Another year flies by, another host of memories
From Matt Reynolds to Dave Mashal, Wayne DeMaar to Cheryl Fredricksen, Patrick Brown to Phil Gabrielsen, "Super Bugs" to super poor spring weather, I have devoted the past 42 weeks to writing columns about local athletics.
And even though we Chicagoans suffered through a snowier-than-usual winter season, the school year has once again flown by.
Here are some of my observations from the 2007-08 school year. (Keep in mind that I mainly covered girls volleyball, football, boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball.)
Memorable moments
• Witnessing a standing-room-only crowd file into Burgess Field to watch Geneva and St. Charles East play a football game against each other for the first time in nearly 30 years -- in the second round of the Class 7A state playoffs (Geneva won).
• For the first time in 43 years, Batavia and St. Charles East were foes on the football field (St. Charles East won).
• Watching St. Charles North's basketball team rally for back-to-back, double-overtime victories -- all in less than a 16-hour span (beating Elgin and Woodstock).
• Standing in an aisle to watch Batavia's basketball team battle top-ranked Simeon to double overtime during its annual Night of Hoops.
• With St. Charles East's football team just 48 minutes from its first outright Upstate Eight Conference championship, cross-town rival St. Charles North scored three first-quarter touchdowns, then held on for a 28-26 triumph at Norris Stadium.
Favorite athletes to watch
Nick Fruendt, Batavia basketball; Brian Krolikowski, Batavia baseball/football; Michael Ratay, Geneva football; Jordan Coffey, Batavia football/basketball/baseball; Taylor Whitley, Geneva girls basketball; Frank Boenzi, Geneva football/wrestling; Ryan Payne, Geneva baseball; Cory Hofstetter, Geneva football/baseball; Kelsey Smith and Kiley Hackbarth, St. Charles North girls basketball; Jonathon DeMoss, St. Charles North basketball; Jake Juriga, St. Charles North football; Danny Jimenez and Jake Thornton, St. Charles North baseball; Wes Allen and Dave Mashal, St. Charles East football; Collin Pryor, St. Charles East basketball; Mike Hoscheit, St. Charles East baseball; Sean Fichtel, Marmion basketball.
Best postgame interviews
In no particular order, Nick Fruendt, Batavia basketball; Jake Thornton, St. Charles North baseball; Zach Scott, St. Charles East basketball/baseball; Kelsey Smith, St. Charles North girls basketball; Ryan Payne, Geneva baseball; Wes Allen, St. Charles East football/track; Mark Adams, Aurora Central Catholic football/basketball/baseball.
Best interviews for a feature/column
Any time I get a chance to talk with great people like Aurora Christian football coach Don Beebe, St. Charles North freshman baseball coach Wayne DeMaar, St. Charles East hockey coach Phil Gabrielsen and St. Charles East athletic secretary Cheryl Fredricksen.
Favorite sentimental column
A few days prior to St. Charles East's Senior Night football game against St. Charles North, Saints defensive lineman Dave Mashal talked about how emotional it would be without his dad, Joe, who passed away unexpectedly five years earlier when Mashal was a seventh grader.
Best quote
"It's exciting to have four area teams (Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles East, St. Charles North) in the same bracket," said North Stars football coach Mark Gould. "Sometimes the state (IHSA) has a tendency to group teams together like that.
"Batavia and Geneva are not getting smaller -- they're getting bigger so chances are they'll remain in 7A. And we all make a nice southern quadrant with the usual 3-4 schools that make it from downstate.
"I anticipate this is something that we'll see more often."
Athlete most likely to play professionally
Danny Jimenez, St. Charles North pitcher.
Teams on the rise
Geneva boys cross country/boys track, Geneva girls tennis, St. Charles North girls tennis, Batavia girls basketball, Geneva girls basketball, St. Charles North boys basketball, Marmion boys swimming, Batavia baseball, St. Charles North softball, St. Charles East girls track/soccer.
Teams we'll see posing alongside a state trophy in 2008-09
Geneva girls cross country, Wheaton Academy boys golf, Aurora Christian football, Rosary girls swimming, St. Charles North girls basketball, Batavia girls track.
Individuals with legitimate state title hopes in 2008-09
Kelly Whitley, Geneva girls cross country; Lizzy Hynes, St. Charles East girls cross country/track; Blake Biddle, Wheaton Academy boys golf; Sean Johnston, St. Charles North boys gymnastics; Ken Tiltges, St. Charles East boys swimming; Olivia Scott, Kally Fayhee, Mackenzie Powers, Rosary girls swimming; Angie Chokran, St. Charles North girls swimming; Kayla Fujimoto, Geneva girls tennis; Mario Gonzalez, West Aurora wrestling; Aviance King, West Aurora boys track; Natalie Tarter, Alexis Simpson, Batavia girls track; Amy Kus, Rosary girls track.
Days until the opening kickoff of the 2008 football season
84.
One more thing…
Thank you to all of the area coaches, athletic directors, athletic secretaries and student-athletes for their cooperation throughout the 2007-08 school year.