CSLV:Spartans, Hawks Take Home Hoops Trophies

Trevians and Cougars sport top-notch gymnastics scores in recent competition.

OF NOTE

For those who eagerly look for the newsletter at the start of each week my apologies for not getting one out last week between holiday travel back to my home state of Ohio and just a desire to play catch-up on me-time, I ignored the newsletter for much of the last 2 weeks. 

I have some things to evaluate for the newsletter in the new year. 

Happy 2024! 

Voting honors (I’m slacking!)

Maine South girls basketball won team of the week vote and Aidin Custovic of Niles West boys basketball was the individual fan vote winners for the Twitter/X polls that concluded on Dec. 18. 

RECORD/FEAT ALERT

Evanston girls basketball’s Zuri Ransom reached 1,000 career points.

Niles West’s Davee Flowers became the 5th player in program history to reach 1,000 points.

Evanston boys basketball coach Mike Ellis recently recorded his 300th win as the Wildkits head coach.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Vernon Hills defeated Leyden 52-41 to win Maine East’s holiday tourney. 

Glenbrook North finished 2nd at the Wheeling Hardwood Classic after a loss to Neuqua Valley, 59-57.

New Trier finished 3rd at Pontiac’s tourney, defeating Bloom 66-38 in the consolation final. 

Maine East took 3rd at its home tourney following a 55-49 victory against Providence Catholic. 

Some top scoring performances I saw: 

• Tyler Sierra, Maine South, 29 points vs. Niles North

• Davee Flowers, Niles West 28 points vs. Leyden

• Nick Taylor, Glenbrook South, 27 points (and 8 round 5 assists!) vs. Batavia

• Davee Flowers, Niles West, 27 points vs. Ridgewood

• Panayiotis Sotos, Maine South, 26 points vs. Lane Tech

• Josh Fridman, Glenbrook North, 26 points vs. Maine South

• Davee Flowers, Niles West, 25 points vs. Providence Catholic

• Yaris Irby, Niles North, 25 points vs. Maine South

• Hunter Gawron, Niles North 23 points vs. Maine South

• Kai Chatham, Niles North, 22 points vs. Morgan Park

• Kai Chatham, Niles North, scored 22 vs. Highland Park

• Alex Kriser, Highland Park, 7 of 9 from 3 for 21 points vs. Wheaton North. 

• Griffin Killeen, Highland Park, 21 points vs. Glenbard East

• Nick Taylor, Glenbrook South, 21 points vs. Metamora

• Sam Lappin, Glenbrook North, 21 points vs. Ridgewood 

GIRLS BASKETBALL 

Glenbrook North earned 1st at Saint Viator’s Blenner Classic, beating Grayslake Central 49-33 in the championship. Caitlyn Ethen had 16 rebounds for the Spartans. Alexis Myers scored 19 points. 

Maine South downed Stevenson 49-46 to bring home 1st-place hardware from the Komaromy Classic at Dundee-Crown. 

New Trier took 3rd at Dundee-Crown’s Komaromy Classic, defeating Barrington 45-30 in the consolation final. 

Top Scoring performances I saw:

• Sela Klein, New Trier, 26 points vs. St. Charles North

• Kailey Starks, Evanston, 25 points vs. Geneva

• Kailey Starks, Evanston, 23 points vs. Lake Zurich

• Ally Pape, Maine South, 21 points vs. South Elgin

BOYS WRESTLING 

Maine South came back to Park Ridge with a 3rd-place finish at  the 68th Annual German Holiday Classic at Palatine. 

Brett Harman (113), Teddy Flores (120), Tyler Fortis (285) each grabbed an individual title.  Fortis and Flores have a combined 49 victories per TrackWrestling. 

GIRLS WRESTLING 

New Trier had a few strong medal stand finishes at the 3rd Annual Sally Berman Holiday Classic, a 

Jillian Giller (140) and Nina Aceves (155 each finished runner-up at Palatine’s tournament. 

GIRLS GYMNASTICS 

New Trier bounced Glenbrook North 139.20 to 137.25, led by all-around scores of 36.000 by Clara Cossgrove and 35.350 by Sammy Mills. 

Vernon Hills put on display a clinic with a gaudy team score of 144.85 in defeating Mundelein and Antioch/Lakes. Livy Tran’s all-around mark of 37.400 bested the rest of the competition. 

Maine South beat Evanston 136.20 to 125.45, led byKatie Savicki’s all-around score of 35.400. 

BOWLING

Vernon Hills took 5th at Brother Rice’s tourney, led by a 4th high series from Zack Shoemaker (1,240). 

GRAD CATCHUPS 

Recent North Carolina football transfer Sebastian Cheeks (Evanston, 2023) has committed to Wisconsin. 

Maine South Class of 2022 Cornell women’s basketball standout Emily Pape was recently named Ivy League Player of the Week. 

DID YOU SEE? 

Evanston has a new girls volleyball coach, Mike McDermott

Glenbrook North’s Owen Giannoulias (2024) has committed to Denison to play for the men’s basketball team. 

Maine West baseball’s Ethan Cusack, Class of 2024, committed to Wisconsin-River Falls to take the diamond there.