LP_102016

lockportlegend.com SPORTS
the Lockport Legend | October 20, 2016 | 47
fastbreak
Girls Volleyball
Sandburg edges Lockport in key conference tilt
1st and 3
Porters football
prevails on the road
without key player
1. LTHS dominates
Stagg minus starting
quarterback
The Lockport football
team won 35-0 over
Stagg Friday, Oct. 14,
in Palos Hills without
senior quarterback
Ben Davis, who
did not play due to
illness. His teammate,
Tavares Moore,
helped make up for
his absence with 208
yards on the ground.
2. Stingy defense yields
few yards
The Chargers finished
the contest with
only 34 total yards,
including one rushing
yard. Stagg had three
first downs in the
game, all coming in
the first half.
3. Maintaining control
Lockport also had a
sizable advantage in
time of possession for
the game, having the
ball for 30:50. Stagg
had the ball for 17:10.
LISTEN UP
Mark Korosa/
22nd Century Media
Randy Whalen
Freelance Reporter
Sandburg was looking to
solidify another girls volleyball
conference title.
But Lockport Township
was looking to play spoiler
and throw its hat into the
ring for a conference championship,
as well.
When all was said and
done, the old guard looked
to be on its way to an eighth
straight SouthWest Suburban
Conference Blue Division
championship. That
is because Anna Jonynas
came up huge, especially
down the stretch, as Sandburg
held off the Porters in
a well-played 25-14, 23-25,
25-18 victory Oct. 11 in Orland
Park.
The win put the Eagles
(19-9, 3-0) a match closer to
capturing at least a share of
another SWSC Blue crown.
A victory at Bolingbrook
[on Tuesday, Oct. 18] or
at home over Homewood-
PRESSBOX PICKS
Our staff’s predictions for
the top games in Week 9
Lincoln-Way East (6-2) hosts Lockport (6-2)
Lincoln-Way Central (6-2) hosts Metea Valley (2-6)
Sandburg (3-5) hosts Lincoln-Way West (5-3)
Providence Catholic (3-5) hosts Mt. Carmel (4-4)
Andrew (0-8) hosts Stagg (0-8)
“I think he took that off Madden. He stole
the thunder, as he usually does.”
Patrick Cooper — Lockport senior wide receiver, on LTHS running
back Tavares Moore’s quick stop and juke on a touchdown run
versus Stagg
Flossmoor [on Thursday,
Oct. 20] would clinch at
least a tie, and a sweep of
the two would give them the
outright title.
Lockport, which improved
to 19-8, 3-1 with a
27-25, 25-19 home victory
over Stagg the next day,
was looking to win at least
a share of the SWSC Blue
title for the first time since
winning it outright in 2008.
The Porters held early
leads of 2-0 and 3-2 in set
No. 3, but then Jonynas
went to work. She smacked
a kill to tie it at 3-3 and added
another one two points
later. Sophomore middle
hitter Lauren Mizera added
an ace in what became a 6-0
run that put Sandburg ahead
for good at 8-3.
Although the Porters
came back with four straight
points, they could never tie
it. Ahead 10-9, the Eagles
embarked on another run,
this one a 7-0 one that included
four Lockport errors
29-11
Tom Czaja | Contributing
Editor
• LW East 30, Lockport 17. The
Porters show good fight here but
cannot quite conquer a foe of this
magnitude.
• LW Central
• LW West
• Mt. Carmel
• Stagg
Tune In
to go ahead 17-9.
But the Porters kept hanging
in there, going on a 6-1
spurt, which included an
ace by junior defensive
specialist Shae O’Neil (16
digs), to close to within 18-
15. A kill into the deep right
corner, however, by sophomore
outside hitter Erica
Staunton (9 kills) restored
the Sandburg advantage to
4 points.
It also rotated Jonynas
back to the front row. So
even though Lockport junior
right side hitter JoDee
Kovanda (9 kills) creamed
a kill to cut the lead to 19-
16, Jonynas was able to get
back to where she wanted to
be.
From the front row she
had a block, a tip for a kill
and then ripped another kill
to start a 4-1 run for a 23-
17 lead. The Porters saved
a point, but then served into
the net. Moments later, a
kill by Staunton ended it.
“I’m always itching to
29-11
Tim Carroll | Contributing
Editor
• LW East 43, Lockport 27. Griffins
are a much, much cooler mascot
than Porters. That is the basis for
my pick.
• LW Central
• LW West
• Mt. Carmel
• Andrew
Football
Regular season finale — 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at
Lincoln-Way East
• The Porters journey to Frankfort to square off with the
6-2 Griffins before the playoffs start.
get back in the front row
so I can get kills and everything,”
Jonynas said.
“We did a good job pulling
through even though we got
stuck at some points. We
really wanted to win, especially
on home court.”
Although Lockport had
early leads of 3-1 and 5-3,
the first set was all Sandburg.
Ahead 7-6, the Eagles
took charge with a 10-2
burst that featured aces by
DeFries and Jonynas. Imrie
ended the opener with a
quick kill.
“We knew the first score
was not indicative of how
good Lockport is this year,”
Vales said. “As coaches
we try to warn players
but I think our age comes
through at times. All three
of our matches in conference
[through last week]
have gone three. That’s a
testament to how solid the
SWSC Blue is, but thinking
as a coach, we’ve had plenty
of opportunities to seal the
Max Lapthorne | Editor
28-12
• Lockport 27, LW East 24. Porters
outlast the Griffins and prove
they are a force to be reckoned
with in the postseason.
• LW Central
• LW West
• Providence
• Andrew
Index
24-16
Joe Coughlin | Publisher
• LW East 35, Lockport 14. Griffins
on a determined march toward
postseason.
• LW Central
• LW West
• Mt. Carmel
• Andrew
40 - This Week In
40 - Athlete of the Week
deal against Lincoln-Way
East and Lockport in two.”
True to form, the Eagles
couldn’t seal the deal in the
second set, which featured
10 ties and four lead changes.
Still, Sandburg looked
in control when a 4-0 run,
which included another ace
by DeFries to go ahead 17-
14. Later a Staunton kill
gave the Eagles a 20-16
lead.
Trailing 21-18, the Porters
put together a 4-0 run
— capped on an ace from
O’Neil — to take a 22-21
lead. A Staunton kill knotted
it at 22-22, but kills
from Kovanda and junior
middle hitter Bri Orlowski
(4 blocks) gave Lockport
a 24-22 lead. After a long
rally, junior outside hitter
Margaret Colby saved a set
point for Sandburg with a
kill, but the Porters ended
it, as an over the shoulder
save by Orlowski fell in for
Please see V-Ball, 42
22-18
Heather Warthen | Chief
Operating Officer
• LW East 34. Lockport 24. Porters
are having a great season but no
upset here.
• LW Central
• LW West
• Mt. Carmel
• Andrew
FASTBREAK is compiled by Editor Thomas Czaja, tom@
homerhorizon.com.