Sports
Basketball Season Provided Many Memories
As thoughts turn to spring sports, take a look back at the season that was in boys and girls basketball.
When Benet Academy’s perfect season came to a close Tuesday at the hands of East Aurora, it also signaled the end of the basketball season for all of the area schools.
The final loss to the Tomcats notwithstanding, the journey the Redwings took this season was the hands-down highlight of the basketball season in the area.
After surprisingly reaching the supersectionals against Simeon last year, all eyes were on Benet this year. Add in the college signings of center Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin) and point guard Dave Sobolewski (Northwestern) prior to the season, and the spotlight was hot. But for 29 straight games, that spotlight never got to the Redwings.
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The Hinsdale South Thanksgiving tournament, Plainfield North tournament in December and the prestigious Proviso West tournament around the holidays proved to be no problem for Benet. The always-rugged East Suburban Catholic Conference was also a breeze for the Redwings.
Showcase games at the Sears Centre against eventual sectional champion Glenbard East and a nationally watched rematch with Simeon at the UIC Pavilion didn’t faze Benet, either. After that win, Benet climbed to No. 6 in the national rankings in USA Today, No. 1 in the Midwest and No. 1 in the state. A rival scout called them “the perfect high school basketball team” during regionals.
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Despite failing to reach the state tournament or win a sectional title, the nearly four months that the Redwings took fans on a ride will live in program lore forever.
The new configuration of the Upstate Eight Conference, which welcomed Metea Valley to the fold as a first-year varsity program, provided excitement. All three of the Valley schools, Metea, and , had highlight seasons, all for different reasons.
For Metea, it’s always hard to know exactly what you’re going to get from a first-year program with no seniors. But longtime Neuqua assistant Bob Vozza got the most out of the Mustangs, who finished their inaugural campaign 15-13.
An 82-73 win at home over East Aurora and UConn recruit Ryan Boatright on Jan. 22 caught people’s interest. Then the Mustangs capped off the regular season with wins over Waubonsie and Neuqua.
The question coming into the season for Neuqua was how the Wildcats would replace a starting lineup that nearly all graduated. But Todd Sutton put together a squad that finished 23-7 and finished second in the UEC Valley, thanks in large part to the contributions of Sam Johnson and Jim Stocki.
Waubonsie went through one of its worst seasons in recent memory last year, but nearly doubled its win total this year and saw a star emerge in sophomore Jared Brownridge, who figures to be one of the area’s top players next year.
struggled early on with senior Matt LaCosse recovering from a knee injury suffered during football season. But when the Illinois football recruit came back, the Huskies hit their stride. Their season ended in the regional title game, but they pushed Benet to the brink before losing in double overtime, a game that North coach Jeff Powers called “the greatest game that I’ve ever been a part of.”
struggled through a rough season, finishing under .500, but did manage to beat North on Feb. 11 for its season highlight.
On the girls’ side, Benet and Waubonsie were two of the three best area teams throughout the season (Naperville Central being the other), and they got together in the sectional semifinals for a de facto title game for the area.
Benet picked up the win, holding off a late Waubonsie surge to reach the sectional title game. The win gave Benet 16 wins in 17 games after struggling early with a rugged schedule. The undersized Redwings relied on pressure defense, outside shooting and an up-tempo pace, but they ran into eventual state champion Bolingbrook in the sectional title game, ending the area’s girls basketball season.
Waubonsie and Neuqua, which had a 20-win season, figure to both be back in the discussion next year with young rosters. Waubonsie’s had two straight great seasons, and only one starter graduates.
Naperville Central poured it on at the end of the season, winning the DuPage Valley Conference title and a regional title before losing to Bolingbrook. The brilliant career of point guard Emma Ondik came to a close for the Redhawks. She became only the third girl in program history to score 1,500 points.
Naperville North made strides this season, beating Central along the way. Metea struggled in its first varsity season, but nearly knocked off Waubonsie in stunning fashion in the regional semifinals.
