Hot Hersey wants to keep run going

Most of the attention at Hersey this weekend will be focused on the girls basketball team's first trip to the state tournament.

But if the boys team can continue its late-season resurgence then it could take its turn in the spotlight.

For that to happen, the 14th-seeded Huskies (16-12) need to win their second Class 4A regional title in three years under Steve Messer.

They'll face No. 5 Stevenson (20-7) at 7:30 p.m. today in the Warren championship game in Gurnee.

"We're trying to really come together as a team," said Hersey senior Kyle Miklasz, who leads the team in scoring at 13 points a game. "Our theme for this week is 'Teamwork is what helps ordinary people achieve extraordinary goals.' "

So far it's worked out well for Huskies, who weren't even a lock to win their regional opener with 20th-seed Lake Zurich.

They had blown a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and lost 57-54 when the teams met Feb. 6.

But a career-high 32 points and 9 3-pointers by Miklasz sent them to a 66-52 win.

The next night they upset fourth-seed Lake Forest 61-50.

And the Huskies are getting even deeper as Miklasz's junior brother Connor saw significant minutes Tuesday for the first time in three weeks because of back trouble. Senior Brian Fabrizius returned to practice this week after missing nearly two months with a collapsed lung.

Starting senior guard Jordan Mertes missed the first four games with a foot injury. And the Huskies were also trying to blend in 6-4 junior Tom Sutrinaitis and sophomores Justin Jobski, Vuk Vukovic, Trevor Haas and Sean Reszotko.

"Lately we've been playing really well as a team," Kyle Miklasz said. "The last couple of games we've been real confident we're going to win and we haven't been fazed by anything. Everyone has started to find out where they fit in."

Stevenson, one of the premier programs in the North Suburban Conference, is led by senior point guard Jeff Levitt and Nate Johnson and snapped Warren's 11-game winning streak in Wednesday's semifinal.

But the Huskies have been tested in second-half losses by 4 points to Glenbrook North and 6 points to Deerfield and early losses to Neuqua Valley, York and St. Viator.

"We know we can play with those caliber of teams," Miklasz said. "It depends on who comes to play that night."

With Hersey hoping it's still playing Tuesday night in a sectional semifinal at Waukegan.