Kits Stay Hot, Clinch Conference Title

By Michael O'Sullivan

Senior Night went smoothly for the Wildkits on Feb. 1, as Evanston Township High School earned an impressive win over the Niles West Wolves, 74-29. With this victory, the boys basketball team remained undefeated in conference play and at home. Junior Eric Dortch led the way for the Kits, coming off the bench and scoring a team-high 15 points, and senior Stephen Rudnicki had a solid night with 9 points and 5 rebounds. With the win over the Wolves, Evanston clinched first place in the Central Suburban South Conference for the first time in three seasons. Wildkits head coach Bobby Locke expressed pride in the way his team earned a conference championship: "We just played good team basketball, and that is what we have been trying to do all year," Locke said. "We have been playing really well, and we have now accomplished one of our goals, which was to win this conference."

Coach Locke praised the senior class that has been so important to the team all year. "This is my third year coaching, so this is like my real first class that I have known since they were freshmen. I am really going to miss them when they are gone. A huge part of our success this season is because of our seniors and the leadership that they have had." ETHS added another win the following day, coming away from Warren Township with a 72-49 victory. Senior forwards Sean Croegaert-Key and Derryan Hunt both took 14 points as four Evanston players scored in double figures.

The Wildkits played terrific defense against Warren and their star player Brandon Paul, limiting the Illinois-bound guard to 12 points. "We knew about Paul and his scoring ability," said sophomore guard Ryan Frazier Chambers, who contributed 13 points off the bench. "But we don't focus on just one player. We didn't do anything special to stop him. We just played defense the way we always do." Much anticipation surrounds the return of talented senior forward Jeremy McCray to the line-up. McCray has been out the last three seasons due to injuries and academic ineligibility, but has improved his grades enough to rejoin the team. Coach Locke is not worried about McCray's return upsetting the team's great chemistry. "I know some people are worried, but I'm not," Locke said. "Jeremy's return will only help our team, and I really don't think his play will affect our chemistry. I made sure to sit down with the captains of the team to make sure if it was all right with them that Jeremy joins us to play, and they were all for it. I think Jeremy's defense and scoring ability makes us go from a state contender to a state championship team."

"I am just excited to be back on the court here at Evanston again," McCray said. "This is a great team that can go downstate with or without me and I am just so fortunate to be a part of this team."

McCray was set to play his first game last night against St. Ignatius at Beardsley Gymnasium. He should be a big factor for the Kits the rest of the season. The 5th-ranked team in the state, according to the Chicago Tribune, is a favorite to reach the State Championship tournament in Peoria. With McCray back, this team could be looking at a trophy in mid-March.

Evanston travels to Waukegan on Feb. 8. A week later, on Feb. 15, Evanston will take on New Trier for their second clash at Northwestern University's Welsh-Ryan Arena. The "War of the North Shore, Part II" will begin at 7:30 p.m.

ETHS Hires New Football Coach

Athletic Director Chris Livatino announced the hiring ofMike Burzawa as the new head football coach for Evanston Township High School. The school board approved the appointment at its meeting on Jan. 29. He will begin his work at ETHS July 1, 2008.

Mr. Burzawa won three consecutive Class 4-A IHSA state football championships during his current tenure as head football coach/offensive coordinator at Driscoll Catholic High School in Addison, Ill., and four consecutive titles before that as offensive coordinator. His threeyear head coaching record is 41-1, and his seven-year record as offensive coordinator is 92-6. He is recognized as creating one of the most high-powered offenses in the history of Illinois high school football, and his teams have broken nine IHSA Class 4A offensive records.

An assistant athletic director and physical education instructor at Driscoll, Coach Burzawa stresses "academics before athletics," and 98-percent of his football graduates have gone on to attend college. Intent on creating a "family- team" environment, Burzawa states in his coaching philosophy: "Winning football is about being the best that you can be as an individual and as a teammate on and off the field. As a coach, recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of each athlete is critical in developing their roles on the team, as well as taking pride in the marginal athlete and developing them into better players, and later in life, great men. I believe being a positive role model and demonstrating strong leadership, along with speaking from the heart to convey one's thoughts and ideas, is the key to victory."

Burzawa is a 1995 graduate of the University of St. Francis in Joliet. He was a team captain and four-year letterman in football. As a student at Driscoll, he played on the 1991 state championship football team as well as the 1992 Class A state championship baseball team. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Burzawa will help coordinate the new System of Support academic program at ETHS as well as do supervisory work in the athletic department and the fitness center. "We are very excited about Coach Burzawa coming to ETHS-and what we think will be the return to the glory days of ETHS football," said Athletic Director Livatino.

ETHS Softball Clinic

The Evanston Township High School girls softball team has been holding an eightweek clinic on Saturday mornings at the high school for girls ages eight through 8th grade. The clinic is designed to improve batting and pitching skills of girls attending the program and also to raise funds for the ETHS softball team to travel to a tournament in Florida this spring. Pictured above are Coaches Amanda Carlson and Rick Ehrensalt and softball players (ETHS volunteers and clinic attendees) Casey Strickler, Catherine McCarren, Caitlin Boen, Isabel Bergman, Sophie Brichta, Abby Baum, Elizabeth Ryan, Margo Muyres, Anna Balch, Alie Ehrensalt and Jenna Ehrensalt. At left, Anami Sprengelmeyer takes a swing in batting practice.

ETHS Basketball Clinic

The ETHS sophomore girls basketball team, in coordination with the Kids Global Network, sponsored a drills-and-skills clinic for 4th through 8th- grade girls on Jan. 19 and 26 at the high school. Coach Althea Brown and the ETHS girls volunteered their time at the clinic; participants in the clinic were asked to make a $5 donation for each session. Money raised at the clinic will be used to help buy books for a primary school library in Gothenburg, South Africa, which is a project of Kids Global Network this year. Above, a passing drill.