The Vernon Hills boys basketball team has three captains this season.
Seniors Robby Nardini and Cory Levin are two of them. The other captaincy, that of senior Sam Rattner, comes with a not-always-flattering designation.
“He’s our bench captain. He loves that role coming off the bench,” coach Matt McCarty said. “It’s a not a role for everyone. Some adapt better than others. He has the personality to do it.”
A 6-3, 185-pound shooting guard, Rattner is Vernon Hills’ sixth man. His 15-minute average per game is sixth-highest on the team. For the first two or three minutes of each half, Rattner is a spectator.
But during those first few minutes before he checks in, Rattner is anything but a passive observer.
“You watch the first couple of minutes of the game, you get a feel for who their best shooter is. If he’s hitting a lot of shots, if he’s posting up,” Rattner said.
Although the Cougars are vigorous watchers of film before every game, Rattner said each opponent has nuances that can only be digested from seeing live action.
Upon entering the game, he will often approach Nardini or Levin with information gleaned from his time on the bench.
“He’ll come in and let us know if one of our wing [players] is open, you can kick it out, a few different things,” Levin said. “You can watch a lot of film but [the opposition] is not playing against you. To have someone with high basketball IQ is great.”
Once Rattner is in the game, his impact is felt beyond just relaying intelligence. He can play. Through 23 games, four Cougars have attempted 50 or more three-point shots. Rattner owns the second-highest percentage at 37 (25-for-68 shots. Of the five Cougars who have attempted 100 or more field goals, Rattner has the highest percentage.
His 48 made field goals on 113 attempts has him shooting at a 42.5 percent clip. Nardini (42.4), senior Matt Weaver (42.4) and Levin (42.1) are an eyelash behind.
“He comes in right away and if you are not paying attention, he can knock down three-[pointers],” McCarty said. “He brings hustle plays for us.”
Those hustle plays are adding up to wins for the Cougars. A Jan. 31 victory over North Chicago was Vernon Hills’ 20th of the season and marked the first time in 14 years it had beaten the Warhawks on the road.
Vernon Hills is now in the driver’s seat to win the North Suburban Prairie. If the Cougars sweep their next three games (against Wauconda on Saturday, at Round Lake on Feb. 13 and at home against Lakes on Feb. 18) they will be Prairie Division champs and will play either Stevenson or Lake Forest — ranked Nos. 1 and 4, respectively, by the Tribune — in the NSC title game.
Rattner will help lead the way. After he leaves the bench, of course.
“It’s a lot of responsibility. You have to have solid knowledge of what’s going on,” Rattner said. “I love coming off the bench.”
Jon Kerr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
