Friday was discovery night in Flossmoor for No. 1-ranked Thornton and the Homewood-Flossmoor Vikings.
It also was the opening game for both teams in the ultra-competitive SICA East conference, which could wind up as the second-toughest league in the state after the Public League’s Red West.
So, what did Thornton coach Rocky Hill find out about his multi-talented team that finished second in the state last year?
Well, for starters, that his Wildcats could prevail against a gritty and poised H-F ballclub 50-37 when their best player, 6-foot-10-inch Melvin Ely, only scores four points.
In Ely, we’re talking about a dominating center who is rated among the top 20 juniors in the country by national talent scouts. Ely did come away with seven rebounds and six blocked shots, setting the tone for the Wildcat defense.
Ely had difficulty inside, apparently needing a passport to navigate his way around the land down under. All too often, he was whistled for travelling or stepping on the baseline after getting the ball an arm’s length from the basket.
Picking up for his teammate was another talented junior, 6-4 Erik Herring. He led the Wildcats with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five steals.
“We had a lot of leaders on the court last year, especially Tai Streets and Chauncey Jones (both since gone),” Herring said. “This year, I’m trying to provide that.”
Thornton (5-0) needed every bit of its resources on a night when H-F (3-2) proved it is for real.
New Vikings coach Roy Condotti was a master at forcing more physically talented teams to conform to his team’s playing style while coaching at Westinghouse. Those same characteristics were evident Friday as Condotti’s inside committee of 6-4 seniors Nelson Grant, Rodney Johnson, and Matt Brown plus 6-5 junior Brad Scowronski were impressive in neutralizing Ely, 6-8 sophomore Corey Harris and 6-4 junior Napoleon Harris (11 rebounds).
