Glenbard East has unfinished business at East Aurora

As eighth-graders they blended in with the mass of Glenbard East red and black that filled the bleachers at East Aurora High School.

Zach Miller, Steve Kinney and Kevin Priebe, however, still recognized their unique place in that moment four years ago. They sat and watched the beloved Glenbard East boys basketball team suffer a gut-wrenching upset loss to Glenbard West in the sectional semifinals, and the trio made a pact.

When it came time for their turn, they’d settle the score.

“Me, Kinney and Priebe were sitting right up there when they lost,” Miller said. “We talked about it all week that we’re not going home like that. I talked to a couple of past players the last couple of weeks and they said take it home, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Mike Capocci, now playing at Northwestern, led Glenbard East to three straight regional titles between 2005 and 2007, the last two culminating in berths into sectionals at East Aurora. Both times the Rams fell in the semifinals, including the crushing loss to Glenbard West as a top seed that ended Capocci’s high school career.

As much as Miller loves the historic gym at East Aurora, it hasn’t exactly been kind to the Rams.

“Ever since I watched the Mike Capocci era, watched them lose, I told my dad (Rams head coach Scott Miller), ‘Just give me one chance to play on this court,’” Zach Miller said. “It’s a basketball player’s kind of place. All these people, it’s loud. I just thrive off that kind of stuff.”

Glenbard East got its chance on Wednesday, and the trio made good on the promise to themselves. The third-seeded Rams (25-3) finally won at East Aurora by topping No. 2 Downers South in the semifinals.

Now they get a chance to claim the program’s first sectional title since 1964 by facing the host Tomcats (24-5) in Friday’s final. No doubt Kinney, Priebe and Miller will keep that eighth-grade memory tucked in the back of their minds.

“That year we were heartbroken when they lost just as much as they were,” Kinney said. “It was the saddest moment. We know what they did and the legacy they carried. Sometimes we compare ourselves to them, and it’s just great to go out there and win on that same court.”

Anyone who’s been to a playoff game at East Aurora sees it’s a special place. But that cuts both ways.

For every high school dream realized on that court, another is dashed. Regardless of the setbacks in 2006 and 2007, Glenbard East feels no hesitation taking another shot in East Aurora’s gym — even with the Rams facing the disadvantage of playing the host Tomcats, who rode their homecourt advantage to Tuesday’s upset win over top-seeded Benet.

“This was really a dream come true for them to come here and play in this kind of atmosphere,” Scott Miller said. “It’s probably the best place in high school basketball to watch a game and be in a big game. It’s got so much history.”

History is exactly what Glenbard East eyes in Friday’s sectional final showdown.

A win ends 47 years of waiting. Many former Glenbard East players will be watching from the same spot in the East Aurora stands where Priebe, Kinney and Zach Miller sat four years ago.

There was hope then, there will be hope Friday night.

“Capocci and all those guys were superstars to us, and we looked up to them,” Priebe said. “We want to get this next win and redeem them. They’re still a part of us now, and they want it as bad as we do.”