Coming into Friday’s Class 3A Little Village sectional final against St. Patrick, the Fenwick boys basketball team had every reason to feel confident. The Friars had played excellent postseason defense, allowing a total of 56 points over three games.
But the Shamrocks started the game with a 10-1 run to put the Friars in an early hole they couldn’t escape as their season ended with a 54-44 loss. Anthony Favia was St. Pat’s catalyst, scoring 15 of his game-high 25 points in the first quarter.
“The slow start killed us,” said Fenwick coach David Fergerson. “We got it together, but it was just a little bit too late.”
Besides Favia’s hot start, a right ankle injury to senior Nate Marshall hurt Fenwick’s cause. He twisted it late in the first quarter after grabbing a rebound and required assistance heading to the locker room. He didn’t return, and his absence adversely impacted the Friars.
“Nate brings so many things to our team,” Fenwick senior Kamren Hogan said, “so when he’s not there his presence is missed.”
“I never would’ve dreamed that,” Fergerson said. “He’s one of my toughest kids. I knew it’d be really challenging without him, but our guys fought hard and we played to the best of our ability.”
Fenwick (23-11) trailed at halftime 30-17, but Ty Macariola (10 points, all in the second half) hit two three-pointers in the third quarter to keep the Friars in the contest. With Marshall out, Fergerson turned to seldom-used 6-7 junior Michael McMahon (six points, three rebounds, one block), and he provided a spark by scoring a pair of baskets off his offensive rebounds.
“Mikey was huge for us, and his ceiling is really high,” Hogan said. “He gave us a fighting chance and that was all we could have asked for.”
Down 40-29 at the start of the fourth quarter, Fenwick went on a 7-1 run which was sparked by Dominick Ducree, who scored nine of his team-high 12 points in the stanza. The spurt energized the Friars’ faithful and cut St. Patrick’s lead to 41-36 with 5 minutes remaining.
“I had no doubt in my mind that Ty and Dom would get it going and that’s what they did, scoring huge as well as getting much-needed defensive stops,” Hogan said.
However, Maurice Neeley of St. Patrick came off the bench to score five consecutive points over the next minute, giving the Shamrocks a 46-36 advantage.
Fenwick made a final push and trailed 48-44 with :50 to play. After St. Pat’s RJ McPartlin missed a pair of free throws, Macariola grabbed the rebound, and the Friars had a golden opportunity to draw closer.
“We have been in tough situations all year and I felt we were ready for the moment,” said Hogan. “Believe — that was the message at the time.”
Fenwick’s Nathaniel Marshall (23) cheers for his team from the bench after injuring his ankle during the first quarter of the Friars’ game against St. Patrick during the Class 3A Little Village Sectional championship Friday, March 7, 2025 in Chicago, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal) 
Fenwick’s Jimmy Watts (4) puts up a shot attempt over St. Patrick’s Anthony Favia (0) during the Class 3A Little Village Sectional championship Friday, March 7, 2025 in Chicago, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal) 
Fenwick’s Jake Thies (22) dives for the loose ball against St. Patrick’s Maurice Neeley (24) during the Class 3A Little Village Sectional championship Friday, March 7, 2025 in Chicago, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal) 
Fenwick’s Deonte Meeks (2) dives to the basket against St. Patrick during the Class 3A Little Village Sectional championship Friday, March 7, 2025 in Chicago, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal) 
Fenwick’s Kamren Hogan (5) pulls up for a shot against St. Patrick during the Class 3A Little Village Sectional championship Friday, March 7, 2025 in Chicago, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal) 
Fenwick’s Dominick Ducree (0) puts up a three point attempt against St. Patrick’s EJ Breland (13) during the Class 3A Little Village Sectional championship Friday, March 7, 2025 in Chicago, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal)
However, Fenwick committed costly turnovers on back-to-back possessions, and Nevaeh Hawkins and Favia each hit two free throws — with Hawkins adding a basket at the buzzer — to seal things. Despite the outcome, Hogan loved the way the Friars fought until the end.
“We played hard,” he said, “and although it didn’t end the way we wanted, the group of guys on that floor showed their grit and what Fenwick basketball is all about.”
Ducree, Hogan, Macariola, and Marshall are among seven Fenwick players departing due to graduation. Hogan, a three-year varsity player who will play collegiately at Rockford University, said, “There’s so much I could say. Ever since I was in fifth grade, I wanted to come to Fenwick, and to come in and make the kind of impact that we did was nothing short of a dream. When I think about my career here, I think about all the work we put in together as a team and how these guys will be my brothers for life. I am proud to be a Friar.”
The expected return of sophomores Jake Thies and Jimmy Watts and juniors McMahon and Tommy Thies (5 points) provides the Friars with a foundation to build upon.
“The seniors set the example for the next group of guys,” Fergerson said. “We’ve got to regroup, let this sink in for a little bit, and then we’ll get prepared for next year.”
