Boys Volleyball Loses Heartbreaker... Again

By Nick Batlle

The Wildkits have made a habit out of strong starts and weak finishes. As junior David Sippel put it, "it's the story of our season."

They played a traditionally strong Benet squad last Friday, a preliminary game for yesterday's conference matchup against powerhouse Maine South, currently ranked third in the state.

Like so many times before, however, Evanston took the first game, but lost focus and couldn't pull out victories in the second and third.

"We learned today that we play really good defense and that we pass really well until it gets to crunch time," said first-year coach Mike McDermott. "We're having difficulty putting it away."

Evanston had the size advantage, not to mention the athleticism that seniors Chris Higgins and Justin Perkins bring to the team. Early on both players proved their worth while limiting errors, and made kills with every opportunity. The first game was closer than it should have been, with the Kits overpowering Benet 25-22.

They transitioned into the second game with the same energy that enabled them to succeed in the first.Evanston lost the lead for the first time when Benet pulled ahead 21-20. The Redwings took the momentum at that point and went on to win 25-23.

The third game was close to the bitter end, with neither team pulling away until Benet went on to score the last 5 points of the match. The looks of frustration on the Evanston players said it all as the Redwings celebrated a big 25-20 win.

"It's a pattern when you start losing and haven't won in a while," said McDermott. "We really tighten up right at the end."

For all of their struggles, this is an Evanston team whose passion for the sport shows up every night. Whether it's sophomore Asher Stamell diving into the benches attempting to keep a point alive, or senior captain Jacob Belser firing up his teammates between points, the Kits are optimistic that they'll be able to pull everything together when it matters.

Spring Sport Update

By Nick Battle

Girls soccer played Glenbrook South to a 0-0 tie last Tuesday, moving their record to 2-0-3. Their defense continues to show up every game, but offensively the team is struggling, especially after losing senior forward Amelia Monar to a season-ending injury.

Softball played a tough doubleheader against Lake Forest over the weekend, losing both games. The future does look brighter, however, as junior captain Alison Ehrensaft played her first game since suffering a back injury. They play Waukegan today at home.

Boys tennis placed 4th at the Brother Rice Classic over the weekend. Freshman Joe Collins, no # 1 singles, finished 5th, while junior Michael Schanette, no. 2 singles, placed 6th.

Over at the pool, girls waterpolo made a very impressive overtime win against Latin on Friday. Senior captain Syd Werd scored the game-winning Evanston goal, as Evanston escaped 6-5. Their final regular-season game is at home against Highland Park tonight.

As for boys waterpolo, they finished 6th at the St. Patrick Invite. Seniors Tommy Grossinger, Jack Killheffer, Ben Terry, and Ben Vogel are the top contributors this year, along with freshman Matthew Wich.

Kit Baseball Freezes

By Nick Batlle

When Evanston went up against Libertyville on an ice-cold afternoon last Saturday, they knew the visiting Wildcats would be tough opponents. Coach Ed Toledo was not oblivious to the fact that Libertyville was loaded with strong hitters, but with power pitcher James Ferguson-Mahan on the mound, it appeared that the Kits matched up evenly.

The first batter of the game was Wildcat Joey Bowens, who sent a message right from the start by yanking a ball over the left-field fence, giving Libertyville a quick 1-0 lead. Bowens would homer again in his next at-bat, followed by a single, a double, and finally a triple, completing what looked like an effortless cycle. He would finish the game 5-5 with 4 RBI and 4 runs. Lead by Bowens, the Wildcats won 12-5.

"It's hard to pitch when you're pitching from behind against good-hitting teams," said coach Toledo."We didn't do a good job of hitting our spots."

But that's not to say the Kits didn't keep it close.

After falling behind 6-1, junior first- baseman Nick Boyer ignited a four-run fourth inning with an RBI double. Evanston also completed a triple play, a real rarity in baseball, in which the entire infield contributed and forced two Wildcat base runners into run-downs. It was the first triple play of Toledo's career, playing or coaching.

Libertyville widened the deficit after a long 6th inning, from which Evanston would not recover.

The loss moved the Kits to 7-4-1, while Ferguson-Mahan went to 3-1 on the season. They hosted Highland Park and New Trier on Monday and Tuesday, and are scheduled for a rematch with the Trevians tomorrow on the road.

Victory for Girls Hockey Team

The Evanston under-10 girls hockey team won the Illinois State Championship for the second year in a row. They beat the Winnetka girls 4-2. Charly Dickerson scored the first goal, followed by Tia Hertto, Sophie Skarzynski and Cindy Kyin. Goalie Lindsay Projansky kept a very strong Winnetka team to just 2 goals. The team are coached by Annie Camins, Del Morris and Tom O'Brian. Photo by Andrew Dickerson

LaCrosse Updates

By Nick Batlle

Coach Dave Allen called a time-out with 24 seconds left in the game last Saturday. Evanston was trailing 10-9 and had one chance to tie it up. Sophomore Tyler Hall took the ball from behind the goal, and passed it to senior midfielder Brian Murphy.Murphy's shot was blocked by the Stevenson goalie, who proceeded to launch the ball to the other end of the field as the final seconds ticked away.

The loss dropped Evanston to 0-2 on the season, but the Kits have a lot to take from the game.

"We're more confident as a team," said senior attack-man Michael Maloney. "We've progressed a lot, and we're practicing hard. We feel like we can take on anybody."

Senior captain Sam Alden played like a man possessed, scoring 5 Evanston goals and setting the tone for his teammates. Fellow captain Troy Clesen made a nice assist, drawing a few defenders and dishing the ball off to Maloney, who put the ball in the net. The team gave it their all and played hard. In the end, they simply ran out of time.

As for the girls lacrosse team, they competed at the Gateway Classic in St. Louis over the weekend. They finished the invite with a 4-0-1 record, with seniors Jessica Chukwu and Caitlin Guthrie leading the way. Guthrie scored 12 goals; Chuckwu added 10 of her own. They will be hosting Highland Park tomorrow.