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Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011
11:52 PM
By Joe Collins
CSNChicago.com
Comcast SportsNet Chicago is your source for prep basketball highlights in Chicagoland.

We will have highlights of 13 pivotal games in this Fridays edition of High School Lites, including a prime West Suburban Gold matchup between 22 Morton and 8 Proviso East. Well take a look some intense rivalries on the north shore, including New Trier-Evanston and Highland Park-Deerfield. Well also hit the south side as 1 Simeon faces Gage Park. Also, Chuck Garfien brings us the inspirational story of Grace Waller, a swimmer at DeKalb High School who is recovering from bone cancer. Here is a snapshot of each game that we will cover Friday night:

Du Sable @ (23) Curie, 4:00pm

The 23rd ranked Condors responded very nicely in the Pontiac Holiday Tournament after losing in the first round against Danville. They defeated Waukegan, Schaumburg and then Niles West to claim the consolation championship on December 30th. Greg Travis, Paris Burns and Devin Foster have emerged as leaders for coach Mike Olivers crew. Du Sable, co-tenants with Curie in the Red Central conference, have secured nice wins over Foreman, Julian and conference foe Hope.

(22) Morton @ (8) Proviso East, 6:00pm

All the talk at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament centered on Benet Academys dominating run to the first place trophy. But the 8th ranked Pirates and 22nd ranked Mustangs turned some heads as well. Morton upset Glenbrook North and also beat New Trier, and their senior guard Jeff Jarosz earned first team all-tournament. The Pirates finished third in that same tournament, beating Morgan Park and Hillcrest along the way. Keep an eye on Provisos standout guard Keith Carter.

(5) Warren @ Lake Zurich, 7:30pm

Speaking of turning heads, Warren did just that at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament. They gave Simeon all they could handle in the championship game, losing 58-50 after leading at halftime. Darius Paul (Brandon Pauls brother) and Nathan Boone, along with JoVaughn Gaines, Jameris Smith and Jon Geske lead the charge for the Blue Devils. Lake Zurich will be honoring former head coach John Zarr for his 31 years of service to the program the game.

Elgin @ St. Charles North, 7:30pm

Elgin will be looking to shake off a 58-50 loss to Cary-Grove Wednesday night. The Maroons nearly pushed 19th-ranked Neuqua Valley over at Elgins holiday tournament, losing 56-53 in heartbreaking fashion. Junior Kory Brown steers the Elgin ship. St. Charles North features super sophomore Quinten Payne, who is already drawing interest from Illinois, Notre Dame, Indiana, Florida State and DePaul. Should be a nice battle in the Upstate Eight River conference.

Maine West @ Glenbrook North, 7:30pm

Coach Dave Webers Spartans claimed the consolation championship at Proviso West, defeating St. Joseph, T.F. North and then St. Patrick. Glenbrook North has size and they can also bring it from the perimeter. They shot 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from beyond the arc in the P-W victory over St. Pats. Maine West is coming off a 60-54 win over Fenton on Tuesday night. Conor Hart scored 24 points for the Warriors, who have already equaled last years win total (9).

Highland Park @ Deerfield, 7:30pm
Classic rivalry game features a Deerfield team that is coming off a 61-45 victory over Vernon Hills in the Wheeling Hardwood Classic. John Carney led the Deerfield attack with 22 points and six rebounds. Mack Watts added 15 points. Highland Park will look to push their winning streak to three. Will the Giants come out rusty? Their last game was on December 23 against Dundee-Crown. Highland Parks Jake Norcia and Cole Stern need to be contained.

Glenbard North @ (15) Glenbard East, 7:30pm

Johnny Hill (ISU recruit) and Zach Miller (NIU recruit) are the one-two punch that carries the 15th ranked Rams. And the two of them have to be eager to get back on the winning track after losing to Peoria Notre Dame in the State Farm Holiday Classic championship last week. Will the visiting Panthers be up for the challenge? They need to be revenge-minded after losing to the Rams 82-66 on November 23. Hill was tough to contain that night, racking up 28 points on 9-of-10 shooting. He added 5 assists and 4 steals.

(19) Neuqua Valley @ Lake Park, 7:30pm

Critics didnt expect much out of Lake Park this year, but there is reason to believe in Roselle. The Lancers rolled Maine West, St. Viator and Libertyville en route to the third place title at Wheeling last week. Zack Wagner, Dominique Spencer and Zack Cooper lead the charge. But the visiting Wildcats will be a tough out, especially after claiming the Elgin Holiday Tournament championship. Senior Jim Stocki is the one to watch on Neuqua Valleys roster.

New Trier vs. (20) Evanston, 8:00pm at Welsh-Ryan Arena

One of the best rivalries in the state gets another chapter added to the mix on Friday night at Northwestern. The 20th ranked Wildkits come in with a ton of momentum, crushing the competition at the DeKalb Holiday Tournament. Senior guard Garrett Jones leads the way for Evanston. The Trevians would like nothing more than to upset their neighbors to the south, especially after an early exit in the Proviso West tournament. Connor Boehm is the man to contain for the New Trier.

GIRLS: (22) New Trier vs. Evanston at, 6:00pm at Welsh-Ryan Arena

On the girls side of the rivalry, its the Trevians that come into action as the higher-ranked team. And the ones with more momentum, too. On Tuesday, New Trier demolished Hinsdale Central 61-24 behind Maggie Lyons 25 points. Evanston lost three of four games during last weeks Dundee-Crown Charger Classic, but rebounded nicely (literally and figuratively) on Tuesday with a 59-32 victory over Northside Prep. Expect decent crowds for both games.

THURSDAY GAMES:

(1) Simeon 87, Gage Park 36

The top-ranked Wolverines were never in trouble on the south side Thursday night. Sophomore Jabari Parker dominated both ends of the floor (16 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals) and Steve Taylor had a double-double (12 points, 15 rebounds) as Simeon improves to 11-0, 3-0 in the Red South. Terrell Green (14 points) and Darien Walker (13 points) contributed to the 51 point victory.

(6) Whitney Young 74, Manley 49

The Dolphins cruise at home behind Jahlil Okafors 20 points and eight rebounds. Luke Hager added 19 points and seven rebounds for Whitney Young, who come back Saturday to face Muskegon Heights (MI) and Raby on Tuesday. Circle next Thursdays date against Farragut as a must-see.

(13) Farragut 74, (16) Crane 68

The Admirals and Cougars teamed up to break a strange record Thursday night: their 83 combined free throws is now the highest total ever recorded for a Public League game. It also ranks 20th all-time in the IHSA record book. Farragut (31 for 47) got nearly half of their points via the charity stripe. Gabe Williams had 19 points to lead the Admirals, who also had three others in double figures. Cranes Kieran Woods had 25 points in the losing effort.

Check us out this Friday night just after our coverage of the Blackhawks-Senators game. High School Lites streams live at CSNChicago.com.

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