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46 | February 22, 2018 | The Northbrook tower sports northbrooktower.com boys basketball Spartans avenge early season loss, edge Giants in overtime thriller Martin Carlino, Editor Glenbrook North head coach David Weber can’t predict the future, but the longtime Spartan head coach knew exactly what his team was going to see from the Highland Park Giants on Thursday, Feb. 15 — a hellacious, highpressure zone defense and a heavy dose of senior Ziv Tal. The Giants, fueled by a 24-point outing from Tal, topped the Spartans in early January. But, thanks to stifling defense and timely execution on offense, the Spartans flipped the script this time around and handed Highland Park a road loss of its own with a 41-38 overtime victory. “We kind of knew what was going to happen tonight,” Weber said. “Sean Merrigan did a great job defending their best player (Tal) tonight … we moved the ball offensively, and we got some easy baskets. Hopefully we can build from this.” After falling behind Highland Park 12-7 in the second quarter, defense and high-quality shots on offense were the keys of the game for the Spartans the rest of the way. Following a Highland Park turnover, GBN senior guard Max Knebelkamp buried a 3-pointer to narrow the margin to two points. Senior Michael Roane tied the game with a layup and after another forced turnover, senior Evan Barnes buried a 3-point shot to give the Spartans their first lead of the night. The Spartans held their lead for much of the game’s duration, opening up a game-high five-point lead midway through the third quarter when senior Kellen Witherell finished off a perfectly executed pass from Knebelkamp. Highland Park narrowed GBN’s lead to just one-point with six minutes to play in the fourth thanks to well-timed back cut from senior Tyler Gussis, who finished off a precise pass from Tal with an impressive reverse layup. Weber immediately attempted to thwart the Giants’ momentum with a timeout. A well-executed inbounds play resulted in a 3-point play for the Spartans from Roane. The Giants capitalized on a bevy of GBN turnovers over the next several possessions to tie the game at 34 following two crucial free throws from Tal. With less than 30 seconds left on the clock, the Spartans again turned the ball over, giving the Giants a chance at the game’s final shot. After a blocked shot attempt, Tal gathered the rebound but missed the game-winning shot when his contested layup attempt rimmed out, sending the game to overtime. The Giants scored the first point of the overtime with a made free throw attempt, but GBN soundly controlled the game’s remainder. After two made free throws from Merrigan, Kellen Witherell finished off a cross-court pass while drawing a foul. Witherell capped the 3-point play with a made free throw, securing a Spartans victory. “I was so fired up after that play,” Witherell said. Glenbrook North senior Evan Barnes looks to pass the ball while under heavy pressure from a Highland Park defender during GBN’s 41-38 victory over the Giants on Thursday, Feb. 15, in Northbrook. Photos by Martin Carlino/22nd Century Media Kellen Witherell defends a Highland Park player. “I just felt like we had it after that. I felt like that was the nail in the coffin.” The game’s biggest moment was not only an adrenaline rush for Witherell, but also a muchneeded sigh of relief. “I’ve been struggling a bit on offense lately Brian Johnson drives to the basket. shooting the ball from the outside so that play and getting my inside game going was a huge confidence boost for me and for all our guys,” he said. Both Weber and Witherell knew the recipe for breaking Highland Park’s tough defense started inside the paint. “It was really important for us to get the ball inside,” Weber said. We knew that when we got into the middle, we could dive from the weak side and get easy baskets and we did that. We got some really easy layups.” The Spartans headed on the road for a tough test against CSL south powerhouse New Trier, but results were not available at press time. “This is the toughest part of our schedule, so it was really nice to get this win tonight,” Weber said.
northbrooktower.com sports the northbrook tower | February 22, 2018 | 47 Girls Track and Field Spartans hope new technique leads to success Michal Dwojak Sports Editor Spartans 2018 Schedule Feb. 22 - hosts Antioch/ Lake Forest, 4:30 p.m. Feb. 23 - at John Davis Relays, 4:30 p.m. March 2 - hosts GBS/Maine East/New Trier, 4:30 p.m. March 8 - hosts Maine West/Vernon Hills, 4:30 p.m. March 10 - hosts Mundelein/Wauconda, 10 a.m. March 15 - hosts CSL North Invite, 4:30 p.m. April 6 - hosts Spartan Relays, 4:30 p.m. April 11 - at Deerfield/ Northside Prep/Waukegan, 4:30 p.m. April 20 - at Titan Invite, 4:30 p.m. April 23 - at Maine West Invite, 4:30 p.m. April 27 - at Niles North Invite, 4:30 p.m. May 3 - at CSL North Invite, 4:30 p.m. May 10 - at IHSA Sectional, TBA May 11 - at IHSA Sectional, TBA May 17 - at IHSA State, TBA May 18 - at IHSA State, TBA May 19 - at IHSA State, TBA Glenbrook North is looking away from the track to make progress on it this season. While many athletes on every team are looking to improve their times this season, the way they’re approaching slashing those times might be different. This is where the Spartans come in to play. Head coach Justin Cooper has made it a goal of his for GBN to focus on the weight room in hopes of making progress this spring. It might not be a conventional way of approaching progress, but he’s excited to see the results. “We made a commitment to the weight room,” Cooper said. “I’m looking forward to see the impact that has on their distances and times.” The change happened based on research conducted by U.S. Track and Field. There’s been an emphasis on working in the weight room for Olympic athletes and the best runners in the country, and it’s shown progress with the better results sprinters and other track and field athletes have recently shown. Once Cooper saw the progress and research conducted by the national team, it made sense for him to bring it to his team. The Spartans started dedicating time to the weight room, hoping it would serve the same benefits it did for the national team. “I’m looking forward to looking at all the growth our athletes have made,” Cooper said. “We worked a lot of the offseason in the weight room. It’s really interesting to see.” The early results have worked, at least that’s what the Spartans think. Many athletes said the lifting has helped in different dynamics instead of just adding muscle. Perfecting form while lifting has helped the Spartans work on their form while running and competing in the other events. The hip exercises help work on the form and leading to more efficiency when running, something that has already translated to the track. “It makes a big difference,” Cooper said. “We’ve been working on added more. The girls have really taken to it because they see the improvement.” Senior Kelly Pearson has Glenbrook North track and field’s Kelly Pearson lifts during practice in Northbrook. 22nd Century File Photo applied it to her running. While she is used to lifting from her time with football, it’s good to see the results translate somewhere else. “I’ve taken that into track because you get better and faster,” Pearson said, “It’s good to see the results.” The results are taking place early in the season. Cooper has noticed that this season’s seniors and freshmen are the largest groups he’s had, which is something he’s looking forward to. Pearson is one of the leaders who’s going to lead the charge of change on the track. “It’s my last season, so it’s my last chance to do what I’ve been working for this entire time,” Pearson said. “I’m hoping to achieve that.” Voting is now open! THE GLENCOE A NCHOR • THE GLENVIEW LA<strong>NT</strong>ERN THE HIGHLAND PARK LANDMARK • THE LAKE FOREST LEADER THE NORTHBROOK TOWER • THE WILMETTE BEACON • THE WINNETKA CURRE<strong>NT</strong> voting open feb. 1 - feb. 25 Help your favorite local businesses take home an award in the second annual North Shore Choice Awards. Complete at least 50 categories and be eligible for 22nd Century Media’s North Shore Choice Awards prize — one three-night trip for two (2) adults to Riu Caribe in Cancun, Mexico, courtesy of Apple Vacations. Vote in the ballot inside your 22nd Century Media newspaper or online at www.22ndcenturymedia.com/nschoice
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