Senior forward Trace Schaaf believes the future is bright for Lockport basketball. But the present? That could be pretty special, too.
And Schaaf is determined to leave a legacy before he leaves the sport behind to play college baseball.
“It’s my last year of basketball and I’m trying to leave my impact here with these guys,” Schaaf said. “We’re still a pretty young team and a lot of these guys will be coming back next year, but I just want to leave my mark while I can.”
Schaaf made his mark again Friday night, knocking down four 3-pointers and finishing with a double-double as the visiting Porters pulled away late for a 64-50 win over Lincoln-Way West in a SouthWest Suburban Conference opener in New Lenox.
The 6-foot-4 Schaaf led Lockport (6-0, 1-0) with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Nedas Venckus scored 23 points, including 16 in the second half, as the Porters beat the Warriors (4-2, 0-1) for the second time in nine days. His twin brother, Nojus, added 16 points.
Luke Gouty paced Lincoln-Way West with 13 points and eight rebounds. Aidan Bach scored 12 points, while Drake Been finished with nine points and Ryan Hegji chipped in with seven points.
Schaaf, meanwhile, found his shot after struggling in the opening week. He hit two key 3-pointers in the third quarter as the Porters rallied from a six-point deficit to take a 45-43 lead after three.
“I was a bit rusty the first few games because I’ve been playing baseball,” Schaaf said. “I’ve just been trying to get shots up to get it consistent. Seeing them go in (Friday), it feels good.”
Schaaf, a left-handed pitcher, is committed to play baseball at Morton.
He feels that he’s developed strong mental fortitude on the mound.
“When I’m pitching, it’s just me out there and there’s nobody to blame,” Schaaf said. “You have to take responsibility for everything that goes on. I think that helps me be a leader on the basketball court.”
Lockport coach Dave Wilson definitely sees that playing out with Schaaf and his teammates.
“Trace’s emotions are always consistent,” Wilson said. “When we need him to hit a big free throw, he’s there for us. When we need a big shot, he’s there for us. He’s quickly becoming our best rebounder as well with his long reach and his long arms. He has a great motor.
“Some high school players shine in a competitive moment and he’s one of them.”
Lockport opened the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run to take control. The Venckus twins combined for the first six points during the surge.
“We knew we had to put the game away in the fourth,” Nojus Venckus said. “We all came together as a team and knew we had to give everything we had.
“We started pressing and that got our energy up. We just went stop, score, stop, score. After that we were up 10 and just had to finish it off.”
The Venckus twins are the flashiest players on the court for the Porters, a duo that’s always capable of putting up big numbers.
But both brothers know the importance of having a steady leader like Schaaf, who can also fill up the basket with his outside shooting.
“He’s just a consistent floor general,” Nedas Venckus said. “We know he can hit shots and we always trust him. He’s a great leader.”
Schaaf has been playing basketball since third grade, when he joined a team that a baseball teammate was on.
While baseball has been his greatest passion, he plans to savor what’s left of his basketball career.
“It’s about being around the guys and having fun every day,” Schaaf said. “I’ve had so much fun playing basketball. This being my last season, I’m just really trying to enjoy every moment of it.”
