South Elgin basketball player reports assault after Metea Valley game

South Elgin junior basketball player Matt Smith, 16, told Aurora police he was assaulted Friday night by as many as four people he identified as possibly being Metea Valley players after the two schools competed in an Upstate Eight Conference game in Aurora.

“Apparently, a 16-year old Elgin male who plays for the (South) Elgin team said he was battered by several males thought to be Metea basketball players at around 9:30 p.m. (Friday) night after the game as he was getting ready to board the team bus,” Aurora police Sgt. Dan Ferrelli said in an email responding to a Daily Herald inquiry about the attack. “Apparently, some of his teammates came to his aid. He went to an Elgin hospital and received three stitches for a cut above his eye. We, along with Metea Valley administrators, will be conducting an investigation.”

Laurie Smith, Matt's mother, posted on Facebook early Saturday morning saying her son, “got jumped by players from Metea Valley after the game,” and that she was at Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin with her son, who recently scored his 1,000th career point and is being recruited by several Division I schools.

In a telephone conversation with the Daily Herald, Laurie Smith said she also said she had been in contact with South Elgin athletic director Jason Ward as well as two other South Elgin administrators.

“One of our students was assaulted after the game at Metea Valley,” South Elgin Principal James Edwards said late Saturday afternoon. “I am not at liberty to say who the assailants were because it's a police investigation.

“There will be a thorough follow up. Our concern is with the player and his family. I spoke to Laurie this morning and I wished her well and Matt well. I assured her there would be a thorough investigation next week. Anytime something concerns the safety of one of our students we will prioritize finding out what happened.”

Metea Valley basketball coach Bob Vozza would not comment on the reported attack Saturday.

Metea Valley Principal Darrell Echols said the school is looking into the report, but declined to comment as well, saying, “At this particular point, we don't have enough information.”

Storm played in South Elgin's game Saturday night at Marmion Academy in Aurora and finished with 8 points. He played with a band-aid over his left eye.

Following Saturday's game, South Elgin coach Matt Petersen said Friday's incident didn't affect Smith's play.

“I don't think so. He's sick. Any effect he had was more his illness,” said Petersen, who declined to go into specifics about what happened after the Metea game.

“I can't make a comment on that right now,” Petersen said.

• Daily Herald staff writers Katyln Smith, Dave Oberhleman and John Lemon contributed to this report.