The top two ranked teams in the state ended up meeting in the 3A championship – Minooka and Sandburg. Fittingly enough, it was tied 20-20 going into the last two weights. Minooka got the 23-20 edge, but it was still anyone’s game going into the last weight. A simple decision would tie it for Sandburg, and anything better would win it.

I can’t even imagine what was going through freshman Matt Meyer’s head when he took the mat – or when the referee raised his arm in the air as the winner – or when his team rushed around him and lifted him onto their shoulders.

The championship was the first ever for the school. It was the wrestling team’s fifth trip to the state finals.

As per my usual, I wasn’t able to give myself a lot of time with her – or to plan much at all. It was too bad, because she was really willing to work with me. In all, the shoot only lasted about a half hour. We did some photos at her home and a couple at a nearby park.

Paige’s style isn’t exactly ‘pop.’ She performs a lot of blues and prefers older music. Might be part of the reason Simon didn’t get behind her, yet Shania Twain did. But, if you’d ask Patti LaBelle, the judges don’t know what they’re talking about anyway.

Paige and I are trying to set up some dates where I can come photograph her band, the Chicago Blues Angels. They play each Wednesday at Rizzo’s in Naperville.

Regardless, we needed lead art. I chose to do a side-by-side illustration of the two surfaces. Thanks to Romeoville High School for allowing me to check out their field.

When I asked people if this photo looked weird at all, they all said ‘no, why?’ It’s actually two photos merged into one down the middle. That middle finger of mine is half from one photo and half from another. Since I did too good of a job blending them, we labeled the two surfaces in the print edition.