The Oak Park and River Forest High School boys basketball team emphasized defense during preseason practices. Last week, the Huskies displayed the fruits of that labor by taking three out of four games at the Battle of the Ridge round-robin invitational, hosted by Northridge Prep.
“Defensively, we were really good,” said OPRF coach Phil Gary. “We have goals we’re trying to reach every game defensively, and that really entails how hard we’re playing and how connected we are as a team. I thought we did a pretty good job.”
On Nov. 25, OPRF (3-1) rolled past Wheeling 64-49. George Gray had 21 points and five rebounds to lead the Huskies, and Cam Woods added 15 points. The following night, OPRF lost to eventual champion Vernon Hills 55-42. Woods had a team-high 15 points, and sophomore Trent Williams added 14 points.
“The game we lost against Vernon Hills, we did a solid job. But our guys thought we could’ve been a lot better defensively,” Gary said.
In the tournament finale, Nov. 29, Williams had a team-high 15 points, Darren Law eight points, and Gray, Woods, and Owen Towne six points apiece as the Huskies routed Northridge Prep 55-32. Williams was named to the All-Tournament team.
“I have to give all the props to my teammates and coaches for giving me the opportunity to play,” Williams said. “Every time I go out there, I play and do whatever gets our team to win. I’m more excited that we came out 3-1 in our first tournament.”
“Trent’s play has been great. He’s our spark off the bench,” Gary said. “He has an aggressive mindset on both ends of the floor. This is going to help him going forward.”
Like Gary, Williams thought defense was the main reason for OPRF’s success and said it’s something that will continue to be stressed all season.
“Since we’re very limited in size,” he added, “we do a lot of running and jumping and speed teams up, which then creates a lot of offense for us.”
Up next for the Huskies is the annual East Avenue Showdown against Fenwick. The game takes place as part of the Chicago Elite Classic held at University of Illinois Chicago’s Credit Union One Arena, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m.
“We’ve got to have a really good week of practice, lock in, and watch some film,” Gary said. “We know what’s at stake Friday.”
“Our mindset is, obviously, we’re looking to get a win,” Williams said. “But we’re looking to make sure our name is heard through that tournament. We know it’s a big tournament and a lot of people will be there watching. We’re just getting ready to go out and play.”
Girls basketball
Fenwick (3-2) ended the Loyola/New Trier Thanksgiving Tournament, Nov. 26, with a 43-35 victory over Stevenson. Sophomore Avani Williams and senior Cammie Molis were named to the All-Tournament team.
Trinity (4-0) was scheduled to meet DePaul Prep in the title game of the Elmhurst Classic, Nov. 29. But the game was cancelled due to the dangerous winter weather. On Nov. 26, the Blazers rolled past Perspectives Leadership 47-13. Chloe Santos had 11 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Zaria Goins and Destinie Roe each scored nine points, and Destiny Sacluti added six points, four assists, and four rebounds.
Both Fenwick and Trinity play in the Chicago Elite Classic at Malcolm X College, Dec. 7. The Friars face defending 4A champions Kenwood Academy at 5:30 p.m., while the Blazers meet Butler at 7 p.m.
