14 minute read
SPORTS
FFor some of the boys on the basketball team, this season will be the last time they step on the court. It is the last time they will hear the crowd roaring when they make the shot and and the last time they will feel the excited energy of the high school student body they have known for many years. For some of them, their adventure will continue into college, but basketball will always be a part of every one of them no matter when their journey will end. Ryan Sroka started playing on his driveway when he was around three years old. He started playing for the junior Red Raiders, which was the Huntley feeder team in first grade. In middle school, he played for the Marlowe team in seventh and eighth grade. He then came to the high school and played on the sophomore team his freshman year and then the varsity team his sophomore, junior, and senior years.
“It has always been a dream to be on the Huntley team. I used to come as a kid to watch my sister cheer and would end up watching basketball. I have always dreamed of wearing that Huntley jersey,” Sroka said.
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He has had some internal struggles with his confidence and has doubted himself at times, yet he has always powered through. “That is a part of the game and that is why I like it, because it is not easy,” Sroka said.
He loves basketball because it allows him to forget about his stress or anger. “You can just go shoot hoops and it takes everything away,” Sroka said. There are so many good memories he has and the bond he has created with his teammates are going to last a lifetime.
“You have to deal with adversity a lot and it teaches you how to be a man,” Senior athletes say goodbye By Grace Carpenter Sports Basketball
Sroka said. He would tell someone striving to be on varsity that it is not easy and it is not given to you. “There are going to be people who doubt you, but just work hard and know that anything is possible,” Sroka said. Hunter French started playing around the age of 4 in the park district leagues. Where he used to live, there were not many opportunities for him to play basketball so he had to travel pretty far. He moved to this area and was able to start playing locally with the middle school and the high school.
His goal was to make the varsity team, just like any other player. French broke his right leg in a game during his middle school career. He went up for a layup and was hit by someone which caused him to land awkwardly. He came back to the game after physical therapy and worked hard to get back to where he used to be.
“Basketball means everything. Obviously the on-court stuff is going to leave memories but I think the off-court stuff is going to leave more of an impact on me than anything. Like the bus rides, team dinners, and just hanging out with the team. Those are memories that are going to last a lifetime,” French said. He built relationships with every single one of his teammates throughout the season and they impacted him in a positive way. “Everything matters and you never know who is coming up behind you or who is ready to pass you up. You always have to be ready for your opportunity,” French said. Luke DiFrancesca started playing basketball when he was 5 years old. He started by playing at the park district and eventually tried out for the middle school team, but got cut. Freshman year he worked hard, lost some weight, and made the freshman team; however, he barely played. He has always had a passion for basketball and says it comes with great camaraderie.
“Basketball is my escape. It is the only fun thing that I have other than my friends and the people in my life. Basketball is the only thing that is a go-to for me just to do what I love,” DiFrancesca said.
He spends a lot of time with his teammates and has a lot of fun with them. He had to grind and work hard to get to where he is. “It is not going to happen overnight. It might take a couple of years, which is what it took for me. It is definitely worth it,” Difancesca said. Ryan Crosby started playing when he was nine. He has played with many different organizations including the feeder team here at Huntley through eighth grade, Epic Hoops during the springs and summers, and Mercury Elite his junior year.
His sophomore year, when he was on varsity, but he did not play a lot. It was defeating for him but it ended up working out. He has a condition called Osgood-Schlatters which causes pain in both of his knees.
“It is like a family with how close we are and I really enjoy being with them every single day. Whether you have had a bad day or not, seeing your teammates really brightens up your day,” Crosby said.
Crosby explained how the varsity team has gotten better throughout the years he has been on the team and how the hard work in the off season made that happen. Crosby even gave a shout out to a younger player who is a junior. “I want to shout out to my boy Link. He never really sees the floor but he is probably the best teammate and is The seniors on the boys varsity basketball team reflect on their seasons
always cheering for us on the [side]. He always gives us positive energy as a whole and during practice.” Rafael De La Paz started playing around kindergarten at the park district. He never played travel or club but he did play for the middle school. His older brother got him interested in playing and he just fell in love with the game. Since he played in middle school, he wanted to play at the high school level as well.
“Basketball is a way for me to have a different group of people that I hang out with and it is also a place where I can relieve stress, anger, and feel free in the moment. Basketball has brought me a lot closer to people here at the school and has also opened me up to new opportunities and helped me develop strong internal values,” De La Paz said.
De La Paz mentions that if you have a passion for the game, there will always be a shot for you to make varsity. Ryan Vrugt started playing at the rec center when he was 10. In eighth grade he started playing travel. He played baseball and football along with basketball in middle school and had to make a decision of what sport he wanted to pursue in high school, so he chose basketball.
He explained that sometimes it gets hard when you are not playing that much. It was hard for him to go to practice but he worked hard and got through it.
“When I look back on high school, basketball is going to be the thing I remember the most because it took most of my time and it is what I thought about the most. The team has impacted me in a really positive way. I made a lot of relationships with people that will last a long time,” Vrugt said. He said the key to achieving your goals is to stay positive and show up to everything. Nikolas Mendoza started playing around the age of 12 through the park district. He made the team in middle school at Marlowe. He also played travel and even got to play with some of the S. Laput and K. Ambrogio
Collage of the senior boys varsity basketball players
boys who are on the high school team now. He played for Epic Hoops with Ryan Crosby, Ryan Sroka, and Uchenna [Egekeze]. Recently, he played for Illinois Magic with Hunter French.
Mendoza has had his nose fractured by one of his teammates along with many other injuries including knee pains, fluid in his elbows, and said that everything was just banged up.
“Basketball is just an outlet when I am sad or down. I always turn to basketball. This team has made a huge impact on my life. Remember every moment. It goes by really fast and I just want to say this was the most fun season of my life. I am really going to miss the sport and all the people,” Mendoza said.
Uchenna Egekeze started playing at the park district and did the Junior Red Raiders Feeder program. Uchenna knew he wanted to play basketball because it was something that his two brothers did. He said it has been great and he has met a lot of close friends. “Start early and work now. I am glad to be part of the team for the last three years,” Egekeze said.
Congratulations to the boy’s basketball team for having a successful season. Good luck to every one of you as you move on from your high school sport. Thank you for making Huntley High School proud.
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Three basketball players make history within five days of one another
By Ellie Armstrong For a moment, the only sounds were the squeaking of sneakers and the pounding of a basketball against the wood floor. Then, with a roar from the bench and bleachers, senior Uchenna Egekeze drove through two Hampshire players. “Just finish. Make the layup,” Egekeze said. “I had a chance, so just make the layup and keep playing.” A three-year varsity player, Egekeze scored his 1,000th career point on Jan. 15 at Hampshire High School. Five days after he was honored with the scoring ball in front of family and friends, Egekeze joined senior Ryan Sroka on the court for the same feat.
Sroka felt the pressure to reach 1,000 throughout the Wheaton-Warrenville MLK Tournament. He looked out to the stands where his parents and older sisters watched and where signs reminded him of his progress at every shot.
For Egekeze and Sroka, the ‘next thing’ was earning 500 rebounds on Feb. 4 against Crystal Lake South and Feb. 18 against Dundee-Crown, respectively. However, the ‘next thing’ for Raider basketball proved to be another 1,000th career point on Jan. 20 for junior Kamsi Nwogu during the Dekalb MLK Tournament.
A three-year varsity starter, Nwogu became the sixth player in Huntley High School girls basketball history to score 1,000 career points while playing Burlington Central.
Though the success of these three athletes is apparent in their recent accomplishments, their basketball careers cannot be summed up by merely looking at the numbers. 1,000 career points means a commitment to the game. Since Sroka was 3 years old, he has practiced basketball in his driveway and at the gym with his dad, a former collegiate basketball player. Now choosing between Illinois Wesleyan University, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and University of Alabama at Birmingham, Sroka has taken advantage of every hour left at the high school level.
Egekeze also began playing young with his older brothers, Amanze and Kemdi, at around 8 years old. Now looking into Division II and III colleges, Egekeze has followed in Amanze’s footsteps by scoring 1,000 points for HHS.
“[Egekeze and Sroka] have both been really competitive since I’ve had them on varsity,” said head boys basketball coach William Benson. “They improved their individual basketball game and leadership as teammates.” Nwogu has expressed a similar diligence by playing for travel programs such as Illinois Elite and Illinois Hustle during the school’s off season.
Nwogu’s interest in basketball began six years ago because of her older brother, who has run drills with her and given her advice over the years.
“Go out there and be confident. Be aggressive,” Kyle Nwogu said. “You put in the work, [so] just go out there and do your thing.” Kamsi takes a shot
see POINTS page 50
Soroka and Egekeze playing during a game against Cary
Despite their drive, competitiveness, and love for the game, all three athletes emphasized the other factors at play in their accomplishments. “The coaches have done a great job, I feel like, of making sure I was on the right track and doing what I need to do,” Egekeze said.
In Egekeze’s and Sroka’s sophomore year, the boys basketball team had a 6-23 record. As of Feb. 25, their record was 24-6, demonstrating how a cohesive team can improve, just like a player, with hard work. Girls basketball has also seen great success this season with varsity winning its 10th regional title on Feb. 20 at the POINTS page 49
Rockford Guilford Regional against Hononegah.
After Egekeze made the layup, he was congratulated by a group of teammates and cheering Raiders. Once Sroka scored his 1,000th point and heard his name booming over the speakers, he hugged coach Benson and threw the basketball to his dad in the bleachers. Nwogu found herself in the middle of a huddle surrounded by teammates who had displayed signs for her throughout the tournament saying “Congrats” and “We’re so proud of you.”
The numbers may show three separate moments five days apart of three distinguished athletes, but they also celebrate the persistence of the players and their devotion to the game. 1,000 career points each and Egekeze, Sroka, and Nwogu are still pursuing new goals, new ways to improve.
