By Dominic Scianna
Lane Tech College Prep and DePaul College Prep (the former Gordon Technical High School from 1952 to 2013) are a stone’s throw away from each other with their campuses intertwining off of Addison and Campbell Street on Chicago’s North Side. One is public, one is catholic, and when it comes to sports – the unwritten rivals know each other all too well.
The rivalry has gained even more significance of late, when it comes to basketball’s Tom Kleinschmidt (a 1991 Gordon Tech graduate) and Nick LoGalbo (a 2001 Lane Tech graduate) patrolling the sidelines as current coaches for their alma maters, respectively.
DePaul Prep under Kleinschmidt, a former high school All-American at Gordon Tech and star at DePaul University (1991-1995), has won back-to-back IHSA state titles the past two seasons in Class 2A and 3A. LoGalbo’s credentials boast inclusion as a USA Basketball Junior Nationals coach, and a 3-time Federation of International Basketball Association Cup gold medal winner. And, his Lane team is one of the top ranked teams in the coveted CPS Red Division this year, while the Rams of DePaul Prep are in the Top 5 among all city teams.
And just three games into the 2024-25 season, their hoops squads met at the old Gordon Tech campus gym for a Thanksgiving eve clash in the three-day Battle of the Bridge tournament championship game before a packed house on November 27.
The Rams came away with the title for a 53-39 victory over the runner-up Champions, who were formerly known as the Indians until they changed their nickname a few years ago).
Suburban power Niles North and defending Class 2A champion Phillipsl were the other participants in the four-team field. Lane defeated Niles North (74-72) and Phillips (70-54) to advance to the championship game versus DePaul Prep.
“It’s a fun neighborhood rivalry (with Lane),” Kleinschmidt said. “You cheer them on when they’re not playing you – and it’s competitive when we play each other. Parents are talking about it, players are talking about the game. Plus, Nick and I go way back. He grew up here and he’s passionate about his team, like I am, and we both love our schools.”
But this early season matchup was nothing more than a precursor for a long season with Lane and DePaul sporting lofty goals and top rankings.
“I think it’s a great story when you think about what’s happening on the Northside (of Chicago),” said LoGalbo. “We both have a mutual respect for each other and our programs, plus a lot of our students are friends with their students. My daughter was in the stands tonight and her best friend’s sisters and brother go to DePaul. I think that’s cool, and it’s good for basketball, and great for the city that we’ve got a little Public vs. Catholic rivalry brewing between us.”
To say that these schools have staged some epic contests against each other in both football and basketball down through the years would be an understatement.
The rivalry is unique because of the proximity of schools’ locations, but what makes it even more special is the combatants know each other since their grammar school days, and have played against each other or were teammates on the same AAU and/or summer league teams for years.
Plus, they want nothing more than to hold the bragging rights each year when they go head-to-head in competition.
“We’re very close with some of their guys and hang out with them sometimes away from school,” said DePaul Prep point guard Makai Kvamme, a two-time state champion and senior. “Lane is a good team and hit some big shots in some big moments to make it close down the stretch.”
Lane senior Luka Pinto, who led the Champions with 14 points and senior center Dalton Scantlebury tallied 10 points in the loss, but both felt like this was a great experience and opportunity for their team to grow as the season progresses. Rykan Woo had 20 points to pace DePaul.
“It was super exciting and a great environment to play in,” said Pinto, who knocked down three 3-point shots to lead a fourth-quarter comeback. “You hear everyone in the opposing crowd calling your name because everyone knows each other. It’s definitely a love, hate relationship but fun to play in, win or lose, and will only make us a better team.”
The bottom line for both teams is to get better in March for a run in their respective league championships, and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state playoffs.
“We have to win some of these games to make it more of a rivalry so we have to do our job and get it going against elite teams like this,” LoGalbo said. “If we want to get where we want to go, and do things we say we want to do, we have to be ready for these types of atmospheres.
“Playing in games like this in November should set us up for success down the road, and for me we got to play for an early season championship (Battle of the Bridge) against a really talented group of teams. That’s what it’s all about.”
As for the unwritten rivalry ……. well that will continue to play out each year for bragging rights, and it will be fun to watch in whatever sport these two quality academic and athletic schools compete in.
Author’s note: I was born and raised in Chicago and have witnessed the rivalry firsthand between the former Gordon Technical High School (now DePaul College Prep) and Lane Tech College Prep. Now, more than 45-plus years later with stints as a student at Gordon (1974-1978), and young reporter for Lerner Newspapers, to a stringer covering games for the Chicago Sun-Times under prep sports editor Taylor Bell. The rivalry has now taken on a new perspective from the other side as I now observe the Lane Tech tradition, in my new role with the communications staff of CPS sports administration. Here’s my story about the two schools, their storied histories, and their unwritten rivalry in Chicago high school sports culture which dates back to 1952.
Photos by Jim Vincent/OSA
