Prez? Sipes seems the type

It's a presidential election year and, like many of us, Grayslake Central boys basketball coach Tim Bowen is thinking politics more than usual.

In fact, he already knows whom he'll be voting for 20 years from now.

It's the same guy who gets his vote for one of the best underclassmen in the Fox Valley Conference and in all of Lake County.

"Andrew Sipes," Bowen said without hesitation. "He's going to be President of the United States one day and he'll have my vote. He's just got it all together already -- smart, hard worker, a nice kid who is strong in his faith. He's pretty much flawless.

"And he cares so much about doing the right thing. I wish I could have been like him when I was in high school. He's just a real gentleman and I seriously think he would make a great president someday."

Sipes, a 16-year-old sophomore forward who earned a starting spot from Bowen as a freshman, certainly shakes hands like he's out on the campaign trail. Even during pre-game introductions he's making the rounds.

"All of our starters (after their names are called) will go over and shake hands with the other team's head coach," Sipes' teammate Alex Anderson said. "Andrew will also shake hands with their assistant coaches, and all the referees, everybody. He's a really nice, friendly, outgoing guy like that. He's just very nice."

Maybe too nice. Politics, after all, can get downright nasty at times.

"Andrew does get along with everyone," confirmed Sipes' twin brother Chris. "But I think he is way too nice to be a politician."

Chris would know.

He and Andrew are not only brothers, they're also best friends. In fact, Chris decided not to pursue his own basketball career partly because he wanted to hang out with Andrew and be on the same team.

And since he's not quite at the level to be playing varsity as an underclassman, Chris decided to become the varsity team's manager instead.

"Andrew had a lot to do with that," said Chris, an avid fan who wore a three-piece suit when Central played Grayslake North in a heated crosstown rivalry game last month. "But I also knew that I wasn't going to be a star or anything, so I might as well watch."

Chris, who sits on the bench with a laptop compiling the team's stats, has liked what he's seen this year. All of the Rams have.

With Sipes leading the way, Grayslake Central has had a banner season.

The 21-6 Rams clinched the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division title last week and are in position to claim some more hardware tonight.

The No. 2 seed in the Class 3A Antioch sectional, Grayslake Central will play for the regional championship at Fenton.

Not bad for a team that got just 9 wins last year.

"It's been a total turnaround, 180 degrees," Andrew Sipes said. "I'm in total amazement. I didn't see this coming at all."

Few did.

The Rams started a freshman and two sophomores last year in Sipes and Mike Brumm and Anderson, respectively. And although all three players bring a lot to the table, they're all still so young.

"Next year was supposed to be our year. But we've all gotten better, and we've all matured a lot, too," said Sipes, who leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 12.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. "I think the fact that we were all given the opportunity last year to experience what varsity basketball was like was huge."

Sipes got his opportunity before the ink on his eighth grade diploma was even dry.

The summer before his freshman year he joined the Rams for a basketball camp at Northern Illinois University. Bowen could barely contain his excitement.

"Andrew was taking it to juniors and seniors," Bowen said. "He wasn't afraid of anyone. He was poised, had a great ability to score and was running our stuff without ever having run it before. He could drive to the basket and rebound and go up against guys who were bigger than him. But he could still hit the outside shot and handle the ball.

"I said right then and there, 'He's coming up.' "

Sipes didn't disappoint. He started every game and wound up averaging about 10 points.

But his transition was far from seamless.

"It was really rough sometimes," Sipes said. "A lot of the things I could do in eighth grade, I couldn't do in high school. It was frustrating.

"I remember one game I completely blew it. We were up by about 20 points and then I made like 6 consecutive turnovers and I let this one guy go coast to coast for a layup off one of my turnovers. We lost, and I remember crying after that game."

His remedy wasn't to work more on his game, it was to work more on his faith.

Sipes says that he is very involved in his church and prays often.

"I would sit down and read the Bible," Sipes said. "That got me through a lot of tough times last year. That, and my family. My parents (Jim and Susan) are filled with positive comments all over the place."

Sipes' mom also has an abundance of green and white Grayslake Central spirit wear.

Wearing green Mardi Gras beads, she's frequently seen leading the other parents in the stands in cheers.

"My mom is great," Sipes said. "She's the one wearing the huge foam No. 1 finger and all that kind of stuff. She just made us go out to the party store and buy this wig for her that is half green and half white."

Maybe someday, Susan Sipes will be cheering on her son while wearing red, white and blue.

The cheer?

"Four more years!"