UPDATE: Marist's McIntosh Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd and is This Week's Patch MVP

Marist's L.J. McIntosh gained the most support in Patch's weekly "Roar of the Crowd" MVP polling. He is now eligible for March Patch Athlete of the Month recognition.

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs — each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch — by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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Boys Basketball: Andrew Cruises Past L-W Central in Regional Semifinal

Jubril Adekoya put up another double-double in Andrew's 54-37 victory over Lincoln-Way Central in a semifinal game at the Class 4A Andrew Regoinal on Tuesday.

No. 1 Bloom Set for Final Regular Season Boys Basketball Test

The Blazing Trojans face Kankakee tonight, then will look toward postseason play. Andrew, Marist, Sandburg and Brother Rice are gearing up for some March Madness, too.

1. Bloom (22-3): Lejavius Johnson powered the Bloom past Thornton 58-47. He scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds. Donald Moore (14 points) and Johnny Griffin (11 rebounds) backed him up. The Blazing Trojans play host to Kankakee in their regular-season finale tonight. Then, it’s on to the Joliet Central Regional Feb. 28. 2. Andrew (22-2): A 3-pointer in the final seconds? Yep. The T-Bolts dropped a 57-55 decision to Thornwood despite strong play from Jubril Adekoya (26 points, 10 rebounds) and Glorind Lisha (10 points). Andrew faces Lincoln-Way Central or Eisenhower in a regional semifinal on its home floor Tuesday, Feb. 28. 3. Marist (23-5): Matt O’Reilly’s 3-point shooting propelled the RedHawks to a 64-37 victory over Joliet …

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UPDATE: And the Winner in Voting for Patch Athlete of the Week is ...

Oak Forest's Courtney Kachlik busted loose in a career-high scoring performance in the championship game of the Evergreen Park Class 3A Regional. Then, she outpolled five others in voting for Patch Athlete of the Week honors.

Oak Forest's Courtney Kachlik outpolled five others in voting for Patch's Athlete of the Week, Feb. 12-18. Now, she is eligible for February Patch Athlete of the Month recognition. The candidates: Jubril Adekoya, junior, center/forward, boys basketball, Andrew. Adekoya delivered two more double-doubles as the T-Bolts notched victories No. 20 and 21 and became the winningest Andrew boys basketball team since 1989-90. Adekoya had 18 points and 16 rebounds in a 53-43 victory over Sandburg. Then, he followed up with 19 points and nine rebounds in a 58-31 victory over Thornridge. Mark Duda, sophomore, wrestling, Marist. Duda won 3-of-4 matches and placed second in the 113-pound weight class in the Class 3A state tournament at Assembly Hall in …

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Ron Kremer

9:46 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012

Back in the day, I was a high school swimmer. Never as fast as Matt, though. I'm expecting him to end his Sandburg career with a big splash at the state meet.   more ›

Bloom is No. 1 in Balance and Boys Basketball

A balanced attack has served Bloom well as it remains the choice for No. 1 in the weekly Patch Power Rankings. Andrew is poised to make a move at No. 2. And don't forget about Marist, Homewood-Flossmoor or Sandburg.

1. Bloom (21-3): Bloom’s balance was on display in a 59-52 victory over Rich South. Donald Moore scored 22 points. L.J. Johnson had 13 and Johnny Griffin chipped in nine. The Blazing Trojans look to take undisputed possession of the Southland Athletic Conference crown in a 6:30 p.m. game at Crete-Monee tonight. 2. Andrew (20-1): Jubril Adekoya set the T-Bolts’ single-season rebounding record in a 53-43 victory over Sandburg at the Thunderdome. He boosted his total to 230 heading into a 6 p.m. game today at Thornridge. Keep an eye on the status of Andrew’s Glorind Lisha. He was limping on a bum ankle after taking a spill vs. the Eagles. 3. Marist (21-5): Tyler Oden rained down a 3-ball and the RedHawks went on a 20-4 second half run to pull…

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Blooms Rises Back to Top of the Boys Basketball Heap

Bloom Township is surging again behind the offense-defense of Henry Hicks and Johnny Griffin. The Blazing Trojans have climbed back to No. 1 in the weekly Patch Power Rankings for boys basketball. Andrew is No. 2 and looking to rebound from its first loss

1. Bloom (18-3): Johnny and Henry. Mr. D, meet Mr. O. Johnny Griffin’s offense and Henry Hicks’s defense were highlighted in Bloom Township’s 77-27 victory over Kankakee. The Trojans play host to Rich East at 6:30 tonight. Donald Moore scored 18 points in the first meeting between the two Southland Conference rivals. Bloom notched a 59-50 win. 2. Andrew (16-1): Glorind Lisha had a hand in his face. Joshua Russell still hit the shot at the buzzer to hand Thornton a 47-45 victory over Andrew. Now, the T-Bolts will find out what they’re made of as they look to bounce back from their first loss. They play tonight at Stagg. Danger alert: The Chargers can shoot the rock. 3. Marist (17-5): Did you see this coming? Nic Weishar and company are …

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Boys Basketball: Andrew Overpowers L-W West

Glorind Lisha's 20 points propelled Andrew to a 66-30 boys basketball victory over Lincoln-Way West on Friday night in New Lenox.

14 Reasons for Andrew to Remain No. 1 in Boys Basketball Power Rankings

Andrew is riding a 14-game winning streak heading into tonight's game at Lincoln-Way West. The T-Bolts remain No. 1 in the Patch's Power Rankings for boys basketball. Bloom has climbed back to the No. 2 spot.

1. Andrew (14-0): Defense remains the constant for the T-Bolts, who overcame a sluggish start in a 58-37 victory over Tinley Park. Double-Double machine Jubril Adekoya scored 17 points and pulled down 17 rebounds. Andrew plays Lincoln-Way West at 7 p.m. Friday in New Lenox. 2. Bloom (16-3): Donald Moore stepped to the free throw line and stepped up his game in the Trojans’ 63-56 victory over Homewood-Flossmoor. He made 17-of-19 free throws as Bloom rallied in the fourth quarter to top H-F for the second time this season. Dejahown Freeman scored 12 points and Lejavius Johnson 10. 3. Marist (16-5): The RedHawks dropped a heart-breaking 64-62 decision to Seton Academy despite the late-game heroics of Nic Weishar and L.J. McIntosh. The two …

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Top-Ranked Andrew Boys Basketball Launches Depth Charge

Andrew's supporting cast stepped to the forefront in a victory over Illiana Christian and kept the T-Bolts cruising along at No. 1 in the weekly Patch Power Rankings for boys basketball. Homewood-Flossmoor has climbed to No. 2. And watch out for Sandburg.

1. Andrew (13-0): The T-Bolts’ supporting cast enjoyed a moment in the spotlight in a 59-34 victory over Illiana Christian. Mike Grenda (7 points, 6 rebounds), Mike Bobek (5 points, 5 assists) and Tyler Hook (6 points, 6 rebounds) put a stamp on Lucky No. 13. Andrew plays at Thornwood tonight. 2. Homewood-Flossmoor (12-4): Tim Williams, Rashaan Surles and Tyrone Sherman had the Vikings humming in a victories over Sandburg and Rockford Boylan last weekend. H-F faces Lincoln-Way Central tonight and then will gear up for a battle with Bloom at 7 p.m. Tuesday (Jan. 24) on its home floor. 3. Bloom (15-3): The Blazing Trojans let a 36-27 lead slip away in the final 1:43 of regulation and dropped a 47-43 decision to Sandburg. The loss was Bloom’s…

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Andrew Boys Basketball Vaults to the Top of Patch Power Rankings

Andrew leapfrogged Bloom and staked its claim to the No. 1 spot in the Patch Power Rankings for boys basketball. H-F held steady in the No. 3 spot. Marist and Brother Rice will square off on Tuesday (Jan. 17) to settle their battle for the 4-5 positions.

1. Andrew (11-0): Jawad Adekoya and Glorind Lisha each scored 19 points in a 61-46 victory at Lincoln-Way East. The T-Bolts play host to Thornridge tonight, then play at Illiana Christian on Saturday. 2. Bloom ((14-2): Henry Hicks made 8-of-10 shots and scored a season-high 17 points in a 55-35 victory at Joliet Central. The Trojans snapped a two-game losing streak. Conditions call for a “Whiteout” performance vs. Crete-Monee tonight. Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. at Bloom Trail. 3. Homewood-Flossmoor (10-4): Ah, that’s more like it. Delvon Rencher fueled a 15-2 first-quarter burst in H-F’s 58-49 victory over Bolingbrook. Rencher finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. The Vikings face Sandburg in a Southwest Suburban Blue showdown tonight …

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Ron Kremer

12:32 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012

Mira: Do you think the T-Bolts would benefit from a loss at some point?   more ›