Picking big things for Burlington Central basketball, Marmion wrestling - and more
Good, so-so or not even close, it is time for my annual predictions column for 2016.
Before I make my prognostications for the New Year, let's see how some of my 2015 predictions fared.
The good:
I accurately predicted Marmion's Nathan Traxler would win the Class 3A individual state wrestling title at 182 pounds.
I also correctly said that Geneva and St. Charles East would square off for a third time in the Class 4A boys basketball regional championship (Geneva won 73-70).
I was on the mark when I picked Stevenson and St. Joseph to capture 4A and 3A state basketball titles, respectively, and had 5 of the Elite Eight girls basketball teams in Class 4A.
I had 3 of the Final 4 teams in the NCAA men's basketball tournament (Duke, Kentucky, Wisconsin), picked New England to beat Seattle 27-20 in Super Bowl XLIX (Patriots won 28-24), predicted Jordan Spieth would earn PGA Player of the Year honors, and tabbed the Blackhawks to capture the Stanley Cup.
So-so:
I said that Geneva, St. Charles East and St. Charles North would win 4A girls basketball regional titles (Geneva and St. Charles East did).
I picked St. Charles North's girls basketball team to reach the semifinals of last month's Dundee-Crown Holiday Tournament (the North Stars placed fifth).
Not even close:
I only picked 2 of the Elite Eight participants in 4A boys basketball - Stevenson and Simeon.
My World Series picks were the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore.
Here are my picks to click for 2016:
AFC Championship: New England 23, Denver 20.
NFC Championship: Arizona 30, Carolina 24.
Super Bowl 50: Arizona 34, New England 27.
NHL: Dallas eliminates the Blackhawks in the playoffs on a game-winning goal by Patrick Sharp.
NBA: Once again, the Bulls fall short to LeBron James and Cleveland in a 7-game playoff series.
NCAA Basketball: The championship matchup features another epic battle between Oklahoma and Kansas. My Final Four includes Michigan State and Villanova.
MLB: OK, I'll do it. The Cubs face Houston in the … let me catch my breath … World Series.
In January, St. Charles East's girls basketball team edges St. Charles North behind Sara Rosenfeldt's double-double.
A few days later, Geneva's girls basketball team defeats Batavia despite a 30-point effort from senior Hannah Frazier, and the Vikings earn some payback on the boys' side with a win over the Bulldogs.
Huntley senior forward Ali Andrews tops the 2,400-point mark for her career, while Batavia's Frazier surpasses Liza Fruendt (1,921 points) as the Bulldogs' all-time leading scorer with more than 2,000 points.
Geneva faces Montini in the 4A girls basketball sectional finals at Schaumburg.
St. Charles East captures its first 4A regional boys basketball title since 2007.
Class 4A Elite Eight (girls basketball): Montini vs. New Trier; Proviso East vs. H-F; Edwardsville vs. Benet; Huntley vs. Hersey.
Class 4A state champion: Montini.
Class 3A Elite Eight: Salem vs. St. Thomas More; Antioch vs. Marshall; Galesburg vs. Burlington Central; Bogan vs. Morgan Park.
Class 3A champion: Burlington Central.
Class 4A Elite Eight (boys basketball): St. Viator vs. Jacobs; Evanston vs. Curie; Homewood-Flossmoor vs. Edwardsville; York vs. Oswego.
Class 4A champion: Curie.
Class 3A Elite Eight: Chicago Vocational vs. Hillcrest; Belleville Althoff vs. Springfield Lanphier; Peoria Manual vs. Burlington Central; St. Joseph vs. St. Patrick.
Class 3A champion: Belleville Althoff.
In February, the list of local state individual wrestling champions includes Marmion's Anthony Cheloni, Trace Carello, Riley DeMoss, Nathan Traxler, and Dundee-Crown's Christian Brunner (Class 3A).
St. Charles North senior Joe Myhre lands top-3 state finishes in the 50 and 100 free at the state swimming meet.
In May, West Aurora's Chris Walker and DaVion Cross repeat as 1-2 finishers in the triple jump at the Class 3A state track and field meet.
Junior pitcher/infielder Tyler Mettetal leads St. Charles North's baseball team to the Class 4A sectional finals, while pitchers Casey Dennison, Johnny Rohde and Brenden Heiss power Jacobs to its fourth consecutive 4A regional championship. St. Charles East also pockets a regional crown.
In mid-October, Gianna Furrie, Katie Lillie and Megan Furtney lead St. Charles North to a second-place Class 2A girls golf state finish.
In November, Batavia's girls cross country team earns its second straight Class 3A state trophy, while Crystal Lake South, Cary-Grove, Geneva and St. Charles East reach the Class 4A girls volleyball sectional.
Rosary, led by Alexis Yager and Athena Ye, repeats as girls state swimming champion.
Two-way standout Tyler Pennington leads Cary-Grove to the Class 7A state football finals.
In December, senior center Grace Loberg and sophomore guards Margaret Whitley and Stephanie Hart lift Geneva's girls basketball team to the semifinals of the Montini Christmas Classic.
Make a copy of these picks, tape them to your refrigerator and see if any of them actually come true.
You can reach Craig Brueske at csb4k@hotmail.com