The Vikings hung around and hung around and hung around. When that happens, you know what happens. This time it was overtime but the Marist Redhawks survived 49-44.
2022 Riverside Brookfield Summer Shootout Opens
The 19th Annual Riverside Brookfield Summer Shootout opened this afternoon. It felt good to be back. Not very many teams from my coverage area are in the tournament. It’s basically, just Lane, Lincoln Park and DePaul Prep. So I could get to see some other teams.
Lake Forest v. St. Rita. The first game I saw was Lake Forest v. St. Rita. I got a look at Asa Thomas and Nojus Indrusaitis. They are as advertised. The Mustangs did not have their big men but they didn’t seem to need them. St. Rita is going to be something to watch this year. The Chicago Catholic League Blue will be loaded.
Lane v. St. Ignatius. Shaheed Solebo looked bigger, faster and stronger. He is only a junior but the “Champions” are his team. Lane jumped out to a big early lead. Ignatius came around and gained the lead at 12:11 in the second half and would not give it up. Richard Barron and Jackson Kotecki were too much for the Champions. St. Ignatius 57, Lane Tech 54.
Lane did not fair much better against Burlington Central in their second game. It was my first look at Burlington Central. They can play. Burlington Central 56, Lane Tech 46.
Matt Monroe’s Wolfpack, fresh off a 3A Third Place finish last year, brings back some key players from his historic year, Richard Barron, Jackson Kotecki and Emmitt O’Shaughnessy. I got my first look at sophomore Phoenix Gill. Gill looks like he will fill in nicely for A. J. Redd. Oh, and the Wolfpack will be in the CCL Blue this year.
Glenbard West v. Tinley Park. Glenbard West dominated last year. I got my first look at them at R-B last year. They were the talk of the event then and went on to win 4A. How would there team be this year? Last year’s leader and putative point guard Caden Pierce, now graduated, was on the bench for support. But let’s just say they are not last year’s team. Not the same length on defense. Not any length on defense. Athletic, well coached but not the same team.
St. Laurence v. Morton. St. Lawrence looks good. Very athletic. The coach I was sitting next thought there are a year away.
Mount Carmel v. St. Viator. The Caravan’s junior forward Angelo Ciarovino was the player to watch. He had some early points and one sequence of two straight blocks. Deandre Craig impressed as well.
More tomorrow including DePaul Prep and Lincoln Park. Get there early. Parking is tough.
St. Ignatius Blows Past St. Laurence in Second Half for 67-49 Victory
Despite a 24-9 season last year and winning a spot in a sectional championship, number 13 ranked St. Ignatius hosted St. Laurence in a Chicago Catholic League “crossover” matchup between two teams swapping spots in CCL divisions this year. The Wolfpack were, some might say, “relegated” to the White and the Vikings moving up to the Blue division.
“I know; it’s weird. We are moving because of our record two years ago,” said St. Ignatius head coach Matt Monroe.
Relegated or not St. Ignatius is good. Coming off a disappointing 34-31 loss against Loyola Academy on Thursday, the Wolfpack looked flat and tentative in the first half. Just like they did at Loyola.
The Vikings impressed in the first half. Lead by senior guard and football quarterback Darius Wilson, the Vikings defense played well and the offence finished at the other end leading 33-30 at the half.
Monroe lit a fire under them at halftime. “I told them we have to play with energy on defense. When they got active on the defensive end, it jump started the offense,” Monroe said.
The second half was a whole different story. Ignatius outscored Laurence 18-6 in the third quarter. Ignatius did not let up in the fourth. Laurence’s frustration boiled over into two technical fouls. It was over at that point.
When asked if it is the quest for a CCL White championship motives his team, Monroe said, “I tell them to play for each other.” Make your team great.
Monroe has his team playing for each other.
Final score: St. Ignatius 67, St. Laurence 49.
Team Rose Shootout 2019
It was a busy weekend of basketball. Whitney Young v. Lincoln Park and DePaul Prep v. Providence on Friday night. Then the Team Rose Shootout on Saturday and Sunday.
I love the Team Rose Shootout. It has a real gym-rat feel. The Chicago Elite Classic is fancy. Wintrust has fabulous light. But for pure basketball pleasure, the Team Rose Shootout is it. So many knowledgeable people to talk to. So many good players and good teams. Had some blowouts but all well played games.
Of the 900 games (14 actually), I got to see six. I really wanted to see Bloom and Orr, neither of whom I had not seen yet this year. Bloom is something—big and athletic. Well deserving of their #1 status. Orr looked really good. Evanston was just too good for the Spartans. The Wildkits handled Orr’s pressure. Not many others could. Orr will be there for the CPS championships.
I got to see Leo in advance of the Friday’s Chicago Catholic League game against DePaul Prep. And St. Laurence too. I like to see as many Chicago Catholic League teams as I can. I still haven’t seen Fenwick. It will be strange to see St. Joe’s without Gene Pingatore.
Notre Dame amazed me with a huge win over an extremely talented Bogan Begals squad. I still don’t know how they did that. Troy D’Amico played two positions at once. He was bringing the ball over the time line and then passing it to himself under the basket to score.
Okay, I know everybody contributed—Louis Lesmond, Jason Bergstrom, Jimmy Murphy, Frank Lynch and Mac Ross all made it happen without Anthony Sayles.
And the inspired coaching from Kevin Clancy and Shay Boyle. They had the Dons ready and did not fold under the intense pressure from Bogan. It was an interesting move to put D’Amico at point guard after the rash of turnovers. And the murderer’s row schedule too. As a St. Viator grad, I am not one to say nice things about the Notre Dame Dons if I can help it. But I have to take my St. Viator baseball cap off to them. It was very gutsy to put this schedule together and even more impressive to go out and back it up with high quality wins.
I couldn’t speed a lot of time there on Saturday so I missed OPRF and Stevenson. I will get to see Stevenson at the Hinsdale Holiday Classic coming up.
Michael O’Brien wrote in the paper today (or maybe it was Twitter) that the season is one quarter over. It seems like it just started to me. It has been very enjoyable so far.
Well, on to the Christmas tournaments.
Photos from:
Tinley Park v. Schaumburg
Bloom v. St. Laurence
Leo v. Kenwood
Notre Dame v. Bogan
Orr v. Evanston
