By Bobby Narang
Less than two years after winning the program’s first State basketball championship, Glenbard West High School is embarking on another challenge.
The Hilltoppers made headlines throughout the State, and part of the Country, by nearly beating Bronny James and company in a special intersectional game, and won the Class 4A State championship in 2021-22.
Led by a strong senior group of college-bound starters, including Braden Huff and Caden Pierce, the Hilltoppers crushed teams en route to the State championship at the University of Illinois.
Last season, the Hilltoppers had several new faces step into enhanced roles for the first time in their varsity careers, but Benji Zander and Logan Brown, were among the players who helped nearly carry the Hilltoppers to an improbable 20-win season before finishing with 19 victories.
With Zander and Brown both graduating, the Hilltoppers bring another fresh and new batch of players expected to carry the mantle for the program. Brown and Zander combined to average 21.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists last season.
“Even though we graduated a solid core of seniors, we have the potential to once again make some noise,” Glenbard West head coach Jason Opoka said.
“This group, led by seniors Bennett Schwanke and Danny Monahan, are committed to improvement. Our makeup of the 2024 team will be young with the majority of juniors and only one returning starter, Dominic Seaney. Players will play hard and push each other in practice. We will take our bumps at moments, but hopefully learn and grow throughout an entire season. Our kids are excited to carry and maintain tradition.
“Our team will be made up of four seniors with only one having varsity experience. The rest will be juniors and one sophomore, TJ Williams. We’re a tight-knit crew and hungry to prove ourselves. We’re different from previous years, but we have a deeper roster so we should have many contributors.”
Opoka said his players are ready for the season, and are not shying away from high expectations.
“Bennett Schwanke will be our point guard and leader,” Opoka said. “He has shown toughness and a shot-making ability to help us on the offensive end.
“Danny Monahan has shown athleticism and will bring grit. We are excited to use him as a Swiss-army knife. Junior returning starter, Dominic Seaney, has had a big Summer displaying growth and offensive confidence. He’s a fantastic student and one of the most coachable kids I have ever been around. The Hilltoppers will be longer and more athletic than last year. We will have four players 6-5 or taller, which will help our defensive strategies.”