Fenton buying in, seeing results
Early results have borne out Fenton coach Josh Payton's preseason assessment.
During the preseason Payton perceived that his players have “bought in” to the boys basketball program at a rate greater than he's seen in his tenure.
Last season the Bison came out of their own Thanksgiving tournament with a 1-3 record and lost their next game to Reavis. This season they emerged with a 2-1 mark at Fenton then beat Reavis 63-58 before falling to Hubbard last Friday 71-70.
The last two games, even in a sense the loss, can be seen as positives.
Fenton outscored Reavis 25-12 in the fourth quarter behind a half-court trap, a pair of key 3-pointers by guard Javier Sanchez and forward Bryan Larsen drawing Reavis' top player, Isiah Alpuche, into foul trouble and eventual disqualification.
Next time out, Fenton led Hubbard 55-39 entering the fourth quarter then frittered the game away. The Bison still were in a position to win with Larsen getting a good look at a would-be 18-foot game-winner in the waning seconds.
But the message of not resting on one's laurels was clear.
“You've still got to work and do certain things,” Payton said.
Through five games Fenton had fielded eight double-figure scorers: Larsen, Sanchez, guards Eric Trujillo, Ethan Guerra and K.J. Jones, forwards Jake Piotrowski and Tyler Santagata, and post Joe Andrews.
It's certainly going to be a rough road in a Metro Suburban Conference West Division that includes Glenbard South, IC Catholic and Riverside-Brookfield among others. Still, Payton likes this start.
“All 15 guys have bought in and they're reaping the benefits of that,” he said.
Turkey (of a) day:
Glenbard East senior Michael Finley won't forget this Thanksgiving anytime soon.
The 6-foot-3 wing forward was driving down the Eisenhower Expressway with his mother and a cousin to a family dinner when the car he was driving skidded in the rain and hit a retaining wall along the highway, Rams coach Scott Miller said.
No one was seriously hurt, but Finley missed Glenbard East's Thanksgiving tournament crossover win against Lyons Twp.
“Just banged up, sore ... neck, knees,” Miller said.
Finley returned to aid the Rams' 62-61 overtime win over Oswego East in which slashing guard Terrence Lakes scored 25 points with 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Finley and Zach Walsh led the Rams with 15 and 11 points, respectively, in an 87-58 win over Perspectives.
Finley has been starting for the Rams varsity since his freshman year. Offensively, he's tough to guard and defensively he can handle guards and taller forwards.
“He's really kind of a mismatch guy for us,” Miller said.
Oh no:
In the last five minutes of St. Francis' 50-48 win Monday over Wheaton Academy the Spartans lost their top scorer, Gabe Johnson, to a badly sprained ankle. The all-conference senior, averaging about 16 points, got injured in a scrap for a loose ball.
“It was one of those weird plays where everybody's trying to get the ball. I tried to call a timeout, was trying to find a ref, and I turn around and he's holding his leg and kind of limping,” said St. Francis coach Erin Dwyer.
On Wednesday Johnson visited an orthopedic specialist who advised him surgery was not required, though Johnson will be fitted with a walking boot, Dwyer noted in a message. Initially it was projected Johnson would miss up to eight weeks, but an MRI, also scheduled for Wednesday, will paint a clearer picture.
Dwyer said he'd started to use the 6-foot-3 Johnson at point guard to facilitate a larger lineup. Wherever he plays, Johnson helps spread out defenses with his long-range shooting ability.
Dwyer is no stranger to injuries striking key players. He said St. Francis doesn't need one player to suddenly replace Johnson's scoring but will need an overall team effort.
“We need him, but we have guys ready to step up,” Dwyer said.