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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Live Basketball: Marist vs. Bishop McNamara

Watch the Marist Redhawks live on Patch tonight at 7 p.m.

Marist (12-7) takes on Bishop McNamara (11-6) starting at 7 p.m. on Jan. 29.  You can watch all the action live right here on Patch. If you miss the game, come back to watch the full replay at anytime.  Watch More Live Basketball:

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Marist's Oden Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd

Marist's three-point dynamo Tyler Oden did some of his best work during the RedHawks' magical boys basketball postseason run. He outpolled six others to earn Patch MVP honors, too. Now, he is eligible for March Patch Athlete of the Month recognition.

Evergreen Park Advances in Basketball Playoffs

Mustangs' "defensive pressure was the key" in Monday night's 59-31 win against Joliet Catholic. Brian Townsend Jr. scored 19 points in the triumph. Evergreen Park now advances to the semifinal at 6 p.m. Tuesday against Hillcrest.

Vote for Marist's Nic Weishar as Patch's Athlete of the Week

Cast your Patch Athlete of the Week vote for Nic Weishar, sophomore forward, for Marist's boys basketball team. Go Nic!

Evergreen Park Boys Basketball Stomps L-Way Central

Mustangs point guard Brandon White helped save the day Monday scoring 18 points in the second half with a 41-40 victory over Lincoln-Way Central.

Bloom Stands at No. 1 as Defense Never Rests

Blazing Trojans maintain their grip on the Patch Power Rankings top spot, but H-F, Marist and Brother Rice are also riding high with recent victories.

1. Bloom Township (6-0): The Blazing Trojans put their defensive prowess on full display in Tuesday’s 49-38 win at Thornwood. Henry Hicks, a 6-foot-2 junior, is among Bloom’s defensive standouts, and he’s not too shabby on the offensive end, either. Point guard Donald Moore is a driving force. 2. Homewood-Flossmoor (5-1): The Vikings have bounced back after losing to Bloom on Thanksgiving weekend, earning victories over Joliet West and Morgan Park and Rich Central. 3. Marist (4-0): The RedHawks have two of the top underclassmen in the area in Lexus Williams and Nic Weishar. Williams scored 26 points and Weishar netted 23 in the RedHawks’ 74-71 victory over St. Rita on Tuesday night. 4. Andrew (4-0): The Thunderbolts end a week-long layoff …

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Boys Basketball: Marist Topples St. Rita in Thriller

Lexus Williams and Nic Weishar lead visiting RedHawks to victory in the Jack Callahan Memorial Game.

Gimme 5: For Evergreen Park Basketball's Boatner, Defense Comes First

Labaren Boatner, who will be a senior next season on the Mustangs' boys basketball team, said he and his teammates are working hard this summer to build chemistry.

It started for Evergreen Park’s Labaren Boatner in the backyard at 7 years old. Now, he’s entering his senior year as a varsity basketball player for the Evergreen Park Mustangs. The shooting guard and small forward gets it, too–he knows defense wins championships. “You have to score baskets, get your team involved,” Boatner said. “But defense is the most important thing, so that’s what we need to work on.” Boatner is a defensive stopper for the Mustangs, and unlike many basketball players, defense is what he enjoys most about basketball. He hopes to take a leadership role this season. How does he plan on doing that? “Just by stepping up in close games and making stops,” Boatner said. First-year Evergreen Park head coach Patrick Flannigan …

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Gimme 5: Flannigan Embraces New Challenge at Evergreen Park

Longtime assistant coach Patrick Flannigan talks about his plans to turn around the Mustangs' boys basketball program as he steps into the head coaching position.

New Evergreen Park boys basketball coach Patrick Flannigan has put in countless hours of coaching. He started as an assistant girls basketball coach at Reavis before moving on to Luther South, where he was also the head softball coach. He became an assistant boys basketball coach at St. Rita, before going to Leo and then finally coming to Evergreen Park, where he has been an assistant boys basketball coach for 11 years. Add his time coaching as an assistant for baseball and softball, and you have 20 years of coaching experience for Flannigan. “Just ask my wife,” Flannigan said. “She knows I’ve put a lot of time into coaching.” This upcoming season will be Flannigan’s first as a boys basketball head coach. He says the most rewarding aspect …

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