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November 27, 2023

Huntley senior Omare Segarra reaches for a loose ball against Johnsburg. The Red Raiders won the Johnsburg Thanksgiving Tournament championship.
Steve Peterson
Huntley senior Omare Segarra reaches for a loose ball against Johnsburg. The Red Raiders won the Johnsburg Thanksgiving Tournament championship.

Sports • November 27, 2023

Boys enjoy good hoops start with title

By

HUNTLEY — Lucas Crosby smiled soon after he fell to the court after scoring his final points in Huntley’s boys Johnsburg Thanksgiving Tournament title game win over Crystal Lake South Nov. 24.

Crosby began a celebration after the lay-up was good and then he got up, made a free throw that topped off a 55-48 victory. The Red Raiders had an outstanding opening week from start to finish at the Johnsburg Thanksgiving Tournament, with a 4-0 championship.

Crosby and Ethan Blackmore shared high scoring honors with 12 points each. Jeff Cruickshank added 10 points.

“It means a lot,” Crosby said. “It’s my senior year, my last year at this tournament. We wanted to win it after losing to them (CLS) by five points last year. Our team goals are to win about 20 games, like last year, and a regional championship. Personally, I want this year to have the mindset of growth both as a player and personally.”

Two Crystal Lake South turnovers led to Crosby’s well-timed plays.  Crosby, on another basket, was ready for the pass from Blackmore, an all-conference player last season. “You have to be ready for a pass from Blackmore,” Crosby said.

“It was an incredible pass from Blackmore to Crosby, just a second before Crosby got there,” Red Raiders coach Collin Kalamatas said.

“We have a lot of set drills to drive it and kick it out but on that play we wanted to make one more pass. It was memorable because of losing to them last year. It felt good,” Blackmore said.

Crosby led the team in the previous game, a 16-point effort in a 56-39 win over Machesney Park Harlem.

Seniors Crosby, Blackmore and Bryce Walker have been playing hoops since the fifth grade, joined by  Omare Segarra freshman year. The group plays on the same AAU team in the off-season.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Red Raiders finished with a 12-5 run over the Gators as the game was tied 43-all midway through the fourth. HHS made 13 of 16 free-throw attempts and more than held their own, a 30-27 advantage, in the rebounding battle. Defensively, they held CLS leader AJ Demirov, who topped 30 points in earlier  wins, to 18 points.

Earlier wins were over Crystal Lake Central (48-28), Johnsburg (56-47) and Machesney Park Harlem. Thus, the boys varsity coaching career of Kalamatas got off to a great start. The tournament result bracket, held by Crosby and the plaque, held by Blackmore, were carried off the court.

Now it’s on to the Fox Valley Conference challenges, opening at Cary-Grove Nov. 29 and at Hampshire Dec. 1. Two more battles with CLS are ahead, the next away on Dec. 13.

“We have a lot of high hopes for the season,” Kalamatas said. “Our priorities tonight were to play with discipline, do the little things well. We also put on the whiteboard to win the 50-50 balls, which we did. Our goal in the FVC is to finish as high as we can in the standings.”