Moments after scoring 14 points in a six-point victory over Wheaton Warrenville South, Naperville Central senior center Harry Hallstrom’s attention quickly turned.
“I know our whole team is pumped to play Friday,” Hallstrom said. “We’re all pumped to play Friday, come into their gym and play them. We know their student section’s going to be big but maybe not as big because we know their girls’ basketball team is downstate playing. But hopefully we’ll be able to get some fans in and kind of match their intensity with that.”
“Their gym” would be St. Ronald Gymnasium inside Benet where the 26-win Redwings, will be waiting in the Class 4A Benet Regional Final.
With the eyes of Benet shifted between Friday’s second postseason meeting in four years between Naperville Central and Benet and Benet’s girls’ team in Normal looking to repeat, the crowd size may differ.
But that doesn’t downplay the task the Redhawks have in front of them in trying to win their first regional title since 2008-09 while on the Redwings’ home court.
“Obviously, Benet is a very good basketball team.” Naperville Central coach Pete Kramer said. “They shoot the ball well, but they also defend well and they’re consistent. They show up every night and that’s a credit to Gene and it’s a credit to those kids.”
Benet (26-3), aiming to claim the program’s fifth regional title since 2009-10, have won 11 straight games courtesy of being what they are – a team.
Seniors Danny Sobolewski and James Dockery were the only two Redwings to earn All-East Suburban Catholic Conference, but senior Jason Malonga and junior Jack Nolan aren’t too far behind in scoring.
For the Redwings to put last season’s regional final loss to York behind them and continue the pursuit of a second trip to Peoria in three years, their balance will have to carry the day.
“They’ve won 26 games now, so they’ve been in tough situations and games like this where it’s come down to the wire,” Redwings’ coach Gene Heidkamp said Tuesday after his team beat Willowbrook. “We know that more than likely the games that we play in are going to be tough games down the stretch. We don’t have many games where we’re just sitting comfortably at the end of the game and especially at this time of year.”
Dockery has two 20-point scoring games in Benet’s last three games while Sobolewski added 18 in the 10-point triumph over the Warriors on Tuesday.
As a three-year varsity player, Sobolewski is the latest to be intertwined in the Redwings’ success over the last seven years, which has seen them win at least 25 games five times.
A victory Friday would send he and his teammates to East Aurora on Tuesday with a single comfort in mind.
“Finishing 10-0 at home on the home court would mean a lot to me,” Sobolewski said. “The past three years, we’ve only lost one game at home and I want to leave my legacy – especially here at home and I’m going to give it all I can to help us win on Friday to get a regional championship.”
The Redhawks (16-11) will look to counter behind Matthew Meier, Hallstrom, Nick Kramer and James Kendrick.
Meier, Hallstrom and Kendrick all scored in double figures against the Tigers on Wednesday and Meier is averaging a team-high 16.7 points.
Nick Kramer and Kendrick’s abilities to shoot from the perimeter not only helps Hallstrom get looks in the post, it allows Meier to get some things done, as well.
“It’s vital, but then it also frees up Matthew to get to the basket when those guys are knocking down shots,” Pete Kramer said. “Where last year, it was even more difficult because we didn’t have those guys shooting the ball like that. And Matthew’s the glue to our team. He makes things go and he does a lot of the ball handling and everything else.”
As a junior, Meier had 23 points in the Redhawks’ 56-51 overtime victory over the Redwings on Nov. 28, 2014 in the third-place game at Hoops for Healing.
Couple him with Hallstrom, Nick Kramer and Kendrick and Heidkamp knows what his team is up against.
“They have a good team,” Heidkamp said. “They obviously have had a good season. They’ve got multiple weapons, so I think they play really well together. They got a great guard in Meier. Obviously, Hallstrom’s a great player, as well. They’ve got some guys who can shoot the ball around those guys.
“I think they play really well together. So for us to win, we’re going to have to play really well. They have a lot of weapons and they’re playing well right now.”
Memories of the 26-point victory Benet claimed over Naperville Central in a Class 4A Benet Regional Final back in 2012-13 may be fresh somewhat in Pete Kramer’s mind.
But as he prepares his team for their third regional final trip in four years, he does so choosing to remember November 2014.
“These kids all know each other, so they’ve played against (each other),” Pete Kramer said. “Sobolewski – those guys have all played together in Rockets. Nick played with Nolan and (Justin) Enochs and (Matthew) Teglia – they were all on the same AAU team. So it’ll be a big familiarity. Last time we played them, we were successful. So that was a year ago Thanksgiving. So we’ll see.”
