WW South rewarded with top seed
Black-and-orange steel on ice has made a comeback.
Wheaton Warrenville South’s boys hockey team, which graduated seven seniors from last year’s 4-16 team that missed a postseason berth, was chosen by coaches as the top seed in its branch of the 2011 Blackhawk Cup State Tournament.
The Tigers have made a turnaround with a record of 14-11-4, including an 8-1-1 mark in their last 10 games. They’ll compete in Amateur Hockey Association Illinois’ White Varsity (public school) division, as opposed to Red (private and North Shore schools) and Combined (co-op teams) divisions.
“When that ranking came out I just about fell off my chair,” said coach Mark Roy, who after two seasons away returned to a WW South squad he led from 2004-07. The Tigers have several regular-season games remaining, then get two bye rounds straight into the March 4 state quarterfinals at The Edge in Bensenville against the winner between New Trier and Oak Park.
WWS Hockey board president Ron Choate — whose son, Rick, is a team co-captain along with Jake Hainline, John Waghorne, Matt Swastek and Mitch Krafcheck — said that given last year’s struggles even fielding a 2010-11 team was iffy. Discouraged players were leaning toward playing solely with club teams. A financial commitment Roy estimated at $4,500 made it no small consideration.
Roy’s return rallied the troops, as did an option to play both club and prep hockey, Ron Choate said.
After Roy’s interview for the position (“I kind of interviewed the club, I feel,” he said), Roy quickly moved to assemble a competitive team, plus assistant coaches Jason DeMaria, Kyle Sandowski and Art Tang.
Physical Waghorne, top scorers Hainline and Ryan McNeill, Jason Kuda, Matt Karstens, Paul Gorski, John Olufs, Jason Wasser, Max Channon and Torey Willsey, bolstered by freshmen Jonathan Goetz, Jordan Carlson and Adam Filipiak, are among a deep core. Goalie Jojo Durrbeck allows less than 2 goals a game.
The Tigers also offer forward Luke Luhrsen. Committed to play football at Kansas, Luhrsen is a Dustin Byfuglien-type disruptor weighing 285 pounds and standing 6-foot-8 on skates.
“When he gets out there people go, ‘Oh my gosh, who’s this kid?’” Ron Choate said.
“The boys pretty much asked and I couldn’t tell them no because they were kids I’d seen grow up,” said the 35-year-old Roy, a USA Hockey Level 4 certified coach who works for the company that owns Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Lisle, the Tigers’ home rink.
Roy, a one-game-at-a-time guy, had no idea of the Tigers’ overall record. He didn’t care. He knew “the difference between being good and being great” and believed he saw greatness.
“I’ve never won a state championship myself,” Roy said. “I asked the boys who did and I don’t think any of them raised their hand. I think this is the best chance any of us will have to do it. Now they’ve got their eyes on the prize.”
In like a Lion
On Dec. 20 the Illinois High School Association announced its fall sportsmanship award winners. The IHSA has a committee present at each sport’s state finals and grades each school’s coaches, participants and fans on their sportsmanship.
The Lisle Lions boys soccer team passed muster. They won a banner signifying the honor — as well as the Class 1A state championship. Grant Fitzgerald and Pat Webb were captains for the gracious winners.
First in our hearts, 14th in America
Wheaton Warrenville South football coach Ron Muhitch and athletic director Mike Healy will be awarded an Army National Guard national ranking trophy at halftime of Friday’s boys basketball game as part of the sixth annual MaxPreps Tour of Champions.
Hopefully basketball coach Healy can enjoy it after a half against West Aurora.
The 14-0 Tigers, Class 7A state champions, finished 12th among more than 15,000 teams MaxPreps ranked nationally. One of 50 teams on the MaxPreps Tour, WW South improved from its No. 41 standing last year when it also won the 7A title.