Leo Senior Nick Armour is headed for the IHSA state wrestling meet

By Dan McGrath

Leo Senior Nick Armour is headed for the IHSA state wrestling meet for the second consecutive year.

Armour, a heavyweight, placed fourth in the Class 1-A Coal City Sectional last weekend, earning a trip to the state meet at the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center February 20-22. Armour also qualified for the state meet as a junior but did not earn a medal. He is thought to have a better chance this year after being ranked as high as sixth in statewide rankings encompassing all classes.

Armour lost his first-round match at Coal City, but stormed back through the consolation round to go 2-1, including a first-period pin, and finish fourth overall. The top four finishers in each weight class advance to state.

Teammates Vandell Dudley (132 pounds), Aiden Bright (145) and Jubril Kannicke (190) joined Armour at the Coal City meet. Bright lost his first two matches and was eliminated. Kannicke won his first match but dropped his next two and was eliminated. Dudley, the Catholic League frosh-soph champion at 132 pounds, split his first two matches and won his first-round consolation match, but lost his next one and was eliminated.

Armour,  also an all-conference defensive lineman in football, is Leo’s fourth state-meet qualifier since Leo revived its wrestling program 10 years ago, following heavyweight James Britten (2015), 138-pounder James Foy (2019) and 152-pounder Jordan Anderson (2020).

We congratulate Nick and wish him well as he adds another achievement in an outstanding  Leo career.

Lions 67, St. Ignatius 62 on February 14th

by David Gross

The Lions Den was roaring Friday night as Leo closed out the Catholic League portion of its schedule against Blue Division rival Saint Ignatius College Prep.

The Lions were anxious to bounce back and regain momentum after getting manhandled at Mt. Carmel three nights earlier, and they did just that, knocking off the Wolfpack 67-62 in a well-played, back-and-forth contest.

Leo improved to 19-10 overall and 3-5 in the Blue Division, taking two of three from Blue contenders Loyola, Mt. Carmel and St. Ignatius in the last week.

Leo is scheduled this week for nonconference games against Marshall (Wednesday) and Hyde Park (Friday). The Lions will compete in the IHSA Class 2-A Regional at Harlan on Wednesday, February 26 at 6 p.m. Leo is the top seed in the regional and will face the winner of Monday night’s game February 24th between U-High and Hansberry. The regional championship game is Friday, February 28. The Chicago Harlan Regional is located at 9652 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

Turnovers and fouls were prevalent during Friday’s physical first quarter, which ended with the Lions holding a 14-13 lead.

The Wolfpack began to control the tempo in the second quarter with defense that forced Leo to use two timeouts in mid-possession. St. Ignatius found its offense  and knocked down enough shots to take a 28-25 lead at the half.

Hard, aggressive play characterized the third quarter, with the pace picking up toward the end. After several lead changes, the period ended with the Lions on top 50-48.

The tight contest came down to the final quarter as each team’s leader took over.

With 55 seconds remaining, Phoenix Gill was fouled on a scoring drive; he converted the three-point play to give St. Ignatius its last lead at 62-61.

With an assist from point guard Dontae Bell, Brian Kizer answered with a wing three with 23 seconds remaining. It was the third of the sophomore’s second-half three-pointers and put the Lions up for good 64-62. Bell split two free throws with 11 seconds remaining for a 65-62 lead.

Gill had two shots at a tie or a Wolfpack lead in the final 30 seconds, but couldn’t get either shot to drop. Junior guard Ethan Jackson then iced Leo’s win with two free throws.

The game featured nine ties, a lead change in each quarter and nine lead changes in the entertaining third period. The Lions hit a remarkable 22 of 24 free throws.

Senior guard Bell had an excellent fourth quarter and was strong all night for the Lions, finishing with 21 points, seven assists, two steals and some timely rebounds. Gill, a Northwestern signee and the son of former NBA star Kendall Gill, had 20 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals.

“It’s all about winning,” Bell said, “because (after next week) it’s win or go home, and since it’s my senior year, I want to get a championship.”

A win in the Harlan Regional would send the Lions on to sectional play at Julian, where they are the No. 2 seed behind Dyett, which is 20-7 overall and 11-0 in the Chicago Public League’s Red Northwest Conference.

David Gross, Leo Class of 2022, is a former Leo News Man pursing sports writing. He excelled in Leo’s News Literacy Journalism class. 

Lions 70, Chicago Richards 40 on February 12

Mt. Carmel 83, Lions 41 on February 11

By David Gross ’22

That “thud” you may have heard Tuesday night was the Leo Lions falling back to earth at Mt. Carmel.

Seeking to build on the momentum of an upset victory over Loyola Academy four nights earlier, as well as six wins in their previous seven games and an 11-3 record since January 1, the Lions instead were dismantled 83-41 by the Caravan. A running clock came into play in the fourth quarter.

A second straight win against three high-caliber Catholic League Blue Division rivals — Loyola, Mt. Carmel and St. Ignatius — proved easier said than done. The Lions fell to 17-10 overall and 2-5 in the CCL Blue, while Carmel improved to 23-5, 4-3. Leo will close out the Catholic League portion of the schedule against St. Ignatius (23-5, 4-3) at home on Friday.

The game started off slowly, so Leo went to a fullcourt press to force tempo. The Caravan, though, had no trouble with the press, instead forcing several Lion turnovers with its own pressure and knocking down enough shots to grab a 27-9 lead after the first period.

A 9-4 run to open the second quarter cut the deficit to 13 points and gave the Lions some life, but Carmel immediately regrouped and pulled away. Leo would get no closer than 13 points back the rest of the game.

The Caravan is said to have three Division I prospects on their roster, and their talents were on full display. In addition to handling the Leo press, point guard Noah Mister finished with a game-high 25 points. The Lions had no answer inside for Cameron Thomas, who scored 24 points, while Grant Best was a factor all over the floor with 21 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Playing hard until the end, senior Dontae Bell capped another fine all-around performance for Leo with 12 points.

The Lions still have a shot at a 20-win season, which would be quite the achievement for a team that was rebuilt from the ground up less than three years ago.

 David Gross ’22 is a college student who intends to pursue a career in sports journalism. He was a star LeoNewsMan in Leo’s News Literacy Class.

Lions Fall to Mount Carmel, 83-41 on February 11

Lions Defeat Loyola Academy, 69-66 on February 7

By David Gross ’22

The Leo Lions prevailed in a tough, gritty thriller against Loyola Academy on Friday, pulling out a 69-66 victory before an excited and appreciative Alumni Night crowd in the Lions Den.

The first of three games in seven nights against three of the top teams in the Catholic League Blue Division was a battle, but the Lions (17-9, 2-4) rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to record the biggest victory of the three-year rebuild they have been on since winning the Catholic League championship in 2022.

Coach Jimalle Ridley invited several alums into the locker room after the game to congratulate his players.

The Lions started the game using a fullcourt press, but it seemed to have little effect on Loyola as the Ramblers took an early 10-0 lead.

Utilizing its size advantage, Loyola (20-8, 3-3) was able to get the ball inside for close-in shots and offensive rebounds. The Ramblers seemed to be on every loose ball while stretching their lead to 13 points at the end of the first quarter.

Behind Brendan Loftus, a football recruit headed to Miami (Ohio) to play tight end, Loyola still led by 10 (40-30) at the half. Loftus finished with a 25-point, 13-rebound double-double.

The second half was a different story. The Lions turned up the defensive pressure and matched the Ramblers’ physicality, limiting them to 26 points over the final two periods and cutting the deficit to four points late in the third quarter.

By the mid-point of the fourth, Leo had taken charge, tying the game on a three-point play by senior guard Dontae Bell, who finished with 11 points and 12 assists.

After forcing a Loyola turnover, the Lions took their first lead of the game on a three-pointer by junior guard Ethan Jackson, who hit three three-pointers while scoring 13 points. The three-point shot was a weapon throughout the game for the Lions — sophomore guard Asa Harris made five while scoring a team-high 20 points and making five steals.

Leo protected its lead with immaculate defense, forcing the Ramblers to use two timeouts without getting off a clean look or shot on their final possession.

Exciting and satisfying as the victory was, the Lions have little time to savor it — they’re at Mt. Carmel (22-5, 3-3 CCL Blue) Tuesday night before closing the regular season against St. Ignatius (21-5, 3-3) next Friday.

 But for a team that has struggled for two-plus seasons, this win was definitely one to savor.

 David Gross ’22 is a college student who intends to pursue a career in sports journalism. He was a star LeoNewsMan in Leo’s News Literacy Class.

Leo 79, St. Francis de Sales 62, Catholic League crossover at St. Francis on February 4

By Dan McGrath

The Leo Lions may well have looked at St. Francis de Sales’ 6-17 record and thought, “Well, this will be easy,” going into Tuesday night’s Catholic League crossover game at St. Francis.

It was not. The Lions (16-9) earned a 77-62 victory, but they had to work for it.

Work hard for it.

St. Francis’ guards were quick enough and aggressive enough to stay with Leo’s guard line, and the Pioneers had superior size up front. They used an unconscious barrage of three-point shooting to erase a seven-point halftime deficit and seize a three-point lead with just over three minutes of the third quarter remaining.

At that point the Lions decided this was a game they were not going to lose. They’d reclaimed their own three-point advantage before the third quarter ended, then put the hammer down in the fourth, putting up 24 points and pulling away behind Ethan Jackson’s 10 points (including three three-pointers) and Karon Shavers’ eight.

Shavers had 11 points in the first quarter on his way to a game-high 23. Jackson finished with 20, including five three-pointers, and Dontae Bell had 12 points and six assists.

St. Francis got 17 points from Jacob Thompson, 11 from Reggie Patton and 10 from Marcus Haliburton.

The Lions shot a season-high 31 free throws, converting 25 and going 16-for-19 in the second half. Stephen Barze, in his third game back from a knee injury, was 8-for-8 at the foul line and had four rebounds and three steals in the fourth quarter alone, the type of performance that bodes well for the Lions’ playoff chances.

“It was kind of ugly, but we won, and we’ll take the ‘W’,” Coach Jamille Ridley said. We kept our poise when they ran at us and we were good in  the fourth quarter.”

No chance of the Lions being overconfident in their next three games beginning with Loyola (20-6) visiting the Lions Den for Alumni Night on Friday. They’re at Mt. Carmel (21-5) next Tuesday before entertaining St.Ignatius (21-4) on Friday, February 14.

Leo 73, U-High 41; nonconference game at Leo, makeup of a December 21 postponement

By Dan McGrath

Three days after DePaul Prep dumped the Leo basketball team from its horse rather emphatically, the Lions climbed back aboard and took a comfortable ride, dismissing University High 73-41 at Leo Monday in the makeup of a December 21 nonconference postponement.

Campaigners from the Independent Schools League, the young Maroons were game and engaged. But the Lions forced a brisk pace, and U-High couldn’t keep up, giving Leo a bundle of extra chances with 14 first-half turnovers while falling behind 41-28 at the break.

The Maroons kept it that close through shrewd utilization of their one discernible advantage: Noah Hoereth, an agile, 6-foot-4 wide body capable of doing some damage underneath. Hoereth had 13 of his team’s 28 first-half points, and the smaller Lions at times seemed incapable of stopping him.

But they made the necessary defensive adjustments to keep the ball out of his hands for most of the second half – Hoereth finished with 16 points – and settled things by racing past the Maroons 24-9 in the third quarter. A running clock was in effect for much of the fourth.

Dontae Bell led four double-figures scorers with 19 points, tacking on five assists. Karon Shavers had 14 points, Ethan Jackson scored 13 and Stephen Barze 11, an encouraging sign for the senior forward, whose recovery from a knee issue is vital to Leo’s IHSA playoff hopes.

Leo’s sophomores made it a clean sweep for the evening with a 61-31 win over the Maroon sophs in the preliminary game.

The Lions are back at it tonight, traveling to St. Francis de Sales, which is 5-19 overall and 2-3 in the Catholic League White Division, but owns two straight wins over Leo.

Then comes the Lions’ toughest stretch since early December: Catholic League Blue matchups with Loyola Academy (Alumni Night), Mt. Carmel and St. Ignatius, who are a combined 60-15 as this is written.

Nobody said this was going to be easy.

Leo Wrestling Senior Night Meet on January 30

By Dan McGrath

The Leo varsity’s showing in a four-team, Senior Night meet which the Lions hosted and the frosh-soph’s performance in the Catholic League frosh-soph meet at Mt. Carmel demonstrated the progress Leo’s wrestling program has made in Coach Malik Thomas’ first year in charge.

Universal Christian, South Shore and Hillcrest were the other competitors in the January 30 “Leo Invitational,” which drew a large and enthusiastic crowd to the Lions Den. Senior heavyweights Jesse Howard and Nick Armour were the stars of the show, recognized for their contributions to the program before scoring decisive pins over their South Shore opponents.

Howard is one of Leo’s most popular and respected students, and the crowd’s exuberant reaction to his win was an evening highlight.

Sophomore Vandel Dudley was another standout, wrestling at 132 pounds and winning all three of his matches by pin. Qwannel Smith also was a double winner, while Aiden Bright, Khamari Adams and Jubril Kannicke each split two matches.

The “invitational” was Leo’s lone home meet of the season, but based on its success and the enthusiasm of the crowd, additional wrestling meets will be part of the sports calendar beginning next season.

Though Leo finished 13th among 16 teams in the CCL frosh-soph meet, two Lions won individual championships: Dudley at 132 pounds and fellow sophomore Kannicke at 190 pounds.

Dudley pinned his opponent from Montini in the championship match after pinning a St. Ignatius wrestler in the semifinals and rolling up a 15-4 victory over a St. Rita wrestler in the quarterfinals.

Kannicke defeated his opponent from Brother Rice 18-3 in the title match after pinning his opponent from St. Ignatius in the semifinals and registering a 12-6 victory over a Mt. Carmel opponent in the quarterfinals.

Sophomore Qwannel Smith also competed for the Lions, but did not advance past the preliminary rounds, compiling a 2-2 record that included two pins.

Leo finished with 64.5 points. Brother Rice won the frosh-soph title with 232.5 points, edging out St. Ignatius with 229 points.

Up next for the Leo varsity: IHSA 1A Regional competition at Chicago Hope Academy on Saturday, February 8. The top three finishers in each weight class will advance to the IA Sectional at Coal City on February 14-15.

DePaul Prep 59, Leo 27 Catholic League Blue game at Leo on January 31

By Dan McGrath

It would have been nice if the court-storming that followed the students’ victory over the faculty in a Friday game that wrapped up Catholic Schools Week at Leo had been a precursor to something bigger.

It would also have been a wildly improbable dream.

Two-time state champion DePaul Prep was rather indignant after two one-point losses in three games cost the Rams the top spot in state and area rankings. They were looking to vent their frustration on somebody, and that somebody was Leo.

The final was 59-27, and it wasn’t that close.

The Lions hit their first shot of the night, then missed their next 14. Mid-range, three-pointers, layups, putbacks – you name it and Leo missed it. It was 19-2 after the first quarter, 31-8 at halftime, and it was Game Over. The fourth quarter was played with a running clock to spare the Lions additional misery.

“We were terrible,” Coach Jimalle Ridley said. “That’s about as bad as we can  play.

“We competed, though, and I’m proud of them for that. We’re just not ready to beat a team like DePaul Prep.” 

The Rams (23-3 overall, 4-1 Catholic League Blue) subscribe to the late John Wooden’s mantra: Be quick, but don’t hurry. They play at a brisk pace at both ends of the floor, but they don’t rush anything and their cohesion is uncommonly smooth for a high school squad.

Junior Rashaun Porter, a 6-foot-7 menace underneath, showed what all the fuss is about with 21 points and eight rebounds, bullying the smaller Lions all evening. Guards Rykan Woo and Makai Kvamme complemented outstanding floor play with 10 points apiece.

Dontae Bell led Leo with eight points. 

A scary thought for the rest of the Catholic League: DePaul Prep looks to be good for a while. Blake Choice and Oliver Kerrigan, intriguing prospects who led the Rams sophomores to a 53-28 romp in the preliminary game, are freshmen. 

Perhaps this rinsing will serve as a wakeup call for the Lions (14-9, 1-4 CCL Blue). They were feeling pretty good about themselves after running off eight wins in 10 games in January, but – no offense – Aurora Central Catholic and Providence-St . Mel are as far removed from DePaul Prep as a fourth-grade ‘B’ squad is from the Boston Celtics. 

They have a chance to recover on Monday when they entertain University High (4-9) in the makeup of an earlier postponed nonconference game. On Tuesday they visit St. Francis de Sales (5-17, 2-3 CCL White). Then comes a three-game Catholic League gauntlet against Loyola Academy, Mount Carmel and St. Ignatius, who are a combined 56-15 as this is written.

 “We’re tired,” Ridley said, “but we’ll bounce back.”