Chicago-Area High School Football News and Scores | Season Pass

Ready? Set?

If you’re a girls basketball fan, opening night has already gone, but there’s still plenty to come. If you’re a boys fan, the countdown ends on Monday, with Thanksgiving tournaments involving local teams getting under way at 16 different sites.

We can’t break them all down here, but here are some tips on where to go and who to see.
Oh, one request. Parents, when you’re up there in the stands getting all fired up, try to represent your kid out there on the court with class and dignity. Your loud and boorish behavior is their embarrassment. Please remember that.

The highlight boys tourney in the Southland is the Chicago Heights Classic at Bloom and Marian Catholic. Bloom, featuring Dejahown Freeman and Jataryan Dejauraux, will join the co-host Spartans (Tyler Ulis), Hillcrest (Jovan Mooring), Homewood-Flossmoor (Marius Hill), Mount Carmel, Thornwood, T.F. South and South Shore.

An intriguing opening-night matchup Monday will be H-F and Thornwood. Last year the two teams battled it out in a Class 4A regional title game, with H-F prevailing 59-53.

Richards is hosting the annual Dist. 218 invite, and will meet rival Shepard right off the bat on Monday. Marist, with Lexus Williams and L.J. McItosh, is the favorite.

All four Lincoln-Ways will duke it out together at North in a three-night round-robin starting Monday.

Other local sites to find boys hoops action over the holiday are Stagg, Reavis, Joliet West and the University of St. Francis.

If you’re willing to travel, Andrew and Jubril Adekoya is competing at the Oswego tournament. Oak Forest is at Ottawa, Thornton is at Decatur and powerhouse Seton Academy, with Mark Weems Jr. and Kamal Shashi, is at downstate Lincoln. Morgan Park and Billy Garrett Jr., will be in action at Pontiac.

On the girls side, the best holiday matchups with the most local appeal figure to take place at Rich South and Marist. A couple are ending this weekend.

Round one of the four-team round-robin at Andrew already took place Thursday, with the final two scheduled Friday and Saturday. LaTondra Brooks is back for No. 10 Oak Lawn, while Andrew is celebrating the return of Molly Franson, who missed most of the 2011 campaign with an injury. It’ll also bring the first look at rebuilding Rich Central under new coach Craig Marek.

No. 7 Lincoln-Way East is aiming at its sixth consecutive “Bobby Bolton Classic” title at Richards, which winds up Saturday. Thornton and Richards (with a healthy Georgia Danos) will decide Friday which one gets to try for an upset.

The annual “Rich South Galaxy” meet gets under way Saturday with games basically all day, but (and just projecting here, OK?) Monday should bring prime-time fun when either Lincoln-Way North or Rich East meets No. 4 Hillcrest and Dana Gettis in one semifinal and No. 5 Bloom and Bria Gaines meets Rich South and the Garrett twins, C’Ierra and DeAsia. The title game is scheduled for Wednesday.

The Marist Thanksgiving Tip-Off Classic should build nicely as No. 2 Marist with JeTaun Rouse and Leah Boltons and No. 3 Homewood-Flossmoor with Jaiveonna Norris and Chardae Greenlee take on St. Ignatius, T.F. North, Oak Park-River Forest and Rich Central in round-robin play before going head-to-head in a Nov. 23 finale.

No. 1 Marian Catholic, which had a very successful opening night against Lincoln-Way East behind Teniya Page and Ashton Millender, and No. 8 Mother McAuley are both in action at the Maine West tournament. They’re scheduled to collide head-on on Nov. 24.

No. 9 Sandburg and Dist. 230 rival Stagg met Thursday at the Hinsdale South tournament, which continues Saturday and Monday. Sandburg, which returns talented point guard Carly Katalinic, lost in last years’s title tilt to the host Hornets.