Benet’s Dan Sobolewski crashed the boards in the final minutes Friday night with the future in mind.
“I knew my career was on the line in those waning seconds,” he said. “I saw the ball go up and I knew I just had to go after the ball as hard as I possibly could.”
The 6-foot-3 senior grabbed the miss and completed a 3-point play with 1:15 left that put the host Redwings ahead 38-37 en route to a 41-37 win over Naperville Central in the championship game of the Class 4A Benet Regional.
It didn’t surprise Benet’s Jack Nolan.
“Danny is absolutely a phenomenal player,” Nolan said. “I love him as a person, as a player. He’s a great kid. No one deserves it more than he does.”
Sobolewski also scored on a putback earlier in the fourth quarter. He finished with nine points and eight rebounds.
Benet (27-3) moves on to a 7 p.m. Tuesday semifinal in the East Aurora Sectional against Hinsdale South, a 74-55 winner over Downers Grove South in the Glenbard East Regional.
Naperville Central coach Pete Kramer lamented what happened to the Redhawks down the stretch.
“We got them to shoot an air ball, and they put the air ball back in, 3-point play,” Kramer said. “Great play by them, but at this time of year, you’ve got to be good and you’ve got to be lucky.”
Nolan scored a game-high 18 points, including three 3-pointers in the first half. James Dockery contributed 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Matt Meier led Naperville Central (16-12) with 10 points. James Kendrick had eight points, while Harry Hallstrom and Brandon Baskin each finished with seven points. Baskin had nine rebounds.
“They’re a really good team,” Sobolewski said. “They’re definitely a better team than their record shows.
“I played with four of their starters (for) four years in grade school. We knew what was coming. They knew what was coming. That’s why it was such a low-scoring game.”
Kramer was pleased with the Redhawks’ effort.
“I thought our kids played their tails off,” he said. “I thought our game plan was outstanding. I thought we executed. We made a few mistakes down the stretch, but I can’t ask any more from our kids and the way they played.”
Hallstrom hit a jumper to give Naperville Central a 37-35 lead with 1:32 to play before Sobolewski took control. Nolan’s two free throws with 20 seconds remaining increased Benet’s lead to 40-37.
“I was thinking, ‘I made these before, a thousand times in my back yard,”’ Nolan said. “Obviously, they’re pressure free throws, but I had confidence.”
Benet was pushed to the limit to extend its winning streak to 12 games.
“In the state tournament, the records really don’t matter. We know that going in,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “We knew this would be a game right to the wire, and it certainly went that way.
“We don’t have to live up to any standard other than try to survive and advance.”
Heidkamp praised the Redhawks, particularly Meier and Hallstrom.
“I give Naperville Central so much credit,” he said. “They had a great game plan. Meier and Hallstrom are fantastic players. They’ve got a lot more than those two kids.
“It was one of those games that went right to the wire. We were fortunate to make some plays in the last minute-and-half.”
Tim Tierney is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.
