UPDATE: Sandburg's Chris Pajak is Patch MVP

Sandburg wrestling standout Chris Pajak outpolled seven others in voting for Southland Patch MVP, Feb. 18-24. He 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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Girls Basketball: Marist Motors to No. 1 in Rankings

High-energy RedHawks improved to 10-0 Wednesday night and claimed the top spot in the Patch Power Rankings.

1. Marist (10-0): The pass-happy RedHawks followed up Monday’s 67-33 demolition of Lockport with a 61-20 rout of Bishop McNamara on Wednesday night. 2. Lincoln-Way East (4-0): Griffins will end a long layoff when they make the trip to Joliet tonight. 3. Marian Catholic (5-2): Six-foot-1 junior Megan Walsh is asserting herself as an inside force. 4. Homewood-Flossmoor (7-3): Senior guard Danielle Woolfolk scored 23 points in H-F’s 56-40 win over Rich Central on Monday and proved once again she can take over games down the stretch. 5. Rich Central (8-3): Olympians were without starting guard Alex Stanford, post player Layne Murphy and coach Bryan Craig in Monday’s loss to H-F. The three were serving IHSA suspensions after being ejected from …

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Girls Basketball: Nagle Helps Spark Oak Forest's Rout of Shepard

Kate Swanson's 17 points lead the way as Bengals earn a 58-19 victory in Palos Heights.

Sports Video Highlight Reel: Going to Hoops School

Chicago Christian girls coach Linda Stuursma leads a summer camp to teach youngsters the ins-and-outs of the game of basketball.

Earlier this week, dozens of fifth- through eighth-grade girls gathered at Chicago Christian High School to learn the fundamentals of basketball in a summer camp put on by Knights coach Linda Stuursma.  Throughout the week, the girls were taught everything from dribbling to defense, shooting to passing, and had lots of fun in the process. Stuursma enjoys offering this opportunity for the girls and enjoys seeing them leaving the camp with more knowledge about the game than when they first walked through the doors. For more information on this camp and other upcoming camps for both girls and boys at Chicago Christian, call the school office at (708) 388-7650. In the meantime, check out the video highlights.

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Glory Days

Former Chicago Christian Standout Schaaf Cherishes Her Olympic Moment

Barbara June Schaaf helped the Knights win the Class A girls state basketball title in 1981, then went on to play team handball in the Olympics.

Barbara June Schaaf’s accomplishments as an athlete seem almost endless. The 1983 Chicago Christian graduate, who now lives in Frankfort, was a four-year, three-sport standout for the Knights. She was a member of Chicago Christian’s Class A state champion basketball team in 1981 and was the school’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1983. Schaaf went on to become a two-time NCAA All-American basketball player and one-time All-American softball player at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights. Despite all her achievements through the years, being an Olympian never crossed her mind growing up. “I never dreamed of it until it was right there in front of me,” said Schaaf, who represented the United States in team handball at the 1992 Summer …

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Analysis: No Panic Mode for Marian vs. Marist

Three starters pick up their third foul in tight third quarter of Thursday night's L-W North Sectional title game, but Spartans don't bend or break against the RedHawks.

The second half of Thursday night’s Lincoln-Way North Sectional championship game couldn't have started any better for Marist. It took only six seconds for it to happen, and some fans probably hadn't made their way back from the restrooms or concession stand when Marian Catholic standout Simone Law was whistled for her third foul. The Loyola University-bound senior retreated to the bench, and 40 seconds later Marist's Jetaun Rouse made a pair of free throws to cut Marian's lead to 24-20. The Redhawks would later cut Marian’s lead to 27-24 on a bucket by Asiana Bey and seemingly had momentum in their favor. That was until Jasmine Matthews and Jamie Johnson ignited the Marian crowd with back-to-back three-pointers to make it a 33-24 game. …

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Girls Basketball: Marian Catholic Surges Past Marist for L-W North Sectional Title

Marian Catholic 57, Marist 42. Foul trouble plagues the Spartans, but team depth helps finish off the Redhawks.

The Hot Read: Marian Catholic standout Simone Law picked up her third foul just six seconds into the second half and didn't convert a field goal after halftime. But Marist couldn’t take full advantage in Thursday night’s Class 4A Lincoln-Way North Sectional final. Marist trailed 24-18 at halftime but couldn’t get any closer than 24-20 in the second half. Marist's Randyll Butler split a pair of free throws with 1:50 left in the third quarter to make it a 35-30 contest, but Marian closed the quarter with a 7-0 run to take an impressive 42-30 lead into the final quarter en route to a 57-42 victory. Patch's MVP: Marian Catholic's Jasmine Matthews scored 14 points, but just as important was her leadership in the third quarter when starters …

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Analysis: Sectional Title on Line as Marist, Marian Gird for Rematch

After suffering a December setback to the Spartans, the RedHawks feel like they're ready to turn the tables.

Marist and Marian Catholic are two teams that possess high-powered offenses and skilled defenses. Both have excellent forwards who can shoot from the outside and put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket. The pretense for Thursday night's girls basketball sectional championship matchup at Lincoln-Way North has all the hallmarks of a classic. Simone Law leads the way for the Spartans. At 6-0, the senior forward and D-I recruit (Loyola) will be matched in the post by Marist's 6-1 junior center Asiana Bey. The Spartans are coming off a 72-58 victory over Homewood-Flossmoor. The RedHawks defeated Lincoln-Way East 52-38. When the teams met back in December, it was the Spartans winning by a count of 67-58. The two are long-time rivals …

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Girls Basketball: Marist Subdues L-Way East Attack

Marist 55, L-W East 38. RedHawks use dominant rebounding to cinch sectional semifinal win over Griffins.

The Hot Read: Marist defense was dominant in a 55-38 girls basketball victory over Lincoln-Way East in the Class 4A Lincoln-Way North Sectional on Monday night. The RedHawks held the Griffins to no field goals over a span of a quarter and a half, outscoring East 24-5 in that stretch. The Marist scoring spurt silenced a decidedly Griffin-friendly crowd. The RedHawk defense forced 16 turnovers and controlled the boards all night. Patch’s MVP: Marist's Asiana Bey finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Key Stats:  The Griffins may have been 17-of-25 from the freethrow line, but just 10-of-45 from the floor. The Redhawks pulled down 38 rebounds, 19 of which came on the offensive end. Marist also went 5-of-12 from the three-…

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PatchCast: A Daily Video Report

Daily PatchCast: Mass Graves, Scouts Swindled and Sliders

A daily video recap of the Southland's top stories

Thief Drains Boy Scout Troop's Bank Account Toddler Found Dead in New Lenox Township Cemetery President 'Surprised' by Sheriff’s Mass Graves Accusation Girls Basketball: Mother McAuley Ousts Oak Lawn It's What You Crave: The White Castle Debate (Video)

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