Karle Cooper has been with McHenry high school for the past 12 years, the last six of which he has been athletic trainer for the Warriors. He is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association and is the trainer for all sports at the school. He will be plainly visible on the bench during McHenry games this season. 1978-1979 Schedule Varsi ty Soph Nov. 24 25 THANKSGIVING TOURNAMENT Fr i . , Dec. 1 at Jacobs Fr i . , Dec. 8 CROWN Sat . , Dec. 9 GRANT T ues . , Dec. 12 SOPHOMORE TOURNAMENT Fr i . , Dec. 1 5 at Crysta l Lake So. T ues . , Dec. 19 at Dundee Dec. 20 21 SOPHOMORE TOURNAMENT Dec. 27 30 ELGIN TOURNAMENT Fr i . . Jan. 5 WOODSTOCK Sat . , Jan. 6 FREMD Fr i . , Jan. 12 at Cary Fr i . , Jan. 1 9 CRYSTAL LAKE CENTRAL Sat . , Jan. 20 at Z ion Fr i . , Jan. 26 JACOBS Fr i . , Feb. 2 at Crown Sat . , Feb. 3 at L ibertyvi l le Fr i . , Feb. 9 CRYSTAL LAKE SO. T ues . , Feb. 13 DUNDEE Fr i , I Feb. 16 at Woodstock Fr i . , Feb. 23 CARY Fr i . , Mar . 2 at Crysta l Lake Centra l Mar . 6 7 9 IHSA Regional Mar . 13 14 16 IHSA Sect ional Mar . 20 IHSA Super Sect ional Mar . 23 24 IHSA State Al l Sophomo re games star t a t 6 :30 pm Varsi ty at 8 :00 pm Rebuilding Year For McHenry PAGE 7 - PI.AINDEALER - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, lt7B Warriors Have Potential STAFF PHOTOS/ WAYSE GAYLORD STORY/ With no letterman returning to this year's team, it is a rebuilding year for McHenry. Coach Ken Ludwig will be forced to rely heavily on underclassman, including this group of "promising juniors". They are (from left to right) Ludwig, 6*1" forward. Barry Anderson; 5'8" guard. Bob Bitterman; 6'4" center, Jim Johnson; 5*8" guard, Tony Sr<»ka; and 5'10" forward. Brad Bonato. Jensen is 5 '9" and " is looking good". Two juniors , Tony Sroka and Bob Bit terman, provide good back-up for Jensen Both are 5 '8" . Sroka has been s lowed in ear ly pract ices by a back injury Two sophomores are ex pected to see plenty of act ion this year , as Ludwig rebui lds with his eye on the future Bob Zel ler . the younger brother of s tar ter Tim. and Rich ( i losson. a t ransfer f rom Elgin Eastview junior high school . "are excel lent prospects ." according to Ludwig Zel ler s tands 6 '1" , while ( i losson is 6 '2" The veteran head coach w ho sports a 148-126 win-loss record in his e leven years a t McHenry. wil l re ly heavi ly on the good team speed of this year 's squad "We are capable of put t ing f ive players on the f loor with except ional quickness ." he indicated I t ' s the best speed and quickness we 've ever had for a ful l team on the f loor a t <»np t ime" Ludwig also indicated that sacr i f ices may have to be made in other areas to take ad vantage of the quickness . The ta l les t man on the squad is t i '4" junior J im Johnson Johnson wil l s tar t a t the other low post posi t ion "We have average s ize ," Ludwig offered "hut ue don' t have that overpowering-type post man Rebounding could be a factor against bigger teams ." The head coach, who in 1975- 7*1 led McHenr> to a 25 5 record and a l>erth m the sweet s ixteen ' s ta te supersect ionals i . hopes that hard work and agressive play wil l make up for the lack of height "This is a hard working group with excel lent a t t i tude." Two excellent sophomore prospects are also on this year's roster. At left, is Rich (ilosson (ilosson is a 6*2" forward, who transferred from Elgin Eastview junior high. Next to (ilosson is Bob Zeller. Zeller is a 6'1" forward, who was probably the best player on last year's freshmen team at McHenry. Ludwig expects both players to see plenty of action during the season, with both probably playing a wing position in the Warrior 1-2-2 double-low post offense. JOE DEWS McHenry, a second division finisher in the North Suburban conference a year ago. finds itself in the newly formed Fox Valley conference this year. Members of this year's Warrior squad include < front row, left to right) Bob Bitterman, Greg Brooke, Tom Schlofner, Len Jensen, Hans Larsen, Brad Bonato, Tony Sroka and coach Ken Ludwig. Standing in the back row are (left to right) Jim Condon, Tim Zeller, Rich Glosson, Chris Cook, Jim Johnson, Dan Conway, Brett Thomas, Bob Zeller, Barry Anderson and Pete Prust. The Warriors open their season this weekend against Belvidere in the Sycamore Thanksgiving tournament. Game time is Friday night at 7 p.m. McHenry Coach Ken Ludwig is beginning his twelfth year as the head basketball coach at McHenry. In the past eleven years, Ludwig's teams have compiled a 148 win, 126 loss and in his 19 years overall as a head coach, his teams have a record of 246-225. Last year, his team finished in the second division of the North Suburban conference and were 10-16 overall. In the last eight years, Ludwig's teams have won six regional titles. He also has several second and third place conference finishes to his credit, although a conference championship while at McHenry has always eluded him. In 1975-76, he led the Warriors to a 25-5 record and a berth in the sweet sixteen during the state tournament. A giant rebui lding task faces McHenry head basketbal l coach Ken Ludwig this year No le t termen return to the team last year , and the lack of ex per ience on the Warr iors wil l be the biggest factor hurt ing the team "We must consider this a rebui lding year ." Ludwig explained, "because of the Johnsburg spl i t But , we feel that we have potent ia l to be a very competi t ive bal lc lub " Ludwig. who is s tar t ing his twelf th year a t McHenry. has been blessed with some ex cel lent prospects to rebui ld around, with f ive seniors on the squad, three of whom saw extensive duty on las t year 's junior vars i ty team Bret t Thomas, a 6 '2" for ward, is one senior who played alot of junior vars i ty bal l , as are Pete Prust and Tim Zel ler Thomas wil l probably open the season at one of the post posi t ions Ludwig 's Warr iors wil l operate offensively out of a 1-2 2 . double- low post offense Prust . a t 60", and Zel ler a t 6 1" . have the inside t rack at the s tar t ing wing posi t ions Prust was the quarterback on this year 's footbal l team and Zel ler w as voted al l -conference and most valuable defensive player on the squad Chris Cook is a 6 '2" senior who t ransferred from Pay son. I l l . this year He and another senior . Dan Conway, wil l provide good back up help at the post posi t ions Conway is 6 '3" and is out for the team for the f i rs t t ime this season "We have good depth. ' ' Ludwig said, "with about e leven or twelve people who are pret ty equal in abi l i ty ." Ludwig is count ing on Len Jensen, a junior , to s tar t a t the point guard posi t ion and be the quarterback of the bal lc lub Crown is lead bv * i ' 5 " sophomore ( i le ismann. who made al l conference las t year as a freshman Crown also had an excel lent , big sophomore team last year- After opening the conference against Jacobs, the Warr iors t iost Crown the fol lowing week Two games against two favored teams ear ly in the season may key the whole year for the \ \ arr iors "How we get s tar ted wil l have a bear ing on how the season wil l progress . ' " Ludwig said, and added that the Warr iors had a chance for a f i rs t divis ion f inish in the conference "I t should be a royal bat t le between the rest of the teams in the conference, he said, "for the other f i rs t divis ion spot ." McHenry s progress during the season wil l be very im portant With two sophomores on the squad, and several juniors being counted on heavi ly , the experience the team wil l gain wil l be im measurable . The rebui lding task may only take one year Next year . Coach Ludwig wil l be explaining how he is re turning a veteran team, and possibly a conference favori te The Warr iors w i l l s tar t in the Sycamore Tha n ksgivi n g tournament this weekend Friday, a t 7 p.m. . they bat t le Belvidere . whom thev defeated las t year In las t years tournament , the Warr iors f inished in third place There is no c lear cut favori te for this year 's tournament Ster l ing, a new entry in the tourney, a lways has a good team and Sycamore returns several players f rom last year 's team which was highly competi t ive The fol lowing weekend, the Warr iors begin their f i rs t , season in the Ki>x Val ley conference against Jacobs, one of the favori tes for this year s league t i t le "Jacobs has two regulars re turning from last year , both <>f which made al l conference." Ludwig said "Crystal Lake Central looks the best on paper l ie sa id , and should be the conference favori te Central has four players hack fromlast year 's team, including their ent i re front l ine Crown also is considered to have a chance at the league t i t le "Crown has the biggest team in the conference." McHenry s coach observed he said "Team agressiveness has been excel lent " In fact . Ludwig indicated that his team was being overagressive "In pract ice sessions so far , we have probably been overagressive." he explained, "and because of this we could get ourselves in foul t rouble ." But . while loul t rouble always hurts a team, the fact that Ludwig has eleven or twelve players to choose f rom, the agressive tact ics may work to the teams advantage Other juniors who Ludwig is count ing on this year include Barry Anderson, a 6 1" for ward; Brad Bonato. a 5 ' 10" forward; Greg Brooke, a 5 'R" guard; J im Condon, a 5 '10" guard; Hans Larsen. a 60" forward, and Tom Schlofner . a 6 '3" center Offensively, the Warr iors wil l fas t break at t imes "We wil l run when we have the op portuni ty ." Ludwig said "I hope i t wi l l be a control led fast break " Control l ing his young team may be a problem for Ludwig "We've got potent ia l , i f we can cnn , rol i t " he said Ludwig expects the team to show vast improvement as the players adjust to each other and gain game experience "A lot depends on how well we get s tar ted." he added