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Palatine’s Immanuel Lutheran School takes dual basketball titles

Not only did basketball players at Immanuel Lutheran School in Palatine recently show poise under pressure, they managed to pull off an unprecedented feat in the process.

The school’s boys and girls teams each handily won the Lutheran Sports Association Illinois State Basketball Championship this month, marking the first time in the tourney’s 28-year history a single school captured both titles.

Immanuel Lutheran eighth-graders Lauren Glaser and Matt Ulrich received the girls’ and boys’ MVP award, another tournament first.

“It’s incredibly hard for one team to do it, so for both teams to accomplish this is unbelievable,” said Heather Glaser, the girls’ head coach and Lauren’s sister. “Everyone is so proud of them.”

Next up is the 64th Annual National Lutheran Basketball Association of America Invitational Tournament next weekend in Valparaiso, Ind., where the undefeated Bobcats (30-0) and Lady Bobcats (25-3) will compete against the nation’s best.

Both teams, made up of seventh and eighth graders, won their trophies in convincing fashion at the tournament, held this year in Arlington Heights.

The girls team won the championship game over Bethel Lutheran School of Morton by a score of 32-20, and their average margin of victory was 15 points in the first three playoff games. Lauren Glaser, Demi Pappas and Holly Straup were named to the girls’ All-State Team.

Heather Glaser, an Immanuel Lutheran graduate and member of the school’s 1998 national championship team, said her team was so dedicated to their goal of hanging another championship banner in the school gym, they’d call on off-days wanting more practice.

The boys team, coached by John Ulrich, were also the top seed and won their championship contest by a score of 44-35 over Christ Lutheran-Peoria. They also beat Zion Lutheran-Belleville, LSA-Decatur and Zion Lutheran-Marengo, outscoring their opponents by a combined 146-66. Troy Burrows, Nate Rathe and Matt Ulrich were named to the boys’ All-State Team.

“Each week, they get better and better,” John Ulrich said. “They play hard, they study hard in school and, most importantly, they work very hard at being a team that worships together with passion and helps others.”

With the 2012 titles in the books, the Lady Bobcats have now won eight LSA state titles since 1991, more than any team in Illinois. The male Bobcats have three titles since 2002.

The girls and boys basketball teams of Immanuel Lutheran School in Palatine display their first-place medals at the Lutheran Sports Association Illinois State Basketball tournament. courtesy of Immanuel Lutheran School
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