Bill VandeMerkt Thanksgiving Classic

The Bill VandeMerkt Thanksgiving Classic is named after long time Riverside Brookfield Athletic Director and Head Football Coach, Bill VandeMerkt.  Bill spent his career building the Riverside Brookfield athletic program.  Bill still bleeds royal blue and white and has attended all 8 years of the Bill VandeMerkt Classic.  The classic is a boys varsity, girls varsity, boys sophomore, and girls sophomore tournament.

2016 Tournament Schedule Released for Varsity, Sophomore and Frosh Levels--
Click Here for Full 2016 Schedule

2016 Participating Teams:
Varsity:  RB, St. Laurence, Oak Park River Forest, Rich East, Rich Central

Sophomore: RB, Oak Park River Forest, Lane Tech, and De Paul Prep

Freshman:  RB, Fenwick, St. Rita, Argo

2016:  Results:
November 21:
Riverside Brookfield 89  Rich Central 73 (Var)
Rich East 79  St. Laurence 78 (Var)

November 22:
Rich Central vs. St. Laurence (Var)
Rich East vs. Oak Park River Forest (Var)

November 23:
Oak Park River Forest 49  Rich Central 34 (Var)
Riverside Brookfield 85 St. Laurence 56 (Var)
Riverside Brookfield 44  De Paul Prep 18 (Soph)
Oak Park River Forest 51 Lane Tech 28 (Soph)
Riverside Brookfield 69 Argo 32 (Frosh A)
Riverside Brookfield 53 Argo 21 (Frosh B)
Fenwick 52 St. Rita 25 (Frosh A)
Fenwich 57 St. Rita 28 (Frosh B)

November 25:
Oak Park River Forest 72 St. Laurence 52 (Var)
Riverside Brookfield 74 Rich East 71 (Var)
Riverside Brookfield 61 Lane Tech 39 (Soph)
Oak Park River Forest 41 De Paul Prep 39 (Soph)
Riverside Brookfield 40 St. Rita 23 (Frosh A)
Fenwick 63 Argo 22 (Frosh A)
Riverside Brookfield 56 St. Rita 28 (Frosh B)
Fenwick 53 Argo 22 (Frosh B)

November 26:
Rich East 76  Rich Central 75 (Var)
Oak Park  79  Riverside Brookfield 64 (Var)
Riverside Brookfield 45  Oak Park 44 (Soph)
Lane Tech 36  De Paul Prep 31 (Soph)
Riverside Brookfield 59 Fenwick 38 (Frosh A)
St. Rita 61 Argo 28 (Frosh B)
Riverside Brookfield 35 Fenwick 36 (Frosh B)
St. Rita 54 Argo 38 (Frosh B)

2016 Places:
Varsity:
1st:  Oak Park River Forest
2nd: Riverside Brookfield
3rd:  Rich East
4th:  Rich Central
5th:  St. Laurence

Sophomore:
1st:  Riverside Brookfield
2nd:  Oak Park River Forest
3rd:  Lane Tech
4th:  De Paul Prep

Freshman A:
1st:  Riverside Brookfield
2nd:  Fenwick
3rd:  St. Rita
4th:  Argo

Freshman B:
1st:  Fenwick
2nd:  Riverside Brookfield
3rd:  St. Rita
​4th:  Argo

Tournament History:

Tournament Champions (Varsity):
2016:  Oak Park River Forest
2015:  Riverside Brookfield
2014:  Riverside Brookfield
2013:  Oak Park River Forest
2012:  Neuqua Valley
2011:  Riverside Brookfield
2010:  Nazareth (tie breaker)
2009: Riverside Brookfield
2008: Riverside Brookfield
2007: Hinsdale South
2006: Proviso West
2005: Hinsdale South
2004: Bremen
2003: Riverside Brookfield

Tournament Champions (Sophomore):
2016:  Riverside Brookfield
2015:  Oak Park River Forest
2014:  Riverside Brookfield
2013:  Brother Rice
2012:  Riverside Brookfield
2011: Oak Park River Forest
2010: Oak Park River Forest
2009: Riverside Brookfield
2008: Riverside Brookfield
2007: Riverside Brookfield
2006: Riverside Brookfield
2005: Chicago John Hope
2004: Riverside Brookfield
2003: Mount Carmel

Tournament Champions (Freshman A):
2016:  Riverside Brookfield
2015:  Fenwick
2014:  St. Rita
2013:  Riverside Brookfield
2012:  Riverside Brookfield

Tournament Champions (Freshman B):
2016:  Fenwick
2015:  Fenwick
2014:  Fenwick
2013:  Fenwick
2012:  St. Rita

Participants (Varsity):
2016:  RB, Oak Park, Rich Central, Rich East, St.                  Laurence
2015:  RB, Oak Park, Rich Central, Lake Park, 
          St. Laurence
2014:  RB, Oak Park, Rich Central, Providence St.               Mel, Team Englewood
2013:  RB, Oak Park, Brother Rice, Rich Central,                 Kenwood
2012: RB, Neuqua Valley, Brother Rice, Rich Central,
          Urban Prep
2011: RB, Neuqua Valley, Brother Rice, Rich Central            Urban Prep
2010:  RB, Nazareth, Brother Rice, and Manley
2009: RB, Hinsdale South, Nazareth, Payton
2008: RB, Hinsdale South, Argo, Nazareth
2007: RB, Hinsdale South, Argo, Nazareth
2006: RB, Hinsdale South, Proviso West, Bremen
2005: RB, Hinsdale South, Chicago Hope, Bremen
2004: RB, Hinsdale South, Mount Carmel, and Bremen
2003: RB, Hinsdale South, Mount Carmel and Nazareth

Participants (Sophomore):
2016:  RB, Lane Tech, De Paul Prep, Oak Park
2015:  RB, Lane Tech, De Paul Prep, Oak Park
2014:  RB, Lane Tech, De Paul Prep, Oak Park
2013:  RB, Lane Tech, Oak Park, Br. Rice
2012:  RB, Lane Tech, Oak Park, Urban Prep
2011: RB, Lane Tech, Oak Park, Urban Prep
2010: RB, Lane Tech, Nazareth, Oak Park
2009: RB, Hinsdale South, Nazareth, Payton
2008: RB, Hinsdale South, Argo, Nazareth
2007: RB, Hinsdale South, Argo, Nazareth
2006: RB, Hinsdale South, Proviso West, and Downers Grove North
2005: RB, Hinsdale South, Chicago Hope, and Mount Carmel
2004: RB, Hinsdale South, Mount Carmel, and Beecher
2003: RB, Hinsdale South, Mount Carmel and Nazareth

Participants (Freshman A and B):
2016:  Riverside Brookfield, Argo, St. Rita, Fenwick
2015:  Riverside Brookfield, Argo, St. Rita, Fenwick
2014:  Riverside Brookfield, Argo, St. Rita, Fenwick
2013:  Riverside Brookfield, Argo, St. Rita, Fenwick
2012:  Riverside Brookfield, Argo, St. Rita, Fenwick

All Tournament Teams:

2016 Varsity All Tournament Team:
Jared Scott--Oak Park River Forest (MVP)
Glen Abram--Rich Central
Jalen Clanton--Riverside Brookfield
Isaiah Fuller--Oak Park River Forest
Henry Trelenberg--Riverside Brookfield
Antron Washington--Rich East
Justin Wierzgac--St. Laurence

2015 Varsity All Tournament Team:
Daniko Jackson--Riverside Brookfield (MVP)
Jeremiah James--Rich Central
Mitchell Jarosinski--Lake Park
Brett Risley--St. Laurence
Mark Smith--Riverside Brookfield
Breshawn Wilkeson--Oak Park River Forest

2014 Varsity All Tournament Team:
Daniko Jackson--Riverside Brookfield (MVP)
Eddie Burnett--Providence St. Mel
Jalen Clanton--Riverside Brookfield
Dallis Flowers--Oak Park River Forest
Sam Johnson--Riverside Brookfield
Twan Taylor--Rich Central
Breshawn Wilkeson--Oak Park River Forest

2013 Varsity All Tournament Team:
Erick Locke- Oak Park-River Forest (MVP)
Simmie Cobbs--Oak Park-River Forest
Joel Davis--Kenwood
Will Kincanon--Riverside Brookfield
Quinn Niego--Brother Rice
Ray Rubio--Brother Rice
Jack VandeMerkt -Riverside Brookfield 
 
2012 Varsity All Tournament Team:
Jabari Sandifer- Neuqua Valley (MVP)
Pat Kenny- Neuqua Valley
Miki Ljuboja -Riverside Brookfield
Damonta Henry- Riverside Brookfield
Alex Majewski-Brother Rice
Jimmy Barista- Brother Rice         
Jamaal Murray - Rich Central

2011 Varsity All Tournament Team:
Damonta Henry - Riverside Brookfield (MVP)
Steven McAfee - Urban Prep
Munang Ekoi - Rich Central
Tyler Sutton - Nequa Valley
Garrett O'Neill Brother Rice
Alex Majewski - Brother Rice
Luke Nortier - Riverside Brookfield
Miki Ljuboja - Riverside Brookfield

2010 Varsity All Tournament Team:
Ryan Jackson--Riverside Brookfield (MVP)
Charlie Morrissey--Riverside Brookfield
Patrick Kelly--Nazareth
A.J. Ryan--Nazareth
Bobby Harmening--Brother Rice
Garrett O'Neill-Brother Rice
Javon Linson--Manley

2009 Varsity All-Tournament Team:
Sean McGonagill--Riverside Brookfield (MVP)
Ryan Jackson--Riverside Brookfield
Billy VandeMerkt--Riverside Brookfield
Ryan Powers--Nazareth
Joe Petrak--Hinsdale South

2008 Varsity All-Tournament Team:
Dan Oswald--Riverside Brookfield (MVP)
Sean McGonagill--Riverside Brookfield
Karl Ploger--Hinsdael South
Patrick Kelly--Nazareth
Morris Woods--Argo

2007 Varsity All-Tournament Team:
Eric Travis--Hinsdale South (MVP)
Devin Smith--Hinsdale South
Mike Garabedian--Nazareth
Morris Woods--Argo
Chris Parrish--Riverside Brookfield
Sean McGonagill--Riverside Brookfield

2006 Varsity All-Tournament Team:
Justin Hightower-Proviso West (MVP)
Jon Baldermann--Riverside Brookfield
Nigel Jackson--Proviso West
Andre Quarles--Bremen
Paul Riskus--Hinsdale South

2005 Varsity All-Tournament Team:
Jerail Kindred (MVP)--Hinsdale South
Paul Riskus--Hinsdale South
Andre Quarles--Bremen
Matt Sandrik--Riverside Brookfield
Eric Bergin--Chicago John Hope

2004 Varsity All-Tournament Team:
Markus Hunt (MVP)--Bremen
Travon Winston--Bremen
Alex Devaris--Riverside Brookfield
McKenzie Kimbrough--Hinsdale South
Antonio Stevens--Mount Carmel

2003 Varsity All-Tournament Team:
Fiore Buccieri (MVP)----Riverside Brookfield
Dan McCloskey----Riverside Brookfield
Cassanova Brown----Mount Carmel
Adam Kandah----Hinsdale South
Steve Petrak----Nazareth