Truth be told, the eyes in The Locker Room could see Mundelein over Warren and Waukegan over Lake Forest coming. It wasn’t the eyes that failed, it was the heart. Didn’t have the ticker to pick the underdogs. As a result, The Locker Room picks are 9-4 this tourney season with five tough ones to call on Friday night.
Class 3A
North Chicago 61, Vernon Hills 56 – Do not be surprised if this game is closer than the 50- and 20-point spreads in the first two meetings. North Chicago kids have a tendency to get careless when they’re overconfident, and VH has to solid players in DaVaris Daniels and Kenny Rideout.
Lakes 57, Guerin 56 (3ot) – This just feels like a real trap game for the Eagles who actually are good enough to win, not just the regional, but the sectional at Antioch as well. Guerin is playing on its home court and plays a tough schedule. Scary, but we’ll be rooting for the Eagles in The Locker Room.
Grayslake Central 58, Fenton 57 (3ot) -- Everything said about Lakes above also applies to Grayslake Central, including the fact that Fenton is playing on its own court. In The Locker Room, we’ll all breathe easier after Lakes and Grayslake Central have cleared these land mines and start preparing to play each other next Wednesday at Antioch.
Class 4A
Zion-Benton 71, Mundelein 62 – It’s sooooooooooooooooooo tough to beat a good team three times in a season. Remember that Stevenson KOing top-seeded Warren in their third meeting last year. Mundelein has the players to pull this off. Still, Mundelein fans are hoping their team will win this game. The Zee-Bee Swarm KNOWS their team will win.
Highland Park 57, Waukegan 53 – Highland Park has been rock-solid all year and has the area’s best coach and one of the area’s best players. Waukegan proved against Lake Forest that basketball still is a team game. They’ve got a shot here, but the Dogs just might be in too tough.
LETS GO BULLDOGS! WAUKEGAN PRIDE!!!
LETS BEAT HIGHLAND PARK!
WAY TO GO RASHANN
Nogo Gone Kill Em 40 Or More
Agree that Zion and North Chicago win close games in their 3rd meeting with their opponent.
I see Guerin,Fenton and HP winning close games with the deciding factor being home court advantage.
I'm still wondering when someone that writes for any newspaper is going to give Mr. Clinkscales the credit that a true leader deserves. Night in and night out he takes the tough defensive assignment, distributes the ball to players that could all be averaging double figures if they could hold on to the ball. I read Ron Ron saying that Rod making those free throws at the end of the game was a senior not wanting his season to end, I take it as a leader taking his team where they should be going.