Latest news with #SouthElgin
New York Times
21-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
J.J. McCarthy's moment begins: What he's thinking as Vikings training camp opens
SOUTH ELGIN, Ill. — A few months ago, quarterback coach Greg Holcomb's phone buzzed with a text message. It was J.J. McCarthy. The Minnesota Vikings QB had briefly returned to his hometown and wanted to work out. Awesome, Holcomb responded. When? McCarthy immediately typed back: How about 6 a.m.? 'I didn't even question it,' Holcomb says. Advertisement Holcomb called a local indoor facility, Bo Jackson's Elite Sports, and asked if they'd be willing to open that early. When he informed McCarthy that the plans were set, the 22-year-old QB made two more requests: bring Sam — Holcomb's son and one of the best middle school quarterbacks in the country — and find some receivers. Done and done. They'd been troubleshooting McCarthy's mechanics together for more than a decade at this point. Holcomb learned long ago not to question whether the student would change. After winning a state title at nearby Nazareth Academy? Still the same guy. After playing at IMG Academy in Florida? Hungrier. After becoming the starter at Michigan? More driven. Apparently, the NFL lifestyle hadn't swayed McCarthy's eyes from his ultimate prize, either. Not the shine of being a first-round pick, not the gut punch of last summer's torn meniscus, not the time spent on the sidelines. He remained the same dude who wanted to get up early to work out. The same guy who not only brought an extra NFL ball for young Sam to throw with, but who also, between throws that morning, asked Sam about his grades and life as a middle schooler. The months since the workout have come and gone, and now training camp is almost here. Holcomb, sitting outside a Starbucks not too far from the McCarthy home, knows what that means. More eyeballs, more hoopla, more pressure. When he's asked how he thinks McCarthy will manage the mayhem, he answers the same way so many of McCarthy's former coaches and teammates do. It's not, 'He'll be fine.' It's more forceful, like, 'I can't tell you how much I'd bet on that kid.' 'I don't think it feels like weight to him,' Holcomb said. Then what does it feel like? 'Another opportunity to do something great.' These lines sound straight out of the computation notebook McCarthy began compiling years ago. He would read quotes from Michael Jordan and scribble them down. Late at night, lying in bed, he'd hang on every word of a motivational speech from some revered business executive or renowned psychologist. The following day, his parents, Jim and Megan, would find advice jotted on the whiteboard in his room. Advertisement Listen to stories about the lengths to which he'd go to create an edge, and it's fair to wonder how he didn't or hasn't or won't run out of horsepower. At IMG, McCarthy begged coaches to give him more responsibility. As in, 'Send me the practice plan before tomorrow.' As in, 'Allow me to make checks at the line of scrimmage — please.' The school's quarterbacks coach, Kurt Gould, would leave his laptop open at night so McCarthy could log in to the film platform. Another coach, Kyle Brey, peered out the window of his office one night and thought he saw someone standing on the field in the football stadium. The towering lights had already flickered off. For a brief moment, he worried he was seeing things. Wait, no. There was indeed a person out there. It was McCarthy. Holding a book. Brey hollered to one of his colleagues to relay the scene. 'What's he doing?' the other coach asked. 'I think he's going through the script for the game,' Brey said. 'Is he throwing?' 'No,' Brey responded. 'He's, like, taking imaginary snaps. And going through the reads. And now he's looking at the book, walking 5 yards and doing it again.' These types of stories were the norm for NFL scouts researching the quarterbacks in the 2024 draft. Had they spoken to McCarthy's Michigan teammates, they might have heard fellow quarterback Jack Tuttle say, 'That dude is a winner. He wins. Sometimes he just does stuff, where you're just, like, speechless.' Had they spoken to McCarthy's coaches, they might have heard 75-year-old Michigan running backs coach Fred Jackson say, 'He gave me something. I've been coaching a long time, and he kept me young. I love that kid.' Had they spoken to the late Greg Harden, Michigan's renowned mental coach who influenced Tom Brady, Charles Woodson and Michael Phelps, they might have heard that McCarthy's makeup reminded him of Brady. Advertisement 'He always talked about Tom's heart and mind,' Greg's wife, Shelia, said recently. 'That's where he saw the connection with J.J., the similarities.' We haven't even broached his physical traits yet, but how could you not hear all of the above and consider the fantastical possibilities? Still sipping a hot coffee at Starbucks, Holcomb recalls another moment from the offseason. He was hosting a quarterbacks camp for middle-school-aged boys, and one of the attendees was Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles. During a changeover at the camp, Holcomb approached Poles and introduced himself. They found their way to the subject of McCarthy. 'He was talking about how much they (the Bears) loved J.J.,' Holcomb said. 'And said to me, 'I don't think people realize how close we were to possibly taking him.' Obviously, they love (No. 1 pick) Caleb (Williams), but I thought that was interesting.' It's a perfect segue to the forthcoming season opener. 'The Bears,' Holcomb said of McCarthy's hometown team, shaking his head almost as if he's forcing himself to believe it. And on 'Monday Night Football,' he's told. 'The first game of the season,' he added. 'Seriously. It's such an epic stage to be on. The team for the city you lived in. Prime time. Your first start.' It's like it's all starting to settle in, that he's acknowledging for the first time the mountain of a challenge facing McCarthy. See, this isn't typically how things work. You don't get picked in the first round and anointed the future of the franchise, then suffer a season-ending injury, then recover to find yourself holding the keys to a Ferrari-level offense. There are worse places to be, certainly, but few football circumstances seem more daunting. This gets back to the expectations. To the pressure. To the idea that McCarthy has to be the one to do what nobody has done before for these Twin Cities. How do you keep from crumbling beneath that anvil? What could keep someone grounded enough to stay physically stable and emotionally balanced? Advertisement 'This is a really cool opportunity to see him start this journey,' Holcomb begins. 'But people don't realize that, while it's exciting for him, yes, and it means something to him, of course, it's not even close to his end goal.' And what's that? What's his ultimate prize? Winning enough where his words and lessons can inspire another kid's computation notebook.
CBS News
22-06-2025
- CBS News
Woman dies after car crashes into street poles, tree in South Elgin, Illinois, police say
An investigation is underway after a woman was killed in a crash Saturday morning in South Elgin, Illinois. South Elgin police said just before 2 a.m., officers responded to the area of Randall Road at Stearns Road for a report of a single-car crash involving a gray 2021 Kia Sorento. Preliminary information from witnesses and evidence collected at the scene indicated that the Kia was heading northbound on Randall Road. After passing through the intersection at Stearns Road, the Kia left the roadway to the right for an unknown reason. According to police, the car hit a traffic sign, a street light pole, an electrical utility pole, and a tree before coming to a stop. The car sustained extensive damage, including full airbag deployment, and the engine was separated from the car. Police found the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle unconscious by responding police and South Elgin Fire District personnel. She was taken to Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. The driver was identified as Erin M. Vitale, 46, of South Elgin. Police said she was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and had to be extricated from the vehicle due to the severity of the damage. Investigation into the crash remains ongoing. The Kane County Accident Reconstruction Team assisted at the scene.
Chicago Tribune
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Introducing the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Girls Soccer All-Area Team
Three players each from St. Charles East and South Elgin highlight the first and second teams. Olivia Del Toro, West Aurora, senior, midfielder: Tallied five goals and added four assists. Conference's co-MVP, all-sectional and repeat all-area. Committed to James Madison. Erin Doucette, Kaneland, junior, midfielder: Totaled area-high 95 points on 40 goals and 15 assists. All-conference and all-state. Nevaeh Gyurko, South Elgin, junior, forward: Beacon-News/Courier-News Player of the Year scored 23 goals and added eight assists. Conference's co-MVP, all-sectional and repeat all-area. Avianna Hernandez, South Elgin, junior, midfielder: Scored 11 goals and distributed 22 assists. All-conference, all-state and repeat all-area. Olivia Hernandez, Metea Valley, senior, midfielder: Came through with 13 goals and 11 assists. All-conference and all-state. Committed to Marquette. Hannah Hickman, Batavia, senior, defender: Disruptive stopper tallied a goal and assist and led back line that posted seven shutouts. All-conference and all-state. Committed to Eastern Illinois. Peyton Johnson, Oswego, junior, defender: Disruptive two-way talent keyed back line that registered 15 shutouts. Added four goals and six assists. All-conference, all-sectional and repeat all-area. Committed to Lindenwood. Sidney Lazenby, St. Charles East, senior, goalkeeper: Recorded 12 1/2 shutouts in 1,660 minutes with 0.87 goals-against average. All-conference, all-state and repeat all-area. Committed to Illinois-Chicago. Mya Leon, St. Charles East, freshman, forward: Finished with 34 goals and 12 assists for sectional qualifier. All-conference and all-state. Rylie Mensik, Dundee-Crown, junior, forward: Scored 28 goals while dishing out four assists. All-conference and all-state. Jordyn Washington, Oswego, junior, forward: Ended up with 28 goals and six assists. Conference's MVP, all-state and repeat all-area. Committed to Alabama A&M. Katie Chapman, Waubonsie Valley, senior, midfielder: Scored nine goals and added eight assists. Academic all-state, all-conference and all-sectional. Zoe Gannon, Kaneland, senior, defender: Athletic stopper for back line that posted 16 shutouts. Added two goals and two assists. All-conference and all-sectional. Committed to Waubonsee. Keira Kelly, St. Charles North, senior, midfielder: Tallied a goal and an assist for sectional finalist. All-conference and all-state. According to her coach, contributions went beyond statistics. Alison Kowall, Burlington Central, junior, defender/goalkeeper: Versatile talent was top player for defense that posted seven shutouts. Made 16 saves and recorded a shutout as goalkeeper. Also tallied a goal and three assists. All-conference and all-sectional. Megan Kron, Bartlett, senior, goalkeeper: Recorded nine shutouts. Allowed just 14 goals in 1,400 minutes for 0.80 goals-against average. Also scored a goal. Totaled 36 career shutouts. Conference's goalkeeper of the year, all-sectional and repeat all-area. Daniela Martinez, Harvest Christian, senior, midfielder: Scored 23 goals and added 14 assists as Lions finished with a 15-1 record. All-conference. Committed to Aurora University. Kaitlyn Nudera, St. Charles North, junior, forward: Scored eight goals and dished out five assists for sectional finalist. Scored deciding goal in sectional semifinal win over archrival St. Charles East. Lily Senese, Metea Valley, senior, forward: Finished with eight goals and seven assists. All-conference and repeat all-area. Committed to Northern Michigan. Mia Traver, South Elgin, senior, defender: Superb two-way talent keyed back line that posted 12 shutouts. Added five goals and three assists. Conference's defender of the year and all-sectional. Gabby Wojtarowicz, Jacobs, senior, forward: Ended up with 16 goals and eight assists. Closed career with program-record 74 goals. All-conference, repeat all-state and repeat all-area. Committed to Loyola. Sophia Wollenberg, St. Charles East, sophomore, midfielder: Scored 22 goals and distributed team-best 16 assists for sectional qualifier. All-conference and all-sectional.
Chicago Tribune
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
South Elgin's Nevaeh Gyurko is the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Girls Soccer Player of the Year: ‘Sky's the limit.'
At least the first time, junior forward Nevaeh Gyurko dreaded the phone call that she knew had to be made to South Elgin coach Jerzy Skowron. The high-scoring striker was about to break the news that she was electing to skip the high school season and focus her attention instead on club. 'She called me two times, probably three months apart,' Skowron said of Gyurko. 'The first time she told me she wasn't coming back. The second time was three days before our tryouts. 'Her first words were, 'Save me a jersey.'' After erupting last spring as a sophomore with 26 goals and 12 assists, Gyurko originally felt club offered the better chance of optimizing her national visibility and recruiting profile. The allure of school pride and close friends proved too great to turn down. 'I just couldn't see myself bypassing my junior year with all of my close friends who are on the team,' Gyurko said. 'We have some amazing players, especially our seniors. 'I'm really happy with my decision because I think this year ended up being my best season yet.' Gyurko, the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Girls Soccer Player of the Year, validated that decision with a glittering blend of athleticism, agility and power. Using her elite 5-foot-11 size, Gyurko scored 23 goals and also added eight assists as the Storm (15-8-2, 5-0-1) went out and captured their third consecutive conference championship. Along with West Aurora's Olivia Del Toro, a James Madison recruit, Gyurko ended up sharing the conference MVP award for the Upstate Eight West. Her play, presence and leadership transformed the Storm, according to senior defender Ashley Gonzalez. 'Nevaeh is an amazing player who can adapt her game and also bring her teammates up with her,' Gonzalez said. 'She uses her strengths such as her intense speed and technique to beat players and make her way to scoring easier. 'She has a great finish with either foot.' Gyurko, who also won a sportsmanship award this season, took South Elgin to a wholly different level. And not just in the way she played. 'I couldn't pay anybody enough money in the world to say anything bad about her,' Skowron said. 'She's the most athletic, dangerous player on the field. Her personality and nature are contagious. 'As she becomes a more clinical and classical finisher, the sky's the limit for her.' Her selflessness of putting the team and friends before her own interests was evidenced by the way she played. If scoring is a privileged talent, sharing the ball is an intuitive skill. 'I've always thought of myself as a team player and I've never been afraid to pass the ball,' she said. 'I'm always going to do whatever I need to in order for the team to be successful. 'I don't really play for statistics. I take just as much reward and satisfaction in assisting others as I do scoring for myself. I have always wanted to be that person who encourages others and lifts them up when they're struggling.' As far as her family goes, she comes by the sport pretty naturally. Her father, Mark, played soccer in college at Wisconsin-Parkside. Her mother, Stacey Dolezal, played at Boca Raton. Gyurko's excellence on the field, however, is just one part of her multifaceted character. She's set to spend part of her summer on a church-affiliated mission to Nicaragua. 'I'm fluent in Spanish,' she said. 'I started learning in a special kindergarten to sixth grade language program. I want to be a teacher.' The experience has only deepened her resolve to expand the parameters, efficiency and effectiveness of her game. 'I'm thankful for my talent and being tall and fast,' Gyurko said. 'I've wanted to be a part of this program since my freshman year. I also know I haven't hit my full potential. 'My best soccer is yet to come.'
Chicago Tribune
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
After getting two hits, South Elgin's Justin Pold pitches inning in relief. Perfect. ‘Just meant everything to me.'
Coming into the season, senior second baseman Justin Pold faced elevated expectations for South Elgin, especially since he had such a solid performance the previous spring. High school baseball, however, is more of a sprint than a marathon. And when it takes time for things to start clicking, the engine can stall pretty quickly and then start to spiral. In Pold's case, he pinpointed one of the causes. 'I would say the strikeouts have been hard on me,' Pold said. 'Last year, I had like eight. This year, I have around 18. I just have to put the ball in play, and hopefully, the results will come.' Pold hung in there, put the ball in play and saw the results Monday, sending the Storm off to a quick start against McHenry in the Class 4A Kane County Cougars Supersectional in Geneva. Although Pold doubled in the first inning and followed with a two-run single in the second for a 4-0 lead, the Warriors battled back for an 8-6 victory at Northwestern Medicine Field. Pold, an Elgin Community College recruit, also made a rare pitching appearance for South Elgin (23-11). He came on in relief and got out of a jam in the sixth to keep the Storm alive. Nathan Kmiec contributed a two-run single, while Jacob Robertson also doubled and scored before adding an RBI single. Kmiec had already made it 2-0 when Pold stepped up in the second. And Pold's single to right field built a 4-0 advantage. 'It just meant everything to me,' Pold said. 'I was confident going in and got good results.' It's been a key facet for the Storm in this late-season run, with different contributors every game. 'Next man up,' South Elgin coach Jim Kating said. 'We've done a pretty good job of that in the last two-thirds of the season. I'm very proud of my kids, how they came out. 'We had nothing to lose. We weren't supposed to be anywhere close to where they're at. That's what I enjoyed, the mental toughness and the wanting to win.' As has been the case all season, the Storm persevered. It didn't matter who was struggling. 'This team is built off of friendships,' Kmiec said. 'We have all these friends on the team picking each other up. In practice, we're on each other. We felt like we could win it the whole time.' Going into the sixth, the game was tied 5-5, but McHenry (33-4-1) scored three unearned runs to take the lead. Pold stopped the bleeding to keep South Elgin within striking distance. 'That was energetic for sure,' Pold said. 'I only pitched four times before that, so I was not expecting to come in. We needed everyone for sure. 'I feel the momentum definitely shifted to us in the sixth and seventh innings. We just had too many errors. If we clean that up, I think that's our game.' The Storm ran out of steam trying to continue the coaching career of Kating, who's retiring, for one more weekend. He's the only coach in program history. 'We wanted to do this for him,' Pold said. 'He's been a great coach. He's been everything for us.' Kating said it hasn't set in yet that it's over, but he's appreciative of everything the program has accomplished in his 18 seasons at South Elgin. He tried to soak it in Monday. 'In the fifth inning, I kind of looked around and said, 'This is fun,'' Kating said. 'This is competition. This is what high school competition is supposed to be like. 'Hopefully, they take some of the stuff they experienced and turn it into life experiences.'
