Despite supersectional defeat, Neuqua still DuPage's best
This space was originally saved for a tribute to Neuqua Valley becoming the first Naperville boys basketball program to reach the IHSA state semifinals.
As we all know, however, that dream dashed away with Tuesday's 64-59 stunning loss to Dundee-Crown in the Class 4A Northern Illinois University supersectional in DeKalb.
The Wildcats (31-2) came in as a heavy favorite on the heels of their second straight sectional championship, but the area's most dominant team couldn't cap the season with a dream trip to Peoria.
So instead of a Neuqua Valley tribute, this space is now reserved for a few random playoff thoughts.
The kings: This season solidified Neuqua Valley's position as the area's premier boys basketball program.
Since the varsity team debuted with a 6-22 record in 1999, the Wildcats have won 75 percent of their games while notching seven 20-win seasons and a 31-win campaign this year.
By claiming consecutive sectional titles, Neuqua Valley has matched the number of sectionals won by Naperville North and Naperville Central and eclipsed the 1991 sectional crown won by Waubonsie Valley. In seven supersectional appearances, however, District 203 and 204 schools remain winless.
After Metea Valley joins the field next school year as a third District 204 school - with longtime Neuqua Valley assistant Bob Vozza at the helm of the basketball program - it'll be interesting to see how the Mustangs affect the balance of power in the years to come.
The 3A meat-grinder: As long as the Class 3A brackets stay the same, there's little hope of an area team winning a sectional title.
Not to sound doomy and gloomy, but this year's Riverside-Brookfield sectional field was pretty ridiculous with the likes of 2008 Class 2A state champion North Lawndale, 1999 Class AA champion St. Joseph and Marshall, last year's 3A champion.
Glenbard South did a tremendous job upsetting Riverside-Brookfield in the regional final and staying with North Lawndale for nearly three quarters. Winning a sectional championship, though, went way beyond daunting as a challenge.
In contrast Wheaton Academy, which lost to Marshall in last year's sectional, was moved out west this postseason into a more manageable Class 3A Rochelle sectional field.
The Warriors missed a golden opportunity with their 61-57 loss to sub-.500 Rochelle in the sectional semifinals. That'll become especially true if Wheaton Academy winds up getting moved back east next season.
Two good men: The DuPage Valley Conference lost a pair of head coaches with last week's resignations of Naperville North's Mark Lindo and West Chicago's Kevin Gimre.
Their departures leave a void in a league that for a long time has prided itself in the camaraderie of its basketball coaching fraternity. For several years the coaches and their spouses have gathered for a postseason dinner that proves on-court rivals can be off-the-court friends.
With last week's resignations, seven of the eight DVC schools have turned over basketball coaches in the last 10 years. Only venerable West Aurora coach Gordie Kerkman has remained.
On a side note, through the years there were no finer gentlemen to deal with than Lindo and Gimre. They'll be missed.
kschmit@dailyherald.com