SYCAMORE – Sycamore put the game out of reach with a touchdown drive just before half in the first round of the playoffs.

DeKALB – Junior guard Xavier Silas' 24 points on 8 of 16 shooting led six Northern Illinois players in double figures, lifting the Northern Illinois men's basketball team to a dominating 120-70 win over visiting Marygrove College (Mich.) in the Huskies' exhibition finale at the Convocation Center on Friday night.      

CHICAGO – Mark Teahen has a new team and a new city. Happily for him, he’s got his old position back.

Chicago once home to two NFL teams

DeKALB – When the Eastern Michigan defense stacked the line with defenders Thursday night, they were testing Northern Illinois quarterback DeMarcus Grady to beat them.

Sycamore cross country coach Mike Lambdin knows today’s boys Class 2A state cross country meet will be a tough task for his Spartans.

ROCHELLE – Kate Binder’s motivation is simple.

Longua a versatile offensive lineman for Sycamore

DEERFIELD – Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas broke his left forearm during a weight training session Friday and will have surgery Saturday. He could miss 4-6 weeks.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins acquired shortstop J.J. Hardy on Friday, sending speedy outfielder Carlos Gomez to the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox picked up Mark Teahen in a trade from the Kansas City Royals on Friday, getting a new third baseman in exchange for infielders Chris Getz and Josh Fields and cash considerations.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox have declined the mutual option on veteran right fielder and former World Series MVP Jermaine Dye, clearing the way for him to become a free agent.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The supposedly high-performance offenses at Illinois and Minnesota spent most of the first seven weeks of the season stuck in the shop, sputtering and struggling to get going.

SERENA – Volleyball can be a game of momentum.

DeKALB – For Chad Spann, it was a career night in the making by his second run. For Northern Illinois, it meant the Huskies can start thinking about a bowl game and possibly more.

ROCHELLE – The Sycamore volleyball team remained calm.

DeKALB – Tommy Davis thought he was going to get tackled. So did almost everyone else in Huskie Stadium.

So I’m sitting on the couch watching the Monday night NFC South slugfest between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, and I’m obviously caught up in the moment. 

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Michael Turner did some self-scouting last week to find out why he wasn’t breaking off big runs for the Atlanta Falcons.

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Peter Mueller scored his first goal of the season and Martin Hanzal added a goal and an assist as the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 Thursday night.