Monaghan makes his own mark at Fremd
Shortly after halftime on Tuesday it became clear Zach Monaghan was playing his final game in a Fremd basketball uniform.
State-ranked Warren was taking command. Reality was setting in for the Vikings as their deficit grew in the Class 4A sectional semifinal at Barrington.
But Monaghan wasn't going to go through the motions, even though there were times where the disappointment and frustration were apparent.
He would go out playing the game the right way even if the scoreboard said there was no way a comeback was possible. Right up until there was a minute and 34 seconds to play and he came out to an appreciative ovation from his classmates, friends, family and Fremd fans.
“That's how coach (Bob Widlowski) preached it to us all season,” Monaghan said. “You play from the start of the game to the end of the game, no matter what the score is.
“Once it got out of hand we kept going at it. We didn't want to go out as quitters.”
Not a chance. Monaghan went out as one of the fiercest competitors to wear the Fremd uniform.
Losses such as last year's stunner in a regional opener rankled him even though he still has plenty of games in his future to play at South Dakota State University.
Wins such as last Friday's to win a regional title meant so much to him at a school where his brothers Matt and Pat also starred in the Vikings' uniform.
There were ups and downs — especially this year as Monaghan led the Mid-Suburban League in scoring at 22.3 points a game. But he never stopped battling and it made him the choice to be the Cook County honorary captain of the 2011 Daily Herald All-Area Boys Basketball Team.
“I've known Zach since he was 8 and he's a very competitive kid,” Widlowski said. “The most competitive little kid I've ever met.
“He's put in the time and he didn't just walk into this situation. He really worked for it.”
It didn't take South Dakota State head coach Scott Nagy long to learn where Monaghan got his burning desire on the basketball court. His mom Mary Kay is a member of the Chicago 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame and his dad Dale played high school baseball.
“From talking to his mom and dad, they're that way,” said Nagy, who just finished his 15th year at SDSU. “In college basketball, for people to excel they have to flat-out love the game and love being in the gym.
“I know Zach loves the game and loves to compete.”
He had to compete against his older brothers. And he got the chance to compete against all types of players thanks to his dad, who was his coach for just about every offseason.
“That's what helped me become the player I am today,” Monaghan said. “He would get five or six guys together at the last minute and we'd go play in Chicago.
“Just imagine what the other team was thinking. A bunch of suburban white kids coming to play these guys. We beat a lot of those teams and that helped us.”
There were other times Monaghan's dad would put his son's teams against teams they had no chance of beating. Against older, stronger and more athletic players.
So, it's no surprise Monaghan adjusted almost immediately when he was promoted to the varsity a few weeks into his sophomore season. Last year he earned Mid-Suburban West player of the year honors with Chris Klimek as the Vikings rolled to the league title.
But this year, it was his time to be the leader and follow in the footsteps of former teammates such as Klimek and Danny Bruno. Monaghan found it wasn't as easy as just going out to talk to the officials before games.
“It's definitely been the most up-and-down season for me personally because in the past I had guys to lean on,” Monaghan said. “It's a lot different when you have a whole lot of guys looking up to you as a leader.
“I knew it would be a big responsibility. You want it to be just basketball but you have to keep everyone in the locker room together and keep everyone's mojo up.”
Monaghan got a lot of help from senior guard Quinton Brown. Particularly when Monaghan missed only four games in late December after a car accident that could have been a lot worse.
He also had to find a balance between being the go-to guy and making sure all the other guys on the team got involved.
And one of the toughest things he had to deal with was losing his best friend Buddy, a 14-year-old black lab/border collie mix, the same night the Bears lost in the NFC championship game.
But he battled through all of it to lead the Vikings to a share of another MSL West title. Of course, he wasn't entirely happy since they didn't have the tiebreakers to get back to the MSL title game.
And he was hoping to play a few more games with the guys he grew up with. Now he'll turn his attention to getting ready to play at SDSU.
“When he's 20 years old and a junior he's going to be a really good college basketball player,” Widlowski said. “He'll continue to work at it and continue to get better.”
Nagy said getting stronger and learning to play defense at the college level will be vital. But he also thinks Monaghan can thrive where he won't necessarily have multiple defenders chasing him everywhere.
“We tend to play a little smaller so we need someone who can shoot it,” said Nagy, whose 19-11 team this season was one of the NCAA leaders in 3-point field-goal percentage. “Not only can he shoot it but he can create shots for other people with his passing and ballhandling skills.”
Skills he'll be working on all spring and summer.
“It's what I like to do, being in the gym,” Monaghan said. “(Basketball) is a part of me.”
mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com