Schaumburg nets 100th victory
It turned out to be one exciting weekend for Schaumburg’s boys water polo program.
The Saxons finished 3-2 in the Midwest Classic tournament they hosted, which was played at both Schaumburg and Conant. The tournament features five teams from suburban Chicago, plus five more from the St. Louis area.
In its final game of the tourney, Schaumburg topped Parkway North 12-9. That marked the 100th victory for a program now in its sixth season as a varsity sport.
Balanced against 53 losses, it’s clear the Saxons have become a consistent winner under coach Tom Gallagher.
He remembers, however, that it wasn’t always that way.
“In those first couple of years, a lot of teams had their fun with us,” said Gallagher, recalling 16- and 14-loss seasons in the first two years.
Quickly, though, the wins and losses became inverted, and the Saxons had their big breakthrough two seasons ago, winning a Mid-Suburban League title and making the Elite Eight in the state tournament, losing only three times the entire season.
Last spring, the Saxons were runner-up to eventual MSL champ Palatine in the West Division on the way to a 21-8 record, and so far this year they’re 9-4 and on pace for another strong showing.
It helps having individual talents such as Mike Gergen, who finished with 23 goals in five tournament games this weekend. But the real mark of progress might be the way Schaumburg’s entire team buys into Gallagher’s methods.
“Our practices are really intense,” said Gallagher. “These guys are giving everything they have to the sport, and it shows.”
Those same players have exhibited the ability to perform under pressure, which came in handy during a warm-up session Friday.
Schaumburg’s Brandon Luke was in the water performing drills with his teammates when he suffered a grand mal epileptic seizure in the water. Those nearby Luke performed a textbook rescue, according to Gallagher, who was dialing 911 while monitoring the scene. And while the incident was frightening for all, it surely could have been much worse if not for some calm, clear thinking on the part of Schaumburg’s athletes and coach.
Luke was back on deck Saturday, calmly watching his teammates. Tests revealed a lesion on an artery that supplies blood to his brain, which might help explain the migraines he’d been having, and in all likelihood is linked to the seizure. He’d never had one before.
Against this dire backdrop, wins and losses don’t seem so important.
A thankful Luke summed up his opinion of his coach in a simple, winning way:
“Coach Gallagher,” he said, “is awesome.”
St. Louis University High edged Schaumburg 12-10 and wrapped up a 5-0 tournament showing by topping Hoffman Estates 17-4. Other Saturday results included Parkway West edging Mundelein 7-6, and Parkway West beating Conant 11-7.