Elgin to team with Blue Stars at United Center
The Elgin Area School District U-46 Blue Stars will get a helping hand when they take the floor prior to the Chicago Bulls game at the United Center on Saturday, Dec. 18.
The Blue Stars, a collection of talented basketball players from the District U-46 special needs program, will be joined by members of the Elgin High boys basketball team for an integrated scrimmage expected to last from 6:30-6:45 p.m.
Each team will feature two or three Elgin Maroons playing alongside two or three members of the Blue Stars, whose players are challenged by cognitive disorders.
"The Blue Stars had the chance to play at the United Center last year and we were invited back, so this time we wanted to up the ante a bit," said Laura Keating, a childhood special education teacher at Illinois Park School on Wing Street and U-46 Special Olympics coordinator for ages 3-21.
"We're thrilled the players from Elgin are going to be playing with us," Keating added. "We called Elgin coach Mike Sitter and asked if they were willing to do an integrated game with a few of their players and they were all for it. It will be such a cool experience for everyone."
The Maroons are looking forward to the game as much as the Blue Stars.
"When I asked for volunteers every hand went up," Sitter said. "We're hoping this is something we can do every year."
The Elgin Maroons are off to a 4-1 start, but the Blue Stars are a pretty good team in their own right.
A few players are even able to dunk the ball, according to Keating. The squad narrowly missed a chance to play in the state tournament in Normal last year when they were edged by 2 points in a local district playoff game.
"They can play," Keating said of the Blue Stars, who practice at the former Elgin High School at Gifford Street. "Our team has a chance to be state champs this year."
Maroons among top seeds: Elgin High garnered one of the top four seeds at the 36th annual Elgin Holiday Tournament, which takes place Dec. 20-23 at Chesbrough Field House.
Joining the Maroons among the top seeds are two-time defending tournament champion Neuqua Valley (6-1), Wheaton North (5-2) and Rockford Auburn (5-1).
Elgin, which hasn't won the tournament since 1999, opens the tournament against Hoffman Estates (1-4) at 6:30 p.m. The winner will advance to play the winner of the 8 p.m. game: Larkin (2-4) vs. Centennial High of Las Vegas.
Dundee-Crown (3-1) gets the chance to make an early statement when the Chargers face Auburn in the tournament's opening game on Dec. 20 at 8:45 a.m.
Other first-day matchups include: Glenbrook South (2-4) vs. Rolling Meadows (3-3) at 10:15 a.m., Wheaton North (4-2) vs. Highland Park (3-3) at noon, Buffalo Grove (4-2) vs. Batavia (3-3) at 1:30 p.m., Fremd (4-2) vs. Rockford Guilford (5-4) at 3:15 p.m. and Neuqua Valley vs. Willowbrook (0-6) at 5 p.m.
Jacobs pairings intriguing: The Jacobs Holiday Tournament gets the tournament season rolling next Saturday, Dec. 18 with its usual smorgasbord of eight varsity contests.
Pool play continues Dec. 21 and 22. Championship and consolation bracket play takes place on Dec. 22 and the tournament wraps up on Dec. 23 with the championship game at 7:30 p.m.
Huntley (4-0), which won the Sycamore Thanksgiving Tournament for the second straight season, will open the Jacobs Tournament against Hope Academy (3-1) on Dec. 21 at 9 a.m. Host Jacobs (2-1) will conclude Day 1 action with its opener against Mundelein (6-1) at 7 p.m.
Bring a toy: Any fan who brings a new, unopened toy to tonight's Burlington Central boys game against visiting Harvard will receive free admission to the contest.
The event is sponsored by the Central High School National Honor Society. All donations will be given to the Elgin Community Crisis Center.
Cradle of coaches: Immaculate Conception coach Darren Howard was a student and basketball player at Weber High School, on Chicago's northwest side. He graduated with the Class of '83.
Howard was coached by Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Jim Harrington, who assembled a record of 112-72 at Weber before moving on to Elgin, where from 1985-2000 Harrington went 290-139.
Also on Harrington's staff with the Red Horde were Mike Bailey (St. Patrick), John Bonk (Weber, St. Rita, Nazareth) and the professor, Al Biancalana, who most recently coached at York before taking an assistant's position this year with the University of Illinois-Chicago. What a staff.
The Illinois High School Glory Days website reminds us that Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski graduated from Weber in 1965.
The school closed in 1999, and is now the Northwest Middle School, at 5252 Palmer St. It still has the old court, now known as Weber Memorial Gym.
Howard, in tandem with Gordon Tech boys coach Shay Boyle, Weber Class of '95, has lined up a soph-varsity boys basketball doubleheader at Weber Memorial Gym starting at 6 p.m. Dec. 22.
Immaculate Conception actually has two games that day. A late entry into Waubonsie Valley's Matt Laurich Holiday Classic, the Knights play Plainfield Central at 2:30 p.m.
Howard has invited Harrington to be his honorary coach for the game at Weber Memorial. He's also hoping to draw a gym full of Weber alumni and has gotten good response thus far.
Tickets will be sold at the door, but alumni are encouraged to send an RSVP e-mail to Howard at dhoward@ichsknights.org. A list of alumni in attendance will be read as the games progress.
"Same colors, same scoreboard," Howard said of the old gym. "I'm very excited to go back there."
• Dave Oberhelman contributed to this report.