Buffalo Grove girls basketball team starts trek to state tourney in style
There will be a lot of "lasts" for Bison coach Tom Dineen in the next few days.
On Friday and Saturday, he'll coach his last games as coach of the Buffalo Grove High School girls basketball team. After 29 years, he'll retire after this season.
Thursday, Dineen attended his last pep rally.
"This will be a great weekend," Dineen said. "I've been having a blast and we have three more days to go."
More Coverage Video BGHS rally
After an early breakfast of eggs, sausage and hash browns, the girls wove through the school's hallways while hundreds of their classmates cheered, tossed confetti and wished them luck. The Blue Crew spirit squad dropped off goody bags filled with candy, blue and orange beads and a cookie with each player's name written in frosting.
During breakfast, the girls joked around while wearing identical blue warm-up pants and hooded orange sweatshirts.
"This is so awesome and we only have two more games to go," said Allison Mocchi, a senior on the team. "It's different this year. We're going to win."
This is the third trip in a row downstate for the girls basketball team. In the past two years, the team lost close games in the first round of the tournament. In 2006, the team lost by one point in overtime. Last year, the Bison lost 59-55 after Allison Mocchi suffered a game-ending knee injury in the first quarter.
The girls say this year they have more confidence. It also may be Buffalo Grove's last chance at a state championship for a while. Dineen is retiring and many of the team's star players are seniors.
Buffalo Grove (32-3) will face Whitney Young (28-3) at 8:15 p.m. Friday at Illinois State's Redbird Arena.
Because only four teams are still alive with the new four-class playoff system, Buffalo Grove will play for either third place or the state championship on Saturday.
Tickets are $10 each day and can be bought at the Redbird Arena or at Buffalo Grove High School.
"I want you to know how proud we are of you no matter what happens," said Principal Patrice Johannes, who is also retiring at the end of this year. "You're the best."
Classes paused while Buffalo Grove students flooded the school hallways to cheer the Bison before they boarded the bus. A few students waved stuffed dolphins on a stick -- the dolphin is Whitney Young's school mascot. Other students wore T-shirts that said "Nothing to lose, everything to prove."
Ed Jacobi directed the school's band from a snow pile and the school's fight song rang out as the girls board the bus.
Sticking their arms out the bus windows, the girls waved back at their classmates as they pulled out of the school.
"Win State" was scrawled in dust on the rear window.