After being denied in three previous trips to the Pontiac Holiday Tournament's title game, Benet finally got their elusive crown on Wednesday night with a 52-43 win over DePaul Prep.

High percentage shot selection paid dividends for Benet in the second half of its 61-38 win over Peoria Manual at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.

A stifling defense set the tone for Benet as it breezed into the Pontiac Holiday Tournament's quarterfinal round with a 64-28 win over Plainfield North on Monday.

Benet's Emma Briggs led all players with 22 points, 16 rebounds and four steals to spearhead the Redwings to a convincing 59-38 victory in the Montini Christmas Tournament championship game.

The Redwings took early control and never relinquished it to topple Naperville North in the championship game of the Hinkle Holiday Classic on Friday.

Lucy Tierney beat the third-quarter buzzer to give Benet a lead it held onto all fourth quarter against Fremd in the Montini Christmas Tournament semifinals on Friday.

Benet scored 23 straight points in the first quarter en route to a 72-43 win over Barrington in a Hinkle Holiday Classic semifinal Tuesday.

Junior guard Ava Mersinger scored 10 of her career-high 16 points in the first quarter, helping Benet get an early jump on St. Charles East and move on to the semifinals of the Montini Christmas Tournament with a 70-56 win.

Jayden Wright scored 16 points, including 4 of his team's 13 3-pointers, and Benet beat Crystal Lake South 66-30 in the Day 2 finale of Jacobs' Hinkle Holiday Classic on Monday night in Algonquin.

Downers Grove North, Glenbard South and Hinsdale Central girls basketball all won big in first-round games at the Bill Neibch Holiday Classic at Wheaton North, while Benet and Lyons girls basketball rolled in Montini Christmas Tournament openers Monday.

Here are Jon Cunningham's photos from Saturday's game between Benet and Nazareth.

Ava Thomas scored 11 points to help Benet hand Nazareth its first loss of the season on Saturday, 58-36.

Here is Friday Night Drive's 2025 All-CCL/ESCC football team, with players from all 24 member programs.

Pat New, a Benet alum who won 92 games and made 10 IHSA playoff appearances as the school's head football coach, is retiring after 16 seasons. "It was difficult at first... but I knew that I made the right decision.”

Benet used a fourth quarter run to fend of Prospect at the Lake Zurich Exam Jamm on Tuesday evening.

Here is the 2025 Suburban Life All-Area girls volleyball team.

Benet senior middle hitter and Wisconsin commit Lynney Tarnow, who led the Redwings to four straight Class 4A championship matches and finished her career with 944 kills and 222 blocks, is the Suburban Life Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

Here is the 2025 Suburban Life All-Area soccer team.

The 2025-2026 boys basketball season tips off this week. Here are five players to watch around the Suburban Life coverage area.

As the 2025-2026 boys basketball season tips off this week, here are previews of teams from around the Suburban Life coverage area.

Benet has hired former New England Patriots running back and three-time Super Bowl champion James White to be its next head football coach. White replaces Pat New, who's retiring after over a decade as head coach of the Redwings.

Cornell commit Emma O'Brien hit two free throws with 4.2 seconds left and scored 12 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter as Lyons rallied from seven points down in the final two minutes for a 54-53 win at Benet in Tuesday's season opener for both teams.

As the 2025-2026 girls basketball season tips off this week, here are previews of teams from around the Suburban Life coverage area.

The 2025-2026 girls basketball season tips off this week. Here are five players to watch around the Suburban Life coverage area.

The Benet volleyball team's season ended Saturday with a loss to Marist in the Class 4A state championship match for the second year in a row.

Benet Academy defeated Lockport in two sets, 25-23, 25-16, in the IHSA Class 4A State semifinals on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025.

Benet won a back-and-forth first set with Lockport and went on to a 25-23, 25-16 win in Friday's Class 4A state semifinal to advance to its fourth straight state championship match. The Redwings will play Marist Saturday in a rematch of last year's final.

Benet clinched its fourth consecutive trip to the Class 4A state semifinals with a 25-15, 25-12 victory over New Trier in the Bartlett supersectionals.

Benet girls volleyball continued its quest for its fourth consecutive trip to state, taking down St. Charles North for the third time this season to clinch the Class 4A Glenbard West Sectional title.

Wisconsin commit Lynney Tarnow is one of seven girls back from last year's Benet state runner-up who showed their experience Tuesday, shaking off an early challenge from St. Francis in both sets for a 25-15, 25-12 win in the Class 4A Glenbard West Sectional semifinal.

The Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference has revealed its All-Conference honorees and award winners for the 2025 varsity football season. Click the link below to read this year's award winners.

Playoff spots and divisional championships are on the line as all 24 of the CCL/ESCC football teams prepare to take the field this evening. Here are all of tonight's CCL/ESCC Week 9 matchups.

Montini is 8-0 and eyeing historic achievements, while Joliet Catholic finds itself in unfamiliar territory with an Orange Division title game against Providence looming. Niles Notre Dame defeated Leo and snapped a five-game losing streak, setting up a pivotal clash with Marist.

Nine CCL/ESCC football teams including Mount Carmel, Montini, Nazareth and Brother Rice have won six or more games and secured automatic bids to the IHSA playoffs. Several teams including St. Rita, Loyola and St. Patrick are still in the mix with a week left.

In a potential preview of the Class 4A State title game, Wisconsin recruit Lynney Tarnow and Benet swept Mother McAuley at Glenbard East's Autumnfest on Saturday.

Nazareth started Friday night’s game against Benet in an inauspicious fashion as Jackson Fallia tossed an interception, but the Roadrunners got rolling and they went on to a 42-14 win over the Redwings, all but ending their playoff hopes.

Five CCL/ESCC football teams have secured automatic playoff bids through seven weeks of the IHSA regular season. Nazareth, Fenwick and Brother Rice all improved to 6-1, joining Mount Carmel and Montini in the postseason. Several five and four-win teams are still in the hunt.

Fenwick brothers Tommy and Jake Thies combined for four rushing touchdowns, while quarterback Jamen Williams threw for 210 yards and kicker Noah Sur made two field goals as the Friars beat Benet 48-7 to reach 6-1 and secure an automatic playoff berth

Benet won its 18th East Suburban Catholic Conference title after its 5-2 victory Wednesday afternoon in Lisle at the Redwings soccer park over visiting St. Viator.

Nazareth took down St. Rita, St. Patrick handled Benet and Marian Catholic knocked off Marmion as divisional races heat up in the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference. Leo rolled over De La Salle to earn its third win for the first time since 2021.

Mount Carmel and Montini clinched automatic playoff bids, while several CCL/ESCC teams including Brother Rice, Nazareth and Fenwick are sitting comfortably with three weeks left in the regular season. Four-win teams include Carmel, Loyola, St. Francis, Providence and more.

Led by freshman Lauren Gauss, who shot a 3-over par 75 to tie for second individually, the Benet girls golf team won the program's first sectional title to qualify for state. Oswego Co-Op's Alli Wiertel and St. Charles North's Kayla Beu also tied for second to advance.

After going back and forth for the majority of the contest, Benet pulled away in the final set with six of the final eight points to come away with a three set victory over St. Charles North.

Marist and St. Rita snapped their recent losing streaks, while Trae Taylor threw for 5 touchdowns as Carmel scored 70 points against Marian Catholic. Mount Carmel and Brother Rice each improved to 5-0, setting the stage for a massive CCL/ESCC Blue Division showdown.

Benet senior Caden Petersen, who shot a Benet record 65 at the Hinsdale Central Invite and shot a 69 at the East Suburban Catholic Conference tournament to lead Benet to the team championship, and won the individual title in a playoff, is the Suburban Life Athlete of the Week.

Providence and Marmion are rolling into divisional play, Joliet Catholic stunned Marist on a scramble-drill touchdown and Nazareth held off IC Catholic Prep on a game-winning field goal. Montini held off Fenwick to stay unbeaten and Mount Carmel rolled over St. Ignatius

Eight days after edging Downers Grove North in three sets, Benet served 12 aces in sweeping the Trojans 25-11, 25-16 to win the championship of the Wheaton Classic on Saturday.

Quinn Stratton and York off to a strong start at the Streamwood Classic, Benet senior Judd Isom inspires with return from back-to-back ACL tears and more in Chris Walker's Suburban Life soccer notebook.

Benet beat 10-man Carmel on Wednesday night in Mundelein at Baker Stadium, using an own goal and a sensational second-half strike from Declan Crist to secure a hard-fought 2-0 victory.

Montini and IC Catholic are 3-0 after wins over bigger schools, Loyola exacted its revenge on St. Francis and Brother Rice nabbed a ranked win over St. Rita in Chicago. Also included in this week's notebook are updates on the CCL/ESCC White and Red Divisions.