HO_112719

26 | November 27, 2019 | the homer horizon sports
homerhorizondaily.com
Athlete of the Week
10 Questions
with Tommy Ferriter
Tommy Ferriter is a senior
at Lockport Township and
is a forward on the varsity
basketball team.
You are the only
player back on varsity
who was a starter
last year. Do you feel
you are looked at as a
leader?
I have the most experience.
So, I think that
would naturally put me in
a leadership position. Although,
I think everyone
can step into a leadership
role at some point. But
I’m more familiar with the
team, so I want to help. My
composure helps, too.
How long have
you been playing
basketball?
Ever since I can remember.
I started playing basketball
with my dad, Tom,
when I was a little kid in
the basement. I first played
organized basketball in
third grade. I played in junior
high at Oak Prairie.
Do you play any other
sports?
Not anymore. I played
soccer and baseball as a
kid. But after eighth grade,
I switched to just basketball.
Although I’m pretty
good at frisbee, too. I’m
pretty solid.
What is it about
basketball that makes
it the sport for you?
I think it’s the combo of
it being a team sport, as
well as the individuality of
it. Also, it’s just the pace of
the game. I love the pace.
There’s a quick pace, and
there’s a lot of fast decisions
to be made.
What team do you
look forward to
playing the most this
season?
Sandburg. My whole
AAU team, the Windy
City Magic out of Orland
Park, pretty much plays
there. I think it’s four of
the starters for Sandburg
play on the team with me.
What have you
learned from Lockport
boys basketball coach
Brett Hespell?
He’s taught me that
“Uncommon” is more than
a catchy slogan. It’s a big
focus for everyone, our
whole program. You have
to be uncommon in everything.
On the court, and off
the court.
If you could be any
superhero, who would
you be and why?
I don’t like superheroes.
I think they are kind of
silly. I don’t understand
the fascination with them.
They’re not for me.
What do you do to
pump yourself up
before a basketball
game?
22nd Century Media File
Photo
I usually have a couple
of Swedish Fish. I get a
little bit of a sugar high
from them. Then, I crack
my back. That’s pretty
much it.
Do you plan to play
basketball in college?
I’m not sure yet. I have
a pretty big decision with
academics, so I don’t
know yet. I plan to study
pre-med, and then eventually
be a surgeon.
What is the best thing
about being an athlete
at Lockport?
The surroundings. You
get to play with your
friends, and you get to also
be surrounded by your
friends [like in L-Town].
Then you have the community
history, and that’s
part of it all. Plus, athletics
gives you opportunities.
I’m also in four other clubs
at school, too.
Interview by Freelance Reporter
Randy Whalen
Girls Basketball
Porters open fresh season with
convincing win over Romeoville
Randy Whalen
Freelance Reporter
It is one thing to say a
team is going to have a
better season.
It is another to go out
and show it, like the
Lockport girls basketball
team did.
With nine of their 10
players scoring, the Porters
showed they should
be better in all areas this
season by rolling over Romeoville
59-37 in the season
opener for both teams
on Nov. 19 in Lockport.
Elizabeth Sochacki led
the way with a game-high
17 points. The sophomore
guard, who is in her second
season on the Porter
varsity, hit five 3-pointers.
Junior forward Elena
Knebel added 13 points
and sophomore point
guard Charlotte Fahrner
contributed eight points
for Lockport (1-0).
Romeoville (0-1),
which was once in the
same school District 205
and known as Lockport
West, was led by 11 points
from senior guard Karina
Ortiz.
“Winning is good,”
Lockport coach Dan Kelly
said. “We played as a
team, the girls supported
each other and were really
happy for each other’s
success. I love that.”
Kelly, a former assistant
coach at Romeoville
and now in his sixth season
as Porters head coach,
knows there is still a lot of
work to do.
“I’ve got to watch the
film,” he said. “We’ve got
a lot to work with, but a
lot to get better at, too.”
The Porters got off to
a good start to the season,
especially in the first
quarter. Senior swing
player Sawyer Hollatz
hit the first basket just 16
seconds into the game.
About two minutes later,
Sochacki shot in her first
three-pointer, and Lockport
led 5-0 before the
Spartans got on the board
when Ortiz scored.
But junior guard Miranda
Oesterreich scored
all four of her points in
an 8-0 Lockport run. The
Porters led 13-3 after one
quarter, and, even better
for them, had one turnover
in the opening eight
minutes.
“Our turnovers are better
than last year,” Kelly
said. “I don’t think we
ever went a quarter last
year with just one turnover.”
At halftime, the Porters
defense had forced Romeoville
into nearly double
the amount of turnovers
than points. That was 15,
as Lockport led 24-8 at intermission.
Lockport ended the
third quarter on a 12-2
spurt for a 44-18 lead.
That included a Sochacki
three-pointer at the buzzer.
Ahead 44-22, the Porters
scored seven points in
22 seconds, including five
by Sochacki, to take their
largest lead at 51-22.
“I think we were pretty
good and did really well
moving the ball,” Sochacki
said. “We probably
could have used the
posts more, but it still felt
really good to come out
and play. We hadn’t all
played together in a game
in awhile. So, it really felt
good.”
The Porter post twin
towers of 6-foot-4 inch
Jenna Cotter (5 points,
6 rebounds) and Sydney
Furr (4 points, 10 rebounds)
also contributed.
“We’re going to need
someone to hit from the
outside,” Kelly said of
Sochacki. “That was Elizabeth.
It was great to see,
and a big help for her is
having Charlotte Fahrner
handle the ball more in the
point role.”
Sochacki expects more
good things as the season
progresses.
“I expect us to do pretty
well,” she said. “We are
getting more consistent
in our shooting and passing.
I expect us to get even
more better as the season
goes on.”
It was third-straight
time Lockport has opened
the season with a win over
the Spartans. Last year, it
was 57-45 over host Romeoville.
The rest of this week
brought games at the Willowbrook
Invitational
against Plainfield Central.
Stevenson and Montini.
The Willowbrook tourney
continues this week.
The Porters played the
host school on Monday,
Nov. 25, and concluded
the tournament on Tuesday,
Nov. 26, against East
Aurora.
Then, on Saturday, Nov.
30, Lockport will host Joliet
West at 1:30 p.m. in
a nonconference contest
against old rivals.