Football
Lake Forest gave ‘hearts and souls’ during 2014 season
Despite losing to unbeaten Nazareth 54-24 in the Class 6A quarterfinals Saturday, the positives were plentiful for the Scouts, who finished with an 8-4 record.
Lake Forest averaged 32.5 points a game — about 10 more than the 22.6 it allowed — and also managed to win a pair of playoff games. Even during the final plays of their season against Nazareth, it was clear the Scouts were giving everything they had.
“Every one of these seniors — and all of our players — poured their hearts and souls into this season,” Lake Forest coach Chuck Spagnoli said. “They were the kinds of kids and players we expect to have at our school playing for this football team all the time.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay this group of seniors until the day I die. All the work they’ve put in, all the effort they’ve put in. We’ve got nothing but positive results from them as a group. I respect all the kids I’ve coached, but I certainly don’t feel more respect for any other group I’ve ever coached than this one.”
-Tim Froehlig
Barrington ends season with sense of accomplishment
Barrington was one good half away from reaching the Class 8A state semifinals, but that good half of football eluded the Broncos against a formidable, undefeated opponent.
“You’ve got to hand it to Glenbard West. They came out in the second half and they were ready to go,” Barrington lineman Jason Harris said. “They made more plays than we did, and you have to hand it to them.”
Glenbard West scored 21 unanswered points in the second half of their 28-21 state quarterfinal victory over Barrington, whose dominant first half was not lost on its coach afterward.
“I think our guys certainly let people know that we can play football up north,” Barrington coach Joe Sanchez said.
-Gary Larsen
Class 7A playoff preview: Cary-Grove at Libertyville
Girls Basketball
North Chicago keeps eyes on big picture despite departures
When the school year started in late August, it appeared North Chicago High School’s girls basketball team would feature the best player in the entire county on a team being directed by a coach who led the team to regional titles in 2013 and 2014 — the first two such championships in school history in the sport.
But three months later, that best player (Tineesha Coleman) is now the best player for Marshall High School in Chicago — having found a way to get IHSA approval to play for Marshall — and the coach (Lawrence Brown) is not currently the coach for reasons that have nothing to do with winning and losing games.
And yet, despite all that clutter, it’s possible that no girls basketball team in Lake County this side of Stevenson has a better “Big 3” it can put on the court on game night this winter than the Warhawks.
Interim coach Thomas Coleman — no relation to Tineesha, who is the granddaughter of North Chicago High boys basketball coach King Coleman — has a point guard in T.T. Maggett and bookend forwards in Kylah Collins and Tiara Garrett.
-Bryan Bonato
Girls Volleyball
Libertyville optimistic after brush with state title
Libertyville girls volleyball coach Greg Loika had one regret after Saturday’s 25-10, 25-10 loss to Benet in the Class 4A state championship match.
It wasn’t losing.
“We really wanted to show our best volleyball,” he said. “I’m not sure that happened, except in small glimpses. That’s unfortunate for the fans. They didn’t get to see our real strength as a team.”
Still, he was smiling. And so were the girls who were hoisting the second-place trophy, the biggest piece of volleyball hardware that the school had ever earned.
-Tony Baranek
Girls Swimming
Libertyville, Mundelein, Vernon Hills swimmers ready for state meet
Swimming has been a family project for the Falconers of Mundelein, and Erin Falconer hopes to complete the family’s run at the high school with a pair of state championships.
Falconer will swim in four events at the state meet Friday and Saturday in Evanston.
“I’m the fifth sibling to go through the program,” Falconer said. “I want to go out with a bang and make my family [and school] proud.”
Her brother, Pat Falconer, was the only other family member to earn a medal at state with a third in the 500-yard freestyle in 2009.
After winning the 200- and 100-yard freestyle events at the Lake Forest Sectional on Saturday, Falconer has been focusing intently on what she needs to do to improve on her performance at state last year. It will not be easy. She was second in both events and picked up medals as a freshman and sophomore as well.
“This year I want to be my best,” Falconer said. “I’m doing everything I can to condition myself to make this my year.”
-Steve Sadin
