UPDATE: Sandburg's Rachel Ruzevich is Patch MVP

Sandburg's Rachel Ruzevich outpolled seven others in voting for Southland Patch's MVP, Dec. 17-23. She is now eligible for Patch Athlete of the Month honors.

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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Joe

7:30 am on Saturday, December 29, 2012

Ron, did you know Rachel is the first Sandburg basketball player to receive a full college basketball scholarship in over 5 years. Rachel signed her letter of intent to play at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. Rachel will be playing for Coach Cari Lohr.   more ›

Boys Basketball: Marist Works Overtime to Score a Sectional Shocker

L.J. McIntosh and Nic Weishar made big plays in Marist's 68-63 overtime victory over Bogan in a semfinal game Wednesday at the Class 4A Argo Sectional.

Boys Basketball: Maist Zaps Curie on 3-Ball at Buzzer in Regional Final

Lexus Williams hit a game-winning 3-pointer in Marist's 63-62 victory over Chicago Curie in the Class 4A Marist Regional championship game on Friday night.

Boys Basketball: Marist Scores a Rare 'W' at Marian Catholic

Nic Weishar and Lexus Williams led Marist to a 56-45 victory over Marian Catholic on Friday night in the Spartans' gym.

Top-Ranked Andrew Boys Basketball Launches Depth Charge

Andrew's supporting cast stepped to the forefront in a victory over Illiana Christian and kept the T-Bolts cruising along at No. 1 in the weekly Patch Power Rankings for boys basketball. Homewood-Flossmoor has climbed to No. 2. And watch out for Sandburg.

1. Andrew (13-0): The T-Bolts’ supporting cast enjoyed a moment in the spotlight in a 59-34 victory over Illiana Christian. Mike Grenda (7 points, 6 rebounds), Mike Bobek (5 points, 5 assists) and Tyler Hook (6 points, 6 rebounds) put a stamp on Lucky No. 13. Andrew plays at Thornwood tonight. 2. Homewood-Flossmoor (12-4): Tim Williams, Rashaan Surles and Tyrone Sherman had the Vikings humming in a victories over Sandburg and Rockford Boylan last weekend. H-F faces Lincoln-Way Central tonight and then will gear up for a battle with Bloom at 7 p.m. Tuesday (Jan. 24) on its home floor. 3. Bloom (15-3): The Blazing Trojans let a 36-27 lead slip away in the final 1:43 of regulation and dropped a 47-43 decision to Sandburg. The loss was Bloom’s…

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Andrew Boys Basketball Vaults to the Top of Patch Power Rankings

Andrew leapfrogged Bloom and staked its claim to the No. 1 spot in the Patch Power Rankings for boys basketball. H-F held steady in the No. 3 spot. Marist and Brother Rice will square off on Tuesday (Jan. 17) to settle their battle for the 4-5 positions.

1. Andrew (11-0): Jawad Adekoya and Glorind Lisha each scored 19 points in a 61-46 victory at Lincoln-Way East. The T-Bolts play host to Thornridge tonight, then play at Illiana Christian on Saturday. 2. Bloom ((14-2): Henry Hicks made 8-of-10 shots and scored a season-high 17 points in a 55-35 victory at Joliet Central. The Trojans snapped a two-game losing streak. Conditions call for a “Whiteout” performance vs. Crete-Monee tonight. Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. at Bloom Trail. 3. Homewood-Flossmoor (10-4): Ah, that’s more like it. Delvon Rencher fueled a 15-2 first-quarter burst in H-F’s 58-49 victory over Bolingbrook. Rencher finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. The Vikings face Sandburg in a Southwest Suburban Blue showdown tonight …

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Ron Kremer

12:32 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012

Mira: Do you think the T-Bolts would benefit from a loss at some point?   more ›

13 is a Lucky Number for Top-Ranked Bloom Boys Basketball Team

Bloom picked up MVP performances from Donald Moore and its entire cast in winning the McDipper Tournament. The Trojans remain undefeated and entrenched atop the Patch Power Rankings for boys basketball. Andrew and H-F are looking for a chance to move up.

1. Bloom (13-0): Bloom’s stars came out at the McDipper in a show of firepower and depth. Donald Moore was named the tournament’s MVP. What’s next? The Blazing Trojans brace for a rematch with Rich South tonight at M’Cann Gym, then play in the Bob Hamric Memorial Tournament Saturday and Sunday at T.F. North. 2. Andrew (9-0): The T-Bolts’ nine-game win streak wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of Mike Bobek, Jarvis Franklin and Glorind Lisha. All had a hand in Andrew’s 45-44 victory over Milwaukee South in the Kankakee Holiday Tournament. Next up is tonight’s game vs. Lincoln-Way North. 3. Homewood-Flossmoor (9-4): Tim Williams, Delvon Rencher and the Vikings have been impressive at times, so-so on other occasions. Can …

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Marist Overloads Eisenhower's System

RedHawks adjust to the Cardinals' unique style of play and rally for a 76-67 victory in play at the Marist Holiday Invitational on Wednesday night.

Maybe Eisenhower should get Jimmy John's to sponsor its basketball team. The Cardinals play a freaky fast style of basketball, but unlike Jimmy John's, they don't always deliver. That was good news for Marist as it entertained Eisenhower on Wednesday night in the finale of the inaugural Marist RedHawk Holiday Invitational. The RedHawks immediately got caught in the chaos caused by Eisenhower's frantic pace, frequent five-man substitutions and non-stop defensive pressure. Marist committed 12 turnovers in the first quarter, but when it didn't turn the ball over, it was able to take advantage of many high-percentage layups in a 76-67 victory. "It's such a different style of play that they do for an entire year and we only have one day to …

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Boys Basketball: Marist Outruns Eisenhower

Marist 76, Eisenhower 67: The RedHawks pulled away from the Cardinals in second half to finish undefeated in the Marist Holiday Invitational.

The Skinny: For a while, Marist was chasing Eisenhower during its 76-67 boys basketball victory Wednesday night in the Marist Holiday Invitational. Marist trailed 40-39 at halftime after Eisenhower's Mike White Jr. banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer, but the RedHawks' Jack Barry drained a three-pointer just seconds into the second half to spark a 6-0 run and a 46-40 lead which Marist would never relinquish. Eisenhower cut the deficit to 63-57 on a three-pointer by Nick Curta with 6:00 left, but the RedHawks wouldn't allow the Cardinals to get any closer. Marist turned to four corners late in the fourth quarter to eat away more than a minute of the clock and by the time Eisenhower got the ball back it was trailing 71-60 with just 1:27 …

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Boys Basketball: Hot-Shooting Marist Takes Down Rich South in Christmas Tourney

Marist 63, Rich South 51: Marist enjoyed the friendly confines of its own gym as the RedHawks made 11-of-18 shots in the first half and cruised past Rich South.

The Skinny: Marist found a way to win against a very aggressive Rich South defense as the RedHawks used hot shooting to notch a 63-51 victory on Monday night in the RedHawk tourney. It seemed that everything the Stars could do in terms of shooting and forcing turnovers, Marist did better. An 11-2 run to close the first half helped the RedHawks secure the victory. The Stars were able to stage a bit of a late comeback, but Marist quickly answered. Patch MVP: Marist guard L.J. McIntosh totaled 20 points to lead all scorers. He also had five rebounds, four steals and one assist. McIntosh was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Key Stats: After making 11-of-18 shots in the first half, Marist finished the game 22-of-40, including 6-of-15…

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