The Fenwick High School boys basketball team entered a new tournament at Riverside Brookfield, but the result was facing an old rival. The Friars reached the championship game of the Bill VandeMerkt Thanksgiving Classic, Saturday, but lost to Chicago Catholic League foe Brother Rice 65-47. The Friars visit the Crusaders in league play on Jan. 31.
Fenwick senior Nate Marshall and sophomore Jake Thies were named to the 10-player all-tournament team after scoring 12 points each as non-starters. The Friars often sub multiple players without missing a beat.
“We call ourselves the bench mob,” said Marshall, an Auburn football recruit. “That’s one of the better things about our team is we’ve got a lot of guys, very good guys, off the bench. I personally like coming off the bench because I know I bring enough energy.”
The Friars (3-1) led 20-19 on Deonte Meeks’ three-pointer with 2:07 left in the first half but went scoreless the next seven minutes, allowing Brother Rice (4-0) to pull ahead 33-20 in the third quarter.
“When you go that long without scoring, it’s pretty tough to get consecutive stops. And that put more pressure on our defense, so it was kind of like a snowball effect,” Fenwick coach David Fergerson said.
Down 44-32 entering the fourth quarter, the Friars closed to 48-40 with 4:46 to go after a Thies basket and free throw. The Crusaders pulled away by hitting 13 of 16 free throws to finish 38 of 45 on 31 Friars fouls.
“I hope [our players] learn it’s a team game,” Fergerson said. “You’ve got to depend on each other, share the basketball and do everything together as a unit. And you’ve got to be able to guard without fouling and make adjustments the way the referees are calling it.”
Dominick Ducree (6 points), Marshall, Ty Macariola, Tommy Thies, Frankie Hosty and Jimmy Watts accounted for the Friars’ other 7 threes. Brother Rice’s tournament MVP Marcos Gonzalez had 26 points and hit of 20 of 20 free throws.
In pool play, the Friars beat fourth-place Riverside Brookfield 64-46 Friday, Julian 79-28, Nov. 27, and Hinsdale South, 56-19, Jan. 26.
Against RB, Fenwick scored the last six points of the second quarter, including a buzzer-beater by Williams, and the first five of the third quarter to pull ahead 37-23. Macariola (18 points with 4 threes), Marshall (16 points) and Ducree (11 points) finished in double figures.
Riverside-Brookfield’s Colin Cimino (21) puts up a three point shot attempt in front of the student section during the Bill VandeMerkt Boys Basketball Tournament Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 in Riverside. | Steve Johnston 
Fenwick’s Nathaniel Marshall (23) drives to the basket against Riverside-Brookfield’s Mantas Sleinys (33) during the Bill VandeMerkt Boys Basketball Tournament Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 in Riverside. | Steve Johnston 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Mantas Sleinys (33) defends Fenwick’s Jack O’Leary (33) during the Bill VandeMerkt Boys Basketball Tournament Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 in Riverside. | Steve Johnston 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Cameron Mercer (5) lays up a shot against Fenwick’s Ty Macariola (21) during the Bill VandeMerkt Boys Basketball Tournament Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 in Riverside. | Steve Johnston 
Fenwick’s Kamren Hogan (5) puts up a shot attempt over Riverside-Brookfield’s Vincent Dockendorf (11) during the Bill VandeMerkt Boys Basketball Tournament Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 in Riverside. | Steve Johnston 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Daniel Loftus (21) pushing the ball up court against Fenwick during the Bill VandeMerkt Boys Basketball Tournament Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 in Riverside. | Steve Johnston 
Fenwick’s Jake Thies (22) defends Riverside-Brookfield’s Vincent Dockendorf (11) as he dribble up court during the Bill VandeMerkt Boys Basketball Tournament Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 in Riverside. | Steve Johnston
Also in double figures were Ducree (15 points), Jake Thies (12 points) and Macariola (10 points) against Julian and Jake Thies (13 points) against Hinsdale South.
On December 2, Ty Macariola’s 18 points led Fenwick to a 66-46 victory over visiting Nazareth Academy. Jimmy Watts scored 11 points and Dom Ducree added eight for the Friars (4-1).
OPRF boys basketball
The Oak Park and River Forest High School boys basketball team went 1-2 at the Wheaton Academy Thanksgiving Tournament last week.
But OPRF head coach Phil Gary is optimistic about the Huskies’ chances this season.
“Is going 1-2 something we wanted to do? Absolutely not,” he said. “But the season is a marathon; it’s not a sprint. It’s a long season, but we want to correct the things that need to be corrected.”
After a season-opening 64-59 loss to Plainfield North, Nov. 25, the Huskies bounced back the following evening with a 67-56 victory over Bartlett. Alex Gossett had a team-high 24 points and added seven rebounds, while Alex Vincent posted a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
In the tournament finale against host Wheaton Academy, Nov. 29, Gossett had 14 points and Vincent 12, but OPRF lost to the Warriors 62-41.
Gary felt little things cost the Huskies during the tournament.
“We have to do a better job of making free throws,” he said. “And we just have to get better at all levels — offense and defense — and play better as a unit.”
OPRF has just one game this week, but it’s a doozy: the annual East Avenue Showdown with Fenwick. The game takes place on Dec. 6 (5:30 p.m. tipoff time) at the University of Illinois Chicago’s Credit Union One Arena as the opener of the Chicago Elite Classic.
“It’ll help our young guys a lot,” Gary said of the game against the Friars. “It’s a big rivalry, so every possession literally matters. It’ll be a nice environment for them to understand, learn, and get better.”