Bugle Newspapers 3-10-22

MaRCH 9 , 2 0 2 2 Vo l . 6 6 Iss u e 21

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spoRTs

Bolingbrook boys off to state finals

by Randy WHalen For the bugle

@BugleNewspapers sweditor@buglenewspapers.com

Bolingbrook boys basketball coach Rob Brost is usually pretty quiet-spoken.

But with his team trailing by seven points in a game that would send the winner to the state finals, he wasn’t.

Brost got vocal with his team and they got aggressive in the second half. The result was a 4942 Raiders victory over Quincy on Monday, March 7 at the Class 4A Illinois State Supersectional at Redbird Arena in Normal.

It was the 16th straight win for Bolingbrook (30-6) which will play top-ranked Glenbard West, a 60-34 winner over Elgin Larkin at the Northern Illinois University Superscetional, on Friday at 4 PM in the second semifinal at the State Farm Center in Champaign.

The Blue Devils (28-6) finished their most successful season in over two decades.

“I got after them a little bit,” said Brost, whose team trailed 2821 at halftime. “I thought our effort wasn’t what it should be. We talked about being really aggressive against their zone and being really aggressive on defense and we just allowed them to do what they do. If you allow them to do what they do, they are really good.

I got after them a little bit, but thankfully they didn’t take it personally, made the adjustments, and played so much better in the second half.”

Yes, they did. Especially Michael Osei-Bonsu. The senior center had nine of his team-high 14 points in the second half and also grabbed 10 of his game-high 11 rebounds after intermission. That included five offensive rebounds in the third quarter alone.

“I just had to focus on the ball,” Osei-Bonsu said of his play in the

second half. “Coach wrote ‘finish’ on the board at halftime. So I had to make sure to finish.”

He did that by tipping back two of his own missed shots to tie the game at 30-30 and then 32-32 late in the third quarter. Senior guard Jayden Dunlap gave the Raiders their first lead since 2-0 by converting one of Quincy’s six thirdquarter turnovers into a spinning layup with 50 seconds left in the quarter.

But a 3-pointer by junior guard Terron Cartmill (5 points) with four seconds left in the quarter gave the Blue Devils one last lead at 35-34. Dunlap then scored six of his 10 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of free throws just 18 seconds into the quarter to put the Bolingbrook ahead for good.

“We just had to play better than we did in the first half,” Dunlap said. “We just had to press on the gas a little more. Right from

the start of the season, I knew we could do this.”

Osei-Bonsu capped an 8-0 quarter opening run with another offensive putback with exactly four minutes left in the game.

“We were able to get the rebounds and get out and run,” Osei-Bonsu said. “We just made more effort and we all went after it.”

All six of the Raider’s losses came in an eight-game stretch between Dec. 30 and Jan. 17. They haven’t lost since.

“After our little drought is when I knew,” Osei-Bonsu said of when he knew the ‘Brook could do this.

“We didn’t play well for a couple of weeks. Then we put in the work to make ourselves better.”

A 3-pointer by junior guard Reid O’Brien (7 points) with 2:24 to play pulled Quincy within 42-38.

But the Blue Devils went over two minutes before scoring again and

Bolingbrook went on a 5-0 run to put the game away.

Junior forward Donaven Younger added nine points, while senior guard MJ Langit (6 points) along with junior guard Mekhi Cooper and sophomore guard Josh Aniceto ( 5 points apiece) rounded out the scoring for the Raiders.

Quincy was paced by 14 points from freshman guard Bradley Longcor. Senior guard Jeremiah Talton (6 rebounds) and freshman forward Keshaun Thomas (7 rebounds) added eight points apiece for the Blue Devils, who led 14-11 after the first quarter and then scored the last five points of the second quarter for the 28-21 halftime lead.

The Raiders were playing in their fourth supersectional in the past eight years and fifth in school history. the previous appearances were in 1985, 2015, 2017, and 2019.

They will bring home their third

trophy since 2015, as they finished third in 15 and 17 in Class 4A. This was Quincy’s 31st supersectional appearance but the first since 2000. One of the most storied programs in state history, the Blue Devils won 54 regionals or district titles and 30 sectionals between 1934 and 2000. They have 13 state trophies, including a pair of state championships in 1934 and 1981.

“Nothing against our team, but we talked at the beginning of the year as a coaching staff, we’re going to have to make it ugly sometimes and that’s kind of what we did tonight,” Brost said. “I’m just so proud of our guys. I really challenged them at halftime and they responded like the people that they are. I’m kind of without words here. If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that this team would win 30 games and go to the Final Four, I mean, wow.”

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sTaTe

Illinois residents are reminded to change their clocks and smoke alarms Every spring, fire safety experts along with the nonprofit Illinois Fire Safety Alliance (IFSA) reminds residents about the lifesaving habit of checking their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms when setting their clocks forward for daylight saving time.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that 81% of battery-operated smoke alarms which failed to operate in home fires had missing, disconnected, or dead batteries. To combat these alarming statistics, the IFSA worked with the Illinois General Assembly to update a law to address this horrific problem, by requiring residents to replace their old smoke alarms with the type that has a long-term, 10year sealed battery by the end of this year. This would apply to residents that are still using alarms with removable batteries or alarms that are not hardwired.

“Since 1988, the Illinois Smoke Detector Act has required all dwellings to have smoke alarms, the new requirement just updates the law to reflect the changes in new technology, aimed at saving lives, while making it easier and more cost effective for Illinois residents to comply, said IFSA President & Barrington-Countryside Fire Protection District Chief Jim Kreher.

“With a 10-year battery alarm, there is no need for battery replacement; saving the average homeowner between $40-$60 in battery costs over the life of

each alarm. At the end of the life cycle, the smoke alarm will automatically alert the homeowner to replace the alarm,” said IFSA Executive Director Philip Zaleski.

“They are very affordable with the current retail price around $15 per unit.”

“People don’t realize how quickly a fire can turn deadly and how important escape time is. Installing new 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms helps families stay protected, with the most advanced sensing technologies and safety features available,” Kreher

added.

The exemptions to the updated law include homes built after 1988 that already have hardwired smoke alarms and homes with wireless integrated alarms.

Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside each

sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.

To learn more about protecting your family from smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide, visit the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance website at www.IFSA.org.

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