The Oak Park and River Forest High School varsity boy basketball team took on the Fenwick Friars in the Chicago Elite Classic on Friday, Dec 6.  With a final score of 59-45, the Huskies fell to their cross-town rivals. 

Although the score was not one that the Huskies had hoped for, the atmosphere was nothing short of electric. With a crowd of orange and seniors leading the student section in chants, there was never a dull moment during the game. Both the Friars and the Huskies, two evenly matched teams on the court in both height and speed, knew that they would have to come up with a strategy to handle this game. 

“Our mindset was to go out there to compete and play together as a team. We wanted to focus on taking care of the basketball and being aggressive. We just didn’t do a good job of taking care of the ball” said Head Coach Phil Gary.

As their starting lineup, the Huskies chose seniors Alex Vincent, Andrew Zhou and Alex Gossett, as well as juniors Johnny Nelson and Jerome Delaney. Right from the start of the game, Vincent made a statement. With multiple blocks against the Friars, he helped shape the momentum of the team throughout the game.

 As the clock ticked down from three minutes, junior Logan Johnson made his Chicago Elite Classic debut, showcasing his delicate ball control and ability to be aggressive on jump balls. Johnson’s confidence under pressure, especially when dribbling the ball, was a key part of the Huskies’ success in the second quarter. 

When met with intense moments during the second quarter, “I would close my eyes and try to block out all the outside noise,” said Johnson. “All I needed to focus on was playing basketball.” 

Despite early fouls, the Huskies led 14-13 going into the second quarter. The tide turned in the second quarter, with the Friars ahead 34-28. 

The majority of their points came from Gosset, who wasn’t shy in showing the competition just how good he actually was. His ability to lose his defender and make shots from everywhere on the court kept the friars thinking. Gossett scored 17 points in the game overall.

As the second half of the game progressed the Huskies showcased their younger talent starting with sophomore A.J. Enyia, a newcomer to the varsity team. Enyia made pivotal plays during the second half including using his height to beat his opponent to rebounds and showing his confidence from the three-point line. 

“I was excited to play in such a big game. I’ve never played in a game with so many different people watching. I knew I just needed to have a clear mental space to play my best,” said Enyia. 

While the Huskies trailed the Friars for the majority of the third quarter, Delaney remained hopeful with his ability to sink threes. Remaining calm and not letting the roaring crowd get to him, Delaney continued to set a good pace for the Huskies to attempt a comeback. 

“My mindset was to stay calm, remembering why I started playing basketball… and how far I’ve gone kept me motivated,” said Delaney.

As the Friars took an 11-point lead late in the third quarter, Gossett responded by making a three-pointer while going to the line after a foul was made by the Friars’ Tommy Thies.

 At the start of the fourth quarter, the Friars were closing in on a 20-point lead with a score of 44-28. With fouls stacking up for both the Huskies and the Friars, the game, with less than two minutes left, began to get very physical under the basket. As the clock ticked down from 30 seconds, the Friars had the lead with 59 to the Huskies 45 and won the trophy for the third straight y