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Greg HALL ATHLETE of the week Warrior wrestlers gunning for second spot Darkhorse McHenry chasing FVC title For all * you pre-season predictors, next Tuesday is when McHenry will either make you look bad or good. The McHenry Warrior basketball team wasn't too highly considered by most to be a top contender for the Fox Valley Conference title. At most, they were considered a darkhorse. -• ' Well that darkhorse has galloped past every FVC challenger except one. Tuesday, the Warriors will have their chance to pull up even with the Woodstock Blue Streaks. Currently, Woodstock is in first place with a 6-1 record, while McHenry is right behind at 5-2. Game time is 7:30 at Buckner Gym. "The key is that Hutter kid. We never had any luck shutting him down. We have to keep him off the boards to have achance." Iji preparation for the big FVC tilt, the Warriors will travel to Elmhurst for a non-conference game with Immaculate Con­ ception Saturday. The Warriors have a bye in the FVC this weekend. IC is rated ninth in the UPI coaches poll, but McHenry coach Ken Ludwig isn't too worried. "This will be a good game for the kids. It will be a good warmup for us," said Ludwig. Immaculate Conception is led by all-state guard Andy Laux, who Ludwig calls all- everytfeing. "He's their all-time passer, all-time scorer, all-time rebounder. He's all- everything." The smallest man in the IC starting liheup is 6-foot-3 and 200-pounds. "They're very im­ pressive on the boards and play very well as a team." Ludwig says his team isn't looking past the IC game towards the Woodstock game. "Right now the IC game is all we are concentrating on. The Woodstock game might be in the back of their minds." You can bet, however, full concentration will be on Woodstock Tuesday evening. But also in the back of the Warrior mind has to be the two previous losses to the Blue Streaks. Woodstock beat the Warriors earlier in the season 61-51 in McHenry's second FVC start. But since then, McHenry has won its last five games in the FVC. The second loss to Woodstock was in the Wheeling Holiday Tournament. This time the Blue Streaks prevailed 62-49. According to Ludwig, his squad has to do two things to win the game. One, the Warriors have to avoid, the one bad quarter. In the Wheeling game, McHenry held a 29-27 lead with 20 seconds left in the first half. The Warriors would not score after that until 1:45 left in the third quarter. By that time Woodstock had built up a 47-29 lead. Secondly, Ludwig says his squad must contain Brad Hutter. The 6-foot-4 forward has been a thorn in the back against the Warriors. "The key is that Hutter kid," Ludwig said. "We never had any luck shutting him down. We have to keep him off the boards to have a chance." Hutter scored 19 points in each of the two previous games between the two schools. While some might be sur­ prised with McHenry's success thus far, Ludwig isn't one of them. | "I thought we had a outside chance," said Ludwig looking back at the start of the season. "I'm not surprised at all where twe are at right now. "I'm not real pleased with our play all season. We're not playing to our capabilities. In that sense, the way we have played, is surprising." In FVC games Friday night, Woodstock will take on Cary- Grove, Jacobs is at Crystal Lake Central and Dundee-Crown is at Crystal Lake South. Tuesday, Crystal Lake Central is at Cary- Grove and Crystal Lake South is at Jacobs. Currently, Mark Peterson leads the McHenry squad in scoring with a 12.8 average. Corey Scott is right behind at 11.1, while Pat Dunne has scored 9.2 points a game. Peterson also leads in the rebounding category with 11.7 boards a game, while Scott is averaging eight. Top field goal percentage belongs to Scott Freund at 55 percent, while Ross Vehring is tops at the free throw line at 77 percent. Freund leads in assists with 3.8. For the first time in Fox Valley history, McHenry will be the host school for the wrestling conference championship meet. Coach Marty Sobczak and his Warrior squad have very big plans for this event, which will be held this weekend. Not only would Sobczak and school officials like to run a very smooth meet, Sobczak also plans to take advantage of the familar surroundings for a high team finish. The preliminary round begins at 6 p.m. at Buckner Gym Friday. The meet will continue on Saturday with the semi-finals at noon and finals at 6 p.m. A total of seven teams will be chasing the FVC crown. When it's all over, Woodstock is ex­ pected to be the winner. But a wide-open race is expected for the remaining spots. Woodstock currently rests.in first place in he FVC after the dual season, at 6-0. Crown- Dundee finished with a 5-1 record, Crystal Lake South third at 4-2 and McHenry finished fourth at 3-3. Sobczak, however, isn't letting a fourth place after the dual season keeping his team from thinking frig "I plan on pushing them (his squad) a little," Sobczak said. "We can do well against Dun­ dee-Crown and can take second. It won't be easy, but it's possible. We should take fourth at the lowest, but I would be disappointed at fourth."" Sobczak basically has his lineup all set for the opening round Friday. He is expecting a couple of his wrestlers to earner seedings. Sobczak says Ric Conner, at 119-pounds, has the best chance for a high seed. Conners currently has a 5-1 FVC record and is 23-8 overall. But Sobczak says there might be a number of 126-pound wrestlers dropping down to 119 and that could change things. 126-pounds is expected to be very competitive. Bob Sarabia will wrestle for the Warriors at that weight. He holds a 4-2 FVC record and is 19-8 overall. Continued on pag* 22 STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYIORD LITTLE LEAGUERS -- it's sign up time for the McHenry Junior Youth League and 10-year-olds Chris Wolff (left) and Jim Mays use snowballs to get in some in some early practice. On Saturday's, Feb. 4 and 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parents are reminded to appear at the McHenry VFW to register their boys in the eight to 16-year-old divisions. Fees will remain the same as last year. League rules require all boys to play the field and bat in every game. Uniforms and most equipment are supplied by the league and trophies and awards are given in each division. The season always ends with the all-star games and a family picnic. The stage is set for big Fox Valley game The stage is set. The players are ready. And the fans should fill Buckner Gym next Tuesday when the Blue Streaks and Warriors battle it out. At stake for the Warriors is a tie for first place. A loss would almost eliminate them from conference title contention. The Streaks were upset by Jacobs last week, setting the stage for the battle with the Warriors. Never mind that the Streaks entertain Cary-Grove tonight, while the Warriors travel to Elmhurst to take on non-conference opponent Immaculate Conception. It is a must game for the Warriors. Twice this season the Streaks have won over the Warriors. The old adage, "It's tough to beat a team three times," must linger in the mind of Blue Streak coach Gordon Tebo. It has been several years since the Warriors have had a shot at first place in conference play this late in the season. We know coach Ken Ludwig is going to make the most of it. We can't help but single out some unsung heroes for the Warriors in their win last Friday night over a pesky Cary- Grove crew. Twice the Warriors had large leads, but the Trojans rallied back,, until the Warriors finally took charge. Coming off the pines, Bill Schmitt picked up eight points, but his four clutch free throws really sealed the victory. Ross Vehring, along with Tim Schmitt did fine work for the Warriors and Dave Toussaint gave the Warriors a boost when needed. 1 It was indeed a team victory. Said Ludwig, "the bench really did a fine job when they were in the game." On the Sid Dick Rabbitt The Lady Warriors are still running into tough luck. They have a lot of hustle, but it seems there is a lid on the basket. After falling behind Crystal 17-0 at the end of the first period, instead of quit­ ting, they came back and actually outplayed the Tigers in the second half. But it was a margin too great to over­ come. • • • Mike Shanahan's Water Warriors are at Lake Forest tomorrow. They set some records last week in a loss to Stream- wood. • • • The Rassling Warriors are hosting the Fox Valley Conference tourney tonight and tomorrow. Woodstock, ranked number seven in the state and un­ defeated this season, is the heavy favorite. What a year the Blue Streak athletes are having - football, basketball and wrestling. Maybe that football cham­ pionship rubbed off on some other people. r r ••• There is a possibility we again may see Buckner Gym filled to capacity. With the seeding for the McHenry regional, there is a good chance that Crystal Lake South and Central may be paired off in one game. The other possibility is the Skyhawks of Johnsburg could be paired off against the Warriors. No doubt that game would fill the gym. Woodstock and Cary-Grove have drawn byes, but school officials are waiting for the pairings from the IHSA. If it would come to pass, attendance at the McHenry regional would break all previous records. I'm crossing my fingers on this being a reality. • • • Here are the directions to Immaculate Conception of Elmhurst tonight for the Warrior game. Take extension number 90 past Woodfield until you come to Route 83. Go south on route 83 until St. Charles Road. Turn left and follow St. Charles road until you come to a large church on you left. The gym is behind the church. The church is a couple of blocks this side of the business area of Elmhurst. • • • Down memory lane to the 1956-57 season when the Warriors defeated Lake Forest 45-42. Huemann led the locals with 10 points. McHenry 4SL Conway 3-3-4 7, McMahon 2-2-2 6, Justen 3-2-3 8, Heumann 3-4-4 10, Cepulis 2-2-1 6, Useman 1-0-0 2, Hogan 3-0-0 6, totals 17-11-14 45. Lake Forest 42 Kuhlman 6-5-217, Keen 1-0-5 2, Hannah 4-0-58, Lane 2-3-17, Risty 1-0-12, Douglas 0-0-10, Butterworth 1-4-4 8, totals 15-12-19 42. McHenry 1112139 -- 45 Lake Forest 151010 7 -- 42 PAGE 24-PLAINDEALER-FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1984 Inexperience fails to stop Hall k V ' <S| Before the swimming season ft i2i started, McHenry coach Mike ft ~ r , Jf ^£0 ̂ Shanahan described his team as - - • T , " f jpf"k very young and inexperienced. m, . _ » m m H e o n l y h a d o n e s e n i o r o n t h e » 4 squad, and he only had one \ swimming season under his belt. That senior, despite his JhptI mmmM ' has fit the mold mmm ^k. I °* a senior. He has become one ^of many bright spots for the ^ft Water Warriors. Shanahan points to natural K ability to why Greg Hall has •I m ' NM IHMMP been so successful this season. staff photo-wavni cAYio*D Hall is the son of Ronald Ken- Pat Dunne will be a key performer, offensively and ne,t?^H,a11 of fiIcH?1!rL „ » defensively, against the Wbodstock Blue Steaks next Mid IhLî VHaU "H^hks Tuesday. Dunne is the third leading scorer for the a^^Tal°S JdhS Warriors. hard working. It has paid off. You can't coach speed. Either you have speed or you don't." Hall participates in the sprinting events such as the 50- yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle. In nine meets he has recorded 11 firsts and seven seconds. A top 10 board rests on the wall of the pool which lists the top 10 times at McHenry. Hall's name rests in fifth place in the 50-yard freestyle and eight in the 500-yard freestyle. Last Tuesday, in a meet against Zion-Benton, Shanahan did some shuffling and Hall ended up competing in the 200- 1 yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle. Hall placed second in the 200 in 2:04.0 and first in the 500 in 5:44.13. Hall is very surprised with his current success. "I have ac­ complished more than I wanted. I just wanted to get on the top 10 board. I'm on the board twice now, and in pretty good position," said Hidl. He added he would like to get on the top 10 board in the 100-yard freestyle. Originally from California, Hall says he did a lot of swim­ ming out there, which might have helped in his success. Hall is hoping for a swimming scholarship at the Illinois In­ stitute of Technology.