With eight returning players, including all five starters, the Fenwick High School boys basketball team is well positioned for a strong season.
“I feel like the preseason has been going really well,” said Fenwick senior guard Ty Macariola, a four-year varsity player. “We’ve adjusted to the addition of the football players really well and we’re playing high competitive basketball in practice.”
“As most of our players are seniors, we are really taking all that we’ve learned and putting it to use,” said Fenwick senior guard Dominick Ducree, another four-year varsity player. “I feel like we benefit from the number of guys who want to go and play hard, and everyone is buying into our goal as a team.”
Fenwick, which finished 18-11 last season and won an IHSA Class 3A regional for the third consecutive year, brings back its entire starting lineup: Ducree, Macariola, senior guard Kam Hogan (Rockford University commit), and senior forwards Jack O’Leary and Nate Marshall, an Auburn University football commit.
In an age where many top high school football seniors across the country graduate early to enroll at their collegiate homes for the spring semester, the fact that Marshall stayed isn’t lost on his teammates, who like what he brings to the team.
“Nate is the kind of player who elevates any situation,” Ducree said. “He provides an additional set of skills as both a big and a guard. He expands our versatility on offense and defense.”
“Having Nate back on the team with us is huge,” Macariola said. “Nate’s a freak athlete so just having a guy like him on our team can only help us. His ability to be a leader and a large presence in practice helps us tremendously.”
Fenwick also returns four valuable bench players in senior guards Frankie Hosty and Deonte Meeks and junior guards Tommy Thies and Jimmy Watts. The Friars’ top newcomers are sophomore guard Jake Thies, who missed last season with an injury; and junior guards Myles Montgomery and Raphiel Stewart.
“Things are going well,” said Fenwick second-year head coach David Fergerson. “Guys are working hard trying to get better every day.”
Once again, Fenwick has a challenging schedule. The Friars open this week at the Bill VandeMerkt Thanksgiving Classic, hosted by Riverside-Brookfield. There’s also the annual East Avenue Showdown with Oak Park and River Forest at the Chicago Elite Classic, Dec. 6; the Jack Tosh Classic at York, Dec. 26-28 and 30-31; a matchup with Whitney Young, Jan. 11 at St. Ignatius; and Simeon in Fenwick’s MLK Classic, Jan. 20.
All of this in addition to games in the always-rugged Chicago Catholic League Blue conference. DePaul Prep, which has won back-to-back state titles, is the prohibitive favorite.
But Fergerson feels his Friars are prepared, thanks to the mindset the team and coaches have adopted.
“We treat every game the same; they’re all statement games for us,” he said. “Not sure how things will shape up; I’m only worried about my team getting better and hopefully playing our best basketball in February.”
Fenwick is optimistic about making a deep postseason run. But the Friars say that there are things they need to do in order to realize their goals.
“This season, the plan is to make a name for Fenwick being again among the top programs in the state,” Ducree said, “by taking each game one at a time and playing like it’s the last of our career. We have the grit as a team to do it; it just comes down to can we be disciplined when faced with adversity. Personally I think the answer is yes. I want to make sure I have no regrets as I embark on this last season.”
Fenwick’s opener against Hinsdale South came after press time on Nov. 26. The Friars meet Julian, Nov. 27 at 5:30 p.m., and Riverside-Brookfield, Nov. 29 at 4:30 p.m., before concluding the round-robin event on Nov. 30. For tournament updates, visit riversidebrookfieldbasketball.com.
