There have been some interesting discussions about birthright citizenship, intensified by Donald Trump’s election a few weeks ago.
A number of people who are angry at the chaos at the border have jumped right over the normal processes and procedures which would guarantee illegal border crossings are limited, and hit right at one of the core principles of our nation, one embedded in the 14th Amendment – if you are born here, regardless of the status of your parents, you are a U.S. citizen.
The actual wording of the amendment is as follows: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”
Those who don’t like the idea that birth on American territory automatically grants you the gift of American citizenship have started to parse the words of the amendment. They are doing what gun reform activists tried to do with the 2nd Amendment, making the “right to bear arms” a collective right held by “militias,” not an individual and a personal right for each and every American citizen. That parsing, which would make every Catholic school English teacher who ever diagrammed a sentence on a blackboard proud, was roundly rejected by the Supreme Court in the Heller decision, which recognized an individual right to own a gun. That being the case, conservative attempts to dismantle well over a century of constitutional precedent is dishonest, and untenable.
Some argue the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction of” means parents of the child born in this country must be legally here in order to confer citizenship. The point they are missing, or actually one of several points, is that it is not the parents who are conveying anything but life to the child.
It is the Constitution itself that is conveying citizenship. More importantly, virtually everyone physically present in the U.S., regardless of legal status, is subject to the jurisdiction of our government. If this were not the case, we can imagine a Batman style Gotham city environment, where illegal aliens could just commit crimes and the only thing we could do if we catch them is deport them. No arrests, no jail terms, no trials and no life sentences.
Imagine if that were the case with Laken Riley’s murderer, an illegal alien who is now going to spend the rest of his life behind bars. This writer would have been happier had he been sentenced to death, but that’s another column altogether.
The idea we can simply strip people of their citizenship and thereby erase a constitutional right, merely to solve a problematic but temporary problem at the border, is anathema. I know legal scholars have differed on the integrity of birthright citizenship, but they are going to need better arguments than those proffered by anti-immigration activists in order to be able to convince even this conservative Supreme Court of their legitimacy.
I am an immigration lawyer and my bias is incorporated into my viewpoint. Thirty years of doing this work will color anyone’s perspective on the laws governing immigration policy. I understand extremely well the importance of maintaining order at the border, but stripping people born here of their birthright, one over a century old in its recognition, on specious political grounds is not going to advance that goal.
People do not come here to “have” U.S. citizen children, who frankly can only be of benefit from an immigration perspective after the child turns 21 or in a few other very limited circumstances. The immigration laws already eliminate U.S. citizen children as the basis of most waivers of inadmissibility and against deportation/removal, so this is simply an appeal to the lowest common denominator, the basest instincts of the xenophobic.
Where will we draw the line? Is being born to a citizen the only way to ensure the citizenship of the child? Is being born to a visitor who has the right to live here for a few months enough? Do you need your green card? And is this what we want, a world where your value is based on your parents’ status in the country? I don’t think that Americans are that sort of people.
So even if you do support Trump’s more draconian policies on immigration, you are not as patriotic as you think if you are in favor of making newborns criminals in their cribs.
Copyright 2024 Christine Flowers, distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Christine Flowers is an attorney and a columnist for the Delaware County Daily Times, and can be reached at cflowers1961@gmail.com.
The screen fills with images of migrants dodging highway traffic. “They keep coming,” says a narrator. “The federal government won’t stop them yet requires us to pay billions to take care of them. … Enough is enough.”
This message might sound familiar, but it isn’t new. It’s a 1994 campaign ad
in support of Republican politician Pete Wilson’s run for reelection as California governor.
At the time, California was experiencing its worst recession in decades. Although immigrants living in the state illegally did not cause
California’s economic crisis, they were a convenient scapegoat. By blaming immigrants for California’s financial woes, Wilson turned his faltering campaign around and won reelection
in November 1994.
Thirty years later, the United States is in a similar political moment, with many Americans worried about the cost of living
and immigration
.
As a scholar of migration
in the Americas, my research shows that Trump’s approach is unlikely to stop migrants from trying to enter the U.S. but very likely to enrich criminals. Migrants will keep fleeing desperate circumstances under even more treacherous conditions that leave them vulnerable to exploitation by criminal groups.
U.S. Border Patrol agents assist Venezuelan migrants who were seeking asylum as they pass through razor wire at the U.S.-Mexico border on Sept. 29, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. John Moore/Getty Images
In this plan, the Border Patrol proposed a strategy called “prevention through deterrence” that was designed to make illegal entry across the southwest land border so risky that potential migrants would decide to stay home.
By concentrating border enforcement in the urban areas where most migrants were trying to cross, the plan aimed to force them “over more hostile terrain” in the desert and to increase the cost of hiring a smuggler.
Today, illegal migration to the U.S. is far more deadly and expensive than it was 30 years ago, just as the authors of the 1994 Border Patrol plan anticipated.
But the report’s authors believed that potential migrants would forgo the dangers of migrating to the U.S. without authorization, as well as the high costs of getting there. They thought potential migrants would simply stay in their home countries.
They were wrong.
Fortified borders
The strategy of discouraging migrants from coming to the U.S. by making it more difficult required a large federal investment in border enforcement and cooperation from other countries, especially Mexico.
Over the past 30 years, the Border Patrol’s budget has grown more than sevenfold
, and the number of agents stationed along the southwest border has quadrupled
.
The U.S. government has also built physical infrastructure to stop migrants from entering the country, including massive walls that extend into the Pacific Ocean.
In more remote areas, drones, surveillance towers and extreme temperatures do the work of border control, often with deadly consequences for migrants
.
The U.S. also provided more than US$176 million
in funding between October 2014 and Sept. 30, 2023, to support Mexico’s immigration control efforts.
There is some evidence
that stricter border enforcement deterred Mexicans from crossing illegally into the United States after the 1990s. The number of migrants apprehended by the Border Patrol
along the southwest border plummeted from 1.6 million between October 1999 through the end of September 2000, to 327,577 between October 2010 and the end of September 2011.
But the deterrent effect of increased enforcement did not last. Migrant apprehensions at the southwest border began to rise again in 2012 and spiked to 851,508
between October 2018 and Sept. 30, 2019. After falling briefly during the pandemic, total apprehensions
averaged 1.9 million per year between October 2020 and Sept. 30, 2024.
These numbers exceed the historic peaks in 1986 and 2000 – despite the much greater costs and dangers of migrating illegally today.
Illusory deterrence
In 2023, my research team and I interviewed over 130 migrants in Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico to understand why they were taking such enormous risks to get to the United States. What we found is that deterrence isn’t working because of shifts in who is migrating and why they are leaving home.
Until 2011, the vast majority
of illegal border crossers were Mexicans, mostly young men seeking higher incomes to support their families. As the Mexican economy recovered and fewer young people entered the labor market, Mexican workers had less need to migrate. Those who made it to the United States stayed put instead of going back and forth.
Today, more than 60%
of the migrants who cross the U.S. border without legal authorization are from places other than Mexico, including Central America, Venezuela, Ecuador and Haiti. Forty percent of them
are parents traveling with children.
For these migrants, it is worth the risk of being kidnapped, dying in the desert or being deported to escape a desperate situation.
“If they deport me, sister, I will come back,” a Honduran mother of three told us in Tijuana in June 2023. “If you go back, you die. So you have to go forward, forward, forward all the time.”
While prevention through deterrence has not stopped migrants, it has enriched smugglers, corrupt government officials and other criminals who take advantage of vulnerable migrants on their way to the U.S. border.
“Before I would charge you $6,000,” explained a Salvadoran smuggler
to an Associated Press reporter in December 2019. “Now I am charging you double. And depending on the obstacles on the way, the price can go up.”
This doesn’t include the fee to cross the heavily fortified U.S.-Mexico border, which increased from a few hundred dollars
in the 1990s to between $2,000 and $15,000
today.
According to one estimate
, smuggling revenues in the Americas grew from $500 million in 2018 to $13 billion in 2022. “Criminals have shifted from their primary business, which was drug trafficking,” the director of an anti-kidnapping unit
at an attorney general’s office in Chihuahua, Mexico, told a journalist in June 2024. “Now 60 to 70% of their focus is migrant smuggling.”
It’s not just smuggling that is lucrative. As Mexico’s own immigration policy has become more restrictive
, migrants have fallen into the clutches of an extensive extortion racket
that involves kidnapping migrants once they set foot in Mexico.
Prevention through deterrence is a failed policy with a tragic human cost. It doesn’t stop migrants who are fleeing dire conditions, and it fuels violence and criminality. Drug cartels, armed groups and corrupt officials get rich while insecurity spreads, fueling more migration. It is a vicious cycle that will likely only get worse with stricter enforcement and mass deportations.
Sure, junior guard Mason Lockett
can take a hit for Oswego East, but it probably would be in his team’s best interests for him to avoid such encounters in the future.
The 6-foot-5 Lockett ended up missing the first four games due to a concussion suffered in the preseason. He plays a far too important role to miss significant time, if it can be avoided.
Senior guard Andrew Pohlman,
his teammate, pointed to that impact for the Wolves
“Last year, Mason was a really good point guard for us,” Pohlman said. “This year, he’s taken on that role of scorer, and he’s really excellent in that. He was out the first four games, but I have to believe he’s our leading scorer average-wise.
“He’s a really good scorer but can do even more like throw assists, be a playmaker and play great defense. He’s just an all-around player.”
Lockett’s talent was evident Friday night, especially in the second half, as he led Oswego East back from a 10-point halftime deficit for a 52-48 Southwest Prairie Conference win over Yorkville.
”At the start, we were just trying to get used to their zone,” Lockett said. “We were trying to get everybody involved. In the third quarter, I felt something had to change. I had to go.”
Go Lockett did, scoring 12 of his game-high 17 points and coming up with all four of his steals in the second half for Oswego East (5-3, 3-1). He also finished with four rebounds and three assists.
Oswego East’s Mason Lockett (24) shoots a floater in the lane over Yorkville’s DJ Ingemunson (5) and Christian Harrell (11) in a Southwest Prairie Conference game at Yorkville on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Sean King / The Beacon-News)
Reggie McWaine
and Michael Rembert
came off the bench to put up nine and eight points, respectively, for the Wolves, who outscored the host Foxes 30-16 during the second half.
Senior forward Taelor Clements
did his best to keep Yorkville (5-2, 1-3) in it, scoring nine of his team-high 11 points in the second half when he also grabbed eight of his game-high 11 rebounds.
“We kind of lost ourselves a little bit,” Yorkville coach John Holakovsky
said of the second half. “They were changing and using four different defenses, making our guys see the floor a lot more and react to double teams.
“They were pretty much man-to-man in the first half and we got what we wanted. They did a great job of adjusting.”
DJ Ingemunson
and Gabe Sanders
added nine points apiece for Yorkville. Both teams would struggle at the free-throw line, with Oswego East making 7 of 14 and Yorkville 6 of 16.
Yorkville’s Taelor Clements (21) leaps in the air to save the ball from going out against Oswego East during a Southwest Prairie Conference game at Yorkville on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Sean King / The Beacon-News)
The Wolves matched that mark from beyond the 3-point line, however, making 7 of 14 as the Foxes went 2 of 12.
“I felt like we were cutting to the basket better in the second half,” Oswego East coach Ryan Velasquez
said. “We did miss a lot of layups in that first half.
“You’re not gonna make everything, but man, put yourself in position, go up strong, shoulders square to the basket. And we stayed with it.”
Lockett remembers the preseason collision, knocking heads with a teammate during a rebounding drill. Despite early headaches, he could work out while avoiding any contact and stayed in shape.
Oswego East went 2-2 without him, and the transition back to full-time duty has been smooth.
Oswego East’s Michael Rembert (33) shoots a 3-pointer over Yorkville’s Braydon Porter (22) during a Southwest Prairie Conference game at Yorkville on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Sean King / The Beacon-News)
“To be honest, it’s been a quick return,” Pohlman said. “He’s been tremendous for this team. He’s really allowed us to get to the next level.
“Obviously, he’s a big part, but I feel like the culture at OE is next man up. I feel like we had some people step up those first four games, and it’s carried on after Mason’s return.”
Velasquez looks to Lockett for more the rest of the way.
“We try to challenge Mason every single time he steps on the court,” Velasquez said. “We want him to be his best version. We don’t want him to play passive. We want him to play aggressive.
“I thought he did more of that in the second half, getting more touches in the middle, catching and facing up. He’s a long player and can finish at the rim. We’re gonna get him the ball.”
The planets are pulling our attention every which way today. The Moon is in mercurial Gemini, magnifying our ability to see both sides of things. We can be very receptive when the Moon trines Venus in Aquarius, though we may get a bit cagey when the Moon then squares Saturn in Pisces. Still, there will be cosmic positivity on offer as the Moon conjoins expansive Jupiter at 1:43 pm EST before locking into a supportive sextile with Chiron in Aries, encouraging emotional catharsis.
Aries
March 21 – April 19
Listen up, Aries, because there is something important to hear! The Moon is conjoining lucky Jupiter in your 3rd House of Debate, so there is a good chance that you could come across an interesting bit of information or have a discussion that changes things very much for the better. Jupiter loves to bring you opportunities, so be sure to chat up anyone and everyone you come into contact with — and touch base with your close friends or siblings while you’re at it.
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
Go ahead and make it rain! The Moon is strolling through your 2nd House of Earnings, where it will be conjoining bountiful Jupiter, turning your gaze toward modern ways to increase your net worth and make your life that much more comfortable. If you’ve been on the lookout for a new gig or another way to earn, this angle should help you ferret out the perfect opportunity, so get your resume ready for circulation. A little indulgent spending may also be in the cards.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20
Your clever sign has gained an undeniable shine. The Moon is flying through Gemini, giving you an extra special spark. That seed will grow into something beautiful and blazing as the Moon aligns with expansive Jupiter, reminding you that this is no time for limitations. The cosmos has faith in you and your dreams, so follow through on its faith by pursuing your passions with unbridled enthusiasm. Jupiter is in your corner, making your goals more attainable than you might expect.
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
Approach life at your own pace. You’re allowed to move along gently as the Moon aligns with Jupiter in your hidden 12th house — their conjunction invites you to take a step back and enjoy a bit of cocooning. This same sector is very inspirational, so if you feel the urge to write a poem or a song, be sure to let it out. You can create something truly beautiful. Otherwise, make an effort to nurture your body with some much-needed rest and relaxation.
Leo
July 23 – August 22
People can hardly seem to get enough of you. You are undeniably popular as the Moon conjoins excitable Jupiter in your communal 11th house, energizing you to jump up and take the role of ringleader — go and get the gang together! You could call up the usual crew, but you’ll probably have more fun if you open things up to a few fresh faces, such as acquaintances or friends-of-friends. Today’s motto is “the more the merrier,” so don’t stick to your smallest clique.
Virgo
August 23 – September 22
This is no time for dawdling. There is a big emphasis on achieving as much as you can as the Moon marches along through your 10th House of Ambition. Plus, this energy gets turned all the way up as the Moon conjoins can-do Jupiter in this same sector. Jupiter wants to make the most of the opportunities on offer, so the more you put yourself out there and do the work, the more you can get in return. Show everyone how capable you are!
Libra
September 23 – October 22
The skies are perfect to stretch your wings. The Moon in your adventurous 9th house is conjoining impressive Jupiter, making it easier than ever to break beyond everyday barriers and explore your world to the fullest. Let your curiosity lead you, because it should boost your capacity to comprehend refreshed ways of living and thinking that change your worldview for the better. The more open you are to the unfamiliar and unusual, the more fulfilling this day will be for you.
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21
A little intensity can yield wonderful results. The Moon is pressuring your extreme 8th house, which can force you to deal with a lot of hot-button issues. While here, the Moon will align with Jupiter, energizing you to look for the silver lining in even the most difficult situations. This can be especially beneficial when it comes to financial matters, so if you’re in the market for a loan or a new line of credit, you could find the perfect option very soon.
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
This is no time to handle life by yourself. Three’s not a crowd, so reach out to your buddies as the Moon in your relationship-focused 7th house reaches out to your sign’s ruler Jupiter. Helpful people could be all around! These people can impact your life in all sorts of ways, be it through business or pleasure, so don’t confine people to your premeditated expectations. Don’t be shy about initiating such connections. Someone will likely be very grateful that you took the time to connect.
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19
Small steps add up to big leaps. The stars are encouraging you to take things one at a time as the Moon trots through your economical 6th house, but you can still make massive moves forward as the Moon aligns with boundless Jupiter. You can achieve way more than originally planned! A co-worker could prove especially helpful, or perhaps you’ll discover a unique way of doing things that saves you a lot of groaning. Focus on working smarter, not harder.
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18
You can play your cards right without worry. The Moon is making bets in your fun-loving 5th house and inviting you to do the same. The odds are very much in your favor when the Moon conjoins lucky Jupiter in the same sector. This is a wonderful combination in a wonderful sector, so put a premium on enjoying yourself and pursuing your pleasures! Few things in life are guaranteed, but there’s practically no way you can go wrong at a time like this.
Pisces
February 19 – March 20
Open your door and let in the world! This is a lovely day to play host as the Moon aligns with bountiful Jupiter in your domestic sphere, sprinkling your surroundings with a generous dash of fun and frivolity — one which other people are all but guaranteed to enjoy. That doesn’t mean you need to host a rager, but you should feel especially good in your space with a few of your favorite people around you. Don’t be stingy with your invite list.
Junior point guard Noah Mister
craves being in the biggest moments for Mount Carmel.
He’s a vital playmaker, someone the Caravan relies upon consistently in the clutch, and when every sequence has those outsized consequences, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I do whatever my team needs, and I knew we had to make a play,” Mister said, nodding after another nice victory. “We were down one, and I knew I was the guy to get it done.
“I believed I was the guy, my coaches believed it, and my teammates believed it.”
Believe to achieve was on display Friday night as Mister’s late 3-point play propelled host Mount Carmel’s comeback for a 66-63 Catholic League Blue victory over De La Salle in Chicago.
Senior forward Cameron Thomas
scored 14 of his game-high 25 points in the second half for the Caravan (6-0, 1-0). Grant Best
added nine points and Dylan Fulbright
contributed seven.
Junior forward Charles Barnes
scored a team-high 22 points for De La Salle (6-2, 1-1). Carlos Cueva
hit five 3-pointers in producing 17 points, while Morgan Travis
added 16 points.
Mister, meanwhile, scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. His driving 3-point play put the Caravan up 64-62 with 1:14 remaining. His two free throws with 25.6 seconds left sealed the win.
Mount Carmel’s Noah Mister (2) brings the ball up the court against De La Salle during a Catholic League Blue game in Chicago on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
He also had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
“It just shows that, even though he’s a junior, he just steps up and he is the team leader,” Best said. “Nobody else was doing anything. That’s what he can do as a point guard.
“He has definitely matured and elevated his game, and he can take the game over.”
Mister, Best and Thomas are three returning starters from Mount Carmel’s Class 3A state runner-up last winter. As a sophomore in his first full season as a starter, Mister averaged 14.8 points.
Now, the 6-foot-2 Mister is bigger, stronger and faster, along with having two years of elite varsity experience. He combines size and speed into a dynamic package.
“Honestly, nobody in the state can guard him, so just get him the ball and let him go to work,” Thomas said. “He can dribble, shoot and pass, but his best quality is his IQ for the game.
“He knows how to get to the basket and finish around bigger guys.”
Mount Carmel’s Cameron Thomas puts up a shot over De La Salle’s Charles Barnes (14) during a Catholic League Blue game in Chicago on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
Mister’s game vibrates with confidence, skill and poise, especially in key situations. He answered every roadblock the Meteors threw in his path.
“My jump shot wasn’t really going and I had to find other ways to affect the game,” Mister said. “No matter what, my mentality is that I always want to take the big shot.
“I always want to take the game over.”
Mister’s father, Terry
, was a standout at St. Joseph who played in college at Loyola Marymount. Older brother Joshua
, who played at Whitney Young, was his other dominant influence.
“My brother makes music now, but he played in high school and he was a good player,” he said. “He was four years older, bigger and stronger, and he always pushed me when I was younger.
“That’s what made me and gave me this mentality and this highly competitive spirit.”
Mount Carmel’s Noah Mister (2) takes the final free throw to clinch the win against De La Salle during a Catholic League Blue game in Chicago on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
As an extension of Mount Carmel coach Phil Segroves
on the floor, Mister is tasked with processing information and making all the pieces come together.
The first part of the equation is knowing what works and what adjustments have to be made.
“Segroves gives me all the rope I need and he lets me do it,” Mister said. “I’m always going to let the game come to me.
“I’m not going to force it. I’m going to get my teammates open and help my guys make shots. When it’s my time to get buckets and make plays, that is my moment.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
The court decisions were a victory for Northwest consumers, who would have seen grocery store competition crumble. According to Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Albertsons and Kroger operate “more than 300 locations
in the Evergreen State, accounting for more than 50% of the state’s grocery sales.”
In a one-mile radius in my neighborhood, we would have had one specialty market (Trader Joes); one national chain (Safeway and QFC); and one membership store (Costco). There has never been a Sam’s Club in this neighborhood to compete with the baby Costco (a business center).
A two-mile radius adds a specialty market (an Asian market, Ranch 99); one employee-owned regional chain (WINCO); and one national chain (a baby Walmart). A Fred Meyer, part of Kroger, is in that extended radius; prices at QFC and Safeway are routinely 10% or more than those at Fred Meyer.
This historic win protects millions of Americans across the country from higher prices for essential groceries—from milk, to bread, to eggs—ultimately allowing consumers to keep more money in their pockets. This victory has a direct, tangible impact on the lives of millions of Americans who shop at Kroger or Albertsons-owned grocery stores for their everyday needs, whether that’s a Fry’s in Arizona, a Vons in Southern California, or a Jewel-Osco in Illinois.
Without waiting for the ink to dry on Tuesday’s decisions, Albertsons sued Kroger
“for breach of its contract agreement, alleging Kroger caused the merger to be blocked. Albertsons said that Kroger failed to exercise its ‘best efforts’ and to take ‘any and all actions’ to secure regulatory approval of the merger.”
Albertsons and Kroger argued that they needed to merge to compete with Walmart, Costco and Amazon
. This is fallacious. Costco is a membership store. Walmart is a department store with groceries, like Fred Meyer. QFC and Safeway are modern grocery stores that do not sell camping and sporting equipment, clothes or furniture. Amazon’s food sales are a fraction of the grocery stores.
Consolidation means higher prices for consumers, lower ones for farmers and suppliers
In 2021, The Guardian reported that “for 85% of the groceries analysed, four firms or fewer controlled more than 40% of market share
. It’s widely agreed that consumers, farmers, small food companies and the planet lose out if the top four firms control 40% or more of total sales.”
Four or fewer corporations control 93% of soda sales
Three cereal companies control 90% of breakfast items
Four or fewer control 80% of toothpaste and 80% of toilet paper sales.
Four or fewer control 80% of candy and 60% of snack bars
Four yogurt companies control 75% of sales
That’s why blocking this merger is somewhat like locking the barn door after the horses have escaped.
It’s an illusion of choice.
Be wary of graphs that exaggerate food sales. For 2023, “Amazon’s e-grocery sales
were approximately $36,400,000,000″ but its total sales were $574,800,000,000. Although we may think of Walmart as a “grocery store,” its revenue
for the twelve months ending October 31, 2024 was $673,819,000,000, which includes a LOT of items that are not groceries.
High school and local college results and highlights from the Southland, Aurora, Elgin, Naperville and Lake County coverage areas.
Email Daily Southtown results to southtownsports@gmail.com, Beacon-News, Courier-News and Naperville Sun results to tribwestsports@gmail.com and News-Sun results to newssunsports@gmail.com.
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
HIGH SCHOOLS
BOYS BASKETBALL
Bartlett 67, Elgin 28
Benet 74, Marist 66 (OT)
Benet (7-1, 2-0 ESCC): Blake Fagbemi 19 points. Jayden Wright 19 points. Colin Stack 14 points. Daniel Pauliukonis 13 points.
Marist (7-1, 0-1): Adoni Vassilakis 24 points. Rokas Zilys 15 points. Karson Thomas 10 points.
Highland Park (7-1, 2-0 Central Suburban North): Simon Moschin 22 points. Hayden Kach 10 points.
Hinckley-Big Rock 68, Somonauk 42
Hinckley-Big Rock (5-1, 2-0 Little Ten): Martin Ledbetter 30 points, 7 rebounds; became school’s all-time leading scorer. Max Hintzsche 25 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists.
Lincoln-Way Central’s Korey Cagnolatti
was hot under the collar at halftime Friday night.
The senior guard was assigned to Andrew sharpshooter Athan Berchos
, and that didn’t work out too well as Berchos, also a senior guard, ended up with 20 points in the first 16 minutes.
And Cagnolatti didn’t appreciate that at all.
“It didn’t sit well with me,” Cagnolatti said. “Nope, nothing sits well giving up 20 points in a game, especially in one half.”
That changed dramatically in the second half as Berchos was held to only one shot and four free throws as the Knights pulled off a 55-51 SouthWest Suburban Conference win over host Andrew.
Cagnolatti also was a menace on offense in Tinley Park, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds and four steals for Lincoln-Way Central (5-3, 2-2). He scored 10 points during the second half.
Lucas Andresen
added 12 points and 10 rebounds, including three big boards in the final 22 seconds. Drew Woodburn
, who had 15 points off the bench, hit a pair of key free throws with 4 seconds left.
Berchos, who scored 33 points on Dec. 4 against Argo, paced Andrew (3-5, 0-3) with 24 points. Scott Dinnon
added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Thunderbolts, who led 29-27 at halftime.
Lincoln-Way Central’s Korey Cagnolatti (21) pushes the ball up the court against Andrew during a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in Tinley Park on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
For Cagnolatti, however, it was a matter of putting a rough first half behind him and then working even harder for the Knights in the second half.
“The first half, our game plan was to try to not let him take over,” Cagnolatti said of Berchos. “But he came out and knocked down his shots.
“The second half was to play him straight up and strictly deny the basketball. My teammates helped out in the gaps and that made it easier on me. I made it my sole mission to stay in front of him.”
Lincoln-Way Central coach Brian Flaherty
, of course, liked Cagnolatti’s play on both ends of the floor, but he raved about the defensive effort a little bit more.
“It’s a huge credit for Korey to be unselfish with what we asked him to do,” Flaherty said. “(Berchos) is a very good scorer, and after that first half, we had to find a way to limit his touches and make somebody else put the ball through the hole.”
Lincoln-Way Central’s Korey Cagnolatti (21) takes a shot against Andrew during a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in Tinley Park on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
Andresen’s rebounding also was huge.
The 6-4 junior forward is coming off a long football season as a receiver, and Flaherty predicted Andresen could be a Division I prospect in that sport.
Even though he started playing basketball in third grade and football in high school, Andresen said his football skills have helped him during the winter.
“I just react,” he said about rebounding. “It’s second nature because I play receiver and it’s a matter of tracking the ball.”
“He’s athletic and he brings the height to get dunks and get the boards,” Cagnolatti said of Andresen. “He’s a bully.”
Andresen, Woodburn and Nolan Morrill
are just getting back into basketball shape after a football season that saw the Knights make it all the way to the Class 7A state semifinals.
Lincoln-Way Central’s Korey Cagnolatti (21) goes up for a layup against Andrew during a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in Tinley Park on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
In basketball, heading into Friday night, Lincoln-Way Central’s losses were to defending Class 4A state champion Homewood-Flossmoor (7-0), Perspectives Leadership (6-1) and Lincoln-Way East (5-0).
It’s why Flaherty thinks the Knights are in good shape.
“We’re starting right now to gel,” Flaherty said. “The football players came in after we were teaching everything and they were getting their legs under them.
“All three of those guys who came back from football made key contributions.”
But the 6-foot Cagnolatti is also making a difference for the Knights.
“Korey is an incredibly selfless player,” Flaherty said. “He accepted the assignment, and what he did in the second half won the game for us.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
In 2012, a diminutive, whip-smart, newly minted college graduate named Lina Kahn was trying to find a home for the serious policy journalism she aspired
Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Trump’s pick as Director of National Intelligence, is set to join the incoming president at the Army-Navy game on Saturday, a source familiar with the situation told NewsNation’s Libbey Dean.
The annual game will take place in Landover, Md., outside of Washington, D.C.
Gabbard will attend alongside Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for Defense secretary, who is set to also meet with the president-elect at the game. The Washington Post
first reported Hegseth’s attendance.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is also set to attend
the game.
Gabbard has recently been in the spotlight
as she courts senators ahead of her confirmation hearing for her position in the Trump administration. Though, nearly half a dozen sources indicated to The Hill that the former Hawaii representative is facing an uphill battle as she meets with lawmakers.
Her nomination has sparked concern
from some of the country’s closest allies over whether the U.S. will remain a trusted partner for sharing critical, sensitive information.
Vice President-elect JD Vance, who is also attending the rivalry matchup, also confirmed Friday that he invited Daniel Penny, a Marine veteran recently acquitted of
a negligent homicide charge in New York City, to the game.
“Daniel’s a good guy, and New York’s mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone,” Vance wrote in a post on the social platform X
, replying to a reporter from NOTUS, which first reported on the invitation.
NewsNation is owned by Nexstar, which also owns The Hill.
