Jacobs seeking R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Aretha Franklin sang about it.

Rodney Dangerfield struggled in vain to get any.

And the Jacobs boys basketball has been desperately seeking it statewide for two seasons.

Despite going 50-4 over the past two seasons combined, the best record in Illinois in that span, despite winning back-to-back, undefeated Valley Division titles in the Fox Valley Conference and despite the fact the Golden Eagles boast one of the top players in Fox Valley history in senior guard John Moran, Jacobs (24-2) is still a team on a mission to earn some respect.

The Daily Herald ranks the Golden Eagles No. 2 in its weekly Top 20 behind a team from Batavia (20-5) that has absorbed 3 more losses.

Elsewhere, the Golden Eagles haven't been able to crack the rankings all season in either of Chicago's metro daily newspapers, nor are they ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 in Class 4A this week.

"There is no team that has lost only 4 games in the last two years except Jacobs High School, but it's like we don't exist," Jacobs coach Jim Hinkle said. "So, we still have a chip on our shoulder."

When given the chance to earn that respect, Jacobs has faltered at critical times, none more famously than in last season's Class AA Dundee-Crown regional title game, when the 26-1 Golden Eagles were upset by the rival Chargers.

Jacobs' 2 losses this season were against Quincy at the Blue Devil Thanksgiving Tournament and against Fenwick in a showcase game at the Sears Centre.

A win against either high-caliber opponent would have boosted the Eagles' prospects of gaining additional statewide recognition.

As a result of those losses, many will view Jacobs as a regional power only until it proves otherwise in the upcoming Class 4A playoffs, which the top-seeded Golden Eagles open Tuesday against the winner of No. 4 Crystal Lake South (14-13) and No. 5 Prairie Ridge (6-22).

"I think we have something to prove to people," Moran said. "I'm sure some people don't give us a chance just because of what happened last year, but we're confident and we think we can make a lot of noise in the playoffs this year, starting with this regional."

Another reason Jacobs hasn't converted the nonbelievers is the Fox Valley Conference itself, which has never advanced a team to the Elite Eight.

"Yeah, we lost to the two nonconference teams and I'm sure people think the only way we win is against our conference," Moran added. "Me and all my teammates completely disagree with that, and we think we can play with pretty much anyone. We're just excited and completely ready for the playoffs to start."

Moran, however, may not be able to play in Tuesday's opener due to a hyper-extended left hip incurred in the regular-season finale against Dundee-Crown on Friday.

If Moran can't go, freshman heir-to-the-point-guard-position, Mike Peterson, the younger brother of senior co-captain Zack Peterson, will start in Moran's place. Peterson has played in 17 games this season.

Regardless of Moran's status for Tuesday's game, the Golden Eagles remain poised to attack behind 6-foot-5 junior center Conrad Krutwig (16.2 ppg., 8.1 rpg.), Zack Peterson (10.3 ppg.) and junior forward Tim Moran (8.1 ppg., 6.2 rpg).

This is the week the Golden Eagles have been waiting for since last year's regional title game loss, their chance for redemption.

"I don't want to say we looked past the regular season," Hinkle said, "but finishing second at Quincy (at Thanksgiving) and winning our Christmas tournament for the second year in a row, which no one else has ever done, and winning the conference for a second year in a row -- those were all just byproducts of getting ready for this week.

"This whole season has been about preparing for this week. Everything else that happened along the way just kind of happened."

Zack Peterson said Moran's injury is a tough break, but one the Golden Eagles can overcome together.

"We have to go out and play the way we normally do," he said. "It'll be different without Johnny there, obviously, but my brother has been doing a great job in practice. It'll be a big change, but we should be able to handle it pretty good.

"We've really been playing pretty good the last couple of games, so it's a shame something like this happened to Johnny, but it's just a roadblock. We'll get through it."