Vikings boys basketball gets back to the grind as practices begin

Geneva boys basketball coach Phil Ralston is well aware of what his program lost to graduation from last year’s team that made a trip to the Class 4A state tournament.

As invaluable as that experience will be to the players returning to the Vikings this year, Ralston knows it can go one of two ways.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Ralston said. “I’ve seen teams that have had seasons like us and then the next year they fall on their face. But I’ve also seen teams build off those great seasons and have ones that many people don’t expect them to have. We’ll see what kind of team we are, but our staff has stressed that we are not the same team as last year, and that’s OK.”

A 30-5 season certainly is hard to replicate, but Geneva does return the likes of center Loudon Vollbrecht and forward Bennett Fuzak, both of whom played key roles last season.

Vollbrecht injured his left knee at the end of Friday’s Geneva football game. Ralston said that Vollbrecht will undergo an MRI as the team awaits more information.

Ralston also mentioned that with the excitement and buzz around the basketball program with its recent success, it hasn’t made his job any easier as these first few days of tryouts come along. But if the summer was the players’ time, now it’s Ralston’s turn to see what he;s got.

“The summer was their time, the players’ time to work on their individual game and develop their skills,” Ralston said Monday, the first day of boys basketball practice throughout the state. “Now it’s our time as coaches to be constantly evaluating to see what we’ve got and narrow it down.

“We’ve only got two weeks here (until games begin), and we’ve got to be ready to go.”

North stresses ‘team’ above all: Most teams, minus the rare ones that don’t graduate any seniors, take the first few weeks to develop chemistry with one another before games get into full gear.

While St. Charles North had a strong season (18-11) to look back on, they did graduate lynchpins Jake Ludwig and Jack Callaghan, both of whom were Kane County Chronicle all-area first team selections.

But it’s because of such players as Ludwig and Callaghan – along with many former North Stars – that the boys basketball program develops that chemistry at a rapid level.

“Each team that I’ve had, they always play the game the right way,” North coach Tom Poulin said. “The only thing that mattered at the end of games was the final score. Individual stats never mattered. It’s because of seniors in the past role modeling that mentality that allows us as coaches to stress that early in the season.”

Poulin said his main focus was to take care of the North Stars’ business above all, before worrying about any opponent, although he did say the first few games of the season are against tough competition.

He also thinks this team, more so than usual, has the potential for growth, and he’s excited to see that when the postseason looms.

“This is a team that you’re going to look at come the end of the season and say that they have come a very long ways,” Poulin said. “I’m excited for that and we’ll see, you know. It’s a long season and I like the group we’re going to have.”

Batavia football’s success opens doors: There’s no doubt that if Jim Nazos had his choice, he’d want Canaan Coffey and Kamontez Thomas in his starting lineup when the Bulldogs host the Batavia Windmill Classic in a couple weeks.

Actually, the Batavia coach is all right if he doesn’t, because that would mean those two would be playing for a football state championship in DeKalb. Nazos knows that come the end of the season, not only will it not mean much to have missed those players for a few games, but it also gives several players the opportunities to prove something to him that they may not have had with Coffey and Thomas there.

“The football team is doing something special right now,” Nazos said. “They are chasing a life dream of winning a state championship. It’s great. It also gives other guys on this team on opportunity to be seen that they may not have gotten. We’ll be here when (Coffey and Thomas) get done. In the middle of January, you’ll see, they’ll be in full gear and so will we.”

Geneva boys basketball coach Phil Ralston is well aware of what his program lost to graduation from last year’s team that made a trip to the Class 4A state tournament.

As invaluable as that experience will be to the players returning to the Vikings this year, Ralston knows it can go one of two ways.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Ralston said. “I’ve seen teams that have had seasons like us and then the next year they fall on their face. But I’ve also seen teams build off those great seasons and have ones that many people don’t expect them to have. We’ll see what kind of team we are, but our staff has stressed that we are not the same team as last year, and that’s OK.”

A 30-5 season certainly is hard to replicate, but Geneva does return the likes of center Loudon Vollbrecht and forward Bennett Fuzak, both of whom played key roles last season.

Vollbrecht injured his left knee at the end of Friday’s Geneva football game. Ralston said that Vollbrecht will undergo an MRI as the team awaits more information.

Ralston also mentioned that with the excitement and buzz around the basketball program with its recent success, it hasn’t made his job any easier as these first few days of tryouts come along. But if the summer was the players’ time, now it’s Ralston’s turn to see what he;s got.

“The summer was their time, the players’ time to work on their individual game and develop their skills,” Ralston said Monday, the first day of boys basketball practice throughout the state. “Now it’s our time as coaches to be constantly evaluating to see what we’ve got and narrow it down.

“We’ve only got two weeks here (until games begin), and we’ve got to be ready to go.”

North stresses ‘team’ above all: Most teams, minus the rare ones that don’t graduate any seniors, take the first few weeks to develop chemistry with one another before games get into full gear.

While St. Charles North had a strong season (18-11) to look back on, they did graduate lynchpins Jake Ludwig and Jack Callaghan, both of whom were Kane County Chronicle all-area first team selections.

But it’s because of such players as Ludwig and Callaghan – along with many former North Stars – that the boys basketball program develops that chemistry at a rapid level.

“Each team that I’ve had, they always play the game the right way,” North coach Tom Poulin said. “The only thing that mattered at the end of games was the final score. Individual stats never mattered. It’s because of seniors in the past role modeling that mentality that allows us as coaches to stress that early in the season.”

Poulin said his main focus was to take care of the North Stars’ business above all, before worrying about any opponent, although he did say the first few games of the season are against tough competition.

He also thinks this team, more so than usual, has the potential for growth, and he’s excited to see that when the postseason looms.

“This is a team that you’re going to look at come the end of the season and say that they have come a very long ways,” Poulin said. “I’m excited for that and we’ll see, you know. It’s a long season and I like the group we’re going to have.”

Batavia football’s success opens doors: There’s no doubt that if Jim Nazos had his choice, he’d want Canaan Coffey and Kamontez Thomas in his starting lineup when the Bulldogs host the Batavia Windmill Classic in a couple weeks.

Actually, the Batavia coach is all right if he doesn’t, because that would mean those two would be playing for a football state championship in DeKalb. Nazos knows that come the end of the season, not only will it not mean much to have missed those players for a few games, but it also gives several players the opportunities to prove something to him that they may not have had with Coffey and Thomas there.

“The football team is doing something special right now,” Nazos said. “They are chasing a life dream of winning a state championship. It’s great. It also gives other guys on this team on opportunity to be seen that they may not have gotten. We’ll be here when (Coffey and Thomas) get done. In the middle of January, you’ll see, they’ll be in full gear and so will we.”