Story posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Toughest Schedule In State?
Glenbrook South Looks For Positives After Downer End To Season
By DWIGHT ESAU Journal Sports
After a 6-22 season, some boys basketball coaches might be tempted to talk about injuries, bad luck, inexperienced players, and a "tough schedule."
Glenbrook South Titan coach Scott Nemecek did none of these things as he talked with the Journal last week about the Titans' season after a 60-55 double-overtime loss to New Trier in the Titan regional.
First of all, his team spoke volumes about its effort, courage, and "hang in there" attitude, in the loss to New Trier.
The Titans battled the much taller, more experienced, state-ranked Trevians on even terms and led them by 5 points midway through the fourth quarter in the sectional semifinal.
But the Trevians tied it in the final seconds at 41-all to force overtime. In the first extra session, the teams traded baskets and free throws on even terms, and a final shot by the Titans at the buzzer was blocked. Nemecek thought his guy was fouled on that shot, but he didn't get the call. A big basket by Jack Ryan, recently returned from an injury, kept the Titans alive.
In the second extra session, the Titans ran out of gas and their season ended as the Trevians pulled away for a five-point win.
Leading the Titans in scoring in the final game were Corey McMahon and Alex Garvey, with 13 points each.
After that highly competitive performance, Nemecek took stock of his team's disappointing 2009-10 campaign, which was vastly different from last season's sectional final appearance behind a big season by 6-9 center Jack Cooley, now at Notre Dame.
Not only did the Titans play this winter in one of the area's toughest conferences that contained three state-ranked teams (Maine South, Waukegan, and New Trier), but also Nemecek said he has documentation that his team played the toughest schedule in the state.
"Based on records and rankings of teams we played, and comparative scores, along with our conference's overall performance, I have documented evidence that we played the toughest schedule of any Class 4A team in the state," Nemecek said.
"All I can say now is that our players held their heads high all season, played hard, and took their lumps with class," he said.
Ten seniors leave the Titan program this year – frequent starters Garvey, his brother Casey, Chris Bauer, and Tommy Cowhey, along with Jeremy Benjamin, Alex Vahhaji, Ted Starck-King, Derek Maleh, Nick Zerang, and George Haramaras. Returning next year with solid varsity experience will be Ryan, Tom Wattley, McMahon, Matt Jenkins, and Lucas Rytel. Plus Matt Gumbiner, T.J. Gosse, and Hayes Cascia, all of whom are outstanding 3-point shooters.
Speak Out!
Comments are edited first by Journal staff before running in print and appearing online.