Even 'brick wall' can't stop St. Viator's Aboona

Alan Aboona found out what it was like to run into a Division I football player Friday night.

It was definitely the hard way with 6-foot-6, 225-pound future Iowa tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz of Johnsburg.

"It's a brick wall," Aboona said with a smile of his second-quarter encounter in the lane where he went flying backward as the chiseled Fiedorowicz didn't budge an inch.

But the tough shot by the 6-foot-1, 180-pound St. Viator senior point guard also went flying in the basket in the Class 3A Vernon Hills sectional championship game.

Johnsburg also found out what it was like to run into one heck of a rock-solid point guard as Aboona scored half of St. Viator's points in a 66-54 victory for its first sectional title.

Just ask Viator assistant Mike Howland, a pretty accomplished one himself who helped lead the program to its only East Suburban Catholic Conference title in 1997.

"How awesome was he tonight," Howland said during the on-court postgame celebration. "Talk about a kid playing well."

How well? Start with scoring 27 and 33 points respectively in sectional wins over North Chicago and Johnsburg.

He nailed six 3-pointers and all 13 of his free throws Friday. He had 6 assists in the two games.

And most important - no turnovers in either game.

"Unbelievable," said senior Richard McLoughlin, who is also a third-year varsity starter with Aboona. "I've been playing with him since kindergarten and he hasn't really changed at all."

Aboona doesn't feel like much is different right now either even though the stakes keep getting greater.

"I just go out and play the same game every day," the two-time all-area pick said. "My shots are falling pretty well for me."

Especially when they mattered most Friday night after Johnsburg used an 11-point run to tie the game in the third quarter.

Aboona hit 2 free throws and then found McLoughlin for a 3-pointer. Then came the shot for the highlight reel as time was winding down in the third quarter.

Once again Fiedorowicz was waiting at the top of the key. Aboona tossed up an off-balance one-hander as the whistle blew.

The ball dropped through the net and turned into a 4-point play after the foul call.

"He's unbelievable," said senior guard Brendan King of his best friend and teammate on Viator's 2A state soccer champion. "I wasn't even celebrating. I was standing there in awe saying, 'How did that just go in?'

"He deserves all of the credit he's gotten this year. He's a hard worker and a great captain. He's the best player I've ever played with."

Johnsburg could just watch with an awful sense of dread as Aboona marched to the free-throw line to make all 10 of his attempts in the final 4:43.

"He took care of business," said Johnsburg coach Luke Ravlin.

"Alan's a great leader and he's just unbelievable to watch," said Viator senior Richard Markovits. "Sometimes you get caught up in it and you don't believe some of the shots he hits.

"The thing about Alan is he's the most unselfish player I've played with."

It showed as Aboona helped put the finishing touch on a magical night with a perfect feed for a Julian Sipiora layup. It's all part of a package that will make some college coach as happy as his current one.

"He just did it again," said Viator coach Joe Majkowski. "He's put this team on his back right now and getting a lot of things done out there."

No matter who he runs into.

mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com