Friday, November 25, 2011
Oak Forest's Tevin Coleman, Andrew's Mike Love, Brother Rice's Martez Walker, Providence Catholic's Ryan Ward, Tinley Park's Zack Webster and Lincoln-Way East's Blake Winkler are honored by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association.
On the final weekend of the high school football season, six Southland Patch players will be recognized during introductions of the IHSFCA All-State teams in Champaign. The introductions will coincide with the playing of state championship games Friday and Saturday at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium. Brother Rice running back Martez Walker was named to the Class 8A all-state team by the IHSFCA. He led the Crusaders to an 8-5 record, setting single-season and career scoring records. Brother Rice dropped a 39-6 decision to Mount Carmel in the Catholic League Blue title game. In Class 7A, Lincoln-Way East quarterback Blake Winkler, Providence Catholic offensive lineman Ryan Ward and Andrew offensive lineman Mike Love were picked …
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Oak Forest High School
15201 Central Ave, Oak Forest, IL
/articles/six-southland-patch-players-named-to-football-coaches-all-state-team
1354140
/locations/5869677
Lincoln-Way East quarterback Blake Winkler and Andrew coach Jim Malec enjoyed remarkable high school football seasons. The two are my Patch picks for Player and Coach of the Year honors.
An old friend of mine, Edgy Tim O’Halloran, noted recently in his column for the Chicago Tribune how impossible it is to select a high school football Player of the Year and a Coach of the Year. To be sure, this is a task that falls under the category of inexact science. Do you side with the best player? Or the best player on the most successful team? And do you automatically pick the winningest coach? Or do you like the coach who turned a sleeping giant into a winner? Tough questions. No right or wrong answers, either. After boiling my list of candidates down to five, I picked Lincoln-Way East quarterback Blake Winkler as the winner of my Southland Patch Player of the Year sweepstakes. He earned the nod over Oak Forest running back Tevin …
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Victor J. Andrew High School
9001 171st St, Tinley Park, IL
/articles/football-s-finest-winkler-malec-recognized-as-patch-player-coach-of-the-year
1418495
/locations/5870469
Friday, November 4, 2011
Wheaton Warrenville South 7, Lincoln-Way East 0: Griffins get the ball into the red zone but not the end zone, as they lose for the first time this season and exit the postseason.
Breaking It Down: Lincoln-Way East’s mission of running the table and winning a Class 7A state football championship were halted Friday night by the team that has won back-to-back state titles. Eighth-seeded Wheaton Warrenville South traveled to Frankfort and upset the top-seeded Griffins by a 7-0 score. Lincoln-Way East’s William Will missed field-goal attempts of 38 and 46 yards in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Wheaton Warrenville South's Nick Campos hammered a 56-yard punt down to the Lincoln-Way East 3-yard line. The Tigers forced the Griffins into a three-and-out, and after a short punt by East, the Tigers took possession at the Lincoln-Way East 24-yard line. On third-and-3 from the 17-yard line, Wheaton Warrenville …
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Lincoln-Way East High School
201 Colorado Ave, Frankfort, IL
/articles/griffins-football-tba
1601454
/locations/5746643
Saturday, October 29, 2011
J.J. Robertson scored two touchdowns and Lincoln-Way East rolled to a 35-7 victory over Plainfield South on Friday night in Frankfort.
Lincoln-Way East marched 82 yards in three plays and J.J. Robertson scored the Griffins' first touchdown in a 35-7 victory over Plainfield South in the opening round of the Class 7A football playoffs on Friday night in Frankfort. The victory was the 10th straight for the Griffins and sends them into Round 2 next weekend against Wheaton Warrenville South. Wheaton Warrenville defeated Providence Catholic 23-16. Plainfield South didn't go down without putting up a bit of a fit. The Cougars tied the score 7-7 and intercepted a Blake Winkler pass. But East's D-Line "Tarzan package" kept Plainfield South from scoring again by stopping the Cougars on a fourth-down play. Jay Yancy scored on a 47-yard pass from Winkler to give East a 14-7 lead. …
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Lincoln-Way East High School
201 Colorado Ave, Frankfort, IL
/articles/lincoln-way-east-sails-through-round-one-of-the-play-offs-against-plainfield-south
1601454
/locations/5697747
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
As playoffs approach Rob Zvonar sets his own rules, builds long-lasting relationships with his players and keeps his perspective on coaching, football and life.
On a dark day in mid-October, the man standing in the center of Lincoln-Way East’s defensive huddle looks like an ordinary football coach. Rob Zvonar is dressed for the part, wearing royal blue and black athletic gear, the colors true to his school. The layers are designed to keep rain and chill out. What he lets in is most important here. The questions from his players in a brief wrap-up session on the south end of East’s TurfField are evidence of a commonplace dialogue in Zvonar’s classroom. He is an extraordinary individual, one who teaches life lessons along with football skills, not in a classroom room with desks lined neatly in rows, rather his is canvas and easel that stretches 53 1/3 yards across and 120 yards in length, sideline-…
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Lincoln-Way East High School
201 Colorado Ave, Frankfort, IL
/articles/l-w-east-griffins-football-coach-rob-zvonar
1601454
/locations/5640925
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Regardless of the winner in the annual Lincoln-Way East vs. Lincoln-Way Central football game, both teams remain inspired by the legacy of former player Dave McKay.
Former Lincoln-Way guard Dave McKay wasn't a big kid. In fact, Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said McKay was only 155 pounds. But McKay packed a lot into every one of those pounds as an offensive lineman on the 1997 state champion Lincoln-Way team. McKay died tragically in 2001, and later that same year the Dave McKay Gridiron Grail was created as Lincoln-Way split into Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way East. "It's really sentimental to me," Zvonar said. "It was my first job out of college as the head freshman coach in 1994 and (McKay) was on that team as a freshman. I knew him since he was 14 or 15 (years old)." The Griffins lost the inaugural meeting between the two schools in 2001, but they haven't lost a rivalry game to the …
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Lincoln-Way East High School
201 Colorado Ave, Frankfort, IL
/articles/mckay-still-provides-inspiration-for-lincoln-way-schools
1601454
/locations/5550452
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Lincoln-Way Central High School
1801 E Lincoln Hwy, New Lenox, IL
/articles/mckay-still-provides-inspiration-for-lincoln-way-schools
1709504
/locations/5550453
Friday, October 7, 2011
Lincoln-Way East 42, Lincoln-Way Central 7: J.J. Robertson scores three TDs in the first half as the Griffins beat the Knights for the 11th straight time dating back to 2002.
Breaking It Down: Lincoln-Way East scored on its first two offensive plays from scrimmage Friday night, and Lincoln-Way Central never responded as the visiting Griffins built a 42-0 lead at halftime to induce the running clock in New Lenox. With their 42-7 victory, the Griffins improved to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the Southwest Suburban Blue. Junior Nick Colangelo scored on an 80-yard run just 14 seconds into the game and Griffins quarterback connected with J.J. Robertson on a 75-yard touchdown pass on the team's second possession to make it 14-0. Robertson added two more touchdown catches in the first half. The Knights failed to find the end zone in the opening half and had only 97 yards of total offense by halftime. Patch's MVP: Lincoln-…
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Lincoln-Way East High School
201 Colorado Ave, Frankfort, IL
/articles/football-l-way-east-routs-l-way-central-to-stay-unbeaten
1601454
/locations/5550206
41.51133
-87.930699
1801 E Lincoln Hwy, New Lenox, IL
/articles/football-l-way-east-routs-l-way-central-to-stay-unbeaten
/locations/5550207
Friday, September 30, 2011
Patch Sports Editor Ron Kremer makes his 5 Hot Picks for Friday night's high school football games. What do you think?
1. Lincoln-Way East (5-0) at Bolingbrook (5-0), 7:30. Quick Take: All eyes will be on the play of the Raiders’ secondary vs. East quarterback Blake Winkler. Winkler can use his legs to get out of trouble if the pocket collapses around him. He has a talented receiving corps headed by Illini recruit J.J. Robertson. Pick: Lincoln-Way East. 2. Thornton (4-1) at Lincoln-Way West (3-2), 7:30. Quick Take: Wildcats have won three straight since falling 14-10 at Naperville North. Warriors need a win to create a logjam atop the Southwest Suburban Red standings. Pick: Thornton. 3. Oak Lawn (3-2) at Evergreen Park (3-2), 7. Quick Take: Playoff game in Week 6? Well, that’s how this one shapes up. The winner boosts its postseason stock. Pick: Evergreen …
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Tinley Park High School
6111 175th St, Tinley Park, IL
/articles/high-school-football-kremers-5-hot-picks
320440
/locations/5487706
Friday, September 16, 2011
All eyes will be on the Southwest Suburban Blue football battle between No. 1 Lincoln-Way East and No. 2 Homewood-Flossmoor. Meanwhile, Oak Forest climbs into the top five and continues to show signs of adding balance to an explosive offense.
1. Lincoln-Way East (3-0): Road kill? The Griffins look to go a leg up in the Southwest Suburban Blue by taking down H-F. Last week: No. 1. Tonight: at Homewood-Flossmoor, 7:30 p.m. 2. Homewood-Flossmoor (3-0): Yes, the Vikings advanced to the Class 8A semifinals last season. No, they did not defeat 7A power Lincoln-Way East. They’re ready to take another shot. Last week: No. 2. Tonight: vs. Lincoln-Way East, 7:30 p.m. 3. Brother Rice (3-0): The Crusaders average 36.7 points. St. Rita has allowed 28 points. Period. Something must give in this Catholic League Blue matchup. Last week: No. 3. Tonight: vs. St. Rita, 7:30 p.m. 4. Sandburg (3-0): The Eagles are starting to show signs of hitting their stride but can ill-afford to get caught here …
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Alan B. Shepard High School
13049 S Ridgeland Ave, Palos Heights, IL
/articles/l-w-east-h-f-stand-1-2-in-patch-power-rankings-brace-for-football-showdown
273852
/locations/5365170
Friday, September 2, 2011
Blake Winkler's fast start helps Griffins roar out of the gate. H-F and Sandburg still have some questions to answer heading into play in Week 2 of the high school football season.
1. Lincoln-Way East: Blake Winkler earned Frankfort/Mokena Athlete of the Week honors after completing 12-of-23 for 214 yards and three touchdowns in Lincoln-Way East's 45-14 victory over Edwardsville. And he only played half the game. Last week: No. 1. Tonight: vs. Dunbar, 7:30 p.m. 2. Homewood-Flossmoor: Two plays, two touchdowns, too easy? Homewood-Flossmoor rolled to a 76-6 victory over Chicago Senn. But what did the Vikings find out about themselves? Well, maybe they have another good back in the making. Taje Smith rushed for 79 yards on six carries. He scored four touchdowns. Last week: No. 2. Tonight: vs. Deerfield, 7 p.m. 3. Sandburg: The Eagles turned two turnovers into 14 points and came up with a goal-line stand in a 17-10 …
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Lincoln-Way East High School
201 Colorado Ave, Frankfort, IL
/articles/entrenched-l-w-east-holds-no-1-slot-in-weekly-patch-football-poll
1601454
/locations/5259984
Kim
5:27 pm on Sunday, November 27, 2011
congratulations.Martez on another accomplishment that you deserve. you have dedicated yourself and worked so hard for everything. you are a blessing and a joy to have as a son. I am so proud of you and love you more than words could ever express. I know your college years will be everything you always dreamed they would be. keep up the good work baby. love you always and forever mom more ›