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44 | May 16, 2019 | the orland Park Prairie sports <strong>OP</strong>Prairie.com ATHLETE OF THE WEEK 10 Questions with David Vales David Vales, No. 77, is a junior at Sandburg and a right side hitter on the volleyball team. How has the season gone so far for you and for the team? For me, I’m really happy with how the season has gone. It’s gone a lot better than I thought, because I’ve gotten a lot better and gotten a lot of front row rotations. For the team, we’re doing as well as I thought we would [23- 9 through May 10]. Since your dad, also named David Vales, is the head coach at Sandburg, I imagine that influenced you to play, correct? Yes. It started when I was in kindergarten. I played baseball, too, and then first played organized volleyball on a team when I was in fifth or sixth grade. So you don’t play any other sports? No. I couldn’t keep playing baseball, since it was in the same season as volleyball. My last year, I played baseball was in eighth grade. I moved up to the varsity team at Sandburg as a sophomore. I play club volleyball at Ultimate. What is it about the game of volleyball that makes it the sport for you? I just love the energy of volleyball. In baseball, there’s a lot of downtime. Plus, in volleyball, I get to play inside, where there’s no bad weather. Plus, the atmosphere is better and hypes you up. How is it to have your dad as your coach? It’s really interesting. There’s a lot of pros and cons to it. He’s really honest, but I don’t always think he’s right. He also coached me in baseball. So, I’ve had him as a coach and also as a math teacher. What do you do to hype yourself up before a match? Actually, on a recent bus trip, my friends and I watched “Game of Thrones.” I usually watch videos or listen to music. A lot of times I scout the other team with my teammate, sophomore libero Jeremiah Burden. He lives volleyball 24/7. If you could meet anyone, who would it be and why? LeBron James. I know a lot of Chicago fans won’t like it, but he’s a great player. Plus my cousin, Justin Pizur, grew up loving LeBron and wants to follow in his footsteps. What opponent do you look forward to playing the most? Marist. A lot of guys who I play with on club play for Marist. So, playing against the guys I know is really fun, and goes back and forth. You have another year of high school. But are you planning to play volleyball in college? Yes, I do. I don’t have any set place that I want to go yet. But I’d love to play somewhere. What’s the best thing about being an athlete at Sandburg? I don’t know many other people that have such big-name people playing or coaching. We have Michael Schofield and Dan Feeney playing [both with the Los Angeles Chargers] and Pat Fitzgerald [coaching Northwestern]. Plus, it’s even better to know JEFF VORVA/ 22ND CENTURY MEDIA that my dad is here. I always wanted to grow up and play for him here, and it’s pretty cool that I did. Interview conducted by Freelance Reporter Randy Whalen PAID ADVERTISEMENT Mokena Foot & Ankle celebrates 25-years of providing superior care to the Lincoln-Way Community Dr. Phillip Narcissi and Dr. Johnny Rossi are honored to be named the best podiatrist in the South Suburbs in the 2019 Southwest Choice Awards. Dr Narcissi started this practice in 1993 as the first ankle and foot specialist in Mokena. “It seems like yesterday I answered the phone to schedule my first patient.” He remembers driving and walking through Mokena trying to find office space. Lucky for him, Dr. Chip Patterson had office space adjacent to his dental practice become available. With his families help, he was able to build out the space and begin the practice. Dr. Narcissi immediately became very involved in the community with volunteering, coaching and forming the St Mary’s Men’s club. Over the past 25 years, he and his wife Diane continue to be involved in Mokena as they raise their six children. With a growing practice, Dr. Narcissi moved to their current location at 19841 Wolf Rd, added additional offices in Hazel Crest and Beecher and hired Dr. Johnny Rossi. Dr. Rossi was born and raised in Lansing, Illinois. Also a graduate of the University of Illinois, he is married and has three children. Dr. Rossi has trained extensively in rear foot and ankle surgery. What sets Mokena Foot and Ankle apart is they are a family friendly, state of the art, comprehensive practice that takes care of all your foot and ankle needs. In the current age of corporate and large group medical practices Dr. Narcissi and Dr. Rossi pride themselves on staying on top of the most cutting edge medical and surgical techniques and new advancements in medicine while continuing with the tradition of compassion and empathy with a personal touch. The staffs, Maureen, Denise, Kelly and Delilah, are friendly, accessible and knowledgeable who will know you by name and not by number. What has defined Dr. Phillip Narcissi and Dr. Rossi over the past 25 years is not just their knowledge and expertise but their philosophy of conservative care first approach. Although both are board certified surgeons by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery and Fellows of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons they believe surgery should be the last option. They pride themselves on using the latest techniques from platelet enriched plasma to amniotic cells to k-laser to encourage the body to heal itself. At Mokena Foot and Ankle, your entire ankle and foot needs can be treated from children to adults, sports medicine to fractures, forefoot to ankle surgery, diabetic routine care to wound care, skin to nail conditions, nerve pain to neuropathy, with a comprehensive more personal medical environment. Dr. Phillip Narcissi, Dr. Johnny Rossi and the staff of Mokena Foot and Ankle would like to Thank You for allowing us to be part of your medical family and community for the past 25 years and voting us as the best Podiatric Practice in the Southwest Suburbs in the 2019 Southwest Choice Awards. Submitted by Dr. Phil Narcissi, Mokena Foot & Ankle Clinic 19841 Wolf Road Mokena IL 60448 708-479-0790 www.mokenafootandankle clinic.com
<strong>OP</strong>Prairie.com sports the orland park prairie | May 16, 2019 | 45 AREA SPORTS ROUNDUP Eagles drop tight game to No. 1 St. Laurence JEFF VORVA, Sports Editor Last year, Sandburg’s baseball team became the first public school to win the Do It Stevie’s Way Tournament by beating St. Laurence in the championship game. This year, the organizers of the tournament had the Eagles and Vikings play in the first round, and the game went to the wire before St. Laurence hung on for a 5-4 victory on Friday, May 10, in Burbank. The Vikings, ranked No. 1 in the state by Prep Baseball Report, took a 5-1 lead into the seventh inning, and Sandburg loaded the bases. Tommy Windt was hit by a pitch to bring home one run, and Nick Skrabis doubled home two more before the Vikings closed the door. St. Laurence, which has been moved down from Class 4A to Class 3A this year, had an Orland Park battery of pitcher Luke Montgomery and catcher Matt McCormick start the game. McCormick is one of the most decorated players in Vikings history and could be a high pick in the Major League Baseball Draft in June. The tournament is in honor of Steven Bajenski, a Mokena resident who died at age 17 after fighting heart issues. Money from the tournament goes to scholarships in his name. The tournament was slated to continue this week. A sneak preview? If the postseason seeds hold true in girls soccer, Sandburg and Andrew will be facing off for the Class 3A Andrew Sectional Sandburg players watch during a 5-4 loss to St. Laurence in the first round of the Do It Stevie’s Way Tournament. PHOTOS BY JEFF VORVA/22ND CENTURY MEDIA championship on May 24. The Eagles were given the top seed by the coaches and Andrew — which has a wealth of talent returning from a team that finished fourth in the state — was seeded second. If the two District 230 rivals battle in that game, it should be a highly anticipated contest. In what could have been a sneak preview of that potential matchup, the two teams battled on Thursday, May 9, with Andrew pulling off a 2-1 victory in Tinley Park on the T-Bolts’ senior night. Tracking the leaders Sandburg’s historically strong 3,200-meter boys track relay team earned a SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue Division championship, as Sam Rodriguez, Ben Giblin, Will Giblin and Nico Calderon won the title on May 8 at Bolingbrook High School. Griffin Lehnhardt claimed the 3,200. Omar Hasan was third in the shot put, and the 1,600 relay team of Christian Espino, Rodriguez, Calderon and Eddie Slack took third. Torpy, Torpy, Torpy Former Sandburg standout runner Sean Torpy, who is a junior at Miami (Ohio), was named the Mid-American Conference Most Valuable Performer on Saturday, May 11, after winning three events at the league’s meet. He won the 1,500-meter run, the 800 run and the 5,000 run. His twin brother, Chris, claimed third in the 1,500. Thanks in part to the Orland Park natives, Miami took third with 119 points, and it was the school’s best performance in that meet since 1994. Richards title Sandburg’s boys volleyball team won the Richards Invitational Tournament with an 18-25, 25-21, 25-23 victory over Downers Grove North, a team that beat the Eagles earlier in the season. The Eagles also beat Wheaton- Warrenville South in the semifinals, 25-17, 25-22 in another revenge win over a team that beat them earlier in the season. Luka Vukanic was named tournament MVP while Cort Jensen and Jeremiah Burden were named to the All-Tournament team. The Eagles entered this week with a ninematch winning streak. Finals seeds to be spread The Illinois High School Association announced the seeding for the postseason in its final four sports: baseball, softball and boys and girls lacrosse. In baseball, look for a D230 showdown right away. At the 21-team Class 4A Lockport Sectional, Sandburg drew the 10th seed. Lincoln-Way East, Lockport, Marist and Lincoln- Way Central earned the Top 4 seeds. Andrew plays 10thseeded Sandburg at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23, in the regional semifinals at Andrew in a D230 battle. Sandburg pitcher Ryan Leland deals in the first inning against St. Laurence on Friday, May 10. Sandburg soccer player Shelby Fuller tries to advance the ball in a loss at Andrew. Last year, Sandburg finished fourth in the state. Earlier this year, Andrew toppled Sandburg 16-9 in a wild game at Ozinga Field in Crestwood. In softball, Sandburg picked up the fourth seed in the 19-team Class 4A Marist Sectional behind Marist, Riverside-Brookfield and Shepard. Sandburg, one of the final eight teams playing in last-year’s supersectional, opens the postseason facing 14thseeded Hinsdale South at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, in Darien. In lacrosse, Andrew’s boys co-op team, which will host a supersectional, drew the second seed in the 11-team Lockport Sectional behind the Lincoln- Way Central co-op squad. Andrew faces either Hillcrest or Lockport at 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 20, at Lockport’s East campus. Players from Sandburg, Stagg and Andrew make up that team. Sandburg’s girls coop team, which features players from Andrew and Stagg, drew the third seed in the eight-team Washington Sectional behind O’Fallon and Lincoln- Way Central’s co-op team. Sandburg plays host Washington at 7 p.m. Monday, May 20.
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