Tonight, the Grayslake High Board of Education reportedly is going to consider naming a permanent varsity boys basketball coach for next season. Brian Moe, who coached the Rams last year after former coach Tim Bowen got fired, served as interim coach last winter.
Since elections reshaped the school board, it is possible that there is strong sentiment to bring back Bowen, a very successful coach in terms of wins and losses who was dumped by the former board for reasons not connected to winning and losing games.
So, who will it be: Bowen or Moe?
This does remind of the situation at Waukegan High when Al Rogers was named interim coach after Brian Colbert departed a few years back. After Rogers' season, the job was posted and likeable Al applied for the job. As did Colbert.
Neither of them, of course, was hired. Ron Ashlaw was.
But it was conceivable that Colbert COULD have been brought back, so the idea of bringing back Bowen is not beyond the realm of realism.
The irony, of course, is that Bowen served last year as assistant coach for Waukegan High's team that nearly won the IHSA Class 4A state title. Meanwhile, Moe became the first coach in Grayslake (Central) history to coach a team to victory in a sectional game.
This one has a too-close-to-call feel to it.
What do you think?
May 2009 Archives
One of the things you notice right away during the spring sports season is how few of the area's top prep boys basketball players also play baseball or track or tennis or lacrosse.
One notable exception is Vernon Hills High senior Riaz Hoveydai. During the winter, he was the best players on a decent Cougar boys hoops squad.
This spring, he played No. 1 doubles for his school's tennis team and actually reached the finals of the North Suburban Conference tournament at No. 1 doubles. It was the first time a Cougar singles player or doubles team played for an NSC title in the school's nine-year history.
Are there any other all-county boys hoopsters playing successfully on the school field this spring?
This team probably should be atop the North Suburban Conference Lake Division standings. But, inexplicably, it went in the tank for two weeks in April, losing back-to-back two-game series to Lake Zurich & Stevenson, and thereby assuring also-ran status for the rest of the regular season.
That said, the team has the total package necessary to do some serious damage in the Class 4A playdowns. They can catch the ball, can play small ball, have some serious thumpers in the heart of the lineup, and have an emerging freshman pitcher who will keep the other team from scoring in bunches.
The key is to play smart ball. Don't know why the team kept brain-cramping in April, but it's playing the best ball in our area right now, and will be a real danger team in the playoffs.
