The variations form peaks and valleys on the basketball March Madness scene. The rush, physical and adrenalin, of a Friday night sectional tournament success, turns somber in a following game which is a signal the season has ended in defeat. Every sectional champion Friday used euphoria to build a case to qualify for the State tournament. Half of the teams fell in Class 3A and Class 4A super-sectional games Tuesday.
West Aurora’s prolonged celebration Friday after a well-earned victory over Bolingbrook, 82-67, which had ended the West Aurora season in 2017, received a dose of reality Tuesday at Illinois State University in Normal. Belleville West, ranked No. 2 in the State Class 4A, behind only Chicago Simeon, thumped the Blackhawks, 81-43. It was West Aurora’s first defeat in 2018. West Aurora finished the season with a 25-5 record and was the first sectional championship for third-year West Aurora head coach Brian Johnson. The previous loss was in the Pontiac tournament December 30, 2017.
“We stick together, with good chemistry, and we are a family,” West Aurora’s Jared Crutcher said during the celebration on the floor at Romeoville after the sectional championship victory over Bolingbrook.
Crutcher, the 6-5 big man with the seven-foot wing span, became a force during the season. His work ethic in big-man drills paid dividends. Against Bolingbrook he scored 25 points, collected 13 rebounds, five blocked shots, and one steal. The poise of the West Aurora players against the Bolingbrook pressure defense kept the West lead intact in the second half.
“We improved a lot during the Summer, in the off-season,” Johnson said. “We improved during the season. We are a well-conditioned team.”
The sectional championship was the 22nd in school history and eighth in this century.
Larkin will carry the DuPage/Kane/Kendall banner after its DeKalb Super-sectional victory over Benet Academy, 53-46, Tuesday. Larkin will have the dubious distinction of playing Belleville West. Simeon, prior to its defeat by Whitney Young, was ranked No. 1 in the State and Belleville West was No. 2. That makes Belleville West No. 1 going into the four-team State tournament in Peoria Friday.
A wrap-up for a few other high school basketball teams is in order:
• First-year Oswego High School head coach Chad Pohlmann said the victory over host Quincy early in the season was a highlight. “That is in the top five percent of the toughest places to play in the State,” Pohlmann said. “We played tough and together and Jack Kahoun was johnny-on-the-spot and knocked down a three (point shot) to put us ahead. It was one of the all-time great regular-season wins in school history. Winning at Quincy for teams like us is very rare.” Pohlmann said other highlights include a 31-point scoring performance at home against Plainfield Central by Kahoun (a 6-3 guard). Connor Robinson hitting a three against Plainfield South and being name the Wintrust Athlete of the Week (is another highlight).” Oswego used only three seniors so next season should be improved.
A final week of coaches’ comments will be next week following the Class 3A and Class 4A State tournaments to conclude the high school season.