Hales is on a terrible slide. The Spartans have lost two in a row (St. Laurence, Young) and are 3-3, not at all what was expected from a preseason Super 25 team.

Loyola has breezed to victories over Prairie Ridge, Round Lake, Barrington, Mundelein, Carmel and St. Laurence. All the wins have been by 18 points or more.

Hales stars Matt Humphrey and Josh Crittle have a lot to prove tonight. The game will be televised on ME-TV, channel 23. Hales should come out motivated and could be turning the corner, having lost to Young by only two points on Tuesday night.

The Ramblers are led by Jeff Jordan, Peter Sullivan and Rob Belcore. This will be the first big challenge for sophomore Marcus Jordan. Loyola was one of the toughest defensive teams in the state last yeah, and have added more scoring punch this season. Still, they haven't faced a team as talented as Hales.