The Record News and Sports

All three of our teams — New Trier, Highland Park and Loyola (by a hair!) — made the playoffs. We look at their matchups and their chances of escaping the first round. And, per usual, we gripe about the postseason selection process and how it can and should be better. Plus, Trevians tennis three-peats and we hear from their coach, Jerry Morse-Karzen.

Look out! Will Loyola Academy football miss the playoffs AND pay fewer than nine games for the first time in decades? We talk about Ramblers uphill climb to save their season. Then there's New Trier and Highland Park, both of which are playoff bound and banked a big win apiece. Can the Trevians get to a sixth win? Plus, girls tennis and boys soccer chatter.

New Trier football earned a very satisfying victory in Evanston's house, while Loyola was tripped up on the road. We break down the pivotal results and how both teams react in Week 8. Plus, Highland Park stayed with its winning ways and New Trier boys golf traveled all the way to state only to again compete with their biggest rival — and come out on top. Girls didn't do so bad either!

Highland Park's makes a CSL North statement with rout of reigning champs, Loyola takes care of its business — are Ramblers getting better each week? But the Trevians stumble and need to rebound and quick. Can they best their biggest rival for the first time in three seasons? We talk it out and give our Week 7 predictions, as well as talk state golf with New Trier golfers' big sectional performances.

Winning cures what ails you, as all three of ours teams found out last Friday night. In this Victory Pod, I (Joe w/o Michal) recap decisive third wins by the Trevians, Ramblers and Giants. Looking ahead, New Trier and Highland Park have tall tasks with league powers coming to town in Week 6.

We love a victory pod, so I guess his must be a defeat pod. All three of our squads (New Trier, Loyola, Highland Park) ran into Week-4 troubles, and we break down where it all went wrong, while also spending plenty of time on where it can turn around in Week 5 — with all three teams having good opportunities to vent their frustrations on the field.

A lot of hype surrounds Loyola football's sophomore class, and the young Ramblers got to show their stuff on Friday in Wheaton. We talk about the big night, and how they'll fare on the road at big and bad Brother Rice. We also talk about disappointing Fridays for New Trier and Highland Park, especially the Trevians who watched an important third win slip away.

Each 2-0, New Trier and Highland Park football are off to hot starts. We look at how they've done it and if they can keep it up. We also talk about Week 3 and the return of Loyola after a week away. Plus, we hear from Trevians volleyball coach Hannah Hsieh following a big win over Loyola and a recent big milestone for the longtime coach.

What an opening week for North Shore football. New Trier gets its first opening-week win since 2021, Loyola escapes Merrillville in final seconds, and Highland Park and Lucas Gordon take care of Leyden. We review what we saw on the field and what it means, if anything, for the rest of the season.

And away we go! The countdown to football season is over. Our local teams all kick off on Friday night. Who? What? Where? We have all of your answers in this episode, plus top players, top matchups, big questions, and Week 1 and season predictions. Prepare yourself.

The 2025-'26 school year has begun, meaning so has the preps season, and we start things off by talking about our hopes and dreams. What are we looking forward to? What could happen both this fall and the rest of the year? In advance to our BIG football show (next week): Here we go.

The Varsity returns after its own summer break and recaps some summer headlines, including New Trier star hooper Christopher Kirkpatrick making his collegiate choice. We also have soccer coach Jim Burnside earning high national praise. We save the second half for football talk and give a high-level overview of local football schedules, including a hole in Loyola's.

It's all over! All of our area teams have finished their seasons, marking the end of another high school sports season for The Varsity podcast. We give you all the goods in this spring-finale episode, including maybe the moment of the year in New Trier boys track/field's state championship. Plus, a lacrosse title and another trophy, Loyola softball gets so close, New Trier baseball hits a snag, Trevs volleyball bounces to state, NT soccer has a new nemesis and so much more. Ya gotta check it out.

It's all happening! Playoff baseball, soccer, volleyball, softball, track and field, tennis — we touch on all of it. New Trier girls soccer is thundering on a repeat quest, Trevians softball bows out but what a season, star runners from the area could bring home gold, and much more in this around-the-horn-style episode.

New Trier boys water polo has dominated competition this season and will carry a 30-match winning streak into the state finals. We talk about their greatest competition to another state title. We also get you prepared for the busiest week in high school sports with baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball and lacrosse all busy in postseason play.

New Trier baseball comes through on the final day of league play. We talk their progress and take a look at their sectional competition. Trevs softball is your league champ as well. What's their postseason outlook. Girls track and field stars show out at the sectional and a handful are off to state.

Who has the best record in North Shore baseball? It's the Highland Park Giants. At 21-4, HP is consistently beating up on opponents and is unbeaten (12-0) in the CSL North. Coach Jason Newburger tells us all about it in the second quarter. Plus, CSL baseball, softball races are still up for grabs, while NT soccer claims the league crown.

It's been a minute since New Trier softball has started a season like this! We talk about a rare win over Maine South and a 7-game winning streak for the Trevians. On other diamonds, Highland Park and New Trier are dominating too. And we take a look at water polo as the postseason approaches.

New Trier soccer isn't messing around on its defense of a 2024 state championship. The Trevs' 1-0 win at Evanston was their 14th clean sheet in 15 matches! We rave about the Trevs before shifting to volleyball and its successful start with a crop of new-yet-experienced talent. We also chat baseball, softball and more

Spring sports are full go as the weather improves, but we pause to chat some news: A $10 million donation to support New Trier's outdoor athletics facilities. We work through the news and what it means for the school and its student-athletes. Then, back to the action, as we look into New Trier baseball's three-game set with GBN and Trevians soccer moving on to the Lou Malnati's title match.

We talk a new era of Trevians girls basketball, which has its first new head coach in 30 years. We pay our respects to iconic local football coach Chick Cichowski, who recently passed away. And we go around the horn with spring updates, including hot starts for New Trier and Highland Park baseball, New Trier soccer and NT volleyball.

New Trier Hockey went into the United Center on March 16 and pulled out two state championships! We recap the dramatic boys and girls title games and then close the book on the winter season ... ... and say hello spring! Baseball, soccer and more are underway and we get it started by talking the most intriguing story lines.

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