Taelor Clements brings the energy, sparks Yorkville past Oswego

YORKVILLE – Taelor Clements is a potential Division I high jumper, but on the basketball court the Yorkville senior plays the role of “energy guy.”

He plays it well.

On one play Saturday, Clements nearly crashed into the stands for a loose ball. Later, he slid on the floor for the basketball amid a scrum of Yorkville and Oswego players.

When Clements was substituted out once, he charged down the Yorkville bench, yelling and high-fiving each teammate.

“Everybody has their role. My role is to bring the energy and get the hustle plays, the dirty work, so the other guys can have their fun,” Clements said. “I love it. I couldn’t tell you why I like playing physical and playing hard, but it’s kind of how I always played.”

In a game Saturday where freshmen on each side displayed their tremendous potential, Clements’ contribution was huge.

He had a near double-double and scored six of his nine points in a key third quarter. The Foxes built an 18-point lead and held off visiting Oswego 66-59.

Gabe Sanders scored 18 points, Braydon Porter had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Clements contributed nine points and seven rebounds for Yorkville (12-14, 5-9).

Dasean Patton scored 28 and Ethan Vahl 19 for Oswego (9-16, 3-11).

Clements, a 6-foot-4 forward, had two putback baskets during Yorkville’s 11-2 run out of a halftime in which the Foxes led 24-18.

Nothing new to Yorkville coach John Holakovsky to see Clements get after it. Happens every day.

“We do one of our finishing drills in practice, and he’s screaming and yelling. He will get it, catch it, hammer it home and dunk,” Holakovsky said. “He is that spark, that energy guy. He has that head of steam that he won’t be denied.”

Clements had the most experience back this season of any Yorkville player, but hit a bump around Christmas. He took a hard fall at the York tournament and got a knee bruise, compensated for it and developed knee tendinitis.

Clements missed four to five games, during which time freshman Joey Jakstys took his spot in the starting lineup. Coach and player had a heart to heart.

“When he came back, we talked a lot about you have two months left, we have to take this and run with it,” Holakovsky said. “Really be that leader and provide that energy that brings us along.”

Clements has no shortage of energy.

The 2024 track high jump sectional champion does track in the mornings, lifts weights in the evenings and does basketball, a sport he’s played since second grade, in the evening.

“Busy schedule,” Clements said, “but what’s living if you’re not working hard?”

Yorkville, overcoming a six-game losing streak that bled into January, has done it by working hard on defense.

The Foxes held Oswego to just five first-quarter points while forcing six turnovers and limited the Panthers to just one basket over the first half of the third quarter.

“Our defense set the tone. The kids have really bought in,” Holakovsky said. “It’s been a point of emphasis the last few weeks to elevate our defense.”

Even that defense couldn’t slow down Patton and Vahl at times.

Vahl, Oswego’s talented freshman guard, scored 13 of his 19 in the third quarter. Patton, who didn’t start in his return after missing the last eight games, had 14 of his 28 in the fourth quarter.

“Nice to have him back,” Oswego coach Nick Oraham said. “Ethan has done a nice job stepping up. He can score in bunches. He’s a pretty special player for a 15-year-old.”

Oswego on four occasions late cut Yorkville’s lead to four, but couldn’t get closer. Sanders, like he did in the teams' first meeting, closed well with 13 of his 18 in the second half.

“We’re always going to fight, but we didn’t do a good job getting stops,” Oraham said. “They’re a downhill-oriented team and they do a nice job of it. We’re not there in help side, taking charges, keeping guys in front of us.”

Porter scored nine of his 15 in the fourth quarter, Yorkville’s 6-foot-4 freshman reaching doubles figures for the fourth straight game.

“He is a stud,” Holakovsky said. “He has so much confidence in his ability. He knows what he can do. He’s a 6-4, 6-5 kid that can drive with the ball. He has developed so well.”