Christopher Burgess Jr. wasn’t all that serious about sports as a kid.
“I played a lot of basketball in the front yard, just playing for fun,” the Simeon junior said.
Then his father changed the course of his life.
“My dad just recommended me to play football,” Burgess said. “I told him I’d give it a try. I didn’t mean to take it this far.”
But here Burgess is, a four-star prospect on the defensive line who recently committed to Notre Dame. He is part of a concerted effort by the Fighting Irish to make a big splash in local recruiting in the class of 2025.
Already, Notre Dame has secured commitments from three of the area’s top 15 juniors in the 247Sports composite rankings. Burgess is No. 5 in Illinois, York defensive lineman Joseph Reiff is No. 10 and IC Catholic linebacker Dominik Hulak is No. 14.
The choice was easy for Burgess, who said the Fighting Irish have been recruiting him since his freshman season. He likes Notre Dame’s ability to help players raise their games: “I watched them develop a lot of d-linemen who transferred from other schools.”
National recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove likes Burgess’ upside.
“He’s at a very raw stage,” Cosgrove said of the 6-4, 240-pounder. “He is just actually a big, strong, twitched-up kid. He has some length, he has a ton of ability. He’s got a great motor.”
Burgess, whose junior season was curtailed by injuries, is looking forward to playing for new Simeon coach Sinque Turner, who has a strong background on defense.
“He’s bringing a lot to the table,” Burgess said. “He’s going to build the defense around me.”
Cosgrove also sees a bright future for Hulak, who is 6-3 and 225 pounds.
“He’s a big linebacker who can actually run,” Cosgrove said. “He’s a sideline-to-sideline guy. He can play in space.”
Mike Fitzgerald leaves York for Marist
Mike Fitzgerald, who coached York to the Class 8A semifinals each of the past two seasons, has left the Dukes after six years to become head coach at Marist.
Fitzgerald takes over for Ron Dawczak, who was 56-24 with three trips to the 8A semis in seven seasons before stepping down to spend more time with his family.
At York, Fitzgerald went 43-17. He spent six seasons as Marist’s offensive coordinator before leaving to become head coach at St. Francis, going 15-7 in two seasons. He also had a stint as offensive coordinator at Naperville North before going to York.
“I was not actively looking for a job, but given my past experience at Marist and the relationships I have with the school, an opportunity presented itself that I had to consider,” Fitzgerald wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “After learning more about the position, I realized that this was a unique job and an opportunity that was best for my family and [me],”
Chris Schremp changes roles
Chris Schremp, who went 187-64 with three Class 6A titles and two runner-up finishes in 22 seasons as Prairie Ridge coach, has stepped down but he’s not going away.
Schremp will take over as the Wolves’ athletic director after incumbent Mark Gilbert retires later this year.
Schremp has been assistant AD the past 11 years and was in the Wolves’ football program for five seasons as an assistant before replacing Dave Whitson as head coach in 2002.
Jonas Williams moves to Lincoln-Way East
Sophomore quarterback Jonas Williams, one of the state’s most dynamic players, announced on X that he is transferring from Bolingbrook to Lincoln-Way East.
Williams accounted for 2,950 total yards and 31 touchdowns last season for the Raiders, who finished 3-6.
Lincoln-Way East went 13-1, falling to Loyola in the Class 8A title game. Senior quarterback Braden Tischer finished with 2,235 total yards and 22 TDs for the Griffins.