Local Sports Notebook

Orland Hills Wolves Gear Up for Today's Fall Kickoff Football Clinic

College football players will provide instruction for the youngsters at Kelly Park.

Mayor Kyle R. Hastings and the Village of Orland Hills Trustees will host a Fall Kickoff Football Clinic for the Orland Hills Wolves Youth Football and Cheerleading Association today (Aug. 13) at Kelly Park. The clinic will offer the Orland Hills Wolves football players free instruction from the Olivet Nazarene University football team. The clinic will run from 4:15 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. Afterward, the college team will hold a team practice on the Kelly Park football field from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. For more information, please contact the recreation department at 708-349-7211. Orland Park Youth Football opened its practices earlier this week. The Pioneers are celebrating their 35th season of football. They will open their season Sept. 3 …

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In Good Company: Sandburg Grad Bob Hicks Impressed By Lukas Verzbicas

Hicks credits the sport of running for his current career as a veterinarian in Florida.

Having starred at Sandburg during the same time legendary distance runners Tom Graves and Craig Virgin were dominating the cross country scene in Illinois, Bob Hicks is not easily impressed. Following what recent Sandburg graduate Lukas Verzbicas has accomplished, however, is impossible to ignore. “It’s neat watching what Lukas is doing,” Hicks said. “I always thought Tom Graves was the toughest mental and physical runner, but the times Lukas is throwing out there are unreal.” Verzbicas, who graduated in May and will compete at the University of Oregon, was the winner of the Gatorade national cross country runner of the year award the past two seasons. He won two straight state cross country championships. He defended his state …

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Glory Days

Sandburg Graduate and Wannabe Basketball Player Hicks Glad He Chose Running

Bob Hicks won the IHSA state championship in the mile to help Eagles place third in 1977.

Bob Hicks always had envisioned himself being a star basketball player at Sandburg High School. “Being 5-foot-11, that was not going to happen,” the 1977 Sandburg graduate lamented. “I played basketball my freshman year, and I was going to play my sophomore year, but the coaches said they thought I should focus on cross country and track year round. I decided to go 100 percent and was able to have a lot of success.” Heeding the advice of his coaches proved to be a smart decision. Hicks emerged as one of the top middle-distance runners in Sandburg history and ended up with a scholarship to Auburn University. Despite his running success, Hicks wasn’t exactly thrilled with the sport in the early stages of his high school career. “I did pretty…

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