Scott Powers

Scott Powers covers high school and college sports for ESPNChicago.com. He is an award-winning journalist and has been reporting on preps, colleges and pros for publications throughout the Midwest since 1997.

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Falloon boot puts Marist in final

Marist upended Glenbard North on a last-second field goal.

Pick of the litter

Southern Illinois' defensive backs lead the nation in interceptions.

It's his team now

DePaul's Mac Koshwal dominated in Tuesday's game against Columbia.

Friendly fire

High school friends on each side of UI-NU rivalry get another chance to trash-talk.

Newcomers to watch this season

Newcomers to watch this season in college basketball

Imagine that

Heralded freshman Drew Crawford is visualizing a great season at Northwestern.

Cats' McManis modest in success

Northwestern cornerback Sherrick McManis is proving his doubters wrong.

It's official

Jereme Richmond signs letter of intent to play for Illini.

Prep Athlete of the Week: D.J. Bland

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Big and fast

Illini tight end Jeff Cumberland looks ahead to Northwestern

Individual highlights

De La Salle wide receiver D.J. Bland highlights Week 2 of football playoffs

Week 10 college football preview

Scott Powers' Week 10 college football preview

Prep Athlete of the Week

Elk Grove QB Nick Meyer saved his best for the biggest stage.

Time of his life

For Cats WR Andrew Brewer, his most important catches might be yet to come.

Once-and-future position

Marist QB Mike Perish is a student of the game.

On the run

Illinois running back Mikel LeShoure is finally breaking through.

Amazing recovery

Loyola volleyball player Lauren Ditscheit is enjoying her remarkable recovery.

Strong start

Lake Zurich's Jacob Brinlee's 212 yards in an upset of Rolling Meadows in Class 7A highlighted the first week of the postseason.

Long shot no more

Illinois' Jon Asamoah has gone from college hopeful to potential NFL first-rounder.

Powers' Week 9 college football preview

Scott Powers' Week 9 college football preview

His smile is back

For SIU running back Deji Karim, there are plenty of reasons to be happy these days.

Iowa's Donahue getting his kicks

Former St. Rita standout Donahue is pinning opponents for Iowa.

Quite a catch

Richards' Jarrell Williams a hot commodity on recruiting trail

In the zone

Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber open to playing zone defense this season.

Prep Athlete of the Week

Cary-Grove's Eric Chandler turned six rushing attempts into 156 yards and four touchdowns.

Class 6A football playoff preview

Scott Powers breaks down the Class 6A high school football pairings.

Class 8A football playoff preview

Scott Powers breaks down the Class 8A high school football pairings.

Foreman's Dority commits to S. Florida

Foreman guard Lavonte Dority commits to South Florida.

Spoiling for a win

Nazareth running back LaSteven McKinney might have had a 100-degree fever Thursday night, but he's ready to run Friday.

Will Illinois' struggles cost in recruiting?

A poor season has some recruits waffling in their commitment to Illini.

BC alumni find home bar in Chicago

Boston College alumni find home bar in Chicago.

Just like the backyard

Northwestern linebacker Nate Williams' biggest fan is his brother -- and teammate.

Red Devils' dynamic tennis duo

Hinsdale Central's dynamic duo of Nida Hamilton and Hanna Mar have different styles, but similar goals.

No cooling Fire's postseason pressure

Fire forward Brian McBride has a positive attitude toward pressure.

Aldridge eyeing the next level

Simeon baseball player Charles Aldridge will get a chance to pursure his big-league dreams at Grambling.

Athlete of Week: Prospect's Bonahoom

ESPNChicago.com's Prep Athlete of the Week: Prospect High School's Peter Bonahoom

Ain't no mountain high enough

Downers Grove South quarterback Chandler Whitmer has high expectations for himself and his career.

Hype just his type

Will Johnsburg's C.J. Fiedorowicz, the nation's sixth-best tight end prospect, keep his commitment to Illinois?

Q&A with Cary-Grove coach Bruce Kay

With his team trying to turn in another undefeated regular season, Cary-Grove coach Bruce Kay sits down for a Q&A.

Fire look to book playoff ticket

The Fire look to book ticket to MLS playoffs Saturday night in New England.

Prove it or lose it

Steve Fiorella and St. Laurence have a chance to prove themselves again with a matchup against Mount Carmel.

Bigger man on campus

Northwestern's Kevin Coble added muscle and is ready for a big season.

Great expectations

Fighting Illini guard Brandon Paul looks to increase his focus on the court.

Walker gets point on basketball future

DePaul will put its fortunes in the hands of high-scoring Will Walker.

Harangody's goal: NCAA tourney

Luke Harangody's only goal for Notre Dame is an NCAA tournament bid.

The natural

Bolingbrook quarterback Brad Geever's big game on Friday earned him ESPNChicago.com Prep Athlete of the Week honors.

Ready to make some noise

Rich East's Marshall Bennett can't wait to get into a varsity game, but he is making plenty of noise in his fall league.

Mitz's musings

Stevenson coach Bill Mitz talks about proving doubters wrong and whether he'll retire soon.

Freshman guard ready for competition

Illinois freshman guard D.J. Richardson looks to bring killer instinct to Illini.

Fremd's Wright has the right stuff

Fremd running back Evan Wright has the right stuff to be the ESPNChicago.com Prep Athlete of the Week.

Fast times at Neuqua Valley

Neuqua Valley's Aaron Beattie is looking to make 2009 a year to remember.

Beattie ready to make up for lost time

Neuqua Valley cross-country runner Aaron Beattie is ready to make up for lost time.

Running to the stars

Former Neuqua Valley runner Chris Derrick is making a name for himself at Stanford.

Bolingbrook defense ramping up

Bolingbrook's defense looking to take team far into the playoffs.

Not going out like that

Richards WR Keith Sconiers is looking to lead Richards' turnaround.

Sweet home Chicago for Fire's McBride

If the Chicago Fire don't pick up his option, forward Brian McBride is willing to call it a career.

Profitable returns

Providence's Pete Houlihan gives the Celtics great returns whenever he has the ball.

Don't forget about me

Despite a lackluster season, Illinois' Arrelious Benn is still impressing scouts.

Local players making good

Scott Powers shines a spotlight on some of Illinois' finest former prep stars.

Eyeing the throne

Barrington's Kristy Dodge hopes her dedication this offseason will lead to a state tennis title.

Squandered chances

Northwestern, Illinois and Northern Illinois all squandered opportunities on Saturday to make statements for the 2009 Football Bowl Subdivision season.

Finding his stride

Providence Catholic running back Tim Hanrahan struggled with being the focus of opposing defenses initially, but has returned to his 2008 form.

Good times

Northwestern's Zeke Markshausen has reason to smile.

Famous words

Proviso West coach Famous Hulbert is making the Panthers, well, famous.

Anytime, anyplace

Versatile Notre Dame High School senior Anthony Jahns doesn't get too comfortable on the sideline during practice.

On the run

NIU's Me'co Brown is establishing himself as a premier running back.

Dream come true

Illinois linebacker Russell Ellington is ready to take big stage at Ohio State.

Osei double trouble for opponents

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No Worries

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If the high-top fits ...

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Q&A with Loyola coach John Holecek

Loyola coach John Holecek talks about his team's upset win over Mount Carmel

Big man on campus

Northern Illinois running back Chad Spann shares the lead for most touchdowns in the nation.

Seizing the moment

Northwestern kicker Stefan Demos didn't just wait through a timeout to kick his game-winning field goal against Eastern Michigan, he waited three years.

Taft's dynamic duo

The Taft Eagles are flying high thanks to their dynamic duo of Michael Shewchuk and Anthony Hardeman.

Wootton's long road back

After two games back, Northwestern defensive end Corey Wootton realizes it's not easy coming back from a knee injury.

The final countdown

Chris Rolfe knows he doesn't have much time left with the Chicago Fire, so he's making the most of the final weeks.

Q&A with St. Rita's Todd Kuska

St. Rita coach Todd Kuska took time out from preparing for this week's game with Fenwick to talk about his 100th win and the past and present of his program.

It's just football

As Illinois State prepares to travel to Champaign to play Illinois, coach Brock Spack plans to remind redshirt freshman Matt Brown that it's just another football game.

Righting the ship

Lake Forest quarterback Tommy Rees improved on a poor Week 1 performance to the extent that he's the Prep Athlete of the Week for Week 2

Adding weight, force

Northwestern linebacker Quentin Davie is 30 pounds heavier than when he started with the Wildcats, and feels the results on the field.

Easing back in

Illinois safety Donsay Hardeman struggled in Week 1, but he's had to take almost a full year off due to injury.

Looking back pays off for Lyons' McGuinness

Billy McGuinness tends to look back when playing soccer for Lyons. That's one of the secrets to Lyons' recent success.

Good weekend for Maine S.

Maine South football coach Dave Inserra talks about his team's win over Wheaton Warrenville South and its pep talk from Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen.

Demons achieving record success

DePaul's Shannon Williams has helped the Demons earn their first top-20 ranking.

Cats' backfield competition central

Northwestern running backs coach Matt MacPherson has a problem most coaches only dream about.

A rare edge

Wheaton Warrenville South's Nick Immekus has size and range, rare for high school kickers.

Seizing the moment

Chicago Fire defender Dasan Robinson seizes the opportunity after the transfer loan of Bakary Soumare.

Single goal

Deerfield's Julia Fellerhoff is ready to excel as a singles player.

No rest for 'relentless' Rafferty

While Hinsdale Central's offense is vaunted, linebacker Jason Rafferty aims to make sure opponents don't forget about the Red Devils' defense.

Complex offense, simple results

Hinsdale Central's complex triple-option offense delivers results that are easy to understand.

Time to give preps props

ESPNChicago.com's preps and college columnist Scott Powers introduces the Preps Section.

Prospect's Huene ready for season

Prospect offensive lineman Matt Huene is ready to become the latest in a line of Division-I prospects.

Running down a dream

NIU safety David Bryant has always dreamed of playing in the NFL. But his family is also living their dreams through him.

Bubonja readjusts goal; eyes big year

UIC goaltender Jovan Bubonja is looking forward to making the best out of a tough situation.

Future looks bright for NU hoops

The future is looking bright for Northwestern basketball.

Landing in Chicago

Los Angeles Galaxy star Landon Donovan wasn't harmed by swine flu, but he does grow weary of the David Beckham media circus.

Blanco to appear on cover of "FIFA 10"

Chicago Fire forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco is wildly popular in his home country of Mexico, which translated into a cover appearance on the FIFA 10 video game.

Not a bad decade

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has defied doubters and put together a successful 10-year run.

Mullins' Irish eyes smiling

Downers Grove's Bryan Mullins is hoping he can make Irish eyes smile on the basketball court.

Torres still living the dream

Miguel Torres is ready to defend his WEC bantamweight title Sunday against Brian Bowles.

Derby dreams tempered by sensibility

Arlington Park trainer Chris Block dreams of the Kentucky Derby, but only if he has a horse that can compete.

Illinois' Benn focused only on winning

Illinois receiver Arrelious Benn is focused only on winning.

Zook's expecting big things from Illini

Illinois coach Ron Zook is expecting a strong season.

NU's Fitzgerald encouraged by depth

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is optimistic because of his team's depth.

Kafka ready for golden season

Although his career numbers are not as good as those of better-known college quarterbacks, Northwestern's Mike Kafka is confident he will be on many people's radar by the time the season is over.

Clock ticking for Wainwright

Like DePaul fans, Jerry Wainwright had a different vision for the Blue Demons men's basketball program than where it actually stands after his first four seasons as head coach.

Robinson grounded in values

OSU men's basketball coach Craig Robinson might be the brother-in-law of the most powerful man in the world and the brother of the first lady, but his Chicago roots keep him firmly grounded.

Conde's attitude change no joke

Chicago Fire defender Wilman Conde likes playing pranks on his teammates. A year ago, though, no one was laughing at his comments about where he wanted to play.

Riding through the pain

Arlington Park jockey E.T. Baird has won more than 2,000 races, but the real accomplishment in his life is that he's still racing at all.

Former guard runs Illini recruiting game

Former Illini point guard Jerrance Howard is now trying to drive recruits to Bruce Weber's team.

Nothing but a number

At 44, Felix Jose is still making a living playing baseball, and playing it rather well.

Cubs' hot prospect keeping his cool

Josh Vitters may be the Cubs' Next Big Thing, but he's playing it cool for now.

Beverley excited to play with Wade

Former Marshall star only Chicago product drafted

Illini's Legion ready for new start

From trip to China, Illinois' Alex Legion is looking forward to new start.

Prodigal son

Mac Koshwal tested the NBA draft waters, found a cold reception, and so he's returning to DePaul hoping to turn around the Blue Demons' fortunes after a horrid 2008-09 season

Tough lesson learned

Former Marshall star Patrick Beverley admits he cheated at Arkansas, hopes to land in NBA draft.

Down year

NBA draft's first round might pass without a Chicago player picked.

From MJ to Kobe, an off-court dynasty

From Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant, Tim Grover continues to train NBA royalty.

No gimmicks, just titles

Northwestern women's lacrosse seeks its fifth consecutive NCAA title

They don't know drama

The Illinois-Northwestern rivalry has been mostly subdued the past five years.