MIKE NIETO: The rest of South's season doesn't have to go south

LANSING | You lose to your big rival in overtime and you are assured of not making the playoffs for just the third time in the last 18 years.

MIKE NIETO: Beecham can lead the Meteors

CALUMET CITY | He is playing out of position, but you would never know it from talking with him.

MIKE NIETO: Practice makes perfect at Crete-Monee

The Big Blue Machine is firing like an old Detroit 8-cylinder from the 1960s.

MIKE NIETO: South has a chance to redeem itself

LANSING | The T.F. South football team knows its back is to the wall and the Rebels won't give up.

MIKE NIETO: A new era for Thornwood football

Four games does not a season make, but if you win those four games and you are the Thornwood football team, it is a pretty good start.

MIKE NIETO: Cappel excited to get back into prep basketball coaching

Tom Cappel said he is happy to be back as a prep coach.

MIKE NIETO: Mount Carmel shows its desire to play hard

CHICAGO | Mount Carmel showed what it is capable of on Friday night.

MIKE NIETO: North football team has work, but has the talent

PALOS HILLS | The T.F. North football team looked pretty good at times in Friday's season-opening 20-7 win over Stagg.

MIKE NIETO: Crete-Monee field problem hurts the players most

Maybe the toughest thing about the Crete-Monee High School football field not being ready for its home opener Aug. 26 is the players are losing more than a home game.

MIKE NIETO: Mitidiero hopes to build a tradition at Plainfield East

There is no past or tradition for Missy Mitidiero to fall back on.

MIKE NIETO: This family a bit divided over women's World Cup

Beecher resident Yoko Griffin knows which soccer team she will be rooting for Sunday in the FIFA Women's World Cup Championship between the United States and Japan.

MIKE NIETO: H-F's Malik Norman set for all-star football game

Malik Norman is soaking up more than the sun at Eureka College.

MIKE NIETO: Will Toyota Park make a play for state football in 2013?

Kevin Spudic would like to see Illinois' state football finals in the Chicago area.

MIKE NIETO: Do away with the third-place game

JOLIET | The debate has gone on for several years as to whether the Illinois High School Association should do away with the third-place game in the state series in various sports.

MIKE NIETO: Kravetz a true winner

JOLIET | John Kravetz was pumped ever since the last out was recorded Monday night in Mount Carmel's Class 4A Crestwood Supersectional win over Lincoln-Way East at Standard Bank Stadium.

MIKE NIETO: Mount Carmel baseball team has had a nice ride

CHICAGO | The intensity is there, but you can't tell by looking at their faces.

MIKE NIETO: Boehm comes through in the clutch

CRESTWOOD | You know that Frank Kiszka, Tony Morsovillo and Steven Bajenski were up in heaven high-fiving each other.

MIKE NIETO: Collins moving up in college hoops ranks

Keisha Collins figured she would become a coach when she was finished playing college basketball.

MIKE NIETO: Denzel Washington is really his name

You ever wonder what it would be like to be named after someone famous?

MIKE NIETO: Thornton has a great athletic legacy

Some of them may have graduated 60 years ago or more and since moved out of Harvey or Riverdale, but in some ways they never really left.

MIKE NIETO: Rajsaun Thompson messed up his life

Sometimes you wonder if you read something the right way.

MIKE NIETO: Thornridge situation up in the air

So who is Thornridge's new football coach?

MIKE NIETO: Former Thornton star to coach with Colts

HARVEY | Former Thornton and Northern Illinois football star Jermaine Hampton would like to see the NFL lockout end soon.

MIKE NIETO: Deja vu for Crete-Monee basketball player Mays

It was like a bad replay for Crete-Monee boys basketball player Greg Mays.

MIKE NIETO: Turner, Fighting Irish won't rest on laurels

To say the least, it's been quite a week for Marian Catholic grad Kaila Turner and the Notre Dame women's basketball team.

MIKE NIETO: Crockett's got NeXt

Crete-Monee's Jamee Crockett is looking forward to one more prep basketball game.

MIKE NIETO: Cactus, grapefruit and spring break

Marian Catholic softball coach Kerri Evans said one of her players, who had never been on an airplane until Friday, asked if she could talk on the flight to Florida.

MIKE NIETO: Crete-Monee basketball team brought communities together

Crete-Monee has enjoyed success in boys basketball in the past and had a nice run the last few years. But if the program is to be a south suburban and state power, this year will be the year remembered as the one that put the Warriors on the map.

MIKE NIETO: Crete-Monee vs. Thornton, Round II

This will be south suburban basketball at its best.

MIKE NIETO: Hill makes climb to TV booth

It was like Rocky Hill had a date with destiny several years ago, only he didn't know it.

MIKE NIETO: Marian ready for the next step

The Marian Catholic girls basketball team is playing with a lot of confidence, but don't mistake it for cockiness.

MIKE NIETO: Who will rule the SAC?

They could meet again next Friday with just a bit more at stake.

MIKE NIETO: Can the Seton boys basketball team win it all?

They have flown under the radar.

MIKE NIETO: Illiana Christian boys surviving

LANSING | Sometimes a true test of character comes when everything is going wrong and it seems like you are at rock bottom.

MIKE NIETO: T.F. North girls never quit believing

CALUMET CITY | The story line repeats itself and I don't mean the one of how poor T.F. North lost everyone and it was going to be a long year.

MIKE NIETO: Marian earns respect

CHICAGO HEIGHTS | You beat the No. 7 and No. 4 teams in Class 4A in a span of four days and win the East Suburban Catholic Confercne title.

MIKE NIETO: Fenwick-Marian girls should be a classic

You'll get two for one tonight at Marian Catholic.

MIKE NIETO: Not a good homecoming for Runaas

CALUMET CITY | Rick Runaas said he would have liked to have played in T.F. North's old gym.

MIKE NIETO: What a day for McCall and T'ridge teammates

Wednesday's weather conditions provided some interesting scenarios as to how local athletes got in touch with their future colleges.

MIKE NIETO: Crockett, Mays playing big for Crete-Monee

RICHTON PARK | Everybody seems to be contributing in one way or another for the Crete-Monee boys basketball team this season.

MIKE NIETO: T.F North girls basketball team deserves praise

CALUMET CITY | This was supposed to be the year T.F. South would finally get District 215 rival T.F. North in girls basketball.

MIKE NIETO: Crete-Monee makes a statement

CRETE | The Crete-Monee boys basketball players called Friday's 56-45 win over Bloom Township a "must-win" game.

MIKE NIETO: A couple of big hoops showdowns tonight in South Suburbs

With defending Class 3A boys basketball champions coming to Times No. 4 T.F. North for a 6 p.m. showdown today, T.F. North coach Tim Bankston knows his team will be up.

MIKE NIETO: Look who's on top of the SAC

RICHTON PARK | They haven't blown out too many teams. In fact, most of the Bloom Twp. boys basketball teams wins are close ones.

MIKE NIETO: A big weekend for O'Boye, McDonald's Shootout

Jim O'Boye doesn't hide the fact he loves prep sports and it shows.

MIKE NIETO: Time for T.F. South girls basketball team to pick up its game

LANSING | If T.F. South girls basketball coach Steve Breshock isn't running out of patience, he should be.

MIKE NIETO: A goodbye to Tony Morsovillo

Mount Carmel baseball coach Brian Hurry could not have put it any better.

MIKE NIETO: McDipper ready to be super-sized

RICHTON PARK | Melvin Buckley Jr. has proven the golden arches are just that.

MIKE NIETO: This is just a tragedy

Corey Ankum had a smile which could lift someone up even on the roughest of days.

MIKE NIETO: Orris adds to Crete's chemistry

CRETE | When you have a team as talented as the Crete-Monee boys basketball team, you often think of the cliche': "Are there enough basketballs to go around?"