Boys Basketball: St. Charles North re-setting culture, outlasts West Chicago in fourth quarter

WEST CHICAGO – St. Charles North wasn’t satisfied at all with how last season transpired.

A program that won back-to-back regional titles in 2018 and 2019, it has come to expect high-level team-oriented basketball. Last season’s 6-24 record didn’t meet internal expectations.

Beginning with June workouts and the summer league, the North Stars have made an assertive effort to reset the culture. It starts with what is draped across their warmup shirts: “Be Inspired.”

“The culture completely changed,” North Stars senior forward Parker Reinke said after a 42-32 victory over West Chicago on Nov. 28. “Last year, it was kind of individuals playing for themselves. This year, we’re all playing for each other now. We’re all working really hard because we know for sure we do not want a season like last year. We’re making sure that doesn’t happen.”

Sitting at 4-1 on the young season, it appears the North Stars are on track to playing winning basketball again.

“We got everyone in the gym (in June),” Reinke said after his 14-point, five-rebound performance. “It was everyone getting to know each other, getting to know each other’s strengths and how to play as a team. June really helped a lot because it got us all together closer.”

The mantra “Be Inspired” is at the forefront of everything moving forward.

“It’s just (about) being inspired by the guy next to you,” Jake Furtney said after an 11-point, nine rebound and four block effort. “Playing harder. Last year, we maybe didn’t play the hardest. We didn’t play together and this year, it’s more play harder, be more aggressive, play faster and play more with each other.”

St. Charles North took a 24-13 lead at the half and led by nine entering the fourth quarter. West Chicago (0-4) pulled to within five on two layups by senior forward Mason Williams, but St. Charles North followed with a five-point run on a layup by Colin Hopp, a free throw from Reinke and two free throws by TJ Gleason.

Wildcats senior guard Caleb Giannokis stopped the bleeding with a tough jumper, but a nifty assist by Reinke to Luke Holtz in transition gave St. Charles North a 39-29 lead with 1:33 remaining.

West Chicago’s Jack Walsh followed with a 3-pointer, but Hopp hit a free throw and Reinke finished it off with a layup for the 42-32 victory for St. Charles North.

Even with the win, the North Stars feel they can turn things up a couple of more notches, particularly in DuKane Conference play.

“It’s going to start tomorrow in practice,” Furtney said. “We’ve just got to push everybody. It’s what we’ve been doing, but we got to kick it up a notch.”

Despite a winless record, West Chicago is playing competitive basketball defensively. The Wildcats need to get their offense in gear.

“I think right now, offensively, where we are struggling, half of our rotation doesn’t have any varsity experience,” West Chicago coach Roy Ramos said. “So, right now, we’re still trying to figure out how to score the basketball and I think how to play together. There were a couple moments in the game where Williams scores five points in a row (in the third quarter) and then we don’t look for him or the mismatch for two minutes straight. Joe Trigueros hits a 3 and we don’t find him again. So I think we’re still kind of, one, learning the new offense this being my first year. And, two, we’re still blending and getting those in-game possessions.”

Trigueros had eight points and Williams had seven points to lead the Wildcats.

“Mason is a great leader. He’s a great energy guy. He’s a great person,” Ramos said. “He’s actually been sick all week, so his energy is a little low right now, but I think offensively, yeah, we got to use him. We have to use him. ... He just has to keep building his confidence and figuring out his strengths in the half court, especially. I’ve got to give him more confidence with the ball.”

https://www.shawlocal.com/kane-county-chronicle/2023/11/29/boys-basketball-st-charles-north-re-setting-culture-outlasts-west-chicago-in-fourth-quarter/