Mikes proud of impact at St. Charles North

As soon as St. Charles North basketball coach Tom Poulin laid his eyes on then-sophomore Josh Mikes at the team’s preseason practice two years ago, he knew he had an athlete on his hands.

“Athletically, he was off the charts,” Poulin said of Mikes. “Basketball-wise, one of the first things I noticed was his hands. He was blessed with great hands.

“He just needed to work a little on his ballhandling and his jump shot because he’s always been relentless around the rim.”

While Poulin admits that Mikes was “ready to start” as a sophomore, he took a more cautious approach the first few weeks of the 2008-09 campaign.

“I didn’t start him the first few games,” said Poulin. “We had a number of seniors on that team, so we paired Josh up with Jake Juriga in practice.”

Juriga, known more for his talents on the football field as a linebacker, soon had some words of advice for his basketball coach.

“He told me that Josh should probably be starting ahead of him,” recalled Poulin. “You could tell how athletic he was.”

During his sophomore season, the North Stars captured the school’s second-ever regional title (beating South Elgin) and advanced all the way to the Class 4A sectional championship game in jam-packed Chesbrough Fieldhouse at Elgin before losing a 2-point decision to eventual fourth-place state finisher Dundee-Crown.

“Josh was surrounded by great senior leaders like Jon DeMoss, Nick Neari, Zach Hirsch, and Jake Juriga that year,” said Poulin.

“It was a great fit for him and it helped him an awful lot. His confidence grew athletically and socially, and a lot of it had to do with the people he was surrounded by.”

Mikes also had the opportunity to play in several big games without the added pressure of being a go-to player his sophomore season.

“As a sophomore, other teams weren’t zeroed in on stopping him because we had so many senior scoring threats,” said Poulin.

That changed dramatically last season when Mikes averaged 15.4 points and nearly 6 rebounds per game as the leading scorer during the North Stars’ 16-12 campaign.

“Last year, we leaned on him a lot more,” said Poulin. “He became our go-to guy.”

Mikes, who missed the majority of his junior football season with a back injury, made up for lost time last fall. The 6-4, 200-pound wideout led the team with a school-record 732 receiving yards and 9 TDs.

An all-Upstate Eight Conference River Division selection, Mikes enjoyed a 4-TD, 212-yard receiving effort in a Week 2 victory over McHenry.

While Mikes’ basketball numbers are slightly down this season (13 ppg), he is contributing in other ways.

“His scoring is down but his (shot) attempts are, too,” said Poulin. “Other teams have tried to take away our high-low game so they’ve focused on collapsing, helping and fronting him in the post.”

A left-handed shooter known for his blend of brute strength and burst of speed, Mikes has earned the praise of his opponents.

“Josh knows how to use his body as well as anybody I’ve seen,” said St. Charles East coach Brian Clodi. “When he pins you, you’re pinned. When he lets you off, there’s a reason he lets you off — because he wants it (the ball) on the back side or over the top.”

Like others, Clodi has had his share of struggles trying to defend Mikes.

“When you’re 6-4, as strong as him and can jump as high, and as athletic and quick as he is, he’s tough matchup for anybody,” said Clodi.

“He’s a mismatch nightmare for anybody.”

Mikes’ best attribute may be his consistency.

“He has shot better than 60 percent from the floor with six to eight rebounds per game all three years on varsity,” said Poulin. “As a coach, you know what you’re getting from him. I can’t remember him having many bad games.”

They certainly didn’t come against St. Charles East, evidenced by his 7-0 career record versus the Saints.

Two weeks ago, he capped the North Stars’ 63-50 Senior Night victory over the Saints with a pair of highlight-reel slam dunks in the final minutes.

“You couldn’t script it any better for an ending for him — his Senior Night at home against his rival,” said Poulin.

“That was a personal goal of mine, to come out with a win and say I went undefeated against our rival throughout my high school career,” said Mikes. “It was an awesome feeling on Senior Night.”

Clodi might be the happiest coach in town to see Mikes graduate this spring.

“I love Josh,” said Clodi. “He’s a great kid and a class act. I wish him the best.”

Mikes, who will play football at Winona State (Minn.) next fall, will be missed at St. Charles North.

“Josh is a great person to be around,” said Poulin. “He has been a joy to coach.”

Mikes has enjoyed his time with the North Stars.

“It has been a great experience overall,” said Mikes. “I’ve developed good relationships with Coach Poulin and Coach (Rob) Prentiss, and I’ve had a lot of fun playing with a bunch of good guys throughout the years.”