As conference races start to heat up, so do the matchups. This week, I saw a ton of great talent from the South Suburbs to the North and Northwest Suburbs. Here are are the places I went and the teams I saw.
February 6, 2018
Thornton Township 60 Thornwood 50
In a rivalry gamd between Thornwood and Thornton Township, the Wildcats came out on top Tuesday evening in Harvey. De Marco Collins led the effort for TTHS with 22 points, while contributed Delonte Jones 14 points in the win. Senior Samuel Moore led the Thunderbird's with 18 points.
Experience: Deep in the Harvey neighborhood, Thornton Township was a very unique venue. The gymnasium was very cool in regards to the setup. It oozed history inside the gym, in the halls, and in the trophy cases. Not a lot of parking near the gym, but the school did offer a school lot. Staff was held a tight leash, but were very accommodating and helpful. Pep band and cheerleaders were great, really boosted the atmosphere for a Tuesday night game. I’ll be back here again!
February 8, 2018
Rolling Meadows 66 Elk Grove 44
In game two of the District 214 Triple Header at the old Arlington High, Rolling Meadows took control to earn the victory over Elk Grove. EGHS kept it close throughout the first half, but ran out of gas towards the end. Freshman Max Christie was very impressive for the Mustangs in the win. He will be a special talent in the years to come!
Prospect 52 Hersey 41
After the Prospect Knights shutout Hersey in the first quarter, it became quite a game in the second half. Even though it was a heck of a comeback, the Knights held on for the victory in the final game at the old Arlington High School. Tim Lussenhop led all scorers as he finished with 19 points.
Experience: This was a really nice event that Christian Liberty Academy was so kind to allow District 214 use for the night. The former home of Arlington High School featured a fun triple header of all 6 high schools from the district. The gym was really old, and had a lot of character. The staff was very helpful. Concessions were good and featured Arlington High t-shirts. The program was nice because it gave a lot of information on the Arlington team that went to state. A brief walk from the Arlington Heights train station. I really hope this event becomes an annual thing, I had a lot of fun!
February 10, 2018
Niles North 58 Prospect 40
Niles North put together another dominating performance over a well-coached Prospect team. It wasn’t close from the opening tip, the Vikings controlled the tempo the whole way. seniors Damaria Franklin and Jamal Stephenson led the way for North in the win with 14 points each. Sophomore Aquan Smart was also impressive for the Vikings, as he finished with 11 points. Senior David Swedura had a solid performance as he led the knights with 12 points.
Experience: Overall, I was a little disappointed with my trip to Highland Park. The people working were nice, but the school itself seemed so bare. Everything was new, but it felt cold. Concession food was solid overall. No rosters were provided for the Hourseshoe Shootout. The gym bleachers were really far away from the action. Lots of good matchups. Probably won’t go back unless it’s a good matchup.
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