2009 year in review: A lot to like

Is it just me or doesn't it seem like we were preparing for the new millennium a couple years ago?

In a few days, the calendar will read 2010 - which means I'll soon be making mistakes on the checks I write for at least another month or so.

I recall the nervousness and trepidation some were feeling when we said goodbye to the 1900s and welcomed in the year 2000 almost a decade ago.

As we're now getting ready to turn the page to 2010, let's take one last look back at 2009 - Tri-Cities sports style:

In January, St. Charles North staged its first Night of Legends as legendary St. Charles High School basketball coaches Ron Johnson, Chuck Rachow and Jim Parker were honored between the St. Charles East-St. Charles North girls and boys games.

By the way, St. Charles North swept the cross-town showdowns that night.

• The first month also featured the inaugural Free Throws for Heroes as players from Batavia, Geneva, Kaneland, Marmion, Rosary, St. Charles East, St. Charles North and West Aurora helped raise money for active and veteran Illinois military families in need (this year's event will be held Jan. 20).

• On Jan. 31, St. Charles North guard Nick Neari was a one-man wrecking crew down the stretch as the 6-3 senior scored 18 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including his team's final 14 points in the last 3:41, to lift the North Stars past Fremd, 52-49. His 25-foot, banked-in 3-pointer with 8 seconds left was the game-winner.

In February, we were shocked and saddened by news of the death of 18-year-old Geneva senior offensive lineman John McNeil, who just two months earlier had helped the Vikings claim a second-place Class 7A state finish in Champaign.

Seven months later, McNeil's family helped present the new sound system at Burgess Field before the Vikings' home opener against Morgan Park - there were few dry eyes in attendance. • In Batavia, Maureen Bryant, the mother of five basketball-playing sons at West Aurora and grandmother of Bulldog stars - the late Kevin and 2009 graduate David, was honored during the annual Night of Hoops.

One week later, former Batavia standout Corey Williams had his No. 32 jersey retired some 18 years after leading coach Jim Roberts' Bulldogs to an Elite Eight berth.

• In late-February, seven local wrestlers were place-winners at the Class 3A state tournament, including West Aurora's Mario Gonzalez (1st at 189) and Josh Zinzer (6th at 125), Batavia's Logan Arlis (2nd at 112), Danny Watson (3rd at 171), Andrew Rudd (6th at 160), Marmion's Eddie Greco (5th at 103), and St. Charles East's Dan Mercadante (3rd at 145).

• Geneva senior Taylor Whitley became the first Viking basketball player to reach the 2,000-point career plateau in the opening round of the team's 54-32 regional win over West Chicago. • A couple weeks later, the Vikings extended their season-long winning streak to 32 with a 54-49 supersectional victory over New Trier on the way to a fourth-place state finish.

• St. Charles East's girls basketball team earned its first regional title in three years by upsetting top-seeded St. Charles North 41-37 in double overtime in South Elgin.

• Meanwhile, Geneva's boys basketball team captured its second conference title in 29 years behind the all-around play of Daily Herald Tri-Cities Honorary Captain Jeremy D'Amico.

In March, St. Charles North's boys basketball team pocketed its second regional title with a 60-42 win over South Elgin before suffering a 51-49 sectional championship loss to Dundee-Crown in Elgin.

• Also in March, St. Charles East announced the hiring of former Geneva sophomore coach Mike Fields as its new varsity football coach. Seven months later, Fields guided the Saints to their first outright conference title in 11 years.

In May, St. Charles North's girls soccer team earned its seventh consecutive regional crown with a 4-0 win over Lake Park. However, the North Stars' season came to an end a few days later after a 1-0 sectional semifinal loss to Geneva.

• St. Charles North's Derrick Hoffman, Cody Hansen and Ryan Fosbinder steered the North Stars to a third-place finish in the IHSA's first bass fishing state tournament at Carlyle Lake.

• Aurora Christian's baseball team captured regional and sectional titles before losing a 9-3 Class 2A supersectional decision to Watseka.

• Led by Adam Karger, Tim Drish and Brian Krolikowski, Batavia earned the Western Sun baseball title, set a school record for wins and advanced to the 4A supersectional.

In June, Upstate Eight champion St. Charles North suffered a 2-1 loss to Bartlett in the 4A sectional softball championship - after posting a pair of 6-1 regular-season wins over the Hawks.

August featured the first gridiron weekend showdown between the 4 Tri-Cities schools - St. Charles North vs. Batavia and Geneva vs. St. Charles East.

In November, Rosary's girls swim team captured its fourth straight state championship by a 177-129 margin over New Trier.

State championship teams: Wheaton Academy girls soccer (2A), Wheaton Academy boys golf (2A), Rosary girls swimming.

Individual state champs: Wrestling - West Aurora's Mario Gonzalez (43-1 at 189); Girls track - Lizzy Hynes, St. Charles East (3A, 3,200); Boys track - Bai Kabba, Batavia (3A, 400 dash); Josh Zinzer, West Aurora (3A, 200 dash); Girls swimming - Olivia Scott, Rosary (200 IM, 100 fly); Rosary 200 free relay (Sarah Sykstus, Rachel Burke, Katherine Hare, Scott); St. Charles North 200 medley relay (Lauren Reynolds, Taylor Gannon, Angie Chokran, Kirsten Hutchinson).

Football state qualifiers: Aurora Christian (3A), Kaneland (5A), Marmion (6A), Geneva, St. Charles East, St. Charles North (7A).

Best game I covered: St. Charles East's 14-13 double-overtime football victory over St. Charles North in the regular-season finale. Saints quarterback Nolan Possley's 1-yard run on 4th-and-goal and Dan Keller's PAT kick sealed the outright conference title clincher.

My favorite column of 2009: Without a doubt, it was the April 25 column featuring St. Charles North senior standout athlete Zach Hirsch and freshman Graham Jackson. The story of friendship that began between Hirsch and Jackson in the school cafeteria in December of 2008 was truly inspirational.

Update - it was an extremely proud moment for me to see both Hirsch and Jackson appear on the Today show earlier this month after their entry was selected as part of the "Everyone Has a Story" segment. It was a great way to cap off the year.

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