It didn’t take long for Lake Forest Academy coach Matt Vaughn to go deep into his bench. It was the first half of the season’s first game, in fact.
When the Caxys played Mundelein at the Mustangs’ Thanksgiving tournament Nov. 24, the gymnasium shrieked with the sound of whistles.
“It was a frantic first quarter. A full-court game. A lot of fouls called,” Vaughn said. “I literally had the next five guys in. I said, ‘OK guys, here we go. Stem the tide.’ “
Lake Forest Academy’s bench did its job. The game evolved into a more reasonable pace, resulting in a 81-51 victory. It was the first of four wins for the Caxys over five games at Mundelein. If a team can make a statement in November, the Caxys did.
“I feel like the effort from everyone was very high overall. I think our team chemistry is much better,” junior forward Daniel Joseph said. “We are able to put the bench in much earlier.”
Lake Forest Academy’s five starters for the tournament were 6-foot senior guard Isaiah Foust, 6-4 senior guard Ryan Clamage, 6-2 guard Dejon Brissett, 6-3 forward Malcolm Chaka and 6-10 center Diago Quinn.
Joseph, a 6-4 power forward who started last year, is now one of the first players off the bench. He said there is little difference in mental preparation as a reserve.
“It doesn’t effect the way I play. I went out and played hard and played with intensity,” said Joseph, who finished with team-high 12 points in a 56-44 win over Lakes on Saturday. “It’s not [about] me not starting. It’s for the better of the team.”
Vaughn added: “We had him going against some of the other reserves. He’s still playing a ton of minutes. We have more firepower with him off the bench.”
Another notable tournament performance by a non-starter was that of Chris Harris. A 6-3 sophomore guard, Harris had double-digit scoring totals against Mundelein (15 points) and in Lake Forest Academy’s 64-57 win over Barrington on Nov. 25 (13 points). Six-foot seniors Brandon Amoroso and Alec Mesrobian also logged key minutes at Mundelein.
Foust led the team in scoring against Barrington (21 points) and in a 56-43 win over Warren on Nov. 26 (17 points). Clamage’s 20 points were the high in the Caxys’ only loss of the tournament, a 62-51 decision against Uplift on Friday.
Coming into this season, Lake Forest Academy knew it would be experienced. Nine players returned from 2013-14. Not so clear was how far down the bench the Caxys could go. If the first five games are any indication, the Caxys can feel confident using their full compliment of players.
“We have a lot of guys that fit into our system and can produce offensively and defensively. That’s something we pride ourselves in,” Quinn said. “That will serve us in the long run when the starters are tired or in foul trouble. That will make us tougher.”
