Glenbard East establishing a winning tradition

During halftime of Glenbard East's boys basketball game last Friday, the school continued a celebration of its 50th anniversary by welcoming back and honoring players and coaches from the past.

Then this year's Rams team treated the home crowd to a glimpse of the present and future. The next 50 years are getting off to quite a start.

At 19-1 overall and 9-0 atop the DuPage Valley Conference heading into tonight's game at Naperville Central, the Rams are enjoying a regular season rarely seen in the program's history.

"We're trying to build on the tradition and be one of the best teams in Glenbard East history," said Rams senior forward Lee Skinner. "We're trying to make our own identity. There's a lot of pride and unity in the program right now."

Glenbard East has earned its share of success in the last 50 years, including seven 20-win seasons, 12 regional titles and a state quarterfinal appearance in 1964.

The Rams, however, also have endured their share of down seasons. Between 1991 and 2003 they had one season with a winning record. Ten of those years featured single-digit wins.

Scott Miller was named the program's varsity head coach in 1999, a year after he coached Plano to a fourth-place finish in Class A. Miller's first four Glenbard East teams, however, averaged seven wins.

In Miller's fifth year Glenbard East started 0-5. In all five losses the Rams had a shot to either tie or win the game. Looking back, Miller sees that as the critical moment in his time at the helm.

"We were 0-5 after an overtime loss to Willowbrook, and I really thought that was a pivotal time for the program," said Miller, who claimed his 200th career victory last week. "After that we kind of took off."

The Rams finished 13-13 that 2004 season, and everything turned around.

The program's averaged 20 wins in the five seasons since, and that doesn't include this year's team that's on pace to break the school record of 25 wins set in 2007.

It's clear this isn't just a blip of success. This is a program that's completely turned around its fortunes.

"It's important to know that we're part of a bigger thing," said senior guard Jack Merrithey. "It's not just about this team, it's about the 50 years of the past. It's important to play not just for yourself but for the whole community and the history here."

It wasn't easy turning things around when Miller arrived in Lombard. His son, Zach, remembers being in kindergarten and rooting for Plano as the team marched toward the state quarterfinals.

Coming to Glenbard East the following year was a completely different experience.

"When we moved here I didn't think anything like what's happening this season would ever be possible," Zach Miller said. "Me and my dad's dream has always been to go downstate. Back then I never thought it could happen."

One of the first things Scott Miller did upon his arrival was establish a feeder program. The Future Rams are in their 10th year of existence and continue to pump talent into the program.

Mike Capocci and Brandon Streets highlighted the first group of athletes to play sixth, seventh and eighth grade with the Future Rams. They went on to help Glenbard East compile a 68-16 record during an era of three straight regional titles capped by the 2007 DVC championship - the Rams' first since 1990.

Capocci, a two-time Daily Herald All-Area Team Captain now at Northwestern, was a senior when Skinner and Merrithey were freshmen. With Zach Miller and Johnny Hill - both juniors this season - also coming up through Future Rams, the program began to thrive.

Returning four starters from last year's 20-7 team created statewide buzz for this year's group, and they're living up to the hype. The Rams won the District 87 Thanksgiving Tournament title and then the Elgin Holiday Tournament title by handing Neuqua Valley its lone loss in an 81-63 blowout.

The Rams hold a three-game lead in the DVC with only five games to play, which makes another conference title extremely likely.

Success also exists with Glenbard East's lower-level teams. Miller said the sophomore team is 16-2, while the freshman teams are a combined 32-6.

"I don't think the program could be in better shape right now," Scott Miller said. "We've got a good string of teams going here."

But while the future clearly looks bright, all focus rests on the present. The Rams, the probable top seed in the Class 4A Neuqua Valley sectional, maintain giant goals for this season.

A sectional championship would be the program's first in 46 years. Same with a trip downstate.

By season's end the Rams hope to make this a team that's talked about at Glenbard East for the next 50 years and beyond.

"Being a part of a team like this is very special," Merrithey said. "We have a lot of pride in what we've accomplished so far, but we still have a lot of goals. We want to be a part of history."