Girls basketball: Fremd renames its Showcase in honor of Yates, then dominates H-F
Fremd held its 10th annual Chicagoland Showcase, now named for the late Vikings hall of fame coach Dave Yates, on Saturday.
Prior to the game, announcer Brad Graba read a statement from Fremd athletic director Hamid Mehreioskouei that the showcase event has become a cornerstone of girls basketball in Illinois and reflects the commitment that Yates had to the game.
"His legacy lives on in the athletes and we will always be proud to celebrate his contributions," Graba announced.
The Vikings then took the floor after the tribute to their beloved coach who died from brain cancer last summer and posted a 63-42 triumph over Homewood-Flossmoor in the day's second game in the main gym.
"There was a fundraiser Friday night (at Palatine High School) and now this showcase is dedicated to him," said Vikings four-year starter Ella Todd (game-high 21 points). “It's definitely been pretty emotional and we're all real close to the Yates family and Mrs. (Kathy) Yates. She is always here taking pictures.
"It's still amazing to see the support we get from the community. We said at the beginning of the season we're playing for Yates. He put so much time and effort into us, more time than I can even express with words."
The Vikings even have sweatshirts referring to continuing his legacy.
"That's kind of something we try to live every day," Todd said. "Just live up to everything he has built and play for him."
First-year Fremd coach James Han said it has not been easy.
"He (Yates) set high standards and expectations," Han said. "I am not him. I can never be him. I'm just trying to live up to the standards that he and Carol Plodzien set as the only two head coaches of the Fremd program set with such a high bar. Luckily, we have a great staff and a bunch of kids returning who know how to play the way that coach Yates taught them to play."
The Vikings played well under Han's direction on Saturday.
A 3-pointer from Coco Urlacher, then two by Ellie Thompson followed by five straight points from Todd staked the Vikings to a 14-7 lead after one quarter.
They never looked back, outscoring Homewood-Flossmoor 25-11 in the second period for a 39-18 cushion at half.
Todd scored 18 of her points in the first half as Fremd improved to 8-1 and H-F dropped to 5-4.
"I owe a lot of that to my teammates," said the Utah-bound Ella Todd. "We've been changing our offense around a lot recently and there's constant adjustments we have to make. It's been a constant learning and building process."
Senior Ellie Thompson, a Rollins College (Winter Park, Fla.) pledge, and her sister, junior Greta Thompson, each chipped in 10 points while Urlacher tossed in 9. Gracie Todd added 6 for the winners, who converted 10 3-pointers led by Ellie Thompson's three.
Seniors Ellie Thompson, Ella Todd and Urlacher are the Fremd captains.
"We really take pride in talking to our teammates and giving constructive criticism," Urlacher said. "We try to take a big part in coaching everyone together."
"Their leadership (the three captains) and ability to not only communicate to the rest of the team but also be accountable for their actions and hard work makes it easy for me," Han said. "They've been around for four years. I have to coach less and they have the ability to communicate with everyone and set an expectation for everyone about the right mentality and the hard work you need to put in."
Junior guard Aunyai Deere led H-F with 16 points.
"That's a good team (Fremd)," said H-F coach Anthony Smith. "They're athletic and long. They can shoot. We're young and that was a good test for us. We like that and hopefully we'll see them again down the road."
Down the road, Fremd will continue playing for Yates, who was 427-137 in his 18 seasons at Fremd, winning nine Mid-Suburban League titles and leading the Vikings to five downstate appearances, including the 2020 Class 4A state title.
"We are always thinking about him," said Han, who served as a longtime assistant to Yates. "Since the summer we have been leaving the first seat on our bench open for him and we will leave it open throughout this season."