Lakes braces for North Chicago
It wasn’t too much to ask.
At the beginning of the season, second-year Lakes boys basketball coach Chris Snyder didn’t set unreasonable expectations. All he was asking for was a bit more out of his team after a 9-20 finish in 2011.
“We just wanted to be relevant and back in the mix,” Snyder said of the Eagles’ place in the North Suburban Conference Prairie Division picture.
It’s funny how things work out sometimes.
On Friday, Lakes actually has the chance to be much more than simply relevant. The 14-7 Eagles have exceeded expectations this season to the point that they are now in the position to challenge perennial power North Chicago for supremacy in the Prairie Division.
They will visit North Chicago tonight, and the division title will hang in the balance.
North Chicago, one of the top Class 3A teams in the state, has rolled through the Prairie Division thus far with an undefeated record. But Lakes is nipping closely behind with just one division loss (8-1). That loss was to North Chicago by four points in December. In double overtime.
A win by the Eagles this time and the division title could ultimately work out to be a co-championship between Lakes and North Chicago. The last time the Eagles were this “relevant” was in 2008 when they finished second to North Chicago with a 10-2 Prairie Division record. The year before, they won the Prairie with a 10-2 record.
“We’ve talked about this with our kids and I think they’ll be champing at the bit to go out and prove themselves (against North Chicago),” Snyder said. “The No. 1 thing we have to do is stay focused and composed.
“It will be loud there and North Chicago can get you playing fast and can get you doing things you’re not comfortable with. We just have to do the things we always do so that we can give ourselves a chance. I think our guys can compete. They’re really excited for the challenge.”
All aboard
In challenging powerful North Chicago for the North Suburban Prairie Division title, Lakes will need all the help it can get.
The good news for the Eagles is that they’ll be operating at full strength, which hasn’t always been the case in recent weeks.
Starters Direll Clark and Jay-Jay Elvir along with key reserve Andrew Spencer each served three-game suspensions for athletic code violations last month. They missed the Warren, Wauconda and Round Lake games.
They’ve since played in Lakes’ last two games, both wins.
“I’m really happy with the guys on this team,” Lakes coach Chris Snyder said. “You always wonder how something like (a suspension) will affect the team. Those guys were out, now they’re back and playing. That kind of thing can divide a team sometimes.
“But our guys have been great about adjusting. I think our team chemistry is really strong.”
So is the Eagles’ depth.
Lakes is clearly better with Clark, Elvir and Spencer in the mix, but something interesting happened while they were shelved. Lakes showed a surprising amount of quality depth.
Lakes, which has now won four games in a row, went 2-1 during the suspension period, losing only to perennial heavyweight Warren, the defending Class 4A state runner-up.
“We got some really great games out of guys like Jacob Brown, Troy Swindle and Jake Kohler,” Snyder said. “They kept things rolling for us and kept us in the race for first place in the (Prairie Division).”