For 2nd straight year, getting back to sectional eludes Bulldogs

March 8th, 2006. Over 3,000 fans jammed in to see the East Aurora sectional semifinals.

Nick Fruendt scores 27 points, Batavia holds Northwestern-bound Mike Capocci to 8 points, and the 27-1 Bulldogs roll into the East Aurora sectional championship game with a 64-54 victory over Glenbard East.

There's a reason to start with this game, and not just because Batavia fans can use a good memory after their Bulldogs got run over by host Bartlett 86-63 Friday night in the Class 4A regional championship game.

Back in 2006, two nights after their semifinal win, the Bulldogs' season to remember ended with a loss to West Aurora in a classic championship game.

A sad ending for sure, but at the time it was easy to look ahead with the sophomore Fruendt and freshman David Bryant and picture Batavia having a couple chances to play at East Aurora in March, for coach Jim Roberts to break out that crimson red jacket he saves for Fridays in March.

It's sound advice that nothing in life is guaranteed. Live in the moment.

Batavia, despite two outstanding regular seasons, never got that moment on the sectional stage again.

Bartlett made sure of that this year, part of Black Friday for the area 4A teams that saw the seasons come to a sudden stop at Batavia, St. Charles North and West Aurora.

"I thought Bartlett imposed their will on us throughout the game," Roberts said.

It's usually Batavia imposing its will. There's certainly a long line of accomplishments the last two years. A pair of conference titles, two memorable games at the Sears Centre, a near upset over Simeon and a 100-year celebration are just some of the highlights.

But with its state rankings and postseason runs, Batavia is a program that starts the year with bigger goals than conference championships.

For all the fun during their 42-7 record the past two regular seasons, it's just as frustrating to be 2-2 the last two postseasons, and not make it out of regionals. First East Aurora upset Batavia on the Bulldogs' home court, then Bartlett ran the Bulldogs off the court.

"It's tough," Roberts said. "As I told our seniors, I hope this one game does not take away from the memories that they created for themselves, each other, and the people of Batavia. It's a reflection of the state tournament. It's always a tough ending."

Basketball is still a pretty simple game -- put the ball in the basket, and the team that does it better wins.

Bartlett did it at a 60 percent clip. Batavia picked the worst possible time for its worst shooting games. The Bulldogs missed their first 18 3-point attempts. Fruendt came out aggressively attacking the basket, and while he drained 11 of 12 free throws, he couldn't find his shot from the field. Neither could his teammates.

"Obviously it wasn't my best shooting night," Fruendt said. "We had control of the first quarter and I don't know what happened."

Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith had a chip big enough to match his broad shoulders, and his team went out and played with his type of fire.

"I really thought we matched up well with Batavia," Wolfsmith said. "I was afraid of East Aurora's speed. Cory (Hrynyk) has gotten nothing like what Nick gets in terms of press and publicity. Nick is a phenomenal player. You guys don't come out to see Cory play. You don't see what I see. You all go to Batavia games, you watch them against Simeon and Marshall, they are great teams. You never came out and watched Bartlett. Cory can play. The team never doubted itself, never for a moment."

Wolfsmith, with one of the regional nets draped around his neck, addressed the reporters afterward with the passion you figure he'd save for a pregame pep talk.

"There's a whole world of doubters out there against us in this game," Wolfsmith said. "The 16 guys on the floor, they didn't doubt.

"Chicago Sun-Times had Batavia in the Final Four downstate, the Tribune, the Daily Herald, our own paper had East Aurora playing Batavia for a rematch of last year's championship game. There ain't no rematch. That was us."

Everything that could go wrong for Batavia did go wrong. And everything that could go right for Bartlett did.

Take Kamil Janton, Bartlett's 6-foot-9 center who didn't start after he picked up two technical fouls against Willowbrook.

Janton has been hit or miss all year. Batavia found itself playing against Janton at his best, as he dominated inside with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

"I felt this was the toughest team we played this year, tougher than Simeon," Batavia senior Jordan Smith said.

"There wasn't lack of hustle or anything like that. We just weren't big enough or quick enough to get around them."

Back to that 2006 season one more time. I remember after their final game a group of seniors hold their heads high. I remember those seniors being class acts after their final high school game, just like they were all year.

The same holds true for this year's seniors, including, Fruendt, Phil Albrecht and Smith. They are going to be missed.

"Bartlett just outplayed us," Albrecht said.

"Obviously disappointing tonight but overall I loved being with the guys. We had a great two years on varsity. Despite not reaching our goals in the playoffs, it was fun to be apart of."

"I don't think it has really hit me yet," Smith said. "We played sixth grade basketball together. It's been a long time. It's going to be weird (not playing together again)."

A Batavia win would have matched up Fruendt against his good friend and future teammate at Northwestern John Shurna in the sectional semifinals. Thirteenth-seed and defending sectional champ Glenbard West is making the kind of underdog run Fruendt and his teammates did when he burst on the scene his freshman year.

Time sure went by fast. Fruendt took a long look up at the Batavia crowd when he came out of the game with a minute to go in the fourth quarter, wearing his Bulldogs' No. 5 for the final time.

"It will never be the same," Fruendt said. "The past four years this is what I've loved being a part of this. And it's hard for me to realize that I'll be entering a new phase of my life. I wish we could have this game back. We didn't play anywhere near the way we usually do. I just wanted to soak it in because it was my last time seeing everyone in the crowd in the high school atmosphere."

A special atmosphere for sure, one that gets even more electric at East Aurora. Who would have predicted in 2006 Batavia wouldn't be part of that the next two years?