Lane Topples Schurz 61-41

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT BY JOHN MONTGOMERY 

Lane is known as school of champions winning Public League titles in different sports, with one exception. basketball. Head basketball coach Nick LoGalbo believes he can build competitive program. 

Northside basketball teams haven't cut down the nets many times in Public League playoffs in decades. Roosevelt was the last Red North team to win CPL championship in 1952 while Foreman lost in 2010 Semifinals at UIC to Morgan Park. Only three basketball teams have advanced to the Public League final four since 1978. Taft, Von Steuben, and Foreman have come within 32 minutes of playing for the covered championship.

Only three North side teams Lane, Von Steuben, and Foreman have won a regional title in state basketball playoffs since 2003. Marshall has won the most boys basketball title with twelve. Simeon has eleven, including eight in this century. Recently retired Simeon coach Robert Smith who won six state championships as well.

Marshall’s queen of girls’ basketball Dorothy Gaters has won twenty-three city titles.

“It's hard to be successful in basketball for a long time at an academic school,” LoGalbo stated. 

There are some people who might dispute that statement, but Lane has more championship banners in baseball and football than basketball in its long storied history. Believe it or not Lane won Public League basketball banners six times before 1950. Neighborhood rival Schurz last won in 1919.

LoGalbo believes his school is at a disadvantage because it is a select enrollment institution. “We can’t recruit athletes like other schools because we are an academic school,” LoGalbo stated.

This season, Lane (7-7) is trying to compete in basketball starting four sophomores while playing a challenging schedule. Lane will face St. Ignatius (15-2) on Friday night. Lane has lost to some quality programs recently in early season play: DePaul Prep (14-2), Lincoln Park (11-3), Young (12-6), New Trier (12-3) and Brother Rice (11-4).

“We keep saying one day at a time and we are going to get better,” LoGalbo admitted. “We have a good sophomore class. We played a tough early schedule to get ready for city and state playoffs. It's a fun team to coach."

“This group has improved greatly since start of the season,” senior Matt Szafoni said. “They have only scratched the surface. The big thing about this group is their potential.”

The Champions had a good day at the office beating neighborhood rival on Addison Street, Schurz (10-4) 61-41. Szafoni led Lane with nineteen points while sophomores Cole Christian and Owen Zackaras each contributed combing for twenty-one.

Lane jumped out to a 21-9 advantage and the outcome was never in doubt.

Lane against Schurz was always a special and entertaining matchup especially in baseball and football. Neither school is in same conference anymore in football, basketball or baseball.

“It was the neighborhood rivalry,” LoGalbo admitted as a former Lane graduate.

Schurz faces a different challenge after starting 10-1 and upsetting East Aurora (8-6) in its holiday tournament before losing to defending Class 1A champions Chicago Hope Academy (8-5) in the tournament championship game. The Bulldogs who were off to their best start since 1988 and have lost three straight games. Schurz is currently 4-0 in the CPL White North Division and must now survive without leading scorer Michael Chaney who suffered a knee injury in loss at Tinley Park (2-8) on Monday night.

“It was very disappointing. We thought we could hang with them without Michael,” head coach James Shelton said after the loss. “No excuses. We missed free throws we missed layups. Lane did a great job with that motion offense.”

Kam Fagairo led Schurz with fourteen points. The Bulldogs trailed 45-13 at halftime and started the game by missing six free throws and five layups in the first half.

One thing that has never been in dispute about Lane. The school is one of the best academically in the state.

“It's a special place,” said Logalbo who is a former Lane student and basketball player. “I love working and coaching here.”

“We have a very rigorous academic schedule,” Szafoni said. “The school spirit is great and we get support from everybody.”

Bliss Helps Montini Win Another State Football Title

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT BY JOHN MONTGOMERY

Charlie Bliss is probably the most successful offensive coordinator in the history of high school football in Illinois. Bliss helped Maine South and Loyola win eight state football championships. Bliss is now on the coaching staff with Mike Bukovsky at Montini who has won back-to-back state football championships.

“I tell everyone that I am a lucky guy,” Bliss admits.

“Our offensive co-ordinator Charlie Bliss took our offense to another level," Bukovsky admitted.

A 1975 graduate of Schurz High School, he grew up dreaming of becoming an NFL quarterback, the next Terry Bradshaw or Joe Montana. His hero was Joe Namath who also won the big game. The former Bulldog quarterback was named to participate in the first ever Chicago Public League/Catholic League all-star game at Hanson Stadium.

Bliss played football locally in Chicago at Northeastern Illinois University. He failed in tryouts with the Chicago Bears, Chicago Blitz and Miami Dolphins. 

“I had a cup of coffee with the Bears and the coffee got cold,” he joked.

Finally, in 1992, at 35 years of age, he led the Racine Raiders semi-pro team to a 15-0 record by throwing 59 touchdown passes. It was his final season of competitive football and time to look for another job.

He found it at Maine South High School in Park Ridge starting as freshman coach in 1990. As offensive coordinator, he helped produce six state championship teams by developing a series of outstanding quarterbacks, including John Schacke, Sean Price, Charlie Goro, Tyler Benz, Matt Alviti and Nick Leongas in a wide-open spread passing offense that is still popular today. Bliss stayed with the Hawks until 2022 before landing with Loyola.

In 2023 and 2024, Bliss was offensive assistant coach at Loyola Academy in Wilmette. Bliss would work with quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald who led the Ramblers to back-to-back state championships. Fitzgerald, son of former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, threw 45 touchdown passes in two years while rushing for 15 touchdowns. He currently is a backup quarterback at Iowa.

His current post is at Montini in Lombard. Not surprisingly, he started the season seeking another state championship. Mission accomplished as top seeded Montini(14-0) won its eighth state title 48-33 over nine-time champion Rochester (12-2)

“I would rather look forward than behind,” Bliss said, summing up a career that was capped in 2023 with his induction into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame. “My most important title in my life isn’t coach  but it is father and husband. The greatest uniform I ever wore in my life was as a firefighter.”

He served as a Chicago fireman for many years while being an assistant football coach at two of the most successful programs in Illinois high school history. Add Montini to the list. Montini won 300 games and six state championships under former coach Chris Andriano and added another state title under Bukovsky in 2024.

It all began at Maine South in 1990. Bliss heard there was an opening for a freshman football coach at the school. He got the job. Later, he moved up to the varsity staff as offensive coordinator under head coach Phil Hopkins. One of the first quarterbacks he worked with was Schacke.

“Phil Hopkins is one of the greatest high school football coaches in history,” Bliss said. “His philosophy was always to find a way to win and he taught me that philosophy, which helped me as a coach.”

It didn’t come easy. Maine South suffered through a 1-8 freshman football season with Schacke. Schacke didn’t start as a junior but led the Hawks to their first state title in 1995. They rallied to upset Mount Carmel 31-28 for the 5A championship as Schacke passed for 250 yards and three touchdowns. The hero of the game was Brian Schmitz, who kicked a 37-yard game-winning field goal with eight seconds to play.

“He (Schmitz) probably is the best athlete ever at Maine South,” Bliss said, with all due respect to three-sport star and NFL Hall of Famer Dave Butz. “He was the fastest freshman at North Carolina. He was the starting point guard in basketball and best wide receiver on our team. He was the punter on our team. He was an amazing athlete.”

The victory over perennial state power Mount Carmel put Maine South on the map.

Now Bliss is coaching at Montini, where he is working with another gifted quarterback, junior Israel Abrams, who has passed for 4,040 yards and 40 touchdowns. Abrams helped Broncos to their 23rd straight victory by completing 20 of 30 passes for 418 yards and five touchdown tosses in 4A championship against Rochester.

The secret to his success?

“I know what a quarterback is going through on the field,” he said. “I am always talking with my quarterback. It’s not just about corrections. If he throws a touchdown pass, I will ask him when he gets off the field what he saw on that play. I am not going to dwell on the negatives.”

Looking ahead to 2026, Bliss is eager to have an opportunity to coach his son, also named Charlie, currently an eighth grader in Naples, Florida, who will join his father at Montini next August. He’ll be wearing No. 11, his father’s old number.