Metea Valley, St. Francis facing postseason powers

What started with more than two dozen boys basketball teams in DuPage County ends with two.

As Metea Valley and St. Francis prepare for Friday night’s sectional finals in Class 4A and Class 3A, both teams have a story to tell. Different as they may be, the challenge is similar.

Compared to their respective opponents, Metea Valley and the Spartans are mere tykes in terms of playoff experience. Two relative newcomers facing historically astounding basketball programs.

Metea Valley — in its second season of varsity basketball — is on the verge of its first sectional title after last week’s first regional title. Pretty amazing stuff.

Even more amazing, though, is the disparity of postseason success between the Mustangs and West Aurora, Friday’s opponent in the Class 4A East Aurora sectional final. The Blackhawks enter Friday’s game with 36 regional titles, 18 sectional crowns, 11 state trophies and the 2000 Class AA state championship.

Not that it’ll matter once the game tips off, but playoff experience is a fascinating angle to the matchup.

Metea Valley opened its doors in 2009. West Aurora won its first sectional title in 1928.

St. Francis isn’t quite as inexperienced as Metea Valley when it comes to the playoffs, but the Spartans sure look like it compared to Marshall. The traditional Chicago Public League power is a nine-time Public League champion that’s won four sectionals, 10 state trophies — including a third-place 3A finish last season — and won its third state title in 2008.

Heading into Friday’s 3A Glenbard South sectional final, St. Francis boasts a lone sectional title from its fourth-place Class A finish in 1989.

The Spartans, however, also bring a good deal of moxie into this game. The eighth-seeded squad upset No. 1 Orr in the regional finals and No. 5 Crane in the sectional semifinals. Facing second-seeded Marshall won’t be easy, but first-year Spartans coach and wily veteran Bob Ward likely has a few more cards up his sleeves.

Beyond the play on the court, we’ll have some very interesting matchups Friday night.

Class action:

In Friday’s Sports Extra we unveil the Daily Herald 2011-12 DuPage County Boys Basketball All-Area Team, a team anchored by captain Kenny Obendorf of Metea Valley as featured in a wonderful story by Dave Oberhelman.

Some familiar faces make repeat All-Area Team appearances including Obendorf, Downers Grove South’s Jerron Wilbut and Jamall Millison, Glenbard North’s Josh Fleming, Glenbard West’s Michael Mache and Hinsdale South’s Brock Benson.

Perhaps more intriguing, though, are the non-seniors on the list of 20 players.

York junior guard David Cohn, who averaged 22 points, and Waubonsie Valley junior guard Jared Brownridge, who averaged 21 points, both return to teams expected to be strong next season. Combined they hold 14 offers from Division I colleges.

Six-foot-eight Benet sophomore center Sean O’Mara wrapped up his first season as a starter and averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds despite being hobbled by injuries. Regarded as one of the top sophomore players in the state, O’Mara’s ceiling is extremely high heading into the next two seasons.

The area’s individual and team talent should take a jump next year bolstered by O’Mara, Brownridge and Cohn. Other players are sure to jump to the forefront in the coming off-season.

As much fun as we’ll have Friday night with Metea Valley and St. Francis, next season already looks like it’ll be a blast.

kschmit@dailyherald.com