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Girls hoops moves on to own sectional

HUNTLEY — A triumphant return home to the postseason's second round has been the Huntley girls basketball team's goal.

The Red Raiders are back in the IHSA Class 4A Sectional round after beating Rockford Auburn, 56-25, in the regional final at Rockford Jefferson Feb. 20.

Huntley stayed perfect at 33-0 and advanced to face Lake Zurich, winners of its own regional, at 6 p.m. Feb. 25. Libertyville and Hononegah clash in the second semifinal round game at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25.

Coaches’ daughters enjoy girls hoops season

HUNTLEY — Sometimes it's a good idea to come early to Huntley High School's girls basketball games.

Fans can watch the up-and-coming underclassmen play their games, but look closely and another youth movement is taking place. Quinn Henricksen, age three and one-half, daughter of assistant coach Clay Henricksen, and Poppy Green, eight months, daughter of assistant coach Sam Andrews-Green, steal the show as they play with Red Raiders' unbeaten hoops team (31-0 regular season) members.

On senior night, Feb. 10, Quinn wore an “I love the seniors” pink t-shirt, with numbers of her heroes, Isabella Boskey (4), Anna Campanelli (11), Ava McFadden (34) and Madison Diaz (45).

Huntley boys hoops gains split with D-C

HUNTLEY — Huntley senior Will Dillon was a determined Red Raider in a Fox Valley Conference game against Dundee-Crown Feb. 14.

Dillon scored 17 points, also had six rebounds and three assists. He tallied an early 3-pointer and a game clinching lay-up, in a 39-34 Huntley win over Dundee-Crown. The final result improved the Red Raiders to 12-16, 7-9 FVC.

“I came into the game with a chip on my shoulder,” Dillon said “I was 0 for 8 in the first game against them and we lost by two points.

Boys wrestlers to state

HUNTLEY — A talented trio of wrestlers – Radic Dvorak, Colin Abordo and Wyatt Theobald, whose dedication has led to a combined 113 wins this season, all qualified for the IHSA Class 3A Individual State Tournament.

Dvorak won the Barrington sectional title at 157 pounds, while Colin Abordo took fourth at 113 as did Wyatt Theobald at 215. Following their strong showings Feb. 15 at Barrington, it is on to the University of Illinois State Farm Center Feb. 20-22.

Dvorak is a repeat state qualifier, who was fourth at sectional last year and 1-2 at state.

Illinois Sheriffs’ Association announces scholarship opportunities for the 2025-26 school year

KANE AND MCHENRY COUNTIES — The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association (ISA) has announced that it will reward over $58,000 in college scholarships throughout the state of Illinois to students wishing to pursue higher education during the 2025-2026 academic year.

The scholarships can only be applied to tuition, books, and school fees. The student must also be enrolled full-time at a certified institution of higher learning within Illinois. Online learning at an Illinois-based school is also acceptable.

In addition to the ISA scholarship, Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain announced that he will be awarding one scholarship of $500.

Red Raiders girls keep reign in FVC going

HUNTLEY — It was a milestone night on more than one front for Huntley's girls basketball team.

Huntley cruised past Prairie Ridge, 71-18, to capture the Fox Valley Conference championship Feb. 13 at their own gym. They had secured a share of the title a win earlier.

“It's special to win the conference for the fourth straight season,” Red Raiders head coach Steve Raethz said. “Anna Campanelli became the first player in our history to win the FVC four years in a row.

When Does Confidence Kick In?

Exactly how long does one have to be doing something to start feeling confident and competent at it?

Forgive me if I’m getting all “what is life” on y’all, but I recently had a big milestone birthday, and as the old Steve Miller Band lyrics say, “Time keeps on slipping … into the future.” The past few months have me taking inventory. What are the things I’ve accomplished? Which life goals need to be pushed to the front of the line?

Let’s set a new seat @ the alphabetic table

Family relationships can be complicated, can’t they? In big families, it can be hard to forge your own identity, or come to grips with the quirky identities of some of your brothers or sisters.

And holiday get-togethers, or election years? Forget about it.

But still, healthy families find a way to make peace of it all. Even in very large families of 26 members.

I refer of course to the 26 letters of the alphabet, with a cast of siblings about as quirky as they come, many of whom can’t even decide how they should be pronounced from moment to moment.

Girls hoops seniors enjoy special night

HUNTLEY — The group of five Huntley senior girls basketball players gathered at the Huntley “H” to cap off senior night festivities.

Their names are familiar to Red Raiders faithful over the past four seasons – Anna Campanelli, Ava McFadden, Paula Stzelecki, Isabella Boskey and Madison Diaz. This season, they have led the squad to a 29-0, 16-0 Fox Valley Conference record. Senior night, including emotional talks afterward from underclassmen, took place as Huntley cruised past McHenry, 72-6, to clinch a share of the league crown Feb.

Girls bowling moves on to sectional

HUNTLEY — Huntley's girls bowling squad gained the fourth and final sectional qualifying spot at the IHSA Kaneland Regional Meet Feb. 7 at Mardis Gras Lanes in DeKalb.

The Red Raiders totaled 5,475 pins at the regional. The meet champion was Yorkville, followed by Oswego East and Oswego High School as the other sectional qualifiers. The Huntley squad moves on to the Oregon sectional at Plum Hollow Family Center in Dixon on Feb. 15.

“We really buckled down the second half to get into the sectional,” Huntley coach Eric DeBello said.

Village Board to conceptually review elevations for new rental home development

HUNTLEY — At the upcoming Feb. 13 Village Board meeting, petitioner, Ryan Swingruber—a representative for Heyday Huntley—will present conceptual site plans and renderings for a new 137-unit residential development that is expected to be located on Lot 6 of the Huntley Crossings Phase 2, Plat 1 Subdivision. The subject property is located on the southeast corner of Route 47 and Regency Parkway and is zoned “B-3 Planned Unit Development (PUD)” Shopping Center Business District.

According to the agenda packet, the property is subject to the Riedl Property Annexation Agreement, which planned for the property to be developed as a big box and in-line retail.

Huntley High School principal named IPA’s 2025 Principal of the Year

HUNTLEY — The Illinois Principals Association (IPA) and Horace Mann Companies announced that Huntley High School (HHS) Principal Marcus Belin has been named the 2025 Illinois High School Principal of the Year. The award recognizes high school principals who have demonstrated a positive impact on their students and the learning community.

According to the IPA, to meet the criteria for the award, principals must demonstrate a positive impact on education and advocacy for children; ensure the school climate is positive and reflects high staff and student morale; move actively to implement the goals and objects of the school; work collaboratively with teachers and other staff to improve the educational program and student achievement; and involve the community in the life of the school and use community resources for students.

Red Raiders go for.500 in FVC

HUNTLEY— Huntley's boys basketball team secured a double digits win season and moved closer to .500 in the Fox Valley Conference.

Huntley downed Jacobs, 61-58 Jan. 31, then trounced Crystal Lake Central, 53-26, Feb. 4. The Red Raiders stood at 11-14 overall, 6-7 FVC. Huntley is at Burlington Central Feb. 7 and Crystal Lake South Feb. 11.

The Red Raiders came out firing on all cylinders, to the tune of 11 and then 21 points leads at Jacobs. This was on the strength of 12 3-pointers.

Red Raiders girls hoops close to FVC goal

HUNTLEY — Huntley aims to wrap up a Fox Valley Conference championship with one road and three home contests remaining in the regular season.

The Red Raiders reached 27-0 overall, 14-0 FVC record with a 64-28 triumph at Crystal Lake South Feb. 5. Upcoming games to end the regular season: Huntley hosts McHenry Feb. 10 for senior night, Prairie Ridge Feb. 12 and Dundee-Crown Feb. 14.

Four Red Raiders had double digit scoring in the win over Crystal Lake South. Aubrina Adamik led with 15 points.

Safety first tips for Super Bowl gatherings

HUNTLEY — Super Bowl weekend is here and area law enforcement is reminding football fans and Super Bowl partygoers that designated drivers are the best defense against the dangers of impaired driving.

Both the Huntley Police Department (HPD) and Kane County Sheriff's Office have issued press release statements ahead of the Feb. 9 Super Bowl LIX clash between Kansas City and Philadelphia.

“If your Super Bowl celebration involves alcohol or cannabis, plan for a safe ride home with a sober driver,” Huntley Police Department Deputy Chief Kevin Keane said in the HPD press release statement.

Red Raiders rule girls wrestling regional

HUNTLEY — Huntley pulled ahead of Wheeling and Woodstock to return home with the Girls Wrestling IHSA Regional championship, and hoped to keep the momentum going at the sectional round.

The Red Raiders put together a solid second day of matches at Hampshire on Feb. 1. HHS totaled 150 points to Wheeling's 140 and Woodstock's 131.5.

Senior 130-pound repeat champion and state qualifier in 2024, Aubrie Rohrbacher, will lead the group of seven Huntley individual qualifiers to sectional, Feb. 14 and 15 at Schaumburg.

Girls bowling wins league crown; DeBello earns Bowler of Year

HUNTLEY — Huntley will head to the IHSA Girls Bowling Regional meet with momentum from a Fox Valley-Kishwaukee River Conference championship.

Red Raiders senior Erica DeBello led the way with a total of 1,300 pins at Kingston Lanes in Woodstock Jan. 31. She won the conference Bowler of the Year honor. The Red Raiders finished with 5,316 total pins.

“I'm excited for our team,” Erica DeBello said. “We started off amped and kept going. I feel good about regional.”

After Erica DeBello, Prianca Waters finished fifth with 1,106 total while Ashlyn Tenglin was right behind, 1,093 for sixth and the three were all-conference.

Memorable boys bowling season ends 8th at state

HUNTLEY — Led by an 11th place finish by Noah Waters, who was an all-state bowler, Huntley left the IHSA State Bowling Tournament as a top 10 team.

The Red Raiders concluded the season in eighth place Feb. 1, a one spot improvement from the first day at St. Clair Bowl in O'Fallon. Huntley's final team score was 11,950 total pins. Waters, a sophomore, finished with 1,227 pins.

Seniors Austin Tenglin was next with 2,410 total for 53rd place; Matt Fishman ended with 2,377, 59th and Landen Conforti had 2,276 for 69th.

Reflections on girls sports careers growth as opportunities skyrocket

HUNTLEY — For the last 37 years, a day in the first week in February has been set aside to mark advancements for female athletes. Feb. 5 is the day that National Girls and Women in Sports Day will be recognized.

The day “recognizes women's contributions to sports and society,” according to its mission. From tennis legend Billie Jean King (who leads the NGW Foundation), to University of Tennnsee women's basketball coach Pat Head Summitt, to gymnast Simone Biles and present hoops star Caitlyn Clark, female athletes have had strong role models.

UPDATE: Museum offers chance to learn area history

MCHENRY COUNTY — Just a short drive from Huntley, one may learn about the past in several exhibits at the McHenry County Historical Society (MCHS) Museum in Union.

Visitors may be interested to view a Woly Mammoth tooth, a switchboard for a telephone company, baseball teams in McHenry County or maybe how residents handled the Great Depression. Information on all of those items and more can be found at the museum. It is located at 6422 Main St., Union. The MCHS Museum hosted a Saturday morning Hot Chocolate and History Day event Jan.

Local boy returns home after an ATV accident left him in critical condition and took his father’s life

CARPENTERSVILLE — Back on November 9, 2024, Oscar Carmona and his son, Leo, decided to take a father-son weekend trip to Wisconsin for some much-needed quality time together. However, what was supposed to be a fun adventure turned into a tragedy as the duo were involved in an ATV accident that resulted in Oscar’s death and Leo having sustained serious injuries.

After spending months recovering in the intensive care unit at a children’s hospital, Leo was finally well enough to return home on Jan.

Boys bowling going back to state

HUNTLEY — The Huntley boys bowling team came through with an IHSA State Meet qualifying spot finishing fourth at the Oregon Sectional Jan. 25.

The Red Raiders concluded with a team score of 6,075 total pins. This was 67 pins ahead of fifth place Jacksonville. Machesney Park Harlem won the team championship at Plum Hollow Family Center in Dixon, Ill. The IHSA State Boys Bowling meet is Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at St. Clair Bowl in O'Fallon.

HHS senior Joe Humphrey led the way with a 1,307 total final, 278 best game.

Oregon man found guilty of sexually abusing a child from McHenry County

PORT BARRINGTON — The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office recently announced that James P. Schlight, 69, of Ashland, Oregon, was found guilty of seven counts of “Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse of a Child” by McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt. Schlight is now scheduled to attend a sentencing hearing on March 14.

According to authorities, Schlight, a long-time resident of Oregon, would visit friends in Port Barrington multiple times between 2014 and 2018. During his visits, Schlight inappropriately touched a young girl repeatedly when she was between the ages of six and 10.

The Good and Bad of the Art of Conversation

It’s hard to effectively describe what makes a good conversation; what’s easy is to identify when you’re in the middle of a bad conversation. You are acutely aware of it, and you’re desperately trying to save it. When all else fails, you want nothing more than to escape it. It’s boring, frustrating, making you uncomfortable, or even worse, making you angry.

The other night I met an older man after a concert. We quickly realized we had friends in common and we were immediately off to the races.

Oh, give me a home from catalog by phone

My son lives in a century-old house he has been rehabbing in Crystal Lake for the last four years or so. It’s a solid little house with great bones — and he recently told me that it’s a Sears house.

Sears! Of course! The low-tech Amazon of a century ago, with the mail-order catalog from which you could buy a hat, a hammer, or even a house.

I had always heard of Sears ready-to-assemble houses, ordered by catalog and delivered by rail from 1908 until 1940, and had always wanted to see one.

THE DOORWAY TO OUR COMMUNITY