SDEAA Hosts First All-Star Basketball Game

Friday night was March Madness middle-school style as Gower Middle School hosted the first SDEAA girls and boys all-star games for a packed house of 400 spectators, including principals and superintendents from many of the eleven schools.

Last spring, Ken Rehr, Gower Varsity Boys Basketball coach with 30 years experience under his belt, approached Superintendent Steve Griesbach with his idea to host an all-star game. Each of the schools would enlist their top two to three players as selected by their coaches.

“I thought it would be fun and build camaraderie in the conference,” Rehr said.

And with the support of Griesbach and assistance of Joel Filias, SDEAA athletic director, the idea came to fruition.

Both men gave Rehr credit for being the driving force behind the event and expressed satisfaction at the event’s turnout.

The Girls Game 

The evening began with the girls game, in which two teams of 12 girls competed.

Coaches Mia Brown, of Gower, and Mark Forzley, of Westmont, headed the white team with players from Lisle, Lakeview, Gower, Westview and Westmont. Jefferson coach and conference winner Dreama Mensavage-Mueller and coach Jen Manescalchi  headed the blue team with players from Jefferson, Burr Ridge, Eisenhower, Old Quarry and .

Both teams scored evenly during most of the first half, but with less than two minutes to go in the half, the white team pulled away with a five-point lead.

 During half time, the Gower Jazz Band and Flag Line performed, and Rehr presented each of the coaches an award plaque for their participation. He especially mentioned that this would be Forzley’s final game, as he was retiring from a 36-year teaching career and 25 years coaching basketball at Westmont.

 The second half brought both teams out ready to compete, but by the end of the third quarter, the white team gained momentum, leading by 12.

Excitement in the fourth quarter rose as the blue team increased its intensity, shortening the gap, with a gain of 12 points. Though it only allowed the white team five points, the white team still won 38-34.

Coaches Forzley and Brown said they were proud of their team.

“This was so enjoyable,” Forzley said. “This group of girls really had fun, even after only one opportunity to practice together.”

Brown echoed Forzley’s statement, adding that it was a thrill to be coaching alongside the others.

Matt Forzley, a coach for the Downers Grove Wolfpack travel basketball program, came with his wife Christina to watch his father’s last game. 

“I’m really proud of my dad,” Forzley said.

The Boys Game

Coaches Robert Goss from Westview and Scott Reinhart from Burr Ridge headed the players from Burr Ridge, Westview, Cass, Jefferson and Westmont on the blue team.

Old Quarry coach Jack Williams and Jefferson coach Troy Johnson coached the white team with players from Old Quarry, Gower, Eisenhower, Lisle, Lakeview and Butler. 

The first half saw both teams deny the other a strong lead. The crowd cheered as both blue and white brought their best game, sinking three pointers and stealing possession of the ball. 

The white team pulled ahead by four points by the end of the second quarter.

 The Gower cheerleaders provided the half-time entertainment.

Both teams emerged from the locker room energized, but the third quarter belonged to the blue team, whose offense and defense dominated. They ended the quarter with a 48-32 lead. 

The white pulled out a valiant effort from Lakeview’s Jacob Baker and Old Quarry’s Colin Bennet in the fourth, but the blue team matched their drive.

A three-point shot for the white team by Old Quarry’s Ben Sabourin in the last 20 seconds wasn’t nearly enough to close the gap, and the blue team won 64-45.

Coach Goss commended the players.

“These kids worked hard,” he said. “During their [only] practice, they worked well together right away.”

When asked what made them dominate in the third quarter, Goss said that in the locker room during the half, the team knew they could win and came out charged.

Goss mentioned the contributions of Burr Ridge’s Mike Smith, Westview’s Matt Rafferty and his vote for co-MVP’s Martez Cameron and Joffrey Brown, also from Burr Ridge.  

Goss added, “I really have to hand it to these guys—they all contributed.”