Good start no surprise for Glenbard East

With four returning starters, about 50 games played in the summer and AAU ball played by some in the fall, it's no surprise Glenbard East hit the ground running with a 5-0 start heading into this weekend.

"We were able to keep the core together pretty much the whole summer, and I think that helped us going into the season," said Rams coach Scott Miller. "The kids are playing pretty well right now. It's a focused group."

While Jack Merrithey and Lee Skinner competed for Glenbard East's football team, juniors Zach Miller and Jon Hill played AAU basketball in the fall to gear up for the season. When the Rams' football team didn't qualify for the playoffs, it allowed Merrithey and Skinner to get in a big chunk of preseason basketball work.

The experience has showed. Glenbard East, which went 20-7 last year and finished third in the DuPage Valley Conference, has outscored its opponents by an average of 26 points per game with every win claimed by a margin of at least 10 points.

All four returners have led the team in scoring this season. Fifth starter Shawn Havenga and reserves Devin Parks and Steve Kinney also have played pivotal roles in the team's fast start.

The Rams will try to keep it going this weekend against West Chicago and Curie.

"We've done a nice job carrying over our success from last year," coach Miller said. "So far so good."

Big surprise: Fenton junior Dan Montano missed the final two-thirds of last season with a broken foot. The 6-foot-3 forward is now making up for lost time.

With a 27-point effort in last week's 54-50 Metro Suburban Conference win over Ridgewood, Montano upped his scoring average to 19.5 points per game. He's also averaging 8.5 rebounds.

"I didn't realize how much we missed him last year," said Bison coach Dennis Cromer. "He's really stepped up for us."

At 220 pounds Montano is deceptively quick, he's a good shooter and he's smart on the court. The combination allows him to play virtually anywhere but the point.

Cromer said he expects opposing defenses to pay closer attention to Montano due to his stellar start, but his pinpoint passing ability should open up opportunities for teammates.

Fenton looks to improve upon its 3-3 record with games this weekend against Elmwood Park and Moline.

"All in all we're pretty pleased," Cromer said. "Dan's had a lot to do with our success so far."

Tough luck: It's bad enough that Wheaton Warrenville South's first three DuPage Valley Conference games are against Glenbard East, Naperville Central and Naperville North - teams that enter the weekend with a combined 16-2 record.

What's worse is that the Tigers face the ferocious schedule short-handed.

WW South awaits the return of All-Area guard Reilly O'Toole and junior Travis Kern, both members of the school's state championship football team. O'Toole is recovering from various bumps and bruises from the 14-week football season, while Kern tweaked an ankle in basketball practice.

Because 6-foot-6 post player Dan Hohenstein was lost for the year with a knee injury suffered in football, added pressure is on 6-6 junior Jason Schuman, who's seen limited action since the end of football season.

Add it all up and it's a bunch of bad timing for the Tigers.

"We know this is a long-term thing, and we need to keep our focus on the big picture," said Tigers coach Mike Healy. "We've just got to get better and get healthy."

Good times, bad times: Lisle got off to a decent 4-2 start. Lions coach Mark LaScala is a realist, however.

"To be real frank with you, we've faced some bad teams and good teams," he said. "Against the bad teams we had good games and the good teams pounded us."

Like good teams Timothy Christian, a 62-45 winner over the Lions for the title of Lisle's Thanksgiving Tournament. Or Wheaton Academy's 62-22 win. Lisle was unable to follow up a nice 62-57 win over Coal City in its Interstate Eight opener, falling Tuesday to 6-0 Dwight 71-39.

When things go well they're clicking. Junior forward Chris Wray clocked Coal City with 24 points and 10 rebounds, senior forward Ryan Liss averages about 17 points, senior guard Marcus Wilson and junior point guard Anthony Vacco are feeding them.

LaScala said Vacco has been the "biggest surprise" thus far.

"He and Marcus have really set Chris and Ryan up nicely," LaScala said. "The biggest thing we have to improve on is defensively."

Another surprise is news that Lisle's annual "Playing for Pride Shootout," which will offer nine games in two gyms this Saturday, is in its second-to-last year. The reason is a combination of increased expenses and low fan support from the city and rural teams and not much locally either, save roundball junkies.

The Lisle plays Rockridge at 7:45 p.m. Saturday. Timothy Christian has Manley at 7 p.m., and a dynamite game should be North Lawndale-Rock Falls at 6 p.m.

Tough break: Going 0-3 at Batavia to start the season is not a killer or even that shocking for St. Francis, especially considering the additions of King and Crystal Lake South.

What hurt was the loss of the player coach Shawn Healy called Spartans' "Mr. Everything," active 6-3 senior forward Larry Murison, who fractured a bone above his right ankle in the third quarter of St. Francis' season opener. He'll be out 8-10 weeks.

"From there we have been scuffling," Healy said.

Murison wasn't going to average 20 points, but he would add outside scoring potential along with big men Ryan Coyle and Joe Pfeiffer.

Perhaps a little bonding to solidify things. The Spartans visit Rock Island Alleman on Saturday and are staying overnight. In fact Healy will go up Friday, scout Alleman-United Township and meet up with his club Saturday.

"If we can shoot from the perimeter we'll get better," Healy said. "Defensively, we're doing some good things but offensively we're still scuffling."

'A monster game': That was Wheaton Academy coach Paul Ferguson's take on Warriors center Tim Rusthoven last Friday at Aurora Central: 31 points, 24 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks.

"I think it's the best high school game I've seen a kid play since I've been coaching high school basketball over the last four years," Ferguson said. "He was unguardable and he grabbed every single rebound."

Well, Anthony Ritchie grabbed 4, but you get the point.

"If I were to zone us I would not 1-2-2 us because Rusthoven then ends up in the middle," Ferguson offers. "He was catching it 15 feet and in, which is prime real estate for him."

Immaculate Conception coach Darren Howard will need all the help he can get in Saturday's Suburban Christian Gold meeting, but he formed his own opinions scouting the Warriors' 67-39 victory over Wheaton North on Tuesday.

The Knights have 6-5 Pat Burke and 6-3 Tom Hart, but maybe the best bet is to have muscular 6-3 senior post Austin Hennessy throw his 210 pounds around.

Keys are for junior forward Demitrius Mobley to get his 15-point average, for point guard Michael Randick to avoid foul trouble, and for the Knights to disrupt Wheaton Academy's guards. Anything's possible when you go 15 deep.

"We've got a lot of different kids who can do a lot of different things, so we're trying all of them," Howard said.