SouthtownStar’s three thing to know

Three Things To Know

1. T.F. South needs credibility. The Rebels have an admirable 17-3 record, but in the two games they’ve played against ranked opponents (Oak Lawn and Lincoln-Way East), they’ve lost twice by a combined score of 116-53. The third loss was to Rich East, a 60-51 decision in a sloppily played game. South has two more regular-season chances to prove its mettle, Thursday against Rich Central and Feb. 12 against Hillcrest.

2. Club ball blurs boundaries. It was interesting to watch Sandburg and Lincoln-Way East fiercely battle on the court Thursday, then share hugs and stories for several minutes afterward. Playing together on club teams has taken some of the nasty edge out of rivalries, even between Mother McAuley and Marist, where in volleyball some of the players hugged the opposing coaches during introductions.

3. Mark these dates. Whether by design or just luck, the East Suburban Catholic Conference race will end with a bang. Both Marian Catholic and Joliet Catholic are unbeaten and Bishop McNamara has just one loss. If they hold serve, the title will be determined when Bishop McNamara travels to Marian on Saturday and Joliet Catholic concludes its conference season at home Feb. 12 against Marian.