:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/SLAOETW5DVGMTAS4FEFMMFSQUE.jpg)
AURORA – Marmion senior guard Jabe Haith takes pride in the clear value he provides on the court.
Haith’s 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in Marmion’s 58-28 win over Leo on Tuesday is probably the tip of the iceberg.
“Most pride in myself is just knowing there’s no way to take me out of a game,” Haith said. “Affecting the game in a different way. Most of the time, I’m on the [opposing] team’s best player. I take pride in that.”
“Take pride in helping rebounding; whatever the team needs. Some nights, I’m not scoring. Some nights, I’m not able to defend as well, but it’s all about what the team needs. It’s not all about scoring to me. That’s what I love the most.”
Marmion coach Joe Piekarz coins Haith as a “very well-rounded player.”
“These are all things he’s heard me say before, so I don’t mind saying them in front of him,” Piekarz said. “He does so much for us both on the offensive and defensive end. When the ball is in Jabe’s hands, good things tend to happen, so we like him.”
Whether it’s Haith or senior teammate Trevon Roots driving to the hoop, that alone helps draw defenses in off the perimeter. Collin Wainscott and others, then, can take advantage with three-pointers.
“There’s been a lot of talk about us three, you know, people refer to us as a ‘Big Three’ in some way,” Haith said. “There’s a lot of talk. It’s hard to stop us. Tonight and other nights, [opposing teams] try face-guarding Collin. Face-guarding Collin, you have to worry about [Roots and I] now in the pick-and-roll. If you don’t face-guard Collin, he’s lighting you up.”
“Our biggest thing, too, we have five guys on the court that can score,” Haith said. “We say it all the time: ‘Five guys that want it and that can score the ball. It’s just a trust. We have more trust.”
St. Charles North’s Luke Holtz looking forward to first Crosstown Classic
Luke Holtz attended St. Charles North and East matchup games growing up. Now, he gets his first opportunity to be a part of it on Friday.
“You always dream of playing in the crosstown rivalry,” the North Stars junior said. “You’re always at those games and you envision yourself out there, so to be there this year is pretty cool.”
St. Charles North (2-7, 0-3) and St. Charles East (4-5, 0-3) tips off at 7 p.m. on the North Stars’ home court.
Records aside, Holtz said, “looking at the past, East-North, [those] doesn’t matter. Both teams are going to come out and play their best.”
“I think if we just really get on the glass and hustle after the ball, we got a good chance of winning this week,” Holtz said.
Jake Johnson steps in for Burlington Central
Jake Johnson was ready to step up for Burlington Central when his team needed him to.
With standout senior forward Drew Scharnowski out sick, Johnson popped in 25 points in Central’s 68-55 win over Prairie Ridge last Friday.
“I knew there would be a lot more shots opening up with him being gone,” Johnson said. “I felt good in warmups, saw my opportunities and just kept shooting. My teammates were doing a great job getting me open looks.”
The Rockets cruised to a 65-38 win over Jacobs on Dec. 14.
“I think the key to that was our defense, especially by our guards up top,” Johnson said. “I thought [sophomore guard] Caden West put a ton of pressure on them all night and it really threw them off their spots.
A teammate who he feels deserves the spotlight more is senior guard Matthew Lemon.
“I think Matthew Lemon deserves more recognition than he gets,” Johnson said. “He’s not the tallest guy on the court, but he’s grabbed a ton of rebounds for us. He also is a guy we can count on to get multiple steals every night. On top of all that, he’s had some great finishes down low throughout the start of the year.”