Sports
End of Road for PNHS as Team Falls to East Aurora
Failure to "execute" leads to 67-54 loss; semifinal was the last high school game for star player, senior Jack Krieger.
People have become so used to East Aurora senior Ryan Boatright scoring over 30 points per game this season that it seems like an afterthought.
But as the Tomcats opened their quest for their first state tournament berth since 1992 Tuesday in the Class 4A Bolingbrook Regional semifinals against , they caught a glimpse of what life is like when Boatright doesn’t score at his normal clip.
Boatright was held to a season-low 13 points on 5-of-21 shooting from the field, and second leading scorer Snoop Viser sat out with a sprained ankle. But East was able to cruise to 67-54 win regardless thanks to contributions from the likes of Domonique Johnson and John Williams.
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Williams scored a game-high 21 points and Johnson added 17 in the win. The Tomcats await the winner of tomorrow night’s Neuqua Valley/Bolingbrook game Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Bolingbrook for the regional title.
“That’s what they’re supposed to do,” Boatright said. “I can’t put up 30 or 40 points every game. I can strive to, but that isn’t going to happen all the time. We played some real great defense, some of the best defense we played all year. We did that at a time when we needed to, at a time when I wasn’t scoring like I normally do.”
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Plainfield North (15-13) came out sluggish, missing its first 12 shots from the field and falling behind 10-0 at the outset. Despite the fact that Boatright was only 2-for-12 from the field in the first half and Viser was in a walking boot on the bench, the Tigers were unable to take advantage, trailing 34-21 at the half.
“We’ve played Top 25 teams all year, so we were not scared,” Plainfield North coach Nick DiForti said. “We knew what to expect. We were more anxious than anything. We’ve seen them many times, much respect for their program. Our kids played as hard as they could. We just didn’t execute.”
Plainfield North did cut the lead to 41-36 in the third, but the Tomcats (22-5) managed to extend the lead back out. A driving lay-up and a three-pointer from Johnson in the fourth pushed the lead to an insurmountable 62-43 and East never looked back.
“John and Domonique have been working extremely hard after practice, so I knew it was just a matter of time,” East coach Wendell Jeffries said. “Friday, John had open looks and they just didn’t go down. After the game, I told him that he’s working hard, so keep taking open looks. They’re going to fall.”
The loss signaled the end of the brilliant career of Plainfield North star Jack Krieger. He went out with a 10-point, 12-rebound performance before he takes his skills to St. Xavier University in Chicago next year.
“I’m privileged to coach a player like him,” DiForti said. “He’ll do anything you want him to. It’s what you want. He’s a good leader. I’m sorry to see him go.”
The Tomcats will likely get a third crack at Neuqua Valley Friday, a team they beat twice en route to winning the Upstate Eight Valley title. Viser said he would be back for the game, and Jeffries hopes that he’s close to 100 percent for the regional title game.
And Boatright knows that he doesn’t have to put up a highlight-reel performance for his team to keep advancing.
“As long as my teammates stepped up and got the win, that’s all that matters,” Boatright said. “I’m not worried about individual performances. I’m trying to go to state.”
