Category: News
Providence’s Brayden McKay scores twice to pave way for state return. Wrestling can wait. ‘This is the goal.’
Sophomore running back Brayden McKay is having a blast sharing the Providence backfield with junior Broden Mackert.
McKay feels the two complement each other perfectly.
“Me and Broden have a really good bond,” McKay said. “He’s more of a power back and I’m more of a fast back, so I set him up and then he finishes the job.”
If Mackert brings the thunder for the Celtics, McKay certainly provided the lightning Saturday. He scored on touchdown runs of 16 and 19 yards to spark host Providence to a 31-21 win over Oak Forest in a Class 5A state semifinal in New Lenox.
McKay finished with 135 yards and the two TDs on just nine carries and added two catches for 42 yards for Providece (10-3). Mackert ran for 172 yards on 18 carries, while Dominic Vita completed 10 of 13 passes for 144 yards, including a 40-yard TD to Xavier Coleman.
Blake Garrigan also came up with a fumble recovery for the Celtics, who advance to their second state championship game in four years. They will try to win the program’s 11th title and first since 2014 at 10 a.m. Saturday against Wheaton St. Francis (10-3) at Hancock Stadium in Normal.
Providence’s Brayden McKay (1) follows a block for a big chunk of yardage against Oak Forest during a Class 5A state semifinal game in New Lenox on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Jeremy Toney / Daily Southtown)
It will be a rematch of a Sept. 26 game, which the Celtics lost 47-35.
“I came here for the family,” McKay said of Providence. “It’s a great school with a great tradition. And we want to add to that. I’m just looking to get another banner up in that gym.”
Daniel Chopp threw a 31-yard TD pass to Andrew Dawson and ran for a 4-yard TD to lead Oak Forest (11-2), which advanced to the semifinals for only the third time in program history and first since 2007. Bryce Hoffman added a fumble recovery.
McKay, meanwhile, was the playmaker early for Providence. He broke off a 16-yard TD run in the first quarter and a 19-yard TD dash in the second quarter to give the Celtics a 14-0 lead.
Providence’s Brayden McKay (1) cuts right through the defense for a big run against Oak Forest during a Class 5A state semifinal game in New Lenox on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Jeremy Toney / Daily Southtown)
Mackert was thrilled to see it.
“We’re brothers,” Mackert said. “When I’m tired, Brayden goes in. When he’s tired, I go in. We work hard together and we help each other. He does the job.
“He’s fast and he can get through the hole and make things happen.”
Providence coach Tyler Plantz is impressed with both of his running backs’ football IQ.
Providence’s Brayden McKay (1) slips past the defense for his second TD against Oak Forest during a Class 5A state semifinal game in New Lenox on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Jeremy Toney / Daily Southtown)
“The way they see the game, it’s hard to teach that,” Plantz said. “You kind of either have that or you don’t. It’s the way they have the vision, the way they’re able to attack and their fearlessness at the point of attack. You couldn’t ask for tougher players.”
The Celtics gave up some big plays to the Bengals, but their defense stepped up when they needed it. That included on Oak Forest’s first drive of the game, when Garrigan pounced on a fumble at Providence’s 25 to keep a 7-0 lead intact.
“I saw a big pile, I saw the ball on the ground and I dove on it,” Garrigan said. “It took the momentum and it swept them away. We won the game from there, I think.”
That means McKay can delay his wrestling season for another week.
Providence’s Brayden McKay (1) comes out for the second half against Oak Forest during a Class 5A state semifinal game in New Lenox on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Jeremy Toney / Daily Southtown)
“I’m definitely happy because those practices are pretty tough,” McKay said. “But getting to play one more week of football with my boys is the best. This is the goal.”
McKay got his chance on varsity right away last season as a freshman. He learned a lot and has blossomed into one of several young stars for the Celtics.
Now, he’s headed to state.
“It feels great,” McKay said. “I left it all on the line for my seniors and this is where it got us. After all the blood, sweat and tears, I’m just happy that I get to take my boys to the championship.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/brayden-mckay-providence-oak-forest-ihsa-football/
Compañía de artes circenses de México revive antiguo mito maya en escena
Por MARÍA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (AP) — El director artístico mexicano Jorge Díaz tenía un repertorio de cuentos bastante único para leer con su hijo. En vez de acudir a historias infantiles como “Pinocho”, se adentraban en relatos más cercanos a casa. Uno de ellos era el Popol Vuh, libro que aglutina diversos mitos mayas.
“Retomar esos cuentos es importante,” dijo Díaz, cuya abuela le contaba relatos maravillosos de herencia indígena cuando era niño. “Hay un montón de cuentos prehispánicos que son muy bonitos y que de repente están olvidados.”
El que le gustaba repasar con su hijo cuenta la historia de los gemelos prodigiosos, Hunahpú e Ixbalanqué. En el Popol Vuh, los hermanos emprenden un viaje al Inframundo maya. Ahí confrontan a la muerte y eventualmente la vencen y se transforman.
El mito inspiró a Díaz a montar una adaptación que llamó “Salto mortal al Xib’alb’a”. Fusionando artes circenses con teatro, la pieza emplea acrobacias y elementos cercanos al ritual para reimaginar la historia ancestral en el escenario.
“Buscamos cómo darle una identidad a la obra a partir del circo, pero no quería que fuera el puro truco, la parte espectacular,” dijo el director. “Sino que se fuera integrando con la historia, con los personajes, generando atmósferas”.
La adaptación ha regresado a los escenarios periódicamente desde su estreno en 2023. Nuevas funciones se llevaron a cabo en Ciudad de México a fines de noviembre.
El circo como relato
La compañía detrás de “Salto mortal al Xib’alb’a” fue fundada hace 20 años por Díaz y Jessica González, quien también es artista y actualmente es su directora general. Aunque “Tránsito Cinco” inició enfocada en teatro, con el tiempo evolucionó hasta concentrarse en las artes circenses.
“Recién egresados de la universidad, empezamos a buscar herramientas que nos ayudaran a crecer como actores”, dijo González, quien interpreta al narrador del montaje del mito maya. “Queríamos algo que pudiera unir el teatro con la danza y el circo fue el punto de unión”.
Su repertorio actual suma unas 16 piezas. Y aunque sus obras no tienen un hilo conductor entre sí, tanto Díaz como González aspiran a crear obras con una narrativa clara.
“Nuestras obras siempre tienen una temática, una historia,” dijo González. “Pensamos que a través del arte circense también se pueden decir cosas, ya sea de temática social o de cualquier tipo”.
La manera en la que trabajan de cerca con otros intérpretes se refleja en “Somnia”, un documental que retrata la historia y visión de Tránsito Cinco.
“Para mí ha sido una de las artes más influyentes de las que he podido presenciar”, señaló la directora Arely Cantellano durante una proyección reciente del filme. “Abre puertas para muchas artes e invita a todos a participar”.
El circo como ritual
Además de adaptar el mito maya y dirigir la interpretación de sus colegas, uno de los trabajos de Díaz consiste en supervisar el rigging.
Por ejemplo, cuando Yareli Reyes realiza actos de fuerza capilar — lo que implica que está suspendida en el aire y que solo su cabello la sostiene de un arnés — él está a cargo de su seguridad en “Salto mortal al Xib’alb’a”.
El papel de Reyes es especial para Díaz. Ella interpreta a uno de los gemelos, rol que alguna vez deseó interpretar. Su hermano — también actor — protagoniza la adaptación y Díaz soñaba con trabajar junto a él.
“Ese fragmento del Popol Vuh me encanta”, afirmó. “Y quería hacerlo con mi hermano, para mí era importante conjuntar algo escénicamente”.
Díaz dejó ir el papel para evitar sobrecargarse de trabajo, pero observar su querido relato sagrado a la distancia le ha permitido ganar un entendimiento nuevo de su oficio.
“El circo tiene esta capacidad de asombrar”, destacó. “Cuando cargo a la chica que hace la fuerza capilar hay momentos en donde veo la atmósfera, las luces y se me hace como un ritual”.
Muchas de las escenas, añadió, están cargadas de energía. La manera en que la música, la iluminación y el movimiento de los artistas crean una atmósfera permite a la audiencia sumergirse por completo en ellas.
“Es algo fantástico”, dijo la estratega de marketing Alba Vida acerca del trabajo de Tránsito Cinco durante la proyección reciente del documental. “Me fascina el circo porque precisamente cambia esa frontera entre lo que es el espectáculo”.
Una historia de renacimiento
La obra inspirada en las noches en que Díaz y su hijo se sumergían en el Inframundo maya apela, sobre todo, a niños y familias.
Durante poco más de una hora, “Salto mortal al Xib’alb’a” relata el viaje de los gemelos entre el mundo de vivos y muertos. La obra arranca cuando los hermanos nacen luego de que su madre quede milagrosamente embarazada cuando el cráneo de su padre le escupe en la mano, una transferencia simbólica de la vida.
Los gemelos crecen entre humanos, pero a medida que aprenden a jugar el tradicional juego de pelota — un deporte ritual prehispánico —, los señores del Xib’alb’a o Inframundo se enfurecen, varias peleas tienen lugar y los hermanos mueren antes de tener un retorno final y transformador.
“En la visión de los mayas, la muerte no era el fin, sino la posibilidad del renacimiento”, dijo Díaz. “Así que cuando se lanzan al fuego como sacrificio, se convierten en el Sol y la Luna”.
Lograr transmitir la percepción maya de la muerte — como la posibilidad de reinventarnos — es tan importante para él como cuidar cada detalle en la interpretación de sus colegas.
“Hay muchos elementos que se pueden retomar de las tradiciones prehispánicas indígenas y se pueden utilizar para la representación escénica con el circo”, dijo. “Maneras de cómo poder utilizarlo, cómo poder resignificarlo escénicamente”.
____
La cobertura de noticias religiosas de The Associated Press recibe apoyo a través de una colaboración con The Conversation US, con fondos del Lilly Endowment Inc. La AP es la única responsable de todo el contenido.
Aldama y Spencer llevan a Grizzlies hacia victoria 102-96 sobre Mavericks
DALLAS (AP) — El español Santi Aldama anotó 20 puntos, incluyendo un tiro con la mano izquierda que inició una racha de 6-0 para desempatar el duelo en el último minuto, y los Grizzlies de Memphis derrotaron el sábado 102-96 a los Mavericks de Dallas.
Cam Spencer añadió 15 de sus 17 puntos desde el banquillo en la segunda mitad. Zach Edey consiguió 12 unidades y logró su máximo número de la temporada con 15 rebotes para su primer doble-doble en cuatro encuentros desde que regresó de una cirugía de tobillo en la pretemporada.
Los Grizzlies (6-11) hilvanaron victorias por primera ocasión en la campaña.
Klay Thompson consiguió 22 puntos, su mayor cifra de la campaña, al ingresar desde el banquillo. Igualó otra marca de la temporada con seis triples por los Mavericks (5-13), quienes dividieron una serie de dos compromisos en casa y aún no han hilado victorias esta temporada.
Aldama logró un enceste justo antes de que Cedric Coward convirtiera un tiro libe con 27,6 segundos restantes. Un triple de Thompson desde 29 pies rebotó en el aro segundos más tarde y el balón fue recuperado por Vince Williams Jr. de Memphis.
Thompson y Williams discutieron al inicio del último cuarto, lo que resultó en faltas técnicas para ambos.
_____
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Vucevic anota 28 puntos y Bulls derrotan a Wizards, que sufren 14ª derrota consecutiva
CHICAGO (AP) — Nikola Vucevic anotó 28 puntos y consiguió 12 rebotes, y los Bulls de Chicago les propinaron a los Wizards de Washington su decimocuarta derrota consecutiva, al imponerse el sábado por 121-120.
Josh Giddey sumó 18 puntos, 12 rebotes y 11 asistencias a la cuenta de Chicago, que ganó por tercera vez en cuatro partidos. Coby White anotó 20 puntos y Matas Buzelis terminó con 13.
Washington realizó un saque con 5.5 segundos restantes, pero Kyshawn George lanzó un pase erróneo que salió de la cancha. Chicago agotó luego el tiempo.
Cam Whitmore y Corey Kispert anotaron 20 puntos cada uno por Washington, el peor equipo de la NBA, que permanece sin victorias contra oponentes de la Conferencia Este. CJ McCollum sumó 18 puntos y George añadió 17.
Los Bulls estuvieron en desventaja la mayor parte de la noche, pero lograron una racha de 10-0 a mitad del último período. Los equipos intercambiaron la ventaja tres veces en los últimos dos minutos antes de que Tre Jones pusiera a los Bulls por delante definitivamente con un par de tiros libres a 34,2 segundos del final.
_____
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Is Global Technocracy Inevitable Or Dangerously Delusional?
Is Global Technocracy Inevitable Or Dangerously Delusional?
Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us
The bewildering truth behind human technological enslavement is that it is impossible without the voluntary participation of the intended slaves. People must welcome technocracy into their lives in order for it to succeed. The populace has to believe, blindly, that they cannot live without it, or that authoritarianism by algorithmic consensus is “inevitable.”
For example, the average person living in a first world economy voluntarily carries a cell phone everywhere they go at all times without fail. To be without it, in their minds, is to be naked, at risk, unprepared and disconnected from civilization. I grew up in the 1980s and we did just fine without having a phone on our hip every moment of the day. Even now, I refuse to carry one.
Why? First, as most people should be aware of by now (the Edward Snowden revelations left no doubt), a cell phone is a perfect technocratic device. It has multilayered tracking, using GPS, WiFi routers, and cell tower triangulation to track your every step. Not only that, but it can be used to record your daily patterns, your habits, who your friends are, where you were on any given day many months or years ago.
Then there’s the backdoor functions hidden in app software that allows governments and corporations to to access your cell’s microphone and camera, even when you think the device is shut off. The private details of your life could be recorded and collated. In a world where privacy is being declared “dead” by boasting technocrats, why help them out by carrying something that listens to everything you say and chronicles everything you do?
Globalists often openly admit that the dynamic of global tracking and the end of anonymity is about willful participation. In a 2023 Swiss TV interview former head of the WEF, Klaus Schwab, made this statement:
Schwab was discussing his vision of the “new world” and the sacrifices people will have to make to live within it. I would point out that he says “YOU will have to accept total transparency…” not “WE will have to accept total transparency…” He’s not including the elites in his futurist ideal of total surveillance.
Michael F. Neidorff, then-Chairman and CEO of Centene Corporation (a major US health insurer), during a 2017 World Economic Forum (WEF) session in Davos titled “What If: Privacy Becomes a Luxury Good?” asserted that:
“By definition you give up privacy by being involved in something. Big data can be incredibly beneficial, but the fact that it is not anonymised is where the problem emerges…”
The globalist concept of the end of privacy is expanded upon in WEF member Ida Auken’s essay titled: “Welcome to 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better.” Her paper is the quintessential technocratic propaganda narrative – Similar to the narratives of Soviet futurists early in the Cold War, the elites often lure the public into participation in technocracy by promising them a life of infinite wealth and ease. “One day soon…” they say, “…our technology is going to erase labor, the need for money and the wealth gap.”
That is to say, they all promise the same bullshit about how you won’t have to work, your time will be free and owning property will become superfluous because everything will be handed to you for nothing. Of course, the trade-off is that your life will become an open book for the people in power and your very survival will be completely dependent on their whims. Step out of line, and they can easily push a button and end your existence as you know it.
Every aspect of technocracy requires ever growing dependency, but also a certain level of faith; faith that the technocrats are smarter than you and have your best interests at heart. Most people don’t have that kind of faith in other people, especially government bureaucrats and corporate CEOs. However, I have noticed an unsettling trend of blind faith in Artificial Intelligence.
After all, algorithms are the ultimate objective source, are they not? They have no emotions, so how could they suffer from bias?
Ah, and there’s the big con. As I’ve said for many years now, AI is so overrated it’s mind boggling. The amount of electrical power and human capital being invested into AI is already immense and even more resources will be required for these systems to continue “evolving”. And yet, no AI has EVER invented anything new without extensive human input at every level. AI does not create autonomously and I question if it ever will.
Why are we pumping so many resources into something that really is nothing more than a glorified search engine? Don’t get me wrong, I realize that AI has great potential as a tool for development. It certainly makes things easier for research and for speeding up projects, but it’s not intuitive and it’s often wrong.
I’ve used apps like ChatGPT and Grok on occasion to find obscure sources for data and quotes, but you already have to know what you’re looking for in order to do this. Every app has lied to me at times, giving false information and unprompted propaganda (Grok at least admits it can provide biased content or admits it was wrong when cornered by conflicting data).
But once again, AI cannot mislead you unless you participate in the delusion that AI in infallible. Sadly, too many people are stumbling into this trap. I see people constantly quote AI without checking sources. They use AI as the source, and this is what globalists want.
If the majority of people on the planet start using AI as the academic or philosophical default, then the globalists win. Every person will get the same answers, which will be programmed by the powers-that-be, and even if those answers are wrong they will be considered correct because no one will have contrary information.
I explored this problem last year in my article “Three Horrifying Consequences Of AI That You Might Not Have Thought About.” Again, participation is the key to enslavement. The human laziness factor is, in a way, giving AI permission to rule over us.
I was recently watching a discussion with Elon Musk at the Saudi Investment Forum launched as an extension of the Saudi 2030 Agenda (it’s basically all the same people as the World Government Summit in Dubai), as well as his comments at the recent Tesla shareholder’s meeting. Musk argued that:
“Long term, the AI is going to be in charge, to be totally frank, not humans… If artificial intelligence vastly exceeds the sum of human intelligence, it is difficult to imagine that any humans will actually be in charge. So we just need to make sure that AI is friendly…”
He also expounded on a rather Utopian vision of the next couple decades (as all futurists do), predicting a world without work, without scarcity and without most human struggles we are accustomed to. It’s a very similar vision sold to the public by elites and corporate moguls predicting a 15 hour work week during the First Industrial Revolution. Musk’s ideal is only different in that he calls for a benevolent AI trained by libertarians rather than an overlord AI trained by globalists.
Bottom line: AI will only “be in charge” if the populace allows it to be in charge. We can shut it all down anytime we like. You can pull your cell phone out of your pocket right now and throw it away, cutting down your digital footprint and becoming virtually invisible compared to yesterday. By extension, society as a whole can say no to AI governance. The question is, will we?
I’ll give Musk the benefit of the doubt for now that he wants AI for good, but I can’t help but point out that the collectivist ideal is always floated on the promise of economic Elysium. The world of ease Musk imagines will probably never exist. I think the system would collapse first.
That is to say, technocracy will be attempted but it will implode when it is discovered that AI is not a miracle drug and that the benefits do not outweigh the loss of freedoms the digital gulag requires. Laziness only works as an opiate for the masses when it does not result in pain. Pain creates motivation, and motivation leads to rebellion.
Furthermore, the energy resources we have right now are in no way capable of fueling the kind of AI renaissance the elites want. Even Musk admits that energy is the ultimate bottleneck and that a 50% to 100% increase in output worldwide would be needed to power future AI development. Alternative estimates call for a 300% increase in energy output.
No large-population country in the world including the US has the kind of grid needed to allow every citizen to own and operate an electric car. Imagine the amount of power required to to employ millions upon millions of AI run robots and machines to take the place of human laborers?
Typical green energy is not going to do this, it’s highly inefficient. Only a vast expansion of nuclear power might do the trick (or fusion if they ever get it right). The economic cost would be unprecedented (hundreds of trillions of dollars). The labor required to generate that kind of energy wealth would mean MORE work for humanity, not less. Meaning more struggle, more anger, and a greater chance of societal breakdown.
I have a lot of problems with futurists, but one thing that bothers me the most is their habit of ignoring the human factor in their technocratic theories. AI running the world is not inevitable, it is contingent on voluntary human compliance, just as everything about technocracy relies on human compliance.
I’m not saying we should be “anti-technology”, just that we can and must be masters of technology. We determine the future, not AI. Technology is peripheral and ultimately irrelevant in comparison to the human experience. If a piece of tech doesn’t actually make our lives better and more free and instead makes our existence a misery, then it should be turned to ashes along with the globalist institutions that demand we “own nothing and be happy.”
Tyler Durden
Sat, 11/22/2025 – 23:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/global-technocracy-inevitable-or-dangerously-delusional
Cunningham ayuda a Pistons en triunfo 129-116 ante Bucks para su 12ª victoria consecutiva
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cade Cunningham sumó 29 puntos, diez asistencias y ocho rebotes por los Pistons de Detroit, quienes estuvieron candentes con el disparo para vencer el sábado 129-116 a los Bucks de Milwaukee, con lo cual hilvanaron su duodécima victoria.
Jaden Ivey jugó 15 minutos y anotó diez puntos en su primer encuentro con Detroit desde el 1 de enero, cuando se fracturó el peroné derecho. Tobias Harris anotó 18 puntos al jugar por primera vez desde el 1 de noviembre —había lidiado con un esguince en el tobillo derecho.
Giannis Antetokounmpo se perdió un segundo juego consecutivo con Milwaukee debido a una distensión en el aductor.
Los Pistons están a una victoria de igualar la racha ganadora más larga en la historia de la franquicia. Detroit ganó 13 compromisos consecutivos en las temporadas 1989-90 y 2003-04, y los conquistó el título de la NBA en ambas temporadas.
Detroit también puso fin a una racha de 13 derrotas en esta serie al vencer a los Bucks por primera vez desde un triunfo de 115-106 en Milwaukee el 3 de enero de 2022. Ésta había sido la segunda racha activa más larga de victorias de un equipo contra otro.
La racha activa más larga de este tipo pertenece a los Clippers de Los Ángeles, que vencieron a los Hornets de Charlotte por decimoquinta vez consecutiva el sábado, 131-116, con 55 puntos de James Harden.
_____
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Gotham wins 2nd NWSL championship in 3 years with 1-0 victory over Washington Spirit
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Rose Lavelle scored in the 80th minute and No. 8 seed Gotham FC beat the Washington Spirit 1-0 on Saturday night to win their second National Women’s Soccer League championship in three years.
Second-half substitute Bruninha drove into the box on the left wing and sent the ball across to Lavelle, whose left-footed shot sailed past Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury into the bottom corner of the net.
It is the first NWSL championship title for Lavelle, who had scored in the 2023 final when she was playing for the Seattle Reign against Gotham in a 2-1 loss.
After a strong opening 10 minutes of the match for Gotham, with three shots from Jaedyn Shaw, the final began to mature into a tense affair.
There were few chances and the best of the first half came when Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt perfectly timed a slide tackle and cleaned out Midge Purce with the follow-through.
Not long after the half, Trinity Rodman was brought off the Spirit bench for Sofia Cantore, bringing the crowd to its feet. The U.S. women’s national team star was on limited minutes after suffering a knee sprain in October.
Even with the introduction of Rodman, the Spirit continued to struggle to create chances. They had marginally more control of the ball, 53%, but were outshot by Gotham 12-6 and finished the game without a single shot on target. Rodman had zero shots and zero chances created.
The second-seeded Spirit (14-6-8) suffered a second consecutive defeat in the NWSL final, having lost last year to the Orlando Pride in Kansas City, Mo.
The Spirit reached this year’s final by overcoming Racing Louisville 3-1 in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals and then beating the Portland Thorns 2-0 in the semifinals.
Gotham (11-8-9) had defied the odds to make the final, going on the road twice to defeat the top-seeded Kansas City Current 2-1 in the quarterfinals and the defending-champion Pride 1-0.
Gotham are the first No. 8 seed to win the NWSL championship. In 2023, when there were only six playoff spots, Gotham became the first No. 6 seed to lift the trophy.
Coach Juan Carlos Amoros has seven NWSL playoff wins in his career and two championships.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/gotham-washington-spirit-nwsl-championship/
Brooks de Suns multado con 35.000 dólares tras altercado con árbitros
PHOENIX (AP) — El alero de los Suns de Phoenix Dillon Brooks ha sido multado con 35.000 dólares por “confrontar y dirigir un lenguaje inapropiado hacia los árbitros” del encuentro que el equipo ganó el viernes 114-113 a los Timberwolves de Minnesota.
La decisión fue anunciada el sábado por James Jones, quien es el jefe de operaciones deportivas de la NBA.
Brooks anotó 22 puntos, la cifra más alta del equipo. Los Suns remontaron un déficit de 113-105 en el último minuto para sorprender a los Timberwolves y lograr su séptima victoria en ocho duelos.
Con 18 segundos restantes en el encuentro, Brooks cometió su sexta falta y se marchó de la cancha.
_____
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Jack Schapendonk makes sure St. Rita’s defense comes up with crucial sacks and big stops. ‘Saw what was there.’
There was a time over the summer when sophomore linebacker Jack Schapendonk wondered if he would even make the varsity for St. Rita.
He knew he was stepping into a program loaded with talent, so nothing was guaranteed. He was hopeful but still thought about what he could do to make an difference if he did get called up.
“I expected it a little bit,” Schapendonk said. “I knew I had to work hard in the offseason to get the opportunity so I would be on varsity.
“I go back to the summer where my coaches really helped me read the offense and where to be to make plays.”
Shapendork made a bunch of big plays on defense Saturday for the Mustangs.
He contributed two sacks and a pair of stops on fourth down, one while breaking up a pass and the other on a goal-line stand, sparking host St. Rita to a 54-34 win over Batavia in a Class 7A state semifinal in Chicago.
St. Rita’s Jack Schapendonk (43) tackles Batavia’s Michael Vander Luitgaren (8) during a Class 7A state semifinal game in Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
Schapendonk, the team’s leading tackler, turned back Batavia’s Henry Hahn just before halftime to completely flip the momentum for the Mustangs (9-4), who get a rematch with Brother Rice (12-1) at 4 p.m. Saturday for the state title at Hancock Stadium in Normal.
Steven Armbruster completed 12 of 18 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns. He also added a 10-yard TD run. Brandon Johnson Jr. chipped in with 95 yards and a TD on 16 carries. Walter Jones added six catches for 118 yards and two TDs.
Michael Vander Luitgaren led Batavia (10-3), completing 25 of 42 passes for 308 yards with three TDs and an interception. Brett Berggren pulled in nine catches for 156 yards and a TD.
While Schapendonk took a humble approach to his offseason work, teammates saw something.
St. Rita’s Donovan Evans (7) breaks free for a TD against Batavia during a Class 7A state semifinal game in Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
“He’s going to be a great player,” Armbruster said. “We knew that over the summer before anyone else knew it. We knew it was coming. A lot of it is his physicality and his pursuit to the ball.
“He always finds himself around the football, making plays all over the field.”
Schapendonk’s goal-line stand epitomized that skill. It was the 13th play of an 89-yard drive for Batavia, who could have cut the deficit to 21-17 with 1:14 remaining in the second quarter.
Instead, Hahn tried to break to the outside and Schapendonk wrapped him up at the ankles for a 1-yard loss. St. Rita then scored three straight TD to start the third quarter, taking over the game.
St. Rita’s Jake Roney (17) pulls in a TD catch against Batavia during a Class 7A state semifinal game in Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
“We just came together as a team,” Schapendonk said. “We knew if we kept them out, we would have the momentum and get the ball back to our offense.”
Schapendonk pointed out that he knew what to expect thanks to St. Rita’s preparation.
“We saw that play all week on film,” Schapendonk said. “I just saw what was there and I had to go make a play. It was a huge feeling.”
Indeed, St. Rita’s defense did the job, building up a 47-10 lead before Batavia scrambled to score three late TDs.
St. Rita’s Jack Schapendonk (43) pressures Batavia’s Michael Vander Luitgaren (8) during a Class 7A state semifinal game in Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
“I said to our guys, ‘If we do our job, the offense will take care of business,’” St. Rita coach Martin Hopkins said. “You just have to be calm, communicate and everybody be on the same page.
“We had to limit their big plays.”
Sitting with a 2-4 record at one point, the Mustangs have been in playoff mode ever since. Now, a rematch with Brother Rice, who beat St. Rita 28-10 in Week 3, looms large at state.
“This is a huge win for us,” Schapendonk said. “It means a lot. I just want to be here to help my teammates, especially the seniors, so they have a chance to go win a state championship.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/jack-schapendonk-batavia-st-rita-ihsa-football/
Gigantes frenan racha de Águilas en béisbol dominicano
Por The Associated Press
Los Gigantes del Cibao blanquearon el sábado por 2-0 a las Águilas Cibaeñas para frenarles una racha de nueve victorias consecutivas en la Liga Dominicana de Béisbol.
Deyvison De Los Santos bateó un jonrón en la cuarta entrada y Leury García añadió un sencillo remolcador en la séptima.
En Santo Domingo, Wilin Rosario conectó un jonrón solitario; José Teña se fue de 3-1 con un triple, tres anotadas y una producida y Robinson Canó bateó de 4-1 con una empujada, en el triunfo de las Estrellas Orientales por 7-3 sobre los Tigres del Licey.
Por su parte, los Toros del Este superaron 5-4 a los Leones del Escogido en La Romana,.Sandber Pimentel rompió un empate con un doble remolcador en el octavo episodio.
Con bateo explosivo de Sosa, Leones superan a Tigres en Venezuela
Lenyn Sosa brilló con una noche productiva al bate y guio a los Leones del Caracas a una cómoda victoria por 9-6 sobre los Tigres de Aragua en la Liga Venezolana de Béisbol.
Sosa bateó de 5-3 con dos cuadrangulares y tres carreras remolcadas, mientras que Jhonny Pereda se fue de 3-3 con una impulsada.
En Barquisimeto, Jecksson Flores y Yony Hernández conectaron sendos sencillos remolcadores en la victoria de los Cardenales de Lara por 2-0 sobre los Caribes de Anzoátegui.
Los Tiburones de La Guaira superaron 1-0 a los Navegantes del Magallanes en Macuto. Franklin Barreto sacudió un jonrón solitario en el sexto episodio.
En Porlamar, Moisés Gómez se fue de 4-2 con un jonrón y dos carreras remolcadas, para guiar a las Águilas del Zulia hacia una victoria por 4-2 sobre los Bravos de Margarita.
Leones rugen ante Criollos en Puerto Rico
Los Leones de Ponce arrollaron 11-4 a los Criollos de Caguas para empatar el segundo lugar de la tabla de posiciones en la Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente.
Jesmuel Valentín bateó de 5-3 con un triple y tres carreras producidas; Anthony Calarco conectó de 4-2 con dos dobles y dos empujadas; mientras que Dalton Guthrie se fue de 4-3 con un doble y tres remolcadas.
En San Juan, Delvin Pérez conectó un triple remolcador de una carrera y anotó con un sencillo productor de Roby Enríquez en la séptima entrada, para darles a los Senadores de San Juan una victoria por 4-0 sobre los Gigantes de Carolina.
Los Cangrejeros de Santurce superaron 1-0 a los Indios en Mayagüez. Brian Navarreto empujó la única carrera del encuentro con un elevado de sacrificio en el séptimo episodio.
_____
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/gigantes-frenan-racha-de-guilas-en-bisbol-dominicano/
