Wednesday, September 14, 2011
The Waubonsie Valley boys golf team won the Aurora City Tournament for the third straight time on Wednesday at Phillips Park behind four players in the 70s.
Waubonsie Valley was a battle-hardened team the last two years with a state appearance in 2009. But some things have not changed much for the Warriors’ boys golf team. With four players shooting in the 70s Wednesday afternoon at Phillips Park, Waubonsie Valley won its third straight Aurora City Tournament with a 314 total. Metea Valley, which had the individual champion in Adam Kreimer, was 10 shots behind its fellow Indian Prairie school. Marmion was third, denying IMSA and Aurora Central Catholic by three combined strokes; West Aurora, Aurora Christian and East Aurora rounded out the eight-school tournament. Alec Koulos and Alex Meyer are the proven veterans for Waubonsie, but it is the progression of varsity newcomers Austin Datz and …
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Blackhawks eventually fall after valiant effort
Coming into Friday’s DuPage Valley Conference opener between West Aurora and Wheaton Warrenville South, each team had a distinct storyline. West Aurora had never beaten the Tigers since joining the DVC in 1998, and haven’t reached the playoffs since 1994. A 2-0 start under first-year coach Nate Eimer has created excitement, however, and a trademark win would go a long way toward giving the program some legitimacy. Two-time defending Class 7A state champion Wheaton Warrenville South was off to an 0-2 start (albeit to Class 7A favorite Glenbard West and defending Class 8A state champion Maine South, but still an unfamiliar position for the Tigers) and needed somebody to provide a spark. For a half, neither team seemed interested in advancing…
Friday, April 15, 2011
Host Glenbard West scored with two outs in the seventh inning to defeat the West High softball team 3-2 in non-conference action Thursday afternoon in Glen Ellyn.
The fly ball came one batter too late for West Aurora on Thursday afternoon. Ensnared in a 2-2 tie with Glenbard West in non-conference softball action in Glen Ellyn in the top of the seventh inning, West High had the potential winning run on third base with one out. But one batter after an infield pop out necessitated a base hit, Elizabeth Ronan had her drive to deep left-centerfield corralled for the final out. It came back to haunt the Blackhawks when Glenbard West pinch-runner Molly McCray scored on an infield single with two outs in the Hilltoppers’ seventh to turn back West 3-2. West High, which dodged several bullets throughout the contest largely courtesy of the brilliant play of centerfielder LaRi Mitchell, fell to 3-6 on the …
Friday, April 8, 2011
Despite a tremendous defensive effort by Patrick Ronan and solid offensive contributions from Binari Khurshidov and Eric Roggeman, Blackhawks fall to Naperville North 18-25, 25-23 and 18-25 Thursday night at home.
It has become a nagging trend for Naperville North at the commencement of the boys volleyball season. “We kind of lulled ourselves (during the second game Thursday night against West Aurora),” outside hitter Spencer Sauter said. “That is something we have struggled with since the start of the season. In the third game we were a little ticked off. Extra motivation.” In the early DuPage Valley Conference showdown in Aurora, Naperville North seized control with the teams tied at 10-10 in the decisive third game. The Huskies’ Henry Cheatham had back-to-back kills during an unanswered five-point run, and the squad remained undefeated in league play (2-0) while improving to 10-3 overall with its 25-18, 23-25, 25-18 win over the Blackhawks (5-2, …
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Wheaton Warrenville South converted an astonishing 16 3-point field goals to race past West Aurora 76-59 Wednesday night at the Blackhawks' Class 4A boys basketball regional.
West Aurora was not prepared for the barrage of 3-pointers Wheaton Warrenville South drained Wednesday night. Meeting for the second time in a week, in the semifinals of the Blackhawks’ Class 4A boys basketball regional semifinals, the Tigers’ Travis Kern and Riley O’Toole combined for an astonishing 15 3-pointers to lead WW South over West High 76-59. “It was demoralizing,” said West High senior post Kyle Pilmer, who had six points and three blocks in his final game at the school. “They just couldn’t miss. They’re usually a slow-tempo team. They were really pushing the ball, and nothing was falling for us.” Juwan Starks offered early evidence West High could reverse its two regular-season losses to the Tigers. The junior forward scored …
Saturday, February 19, 2011
West Aurora senior Nicholas Drendel, one year removed from a runner-up finish at the IHSA state wrestling tournament, settled for third on Saturday in loaded Class 3A 125-pound weight class.
CHAMPAIGN--West Aurora's Nicholas Drendel was looking to climb the mountaintop. Instead, the West Aurora senior was left despairingly short of achieving his ultimate goal: an individual wrestling state championship. One year after a heart-wrenching state finals defeat in the 112-pound division of the Class 3A, Drendel returned to the University of Illinois’ Assembly Hall with a spotless record. In the Saturday morning semifinals at 125 pounds, he more than met his match. Fellow unbeaten Eddie Klimara of Providence Catholic denied Drendel a return trip to the championship mat with a 7-2 triumph. “I prefer not to talk about (the Klimara) match,” Drendel said after winning twice in the wrestlebacks to claim third place. “It’s already done and…
Sunday, February 13, 2011
East Aurora 74, West Aurora 66. East High senior standout Ryan Boatright poured in 41 points, and Snoop Viser added 16 as the Tomcats ended the Blackhawks' three-game win streak in storied city series.
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Sunday, February 13, 2011
The Hot Read: East Aurora torched arch-rival West Aurora for 26 points in the second quarter. The Tomcats built a 37-31 lead at halftime they never relinquished in a 74-66 boys basketball victory witnessed by more than 4,000 fans at the Tomcats’ famed gymnasium Saturday night in Aurora. Snoop Viser hit consecutive 3-point field goals to jump-start the Tomcats’ offense, and standout guard Ryan Boatright did the rest. After losing all three games to West High during his career, the UConn-bound candidate for Illinois’ Mr. Basketball lit up the Blackhawks for 41 points, including 12 in the second quarter and 13 more in the decisive fourth quarter when West Aurora sliced its one-time 13-point third-quarter deficit to five on three occasions. …
Friday, February 11, 2011
Blackhawks' 125-pound senior applies 'gunslinger' mentality in bid to win Class 3A state wrestling crown.
Nicholas Drendel has only one thing on his mind as the wrestling season reaches its climax over the next two weekends. The West Aurora 125-pound senior is undefeated and he intends to run the table all the way to the University of Illinois’ Assembly Hall at the Class 3A state tournament. “Winning it all--I don’t have anything else to accomplish,” Drendel said of his goals. Drendel came oh, so close last year. Wrestling at 112 pounds, he had a career-defining possibility last winter at the individual state tournament. But his dream of a state championship was dashed by St. Charles East senior Brandon Rubino with a 5-1 loss on the grandest of stages in Champaign. Drendel had defeated Rubino in the teams' regular-season dual meet. “I have …
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Naperville North 52, West Aurora 51. North senior Jovonn Griffin hits a free throw with 1.7 seconds left to lift the Huskies in DVC play.
The Hot Read: After West Aurora junior Juwan Starks tied the game at 51-51 with 3:53 left in the fourth on a three-pointer, both teams went scoreless until there were 1.7 seconds left. That’s when Naperville North senior Jovonn Griffin hit the front end of a one-and-one, after being fouled along the sideline away from the basket, to give North the win and a share of second place in the DuPage Valley Conference. Patch’s MVP: Starks led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. He was held to six points in the second half, however, coming on a pair of fourth-quarter three-pointers. Key stats: The game was won at the free throw line for North. The Huskies hit 17-of-22 in the game, hitting 17 straight after missing their …
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Iconic coach has made defense, unselfish play a Blackhawks trademark for more than 30 years.
John F. Kennedy was president when Gordie Kerkman arrived at West Aurora and begain his teaching and coaching career in the fall of 1962. The iconic coach, who earlier this season won his 700th game directing the Blackhawks’ legendary boys basketball program, remembers the first season very well. The 1962-63 West Aurora team went 1-22. “The only team we beat was Crystal Lake,” Kerkman said. “They only won one game that year. It was against us at a tournament in DeKalb.” Thirty-seven years later, Kerkman reached the apex of his profession when his team stunned Darius Miles’ East St. Louis team and Chicago Public League powerhouse Westinghouse in the semifinals and final to take home the 2000 Class AA state championship. It was an …
