LF_021617

LakeForestLeader.com sports
the lake forest leader | February 16, 2017 | 31
Words From Wolff
Super Bowl latest reason to never give up
1st-and-3
Stars of the
week
Varsity Views
1. Brian Stickler
(ABOVE).
The senior forward
was the leading
scorer for the Lake
Forest High School
boys basketball
team in a pair of
conference wins
over Libertyville
and Lake Zurich,
big gains for
the Scouts in
a competitive
North Suburban
Conference.
2. Grace Tirzmalis.
The sophomore
girls basketball
player had a teamhigh
18 points to
lead the Scouts
to victory against
Zion-Benton.
3. Delaney Williams.
Williams had 14
points in the big
conference win
over Zion-Benton
in a pivotal NSC
matchup on Feb. 8
in Lake Forest.
Derek Wolff
d.wolff@22ndcenturymedia.com
I
spent the majority of
Super Bowl LI at a
party downtown in
River North, where I halfwatched
a listless performance
from the New
England Patriots through
the early goings of the
fourth quarter.
When Stephen Gostkowski
kicked a field goal
to cut the Atlanta Falcons’
lead to 28-12 with less
than 10 minutes remaining,
I’d seen enough. I
didn’t have a dog in the
fight and the game had
been, by and large, a
snoozefest. Like many
people at the party I said
my goodbyes, ordered
a car back to my apartment
in Wrigleyville and
watched the latest miraculous
sports comeback.
I remember watching
that kick sail through the
uprights and saying aloud,
‘Man, it’s hard to see
(New England) coming
back from this.’ I was
completely wrong, and
that’s the beauty of sports;
they’re never really over
until the final whistle.
There are so many
moments in life in which
we’re faced with adversity,
yet athletic competition
consistently, routinely
offers us chances
to overcome it and have
a cathartic reaction to it.
Both the Chicago Cubs
and Cleveland Cavaliers
overcame trailing 3-1 in
their championship series’
in 2016 to capture titles
within their sports.
In high school sports,
come postseason a team
is dealing with two main
adversaries at all times;
the opponent on the other
side of the court, as well
as the team’s given seed.
A few weeks ago I wrote
about how important it
was to lock up a higher
seed in the IHSA postseason
races, since there’s a
direct correlation between
a higher seed and higher
chance of success (duh).
But at the same time,
every year in every sport
there seems to be a few
teams that rise up from a
lackluster regular season
and woeful seed to make a
run and challenge some of
the top teams.
The Highland Park girls
basketball team drew the
No. 20 seed in the IHSA
Class 3A Libertyville
Sectional for this year’s
postseason and will begin
their playoff quest with
No. 13 Lakes in a contest
The Lake Forest High School girls field hockey team overcame a disappointing finish
to its 2015 season by capturing a state title in 2016. 22nd Century Media File Photo
at Warren. The Giants,
in my opinion, are better
than that seed inclines you
to believe.
In my tenure working
for The Lake Forest
Leader and The Highland
Park Landmark, one
of the most memorable
examples of a team that
never gave up was the
HPHS boys soccer team in
late 2015.
The Giants drew the
No. 15 seed and looked
like they would make an
early exit, but after winning
their first round game
they stunned No. 2 seeded
Barrington in enemey territory,
then defeated Stevenson
to claim a regional
title in their third match.
In the fourth game, they
ran into a buzzsaw in a
3-1 loss to eventual state
champions Libertyville
in the Round of 32, but it
was a memorable, magical
run for a team that easily
defied expectations and
refused to bow out quietly.
Getting so close to
capturing a championship
only to fall just short of
expectations is another
reality of the postseason,
one the Atlanta Falcons
must have felt in the
aftermath of their stunning
defeat in the big game.
That feeling was also one
in which the Lake Forest
High School girls field
hockey team was acutely,
painfully aware of in
2015.
The Scouts had title
aspirations but fell in the
semi-finals that year. In
2016, they roared back to
defeat New Trier —backto-back
champions in
2014 and 2015— to crown
themselves as the best
team in Illinois.
Regardless of how
bright or bleak a team’s
fate looks heading into the
postseason, we rejoice all
the same with each new
arrival, because that’s
what sports brings us, a
chance to shake things up
and rewrite the script, a
chance to make a mark on
history.
Tom Brady and his New
England Patriots certainly
did in Super Bowl LI,
which should be an inspiring
performance for any
athlete across any sport
this high school postseason.
In the games to
come, that vigorous hope
will drive whoever winds
up capturing state titles
across each sport.
Athletes in this area certainly
have what it takes.
Listen Up
“I’ve made significant improvement since
last year.”
Quinn Dailey — The 132 pound wrestler speaks up
about his performance during an IHSA Sectional from
Barrington High School over the weekend.
tune in
What to watch this week
GIRLS BASKETBALL: The Scouts look to capture a regional
championship with a Friday night tilt.
• Lake Forest vs. TBA, Friday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m., Warren High
School Almond Campus, Gurnee.
Index
27 - Athlete of the Year
26- Athlete of the Week
Fastbreak is compiled by Sports Editor Derek
Wolff. Send any questions or comments to
d.wolff@22ndcenturymedia.com.