For Larkin, Super Bowl is Wednesday

Their respective records say it's a longshot, but the chances of the Larkin boys basketball team pulling the upset against visiting cross-town rival Elgin on Wednesday night can't be discounted out of hand.

Sure, the Royals (1-17) are suffering through a difficult season while the Maroons (12-8) have won 6 of their last 7 games.

But it was just last January when a 9-7 Elgin team ventured across the Fox River to play the 3-11 Royals and barely escaped with a 65-57 victory in overtime.

Larkin's Deonte McFadden, a virtually unknown sophomore prior to that game, sank a 3-pointer at the regulation buzzer to keep the upset bid alive.

On Nov. 30, Elgin defeated Larkin 75-59, a game the surprising Royals led late in the third quarter.

Can Larkin, which has been blown out by an average of 23.8 points in its last four outings, challenge Elgin, which held leads of at least 31 points over the weekend against both East Aurora and Barrington en route to two victories?

"We're planning on winning this thing," Larkin coach Larry Hight said Monday. "It's on our home court, these kids are up for it and they're hungry for a win. We plan on winning this."

The Royals will be at full strength Wednesday, unlike last Friday night when they were beaten 77-39 at St. Charles East without starters Cam Kinley (hip) and Nick Bee (tailbone).

Both players warmed up Friday but sat out in the name of caution with the Elgin game looming. After all, beating Elgin would make Larkin's season. Forget the big football game this Sunday in Arizona; Larkin's Super Bowl takes place Wednesday.

"Not a lot of people growing up in high school sports have a rivalry this strong," Hight said. "I've been around Larkin long enough to know this rivalry is very important in every sport, not just basketball or football.

"There's something about it in every sport. I hear the kids talk about it in the hallways, even badminton: 'Hey, we've got Elgin today.' It's an important issue to these kids."

The Maroons lost 6 out of 7 games in late December, bottoming out on Dec. 29 with a 69-54 loss to Rolling Meadows that dropped their record to 6-7 overall.

But the Maroons have since won 6 of their last 7 games with wins against DeKalb (55-50), South Elgin (62-61), Niles North (52-35), Cary-Grove (62-61), East Aurora (82-72) and Barrington (75-54).

Elgin's only loss this month came at home against St. Charles East (85-77) on Jan. 17.

The Maroons are surging, in part, because four-year starting guard Armani Williams is feeling it now that he's completely healthy.

Williams strained the same knee he had reconstructive surgery on last May during a practice in early January. He missed two games but has clearly worked his way back to health if last weekend's output is any indication.

Last Saturday Williams tied his own school record of nine 3-pointers in a game in a 31-point outing against Barrington. That was one night after he dropped 25 points on East Aurora, including five 3-pointers.

"Ever since he came back from that little knee tweak, his shot selection and his overall court play has been the best I've ever seen him," Elgin coach Mike Sitter said Monday. "At the defensive end, handling the ball, all the little things -- he's just fantastic. He's really come into his own and found his role with this team.

"Now, finally, he's able to go four quarters and it really shows. And it's the right time of year for that. We really need him."

Controlling Williams is key to Larkin's chances. In last season's overtime game, Ryan Shriver and Bee held Williams to 1 point before he fouled out with over three minutes left in regulation.

The Maroons would like to do to Larkin what they did to East Aurora and Barrington -- blow them out early and not have to sweat out a close game. That was the situation they found themselves in all too often in the first half of this season.

To gain the upper hand Elgin must play with as much fire as the upset-minded Royals, who will expend every ounce of energy within them to salvage one night of glory.

"We had a real hard practice (Monday)," Sitter said. "We really went at each other because our goal is to match Larkin's intensity. Even though their record is down, they are intense and they play hard every single game and they give it all they have.

"If we can match that, we'll be all right."