonder why?

There was a skit recently on the Jimmy Fallon show which aired last week on NBC with in a parity that used a David Bowie song. Fallon sung as if a dialogue were taking place between Tim Tebow and Jesus Chr...

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There are certain moments in life when even the most cynical of us are put in our place and perhaps even schooled in rethinking our positions. For years I have touted through my editorials stories that inspire the soul and to be honest, I am sure there are many more that go unheralded and un-noticed as we go about our daily routines oblivious often of moments like that which I again witnessed this past week.

Out in a gym Tuesday night covering a story for the newspaper, I received the usual call from my son checking in when he got home from a basketball practice and after assuring me all was well, he asked if he could join his teammates on a road trip to watch a basketball game in Bolingbrook. This wasn't just any game, it was game that included as a player the Romeoville Spartans boys varsity basketball manager Maurice a special needs student who has sat on the bench of the Spartans for the past three seasons.

Announcements were made all week in school leading up to...

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The first seven weeks of the prep basketball season can be a good measuring stick in determining what a coach has on the floor and equally what they have on the bench in terms of leadership, character and talent. Opening the season with a tournament allows most teams to access these traits and skill sets but due to overlapping seasons from fall to winter, that assessment may be clouded as players are not always available due to playoff schedules from a previous sport or arrived late and have not yet gotten into basketball shape.

For that reason, I am a huge fan of late December holiday tournaments when you are typically seeing the best a team has against a non-conference schedule that can include some very challenging programs stimulating coaches to adapt their teams to different styles of play and match ups. No matter where a team finishes in December, the final eight weeks will present opportunity for every team to turn the tables and make a run towards a favorable seed in th...

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Wow! There are only two weeks left of 2011 and the just like that we flip into a new year. Perhaps the biggest news of the coming holiday season is the new 16-team boys varsity basketball tournament, the Romeoville Christmas Classic (December 26th thru December 29th 2011) in which teams like Joliet Catholic Academy, Plainfield Central and Romeoville will all play for the coveted tournament championship trophy awaiting the winner.

Sponsored in part by McDonalds Corp., Citgo Corp., Kelly Nissan, the Village of Romeoville and others local companies and groups, the tournament has drawn teams from all over the Northern part of the state including 6 school from Chicago for the inaugural event which is sure to be a crowd pleaser for all the basketball fans in the area as teams gear up for another year ending run and hopefully come out the other side and into the new year with a run towards the next IHSA state champion.

With games starting at 9am each day throughout the tourname...

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After spending the last several months outdoors comfortably covering the athletic achievements that make our sports site hum along, I now find myself darting from car to gym as the winter sports season is well underway and thankfully in a heated environment. There is always a bit of an adjustment for sports writers who make the switch from outdoor stadiums to indoor arenas as the roar of the crowd indoors is acutely more concentrated leaving your ears ringing at times but the excitement and atmosphere is always welcomed.

At a recent game I attended, I spent a little time taking it all in and readjusting my bearings for what is sure to be another fantastic winter prep season. Our area teams this year are literally among the best in the state and there will is no doubt much to write about. Settling into my spot on the floor I was treated to a great game and as it came to its conclusion time became a mad rush to get the interviews needed and record reactions from the outcome. <...

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We are nearing the end of the year and before the holiday season makes us all mushy, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the contributors to the Nest over the past two years. Our collection of video reporters have become a staple to area prep sports and while none of us are so called experts in broadcasting, one look at our traffic numbers each week and it is very clear we are doing something right.

Tony Serritella other wise known as "Big Tone" is a guy who knows sports, has coached several teams in the past and is always the biggest cheerleader of the schools he covers each week. While true Big Tone is a big guy, he has the heart of a lamb and is without a doubt dedicated in recording history every week at every event rain or shine. Besides all the hours of hard work Big Tone puts in around here, he has been one of the best friends a guy could have to me for more than a decade.

Brian Jones and his wife understand the difficult task of production and editing ...

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What an incredible weekend it was despite the cold and wet weather I made the trip downstate to cover the IHSA state football finals and was treated to a memorable experience. The IHSA always does a great job organizing the event and considering there are eight football games played over a two day period, staying organized and cordial is a feat in and of itself. This year was no exception and I would be remiss if I failed to mention their hard work in providing a platform for athletes to showcase their talents on the largest stage of the year.

Speaking of those athletic talents showcased the sporting world was treated to the best single game rushing performance in state history when junior Joliet Catholic running back Ty Isaac used 26 carries to gain 515 yards and 6 touchdowns. To put that accomplishment in perspective, Isaac had broken the previous record by halftime and literally kept the Hillmen in the game for three quarters before JCA went down to two-time defending cha...

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It is Thanksgiving week and I hope that all of you will be able to spend some time with your families and enjoy every precious moment with them after all, being thankful for family is what it's all about. If your a Hilltopper or perhaps a Raider fan, player, parent or coach, there should be plenty to be thankful for this holiday season and with one game still to play, a good reason to show it as both Joliet Catholic and Bolingbrook will be competing for a 5A and 8A IHSA state football championship on Saturday.

While as exciting as that news is, the winter sport season has already begun with basketball, wrestling and bowling all taking center stage this week as each sport begins the long trip ahead in hopes of following our area teams downstate and making their championship dreams come true. Be thankful for the opportunity to compete which sometimes is enough.

When I sat down to write this column I too honestly struggled a bit to find something to be thankful for after...

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